Hey guys...

Went to a dealership yesterday looking at a 350z Roadster, came away with an 01 Bright Yellow (Is that Spa / Indy?) S2k w/ 57k miles on it. Went with a 3yr/36k extended warranty as well...

Anyhow.. Few questions, some have already been answered cruising around the boards.

It's got stock wheels, and decent meat on the rear tires (not sure of the brand)- but it feels like it wants to slide around a lot. It's the first car I've ever actually been scared in, and really had to respect it's capabilities. Today I got my first good scare, gave it a little too much go pedal turning left (deserted intersection on a country road), got wayyyy sideways, let off gas too fast, over corrected, spun 180 the other direction and slid a few feet off the road. (Luckily it was just grass, no damage whatsoever, and was able to just drive away...) When the rear breaks loose, it feels like it's on ice-- I'm used to skidding tires and smoke, but it's a very smooth transistion to no traction. I got really really lucky and learned an important lesson without hurting myself, the car, or anyone else... Any pointers (maybe on what tires to buy) would be great.

I get a pretty good vibration at 70mph on up. I checked the rear tire pressure and one was at 30.5 cold, the other at 28. I'm hoping that's the cause. I'm going to air up to 34 or 35 tomorrow and see if that helps. (Hoping that'll help with traction as well)

I have the decel noise... Really unnerving at first, but from what I've heard it's pretty common?

Can anyone give me a rough idea of expected maintenence that needs to happen? Timing belt or chain, for instance?

This is by far the most fun I've ever had with all my clothes on.

Thanks guys.

 

Spa.

That is the way it is, non stock tires make it worse in most cases.

Out of balance wheels?

TSB54 -- look it up, demand the dealer fix it.

No idea.

Try a Z06, Elise or Cobra replica.

 

Thanks!

 

Check to make sure there are no spring spacers still left in your springs from when it was new.

Are the tires S-02's? those are stock. Our stock tires take 32 psi.

About the spinning out, you will find out that too much or too little gas around a corner in this car will make you spin out. So will shifting gears in a turn. It is so perfectly balanced that any tiny input you give the car, it will respond accordingly. Be careful and slowly learn! It took me about a month to learn how to drive this car, and I'm only 50% good at it now!

The gas lid release is in the door jamb of the driver's door.

The clutch deceleration buzz has a TSB, which means the mechanics can diagnose it properly, but it does not mean they will automatically fix it for free. Since you have the extended warranty, they will look into it and I hope they fix it for you. I had my clutch disc replaced for free and that took care of the noise.

Your 60K service is coming up. Should be about 300 ish depending on where ya go. There is no timing belt, it has a chain. Check to make sure your spark plugs were replaced. Some, if not all, first gen. S2000's had the plugs recalled.



Now, get ready to spend all your life's savings modifying the car

 

Get yourself to a local chapter autocross ASAP, it will teach you how to control your car at the limits so you don't have an offroad adventure into a curb or pole next time.