You come to a Nissan forum and expect anyone to say anything other than the Z? hope not.
Dollar for dollar, in 1991-96?, the 300z was one of the top 3 sports cars in the sub $50k price range. The twin turbo Z was compared to the Corvette, not it's little brothers. Think the Z might have even run with a 911 in one comparo.
Don't let some big block mullet-headed freak talk you up about the 'stang or camaro...Go with the Z and enjoy your ride.
Side note, if you're on a tight budget, then the two domestics should be the only two you consider. 90's Z parts ain't cheap
On the other hand, they'll probably break parts 3x as often as the Z.
I'm a Ford guy but I would definitely go for the tt 300. I mean, Is there anything hotter for the price? They turn heads as well as perform plus you see the other 2 so often it makes you sick (almost).
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They're right, nobody will really tell you to go for anything but the Z here.
However, a Camaro will probably beat a 300zx tt in a straight line. I hate Camaros just as much as the nissan junkie, but straight from the factory, a Camaro will haul ass on the quarter. However, neither the Camaro nor the Mustang has the potentially upgradeable power of the 300zx. Winterz is right that you'll be buying more replacement parts, because lets face it, a '92 american car will give you its share of problems, while the 300zx is a very sturdily built ride. Even though the Camaro is beefier, on any real race it would get murdered by the 300, Camaros turn like RVs, except they're uglier . The 300 is the clear better choice, much more fun to drive, will last you longer, and you can do more stuff with it.
(and even though looks are in the eye of the beholder...300zx has twenty times the bling bling of the other two)
-Matt
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what year Z are you talkin bout buying, cause a twin turbo 300zx would beat any of those other cars you mention with a good driver, i would have bought a 300ZX Twin Turbo but i couldnt afford it
Originally posted by De La Rocha They're right, nobody will really tell you to go for anything but the Z here.
However, a Camaro will probably beat a 300zx tt in a straight line. I hate Camaros just as much as the nissan junkie, but straight from the factory, a Camaro will haul ass on the quarter. However, neither the Camaro nor the Mustang has the potentially upgradeable power of the 300zx. Winterz is right that you'll be buying more replacement parts, because lets face it, a '92 american car will give you its share of problems, while the 300zx is a very sturdily built ride. Even though the Camaro is beefier, on any real race it would get murdered by the 300, Camaros turn like RVs, except they're uglier . The 300 is the clear better choice, much more fun to drive, will last you longer, and you can do more stuff with it.
(and even though looks are in the eye of the beholder...300zx has twenty times the bling bling of the other two)
-Matt
Yeah... that's BS. If we were talking 93+camaro then it might have a fighting chance in a straight line but 92 and below were slowww. The most the z-28 ever made was a 350 w/ ~230hp. And they only offered that w/ an automatic. I think the fastest 3rd gen camaro was the 305ci, 215hp w/ the stick. If I remember my F-bodies correctly. As far as the mustang goes. Again, not likely. 225 hp, best quarter time was the notch back at 14.7. Where the GT's would run ~15.2. LX 5.0 somewhere in the middle. Mustangs didn't make sereious power until 96 w/ DOHC cobra, 305hp.
BTW- Check out my car history link in my sig... look at my old 3rd gen Camaro and Fox body mustang
Originally posted by sr20racer Let me send you a link (when my buddy gets it up) of my se-r pulling on a SVT Cobra and I think your mind will be made. Nissan all the way.
We are talking stock camaro's and mustangs and 300zx.... you have a freaking turbo on a 2400lb car and you think this should make up his mind? I could put a blower on a cobra and walk all over your ass. So what's your point? Don't mean to be harsh but hey?
I am going to reply to this while trying to keep it "flame free". First, any of the cars mentioned has merits.
The 300 is a beuatiful car. The N/A version is underpowered. If autocross is an indication of handling, the N/A 300 is in the same stock class as all V8 F-bodies (FS) and doesn't stand a chance. Too much weight and not enough tire. The turbo 300 has a lot of mod potential, but mods are neither cheap nor easy to install. Other parts for these cars are expensive, and they are not as reliable as some would have you think. As for turbo performance, a stock '92 Z28 with the 350 (245 hp btw, and 345 torque) is a mid 14 second car right along side the turbo 300. The interior on the 300 is a lot nicer than the other cars mentioned. I would definately get a 300 with T-tops (but I am a T-top junkie).
The 5.0L Mustang has the most straight line potential, but handling suffers. These cars are extremely easy to work on, and parts are cheap.
The F-body (Camaro and Trans Am) are cars that I consider myself and expert on. I will start with thirdgens, but since you said "90's" I will stick to '90-'92. Assuming you are talking one with a TPI motor (the V6 and TBI motors suck), they are all capable of 14 second time. Back in 2000 I bought an unmodified '87 Formula 350, which was only rated at 215 hp. Bone stock on July 3 in Dallas (can you say HOT) it ran 14.81 on 8 year old Western Auto tires. With a few minor (and cheap) mods, it ran high 13's. I had the car for a year and a half, and the only things that went wrong were the ac and MAF died, but it was a 14 year old car. Other than that it was more reliable than my '93 NX2000 which only has 90K miles today and currently needs a new door handle and HVAC controls. Anyway, the '90-'92 TPI cars were deep in the 14's, and were listed as one of the 10 best handling cars in '92. Yes, they can turn corners. Unless you are talking about a rare 1LE car, the brakes are too small on these cars. The chassis on the thirdgens is weak, so I would avoid T-top cars. The '93-'97 F-bodies are high 13/low 14 second cars all stock. The chassis are a lot stiffer, and handling is great. The '98-'02 V8 F-bodies are low 13 second cars stock. My '01 T/A ran 12.97@108.4 with the lone mod being Nitto road race tires (which I also use for daily driver tires). Unless it was for a track race car, I would make sure to get a '93+ with T-tops. The interior in the Camaro is pretty plain, the T/A is a step up, but neither are as nice or durable inside as the 300. Because these cars were considerably cheaper new, and subsequently used, finding one that has been taken care of is more of an issue than the with the 300 from my experience.
I run autox and track events regurarly, and I have only seen a few 300's come out. They have never been competitive, but that may be the driver and not the car.
If you have any specific questions about the F-body, please post them and PM me as I probably won't follow this thread as I see flames in my crystal ball.
All that being said, I would like to find a nice 300 turbo to play with in the next couple years.
Originally posted by sr20racer Let me send you a link (when my buddy gets it up) of my se-r pulling on a SVT Cobra and I think your mind will be made. Nissan all the way.
And I can post a video of my old stock '98 Z28 passing a horde of BMW M3's and Porsche 911's on a road course, but what does that mean? My answer would be nothing relative to this conversation; which is the same thing I would tell you, except that my video at least has ONE of the cars in question in it.
I would say it all depends on what you are looking to acomplish.The 300 is the best handling car, followed by the F-body and then the Mustang.Mustang is the fastest if you get the right one, and can be hopped up very cheaply,the F-Body also has a lot of potential since it is a Small Block Chevy And the 300zxTT can also be made very powerful, but it is an expensive car to modify because it's engine was only used in a few select models very few of which are ever seriously modified.The Ford and Chevy engine designs date to 1962 for the Ford Windsor small block(221 powered Fairlane) and 1955 for the small Chevy(265 cu in),so they are cheap to modify by the weight of sheer numbers produced.
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Originally posted by 98_1LE I am going to reply to this while trying to keep it "flame free". First, any of the cars mentioned has merits.
The 300 is a beuatiful car. The N/A version is underpowered. If autocross is an indication of handling, the N/A 300 is in the same stock class as all V8 F-bodies (FS) and doesn't stand a chance. Too much weight and not enough tire. The turbo 300 has a lot of mod potential, but mods are neither cheap nor easy to install. Other parts for these cars are expensive, and they are not as reliable as some would have you think. As for turbo performance, a stock '92 Z28 with the 350 (245 hp btw, and 345 torque) is a mid 14 second car right along side the turbo 300. The interior on the 300 is a lot nicer than the other cars mentioned. I would definately get a 300 with T-tops (but I am a T-top junkie).
The 5.0L Mustang has the most straight line potential, but handling suffers. These cars are extremely easy to work on, and parts are cheap.
The F-body (Camaro and Trans Am) are cars that I consider myself and expert on. I will start with thirdgens, but since you said "90's" I will stick to '90-'92. Assuming you are talking one with a TPI motor (the V6 and TBI motors suck), they are all capable of 14 second time. Back in 2000 I bought an unmodified '87 Formula 350, which was only rated at 215 hp. Bone stock on July 3 in Dallas (can you say HOT) it ran 14.81 on 8 year old Western Auto tires. With a few minor (and cheap) mods, it ran high 13's. I had the car for a year and a half, and the only things that went wrong were the ac and MAF died, but it was a 14 year old car. Other than that it was more reliable than my '93 NX2000 which only has 90K miles today and currently needs a new door handle and HVAC controls. Anyway, the '90-'92 TPI cars were deep in the 14's, and were listed as one of the 10 best handling cars in '92. Yes, they can turn corners. Unless you are talking about a rare 1LE car, the brakes are too small on these cars. The chassis on the thirdgens is weak, so I would avoid T-top cars. The '93-'97 F-bodies are high 13/low 14 second cars all stock. The chassis are a lot stiffer, and handling is great. The '98-'02 V8 F-bodies are low 13 second cars stock. My '01 T/A ran 12.97@108.4 with the lone mod being Nitto road race tires (which I also use for daily driver tires). Unless it was for a track race car, I would make sure to get a '93+ with T-tops. The interior in the Camaro is pretty plain, the T/A is a step up, but neither are as nice or durable inside as the 300. Because these cars were considerably cheaper new, and subsequently used, finding one that has been taken care of is more of an issue than the with the 300 from my experience.
I run autox and track events regurarly, and I have only seen a few 300's come out. They have never been competitive, but that may be the driver and not the car.
If you have any specific questions about the F-body, please post them and PM me as I probably won't follow this thread as I see flames in my crystal ball.
All that being said, I would like to find a nice 300 turbo to play with in the next couple years.
Chuck
I was thinking he was talking about the turbo 300 not the NA but his question as I look again is unclear. Your right they did make a 245hp, I had forgotton. That would definately get into the 14's. Most however did not break 15's. If I had money to spend I would go 300z but if not I would go with the 5.0. So much you do to them. It is also possible to make them handle well. It's not a lost cause. If you go camaro go 93' and up. Very quick cars.
i would go with the tt just because im a turbo kind of guy ( love the spolling noise)
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The below statment is false.
The above statment is true.
87-92 Mustang LX notch.
ligtweight, tough and underrated 302, fun to drive.
My brother and I have both owned on of these. His was a 87. It had a rebuilt 302(stock)mystery cam, roller rockers,headers. It had no a/C. It weighed 2900 pounds. It was a low 13sec car. Did I mention we never got around to changing the factory gears.
The notchback to which I refer is becoming a rare breed. It is getting hard to find even a hackjob. The clean low mileage ones don't sell cheap. For instance I saw last year a 92, auto, 51k cranberry, pony's, overdrive going out $6000. I found some with under 30k going for over $10000. The manual trans cars are even harder. Its nearly impossible to find a nice interior anymore. You are going to have to swallow overall build quality.
But its not as bad as some make it out to be. So it needs a little straitening and a ash tray door. My bro paid $1200 for his not running. It took a fuel pump, a valve adjustment, and a tune up and it turned into a monster. Gone was the stereotype of cheap american junk. Turned to "boy do I like powerslides". You drive hunting for cars to pass. Now the stang is long gone(broke the trans)But the memories are still fresh. It wasn't very dependable at first but when he got the bugs worked out it was a good car. It was a fun car. And the people who knew respected it. He sold it for $25 less than he paid for it and has regretted ever since.
Now remember this is my opinion. I prefer nissans. But I know the stang. Maybe If I was to drive the 300 it would change my mind.
In Febuary in the memphis paper there was a 91 300 zx TT 5sp, lady driven, 110k, white, that sold for $5700 she was asking $6500. I thought that was a good deal.
"Again, not likely. 225 hp, best quarter time was the notch back at 14.7. Where the GT's would run ~15.2. LX 5.0 somewhere in the middle. Mustangs didn't make sereious power until 96 w/ DOHC cobra, 305hp."
Yeah, like those people know how to drive. Any good condition LX with the 5sp is going to run high 13s.
Whats is better? 300ZX, Camaro or Mustang
. The 300 is the clear better choice, much more fun to drive, will last you longer, and you can do more stuff with it.
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