project car... Mercedes 190 Cosworth or Nissan 300ZX

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Kishkuman

Kishkuman

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Been thinking about a project car to keep under a cover in the garage and only bring out on the weekends and holidays.

The Mercedes is an actual classic, not too many around 2.5 litre will likely hold it's value, looks fantastic and is reasonably practical. Where as the Nissan my be a future classic (or not and the price could bomb through the floor) a little ugly compared to the Mercedes and trying to find one that has not had a ridiculous body kit put on and messed around with is proving rather difficult to find. However the 3.0 litre twin turbo potential really appeals! Over 300bhp stock and the engine can handle up to around 400bhp without too much hassle or changing of internal parts.

Please Discuss... (cars below have awful wheels but you get the idea)

Mercedes 190 Cosworth

1732650.jpg



300ZX

photo2.jpg
 
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Kishkuman
Been thinking about a project car to keep under a cover in the garage and only bring out on the weekends and holidays.

The Mercedes is an actual classic, not too many around 2.5 litre will likely hold it's value, looks fantastic and is reasonably practical. Where as the Nissan my be a future classic (or not and the price could bomb through the floor) a little ugly compared to the Mercedes and trying to find one that has not had a ridiculous body kit put on and messed around with is proving rather difficult to find. However the 3.0 litre twin turbo potential really appeals! Over 300bhp stock and the engine can handle up to around 400bhp without too much hassle or changing of internal parts.

Please Discuss... (cars below have awful wheels but you get the idea)

Mercedes 190 Cosworth

1732650.jpg



300ZX

photo2.jpg
Click to expand...

A proper Z car picture:
1993-nissan-300zx.jpg


A Z car ugly? Perish the thought. The generation of Z you posted is my favorite of them all! The Merc is more practical and high strung while the Z is sleek and powerful. Both are good classics and both have massive appeal, however, the Z in the end does the deed for me. Quintessential Japanese 90's sports car: two turbos, 6 cylinders and one hell of a good looking interior to go with that sexy exterior.

The Merc is just a saloon with a great engine and some minor exterior body go-fast bits bolted on to it. The Z was designed from the start to be a sports car.
 
JCE
A proper Z car picture:

A Z car ugly? Perish the thought. The generation of Z you posted is my favorite of them all! The Merc is more practical and high strung while the Z is sleek and powerful. Both are good classics and both have massive appeal, however, the Z in the end does the deed for me. Quintessential Japanese 90's sports car: two turbos, 6 cylinders and one hell of a good looking interior to go with that sexy exterior.

The Merc is just a saloon with a great engine and some minor exterior body go-fast bits bolted on to it. The Z was designed from the start to be a sports car.
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Indeed perhaps ugly is a some what harsh There are so many pros and cons to each car. The classic car lover in me wants the 190 and the speed freak wants the 300zx. A plus for the 190 is that mrs Kishkuman and baby Kishkuman would want come along for the ride. A plus for the 300zx is that they wouldn't
 
Cosworth Merc. Much more class and far more interesting. Then again, saying something has more class than a 300ZX is like saying that it has more class than Ron Jeremy...
 
The main issue with the Merc is that I'd really want the 190 evo ii but don't quite have the pocket money for one of those baby's
 
Kishkuman
The main issue with the Merc is that I'd really want the 190 evo ii but don't quite have the pocket money for one of those baby's
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So why ask the question?

I'd really like to have a early 50's car, but I don't have the money, so I bought an early 80's car.
 
Dennisch
So why ask the question?

I'd really like to have a early 50's car, but I don't have the money, so I bought an early 80's car.
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Thanks for sharing, I like to talk with people about the cars I like. It is very probable I'll buy one of these two cars that doesn't mean I'll forego the inclination to want other cars does it? If I go with the 300 I'll still want another iteration of a z car or what ever. my wallet nor garage are large enough for all the cars I'd like
 
Flip a coin. Heads for 300, tails for Merc. Now don't look at it. Which one were you secretly hoping for?
 
Zenith013
Cosworth Merc. Much more class and far more interesting. Then again, saying something has more class than a 300ZX is like saying that it has more class than Ron Jeremy...
Click to expand...

Great bias I sense in you (again). Much experience with one must you lack.

It is a pretty good consensus that the Z32 300ZX is among the best sports cars in both looks but also performance of that era and even today. They absolutely exude class when you see one driving down the road, and I'm talking about right now too. They STILL look expensive even today 15 years after the last one was sold in the US. Find one in good nick and you WILL have heads turn and thumbs up when you're driving down the road. Like unmolested Mk IV Supra's and FD RX-7's the Z32's still look modern even today. If that isn't classy I don't know what is.

When I owned my 3000GT VR4 in 2000 I was good friends with 2 Z32 twin turbo owners along with a Mk IV Supra owner. Both of their cars in stock form were quite fast and had a much better interior than my Mitsubishi. These cars were (and still are) fantastic and I would own one over my Mitsubishi in a nanosecond. Nothing from the 90's with exception of the FD RX-7 and maybe the Mk IV Supra looked as good as the Z32. (Excluding super cars of course)
 
These are all very valid points i won't be making a decision for a little while just yet but I enjoy weighing the options. I wouldn't be wanting to mod ether car persé, certainly not do anything that can't be undone. I'd start with a nice set of AMG type wheels for the Merc or a set of deep dish split rims on the 300xz. Possibly an exhaust to make the engine note more throaty. The temptation with the 300zx is always to juice up the bhp in a big way as it can be done relitavly inexpensively however I wouldn't want to compromise reliability. Juicing the Merc would seem like putting ketchup on salmon, it would do nothing but take away from it's class.
 
JCE
Great bias I sense in you (again). Much experience with one must you lack.

It is a pretty good consensus that the Z32 300ZX is among the best sports cars in both looks but also performance of that era and even today. They absolutely exude class when you see one driving down the road, and I'm talking about right now too. They STILL look expensive even today 15 years after the last one was sold in the US. Find one in good nick and you WILL have heads turn and thumbs up when you're driving down the road. Like unmolested Mk IV Supra's and FD RX-7's the Z32's still look modern even today. If that isn't classy I don't know what is.

When I owned my 3000GT VR4 in 2000 I was good friends with 2 Z32 twin turbo owners along with a Mk IV Supra owner. Both of their cars in stock form were quite fast and had a much better interior than my Mitsubishi. These cars were (and still are) fantastic and I would own one over my Mitsubishi in a nanosecond. Nothing from the 90's with exception of the FD RX-7 and maybe the Mk IV Supra looked as good as the Z32. (Excluding super cars of course)
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It's a great car, I even like the look of it. It just suffers from the 90's sports coupe problem (aka: Fiero Syndrome) where you look like a porn star :lol:

Car people love it, yes. But you still can't escape the feeling of the hair on your upper lip starting to want to grow.

Edit: And take it easy, the first joke was supposed to come was a rim shot.
 
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Zenith013
It's a great car, I even like the look of it. It just suffers from the 90's sports coupe problem (aka: Fiero Syndrome) where you look like a porn star :lol:

Car people love it, yes. But you still can't escape the feeling of the hair on your upper lip starting to want to grow.

Edit: And take it easy, the first joke was supposed to come was a rim shot.
Click to expand...

OMG, PUN FTMFW! :lol:

Seriously, I hope you saw the sarcasm with my Yoda language. :sly:
 
I think the Merc would be more fun to own. Build quality is probably better and it is more unique, but you can't say the Nissan doesn't look good.
 
Merc. You can actually do the maintenance yourself with that one. The 300ZX's engine compartment is notoriously cramped, the twinturbos even more so.

MB
398888_130_full.jpg


vs

300ZX twinturbo
DSC00102.JPG


See how much fun the 300ZX's spark plug replacement will be? Oh, that's right, you can't even see them.. :lol:
 
Eunos_Cosmo
I think the Merc would be more fun to own. Build quality is probably better
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Saying a Nissan product of that era with that bulletproof VG engine is not as reliable as a Merc is a crock. I had that engine in 2 Maximas and never had an issue what-so-ever. Not even a tiny one. 👍
 
Not really, they suit the car.

And if you plan on changing them, get the Nissan. There aren't enough original Cosworths left for people to mess up the remaining ones taking original parts off them.
 
190 is probably more fun (and more awesome, both in Evo 2 and Cossie forms) but the 300ZX might have more parts available. So then...go with a 190. Then try to get to an Evo 2's level by doing the mods and of course painting it black :D
 
You say you're looking for a project car then you go on to say you won't be doing much mods besides wheels and exhaust. So my question is, what else might you be looking to do with the car? If you just want something to cruise around in on the weekends I think either car would be fine.
 
I think too many people are concerned with modifying cars from the 1990s. I think a restored-stock 190E or Z32 would be pretty cool.
 
slims
You say you're looking for a project car then you go on to say you won't be doing much mods besides wheels and exhaust. So my question is, what else might you be looking to do with the car? If you just want something to cruise around in on the weekends I think either car would be fine.
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The type of project that does not require modding. A bit of paint here a dint repair there maybe some welding etc I don't mind a bit of tinkering. I just dont have the time for a full in resto job like stripping a car back to its shell these days. I generally don't do anything to a car that can't be undone. And I would never make a cossie onto an evo lookalike although I do see the temptation.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
I think too many people are concerned with modifying cars from the 1990s. I think a restored-stock 190E or Z32 would be pretty cool.
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While I do agree I would still change the wheels and perhaps lower them just for the sake of aesthetics and to put my own stamp on it.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
I think too many people are concerned with modifying cars from the 1990s. I think a restored-stock 190E or Z32 would be pretty cool.
Click to expand...

I think people modify cars from the 90s is because they can use the age of the car as an excuse to modify it than returning it to original spec.

I'm in the boat of modifying it.
 
I prefer the 300ZX. Just my taste. I would think parts for the Nissan would be cheaper as well.
 
The temptation for modding 90's cars is for me because their still reasonably reliable, powerful,comfortable etc and that they are less likely to rust and rot in the same way that the classic classics would. And the fact that their not always a classic in the purest sense. For example a vauxhaul corsa, Their are not many that would complain about one being modded on grounds of ruining a future classic because it's probably not going to be. However 15 years ago you could have said the exact same thing about a nova yet if you modded a nova GTE today you would be tampering with a modern classic and would have a few people crying sacrilege! Not my taste but you get the idea. 90's cars are bottoming out in price before the really desirable ones start to go up in value. The 300zx is so cheap now for what you get for the money perhaps one day bump up in value but only time will tell
 

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