Last week, we looked at a bunch of cars that were all the same price. This week, they’re all going to be from the same year: 2005. That was just a couple of years ago, right? …Right?
Our four finalists from last week covered a lot of bases; we had a wagon, a hot hatch, a pickup truck, and a luxury sedan. I was really pulling for that Omni GLH, and it put in a good showing, but ultimately came in second to the Volvo wagon. I can’t fault you for that choice; that wagon was nicer than it had any right to be for that mileage.
Honestly, those two together aren’t a bad two-car garage. If I had to pick one, I’d lean towards the Omni, of course, but that Volvo will make someone a nice daily driver for a couple years yet, I’m sure.
Now then: Despite my protestations, 2005 was, in fact, twenty years ago. It was also a good and eventful year for me: I moved from Saint Paul to Los Angeles, and met my wife. It was a good year for cars, too, if you look back at what was available. There was a little something for everyone, instead of nothing but giant pickup trucks, crossovers of every size, and a smattering of overpowered muscle cars.
As luck would have it, my buddy Stephen Walter Gossin has a car for sale from 2005, and I’m always happy to give him a little extra exposure when he’s having trouble moving a car. Since Stephen’s car is a rear-wheel-drive convertible, I found another one, so we’re comparing apples to apples. Let’s check them out.
2005 Nissan 350Z Grand Touring Roadster – $5,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.5 liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Wilmington, NC
Odometer reading: 160,000
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Two words have always come to mind when I think about the Nissan Z car: “Japanese Camaro.” Hear me out. Both are affordable, sporty coupes; both came out in the late ’60s and have seen several generations over the decades; both took a hiatus of a few years and then came back; and both have just a bit of a bad-boy image. The 350Z was Nissan’s comeback model, arriving in the US in 2002 after the 300ZX had left our shores in 1996.
Following Z-car tradition, the 350Z’s name indicates its engine size. Under that long sloping hood is the same VQ35DE V6 that Nissan used in absolutely everything for the better part of a decade. It’s a good, reliable engine that makes a respectable amount of power, but as we know, power corrupts – and VQ-powered Nissans have gotten a reputation for some really antisocial driving. But the remarkable thing is that they seem to shrug off such abuse, and just keep rolling. Stephen has done a bunch of work to whip this one back into shape, everything from valve cover gaskets to rear wheel bearings, and it runs and drives great. It could use new front tires, but that’s all it needs.
It looks good inside; the driver’s seat has new upholstery, and the rest of it looks pretty good. It comes with new upholstery for the passenger’s side, as well. Convertibles are nice when the weather’s exactly right, but if it’s too hot or humid, you’re going to want air conditioning. You’re in luck – this one was just serviced, and it blows nice and cold.
Outside, it has a few dings and scrapes, but it still looks good. It has a new top, and I think it might have had some body and paint work done since these photos were taken. I seem to remember seeing something about that on Slack a while back. One thing I’ve noticed, watching these rescues unfold over the last few years, is that the longer Stephen keeps these cars, the more puttering around he does on them. Wait long enough, and they practically become new cars.
2005 BMW 330Ci Convertible – $6,995
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter DOHC inline 6, five-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Lynnwood, WA
Odometer reading: 129,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
BMW has been making a convertible version of the 3 Series (now 4 Series) since the 1980s. Some bodystyles over the years have looked more graceful as convertibles than others; the E46 generation is one of the more successful conversions, in my opinion. It looks better with the top down, of course, but that’s true of most convertibles.
BMW’s model numbers used to correspond to engine size as well, but I don’t think they do anymore. This one does; it’s a 330, which is a 3 Series with a 3.0 liter engine, the twin-cam M54 inline six with VANOS variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. As far as I can tell from the ad, it runs and drives just fine, but it’s for sale at a dealership, and the ad reads like AI-generated gibberish. It’s probably safe to assume, even though it runs fine now, that it needs all the typical BMW cooling system work, at the very least.
It’s in good condition inside, and it’s got all the gadgets you would expect. But again, there’s no indication of how well it all works. I know these have a tendency to eat power window regulators, and they fail with a loud bang when the cable snaps. Scares the hell out of you when it happens the first time. Just something to be aware of.
Outside, it looks great, nice and shiny and straight. I’m often surprised by the wheels on BMWs of this era; no two cars seem to have the same style, but they always have BMW center caps. Did they really offer that many styles from the factory? Or do aftermarket wheel manufacturers just make BMW caps for everything?
I think just about every automaker offered a convertible in 2005, but they’re getting a little thin on the ground these days. And that’s a shame. Open-top motoring – again, when the weather’s right for it – is a pleasure that everyone should enjoy at some point. And dealing with the blind spots of a closed convertible top are a rite of passage that everyone should go through, especially with an older car like these that don’t help you out with backup cameras. So what’ll it be – the slightly scruffy Z car from our favorite one-man repair shop, or the super-shiny BMW from the used car lot?
I genuinely like the BMW. A 20 year old cheap BMW is probably a bad idea, but this looks like a fun bad idea. It would be cooler with a third pedal, but the automatic isn’t a deal breaker for me. This isn’t sports car.
The Nissan seems like an okay deal, but I can’t get past the styling. The 350z looks good in hardtop form, but the styling did not translate well into a convertible. The convertible top looks comedically tiny. The trunk seems too large. There are way to many unnecessary creases and design features. To me, the 350z convertible looks like someone took a first-generation Audi TT, whacked it repeatedly with a baseball bat, and slapped some Nissan badges on it. I’m sure this is a good car for the price and I will give bonus points for the SWG connection, but any 350z convertible is a hard pass for me.
I daily an e36 and I had an e46 before that. They are perfectly reliable as long as you keep up on maintenance and don’t care about little things.
Plus this 330 had clearly been well kept, well maintained, and non-“enthusiast driven”. Catch up on any maintenance and it’s a solid, presentable car.
The Z may be cheaper and easier to work on, but prior treatment makes that work a Sisyphean task.
Condition > provenance any day.
But how do you know the prior owners over the last 20 years did the maintenance and correctly.
You buy a 4-cylinder automatic from an older lady.
Nissan is better than BMW, so I chose the Z
I trust SWG way more than I trust BMW.
But seriously, how hard is a manual swap?
How about how expensive is a manual BMW swap?
Such an easy choice for me today.
A Japanese car worked over by SWG vs a 20-year-old BMW of unknown care and feeding?
I’m not a fan of convertibles. At all. Please give me a hardtop with a moonroof and I’m happy. I’m also not a fan of 130K mile BMWs. And the driver’s seat in the BMW is starting to look rough.
Any future work or parts are likely to be less expensive for the Nissan. Today it’s the SWGZ for me.
In real life, I’d take a hard pass on both of these.
With fake Internet money… Still not easy to commit to pulling the trigger.
SWG has that Z priced right, and I like that the buyer could bring it up another notch with some elbow grease. However, the e46 calls a lot louder to me and seems to have had better care through its first two decades.
With all apologies to SWG, I’ve never liked the styling of this era of Z, seemingly endowed with a little too much Big Altima Energy, minus a couple doors and a roof.
I guess I’d take the Bimmer and also take my chances. It’s not like I’d be daily driving the thing!
I’m voting for the seller more the car. I like the 330 better, but I have more confidence that SWG has that Z running like it should. A cheap BMW at a dealership has had the bare minimum amount of maintenance they could get away with before selling it.
20 year old BMWs end up at used car dealers after they get traded in, and sold at auction. Doesn’t mean the car has a bad history, I’d actually argue the opposite. I’d rather the used car lot didn’t fuck with it too much, tbh.
SWG is a good man, but that Z was thrashed by a series of juvenile and/or negligent drivers, and that can’t easily be undone.
I am not sure that is still accurate. With inventory still in short supply I see dealers nowadays keeping anything they can make a buck on. I purchased a 2007 Camry with a dashboard with so many error lights you didn’t need to turn on the interior lights to see, and with 238,000 miles that I bought for $3,000 out the door. They were keeping everything to resell.
This like Miata is always the answer
The Z has the wrong roof and the wrong transmission. I could maybe get into the convertible, but definitely not with an auto. So I reluctantly voted for the BMW.
Yeah. I wish they were manuals.
Well, I can’t take my two semi-permanent passengers with me in the Z, but they probably won’t love top down cruising from the backseat anyways. I still gotta go with the one that will fit my family, so as much as I’d want an SWG car, this one won’t do it for me.
Hey it has a trunk.
BMW. All day. You’ll spend more up front, and more later, but 3-Series Bimmers are nifty to drive. Even with the (ugh) slushbox.
Sorry, Stephen.
The Z convertible with the top up is one of the ugliest cars you can find. It is a truly hideous thing.
I’ll go for the 4 seater and spend some money on mechanical fixes and new front seat covers..
Ugh why are they both automatics? I actually think a 350/370 Z make for mighty fine weekend cars IF you can find one that hasn’t been tooned into another dimension. Unfortunately that’s a very big if. These are extremely popular tooner platforms and they’re famous for their drifting ability on top of it. An inordinate amount of them have either been lost to juvenile activities or are on their last legs as a result.
If you’re willing to be patient you can find mostly decent ones for around the same price as a decent Miata, and I think they make an interesting alternative. They aren’t as nice, they aren’t as communicative, and the manuals are in entirely different leagues…but 300ish rear wheel drive, manual horsepower with a good soundtrack (VQs sound decent stock don’t @ me) is hard to argue with.
I’d also rather deal with a simple engine they made a gajillion of than a 2000s BMW mill. I’d also rather deal with our mans/his handsomeness SWG than a rando. So I’ll have the Z. Anyway I assume people manual swap these? How hard can it be?
Although it’s worth noting that on the 370s they upgraded the automatic to the 9 speed that’s a licensed ZF product and apparently it’s not half bad. I’d still rather have the stick, but the general consensus is that it’s not bad enough to ruin the car, for what it’s worth.
The VQs DO have a distinctive sound that I don’t find offensive. Inline 6 BMWs sound fine, but they aren’t inexpensive to maintain. And German plastic under the hood. No thanks.
I don’t use on/off ramps or shoulders as extra passing lanes, so I’ll take the BMW.
tougher call than I thought, the BMW looks nicer but its also almost 2k higher, selling through a shady dealer. The Nissan is from SWG AND 2k cheaper, could do a stick conversion and be a more fun car to drive. GO Stephen!
The BMW will get it. It’s clean, straight, and looks fantastic.
Auto + cabrio suggests a mature, ‘non-enthusiast’ original owner. Not to stereotype, but likely a lady of decent means.
Clear headlights suggest it was kept out of the elements.
The only visible wear- Curbed rims, seat and bumper scuff, support the above. That’s honest damage caused by a normal driver over 20 years.
The fact that it’s being sold at a dealer is a good thing. This car probably went to a dealer auction after its original owner traded it in. It’s too old to sell at the BMW pre-owned lot, so here it is. We’re looking at a potentially dealer-maintained, one owner, garage kept car.
Big thanks to Mark for featuring my Z on The Showdown today!
The man scours For Sale ads every day or our enjoyment and always puts a thoughtful, insightful write-up in each, tirelessly, day-in and day-out. I’m a big fan.
Mark is correct in his above semi-recollection that there was body work done after these photos were shot to repaint the deck lid and fix a few dents. I now have almost $7K into this $5K car.
It’s been for sale for over 20 weeks now and I’ve had zero interest; I haven’t even showed it once. I’ve learned that there is a hard price ceiling on these cars.
I’ll fix a few more things (install new HID headlights, left fender liner, 5th bow motor latch) and maybe drop the price a tad and hopefully it’ll move.
Lessons were learned. We’re smarter and better for them though. Thanks again to Mark for being awesome! Cheers y’all.
Honestly, just polishing the headlight covers would go a long way from making that Z look like a tired has been to an old timer ready to rock again. Not sure what your experience has been, but I’d avoid slush-box versions of sports/sporty cars that are available with manuals.
In any case, I still voted for yours as it would cost a pretty penny less to keep on the road than a 20 y.o. Bimmer from a BHPH lot.
Any new photos? I’m rooting for you, but (if I was in the market) I’d have immediately passed after seeing the steering wheel grime and body damage. These cars have a reputation, and unfortunately the visual condition of your specimen does nothing to disprove the stereotype.
Fair points! I actually replaced the steering wheel (and the transmission!) after these photos were taken.
The car has been sitting up at the body shop for the past few weeks (see Kumho tire trip piece from Friday) waiting for me to pick it up.
New pictures will be taken and the ad refreshed then. It’s been posted for months with zero interest, so it moved to more of a back-burner priority.
The rooting is appreciated, thank you 86-GL!
Sounds like it’s moving in the right direction! Hopefully we see a rematch, though I think the hometown advantage is going to win you the internet points.
More recent photo of interior with steering wheel replacement:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jURKLP2ARDGjYM4s9
Big improvement, good luck with the sale!
I wonder if car ads are like real estate ads. If you post the wrong pictures just to get it to market it can hurt you in the long run.
Also since you replaced the tranny what was the reason you didn’t do a manual swap?
I currently have 14 cars and only have parking for about 12, so once the Z started throwing codes for the transmission, I knew that its days were numbered.
Starting a manual transmission project like that was just out of scope. I sourced a solid used auto unit, did fluid and filter, installed it, and have been waiting for it to sell ever since.
My lackadaisical approach to the ad specifics is due to absolutely zero people showing any interest since May.
Once I get the new headlights installed, I’ll shoot new photos, drop the price and cross my fingers.
Thanks for reading and for the comment!
Yep the steering wheel immediately killed it for me too. It’s something I have to touch the entire time while driving and looks…well we’ll just say bad.
Hopefully this article helps you move it. I voted for it. I’ve been to Wilmington (cool town!) and a road trip cross country would be fun, but I just don’t want to deal with convertible issues. Meeting you would be fun too. Best wishes!
I was all in on the Z even before I knew the SWG connection. It would be a nice cruiser, it’s less expensive, and the SWG seal of approval closes the deal. Especially over a BMW of unknown origin at a dealership.
I have to go with the Z, if for no other reason than I know it’ll be easier to maintain, and I trust SWG more than I would ever trust any dealer.
Hmm, I don’t care for the looks of the Z, but while the BMW looks great, as a man of no wrenching skills, I don’t trust the reliability. I guess I’ll go with the Z because of the provenance.
I’m a BMW fan (M3)… but I’m gonna show support for fellow NC resident SWG.
A Z-car with an automatic? Sacrilege! Plus, although I’m a big fan of the Z-series, I just can’t get over the weird proportions of the 350-Z convertible. With the top up, it looks almost micro-cephalic, although it looks decent with the top down. The BMW is a much better looking car overall, and although it would be better if it had a manual, I can live with having an automatic when the car is more obviously a cruiser than a sports car. I was shocked to see that the Z was winning as of the time that I cast my vote. I would have wagered a lot of money on the Beemer walking away with this one. Must be the SWG influence.
Z cars are weird looking with the top up. That’s why you drop that top every chance you get!
And don’t look back when you walk away. Just keep that top down image in your minds eye.
While the 350z would be more reliable, I’m a family of three and I like the look of the Bimmer better.
So we go Bavarian today!
Z-car.
I mean, automatic and all, so not really a tuner base, but still a great cruiser with some ass.
Has to be the BMW for me, just because of the extra seats.