Get the 2012, it will make you happier and you don't want to regret getting the 10' later down the road. Yes it is more money, but remember the 12' is two years newer and you can sell it for more than the 10' when the time comes.

Well I checked out and test drove the car today. It's pretty much in perfect shape, with the exception of having a few very small rock dings on the front end. One tiny one on the hood and a few on the lower part of the bumper. It is all stock, he hasnt done anything to it besides get oil changes, and get it washed and waxed. When I looked on KBB yesterday, I forgot to check the box for the sports package option. KBB says that for a private party sale of this car in excellent condition, its worth 29,600. In good condition its worth 28,800. He wants to sell it to me for 26,000 straight up, and that comes with two sets of wheels and tires (stock sports package wheels and tires and a winter set which are 350z wheels and tires.)
This is one of the biggest decisions of my life so far, besides joining the Marine Corps.
I just want to make sure I'm going to make the right one.
Ideas? :/

Well from the observations you made, and the price he is offering it for I say it is a good deal. If you can get him to come down to 25 or 24.5. Take it!

Well thats the thing, he took it to the dealer to see what they'd give for trade in, and they told him that they would give him 26,000. He knows I've been wanting one, so he told me he'd sell it to me for the trade in value instead of giving it to the dealership, because he knows I'll appreciate/take care of the car. So I dont think I could really get him to go any lower.

I see, well even where the offer stands, it is still a good one. I was just saying if you can then try to negotiate a little bit more.

Now it all boils down to if you want new vs used, did you ask him about any accidents, issues, problems he might have had with the car? If so, can you trust him enough to believe what he has told you?

I would also recommend running a VIN just to be on the safe side.

I asked him and he said there have been no problems/accidents. The winter tires were on, the "!" light I think it was was on on the left side of the dash. He said that its just because the 350z wheels dont have a sensor on them? Is that true? I've known him for a few months and he's always been a nice guy even before I knew about his car or he knew about my desire for one. He's not my best friend or anything, but he seems like someone who is trustworthy. Plus he is a marine too and works not even a hundred feet from me.

I have the VIN number, but does anyone have any carfax checks left I could use? I payed for the 5 checks or whatever about a year ago, but if I remember correctly it only lasts for a few months. I'd really appreciate it.:tup:

I think the computer doesn't recognize the tpms from the 350z wheels/tires, that should be fine, it shouldn't be an issue.

So no one can help me out with a carfax check? :driving:

Anything I should for sure check before I buy the 2010? Some things I might be forgetting?

Did you ask about any of the warranties he got when he bought the car? And if he is extending them to you? (if he is I advise getting them written down, and signed by him)

Also, checking under the hood for any damage, rust, or dents is always a good idea. Even better if you have a mechanic friend who can take a look at the whole car before you buy it. I don't know what kind of a friend you have, but from what you have mentioned he seems to be legit, but always better to double check, especially when you are shelling out a significant amount of money.

How do I got about transferring over the Nissan factory warranty that he got with it?

Yeah, I'm taking the car to a Nissan dealership tomorrow with him and I'm going to have them do their full inspection. Plus I'll have that on file. I'm actually paying for the car tuesday. He's gonna let me take it tomorrow after the inspection though :D

If it is an extended warranty, its should be able to transfer over to you by talking to a sales rep. They can pull that information up, and follow up accordingly, if my memory serves me correctly there is also a small fee that you have to pay. All good questions to ask the sales rep!

If you are going to a Nissan dealership, today I would suggest bringing that up, if that is the same Nissan dealership that he bought the Z from its even better, since his warranty info will already be on file, and you may even be able to talk to the sales rep, that sold him the car. If not, you can still talk to one of the sales reps there, they should be able to help you out. Good luck.

I think a used car makes more sense, especially from someone you can pretty much trust.

One thing I would do is make sure to put it on a lift and look underneath - I discovered a year later that my 2009 had been bottomed out at some point and bent/flattened one of the side braces for the aero skirt. Can't be seen unless you get underneath, so I'm not too bothered, but I would have preferred knowing before hand. I'd also check oil changes to see if he stretched an to 7k or so - I take that as a good sign you don't have to worry about the car having an oil problem (a 2010 shouldn't anyway).

A good thing about a black car is you skip most of the painting - everything is already black!
Except the door handles :)

I'm getting the 2010! I had Nissan do a full point inspection on it saturday and I've been driving the car since then. They said everything is perfect, except for having winter tires on it, just because they're not stock. So its good :) I officially buy it tomorrow. I love it.

Congrats, glad everything worked out. :tiphat: