They're maintenance intensive. Awesome cars from a performance aspect if you get the turbo, and visually they're fantastic, but expect issues with. . you guessed it. . .the turbo.
The MR2 turbo tends to be more bulletproof from a repair standpoint, and it's quite fun to drive. Excellent handling, and as long as you get the turbo, they're pretty quick too. Get the T-tops. Even if you have to replace the seals due to leaks, they're worth it. Try to get a 93 or up. That's the year that the brakes got bigger, and they tweaked the suspension to make it less likely to snap overstear in corners, which invariably causes a spinout. Keep in mind that this is a summer-only car. The RWD, mid engine, very wide tire configuration makes for treacherous driving in the slick. That said, there are LOTS of mods out there for the 2nd gen cars, from giant turbos to engine swaps. . and one guy even swapped twin jet engines into his
Another good one to look at is the S2000. The 1st gens are in the 10-15k pricerange now, and they are damned fun cars. It's quite surprising to look down at the gauges, see that you're doing 8,000 RPM, and realize you don't have to shift for another 1,000
. Very well balanced, handles like a gokart on crack, and if you get the urge to go faster, turbocharged S2K's are becoming more common, and are . very entertaining.
Either the MR2 or the S2k will be cheaper to own than the 300ZX.