Format: bullet cues only, reference not read-aloud. Hosts riff from beats; only the reveal line per segment is fixed.
Scored as: 2013+ 370Z, Sport, manual (VQ37VHR) · Total: 47/70 · Target runtime: ~6:25, ceiling 7:00
Title (curiosity gap): "I Owned a 370Z: What Breaks, and Why to Buy One Anyway"
Thumbnail word: "$18K" plus a big 46 on the Board
Order: Deal, Drive, Upkeep, Risk, Daily, Limit, Mods, Board, Verdict
Framing rule: best buy, not best car. Ramon's ownership is the authority hook, use it in Risk and Limit especially.

---

Hook, one sentence (~0:05)

Pick one. Cut straight to The Deal on the last word.

1. "So you wanna buy a 370Z. I owned one, so I'll be straight with you: it's eighteen thousand dollars for three hundred and thirty-two horsepower, and there's one part that breaks on almost every single one."
2. "So you wanna buy a 370Z. It's a cheap way into 332 hp of rear-drive, and one part has failed on so many of them there's a class-action lawsuit."

Recommend #1: the "I owned one" authority is something no other channel or car on the Board has. Lead with it. It qualifies, flashes the value verdict, and opens the loop on the failure part all at once.

---

1 · The Deal, reveal 8 (~0:55)

Beats

• Who it's for: the buyer who wants a real rear-drive sports car for the least money possible
• Buy-in: a clean Sport runs about $18,000, base cars start near $13,000
• The value kicker: it has stopped depreciating, so it holds its money now (be honest that this is a decade-old car that already bottomed out, not a new-car retention story)
• Put it in perspective: 332 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, for the price of a used Civic
• Trim that matters: get the Sport. It brings the limited-slip, the Akebono brakes, the Rays wheels, and rev-match. Base cars miss the good hardware, Nismo costs a lot more

---

2 · The Drive, reveal 8 (~0:50)

Beats

• Old-school, in the best and the worst ways
• 332 hp naturally aspirated V6, revs to 7,500 and howls doing it, 10.2 lb per hp, 0-60 around 5.1s
• Rev-match blips the throttle for you on downshifts, still a genuinely cool party trick
• The honest downsides: it feels heavier than the newer stuff, the shifter is notchy, the brakes are grabby, the cabin is dated
• It's raw and analog where modern cars are polished, so you either love that character or you don't

---

3 · The Upkeep, reveal 5 (~0:40)

Beats

• Cheap to buy is not the same as cheap to run: about $5,590 a year
• The thirsty NA 3.7 wants premium and returns only ~21 combined, so fuel is the biggest line by far
• Wide staggered tires add up, and insurance is mid-pack, 22nd of 115 sports cars
• The honest punchline: an $18,000 car with turbo-car running costs

---

4 · The Risk, reveal 6 (~1:00)

Beats (centerpiece, lean on the ownership: "I owned one")

• I owned one, so let me tell you exactly what to check, not what a listing says
• The big one, the clutch slave cylinder: it has failed on so many manual 370Zs there was a class-action lawsuit and a service bulletin
  • it lives inside the gearbox, so the factory fix means dropping the transmission
  • the smart move is an external-conversion kit for a few hundred dollars, so budget for it going in
• The engine one, oil consumption: the VQ37 sips oil, so keep it topped up, because running it low risks stretching the timing chain (I take this seriously, I had my engine replaced)
• The scope that saves you: the oil-gallery gasket and the electronic steering lock were pre-2013 problems, so buying a 2013-or-newer sidesteps both
• Track note: it can starve for fuel in long corners; a baffle or a second pump fixes it
• Honest verdict: a known list, all cheap-ish and fixable, and the engine is tough if you actually maintain it

---

5 · The Daily, reveal 4 (~0:30)

Beats (the weakest category, and I felt it)

• 6.9 cu ft under the hatch and two seats, so some cargo but no people space
• The ride is stiff, especially on the Sport, it's loud on the highway, and the interior and tech are dated
• Livable, not comfortable: a great toy, a rough only-car

---

6 · The Limit, reveal 8 (~0:55)

Beats (Ramon's authority segment, score it from the seat)

• This is where the 370Z earns its keep, and where I spent my seat time
• 0.94 g of grip, strong brakes, a limited-slip on the Sport, and a playful rear-drive balance
• It's a genuine track-day and drift staple, and honestly more raw fun at the edge than the heavier, numb new Z
• The caveats I learned the hard way: it starves for fuel in long corners and it runs hot, so a fuel baffle and an oil cooler are on the list if you track it, and the rear will snap if you're not awake
• Bottom line: cheap, engaging, and genuinely capable, as long as you respect it

Ratify note, off camera: proposed 8 with the fuel-starvation and snappy-rear caveats. You and Dan decide if those pull it to 7.

---

7 · The Mods, reveal 8 (~0:40)

Beats (two paths, one is a trap)

• Handling, aero, and looks: elite and cheap, a deep parts shelf thanks to the whole 350Z and G35 family
• Power is the catch: it's a naturally aspirated V6, so bolt-ons barely move it, maybe 20 to 40 hp
• Real power means forced induction, roughly six to nine grand for a turbo or supercharger, and the engine needs oiling support to survive it
• So unlike the turbo Supra and the new Z, big horsepower here is expensive and involved
• Payoff: build a gorgeous, razor-sharp handling car for cheap, just don't expect cheap horsepower

---

The Board + Verdict (~0:50)

Beats

• Total lands: 47 out of 70
• Where it sits: at ~$18k it undercuts its own segment, and it finished right next to the brand-new Z that replaced it, which tells you the old formula still works
• Why it's not higher: it's dated, thirsty, a compromised daily, and cheap horsepower isn't on the menu
• Framing out loud: best buy, not best car. As a cheap ticket to 332 hp of rear-drive that actually holds its value, it's a genuine bargain; as an all-rounder it shows its age
• Verdict with condition: "Buy a 2013-or-newer Sport, check the clutch cylinder and the oil history, and you've got 332 horsepower worth owning. Skip it if you need a comfortable daily or cheap horsepower."
• Point to the full car page and the ranking video, then out

On screen: 46 slots just under the new Z · Buy stamp + "2013+ Sport, check the clutch" condition
Close cue: one line to the ranking video · end, no long outro

---

Runtime + notes

• Sum is roughly 6:25. If long, trim The Daily and The Mods first; protect The Deal, The Risk, and The Limit, the value and the authority beats.
• Every score is a proposal until you and Dan reconcile. Most likely to move: The Limit (8 vs 7, the fuel-starvation and snappy-rear caveats).
• Title and thumbnail share zero words. Verify before publish.
• Ramon's ownership is the differentiator on this one. Use first person in Risk and Limit; it's authority nobody else covering this car has.