A New Beginning

The year was 1981. I was a freshman in college and my roommate John purchased a semi-ratty 1973 240Z. It was a nice car but I never gave the car much thought. Soon after purchasing this car my roommate allowed our third roommate to borrow the Z. Said third roommate had an accident with the Z. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to that car. Over the course of a few months John’s father (who owned his own auto repair business) repaired and restored the car. What John got back changed my view of the 240Z forever.

I was in love with John’s 240Z and I knew that I had to have one. At the time nice examples were selling for $2,000 to $3,000 – way beyond what I could afford. At the time I was driving a rusted ’69 Camaro (250/3-speed manual) that cost me $400.

About a year went by and I wanted a 240Z more then ever. During the summer of ‘83 I got a call from my roommate John. He told me that there was a 240Z for sale in his town that he “knew” had to be sold because the owner lost his license and his mother wanted the car gone. I drove down to his house and we went (uninvited) to look at the car. The car was rough. It was missing quite a few body parts from the front end. I noted they were stuffed in the back. Someone attempted to paint this car like a Bob Sharp racing Z, it was red below the belt-line and blue above. But the colors were all wrong because it was really maroon and sky-blue. On the positive side the interior was near perfect and it had a custom cabinet in the back that held speakers, reading lights, eq/power boost and a CB radio. It sounds hokey, but it was a cool cabinet.

Without knowing if the car even started I approached the front door of the house and knocked on the door. “How much for the Z?” The young owner stepped outside and whispered “it’s not for sale”. From upstairs his mother screamed “it is for sale, sell it!”

I drove away with a Series I ’71 240Z and a car-load of parts – all for $1,100. That evening each of those parts found their way back onto the car. In just a few weeks I had it running perfectly and looking good. I loved that car (but not the paint job). The front end wasn’t quite right, but all of its problems were concealed behind a front-end bra.

This car has a full Ansa exhaust that just sang a beautiful song. In no time I “bonded” with this car and like may 20 year olds, the car became a big part of my life. Even in 1983, a 240 was unique and a real head turner. Given this cars extroverted appearance, it garnished its fair share of attention.

As luck would have it, in February of ’84 I too suffered a “lucky” accident as someone hit my car and the front end was replaced, giving my car perfect bodywork. I begged the body shop to give me a quote to repaint the entire car (I so badly wanted my Z painted Porsche Guards Red like the 944’s of the day) but they said it was a project they’d rather not get involved in. They perfectly matched the maroon and sky-blue paint and off I drove with my Z.

While the car was in the shop I had them add a large front air dam. As soon I got the car back I added clear headlight covers, driving lights and a rear window louver.

That car was everything to me. On my first date with the woman that would become my wife, even she commented “this is a nice car” – and she could care less about such things. My red-on-blue 240Z is a fond early memory of our relationship.

In the spring ’85 I was pulling into the parking lot of the residence hall and someone stopped me. “Nice car! How much?” I threw out a ridiculous figure of $3,500 and this stranger said “I’ll take it”. A few days later I had $3,500 in my hand, watching someone drive off with my pride and joy. I knew it was a mistake at the time.

For years, maybe a decade, I mourned the loss of my Z. And everyone knew it. Whenever the subject of cool cars came up, I always found a way to mention my 240. In the early 90’s I purchased a 260Z and drove it for a few days, but it was a rat and I convinced the gentleman that I purchased it from to buy it back from me. I gave up the dream of owning a Z. The Z’s were and are still dear to my heart, but the dream was over.

But not so for John. He became fairly successful and began his own personal car collection. One of his prize possessions is a well restored ’72 240Z that he has owned since 2005. He is the second owner of car that has spent the first 33-years of its life in California – the land of rust-free Z’s.

Unfortunately for John, his priorities changed and he needed to shed some of his cars. Luckily for me, he thought of me when he thought of a good home for his 240. He called me and asked if I would “take custody” of his Z. Of course I said yes.

Z dream is alive again