What Did Datsun Do To You!?

[TomoHawk]

I think you outta go over the whole car and fix it up to be a show-winner. Show them your 1st place trophy (best of show?) and watch them shrink. It doesn't matter how fast, or how big the sub-woofers are, etc., if it won't get any attention at a decent car show.

thx

[Zrush]

Decided to take the 77 to a muscle car show one day. Figured what the heck, plus I love muscle cars. There were over 150 pure Detroit beasts from stock to full blown 502's and beyond. We were the only foreign car there as usual. Never expected a trophy, maybe a top 50 or something, didn't really matter. After they called all the top trophies, nothing, blanked, oh well. Started walking back to the Z to load up the chairs and stuff and they called my husbands name for BEST ENGINE.........at a muscle car show!! It was pure joy.

Vicky

[TomoHawk]

...And I always thought that those guys have the hood up because the guy with the BIGGEST AIR CLEANER wins.

So all the time I spent cleaning up the engine over the winter goes to a good end?

thx

[gogriz91]

I've experienced more muscle car fanatics who respect Z's than other foreign sports cars. When you go to a car show, if someone asks I'd rather tell them I came in a Z than in a Triumph or a Celica. They don't like "furun crap", but Z's seem to be somewhat acceptable.

[cremmenga]

I agree with all of you to a point, except the part about the mini cooper, sorry, I know I know they are fast and handle well, but some flame in side me wants to run one of the little buggers over! And i still have to go with the SBC and try to whip those guys, your right I shall never be happy with what i have! If I can't look forward to getting something better or making something better, I don't really have much to live for! I live for compation

[daveinc]

Hi Chris,

Nothing wrong with being competitive. Whatever makes you happy, and if kicking corvette butt is it, go for it. We all have our passions, it's what keeps us going. I'm rooting for you!

BTW Flame away on my old Mini, I'm used to it! Sold it awhile back anyway and had been looking for a restorable (cheap) MGB or Triump, etc. Didn't know much about Zs and wanted a convertable.

However, by luck & timing a co-worker was going to sell his Z because it was having too many problems. (I have a thing for saving orphaned cars.) Now I am also debating how to (re)build it up. 1. Classic looking almost stock 2. Killer sleeper 3. Custom everything. It's a rusty 78 280 so I don't have to worry about messing up a museum piece .

As with every cool old car I have saved, been enjoying getting my hands dirty and fixing it up. Like you (and most everybody), finances and time dictate what I can do. Right now just getting the basic running and body problems taken care of so it can be a daily driver.

Best of luck on your "corvette killer" and let us know how it's going.

"Starving Artist" David

[daveinc]

BTW, this site rocks. I've learned lots great things about my new baby. David

[dogma420]

Cremmenga,

What does that name stand for?

I wouldn't recommend a V8 in it...if you beat these cavemen with a v8, they're just going to say something like 'yeah, told you you needed a big american v8 to compete, boy'. One thing to learn from this website is that having a Nissan motor in your rig is the way to go. Otherwise, see hybridz' website.

With the light weight of the vehicle, a slightly modified L series motor will beat just about anything unless its super pumped up. My rig is stock 2.4 and I beat a lot of 5.0 mustangs off the line, etc...so don't be surprised that you don't have to twin turbo and spend giant amounts of cash to have a pretty darn good off the line I6.

Putting a V8 in isn't going to one up those guys; it will just reinforce what they already think they know.

Just my .02 dollars.

[e_racer1999]

^^ dogma420 right on the $$. it's like you are succumbing (sp?) to the v8...

daveinc: if you were still looking for a brit roadster, why not check out a datsun 1600/2000?

[daveinc]

daveinc: if you were still looking for a brit roadster, why not check out a datsun 1600/2000?

Hi e racer. I'm not a european car snob or anything, I love anything with wheels. Just didn't know much about Japanese cars. I was very lucky that my Dad was in the army and I spent 10 years out of the first 18 in Germany. Including those formative high school car lust years. Most of my friends and older military guys I hung out with had a BMW 2002, Alfa, Porsche, etc. (Poor me had a 50cc motorbike .

Befriended a older guy (more like made a nusaince of myself) and shadowed him, asking questions constantly whenever he was working on his MGB/GT and Mini Cooper. Finally to shut me up he handed me a wrench and gave me some chore to do. He also wrenched on a Formula Ford racer and I ended up helping him at races all over Europe, often on some old airfield, but sometimes we were warm up races for formula one weekends. Heaven on earth for a 16 year old! Famous drivers and hot umbrella girls. Got in a bit of trouble one time during the 1975 Austrian GP, rolled my 50cc motorbike out on the track at 3am and did one "hot" lap around the track. Took about a half hour as I burned up the course at 25 mph!!!! Security was waiting for me, but when they saw my bike and my big grin, they just shook their fingers sternly and laughed. (Try that these days!)

As I can't afford to buy anything my heart desires, and as usually happens, I got this Z by lucky chance and am quickly learning everything I can about them. That's why it was so great to find this awesome Zcar site.

Long way around to answer your question. I would love a Datsun 1600/2000 now that I have discovered them. There was a rolling basket 1600 for sale recently, but was sold before I could even look at it. Oh well, only need one project at a time and Z are very sweet cars! Best, David

[e_racer1999]

haha, no prob? i'm just very attracted to the roadsters, just thought you might be too!

[sahunt66]

I live here in the Albuquerque New Mexico area. The most popular vehicles are full size 4x4 pick-ups.

However, no one has ever put down my 240Z. I get all kinds of complements from co-workers, friends and strangers. I had a guy follow me into the gas station in a 350 Ford pick-up just to talk about my Z. Even the muscle car guys think it's cool. If you believe the statistics, New Mexico is supposed to have the dumbest population; sound like some of the other states have us beat.