280Z, the right car for me?

[e_racer1999]

also, is this gonna be a daily driver or a project car?

[KDMatt]

Okay folks, the jury is in, and I think I am definitely passing on this car.

I paid another visit to it today, and, through the miracle of daylight, determined it to be a 20 footer, maybe 30.

The guy painted right over the friggin' rust! It's no wonder he put so much paint on it. Also, it looks like there's a poor bond-o job near the hindquarters. He painted over the key inserts on the doors, and the chrome looks like it's been poorly buffed with some steel wool.

I also took a peak under the thing too, and I could, literally, put my hand between layers of rusting metal and tear off a chunk if I wanted to. This car is, by no exaggeration, rusting from the inside out.

I would not put 2 G's towards any car in this condition, potential dream car or not, that, and he's obviously just been talking me up, failing to mention that he didn't prep the car properly before he had it painted.

For those of you wondering, I was interested in this vehicle as a daily driver, and actually, I'm still possibly interested in a 280Z (or, ZX?) daily driver, which means that I don't care if it has a reasonable amount of rust. I would feel guilty using a perfectly restored Datsun as a daily driver, especially when there's the possibility of a winter drive now and then... a known force of brutality on cars.

Oh well, as disappointing as it is to think that perhaps I won't have a Datsun as quickly and as easily as I'd hoped, I can at least say I now know what I'm not looking for.

90% restored my arse... :disappoin

EDIT: Hrm... it's funny what a quick search on carsoup can do for one's mood.

http://www.carsoup.com/used/detail.asp?usedVehicleID=1691373&minYear=1972&maxYear=1982&searchID=3357608&vehicleTypeID=1&UVViewID=4&Page=1

[Bambikiller240]

I think you just saved yourself a TON of money, and unimaginable amounts of grief.

[chickenwafer]

^^ agreed, Carl

[KDMatt]

Thanks guys,

Even though I know I made the right choice, it's always nice to have some people who know more than I do validate that decision.

Heh, and like I said, I'm no longer heartbroken, seeing as I've now found that silver one (the color I'd always wanted anyway) with less mileage, and a consistent owner for 12 years plus.

I should have a silver Datsun, and name it SilverStreak, just like the old Transformers character who was a 240/260/280 Z ... (ya can't really tell since animation is sort of ambiguous). It was the 80's so my best guess is a 280Z or 280ZX. I was actually sort of disappointed to discover that, like, the reincarnation SilverStreak for the new transformers show is a Subaru WRX... that's just not right, he shoulda been another Z. *snaps fingers*

EDIT:

Actually I realized I had more to say, and I didn't want to double post, since that would be poor forum netiquette.

I'm curious. Do you guys think it's realistic for someone like me to consider owning a classic Z? Like I said before, I'm looking to own a Z that's not nearly in "perfect" condition, more than it is in "good" condition (a little bit of rust doesn't bother me much either, so long as the drivetrain is in really good shape). I don't want to have to sink "loads" of money into it to make it a functional daily driver either. Is it infeasible for me to want to find one of these cars at a price I can afford and not have to expect major, major problems with it (i.e. blown tranny, blown engine, headgaskets, etc.)?

In a way, it's sort of discouraging to hear people talking about sinking thousands upon thousands of dollars into these cars to bring them up to their standards. I cannot help but think "God, would I really have to put that kind of money into this car just to make it work?" My dad has already expressed his dismay at my idea of investing in a 280Z because of its age and drivetrain configuration, does he have a point? (He's been feeding me, "If you're going to have a first car, it needs to be like a beater Honda or something; It needs to be as dependable as the setting of the sun.")

Anyway... ideas?

[Bambikiller240]

While 280Z's are generally reliable cars, you have to keep in mind that they are almost 30 years old. The cars have already outlived their normal life expectancy. Components can fail.

I am not you, but if I was your age, I'd want a newer car as a daily driver (one I can realistically depend on, and drive in snow when needed) and I'd be saving my $$ with an eye towards acquiring the Z that I want as a second car. (one I can work on, drive on weekends, park indoors in the winter, and have fun improving as money allows).

But that's just me

[280z]

Thanks guys,

Even though I know I made the right choice, it's always nice to have some people who know more than I do validate that decision.

Heh, and like I said, I'm no longer heartbroken, seeing as I've now found that silver one (the color I'd always wanted anyway) with less mileage, and a consistent owner for 12 years plus.

I should have a silver Datsun, and name it SilverStreak, just like the old Transformers character who was a 240/260/280 Z ... (ya can't really tell since animation is sort of ambiguous). It was the 80's so my best guess is a 280Z or 280ZX. I was actually sort of disappointed to discover that, like, the reincarnation SilverStreak for the new transformers show is a Subaru WRX... that's just not right, he shoulda been another Z. *snaps fingers*

EDIT:

Actually I realized I had more to say, and I didn't want to double post, since that would be poor forum netiquette.

I'm curious. Do you guys think it's realistic for someone like me to consider owning a classic Z? Like I said before, I'm looking to own a Z that's not nearly in "perfect" condition, more than it is in "good" condition (a little bit of rust doesn't bother me much either, so long as the drivetrain is in really good shape). I don't want to have to sink "loads" of money into it to make it a functional daily driver either. Is it infeasible for me to want to find one of these cars at a price I can afford and not have to expect major, major problems with it (i.e. blown tranny, blown engine, headgaskets, etc.)?

In a way, it's sort of discouraging to hear people talking about sinking thousands upon thousands of dollars into these cars to bring them up to their standards. I cannot help but think "God, would I really have to put that kind of money into this car just to make it work?" My dad has already expressed his dismay at my idea of investing in a 280Z because of its age and drivetrain configuration, does he have a point? (He's been feeding me, "If you're going to have a first car, it needs to be like a beater Honda or something; It needs to be as dependable as the setting of the sun.")

Anyway... ideas?

your dad sounds just like mine did after i expressed my desire to own a z when i was 16. my first was a 1976 280z. for sure fun but the mileage was pretty high, about 250,000. it seemed like i had to keep on replacing things every few weeks... brake cylinders, alternator, water pump, etc... never broke down though

of course that sucks but i got to learn how things worked and how to replace them when they went bad.. ive had my current 280z for a couple years with no problems at all. its all about the condition of the car...

[e_racer1999]

the only cars i've had as daily drivers for the past year have been 240Zs. no regrets!

[Ricklandia]

Just some quick thoughts. Beater anything cars are going to break down. Period. That is the definition of a beater, isn't it?

On the positive side, a Z, or any other car of it's age, has the distinct advantage in that it's simple. Simply built, simple to work on, simple to diagnose when something goes wrong. There's very little on these cars you can't fix with simple hand tools and elbow grease. Parts are still available as they were made in pretty significant numbers, and should you suffer a catastrophic failure (blown engine), entire engines can be found relatively easily as it was in production for quite a long time. Unless you're looking at a beater Honda that is 15+ years old, you're going to run into situations where you might need a computer to diagnose when something is wrong. If you want a true positive, think of this: A first gen Z is only going to go UP in value the longer you have it. Sure, it may never be a prize winning show car, but every year that goes by, assuming you take car of it, it will go up in value.

Okay, now you have to be honest and look at the downside. If you truely want an inexpensive yet dependable car... head down to the local Hyundia Dealership and get yourself a 100K warranty new car. If you're going to buy a used car, any used car with over ~50K miles, you're going to have to expect things to fail. It's a trade off; pay every month for reliability, or pay every once in a while as things wear out. With Z's, it's pretty well noted (here and other places) it's shortcomings. Rust is probably the number one issue, and it can be more than just a "beauty" issue. I'm talking potentially serious rust issues, enough to comprimise the vehicles safety. Z's with this much rust can be very expensive to repair. If you're talking about using this car as a daily driver in the south or southwest, you're probably going to be okay. But if you expect to drive this thing up north, where roads are regularly salted during winter, bad things are going to happen... fast.

Some parts on these things can get expensive simply because they are no longer made. Most of them are on the cosmetic side, but others not. You'll find yourself junkyard searching and eBay shopping as time goes by. If that's not your thing, then a Z might not be the best choice for you. That being said, there are an amazing number of parts that can be ordered via catalog. If you want an idea, order a Victoria British catalog (free) or MSA catalog ($5) and you'll get a good idea of what's available and what's not.

To wrap things up, I cant tell you yes or no. I don't think anyone here can. You are talking to a very biased crowd! Of my first 4 cars, all were older than I was. Sure, they had problems but I've always enjoyed fixing them. Now that I'm older, I still enjoy fixing my cars, but I have the old car to fix when I want to, not as my daily driver. Do you have tools? Do you have a place you can work on the car (garage)? In some neighborhoods, working on your own car is verboten. Sad, isn't it?

I'm sure this rambling didn't help much, but hopefully it will give you some food for thought. My last thought (promise) is that you only go around once in this life. If you buy something because it's practical... will you regret it later? Be young, be stupid... follow your heart and not your head. At least you'll have an excuse; "Hey, I was young and stupid!"

[e_racer1999]

If you buy something because it's practical... will you regret it later? Be young, be stupid... follow your heart and not your head. At least you'll have an excuse; "Hey, I was young and stupid!"

exactly...

[chickenwafer]

Ricklandia summed up what I was going to say pretty well- excellent post.

My thoughts coenciede with his. If you were living in the south/west or a place where it didn't snow or rain a lot, then a Z as a practical daily driver would be very plausible. But, in Minnesota, it snows a lot and often in the winter and the roads are salted heavily. First off, driving a rear-wheel drive car on snow and ice takes talent, precision, pratice, but most of all- experience. Secondly, driving it in these conditions would spread rust like a wild brush fire.

Secondly, rust just doesn't "stop". Rust is basically a bacteria, metophorically. It spreads unless you do something to stop it- and that includes if you just store it in your garage. It won't spread fast, but it will spread. Damp places, salts, and snow/ice further the oxidation process which speeds up the rusting of your car. It would be best to find a westren car with NO RUST and have it Zeibarted (although that doesn't do a whole lot in some cases) to use a daily driver.

Ricklandia also pointed out another valid topic- the Z is before the advent of stuffing micro-processors in cars. The Z doesn't have any of that. The 240/260Z's are incredibly simple and the 280Z is only a little more complicated due to fuel injection. SU carbs used on the 240/260 Zeds are simple and easy to tune, even for an amature. You don't need a dignostic machine or countless other electronic gadgets mechanics rely on for newer cars. A good example of this would be my grandpa- he will be 90 this month. When he was 20 I believe, he got a 1934 Ford coupe. He could take the thing apart and rebuild it within 2 days easy. And if anything went wrong, which frequently happend (it's a Ford, come on!) we could fix it easily. This was in the early 1940's. He now owns a 2003 Chevy Silverado and he can't find the hood release hinge on it, let alone the spark plugs.

And yes, the Z isn't the most reliable car, but it is like any other car- take care of it and it will take care of you (most of the time ). There are some known Zed problems that should address when looking into purchasing a Zed to see if the PO fixed them or not. There have been Zeds that run like an early Jag and ones that will run until you drive 'em off a cliff. It really varies....

No about the Z being your best choice for your first car, I don't know. That's totally you. But the beater Honda will still breakdown, require tune-ups, and won't get you any dates either. Honda's aren't always what they're cracked up to be. I've seen their engines go at 32K miles because people don't break them in right......

But getting back to the topic, I would advise you to follow your heart, as cheesy as it might sound. Randlandia is right again when he says the Z will gradually increase in vaule as more and more of these rare cars are lost in junkyards due to being parted out or rusted out. Who knows, maybe some day they're be as collectible as a Toyota 2000GT (The rarest production Japanese car sold in the USA that is worth roughly 10X it's purchase price when new).

Hope this helps.....

Dave

[dogma420]

you know the thrill of checking out a Zed now....so soak up all the info on here you can find and go look at one when you find one for sale....the more you do it, the better you will get at it.