Hello.... I'm Stalkingbear and I don't have a Z.

'Hi Stalkingbear....'

It all started when I was driving my Triumph TR3 waaaay back in 1970 in Tucson Arizona and a fancy little car pulled up next to me at the light, it changed and we took off....

I had probably moved about ten feet and he had already cleared the intersection..... bummer.

Then, (now we are thirty years later...) my friend in Portland purchased an MG-TD and recently an Austin Healey... 'Hey 'bear, why don't you get a sports car.. for fun?' (I'm remembering all the HOURS spent under the LBC fixing things and I sort of figure..... I would be nuts to go back to that place... a Datsun Z would be for me....)

Sooooo, I thought I would join and learn and be a grasshopper for a while before making the plunge. Bear (no pun intended) with me if I ask way too many questions....

'bear

Welcome, your past is you past, and grasshopper, it is obvious enlightenment is approaching from your realization that Z chi is far more powerful and at longer maintenance intervals than its british counterpart. I think you will find a Z to be a car that you can work on when ever you want to, but very seldom do you have to-because of your Brittish automotive experience, you may not believe this, but with a Z there is no need to tune it up everytime you take one for a spin, and at every other traffic light!

Seriously, you are in for a treat in every respect!

WIll

I'm a fresh 240Z owner (I've had it for about a month now), and despite the fact that it's my first car, I've noticed a few things that make it quite unique among other classics. First of all, it was surprising for me that I could just jump in and go straight out without any hesitation. It may be a 33 year old car, but it really can be daily driven, without the need to tune it up every time you start it, as hls30.com pointed it out. My dad has a '68 Mercedes Benz 250SL, and in comparison, they're two different worlds. Whereas Benz needs a lot of care and attention to keep going good, the Zed can be easily maintained and it keeps on pulling hard every time you press the loud pedal. It's easy to work on it too, since there are all those HLS30 fans around, there's lots of useful information here and there. A may be a bit biased (since it's my first car), but I just love it, and I don't think I'll get anything else quicker than in a few years. It's just so fun to work with. I drove an Austin - Healey 3000 (BN7 chassis code) a few months ago, and it felt a bit... Primitive, or should I say basic. It was basically a stripped out racer, but nonetheless it felt different than the Z (I have no carpets inside either). Dunno why, but I love it's spirit. Hope you'll find a nice car, post some pics when you finally get it!

Tony

Bear, glad to see you have left the "Darkside" pardon the pun. Please ask questions! There are a lot of great members and we are all addicted to our Datsuns, some more than others.

With the money you will save, not having to fix your "British car", you will be able to afford many, many Datsuns...it is a disease that few recover from.

Look forward to seeing you on the road!

Ron

Thank you all for the nice welcome.... I am spending lots of time here because.... there is SOOOOO much information. Waaaaay back in time (Tucson era) I actually had a small reputation with a few people and was asked to be the 'wrench' on a Datsun 2000 (Fairlady)....SCCA racer. I stupidly turned it down.... loyal to my weekly tune-up with my LBC.

Duh!

This will be fun as I seek and find, get answers and opinions.

Thank you and away we go!

'bear

I'm a Chevy guy. Well, I was a Chevy guy. Now I'm more of a Z guy. These cars get to you!

Well, I'm a Chevy guy also.... current project a '65 Malibu SS...... but thats another story.

I'm thinking that if you want to have fun driving with a car that can be set up pretty much however you want.... the Z is for me... too!

'bear

'bear, be sure to check out the search function on this site. You should be able to find the answers to most questions you may have. If you can't find an answer, then be sure to post your question because there are a lot of very knowledgeable folks on this site. When you get a chance, update your profile with your location. There may be fellow Z car owners/enthusiasts nearby...

PM me if you've got any photos of the Malibu, I'd love to check it out. I've got a '64 Impala waiting for me to finish the body work and cover with paint! And I'm thinking that a SBC powered Z is in my future...