How It Starts - Friends Think You're Crazy!!

[TexasRider260Z]

They thought I was crazy before.

But now they have unequivocal proof - a 1970's Japanese car has arrived !

As I put over in the other thread I am a new 260Z guy here. I have not had a 260Z in 33 years or so and have not thought too much about in about 10 years or so.

After looking at a new 370 I decided to have a look around for a 260 - and there one was. Now Ive got it.

For a week or so I have been pouring over these Forums to think about beefing up the performance of the car. Does it seem to you that these cars were faster back then in the 1970's too - or do I just mis-remember !

It just cant be that the 260 goes 0 to 60 in 10 seconds? Teenies and chickas in VW's might beat me to the burger stop or Hooters! Not the Texas way. It seemed back then it ripped. And I had a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 351.

Should have kept all that :mad:!

But my friends and buddies are taking it tough on me. Have you ever heard things like this:

Its a POS.

Its junk.

Jap Trap - Jap Crap.

If any teenie babes hit it in their VW - you are dead.

Its a rust bucket ( well that at least could be right ).

I am NEVER getting in that thing.

All that is OK. I have always been a little crazy - rode motorcycles before they were popular or accepted, raced them , went out working offshore, then around the world .......had kids when I was older. Rode on 6 continents, sold my Apple stock ..... You know the gig!

This is just a toy. I am not trying to bring back Camelot or whatever the 1970's were. It was just work for those of us in college in 1975.

Anyway you all know about modifying these cars. Money and time. In a week I have spent a LOT of time here at Classic Z (nice forum and nice guys too) and am looking at more money too. After about 10 years or racing I SHOULD know better. My wife shakes her head :paranoid:!

But now I HAVE to make it better. My pride is one the line - well maybe a little bit anyway.

" Yeah, its a running SOB and I can really handle it!"

You know " Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go."

Well faster than 10 seconds anyway - but keep my license.

I read a good post by Carl Beck talking about leaving these cars stock which mine is. (Of course he can say that as he has all kinds of otyher hot Zs around ) But it almost seems that the Z is a workpiece waiting to modified.

So this is how it starts I guess. CraZ-Z -iness

How did it start for you ? Oh -- and how fast is YOUR Z ?

[Tarmac]

Jap Trap - Jap Crap.

If any teenie babes hit it in their VW - you are dead.

:bulb: don't wear your seat belt, that way you will be thrown clear of the wreak instead of trapped in the mangled pile of steel.

[Zak's Z]

"If any teenie babes hit it in their VW - you are dead."

Your friends might be right about this one!!! After doing alot of work on mine, I'm convinced that anything more than a fender-bender will result in serious bodily harm.

...but anyways, congrats on your new purchase! Personally I'm making mine all stock, no mods other than wheels and electronic distributor (so far). Theres alot of info on modifying your car at hybridz.org. And Im sure you can find some stuff here too... I just never paid attention to it if I saw it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[lonetreesteve]

Well, at least it's safer than the motorcycles you used to ride (or any other motorcycle for that matter)!

[TexasRider260Z]

Zak - Unibody huh !

Steve - In a way. But my cycles will ZIP to 60. The BMW K 1200 is about 3.5seconds from 0 :classic:. The Z is 10 seconds according to info I read :embarrass:. More if I have to put oilfield or Ranchhand bumpers

hanging off the unibody.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Hey buddy, where in texas are you located?

I am facing similar issues as you. Although my 240Z was zippy in comparison with a 0-60 in 7.9 seconds 37 years ago, its still not 'fast' by todays standards.. but every time I think of dropping coin into a cam and head work, I start to look at those 69985 miles my car has been driven and think, can I really do this to a survivor like this. I dont know. I have never been a purist, I like restomods, and pro touring muscle cars, etc. But for some reason the Z in its pure form offers me so much fun.

Remember the driving experience is more than mashing your foot in a straight line. There will always be somebody faster than you. At the end of the day the guy who enjoys driving the most wins. Not the guy who trips the lights faster.

[doradox]

:bulb: don't wear your seat belt, that way you will be thrown clear of the wreak instead of trapped in the mangled pile of steel.

You don't really believe that do you?

Steve

[TexasRider260Z]

Yeah mine has 125,000 essentailly stock other than repaint and wheels. in the last 27 years (since 1982) it has gone 45,000 of that. But it likely needs a freshening anyway so some of my mods were only a bit away from stock.

D - Nah I dont believe that - I'll just use a jet ejection seat :squareeye!

On a slighlty serious note one of my wifes associates drove to work EVERYDAY wearing a Bell full face race helmet - he drove his car to work that is ! He had worked in ER medicine a long time. Maybe I shouldnt laugh at him !

[Zedyone_kenobi]

careful man, dont tempt fate!!!!!

[TexasRider260Z]

Yeah his point was well taken and not lost on me.

BUT that 1970's Bell was still a little humorous. I should not have thrown all my old helmets away , including that same Bell Star, but they just fell apart.

Edited January 27, 2009 by TexasRider260Z
spelling

[Powerglide]

"I am not trying to bring back Camelot or whatever the 1970's were."

Camelot---the 70s---Mwahahahaha. Surely you jest. I'm in my mid 40s. I remember a great deal of the 70s. Jimmy Carter, Disco, lots of Cocain, Iran/Hostages, Shitty Cars and gas lines. Yuk..! Z cars were a high point. But FAST they were not. Still--a GAS to drive then and lots of fun now.

Most cars couln't break 10 seconds on their way to 60mph back then. And the ones that could used LOTS of gasoline. Remember unless you could afford an exotic, performance didn't really return to the automobile until the early 1980s. I bought a 1983 1/2 Z28 H.O. that was considered fast cuz it ran low 15s in the low 90s. Ran like $^!# though---terrible hot running driveability issues. At least till I removed all the SMOG garbage on the car. Zs were and ARE more fun. Even if they are slow.:rambo:

[TexasRider260Z]

I am older than you in my early 50's.

My reference to Camelot was really not the Kennedy Camelot 60's as that does not seem so good either. It was more of just the "good old days". Hell I was working my booty off in the 1970's going to school and working, then working , then working int he 1980's, then the 1990's ..... seems not a lot has changed. It always seems I am working and then whenI look up some BAD economic climate is here. I had looked at the market and said this is crazy when it was all up and high. So I used some of the money I did not lose to get the Z and a bit more to tweak it up some. Might as well have fun.

After the Z and the Mach 1, which of course later turned out to be iconic, not only was I overseas but I drove and bought Euro stuff here for my wifes car. BMW mostly.

But all my cars have looked like trucks. Ford big Broncos all the way from 1985 to 1996 almost every year, 3/4 ton Suburbans, F-250 and now Avalanche.

So this is MY first car since at least 1984. In the 1970s when I had a car I did not have more than about 50 bucks extra at any given time. So there was no extra acessories and build ups and other cool parts for me.

So the good old days are back in a way. At least I wont have to have smog tests (yet) but I bet the bastards will find a way to make me pay even more.

Edited January 28, 2009 by TexasRider260Z