act your age. Wait no... Post your age

[psdenno]

I'll be 62 next month and first saw a Z in early November 1971 while walking through the Ginza in Tokyo while on my way back to the States after a year and a half stay in the Philippines. I had sold my '69 Pontiac Gran Prix in the Philippines before leaving and intended to buy a Volvo 1800 when I got home. Seeing the Z in an elevated display window changed all that. I can clearly remember the sounds, the smells, and the temperature at the moment I spotted that car - an amazing visual and emotional impact.

Before the end of the month, I had returned home, found a nice new '71 240Z, and bought it - at way too much over sticker. I liked that Z so much that I still have it.

For almost 20 of the 38 years that I've owned it, it sat, unused, sometimes in the driveway and mostly in a rented storage building. A couple years ago, I took it out of storage and began a refurbish project that, so far, has only cost a couple thousand dollars more than it cost when new. It sits in the driveway, takes me for a ride once in a while, and doesn't make too many demands. Our 38 year relationship remains solid.

My 16 year old son recently got his license and is learning the fine points of driving a "stick" thanks to the Z. The torch is passed.

Dennis

[Jeff G 78]

Very nice Z Goose!

[stevef1972z]

I am 43 as well. I have only had my 240 since 07/2008. Story of the ride home and blown headgasket on my blog as well as some questions for you guys that have done some mild upgrades and ease of driving mods with a stock look. Would appreciate some comments there.

I have had muscle cars, lifted trucks and all kinds of little sports cars. I have done MGBs and Midgets, a Bug Eye Sprites and even a turbo charge 1970 Opel GT! I was looking to get out of my 79 Camaro T-top street/strip 450hp car for something I could drive to work on nice days, turn some heads, and go to some stock class autocross and have some fun. I went through the list of cars I had owned before and compared them to the other cars of the time. Found the 240 was head and shoulders above them. I have never had a Datsun before, a couple of Toyotas for the wife and my driver truck. I found my car locally and started in on it. Should have it back on the road with new floors and rails real soon. I am becoming found of this little car!

[zguitar71]

I will be 39 on the 4th of May.

I had a friend when I was in the 7th or 8th grade who's mother drove a 280zx. I thought it was a really cool car at the time. Later in life we used to take the car on illegal joy rides when she was gone, illegal because we were 15 at the time. That was my intro to the Z world.

When I was 18 a friend of mine bought a 240 with a modded L28 in it. I took a ride in the car and was blown away. It was fast and loud and handled great. The car was beautiful inside and out, I wanted one.

Fast forward to 28 years old and I have moved to Missoula Montana from my home town of Memphis TN. I owned a `90 Saab 900 that I started to autocross. On my first autocross (which I won running studdless snow tires!) I watched a guy with a `71 240 with a 3.1 L motor, suddenly I remembered being 18 again. I got a ride in the car and was more blown away then when I was 18. This car was very fast, it ran on race fuel and had 13.5:1 compression, racing slicks and a very stiff suspension. I continued racing my Saab for a couple more years and picked the brain of the guy with the 3.1 240.

I went to work one day in `03, parked my Saab in front of the office on the street. A woman slammed into it while turned around yelling at her kids in the back seat, totaled it. I was bummed but it was time for a new car anyway. I ended up buying a Subaru Outback. It was a great car but boring, big mistake. I sold the car a year later and bought a $650 `87 Toyota pickup and a `71 240z, much better car arrangement.

The guy that raced the 3.1 helped my pick the car out. We did some mods to the car and I started racing it in FP, though I kept the car streetable. I raced it for 2 years, He and I traveled together to the races in our Z's. Then I started racing his car. We shared his car for a couple of years on the track. I ended up winning quite a few fast times of the day awards in that car (beating him in his own car!). I had won one in my car but his is much faster with the 3.1.

I have not raced for 2 year now and I think I am going to get back into it this year. I spent all my $ racing the Saab and Zcars, mostly credit cards. I decided to get out of debt. I refinanced to a 15 year loan on my house with out raising the monthly cost and I have paid all other debts off and I have saved $ to play with. So I am going to get out in the Z on the track not just the street this year and see what happens. I think I will be a little rusty but I have always done well autocrossing so I think I'll be alright. Check out my user gallery for picks of the Z on the track.

Edited March 14, 2009 by zguitar71

[conedodger]

I will be 40 in May and I've loved the z car since I was about 10. I had a book titled " Datsun 280zx " when I was a kid and I dreamed about owning my own z car ever since. I used to get in trouble for drawing them during school. A 1980-something zx was almost my 1st car. I got a loan for it and the seller backed out on me the last minute. He said that he just started dating a girl and she did'nt want him to sell it.

There have been other z cars over the years that I came close to buying but most needed more tlc than I could afford to give them. There was one 260z a few years back that had very low mileage and looked like it rolled off the showroom floor but I did'nt have the heart to make it my daily driver and I could'nt afford a 2nd car. New York winters can make swiss cheese out of a z.

I'm not sure if you are aware of it, but that book Datsun 280ZX is the rarest of Z car publications. It was a Datsun promotion book sent out in late '78 I think to promote the ZX. I am looking at my copy now. I got it new.

I turned 55 last Sunday. My wife took me to IHOP yesterday so I could order my first senior discounted meal. Waitress challenged me when I ordered the Senior meal and said I looked 40. My wife growled at her for flirting with me.

I got into Z cars in 1976 when I bought a '76 280Z. My roommate at the University of Minnesota had an English sportscar called a TVR 2500M that he was restoring and repainting. He got me into autocrossing... I have owned several first generation cars since then but now have a second owner (me) 240Z. I am mostly a Porsche guy these days but I will always have my Z...

Edited March 14, 2009 by conedodger

[mally002]

42 years of living........

Bought my first 240Z as a junior in high school, a 1972 silver metallic with red interior. Had it three weeks until I was hit by a 83 year old driver and my car was destroyed. After insurance bought a 70 model Mustard Yellow and drove it till after college.

Since I can remember I have always loved the 240Z. Currently have a 1970 and 1971 model.

[59blane]

I'll be 50 this coming December. When I originally bought my 260 about 4 years ago, I was actually looking to find a Z that I could swap in a SBC into and relive my unfinished V8 Vega project of many years ago. Well, the first car looked at was the 260 for sale in Woodland... about 45 minutes from where I live. It is very original, seized engine, no rust, a few dings, needs new paint, but no body work needed other than to replace the driver's front fender, very nice interior, no cracks in the dash, just needs drivers seat recovered... the best part was that I only paid $500 for it. After I got it home I did get it to run for about 30 seconds, then it developed a pretty bad knock. The kid I bought it from had let it run out of oil. So, I figure I'll find a spun bearing once I get engine torn down. Anyway, after giving the car a real good once over at home, I just don't have the heart to butcher it by putting a chevy in it. So, I'm going to start this summer by pulling the engine getting it running and go from there.

It's such a cool little car. My wife and daughter think I'm crazy because I''ll go out in the garage and just sit in her. After the past 4 years of lurking here, zcar.com and hybridZ, I've learned a lot and now have a large binder of tips. I've also been collecting parts over the past couple years... 3.90, 300zx cv half shafts, some parts for the rear disc conversion, Forerunner front calipers, early 5-speed, a pair of 3 screw SUs and a pair of 4 screw SUs. So, I'm definately ready to get started on her this spring.

Since some of you have mentioned cars that you have owned in the past, here's a link to a post of mine over at zcar.com. I had found some old pictures of some of the cars I've have owned and don't any more. And decided to share them.

http://www.zcar.com/forums/read/4/2024100

[JZM]

I'll be 39 in December. Oddly enough I was a ford mustang man in the 80's. till my best friend (Z's onthebrain) kept kicken my @$$ in his 78 510:mad:. I got real tired of that, so I went and bought My very first Z (1970) with frame rails about to fall off. Vin unknown. By then of course he didn't have his 510 any longer. But he still couldn't beat me in what ever he drove:classic:. So of couse to one up me he went and bought his current love. As you've all seen over the last few years. I don't own an older Z anymore. But I've been working on them and all Z's professionally since the first one.(A passion started) Kinda quells the appitite for now. However! One day soon I wil have my 70-73Z. Till then I will live vicariously through all of you and drive my 1990 300ZX..

JOHNNY Z MOTORSPORT...(JZM)...

[Tim 76' 280Z]

I just turned 23 a week ago! I have been into z cars since I was 14. When I turned 16 my uncle had a friend that was selling a 76 280 with a v8 and fresh paint for 1500. My father would not let me get it. "To Fast" So... I was givin a 1976 datsun 710 sadan! Yes I know totally ugly! They dont look to bad restored but this one was rusting out and all that jazz! I had her for a year till I got a better car. Then Finally got a stock 76 280z last year that I have now. Also just got a 75 280 parts car. FUN FUN FUN!

[IBZINYA]

I will be 41 on May 6, I raced Datsun 1200's in the mid 80's at Portland and have always had the Jtin bug. I remember fondly beating the all new at the time IROC Z Camaro at the highschool drags in Woodburn Oregon sometime in 86-87... I have even fonged a few 944's back in the day. My daughter (14) and I wanted to celibrate my midlife crissis by going raceing again... not alot of options here in Western Montana... pretty much auto-X. What better than a Z? We looked for 2 years and found our current example on craigslist sitting in a barn in Eastern Washington (Spokane). We love it... well I do. And hope to make it to Canby again this year. The best part is the comradre we find wherever we go. This car can start conversations just sitting at a stop light, and in this day and age it is nice to hang out with floks of the same intrests.

[JonnyRock]

I'm 22 and my 240 is the second car I've owned. From 15 until 20 I owned a 1987 Toyota Pickup SR5 Xtra Cab. Great little rig, lifted 3 inches, 33" tires, light bar, oversized bumpers. I sold it on eBay to a guy in Montana a year and a half ago. And shortly thereafter I picked up my Datsun. Been a member here ever since.

[Arne]

I'm 52 now, and the 240Zs I've had these past 3.5 years (2 parted, 1 keeper) are "my" first Datsuns. But lots of Datsuns that weren't mine in my past. My wife had a '74 B210 when we got married in '77. While we planned to take my car on our honeymoon, my car broke a few days before the wedding, so the B210 was taken instead. Would that small sedans these days routinely got 40+ MPG like that car did.

Plenty of other Datsuns with family and friends in those days. Several pickups (520, 620 and a couple 720s), a 280Z, later 210 and a 610 come to mind. I test drove a new 280Z w/5 speed in '78, but at 21 with plenty of speeding tickets under my belt, I couldn't afford to insure it.