Gift or Burden - We shall see....

[Free280Z]

Hey all,

My step daughter's dad is giving me two 1975 280z's. One has been in storage (garage) since 1996, he bough it from the original owner at an unknown time. It is an automatic. The other he bought as a parts car from Ohio. It is a manual. It is so rusted, he said, you could through a cat through it! It is supposed to have a new (at that time) engine. It didn't get stored in side... Both are complete.

The stored one is supposed to be in good condition. I will see when I get it together and go up there to trailer it back. I'll have to go another weekend after that to get the parts car. I hope its in decent condition. The car he gave the daughter was in "good" condition too. So I hope his rating of good holds true this time also.

I decided to join the group after doing research on the web about Z cars and kept getting good information from these forums. I hope I won't have to lean on 'yall to much.

My first question is. Is it possible to put the manual transmission in the other car with out to much hassle.

[Darrel]

It's good to have a parts car handy. You can swap the manual tranny parts directly over to the one with the auto. Pedals, driveshaft etc.

[Free280Z]

Thanks for the reply Darrel. Does the pedal assembly bolt in or weld in? I hope it bolts.

I think I have located a trailer! I am trying to not get to excited as I haven't seen it yet. But owning and driving one would be the best. When I was a kid in '75 I remember them being new. I am from a small town and there was one or two around. I really want the chassis to be good so I can dig in and get it on the road. There will be much to do. I have been reading horror stories about the fuel system after long term storage.

[Darrel]

The cutout for the clutch master is already in the firewall. No welding necessary unless the bracket for the flex line from the frame rail to the clutch slave isn't already on the car. Once you get them side by side you will know what to do.

[Gary in NJ]

Pictures, please

[d240zx2]

What a deal, Free! Go get'em both. Do a good, thorough inspection. Take scads of pics. Put 'em on lifts if possible and look at the underside....more pics.

Before trying to start either of them, do some research here about awakening a sleeping Z. Do it right and you'll be happy. Do it wrong and, well, you'll be tempted to bring out the .45.....

[Free280Z]

Darrel, thanks for the info, as I suspected with good Japanese engineering, they wouldn't do "one off" chassis design.

Gary in NJ, I haven't even seen the car(s) yet. When I get them home there will be pictures! What kind/type wheels are those in your picture? They remind me of mini lites.

d240zx2, I have access to a lift, I hadn't even thought of that. A very good idea. How did you know I have .45 <humor>.

Since my last post I have downloaded the FSM. I am very pleased that it exists. It seems to cover every thing.

[Gary in NJ]

Gary in NJ, I haven't even seen the car(s) yet. When I get them home there will be pictures! What kind/type wheels are those in your picture? They remind me of mini lites.

They are Panasport Wheels FS-Type, 15 inch.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Gary in NJ

[Free280Z]

THE GAUNTLET HAS BEEN THROWN!!

I have to get the cars this weekend or they are going to the scrapyard. I took a day off to go look at them. My wife, Virginia, has a friend up there to visit so it's not a wasted trip. It's a two hour drive. I have it all lined up. They had to move the "parts car", they couldn't get the door open and busted the window out... oh well. Both are in the same place now. He said the parts car was way faster than the other (good) one, maybe it has the different head and stuff.

OH!!! I can't believe I almost forgot this... Today I was going to work, ane I stoped in at this little country store to buy some smokes. When I pulled in I noticed a 300ZX but when I got closer it was badged as a Fairlady (!). I went inside and asked who's car it was and talked to the guy. It was, indeed, a Fairlady imported from Japan, twice turbo'ed and all that! I consider it an Omen that I should have a Z car. Weird look'in guy though. He was quite knowledgeable about things "Z". I didn't ask if he was local.

[d240zx2]

Aw, he was just your average, every-day, Nissan Ninja..... I see 'em all the time.

Two hours, one way. One car per trip of 4 hours. You've got a full day ahead of you it appears. We'll look forward to hearing back from you and seeing some snaps of what you got for nuthin'. I hope you and we are pleasantly suprised!

[Free280Z]

I think its burden. I went and looked at the car(S) and once I got one home [i'm posting at 11:25 central time], the good one it seems to have rust every where. While I know that some stuff is more concerning than others.......

The little hood-doors that give you access to the battery.... the hinges are all rusty...I don't know if that is an issue...the holes at the bottoms of the doors seem larger now. I think they can be taken care of with a skin job.....the rust areas are normal. The interior, is as expected, has been used as storage.. so it's not perfect or anything. I think I have bitten off more than I can chew.

But at the same time, to me, if I have a z car and can get some crusin' out of it, all the better.

Under'neath the car seems solid but to get one the is too messed up to deal with is a diferent story.

[Free280Z]

I have cleaned out the good one and have changed my mind. All is well... I must strip the parts car and get it out of my driveway. If anyone is looking for some part, let me know and I'll see if I have one in good shape.