New member intro - 1978 280Z in Chicago

[johnny haywire]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself to the group. Got my first Z car this autumn (a '78 Black Pearl 280Z from San Diego), drove her back to Chicago and, well, you guys know better than I do... now the work begins.

The car's great, almost no rust, but she did sit for about 14 years, so the paint isn't pretty and there are all sorts of quirks (the tach, horn, random fuel/altitude sensor, high beams, etc. aren't working), but she runs well at sea level and the 5-speed feels great. The suspension is pretty shot, though. I saw a post on this forum where someone described their Z's ride like being on a buckboard. Not too far from the mark here.

My plans are to work out the electrical/fuel system bugs, refresh the suspension bushings, front end bits and struts/springs, get a proper wheel/tire combo, remedy the sad state of affairs with the weather stripping, and then start tracking her and doing some performance mods.

I do plan to keep her very streetable and also able to do long trips. She made the 2,200 mile drive from with minimal issues. You can read about it here on a little travelogue I'm working on. Still not finished, but my web guy has been busy lately and it's at about 95%:

http://paulgrens.com/280z/test/prologue.html

At any rate, this forum has already been of great help to me and I'm looking forward to being a part of it.

Cheers!

- Paul (Johnny Haywire)

[cozye]

Welcome

[72 OJ]

Welcome to Zland,

[black gold man]

Hay johnny nice car i see your mirrors are not the proper ones.

Maybe you have them if not i know they are hard to get.

So i will pass this on to you or first come first serve.

This is what they look like.

And a CL find i think they are the SAP mirrors.

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/ctd/2869173524.html

[Marty Rogan]

Welcome Paul,

I read about your journey. Nice write-up! Those are some memories that you will always treasure! I had a similar journey about 8-9 years ago when I picked up my yellow '71 in South Carolina and drove it home to Chicago. I did not have a co-pilot with me, but I still have fond memories of driving through the winding mountains of West Virginia with the Best of ZZ Top blairing from the cassette deck (remember those?). I wrote up my journey and posted it here at the time. There is nothing like driving a classic Z Car across country.

You should join the Windy City Z Club. It is a good group of people and they host several Z related events a year.

Good luck with the car.

Marty

[EhlersRS]

Paul,

Thanks for sharing your story! I haven't had time to read the entire blog yet, but really enjoyed the small details you encorporated into the account. It reminded me of when I moved back to Iowa from Florida 5 years ago. I was stuck just north of Valdosta, GA at 2am after one of the trailer bearings went out and the tire blew! Glad you made it safely through Iowa and glad to have another Z in the Midwest!

Robert S.

[johnny haywire]

Thanks, guys! It really was a trip to remember. I wish we would have taken more photos, but we did the best with what we had. It's true, I was really lucky to have a copilot, especially one who knows older cars. We grew up together and took every auto shop class our high school offered.

At the start of the trip, we had considered doing something like this every year, but by the end, we had settled on something more like every three years! The catalytic converter issue and the radiator blow-out were a bit stressful, as you can imagine from experience. I hate to say it, but having an iPhone really helped us when we were in a jam.

I definitely plan to join the Windy City Z club - looking forward to meeting you guys at the events!

Thanks also to Black Gold Man for the tip on the mirrors. I had noticed that mine weren't black, but figured the paint had just come off. I'll drop that guy a line and see if he'd be willing to ship a few parts.

On an unrelated note, I stopped to pick up some Thai carry-out yesterday and parked right in front. When I was leaving, I noticed a few of the cooks were checking out the car through the restaurant's front window. They all gave me the "thumbs-up" sign, so I had to leave a little rubber behind. It really made my day.

All right, guys, see you in the trenches. I'm going to try and figure out what's wrong with the tach in the next week or two.

Cheers,

- Paul

[grantf]

If youre heat does not work look for vacuum leaks.

[Z Speed]

Welcome to the site Paul,

I have to agree, that was a great write-up! Love reading about others cross-country trips. They are trips you will never forget. I sure love the trips I've taken....

[hagdog]

Welcome! I just joined as well.

My daily driver is a German car and, besides just loving Z's, rationalized the Z purchase with the low cost of parts.

[justinyee]

awesome write up on bringing the beast from CA to yer home! can't wait to see it transform!

[Willoughby Z]

Hi Paul, and welcome!

Spent 16 years in Chicagoland, McHenry Co., still have family there. Moved East, found my '77 on the internet up in Madison. Flew out, made a deal and drove her home the long way 'round-1100 miles vs. 700+.

Look forward to reading the blog and hearing about your future adventures.