Tail Gaters...

[Patcon]

here is Nebraska YOM plate info

https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dvr/historical-plates

"Hobby related activity" could be anything! Almost daily...

Be careful when buying YOM plates. Talk to your DMV first. I bought a set for my son's 510 and they weren't eligible. Evidently they used the same numbers every year and the set I bought had already been registered for a different year. We had to buy a different plate starting with "R" or later. All the earlier ones were issued...

[ramsesosirus]

14 minutes ago, Patcon said:

here is Nebraska YOM plate info

https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dvr/historical-plates

"Hobby related activity" could be anything! Almost daily...

Be careful when buying YOM plates. Talk to your DMV first. I bought a set for my son's 510 and they weren't eligible. Evidently they used the same numbers every year and the set I bought had already been registered for a different year. We had to buy a different plate starting with "R" or later. All the earlier ones were issued...

Cool, thanks man.  Yeah you're right.  I don't drive it to work anyways.  Same price I pay now too basically.  I avoid rush hour traffic in the Z.  Like I said, it's pretty bad here sometimes even though it shouldn't be.  I also don't know if mine qualifies as "unmodified".  I guess no one would really know, but sometimes that screws up insurance.  I know Progressive won't insure a vehicle with "modified suspension".

Nebraska is good for a few car things though, no emission/inspections ever, unless you bring it from another state.  So it is legal to swap any engine into any car.  States like Cali must be a nightmare for yearly inspections

I also like that you only need to run the rear plate, Nebraska requires a front and rear plate otherwise.  I got a fix it ticket in the Monte for that, I put a new front clip on it and didn't want to drill for a front plate.  Plus they look better without.  I did eventually just stick one on the front after the fix it ticket with 3M tape.  Never fell off even at 60/70/80 mph.  That 3m tape is great stuff.  

I do like my current plate design though.  I've been trying to just get "Z" and "ZZZ" or a variation for years.  I don't think the owner of "Z" is every gonna give it up.  And "ZZZ" would hint at being a "sleeper", which mine is not.  Just stock.  For some reason I just think that "less is more" on a plate.  Another visual variation that makes people notice your rear end, and hopefully realize that it's a classic.  

I wonder if you can get a personal "message" on those historical or vintage plates.

I have a long love/hate relationship with the DMV haha.  They give me my license, but also take it away.  The result of poor decisions.  

Edited September 24, 2017 by ramsesosirus

[siteunseen]

12 hours ago, ramsesosirus said:

 They give me my license, but also take it away.  The result of poor decisions.  

Another member that puts it out there. 

I lost my license in '89 and had it reinstated in '99. Lifelong poor decision maker but man was it fun! I'm in recovery now thanks to a dog. Can't take care of them locked up in jail. 

Edit, "recovery" from drinking and driving. I'm sipping and eating a Bloody Mary right now. 

Whiskey Willie's,  straight from Orange Beach!

 

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by siteunseen

[ramsesosirus]

12 hours ago, siteunseen said:

Another member that puts it out there. 

I lost my license in '89 and had it reinstated in '99. Lifelong poor decision maker but man was it fun! I'm in recovery now thanks to a dog. Can't take care of them locked up in jail. 

Edit, "recovery" from drinking and driving. I'm sipping and eating a Bloody Mary right now. 

Whiskey Willie's,  straight from Orange Beach!

 

 

Haha yeah I do tend to pretty transparent.  It's part of "my story", and I appreciate it when others can relate.  That's a crazy long time without a license!  Around here it really sucks since public transportation is a joke.  It would be different in NYC or somewhere like that.  I did my share of bicycle commuting for a minute.

Luckily, nowadays, they make/let you get that breathalyzer in your car, so you can still drive. Since something like 70% of people who lose their license (for whatever reason) still just drive.  Sometimes you have to get to work, food, etc...

There's a lot of judgement about it, even though I'm willing to bet that most people have been just as guilty at some point.  I know a guy who's been let go my the police multiple times.  I only spent 30 hours in jail (more than enough), then house arrest, ankle bracelet, then years of probation.  The stuff you have to go through only fuels the desire to drink more.  Made some art about county jail.  I loved the way my eyes communicated the pain involved from the entire situation.  It's kind of like a slumber party that you don't want to be at:

And a good friend of mine was killed in high school by a drunk driver, so I get it.  I'm not proud of it.  But I'm proud that I have empathy for other people's problems.  It really is a problem for me that I will have to work on for the rest of my life.  At least you had fun!  Almost all of my experiences were negative, I'm like Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde with that stuff.  

The irony is I quit that skunk smoking since I graduated college and jobs do drug tests and I thought it was a better "legal" alternative... very wrong I was, as Yoda would say.  I should've stuck with the pot.  It's legal in a few states now, so I think they're starting to realize it's not even in the same room as alcohol, but the new problem they have is how to manage "marijuana DUIs", since it is in your system for a long time (30 days or more, I can attest to this from experience..).  The other consideration is how much does it really impair your driving?  A comedian once said if it was legal to smoke and drive, people would be driving all slow and letting everyone get over haha!

I really appreciate your honesty too, much respect.  I hope you've gotten it under control, or at least found ways to deal with it.  You can probably guess why that Monte was totaled at this point... I made some art about that day, featuring the real plate and sling:

During my sober periods, I focus on staying busy:  making art, planning for Halloween, working on the Z.  I would like to think that once (if) things start getting better financially, socially, etc... I might realize it isn't worth it.  But it's not like drugs, it's everywhere: TV, sports, every store you go to.  It's always there, and encouraged.  

I was heavily considering getting the message "ZUI" on my plates, then the cops would laugh when they run my record.  

Oh well, that's life.  Sometimes it's the pain and disappointment that fuels growth and progress.  Or at least I hope so, nowhere to go for me but up right now.  At least I was able to keep the Z all that time.  Makes you appreciate driving it that much more!  

Much respect again, thanks!

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by ramsesosirus

[Mikes Z car]

  The 3rd brake light on my Z sticks to the inside of the hatch window at the top positioned to be seen between the louvres and flashes a few times when the brake is first applied, then remembers that the brake was recently applied and doesn't multiple flash again unless it is more than 15 seconds since the last time it multiple flashed if that makes sense. 

  If tailgated I drop way back from the person in front of me in case I have to stop so I can give the person behind me lots of reaction time.  Once I darted off the road to avoid a rear ender in a long line of quickly stopping cars, the car in front of the car in front of me did the same thing.

[ta240]

When I was a kid I noticed people tailgating us and asked my Dad if it was because they wanted to show us they were as fast as us since we were in a sports car.   His guess was that since our car was pretty small and they could see around it they felt confident driving up closer. 

That being said it doesn't annoy or worry me any less.

I've thought it would be cool to build a small remote controlled box under the car that could chuck small rocks out on demand from next to the wheels.  Just tap a little button and pelt them with a few stones that just look like regular ones kicked up from the road and see if they back off.

Edited September 27, 2017 by ta240

[siteunseen]

Throw them out your driver's window.  I like to squirt  my windshield washer on them. If I knew it wouldn't eat my paint, and it would!, I'd fill my washer bottle with brake fluid. 

I'm beginning to like the fireball idea out the tail pipe. 

[ramsesosirus]

On 9/25/2017 at 9:30 PM, Mikes Z car said:

  The 3rd brake light on my Z sticks to the inside of the hatch window at the top positioned to be seen between the louvres and flashes a few times when the brake is first applied, then remembers that the brake was recently applied and doesn't multiple flash again unless it is more than 15 seconds since the last time it multiple flashed if that makes sense. 

  If tailgated I drop way back from the person in front of me in case I have to stop so I can give the person behind me lots of reaction time.  Once I darted off the road to avoid a rear ender in a long line of quickly stopping cars, the car in front of the car in front of me did the same thing.

Yep, I just got my stick on third brake hooked up.  I have louvers as well.  Works great as is bright.  As mentioned in other threads, I did the Sylvania ZEVO LEDs for the brake and signal lamps.  They work great, they use the stock reflector unlike other LEDs.

 Had to get a Novita EL552 flasher (works with a mix of LED/Incand but not all LEDs as my fronts are still Incand).  Plugs right in and works.

Pulling off the road is a good option (and the only one) sometimes.

22 hours ago, siteunseen said:

I'm beginning to like the fireball idea out the tail pipe. 

I can almost guarantee this would back all but the most valiant tail gaters off...  haha  

I wonder if you could run a completely independent "flamethrower" exhaust system, using propane or something?  that was it is an isolated system, probably even use a 2nd exhaust tip...

"Officer this Z shot flames and melted my front end!!"   Yeah whatever, that means you're too close.  Good for them, ticket.

Edited September 28, 2017 by ramsesosirus