Working on a Z is heaven

[Jeff Berk]

Although I'm constantly tinkering with my '74 260z, I find it very rewarding when I make a discovery, learn to do something new, or fix a system that I never knew how to fix. I definitely spend more time under the hood than in the driver seat.

I was reminded of how enjoyable it is working on this Z today when my 10-yr-old Chevy Volt stopped recharging and I had to take it to a dealer. My OBD II scanner could not read hybrid codes because I needed the $5K unit to read the recharger module codes. The dealer charged me $180 to start diagnosing the problem then told me to continue trouble shooting the problem I needed to give them $700 more. The cause of the problem was one of three issues. The cost for the most likely problem, a recharge control module, would end up costing me $3K+ to replace. This on a car worth $4K. 

I got lucky and after the 1st $180, I called a small repair shop within walking distance of my home and found out that he has personnel trained in working on rechargeable hybrid cars. I'll still have to pay $1.2K for the part, but I can avoid the near $200/hour labor.  

[Patcon]

I don't like owning cars where I can't handle most of the repairs. It's just not affordable for me...

[Jeff Berk]

29 minutes ago, Patcon said:

I don't like owning cars where I can't handle most of the repairs. It's just not affordable for me...

So you don't own anything newer than around 2005?

[Patcon]

I own a number of BMW's and a couple of Fords. The newest is a 2015. Most are 2007 to 2011. I do have a couple of pretty decent scanners though and that helps alot. I also have a pretty big tool assortment and my son is a diesel mechanic and his tools make mine look like toys. When I defer work to the mechanic it is typically because of convenience of the odd time we get stumped.

If we had a lift we would defer even less

[MH77280Z]

That's why some people like to buy new cars and trade it in at or near warranty expiration etc.

Dealers charge too much for service that's how they make money. Best is to know a reliable mechanic and just save yourself time on big jobs and save money on DIY wherever you can.

[Paulytunes]

On 7/3/2024 at 7:10 PM, Jeff Berk said:

Although I'm constantly tinkering with my '74 260z, I find it very rewarding when I make a discovery, learn to do something new, or fix a system that I never knew how to fix. I definitely spend more time under the hood than in the driver seat.

I was reminded of how enjoyable it is working on this Z today when my 10-yr-old Chevy Volt stopped recharging and I had to take it to a dealer. My OBD II scanner could not read hybrid codes because I needed the $5K unit to read the recharger module codes. The dealer charged me $180 to start diagnosing the problem then told me to continue trouble shooting the problem I needed to give them $700 more. The cause of the problem was one of three issues. The cost for the most likely problem, a recharge control module, would end up costing me $3K+ to replace. This on a car worth $4K. 

I got lucky and after the 1st $180, I called a small repair shop within walking distance of my home and found out that he has personnel trained in working on rechargeable hybrid cars. I'll still have to pay $1.2K for the part, but I can avoid the near $200/hour labor.  

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I'll add that I think the S30's are very well engineered cars that can be worked on with a good set of metric tools and without many specialized tools.  My 280Z also doesn't generate the same level of frustration of other older cars that I have owned.  Caution: I may be biased and have an unnatural love for Japanese cars.  There's no cost cutting measures that are prevalent in American cars (nothing frustrates me more than finding something stupid, like a $75 relay buried behind a dashboard assembly or door handles that just fatigue and break repeatedly, or overheating problems that never go away), no inherent complexity or need for special tools like German cars require, or reliability issues with other European makes. The only issues I have found is that my clumsy, large American hands are often too big to fit in small spaces.      

I think I said it before, but Japanese cars built up to around the mid-1990's were probably the pinnacle of automotive engineering, and that likely started somewhere around the time of the S30.  Unfortunately, this golden age ended in before the new millennium, when Japan started playing the same game that all the other manufacturers do now, with impossibly difficult maintenance items, needless plastic and foam rubber coverings in the engine bay, technology that becomes obsolete in a few years, and components with limited lifespans only designed to last until the warranty expires.

It is a joy to open the hood of the 280Z and just look at the L-series inline 6.  I also love explaining to my kids or whoever else will listen what each component does and how it functions.  I have become somewhat of a self-taught expert, using my mechanical aptitude, reading the factory service manual and fuel injection bible, and also with the help of the great members and resources of this forum.   They no longer make cars like the S30 and never will again, which is why I intend to keep mine alive and driving for as long as I am able, as well as trying to cultivate and grow interest with my kids.  The next generation will likely not understand how to drive a car with a manual transmission, or without backup cameras, blind spot warning lights, lane assist, traction control, power steering, and all the other electronic nannies that are present on modern cars.