Travel'n Man

Thanks for the compliment, but the real compliment needs to go to this board and the information that all have shared.:classic: Good luck on your journey!

Bubba Drew, The only advise that I can give you is NOT to buy on emotion but on solid found facts of the indivdual car you are looking at. I agree with the others and stay away from ebay if possible (or to use one of us if the car is in our neck of the woods for inspection). It would have been many times cheaper for me to have purchased an airline ticket and flown to Calif. for that inspection rather than to fix the issues I was mislead on through ebay, but, that was part of my journey on this adventure. Sometimes adventures get expensive but at the end the results could be worth it. Good luck on finding your Z.

I agree with everybody above. I puchased mine in Calif. and had it shipped to the Carolina's, and I still had to replace floor pans, dog legs, rear deck lip, rear valance. I would stay clear personally................IMO. Now, somebody has changed the rear end looks to a fiberglass look and IMO destroyed the profile of the rear end. It's all up to you but I would wait and don't get in a hurry. A hurried decision can cost your 1,000's down the road. Make a good educated, firm fact found decision. In the long run it could pay you to spend a little more now and not have hidden suprises later. Good luck and keep us posted.

Rick, There are several guides on tires and the diameter and radius's that show the exact difference on the speedo. The 205-60-15 differs the most at a gain of 3.6mph / the 195-65-15 differs the least at -4.3mph. Stock was a 195-60-14, they differ 0, so the tires size is really up the individual and the looks that the owner is after. My fronts are -2.75 and my rear are -1.7 so I'm always a couple of MPH slower than my speedo says. Somebody correct me if my research is in-correct Rick brought up a good point if your trying to avoid tickets but actually the difference is very little unless your running 15+ over the posted speed limit, then it could really make a difference, if you are on the gain side (or it could be a good reason to talk the occifer (wait.......... I haven't been drinking) officer out of giving you the ticket - the old "I've got an old car and my tires are oversized - I didn't know story":stupid:).

SandyI- My wheels are American Racing Ansen Sprint -I purchased them through Summit Racing - Free Ship - The PO has the two different tire sizes and I was rubbing with my old wheels. I did not want to replace all wheels and tires at one time so I opted for wheel replacement first and then I work on correcting the tires at a later date when these get down to the wear bars. MSA does not offer the "Flashback" at this time 15 x 7 // Zero offset // 4" backspace My front tires are: 195-60-15 My rear tires are: 225-60-15 Keep us updated with pictures!!

SandyI- Looks like you have quite the gift, congrats to owning one of the funnest cars ever built. These are real head turners and the folks that actually remember them will twist all the way around as you drive by them. I actually had one guy last week pull out his cell phone and take pictures as I was driving by. Anyway, the guys at MSA are very good with their product line, they can offer great advise and trust me, I'm sure most of us that have done restorations have given them a lot of our money. It just depends on what your car needs and how far you want to go with it. I just installed the 3 point seat belts from MSA and they bolted right in, the only challange I have is the recieving end tends to get lost between the seat and the center console so you may want to look around and see if you can find one that has a firmer recieving end that will not flop between those areas. Send us all some pictures when you get a chance I'm sure we all would like to see it. Welcome to the site!

ConchZ- Key West, what a great place. My wife and I were down a few years ago during the last week of October, you know, around Holloween - what a surprise we had with all the diverse people that attend Fantasy Fest. We hung aroung for the Parrot Head Convention.....what a blast......welcome to the site. If you use the search feature you can find how to repair that dash crack, and resolve a lot of your questions. With all the salt around you in that area of Flordia you may want to make sure you are protecting that body and metal while it is in the bodys shop. You could have all that work go down the drain in just a few years. There is a lot of good information about rust-proofing if you do a little "searching". Good luck on your refresh. Get some pictures posted for us when you get a chance of your progress.

Genove, There is a great bunch of guys here that are really talanted with their knowledge. Everybody likes to see one of their sister cars saved and on the road for the world to enjoy and see. Great to have you here.

From the Carolina's ......welcome. Good luck with your restoration on the 280Z. What part of NC did you find her? Keep sending pictures.

I think this one has been out to pasture for a little to long, it was inviting me to have my way with it. It's kinda like eating a chicken wing, once you find a good one get all you can get off it it. The only problem is that this one had seen it's better day. My son and I did get a few great parts off it of it. The only problem was this past summer we had to watch for snakes.

The ones that I purchased last year on ebay did not 10,000 staples in the backboard, nor did they have waterdamage and rust on the interior panels.............?? Mine looked a lot better than that. It appears somebody could have reskinned these above^^^.

Another Z saved for the world to see...............great job.

Just in case any of you have not ever heard the Rossington Collins Band - this band was formed after the Skynyard crash with the surviving members. Here is a clip from YouTube.................sorry for highjacking this thread but we are staying in the music venue with Rock&Roll. By the way Gary Rossington is still alive and Rock'n. RIP Billy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCUtfboZ8tQ

I purchased floor pans from MSA and were pleased. The install took a while but typically with body shops they work on insurance work first and project cars when they get a chance. Good luck on your project!

I know I'm getting off topic a little now but I guess all of you know it is a sad day for Rock&Roll. :disappoin The keyboardist for Lynard Skynyard died yesterday from a heart attack he was 56. I saw them before the plane crash and to me they were never the same afterwards. I did like Rossington/Collins Band with the female lead singer - great R&B with soul and a touch of Skynard but they only released one album (you can tell I'm old......hell, I still call them albums) . Anyway, Mr. Billy Powell, thanks for the memories and the music. Rest In Peace............you are a true rocker!!

Geezer, I know I'm not telling you anthing you don't already know, but do you know what the value of the Gibson '66 SG would be worth today!! The last Strat that I had is screwed up on the wall in by billards room along with old concert pictures from the '70s,.... framed - REO Speedwagon, Styx, Mott the Hoople, Kiss, Uriah Heep..............Areosmith has made more money off the Guitar Hero licensing that they have off their past two albums............amazing, oh yea, that was an Areosmith song!!

Glad to have you on board. This site will end up being you first go to, to find out answers. During my two year restoration I was pulling up info on a daily basis. There is a ton of knowledge within the members and within the "search" features. You may always want to search your questions first and then if you need to pinpoint a questions start a new thread, odds are somebody has already "peeled that onion" before you. Enjoy yourself and good luck on your '81 ZX

Anyway you get music is a good thing..........its my third love, right after my wife (or is the Z) yea, right after my wife!!

Cone on guys, how about a Gibson Les Paul and a fat Marshall amp rippin some Clapton...........whats up??

JohnnyRock- If you go to NAPA there are different size barrel clips for different diameters of posts. Be sure to take your hood emblem and I bet they can match it up and you will not have to pay freight. Good luck............the barrel clip is the best method to use, I would stay away from double sided tape on my car.........IMO.

I purhased a set for my restoration last year. The damn things were a mint. I'm glad to see the price is coming down, I wish I could have saved a $100 or so on my purchase. The quality and workmanship were excellent. If you want to pull your interior together and make your doors stand out that is the only way to go (even though they are expensive).

Thanks for all the kind words. I just figured out how to post a larger picture for your viewing pleasure. Thanks for all the info from the site during my restoration process.

Arne is correct. They came from MSA (along with most of the 100's of parts that I have purchased for the S30. Thanks for the kind words and the votes of approval. If I had it to do over again, instead of finding a Z in California and shipping to the Carolina area I would have purhased somebody elses project after flying to visit the car and the owner. I sure it would have been several thousand dollars cheaper with close to the same results. This way I do have everything documented and photographed for future needs and know that where metal needed to be replaced it was replaced and not just bondo'd and patched. It's kinda like building a house, there is a since of pride and accomplishment once you get near the end (or is there ever an end to either of the two?) What a journey on my first restoration. I guess my next will be my 1930 Model A.

Arne, Thanks for the kind words..........the wheels are 15's..........17's are just to large for me and the era of the car.....IMO