rwright07

although i like the styling of the older z's, i think i may have found an 85 300zx w/ t-tops that is within my budget. after discussing my quandry with my girlfriends dad, he mentioned a guy from work was selling a zx and would get me some pictures and a phone number early next week i realize this forum is dedicated to the early z's but what do you guys think/know about these cars? rick

i think you are right, and have been thinking about that for a while, becuase i registered the blazer down here in Sept. and that cost alot, concerning HWY 1, that would be a fun drive, i did it in the blazer in june with a buddy in his jeep on our way to Baja for a month of camping/exploring. it was not much fun on 6" lift, 37's and no swaybars (to get articulation off road you know). that does sound tempting and will require a good deal of thought. i am going to take my time looking and learn lots by the time summer rolls around and i get serious about finding another car, but it will be difficult if a particularly handsome and cheap Z comes up here or in WA not to jump on it

i dont mind having my driver be a **bit** of a project, in fact i rather like getting my hands dirty, just not having it break down often on the highway. the car would remain at my parents house, garaged and whatnot. i would rather drive a piece of work but unique and fun car than a civic, hence my current vehicle ( 84 K5 blazer w/ 6.5 turbo diesel on 1-ton axles, and whatnot that is for a different forum). but i appreciate you looking out for me. I am accustomed to doing mechanical work, i actually just pulled the transmission from the blazer, and am not daunted by that sort of thing at all. I would rather find a bargain and clean it up than spend more money on one that somebody has paid to do that beforehand. however you guys know much better than me and from your replys it is sounding like this may not be the best route for me to go. but i shall remain optimistic

i appreciate the advice, im new to (read: first time really looking at) these cars and this is just what i need, friendly folks willing to give advice and help save me money and frustration later. the main reason im looking at a 70's Z is for collector registration and insurance purposes, never having to renew tabs or plates is sweet, but i could deal with that. the real killer is daily driver type insurance for a car that i will only drive a couple months of the year, tops. would i be able to get collector insurance for a 79-83 Z? maybe i ought to do some digging. what am should i be looking to pay (ballpark figure) for a would be DD that could need a little work here and there? here is an aside---- how quick are these cars, the 240z made like 156 HP from its I6 right? i guess what im asking is, i dont really like 'Normal' (read: boring) cars, function appeals to me a great deal more than form.

allright maybe not the best example, but im looking for one that is cheap (under 1500?) and in drivable condition, and preferably not rusty, as ive dealt with those issues before. FEASABLE OR NOT? what do you think?

i am going to school in San Luis Obispo, CA now but home is tacoma, washington. i currently drive an absurd distance several times a year to get my car back and forth and would rather take the train and leave a car in each place. i got to thinking about what kind of car for washington (as my other is registered in CA now) that would be fun, cheap, easy to work on, and older than 1978 so i can get it registered as a collector vehicle, and get limited mileage liability only insurance to save money. I then of course went craigslist window shopping and found a relative abundance of cheap, good looking, running, licensed Datsun Z cars from the mid-late 70's. how much effort/cash would i be looking at to get one of these up to daily driver condition? (not a normal person DD, but my kind of DD, it has to work, and not kick my A$$ everyweek with a new issue. (to give you an idea i drive a gutted and heavily modified K5 Blazer daily and back and forth to CA right now) does this all sound feasible, and for an idea of what im looking at http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/car/570971249.html