Danglybanger

...he was in the Star Wars Christmas special too... Rest in Peace.

haha, unfortunately I'll be staying entirely in the confines of CA, and getting to visit great places like Bakersfield and Fresno (uggh). I could envision a more scenic road trip, Oregon sounds nice, maybe I'll just head the opposite direction and venture up

HAH. Wow, thanks for the info before I wasted my time Can't believe so many people on this forum are from around here in any case... And yes, their fate doesn't sound like the worst, but still... Yeah, making him sell is a bit dodgy, and yes, that stretch of Van Buren basically needs to be bulldozed and rebuilt anyway, so I don't think anyone will complain about that particular "salvage yard". EDIT: wonder what he has planned for all the K cars and etc. background cars that can't possibly increase in value, or can they? The Sunbeam, I'd be surprised if it had an engine, yes, light in the front... but hell, I could use another Bond car

...in the long term, the environment, economy, political situation in this country, not to mention our pocketbooks, can't suffer from the use of fossil fuels. And there's no reason why a hybrid or electric car can't be a performance car. Some already are. We need to be moving in that direction. I wouldn't mind a hybrid Z (isn't there a forum for that?), because the increase in mileage would be worth it to me, and consider the fact that if the gas engine is downrated in terms of horsepower, a more powerful electric engine can be added. Eventually it'd be 100% electric, fast, and no one would mind. I suspect that the first performance hybrids (probably Japanese first, before Ferrari and Porsche catch on) will market their auxiliary electricalness as a "boost", similar to a turbo or supercharger, as the electric engine's horsepower slowly creeps up. So as long as companies actually innovate instead of become stodgy and stubborn, I don't think performance will suffer. Hopefully, the challenge of building cars that meet the 35mpg requirement will mean cars that are lighter and better engineered in general (I have a feeling the Lotus Elise could be modified to meet the requirement and still be very fun). Yes, the Z is a classic. I've gravitated towards cars like the Z and the Lotus Esprit, which shouldn't be as good as they are if you consider how old they are, were the first movers in terms of innovative technology and format, and weren't only good for their time but stand up well against the offerings of now. In terms of styling, it's true that designers are limited by safety and etc., but let me just say that steel is being bent in more complex, adventurous ways now than it ever has... There'll always be a place for classics, but looking at things realistically, new cars are better than they ever have and as long as manufacturers keep up the progress, that can continue.

hmm, just realized I never took a pic of the 2+2 ZX... I've actually stopped and asked the Mexican used car dealership next door whether they owned the place or not or knew how to contact whoever runs it, but they have no clue (when I ask, anyway), and communication is a bit hard, . Anyway, there's a number on a padlocked, abandoned trailer that seems to have been a sales office, but whoever was there seems too long gone to pick up the phone so I've never called... Though every once in a while, the cars left there DO switch around, new ones are added and etc... Just not the Zs, which have been static. Anyway, it's a secret, but it's on Van Buren, I'll PM you directions if you want but would rather not post publicly, as I'm sure they belong to someone... And I wouldn't want to cause a stampede of people with wrenches In the meantime, it's 5 mins from my house, so you have to stop by for a spot of tea

Finally :cheeky: My mummy was nice and took pics for me without me even asking. I'm likely flying up on Friday and commencing the road trip down, a nice little 6 hour shakedown, though I'll take it easy, so maybe 7. Really the hubcaps need to go though, I know. Under the 1" of wool, the interior is in great condition... ...With original window sticker even! No pics of that though 15 year old Maaco paint will eventually give way to orange/yellow/lime, would like Daisy hubcaps and 240 bumpers in due time, other than that I plan nothing other than maintenance and enjoyment... Love having a Z around again

...cont. Reminds me of mine, post meteor strike Pretty.

In Riverside, would you believe it. Anyway, 5 miles from my house. They've all been abandoned in an ancient used car lot and never touched for the five years I've lived here. It's VERY tempting to swipe some of the 240 bumpers off em for my 280, but swear to god I'm not going to do that. Seriously though, I REALLY want the convertible conversions (there are four or five of them on this lot, out of 15 Zs total, count em) Someone really should rescue a few, as none of em are that far gone at all... But I get first pick! A few non Z anomalies are around as well ...wtf. TR7 DHC, just like mine (albeit in less top notch trim, not that mine is) ...move along... Have your kid circle all the Z cars hidden in this pic

...yo Blake, that's a couple miles down the road from my house. . I usually get off the freeway there, for some reason didn't that day, hah. (More thunder than I've ever heard here that day) I'm sure if I ever see an 810 on the road somewhere around here it'll be you, so I'll be sure to flag you down

...they look great in orange/yellow/lime green anyway, which Lotuses always do I fell in love with the philosophy/engineering too, it's really a hardcore car in design and practice... meant for the driving moment rather than being worked on/carried in, no compromises, especially if you consider rearward visibility a compromise... Does have dual cigar lighters though, .

...forget about the headlights on the leaked pic, I can deal with them. The C pillar stuff on that thing is awful though... Makes it look plain and thought through badly, reminds me of the new GTR's rear section, unsurprisingly... the 350 has curves and sculpting there, the 370 just has a wedge... "leaked" photos and fake car magazine renderings are nearly what drove me away from being a spectator to the car manufacturer sport for the last few years...

...Can't quite get pics up of my 280 yet (must retrieve it first) but... I do have some long windedness to show off. Belonged to an uncle years ago before he died (after having been owned/given away by every other member of my family since 1981), circa 1995 my grandma has had it parked between her Ford Aspire and a washing machine (apparently to protect the washing machine from any parking mishaps...). In any case, the family conspired, and it's now sitting in my garage... On the plus/minus side it's the only Triumph TR7 not currently in the state of being a small brown pile of oxidation... It would probably start in a day if I put the effort into it (or maybe not, it has some strange Bosch EFI system in it), but last time I attempted that a rat that had been living in the (8 miles of) intake tubing came aflame, and that was a bit offputting. In any case, with a plaid interior it was my dose of 70s kitsch before the Z came around (which it technically hasn't yet). (Benz in the background is my brother's, an old man gave it to him for free... actually the most solidly built car I've ever experienced somehow, it's in a race with the Triumph to be the most offput project). ...I'm a double wedgie though, here's the other one (though not for long, selling it to make room for the 280). Daily driver, believe it or not, and oddly it's even been fairly reliable (only a few instances warranting a prolonged borrowing of my mom's Blazer). I'll miss it, but it might have to be gone for a while... Brilliant when it's working properly, which it will, except I could buy a new Z for every year that I owned it with the annual maintenance necessary for that to be accomplished... Ownership on the following two is a bit sketchier, but as I'm the only person in the family who currently has patience enough to drive something without AC/power etc./functional brakes, I'm currently custodian. Built with my dad starting when I was 5, my first car when I was 16, 350, 4 speed etc... My dad stole the original steel wheels for his 57 Vette, so Least fruity thing I currently own, I gather. Built with my dad when I was 8. 350, automatic... A bit rough and ready, but that just adds to the shock value... Can't wait to add Z pics You've all got me stoked on em...

from my Lotus Not really as bittersweet as you might think, it's an 86 turbo Esprit, had it for the last 5 years, is my dream car etc., but I've had my fun with her, and she needs to go to someone who now can pay the imminent maintenance bills (not that it was ever even that unreliable, but the cost of keeping it that way was $$$). Plus it just being time for a change, and my dad having informed me of a neighbor selling a nice example of a 75 280Z... And I told myself I was going to get something reasonable (had my eye on a Smart or a Yaris...) Least the Z ought to start when I want it to, . Anyway, no pics yet as I've got to fly back up to Sacramento and drive the thing back down probably next week... gray 2 seater (yes I know that it should be yellow/orange/lime green, but I also know that a bit of minor herpes on the paint is no excuse to do that right now. Or old styley bumpers), 4 speed, mostly all either minty or renovated... A bit excited, as I grew up with these and am nostalgic for riding through the desert to get slushies in my dad's silver 280ZX when I was 4 (though I rather more miss the orange/yellow/blue 240s, the 260 etc...) Nice to have a Z around again. Can't wait for it. So Hi!!!