Z CAR 77

Thank you Kats for sharing the info, photos, and videos of your two fabulous Z-Cars. Have a Happy Holiday Season!

HUGE thanks Arne for all your hard work on this project Waiting on them to arrive is not really a problem ... it's a long time till 2010 driving season starts! Have a great holiday season!!! Stan

After all these years of driving my 280Z I'm getting tired of having only one little outside mirror. Before I start looking at aftermarket dual mirror sets I'd really love to find a Datsun Dual Racing Mirror Set. The two attached images below show the Datsun mirrors I'm looking for. The Datsun part number is: 99990-00113. I'd love to get a NOS set but I hold little hope of that. Does anyone know of a set on a pick-a-part car that are in reasonable shape? If you do please post a reply or PM me. Thanks in advance

Huge Thanks Mike for posting those photos! I have a set of Mulholland springs which I installed on my 280Z in 1978. I removed them sometime around 1980 and did not mark front and rear. I've wanted to reinstall them with a set of NOS Mulholland struts I found but was unsure on the springs. Now based on the colored dots I know my front from my rear :classic: Stan

I can't compete with you one owner 240Z guys (I was still in High School when they came out). Maybe we should have sub listings for longest 260Z and 280Z owners. I've owned my 280Z for 32 years 3 months

Try Massey Accessory Shop for center caps: http://myworld.ebay.ca/massey1946/?_trksid=p3911.c0.m198

I'll start it: 1) Z Cars 2) VW Bug / Porsche 911 3) Chevy Corvette 4) Chrysler 300 5) Mini Cooper

Hi Chris, Thanks for the nice response! Keep working on your car ... no matter how much work it is the pay-off will be more that worth it! :classic: I guess I am kind of spoiled by where I live ... I did however keep one eye on my Z as I went in for the paper. Later, Stan

Every Sunday morning over coffee my wife likes to read the Sunday paper. Since we're to cheap to buy a weekly subscription I get the job of driving three miles to the closest filling station to pick up that paper. Normally I just jump in one of our daily drives and head off for my weekly ten minute run. But today for some reason my Z was calling to me when I walked into the garage. So I move a car from in back of her, jumped in, and fired her up. Instantly she came to life and started purring like a kitten. I sat in her for a couple of minutes as she warmed up just smiling from ear to ear. Slipped her into reverse and backed her onto our street for the quick trip to the filling station. When I got to the main road I had no intension of speeding but she pulled so smooth to 6000 rpm that when I looked at the speedo I was just a tad over the limit. Pulled into the filling station and left her running right by the door, walked in, picked up the paper and drop $2 on the counter. As I turned to leave the 20 something kid behind the counter says: "Sir, what kind of car is that"? When I replyed a Datsun 280Z his only response was "SWEEEET"! Which I took to be the biggest complement he could come up with that early in the morning. Needless to say the smile on my face on the ride home was even bigger that the smile when I first started her up. We all know what treasures we own and drive, but it somehow makes it just a little "SWEEEETer" when someone else notices our Z-Cars

I think Dennis hit on the correct list title above ... but no matter the title it's nice to have our little old toys included Stan

IMO GMM is mainly a Road Racer magazine (SCCA & NASA) so the list is really tilted toward what racers want/think. If you looked at the enter lists on any big SCCA or NASA event most if not all of these cars would be on it. This would explain the Factory 5 vers. Cobra entry.

GMM just listed it as a Neon ... their quote: "the Neon was inexpensive and fast". Most of the write-ups just talked about the base car ... not the high water mark car.

Grassroots Motorsports calls themself: "The Hardcore Sports Car Magazine" so by default their list is centered on sports cars.

Grassroots Motorsports Magazine just published their "25 Best Cars Ever List" and Z-Cars made #10. They define Best Cars as "the 25 cars that left the biggest impact on our automotive world". In order they are: 1) Mazda Miata 2) BMW 3 Series 3) Honda Civic/CRX 4) Ford Mustang 5) Porsche 911 6) Chevy Corvette 7) Chevy Camaro 8) Mini Cooper 9) Factory 5 Roadster 10) Nissan Z-Car 11) VW GTI 12) Mazda RX-7 & RX-8 13) Subaru Impreza 14) SCCA Spec Racer 15) Toyota MR2 16) Lotus Elise 17) Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 18) DSM Eclipse/Talon/Laser 19) Dodge Neon 20) Honda S2000 21) Porsche Boxster 22) Toyota Celica/Corolla 23) Nissan Sentra SE-R 24) Dodge Viper 25) Volvo 2 & 7 Series Not sure I really agree with their list (or the order) but an interesting list all the same.

Why wave at a Camaro? For me a couple of reasons: When I was in High School (god l'm old) and before the 240Z came out the Z-28 is the car I would have killed for (kind of like your 1st love). 2nd reason is over the years I've found that guys who drive the really "classic cars" seem to "get it". They will actually come up to you at a show or at a filling station and complement you on your Z-Car. I think it's them accepting the Z-Cars into the faternity of really "classic cars". So for me, I wave at 1968 Z-28 & Bullet Mustang and every other "classic car" I see :classic:

I think it's just a lack of age thing. The younger the 350Z/370Z driver is the less likely they even know what our funny little cars are. Add in the fact that "most" of the people driving 240z/260z/280z are "older" that their parents and it's not "cool" to wave at your parents and grandparents No matter I'm gonna keep waving at anything with a Z on it's badge (including Z-28's).

Hi Dave, Please put me down for one. I'll put a check for $60 in the mail Friday (11/27). Have a great turkey day and thanks for putting this together Stan Norton (Z CAR 77)

Thanks Wayne for the input. I hadn't even considered that the shorter length would cause the force needed to turn the wheel to go up. If I finally do decide to go with them I guess I'll need to re-up for that gym membership!

Huge thanks for all your hard work on this! Now my tired old eyes won't have the strain to read a tiny little diagram in the service manual :classic:

Currently in my garage are: 1977 Datsun 280Z (owned since new 60,400 miles) 2000 Honda S2000 (2nd owner 40,600 miles) 2006 Honda Civic Si (up on jack stands to remove race stuff for the winter) 1957 14 foot Pen Yan mahogany run-about (kind of a baby Cris-Craft) tons of tools and tons of tire & wheels 3 bikes, 3 sets of golf clubs, misc sports gear Outside of my garage on the driveway (but not shown in photo): 2005 Honda Accord Coupe (6 speed MT) 1995 Honda Prelude (owned since new, currently has a Japan Type R race engine/tranny in it)

I'm the proud one-owner of a 1977 280Z and I looking for a little input from other Z owners. One of the few things that always seemed strange to me is how "big" the steering (lock to lock) seemed to be on the 280Z. I've driven and owned lots of sportscars (currently have a Honda S2000 also) and they almost all seemed to have a quicker more precise steering feel to them. I've done a search of our website and read everything I could find on changing to the MSA/NISMO quick steering knuckles. Even after reading everything I'm not sure if changing them out would push the steering to far the other way (ie: make it to twitchy for normal street driving). Since 95% of my driving is road touring (5% track) I want to make sure I don't make my Z more like a gocart but less fun to drive. Thanks in advance for any insight other Z owners can give me on this :classic:

Not to be MEAN ... butt it serves her right for sitting on a Z CAR fender

Great looking Z-Cars ... looks like you've got the Z-Bug bad :laugh: You've found the right forum to hang out at ... we all got the bug bad! Have a Happy Holiday, Stan

Welcome to the forum, I just joined last month. It's a nice place to hang out and gain lots of insight into the does and don't of Z-car redos! It's great that you repurchased your Z after all those years ... Zs do get in your blood! Can you post a few photos of your 240Z? Happy Motoring, Stan

Welcome to the forum Johnny. I just joined last month ... it's a nice place to hang out! Can you post a few more photos of your great looking rides? Happy Motoring, Stan