FastWoman

Thanks, Steve! That means a lot. ❤️

Hey Grannie and Zed! Yeah, I'll probably pop back in from time to time, once my life is on a more even keel. I do miss you guys! Patcon, see you on the road! ?

Hey Charles! Wow, you've seen me on the Z3 list?! I'm humbled. Yeah, that's the one thing about rag-tops I can't stand. The Z3 sure is a fun car, though, ain't it? We've reserved in our motor pool a 1994 Miata - my partner's car - which is in prime condition thanks to the restoration work of the previous owner, a Miata enthusiast. Being a ragtop, it's strictly a fair-weather car and obligatory garage queen. I can't say I have as much heart into this car, because there's not really much I've had to do to it. However, my partner enjoys the sunshine on her shoulders (doesn't like hardtops with black interiors), and her pleasure gives me pleasure. Besides, it's a really fun little car to drive too - just cute, though, and not drop-dead sexy like the Z. So if you see someone in a little, red, first-gen Miata waving at you in your Z, wave back. It might be me. ?

LOL, Bruce! I appreciate that, truly! ?

Hey Bob! OMG, the yogurt cup test! Yes! Good times. I'll try not to be (too much of) a stranger.

I definitely will give you a shout if I head up that way (which is actually quite possible)! Would enjoy meeting you in person after all this time. And would enjoy seeing that lovely '69! :-)

Hey Cap'n! I've enjoyed interacting with you too! I really enjoyed our (mostly your) sleuthing out solutions for those parts made of unobtanium. I'm sure there will come a time in my life when I can return to fun projects like the Z. Might not be a classic sports car, but it will definitely be something.

Thanks, Cliff! You've been a very good friend too. I'll probably stay registered, so I'm only a message away.

My wonderful friends, I know I've been a stranger these past few years as my partner and I have had way too much of "life getting in the way." My poor 280 has mostly just sat. She still runs great, but there are a number of little things I should have done that I haven't. Well, I have bitter-sweet news. A young man drove down from Northern Virginia today to buy my baby. Now someone will again pay her the attention she deserves. When I bought her, her body was in pretty good shape, and she was mechanically so-so. Now she's in great shape mechanically, but she needs some body work to address a few little rust issues. That will be the new owner's project. (Maybe Lenny will also release the new Hellfire ECU to free the tiger in all our engines. Nudge, nudge...) Anyway, everyone here has been such a good friend. I thank all of you for all the help, advice, and comradery you have given me, and I hope you will extend the same helping hand to the newest member of the Z family. (He's already a ClassicZCars member, and you will probably hear more from him soon.) Here's hoping you all enjoy the ride! Sarah (a.k.a. FastWoman)

I'm not back for long! I came to beg favors from a few people. When I logged in, the message popped up that someone had asked me a question. Unfortunately I don't have any time for my Z these days. I've been drowning in other areas of life -- my partner dealing with cancer, and now this new health care bill (in the US) that threatens her health care future. This is OT on this particular board, so I won't go into details. But that's why I'm back -- for some private messaging. (Sorry! Life gets in the way, as they say...) I miss you guys! I miss working on my Z. Getting back on topic, I don't think the afterfire would have anything to do with the exhaust. I think it has more to do with the idle enrichment (at zero throttle) when the RPMs drop back below maybe 3000, the point at which the EFI starts injecting again. I have no idea why the exhaust pop only happens when I drop from 4500'ish, though! Gotta run... Oven timer went off. Dinner! :-)

Only when dropping down from maybe 4500 RPM. Some people like light afterfiring, but I hate it. It doesn't happen often, though.

Thanks, Chickenman! I think I'll have to do a bit of further research, because I think it's title companies, and not banks, that might perform this service on my end. However, this all seems quite do-able. I'm going to have to put this matter down for a few days. We have a bunch of medical stuff I have to deal with. I'm afraid I'll be out of touch. It's not because I'm ignoring my own thread, but rather because I'm out of town doing other things. But I'll be back! ;-) Thanks to everyone, for now! I really appreciate your guidance! :-D

Thanks, JSM! Good advice. And Thanks, FunkytownZ. It's especially good hearing feedback from someone who has recently been in the market for something like my Z. I do feel I can wait at least a little while to find the right buyer, so I don't have to sacrifice the car at a low price. There's barely room in our garage to squeeze both the Miata and the Z, but it's super tight!

Looking sharp! I like your copper Z. I'm used to thinking of trading cash for signed-over title. How are these transactions conducted over long distances? Is it done with a contract promising delivery of title when money is received? Then when money is received, and title is signed over and mailed? I have to say this is an interesting possibility.

Hey, Chickenman! Great to see you! :-) Pretty healthy market up there! Maybe I could deliver the car personally and take a little vacation, perhaps to Lake Ontario. How does the import process usually go? Are there shippers that handle this sort of thing?

Good to see you too, Zedyone! May the torque be with you! :-D I appreciate the well wishes. Our lives are pretty chaotic right now, but everything is working out mostly good. We're starting to see some light at the end of a few tunnels.

Hey Blue! Good to see you here! I was wondering what had happened to you the last time I visited the list. Now I know! ;-) The S2000 does sound like a great car, but your interests and mine are a bit different. What really makes me weak in the knees for the Z is not performance related. It's the drop-dead gorgeous lines from an era gone by. (I clearly remember where I was the first time I saw one as a teenager, and I can't say that about more than a few cars.) It's the dash with all the instruments recessed in deep buckets. And most of all, it's the engine. There is something mathematically poetic to me about the geometry of an inline 6. That row of 12 rockers under the valve cover is gorgeous, and adjusting her valves is truly a pleasure. There's also something sort of cool about looking down through the engine compartment and seeing the road. I don't know why. It's certainly a dated aspect of automotive design, but I like it. And I also actually seeing the engine, and not plastic covers. The Z has been surpassed in performance by many cars, but I don't think it will ever be surpassed in style or karma. I have to say, though, that I did have a brief fling with a Dakar Yellow BMW Z3 3.0i, prior to purchasing my second 280Z. Beyond its irresistible styling, that engine sort of sang to me too. It had an inline 6 with VVT. It also had a modern cross-flow 24V head, so it could crank out some serious hp. (Sadly, that performance aspect makes the aesthetics of the machinery a bit less "cool" to me.) The Z3 did have a few fatal flaws, though. The first was that the body was not as strongly designed as the engine, and the structure would eventually fail from metal fatigue. The second was that parts were obscenely expensive. The third was that it had a level of complexity that would not be sustainable in the long term, even though required by law, such as DSC and ABS. So I decided the car would probably not be a classis, or at least one that I could afford. Moving from that car to a Z was IMO a good decision.

Hey Chas! Yes, you and I both know. My partner's situation is currently good, but her needs/wants/desires are my first priority. If the Miata is what gives her joy, that gives me joy too. I appreciate your kind words. Yes, I do care very much about my Z, and everything I've done is with an eye towards the car's longevity (e.g. my obsessive use of stainless hardware, soldered wiring, contact grease, etc. I've also largely avoided making new screw holes. For instance, my HEI ignition module is mounted where the old distributor pickup junction block was located, and the junction block is lovingly stored in a box, along with the old ignition module, which works, but not well. When I look back to the time when I owned my first 280Z, in the 1980's, I'm a tiny bit disturbed that I threw out a lot of somewhat worn parts that I would have loved to have back today!

True, there are always photos. However, I've seen photos where the lighting was angled (purposefully?) so as not to accentuate the rust bubbles. You have to wonder why people do this. I would prefer people see the car they expect to see. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time, energy, and money. OK, I'm off to bed for real now... ;-)

240260280... LOL! I thought you were saying to sell the Miata and Z for $2000. I have an appointment in about a month to see an eye doctor about that (seriously). I've thought about other cars like the S2000, but I don't know if I will ever "LOVE" another car the way I do the 280Z. Even my all-time dream car, a V12 Jag XK-E, would be too precious to drive and enjoy. I have to drive the car to enjoy it. Polishing it lovingly as it sits in the garage just doesn't do it for me. There are a couple of fairly affordable hardtop convertibles that would be more to my liking than a ragtop, but convertibles of all stripes are leaky and not too secure. (I like being able to lock my car.) I think a T-top would be a nice compromise, but finding a fairly rust-free T-top is darned near impossible. And most T-tops are American sports/"sporty" cars that don't hold as much interest to me. A targa top would be another nice option, but those are few and far between. I do like the Miata, though. If I'm going to have a leaky, insecure car, I could do a lot worse. Oil filter changes are a PITA, though!

Yeah, exactly! (Whoa!) I think the 280 might be the new 240. ;-) Well, I'm off ta' bed. It's been a loooong day. Looking forward to reconnecting with a few more friends here. Wonderful group of people! :-) 'Nite! Sarah

Jeff, I was at one time looking for an '82/83 ZX NA, because of it being Z-like (same drive train, sort of) and having a T-top to satisfy my partner's yearning for a convertible. I traveled quite a bit looking at these cars and gave up. The reason was that all the "rust free" cars I went to see had penetrating rust bubbles in difficult places (e.g. the leading edge of the roof, and the non-removable vent cowl area). One fellow even had me drive across 2 states to have me see his rust heap that was barely running ("runs great"). When I pointed to the very obvious rust bubbles peppering the roof, he shrugged and said, "yeah, rust bubbles." PISSED ME OFF -- because I asked him several times whether there were any rust bubbles in that very area, and he repeatedly insisted, "no." So there's some advantage to local, IMO. You can run yourself ragged looking for a good Z in far-off lands, only to come away empty handed or buying something less than you expected expect. Of course if you enjoy the thrill of the hunt, then none of this applies. ;-) As far as market value for a 280Z... Well, I've looked at completed auctions (at least the ones that actually sold) on eBay, and I'm shocked at some of what I see. I see a lot of bodies that need as much work as mine, with ratty interiors and "runs good" engines selling in the $6k range, and my car is much better than that. That's where I have to admit I'm out of touch, hence my question here. My "feeling" is that $6200 would be fair in a flat market, but I'm seeing signs the market hasn't been flat.

Thanks, Jeff! Good to see you, BTW! I think the price point you suggest would be hard psychologically, but I appreciate the input. It's hard for me to weigh this issue without a certain emotional investment and bias. That said, I was just offered $6k for the car and turned it down long enough to get some feedback here. Perhaps one contributing factor is that this is an East Coast car. You pay a bit more for less on this side of the country. Of course I realize you're from Michigan, so I'm sure it's the same story there.

240260280, the Miata alone is worth about $5000. It's pristine. ------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Patcon, Good to see you! I've neglected all my friends here... Well, I bought the car for $6200 back in 2009. The car came with Panosports and 4 original wheels in a box. The mouse nest on the top of the engine also conveyed. I think this was a semi-barn find. The previous owner bought it nicely fixed up 12 years previously and didn't drive it much. He did put a nice coat of wax on it before putting it up for sale, though. He also did some interior work, such as replacing the headliner and carpet (nice workmanship). To his credit, he had the car professionally maintained throughout by the local Nissan dealership. The mechanic was an old-timer who knew these cars well. However, the PO was also frugal with needed repairs. For instance, he was very proud that he had taken the car to the dealer to replace ONE leaking injector. Since then I've replaced a lot of parts (entire exhaust, alternator, injectors, starter, fuel pump, fuel pump check valve, EGR valve, all hoses, belts, body seals, AACV, radiator, fan clutch, thermostat, brake calipers, rotors, rear cylinders, shoes, all door locks, windshield washer, oil sender, distributor, tachometer board, instrument lights, fusible links (with Maxi Fuse assembly). And then I completely overhauled the fuel/intake system. So it's a completely different car mechanically than when I bought it. My feeling is that the body has deteriorated in the rust department as much as it has improved mechanically. The rusty areas today were showing early signs when I bought her, so the same work needed doing then as needs doing now. (It's just more obvious now.) She still gets a lot of compliments and wistful looks, and she's still a beautiful machine! The thing is that I don't really have a sense about how much these cars have appreciated since 8 years ago. I was always more concerned with restoring my car than with tracking its value, so I didn't really pay much attention. And then I've been completely out of touch since August 2015. What I want out of my car is whatever is fair. I don't have to make any budget or make an investment pay off. I don't need the money. However, the reality is that I must sell her now, while I have garage space, or she will be doomed to sit in the driveway after we sell two properties by the end of this month. My garage space is disappearing FAST!

Hi everyone, I know I haven't been here for ages -- about 18 months now, I believe. As some of you know, life has jumped up and bit me in the rear. My partner is dealing with some serious medical issues, we've been downsizing, and I no longer have any time for my '78 Z. We have two fun cars, and the other is a 1st gen Miata. Convertibles aren't really my thing, but my partner really loves that car and hates hardtops. So between the Z and the Miata, it's always the Miata we take for a drive, while my baby sits in the garage unloved. And now that we are downsizing, one of the two cars has to go. It's entirely my decision, because my partner understands how much I love my Z. However, I feel the decision needs to be to keep the Miata and sell the Z. (I do like the Miata too. It's a lot of fun to drive, just windy and with much less "cool" factor.) So I'm trying to come up with a fair price. I know what I bought her for, and I know what I have in her. However, I also understand what sort of investment it would take to restore her to her full glory. What I don't know is how the Z market has changed since I've been gone. I'm rather surprised that the 280 is now getting much more love, and even the 280ZX is starting to come into its own. So I think the market has definitely changed. I just don't know how much. I'm hoping my friends here can help me out in that area. By way of full disclosure, there are two people on this forum who are interested in buying my car. One of them plans to travel here on the weekend of the 24th. Y'all have been advising him (very well, with great sobriety) about Z cars he might find. So I suppose you might be advising both of us at the same time. The other party seems to be more of a Datsun (and Porsche) veteran and has pretty clear expectations. Anyway, if you have a few moments, you could help both/all of us out tremendously. About my baby... My Z was a little bit rusty when I got her -- nothing structural, a few rust bubbles in the hatch jamb, a bad rust spot on one of the rear fenders, and some bubbles starting to form on the upper doors, just beneath the stainless trim strip. The engine ran "OK," but not great. Since then, I've put a lot of work into all the mechanicals, and many of you know exactly what my journey was like. Now, on a scale from 1 to 10 for a stock 280Z, I'd say she's mechanically and electrically a 9.5. On the other hand, the rust has gotten worse, despite the car being mostly garaged and not driven in the rain or snow. The strengths of her body are that she is very straight, never having been wrecked, and her underbody is quite rust-free. The underbody was rust-proofed as a part of a prior restoration, but the rust proofing is starting to chip away (leaving rather pristine looking paint exposed). The current paint job is pretty decent. It's not one of those Earl Scheib / Maaco spray-down jobs with flaking bondo. Rather, it was done right, with removal of rubber, trim, parts prior to painting, original color, proper prep work, etc. The engine compartment and jambs were not repainted, so this wasn't a rotisserie job either! I have three videos that show the car's current condition: The first is of a cold start after a few days of sitting. I want to emphasize that the car has sat quite a lot, and the fuel is a couple of months old now. The temp today was about freezing. Even so, the engine started effortlessly, as always. The engine took about twice as long to fire at this temperature as it would ordinarily take during warmer weather, but not any longer than our 2009 Ram or 2010 Mazda CX-7. Anyway, here is the startup: https://youtu.be/j5AyXkJLdhY Next, I video'ed the interior. I think it is difficult to shoot a black interior with a smart phone camera, but I think you can see the needed details. The interior has a half dash cap. No interior pieces are missing, except that I have to repair the right hand A-pillar trim piece. The previous owner replaced the carpeting, and it all looks great. The only deficient items are the two seats and perhaps the worn leather wrapping on the steering wheel. See here: https://youtu.be/gsbkHa_Wdu4 Finally, I shot a video of the condition of the body, with special emphasis on the rust areas. The video seems fairly clear, but sometimes I can’t be heard well over the engine/exhaust (sorry). The frame rails, floor pans, and under-body are all in great shape. The frame rails have some minor denting (I think they all do), but they are rust free. The doors have a bit of penetrating rust and require some repair. I believe one would be good with a bit of filler. The other will require a bit of new metal to welded into the bottom. The wheel arches are mostly good, with a couple of trouble spots. The rocker panels are in wonderful condition. The vent cowl and the plate in the lower hatch jamb need replacement. I remember the vent piece is available for somewhat over $100 new. I think the other piece might be available for approx. the same price. The rear bumper is badly rusted above the exhaust, but I have another bumper in much better condition that I haven’t had time to mount yet. Here is the tour of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mirralLejeo&feature=youtu.be More details: The intake (EVERYTHING from the air cleaner to the studs and bolts attaching the intake manifold to the head) have been restored, using all stainless hardware. Modifications are all minor and are all of a “functional” nature, and nothing is irreversible: The exhaust is new – MSA aluminized exhaust, modified with a mid-pipe Magnaflow resonator for a bit of civility (as I don’t like loud exhaust). HEI ignition retrofit, but wiring is preserved for the original ignition. Headlight wiring upgraded with relays. Fusible links replaced with Maxi Fuses. The engine runs great – starts up within a fraction of a second and runs strong. Has the typical hot restart issue, but not badly. This issue pretty much goes away when running the non-ethanol gasoline for which it was designed. New brakes. Gas tank is in superb condition. This is a car I don’t hesitate to take around town or on the highway to another city. It’s a car you can easily/safely/comfortably drive back home to NC. I keep my service records on an excel spreadsheet. Please see attached. So, my friends, what do you think? What's a fair price for my baby?