FastWoman

I'd continue driving the Honda. Your winter daily driver should be a sacrificial car that's already seen a lot of salt.. Heck, where you live, I'd not only want a rust-bucket beater to drive in the winter, but I'd also want it to have antilock brakes and all wheel drive -- maybe one of the Subarus. If the person in front of you can stop faster with antilock brakes than you can stop WITHOUT antilock brakes, then the accident will be your fault! And when that person in front of you is driving a tall truck or SUV, and you're driving a low-slung Z, guess where the nose of your Z goes! There's no reason a Z can't be a great daily driver, but it's best if it's a fair-weather daily driver. You should have some other car to drive in rain and snow. I say that as someone who used to live and drive in the frozen North.

I think I bought a NOS one for $45 a couple of years ago to replace my broken one. As I recall, the old threaded fitting in the exhaust manifold was rusted so badly into place that it had to be destroyed to remove it. I put antisieze on the new one, but I have no idea whether that would be effective on such a hot part.

You can use a tubing bender to put a 90 deg bend in a short piece of copper tubing. Then push/work the piece of tubing into the middle of a slightly longer piece of rubber fuel line. It's harder than it sounds, but if you keep fiddling with it, you can do it.

I installed mine yesterday. It didn't give me much of a high idle with the engine cold, but neither did either of my OEM ones. I think it has to do with errors in my idle mix with my engine cold, since I've modified the resistance of the CTS circuit. When I start my engine, I'm running at about 1100 rpm, eventually dropping to about 900 rpm (where I like it). I know the AAR is working right, because when I pinch the air hose with a pair of pliers (cold engine), the idle drops quite a bit. As the engine warms up, there's little or no difference in idle when I pinch the hose. Anyway, if the thing operates more consistently, I should have a more consistent idle, which is really what I was after. So I'm happy with it. In truth, 1100 rpm is plenty fast an idle for my cold engine. It runs strongly at that speed, with no hiccups -- even in the dead of winter.

Well, my search for the one-sportscar solution to our two-sportscar household is not going well, so I imagine I will have my '78 for a while longer yet -- perhaps even long enough for Lenny's daughter to tell dad to get back to work on the Hellfire!

Thanks, Captain! (Don't feel bad. That's why I asked the question! ) Regarding my Saturn... No, the interior looks great, almost like the day I bought it, even with the car living all of its life in the driveway out in the sun. Really. There's only one break in the plastic panels -- a clip on a dash part that I accidentally broke off when removing the instrument cluster cover. You can't see it, though. I have one tiny rattle somewhere. Upholstery has no rips or tears and is not faded. The carpet has a wear spot under the pedals and is somewhat dirty. The car is the picture of reliability, and it drives great -- and intuitively. It's starting to use a bit of oil, but it's not bad. I think the lifters probably need cleaning out, because I can hear the valve train clatter just a bit on startup. There's one loud "gronk" somewhere in the front suspension when I back up with the wheel turned, but all the suspension parts are original to the car. One little plastic gear rotted in my odometer, so I have no idea how far my car has rolled down the road. And then there's a tiny design flaw whereby the ABS wiring brackets on the wheel assemblies are attached by rivets that reliably and semi-regularly rust and breaks off. Otherwise, no complaints! I love my little Saturn. Your assessment of the C4 Corvette is similar to my assessment of the C3. I understood there were a lot of handling improvements with the C4, but maybe they weren't that significant. I had already known about the squeak and rattle issue, due to the way the car is framed (essentially a big convertible). I do question how well a car can handle with a big chunk of iron under the hood. In all fairness, I did have the same concern (big, heavy motor) loooooong ago about the 280Z. I was driving an RX-7 at the time. But the 280's motor was love at first sight. I can't explain it. I did feel I gave up a little bit on handling, but it was so much better a car than the Mazda. And then decades later I had the same quality concerns about the Miata and have been pleasantly surprised. So I've learned to examine each car on its individual merits.

Wow, Mercedes did that on purpose?! Brilliant! (I could mean that either literally or sarcastically. I'm not sure which.) The Del Sol is cute. Hey, I'm now wondering about a C4 Corvette -- not the Hot Wheels style from the 70's, but the more dignified style from the 80's. It's got a targa top (available also in glass/acrylic) and resin body panels. I'm assuming it has space frame construction. It's smaller than I thought -- not much larger than a 280Z -- shorter than the 280ZX. It's not a bad looking car. I get a bit wobbly-kneed seeing how the clam-shell hood flips up to reveal all the innards -- a bit reminiscent of the E-type. It looks as though I could throw a blanket atop a wheel, have a seat in the engine compartment, and work comfortably on the motor. I don't know much else about it yet, but my curiosity is definitely piqued. Has anyone driven one of these things?

Well, I've since looked at a 1st gen and 2nd gen 300 under the hood. The 2nd gen looks very difficult to service. The 1st gen doesn't look too bad. I'm still thinking on it. I might look into that Mercedes recommendation a bit more. Dunno... Heck, I might even revisit the idea of a T-top Vette, although it really isn't my style. Still thinking...

Ah, gee.... On this goose chase thing.... If it takes looking at 40 cars before I find that nugget of gold, I think it's not worth it. Part of this is a psychological thing: I really can't stand people lying to me. It takes something out of me, and that is a cost more significant than my time and gasoline. I mean this isn't a matter of differences of opinion. It's almost like my asking whether it's a 5-speed stick, getting a "yes" answer, and then finding out it's an automatic. Then when I see the car and mention that it's an automatic, the owner says, well, yes, it is. WTF?! I simply wouldn't do that to someone else, and it truly hurts me that they would do it to me, especially when it means my spending a weekend driving across 2 states to see the damned car! I feel as though I'm back to the drawing board. If I were to stumble across a good 280ZX, I'd buy it, and that would be the solution. Failing that, perhaps I'm best off just sticking with what I've got. I need to do a couple of rust repairs, and then it will be a very nice car. (It's already a very nice car.) Ah well...

Maybe... It's so frustrating, though. I wouldn't have misrepresented the condition of MY car to get someone else to embark on a 1000 mi journey to see it! My faith in mankind has reached newer lows. I was polite, but.... geeeeesh!

Thanks! Well, I'm 0 for 2, and I'll be driving home tomorrow without a ZX. The red body had little issues all over. The cowl was fine, but the roof had the same rust blisters. (Am I supposed to send pictures of rust blisters and ask, "Does your car have any of these?" Geesh!). Frame rails were pulverized. Floor pans were mashed in and rusted. The "restored/rebuilt" engine ran like crap. Part of the problem might have been that the turbo didn't work, but there was much more to it than that. The paint truly could have been compounded to look decent, were it not for the underlying rust -- roof, fenders, quarter panels, hatch. Most of the rust was in the roof, but there were little problems everywhere! Well, I think that's the last time I drive any significant distance out of town on the basis of people's answers to my VERY thorough and detailed questions. I'll probably just wait for something to show up locally. I guess I'll hit CL every week to see what new listings pop up.

So since we're talking about rust.... Tell me about the vent cowling area (just forward of the windshield. On the 240/260/280Z, that piece unbolts. That's a good thing, because the one on my 280Z has a few little blisters, and it will be easy to replace it. (I already have a pretty good replacement that needs painting but is straight and rust free.) But on the 280ZX, the darned thing seems to be an integral part of the unibody. I guess you have to cut off the old one and weld on a new one. Can you get this piece new, to be welded in place? Or do you have to use a donor cowl from a junkyard S130? Also, I've now heard from a couple different sources that the S130 bodies rust very badly. Are they worse than the S30 bodies? Are the 1st gen 300ZX bodies better? Did they use different fabrication methods that were more resistant to rust? I might consider a 1st gen 300ZX N/A if it makes that much difference in rust. On the other hand, the 280ZX seems like a cooler car (to me).

I took a huge truck! I'd have no other way to get the ZX back home! Well, the gold car was a bust. I had asked over the phone whether there were any rust blisters. Answer: "No." Frame rails straight and rust free? "Yes." It turns out the frame rails were relatively rust free. Underbody wasn't bad. Rockers, doors, fenders, even the hatch area -- not bad. (Actually, the inner right fender was badly rusted through.) However, both frame rails were mashed in. The vent cowling and the roof were both pocked with blisters. Water damage was evident in the headliner between the T-tops. The paint also had a number of blemishes (chipped and touched up areas), showing where there was quite a bit of filler and thick paint. The rear bumper was a miserable mess. The good: The engine was in nice shape. Wow, it was a beast! Unfortunately the Borg Warner transmission had been swapped out (along with the clutch) for the lighter Nissan 5 speed. Anyway, too much rust for me! We'll see whether the next one holds more promise. FAIW, I took my stethoscope to his engine, and I feel pretty confident I would be able to hear even very subtle issues in the next engine. I now have somewhat of a baseline from which to judge the rebuild. That, plus compression numbers, should tell the story. I think my stethoscope might be the most useful cheap tool I've ever bought! Anyone who doesn't have one should invest that $6 to get one! I'm crossing my fingers for the red one. One very positive point regarding the photo above is the reflection of the garage door overhead! Maybe that car's rust issues are less serious.

OK everyone, I'm headed out the door for my big ZX adventure. I'll check back in this afternoon/evening. I appreciate everyone's help more than you know! Theme song for the trip: "I Wish They All Could Be California Cars," modified from the Beach Boys' song.

Madkaw, I just have to put eyes, refrigerator magnets, compression gauges, etc. on both cars. The thing about Maaco is that their work depends on the shop. Some of their work is fine, and some is abysmal, mostly owing to differences in prep. I once hired Maaco to paint a car of mine -- never again!

Hmmmmm.... Wondering whether I can have the roof fixed and just compound out what's there... I'll know more tomorrow.

Thanks, guys! Dennis, I think that's my impression too. The owner says he suspects rust underneath also. I think the temporary fix might be to sand it out, down to the metal, re-fill, prime and spray as close to that shade of red as I can find, and re-seal the T-tops. It might not look perfect, but at least I can stop the rust. Then down the road, we might get an "OK" paint job -- a notch higher than the typical Maaco mask-and-spray job. The thing is, I think all the old paint and bondo would have to come off, and I don't know how difficult or expensive that might be. EDIT: Just talked with a body shop I trust, and they suggest it would probably be from penetrating rust -- probably needs patched with some new material. They also said the old paint doesn't necessarily need to come off, even if it's a repaint job. BTW, Chas, I feel your pain! I have a tool ding on the opposite side of my hood from yours -- an overlooked 14mm socket, as I recall. Fortunately it's just a ding, and not a crack. Oh, and Madkaw, I would ordinarily want the best, most rust-free car I can find if my intent were to restore it to its former glory. However, I'm really just trying to find a car that's clean, functional, and fun to drive -- not a big project (too busy right now to take on another project). The car will be a fair-weather driver and will live under roof, so I don't see any rust progressing much beyond where it is when I buy the car. If I can eventually sell it for what I have in it, then I'll be happy. One car I'm considering is a recent Maaco repaint with the original engine -- a weekend driver. The other is one of those project cars where the owner runs out of time/energy -- engine rebuilt by the owner before him, driveable, needs paint, good interior. And depending on what I see, I might walk away from both.

Well, supposedly (and we can trust everything people tell us, right?) this car is pretty rust free. I just didn't know it had lousy body/paint work until I saw the photo. The owner has always stated the car needs a paint job. However, I would think it would need to be stripped down to the metal at this point. The other car I'm considering looks pretty nice in the photos, and the owner claims it's rust free -- painted 6 years ago by Maaco. (Yes, I already know about Maaco's work, but I suppose it's possible to have a relatively rust free car made shiny by Maaco, no fault of the poor car.) II suppose we'll find out!

Thanks! I almost forgot to pack a refrigerator magnet! Is this a typical area for penetrating rust (e.g. from condensation underneath the roof panel, or would it most likely just be bad body work? (The paint looks pretty sloppy too.) Related question: How hard is it to strip a car in preparation for body work/painting?

Hi everyone, I'm going to be looking it an '83 ZX on Saturday. The owner and I have talked, and he says there is this one suspicious spot between the T-tops. Obviously there are signs of repaint work, and the paint appears very thick. Is this probably just cracked paint/filler, with surface rust underneath? Or is there a chance it's worse than that? Thanks! Sarah

I don't completely agree with these last bits of advice, but I mostly agree. As a young driver, you're probably going to wreck the car. It might not be a bad wreck, but you'll likely do it. Which would you rather repair, an S30 or some ubiquitous, semi-disposable econobox? Even if YOU are a perfect driver, all the texting clowns around you will eventually run their cars into yours. I'd bet money on it. Any high school parking lot (and the surrounding few blocks) is an extreme danger zone. It gets better on a university campus (where the drivers have at least a couple of years of experience driving), but there's still danger, especially wherever there's a concentration of kids with their noses buried in a smart phone. The advice of a Z as a second vehicle is good -- AFTER you've been driving your econobox for a couple of years. Your econobox should be a stick, so that you will eventually feel at home with a stick S30 (almost all of them are stick, which is what you want anyway). The part that I disagree with, somewhat, is the whole reliability issue. A car is as reliable as the maintenance put behind it. Once a car depreciates to the point that you can afford it, it has a few years/miles on it, and it has likely been neglected for a while. So most old cars are unreliable. However they can be made reliable if you address the numerous issues that have been neglected over the years. There is no reason an old, or even ancient, car would be any less reliable than an 8 or 10 year old car, for instance. My '94 Miata is as reliable as my '92 Saturn, which is as reliable as my '78 280Z. When we hit the road for a trip out of town, it's usually the Z we take. We could take the '09 truck, but we trust all of our vehicles equally. That said, it will take you a couple of years to work your way through the various neglect items on your car. There are gremlins hiding in most old cars, and they have to be flushed out. Making an old car right is a lot of work. But you can do it. It just makes sense to have a reliable econobox during that awkward period starting out. (Our econobox is the Saturn.) Which econobox is right for you? I'd honestly look for a car that's driven daily. It's stable, and what you see is what you get. You also want a car with enough room under the hood to work on the engine. I find that the Miata and early Saturns (both 4 cyl) have adequate working room for most purposes, although they might be a bit old for what you want. As a rule of thumb, if you can open the hood, look down through the engine compartment, and see either pavement or bottom shield, then you can probably work on it. Beware of any car with its engine half buried under the cowl! Anyway, don't fear old cars. Just don't fully trust them until you've owned them a couple of years and have chased out all the gremlins.

Thanks, Sean! I'll definitely keep your seats in mind. There's one ZX I'm looking at with that color scheme.

I don't see how it could NOT work better than the decrepit AARs I have (2 of them -- can't get either one to work right)! I've placed one on order too. The AAR is that last annoying little item for getting my engine to 100%.

The junk yard has fallen on hard times -- lots of competition from the internet and a builder/developer trying to shut the operation down. He had to crush a lot of Z bodies a while back, so he's very motivated to sell off inventory. He let me have the instrument cluster for $50. It's in OK condition -- good enough for transpant work. I've seen that same cluster for $200 on ebay. I don't know whether I got the deal of the century, but I was pleased enough with it. I also found a very clean vent cowling (i.e. in front of the windshield) for my '78 and some spare ZX window glass that he pushed very cheaply just to get rid of it ($50 for all the side windows). I've never had a broken window before, but maybe I can help a fellow Z person down the road. I spent $200 for all of it.

^^^^ exactly what he said! I'm thinking the Miata seats don't sound bad. I went to a Z junk yard today to get a part for my '78 and ended up buying a 140mph ZX instrument cluster. So now I own part of a new-to-me ZX. Now I just need to buy the rest of the car! ;-) I heard Betty too. I like her voice. :-)