daddz

Bryan, Where does that "fact" come from? Just because we consumed more Z cars than the rest of the world doesn't necessarily give us the right to claim it as our own. If that is the case than the Jaguar XKE was an "American" sportscar made in England? In my opinion that's the kind of thinking that has made the Bush administration a thing to be laughed at on the world stage.

Isn't that the show with the shrimpy little short guy who has a Handle Bar Moustache bigger than his _ _ _ _ ? (quite the fashion on Polk Street!) Carl, I think it's that monotone voice on "American Muscle Car" that hopes we will save all muscle cars. The shrimpy guy is Dennis Gage on "My Classic Car" and that moustache is quite the crumb catcher? I often wonder how much he gets paid to be that goofy.

That Z31 was a Turbo from the factory and as such they had "tinted" or "smoked" tail light lenses from the factory which wasn't a bad look and made it easier for us to distinguish a slow Z31 from a not so slow Z31 (I know because I own a "slow" Z31). The 280ZX doesn't look that bad.

240Z is the Young Ann Margarett or Reese Whitherspoon of wheeled metal boxes and the 350Z is a young Phyllis Dyller-fast tight and UGLY! I never thought I would hear Phyllis Dyller and those words together in the same sentence! I bought a Volvo S80 and a Dodge 1500 Quadcab as the jackass that could run down and sign for a luxury livingroom on wheels and a deluxe living room on wheels that could tow the house. This jackass bought those two for a purpose, the 240Z was bought and upgraded purely for enjoyment. That's cool. Luxury living rooms on wheels serve their purpose too. I am finally a jackass that could go and sign for a payment book to enjoy the experience of buying a Z car brand new and turn the working radio on and not have to worry about fixing rust every other month (not that there's anything wrong with that). So when confronted by my friend's opinion I usually just ask what progress has been made on the project MGB lately. It's similar to my father who happens to be glacially slow in restoring his Hunter 30 sloop. Weekends on the sailboat are usually spent at the wharf and little to no sailing has taken place in 10 years! Rather than strip several cars to put the '72 back, and still not have a numbers matching car, I decided to make her better than new interms of performance and comfort, but keep the beauty she was born with. That reminds me of one of the shows on Speedvision which ends with the statement: "Don't crush 'em, restore 'em". With the rotisserie the rust should be all but non-existant when you are done with her?

Sean, I'll be sure to do that. My friend's parents had their house completely totalled in the storm last summer (they used to live in Sea Shadow in Gulf Breeze on the Santa Rosa Sound) and they plan to keep the lot and are building a house in Jacksonville. Once the house in Port Saint Lucie is completed I plan on staging some vacations in Florida and hope to criss cross the state in one of my S30's. The idea is to make the rounds in one of my old Z's and hopefully gather some interesting photos.

Will, You echo the exact same sentiment that a friend of mine does. He figures any jackass can go down to the dealer and sign up for a payment book and buy "300hp". His point is how much creativity did it take to do that. I can see and usually agree with most of that sentiment however, I am reminded of a comment by another Z car friend which goes something like this: "Why would you want to make that old man do things like that?" It's not that a Z car can't "handle" the upgrades but at this point a 240Z is a relatively scarce thing and I would rather customize a relatively invaluable 280Z than a 240Z. That's my opinion for what it's worth.

I guess I could see the point in converting the rear factory taillight assemblies on the 260Z and 280Z from stock to the European "amber" turn signal lenses. The clear lenses have no purpose other than to make a classic Z look like a modern day "Pimp My Ride" interpretation. Vicky, How can you not like an oversize "fart can" on a classic Z?

BTW, I vote for N/A.....Joe go and look at Buck's cylinder head and those triples...they are in your basement, and ask yourself how much fun is that going to be? Just wait to drive Buck's car before you make your decision.

Carl, At seems we agree on this point and I think this thread deals with that comment in a funny way: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9313&page=4 I think if evryone had their druthers we would see a dramatic shift in where the population of this forum is centered. I would gladly move to the State of California if given half of a chance since you guys have so many rust free Z cars as well as other neat old cars. It hasn't been the case lately but, usually the weather is conducive to the car hobby.

Sean240Z, I didn't know there was a Panhandle Z Car Club! The past two trips I made to Gulf Breeze I couldn't find any Z things to do. So I chose to get some "Diesel Fuel" from Flounders (actually I managed to drink 4 of those things). One of my S30's is originally from Pensacola and it would be fun to make a trip with the '77 280Z back to its home port. How long did it take to make that trip from Fort Walton to Orlando? By the time the next event rolls around I should have at least two Z's stationed in Port Saint Lucie ready to make that event. If I had some help I could have brought a '77 and three '78's to make a run on that 280Z class. :cheeky:

Actually in response to the comment regarding the lack of a unique platform: The Z cars have always borrowed parts from the corporate family toy box and I guess it makes me feel secure in the fact that I will always be able to find some factory parts at the dealer when the time comes years from now for that water pump or tie rod end or some other consumable. In my course of ownership with regard to the S130 and Z31 generations I have become acutely aware of the fact that the factory no longer supports those cars in terms of trim items and the like. It was a shock when I found out that a simple molded piece of hose on the Z31's intake tube was no longer available at the dealer about a year ago. So I am happy that Nissan has decided to share the "FM" platform with a few other models which kept the price somewhat affordable and the fact that my particular 350Z is a base model which means I don't have the useless weight adding options like traction control, cruise control, etc... hls30.com, I would tend to disagree with you regarding the S30 not being a car that was made to be modified. I think the L series engines had more potential (even in later turbo'd form) than the VQ35DE. Given the sheer cost of the VQ35 I would not be willing to find the wall in terms of modifying that engine as it seems that beginning with the VG series engines Nissan was building an ultimate original displacement engine right from the start and thus has less development potential than an L series engine.

three fifty z: I have that issue and nothing new is learned there. In the meantime there was an interesting thread over on their message board concerning this very topic: http://www.grmotorsports.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3492&highlight= I also own one of each (first and last gen Z cars) although my first gen Z's were also not very respected in their day and two of my "240Z" friends scoff at the last of the S30's as not being "true" Z cars! It's funny because this attitude doesn't prevail in the MGB club and as a glaring example, another of my friends purchased a '77 MGB years ago and converted it to pre '68 MGB spec except the interior being the only clue. His MGB sports early chrome bumpers (the bodyshell being painstakingly modified) and has been fortified with lots of race goodies. When shown to the members of the MG car club it was welcomed with many smiles and compliments. Whilst I like the 240Z and it is a genuinely fun car to drive I still prefer the convenience of fuel injection, unless I were to own a true 240Z: the 240ZG in GP Maroon! In my opinion that would be the 240Z to own unless a Z432 were thrown in! If you poke around the 350Z enough there alot of similarities in the way your 240Z and 350Z are assembled, for instance the factory is still using Koito headlights. At least we can experience the new and the old on any given day and that is a gift I wouldn't trade.

Here is a link to a picture of two of my Z's at the home in Maryland: http://www.grmotorsports.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3492&highlight= The house in Port Saint Lucie,Florida is almost finished and hopefully this spring I'll have some new photos of various cars parked there by the end of the year since it will take multiple trips to move some of the fleet there. Current thinking is that the 350Z and one lucky S30 from the fleet will end up sleeping in the same garage together :classic: When the 350Z gets to be an "old" car I'll start driving it more often. It has just under 22k on it since delivery on Jan.3,2003. The S30 parked in the driveway behind it will probably end up in the garage with it since that Z was originally from Pensacola, Florida and as such would probably like to return to a warmer climate. Alan T: Until I purchase a warehouse I would like to retain the architectural firm that designed your Colonial on page one of this thread :laugh:

Ben, I am pretty much attempting the same thing with my Z's. Period correct mods which would have been added to the car when it was close to being new. All of my S30's have the AMCO wood shift knob (the originals are pretty difficult to come by, so on two of them I had to go shopping at Banzai Motorworks for the reproductions). The suspensions have been lowered using Tokico struts and springs and the stock exhaust systems have long since disappeared. I have also installed vintage "mesh" wheels on almost all of them. Two (one S30 and one S130) have Enkei 92's, my avatar wears a set of ARE's as does the '86 300ZX, and one of them is about to change its shoes for a set of 16x7 and 16x8 Epsilons. So far, one of the S30's has a period correct aftermarket steering wheel and one of the S30's has had its engine gone through and as such the radio is an afterthought because the engine makes such a glorious noise. If only I could track down the "rally clock" the interior(s) would be just about complete. It's funny because all of this madness began when one of my father's work friends added the old "twice pipes" exhaust, wheels, and steering wheel to a '77 280Z while my father chose to keep his '78 280Z stock with the exception of the AMCO wooden shift knob. As an eight year old the '77 that belonged to my dad's friend was much more exciting than my dad's quiet '78. Once old enough to collect the old magazines I began looking at the old ads such as Dobi and Interpart as well as Bob Sharp's ads to see just what would spice up a Z back then. It wasn't until the past five years or so that I began collecting the Japanese vintage ads to become familiar with what would have been added to a Z in its home market.

Nate, Congratulations on your S30; I imagine that you will enjoy her for many years to come! If you need NGK plug wires and plugs give a call to Olympic Auto Parts based in Alexandria, Va. at 1-800-370-0041 and ask for Ralph Bull and he will hook you up with a cheap price and super quick shipping. Their website is: http://www.forparts.com/

I have owned both versions of the Z31. The turbo model I owned was a 50th anniversary turbo with the very non-sporting digital dash and a host of other electronics that add weight to an already heavy car. Don't get me wrong it was a fast and capable car but, you always felt the weight. On the other hand I continue to own an '86 Z31 hardtop (analog dash, and no t-tops) which is a nice and capable everyday car. It can be expensive to maintain and unfortunately Nissan had signed off on this car a long time ago and now things like molded vacuum hoses are no longer available from the dealer which is how I choose to maintain the mechanical aspects of my Z's. I have modified the suspension with Tokico struts and springs and the car is a much better handler than when I bought it. With 201k and counting the engine still shows no signs of getting tired yet. The only other thing to keep in mind is that the Z31 was not designed for the driveway mechanic and thus the engine bay is not as friendly to your knuckles as the S30's. I have also driven a Z32TT from Atlanta, Ga. to D.C. for a friend last year and I wasn't impressed. It was fast and handled well but, you feel more disconnected than in the S30. I surely can't imagine paying the 40k or so when those Z's were new to own one. If you want a daily driver go for a sentra SE-R or a 240SX SE; if said daily driver has to be a Z then buy a '77 or '78 280Z (fuel injected and easy to maintain) or even a 280ZX (good luck in finding one that is not rusting badly). Who knows in a few years when depreciation takes its toll a 350Z might be a good used car choice. I wouldn't drive mine as a daily driver because of the weather here in the Mid-Atlantic but, it would be fast enough for sure.

My turn to jump in. I have noticed that in the course of my life I have tended to swing on both sides of this issue. As I get older I really do appreciate those that can preserve a car in 'original' condition especially in the face of life's events and natural disasters. I also like a Z with larger than stock wheels and tires and period correct pieces that speak to what era the car emanates from. A few years ago while watching one of those 'car shows' a piece was televised depicting a mid year Corvette (C2) undergoing restoration. The restorer was bringing the car back to the condition as it rolled off the assembly line replete with a piece of carpet that would have been trimmed as the car proceeded down the assembly line and then tossed under the passenger seat. I have also thought that an unrestored original 'barn find' condition car has a certain appeal about it as well. Case in point a few years ago in an issue of Classic and Sportscar there was a blurb written about a Toyota 2000GT that was found in South Africa after many years of living outside and when auctioned off it managed to fetch about $70,000. There's also that story of the ex-racing XKE found lathered in duck oil and that Cobra Daytona Coupe. I say as long as your having a good time do what you will with the car but, don't let it go the crusher and keep in mind that whatever you do attrition is always chasing old cars.

cj71z, The 88 should be the year of manufacture; as it relates the center caps the only way I know of is to troll the ebay ads and message boards for the other makes of cars like the AE86 that are starting to utilize the mesh wheels for that period look as they go drifting off into the sunset.

This has nothing really to do with S30 HRW but, Chris you may be able to confirm this being located in the tropics. A friend of mine had purchased a mundane Dodge Neon 2 door coupe about eight years ago and since he was in Pensacola the vehicle was equipped without a(n) HRW. Apparently this practice continues.

cj71z, I don't think the wheels are Enkei 92's. They may be Enkei's (one can never tell until you have the wheel in your hands and turn them over and look on the back) but, the model number is probably not the 92. The 92's (as was previously stated) had a flat surface and not a step down like the wheels pictured. Also, when you turn the wheel over you will notice a production stamp which will be in the shape of a circle spliced in 4 and a set of numbers which will be the month and year. I have included a link to my gallery and there are a few pics of some of my mesh wheel collection. The Enkeis that are on my '82 280ZX have an old style center cap like yours (the later styles 92's use a different center cap) and mine were produced in 1983. Most likely the lug nuts which will work best will be the Nissan factory "acorn" style lug nut which has a 60 degree taper. I also have an old Enkei (Golden Wheel Corporation) catalog and I will try to verify which model number they are. Good choice for a Z car though. My avatar has a set of ARE (American Racing Equipment) 15x7 with a zero offset. With the +12 offset your wheels compare similarly with my MSW Type 1934L's which have a +12 as well. On those wheels I run a Dunlop D60A2 sized P215/60HR15 although at one time it did have a set of Dunlop D40M2's sized P225/50VR15. I currently run a set of Dunlop SP8000's sized P225/50/VR15 and there is no rubbing even since the installation of Tokico Illumina struts and Tokico springs has taken place. If you want the most unusual mesh wheels be on the lookout for a set made by Epsilon. Epsilon would make the most outrageous (at least on this side of the Pacific) sizes and offsets unlike Enkei which was a little more conservative. Epsilon would offer a 16x8 with a negative offset (increasing the size of the dish) whereas Enkei would only make a 16x7 for Z car applications. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showgallery.php?mcats=all&si=&what=allfields&name=daddz&when=&whenterm=

Chris, Since Brown's Fairfax Nissan is about as far North and East as the program went I will endeavour to contact them this week to see if they have any information with regard to the program. Fairfax is only about 30 miles from my house and I can stop by my grandfather's house since he lives about 10 minutes from the dealer (good excuse to drop off one of my cars for winter storage?). An interesting fact that some or none of us may have been aware of is that one could have bought the restored cars using Nissan Motor Acceptance for financing! One of my fellow ZCCNV members has a bunch of information and since he doesn't post here he asked if I post for him. When I receive the information I will be sure to post in this thread and credit him appropiately.

Chris, First, let me say Happy Holidays to you and Her Majesty the 26th and the lovely swan the 27th. I can safely say without a doubt that Banzai Motorworks was not involved in restoring any of the 50 or so Z cars purchased by Nissan N.A. However, Mike did sell 50 of his reproduction "OK" stickers to Nissan N.A. (When it's good it's good). The only two shops ever mentioned in the magazine articles of that era were Classic Datsun and Pierre Z. In one of the articles there was mention of a mass purchase consisting of somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 cars. There is a photograph depicting a bunch of them all chained together much like prisoners; only problem is that about a third of them ever saw the loving hands of either shop. You may recall that on ebay in two separate auctions some of what was left of the program was sold off very cheaply. In the first auction a BRG 240Z still installed on its dolly awaiting re-assembly that sold for approximately $6-8,000. As proof of that car's tie to the program was a letter from Nissan, N.A. written to the State of California asking that the new owner not be responsible for any fines or fees should the car be re-registered in the State of California. In another auction a lot of about 10-15 cars was offered at a ridiculously low sum of money and if I rmember the auction wasn't completed. In that second auction it made mention that the cars were awaiting the "factory restoration"--the auction wording not mine-- and that since the program terminated early the remaing cars were to be sold off.

Alan, Thanks for the advice with regard to the GS130; the plan is to go and look at the car again this weekend with the benefit of daylight and a digital camera for documentation purposes if nothing else. The shame is with regard to the car that the outer body panels have been exposed to the elements for quite some time and as a result have alot of surface rust. The interior looks to be in very nice condition and it even has manual windows. The dashboard has no visible cracks and the seats are in very nice condition however, the carpets I have not seen as of yet. When looking at the tires the DOT production date indicates that the tires are at least 14 years old! Another funny tidbit is that once upon a time this vehicle used to reside in my hometown and I briefly spoke to the owner back in 1990 as he had just returned from Japan for the U.S. Navy. I aw the vehicle advertised for sale way back when and my how the condition has changed! Personally, I probably would pass on this GI bride however, it may provide the basis for a RHD twin turbo conversion for the '82 S130 hardtop? (I still would like to hold out for an original Fairlady ZG in GP Maroon)