Hello from the Big Easy

[kitran01]

I have been putting it off to formally introduce myself, but finally had proper time to do it.

I got my hands back on the first vehicle I ever purchased on my own over 15 years ago. Back in 1995, just out of high school, on my own I purchased the neighbors silver 1978 280z from him. He was tired of troubleshooting his stalling out issues. 1 week later with the help from my Uncle, we got it running good. All it took was a new fuel pump and a new fuel tank. The PO had his brother clean and coat the tank, the inside coating was chunking off and was clogging the filters and fuel pump. I loved this car, was fun driving from New Orleans to Mississippi over the weekends. Perfect dash, running smooth, AC blew cold, interior immaculate. Then being young and dumb, I wanted a bigger car.

I gave the 280z to my father in florida, who always wanted a 2 door coupe. A year later he had a friend who painted the car red as a suprise gift. It wasn't too bad. My father ran the car from Jacksonville to New Orleans twice a year with no issues. Then my father got sick with cancer and the car sat outside in the open country field.

After passing away in 2002, my family moved to Houston, leaving the car in Florida to bake and sit for 5 years. My brother had the car shipped to Houston so he could attempt to make a project car out of it with a turbo motor from a 240sx. He never got around to it, always have "other" things to do, so the car sat again for another 3 years. Finally, he decided to get the 280Z running, he chopped and rigged everything, but never got it to run for more than 15mins.

He decided to either sell it or give it away to me. I jumped on it in January 2011 and brought it back to New Orleans. The first thing I did was open the glove box and just ruffled through some paperwork and what I found put a tear in my eye. The original paperwork I filed when I first bought the car was there, and when my father changed the paperwork to him in Florida, and the paperwork in my mothers name, now it will be back in mine. My father's handwritten note to himself saying how much he loved the car on an envelope and who he received the car from.

The condition from when I gave it away to now is light and day, so much to do, it will take about 2 years, but I am going to enjoy every bit of putting the 280z back together the way I want it.

Just happy I have a girlfriend who understands why I want to do it (as long as her honey do list gets done in the process).

My apologies for being long winded.

[kjohnson2444]

Great story. Welcome back!