Motivation - or the lack thereof...

[Virto]

I haven't been around for a few years, but I figured maybe posting something would help me make some decisions.

The 280Z hasn't really been driven for the last couple of seasons because it's in need of work - work that is now far more difficult for me to do since having had surgery and hurting my back...and then the packing on of the pounds that came with sitting around all the time. The stress of ending a relationship spanning 11 years, and then the joy of starting a new one that seems to be such a better fit for me. Countless house to house moves. Never seems to be enough time in a day, anymore.

The last time I ran it was last fall, when I moved, yet again. I had it towed to the new place and then started it and backed it into the garage, where it's been sitting. Every time I go out there, I look at it and wish I could drive it, but I feel the strain of time and money, and how little I have of either one.

The car has a nice layer of dust on it for that "vintage" look, I guess. The battery is flat and apparently has a bad cell, so I can't charge it. When I parked it, the brake pedal went straight to the floor and the front MC res is empty - the rear one closest to the booster still reads full.

The exhaust is shot, but I haven't been under it to find out if it's the manifold, the downpipe or just the underside components.

The radiator is empty, although I haven't found any big puddles. Turns out the cap wasn't on all the way, so it probably evaporated over a year or so.

There's some rust on the driver's rear quarter. The very moist air we've had this year in Illinois isn't helping. I'm no expert with cutting or replacing metal, so that's a job for someone other than me.

Essentially, the car isn't drivable at this point, and I haven't done any real mechanical work for years, at all, on any car. I can't really get down on the garage floor anymore to get under it, either.

It would be months before I could afford to tow it somewhere and get an idea of what getting it back on the road would cost. Do I hold onto it, knowing that I'd fall in love with it again once it was safe to drive, or do I sell it and send it off to a better home with someone else that can afford the time and finances to make it better than I can?

[Zed Head]

Grab a tool, of any kind, open the hood and go loosen one screw, bolt or nut that will need to be removed to fix any one of the problems that you know of. If you find yourself an hour later with most of what you're working on disassembled, keep the car. If you can't even get the motivation to turn one bolt, sell the car.

[siteunseen]

Sell it and take your new relationship person on a nice vacation.

[Virto]

That sounds nice, to be honest, .

I just ordered new fusible links from MSA. The ones that are on the car have hardened and I don't trust them. Of course, I don't have the covers, but I'm not interested in re-wiring for block fuses at this time.

One small step, let's see where it goes. I wish I knew someone close by with some experience with these cars - it'd be nice to have someone to go over it with me in person.

[gogriz91]

Sell it, there's more work there than you're prepared to take on unless you're willing to spend to pay someone else to do it. if you can't drive it and you're not working to make it driveable it's going to get heavier around your neck as time goes on.

[Reverend]

Its all up to you, i spent all my savings to Z back when i bought it, had no extra money for repairs, so i had to learn them meself. Nobody to show me what to do, only source i had was THIS particular site. It is a HAVEN of information. Everything you ever need to know about Z's, are stored in the vaults of CZCC.COM.

All you need is bunch of cheap tools and some extra time.

[mlc240z]

ZedHead has some good advice.

Took about year and a half off working on the Z to remodel the kitchen. Had a stack of new parts that I'd walk by every day. Finally just went to re-organize them and picked up a small wiper motor grommet. Said to myself, well this won't take too long to do and was better than moving and repacking it into another box.

Long story short it just started to snowball, pulled the gas tank, sent it out for renewal, ordered the vent hoses, already had the filler neck, fitted the new window squeegee..........etc, etc.

Once you get started, it will either re-spark your passion or tell you you're done.

[Hardway]

I think everyone has made some good points above but I will add a few of my own. I can certainly understand and appreciate the situation you are in. Starting with something small like the fuseable links is probably the best thing to do. No need to rush to sell it unless you need the space in the garage. You won't get much money for it in a non-running state so getting a decent amount of money in your pocket is a moot point. If you find that you do not enjoy working on it anymore and do not want to pay to have it fixed then I agree it is time to sell. It will continue to age and deteriorate and so it would be time to let someone else take it on as a project and get it running again.

I will second Siteunseen's point and carry it a bit further. In the end, it is just a car. Having people in your life that make you happy is much more important and harder to find. Sounds like you have a good person now and in reality your time is probably better spent with them doing stuff you both enjoy. If she likes the Z cars maybe it is best to sell your current car, save some money, and buy one that does not need anything so you can enjoy it together. If she is not a fan of the Z but likes other classic cars then maybe that is a direction to consider. But like I said earlier, its just a car. Once it stops making you happy its time to let it go. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do and keep us posted.

[Virto]

I'm gunning to try and get it running again this weekend. Turns out I've either lost a lot of stuff in the moves, or maybe the ex ran off with some things. I'll have to pick up a new floor jack and some stands - I need to get that old oil out of there and find out if that's where all the coolant ended up, or if it's a combination of puddles and evaporation from not having the cap on correctly. I'll also need to try to find all my hand tools and see just what exactly I'm missing so I can replace it.

The links are a small part, for sure - although I wish I'd just ordered the entire tune up kit instead. The wires should be OK, though, so I'll see what this weekend brings and then if things are looking up, I'll just order it Monday. I figure nothing will get here by Friday anyway, without spending more for 2nd day or overnight.

I was pricing out brake components last night - the parts themselves aren't bank-breaking - it's the labor and the lack of skill and knowledge. I don't think I've done my own brakes since I was a teen, and the last time I worked on a drum, I shot the spring across the room.

So...little things first. If I can get it running happily without tearing the engine out of the car, I'll start worrying about making the car stop, too. It's not registered, plated or insured right now, so I'm not concerned with making it road safe just yet.

Honestly, if I can get it out of the garage, I'd love to wash it. I hate to say it, but that might really spur me on. In all seriousness, just being back on the boards after the years I was away have re-kindled the interest.

We're just getting into the nice part of Spring, so I figure I have plenty of time to make some small steps between now and the end of Summer. At that point, I should have a pretty darn good idea which path I'll take - keep, or pass it on.

Anyone near Chicago like beer and huddling around broken down Z cars?

[mlc240z]

Kelly,

What about hooking up with some teens who are into working on Nissans? I went to a local gathering a while back expecting to find a bunch of 'ricer freaks'. Shocked as hell to find a bunch of serious car guys who appreciated the history of the Z and were truly interested in the car. You might get a few helpers who would love to give you a hand with the work and make a few new friends at the same time.

[EhlersRS]

Kelly,

After what you've been through, I'm glad to hear that you are doing better. I looked through the photos of your car that you posted back in 2005. Even with the extra rust it's got now, it still seems like a great Z considering we live in the Midwest! I know there are CZCC members in the Chicago area, but I don't know if there is an active Z club in Chicago. Hopefully some of the Z guys in Chicago will contact you and help you out. Being from the Midwest myself, I think it's important to preserve the Z heritage in this area, especially since there are fewer cars here. I hope you find the motivation to get the Z running again.

Robert S.

[Virto]

Robert,

The Windy City Z Club is still in existence, as far as I'm aware, but the website is quite out of date.

The benefit to keeping the car off the road is no salt (yay!) and a reasonably controlled garage environment...nice and dry.

I do love the car, and I do want it back on the road. The brake work scares me the most, as I've never been good at servicing them. As long as I can get her running with decent oil pressure and hopefully no overheating, I'll very seriously look into getting the brakes done and then fixing the god awful exhaust leak.