Post Your Z car stories Here

[Driftertank]

I'm 21, and always wanted a rear-drive car, as long as I could remember. I also wanted something sporty, and reliable, which really means I needed a jap car. The two best brands mechanics usually recommended were Hondas and Nissans. Well, back then, Honda didn't have a readily available RWD car, so at the age of 15, I decided I wanted a Nissan 240sx, S13 chassis. They were relatively cheap, and easy to find, and, since I have an annoying habit of getting into things about five years before they go mainstream, I entertained thoughts of saving up and building a cheap, easy Silvia drifter, a la Gran Turismo. Unfortunately, I didn't have a decent job, so my mom helped me get a 1990 Honda accord EX (which has been an awesome car, considering I autocrossed the hell out of it, and it still runs today).
Fast forward to 2004. I'm fresh out of tech school, get a job as a diagnostic tech, and decide it's time to get some new wheels. Alas, the drifting craze has hit america, and S13's are now worth their weight in gold. So I hit the classifieds, hoping to find my FR Nissan in the form of somebody's beat up old 510 or 200sx. I like the 1st gen. Z cars, but they are hard to find, and expensive, especially the 2 seaters (S30 2+2's just look funky).
But I open the paper, and flip to the Nissan/Datsun section. And the first thing I see is "1977 280Z 1 owner 92k miles $1500 firm. call..."
So I called and arranged a meeting. The car is yellow, the body is straight, with some rust in the fenders and 1/4 dogleg. He starts it up, and it idles like a cammed out musclecar. He says the cam's bad, but There's fuel leaking from the pressure regulator. (experienced Z guy's, I see you smirking) The guy's wife bought it new in 1977, and they've had it ever since. They're remodeling their house, though, so the Z has to go. They tell me some sixteen year old kid and his dad were looking at it earlier, and that the kid wants it for a project, to throw a V-8 in. The guy says he'd really rather not see that happen, and I fervently agree. I tell him I have to shop for insurance for it, but I'll get back to him.
Well, I got my insurance, went back the next day, and paid cash. He signed the title over, and I got into my Z car to drive it home. It hasn't been run more than five minutes in the last 6 months, and smokes. It runs rough, and it's sluggish as hell. But I don't care; I've got my FR Nissan, and one of the most attractive ones ever made, at that. As it warms up, it stops smoking, and starts to grow some balls.
Just as it's getting up to temp, I stop by my buddy Jeff's place to show it to him. He wants to go for a ride. As we strap in, I tell him, "It's not as fast as the honda, but it's pretty decent." To demonstrate my point, I rev up and dump the clutch, then immediately start fighting to keep it pointed straight as it roasts the tires up to 50 mph. We're both stunned. Jeff just looks at me and says,"Dude, I think it's faster than the honda."
"I think you're right." I reply.

And it only gets better from there!

[longlivetheZ]

Dude...It'd take me 10 years to type all my Z stories. I'm 22 (my birthday was yesterday, the 17th) and I've had 3 of them, all Z31s (1984-1989 300ZX is considered a Z31...1990-1996 is a Z32)...2 86s, 1 turbo and one 2+2 (FYI...can't get a turbo Z31 2+2 in the U.S...) and 1 88 NA 2 seater that I currently have. I sold the first one (the 2+2 which I bought as my first car when I was 17-ish) before I left Florida. I regret that to this day. The second one, the 86 turbo, was basically totalled when my dumb ass hit a curb. The engine from that one is in storage right now stripped down to the block and heads waiting to go to the machine shop for some work. Between the 3 of them, I could write a novel...

[ZedEx]

When I was a little kid, I remember seeing a 300ZedX for the first time... I remembered that car for years, until when I was 15, I finally got mine. Red 1990 Non-Turbo Automatic. Long, Long, LONG story short... Blown motor, I fixed, I drove.

Then I decided to sell it to start a new project. I sold her for close to $4,000, and bought a Black 1992 Non-Turbo Automatic. Powder coated the wheels black, Twin Turbo front bumper, Twin Turbo MAF, Injen Intake, STILLEN Headers, Twin Turbo Injectors, and small things here and there. I sold that car as well... Worst mistake of my life, I miss her so much.

Then I bought another Red 1990 Non-Turbo Automatic. The same story as my first Zed... I sold her before I even started. Not sure what I was thinking about buying another project.

Now... I drive a 1994 Civic. I wasn't happy, but God the car's been fun. I hope to return to the Zed cars soon. Just takes time to find one.

-Wes

[ExTrEmEDrIfT]

i could tell my story of how i did a 180 on a 4 lane road 2 diff times and places and both not even meaning to lol

[Driftertank]

I've got another 1 for y'all:

about six months after I got my S30, I was cruising out on the freeway, heading north of my hometown of Yakima, WA. I hit the place where the speed limet jumps up to 70, and I kick it up to about 90. I look in my rearview, and see a black car slowly gaining on me. I can't tell what it is yet, but I figure, if it's a cop, he'd already have me lit. So, I push it up to about 120, just to see if he wants to play, and apparently he does, since he's still gaining on me. By this time, I realize it's a Z33, and I get a little chill. I decide to see if he REALLY wnats to play, so I take the exit that leads to what everybody around here refers to as "The Canyon Road." He follows me, and, as a true Z lover, I'm getting tingly.
You see, The Canyon Road runs roughly paralell to the interstate, but does it up a canyon (hence the name) along a river. To give you some idea of the kind of road it is, the speed limit is 45 the whole way. So, this little meeting could have been written for a nissan commercial.
So, we head up the Canyon Road, averaging about 90 most of the way, hitting 120-125 in spots, and only slowing down for traffic. When we meet traffic, we pass one at a time, with me waiting in front until he gets around, then resuming our run. Neither of us is pushing our cars to the limit, it never gets scary, it's not a competition. It's just fast enough to get the adrenaline pumping a little.(Isn't that something that speaks well of any Z? Double the posted speed limit, and we're just cruising?)
At the end of the canyon, I pull off into a driveway, and he pulls in behind me. We sit and talk. Seems when he was a kid, he had a '74 260Z, and he regrets ever having sold it. (seems to be a common thread among former Z owners) He just bought the 350Z a week ago, and is already enrolled in an advanced driving course in portland. He gives me a business card, because he wants to see my '77 when I finish restoring / modifying it, and we part ways.
It was just awesome, almost magical, because it was completely spontaneous, and the only thing we had in common was a passion for Z cars.

[ZedEx]

Driftertank, that definately sounds like a Nissan Commercial

"30 years... And nothing has changed."

"shift_Tradition"

Hmmm... Sounds like a pretty cool commercial to me

-Wes

[longlivetheZ]

That's one thing about Z cars...their is a true bond between their owners and the cars. Very rarely is the car just a mode of transportation. 9 times out of 10, you can flash your high beams at a passing Z car and get a freindly wave or a flash in return...if not both. And the 1 time they don't respond, they probably didn't see you or something. I've had similar things happen to me...that's just kinda how it is owning these cars. If you have one and don't want attention, then you better sell it...cuz you're gunna get looked at and you're gunna have people that wanna chat. 99% of people I know and/or have talked to about cars, be it Z chat or not, either had a Z car, wish they had one or DO have one. That's how it goes with Z cars.

[Wolfwood]

I'm really enjoying reading everyone's Z stories. I thought I'd post my own. My Z story starts about 8 years before I was born. In 1975 my dad bought a new 280Z first year of production. He still had it when I was a little kid and I remember loving it, and begging for him to drive me in it when we went places. When I was a little older he told me he would let me have it someday, and I was thrilled with the idea. When I got my license, sure enough he said it was mine. But this was no normal hand-me-down car, this thing was still in showroom condition! (and it is to this day the nicest non-restored classic Z of I've ever seen). I refused the car at first, fearing that in my inexperience I would wreck it, and my dad would never forgive me for that. My intuition paid off, I chose another not so nice car, and collided into an SUV (thank god I wasn’t driving the Z). In the mean time my dad was tired of the Z sitting idle in the garage going unused, and he considered selling it, but every time I would plead my case desperately and resolutely that I did want that car, and that he must save it for me till I was ready!!! So when I felt my driving skills had matured enough, I asked my dad for the Z. And it’s all mine now!! It has 180,000 miles on it, with no mechanical problems at all, and everything about it is tip top. My dream was to one day equip it with an SR or RB20, but after driving it I'm very happy with the L28 and I’m in no hurry to improve upon such a classic. That’s my Z story up to this point, but it’s a story that I hope never ends, since I plan on passing it down myself someday (even if it has to be fitted with an electric engine when all the fossil fuels run out!!)

[Driftertank]

Yeah, there's not many cars out there that you can find two people, driving different models of the same car seperated by almost 30 years, spontaneously enjoying a spirited drive together, completely without provocation. Maybe Posche 911's, or Corvettes, but many of those are purchased as status symbols, by people with little or no concern forthe cars heritage. I, personally, feel priveliged to be a part of such a proud and select group of vehicle owners.

Lemme hear ya SAY amen!

[longlivetheZ]

Originally Posted by Driftertank

Yeah, there's not many cars out there that you can find two people, driving different models of the same car seperated by almost 30 years, spontaneously enjoying a spirited drive together, completely without provocation. Maybe Posche 911's, or Corvettes, but many of those are purchased as status symbols, by people with little or no concern forthe cars heritage. I, personally, feel priveliged to be a part of such a proud and select group of vehicle owners.

Lemme hear ya SAY amen!

Most Corvette guys I've run across in my time are dick holes. Usually just some 40-something having a mid life crisis...nothing says "mid life crisis" or "trying to regain youth" like a scrawny white bitch-boy on a Harley or a yuppy ass hole in a Corvette...

Never noticed this to be the case with Zs...EVER...

[Driftertank]

One more funny little story;
I was just getting off the freeway one day, when a state patrolman pulled me over. I hadn't been speeding, had signalled carefully (i'd seen him following me), and couldn't figure out why he pulled me over.
He walked up and asked me for my license. No registration, no proof of insurance, just license. He glanced at it, handed it back to me, informed me I had a brakelight out, and then asked me, "Nice Z. What year is it?"
"'77," I replied.
"' Twin carb?"
"Nope, electronic fuel injection."
"Really? On a '77?"
"Yeah, they had fuel injection from '75 on," I told him. The discussion went on for about ten minutes, talking about how long I had the car, What I planned to do to it, How he had always wanted one of them as a kid, and so on. If I'd had somewhere important to be, I'd have been mad, but I thought it was hilarious that he had found some little excuse to pull me over just to ask me about the car.

THAT's what it means to own a Z.

[ZedEx]

I've only been pulled over ONCE... And it was because the officer wanted to compliment how nice my Black Zed looked

God I miss that car...

-Wes

[Mr.Molasses]

well here's my z story: I have always been a z fan ever sice Ive seen one. I started reading about them. everything i could get my hands on. i love all the Zs but the 280zx became an obsession for me. for two years i searched newspapers, autotrader, ebay, everything for a 280. never found one closer then 300mi away. i saver $4,000 and then about a month ago i saw a 1986 harley for sale in the paper. ON MY WAY to buy the Harley something caught my eye. There on the side of the road was a 1980 280zx for sale. Red and silver, no rust , perfect interior. Needless to say i never even saw the Harley. I test drove and bought the Z that day and i dont think ill ever regret it

[Driftertank]

As long as you keep it, you wont regret it, no matter how much you have to fight to keep it running. The only time you'll regret is if you sell it.
My Z is sitting at a buddy's house right now, because it needs a new trans. I plan to throw the 5-speed from the parts car my buddy sold me into it, so I can drive it until I finish building the engine from the donor car. THAT'S a crying shame, that. It's an '82 280ZX 2-seater N/A. He's a stoner with anger issues. When the car wouldn't start, he broke the windows, kicked in the fenders and jumped on the roof, caving it in. The body is absolutely ruined. But the engine is still usable, I think; the tranny is still good, and it has the 3.9 rearend i want to replace my 3.54.
I got the car from him for $100. I plan to strip every potentially useful piece of equipment from it, and use it to breathe new life into my '77.

"He died so that others may live." LOL

[xXxRocker5150]

lol, wow well let's see. For me I started off with a 3000GT, my mom bought the car for me as a kinda birthday/x-mas present, but that was short-lived. My grades sucked and she sold it. Although I was very mad, it was a good thing, because my grades picked up and I vowed to get another 3kgt.

Well at this time however, my friend had just gotten an 86' n/a 300zx auto. he took me for a ride in it, and I just loved the sound and look of it.

Fast forward a little... I than bought my neighbor's 92 bonneville for 100 bucks just to tool around in. I put $500 worth of parts in it and decided it was time for a new car.

I started looking in the papers and online for a new 3kGT, but than something sparked in my memory. I had remembered reading somewhere that they made turbo'd z's in the 80s so I went to look up the specs. When I found that they were rated at about 200 horse and about 225 TQ for a decent price tag, I was sold.

I started looking for one, and the only one I wanted (a turbo 5spd) was 2 miles from my house! I went to go check out the car, and from the first time I saw it, I immediatly fell in love with it, as did my mom and my dad. My mom wouldn't shut up about how sexy of a car it was, and after we took the test drive, my dad kept taking about it to everyone.

Well after some hefty convincing (my mom thought the car was too dangerous, so I lied to her about some 1/4 mile times) my mom agreed to front me the 2 grand I needed, and I bought the car (this was a week ago today).

Since last week I've grown to love the car even more, and when I was on a cruise yesterday, I saw a 97' 3000GT comming the opposite wasy, and thought to myself, I'm glad I bought my z. I gave him a thumbs-up though but he looked angrily at me and floored it past me...

I can't stress how much I love this car, for instance yesterday I averaged 23.8 MPG city... somthing I'd never done in the 3KGT or even in my minivan. Even better is how much my friends love it; they're even more addicted to the boost than I am. Oh yea, and the best part... the lady's always want me to park it in their garage . I hope to be posting race stories soon, but I'd rather stick to the empty streets and parking lots where I can practice my technique.