Longing for a Z
08-18-2004, 10:47 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
Longing for a Z
I just signed up because I ws just screwing around and decided to do a search for a love of mine, the Z. I am a "poor college student," and I have set my sights on a 1975 280. When I mentioned that I was looking at the car, their unanimous response was, "Ew, why would you want a Datsun, when I was a kid we called them junk cars." I told them they were stupid and walked away.
this is the car i want, but probably wont get.
Ah, I'll find another.
this is the car i want, but probably wont get.
Ah, I'll find another.
08-19-2004, 12:03 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 6
People who bad mouth Z will never own one...that's how they are punished.
You won't be wrong loving a first-gen Z car, if it weren't lovable, there wouldn't be so many people willing to lay down cash to retore/modify them. I just got a 76 280Z this month, and also a college student. It is a very rusty one that I paid 1500$CDN for, the strong side is the car runs great. Now I am basically looking at 7000+$CDN of expense if I want to fix all the rust areas, and that's just rust/weld/paint.
Up here in Canada we don't have nearly enough Z for us to pick on. In the States there are still few relatively rustless Z for a bit more dollars, I have seen some that are around 2000~2500$US and has little rust, those rust-free cars are what you want to look for.
If you have enough time, read the old threads, that's what I am doing right now, I've learned a lot.
"I told them they were stupid and walked away."
I am glad you did the right thing, not only you warned them of their stupidity, you also tried to keep a distance. Z cars are cool : https://www.zdriver.com/showthread.php?t=2659
You won't be wrong loving a first-gen Z car, if it weren't lovable, there wouldn't be so many people willing to lay down cash to retore/modify them. I just got a 76 280Z this month, and also a college student. It is a very rusty one that I paid 1500$CDN for, the strong side is the car runs great. Now I am basically looking at 7000+$CDN of expense if I want to fix all the rust areas, and that's just rust/weld/paint.
Up here in Canada we don't have nearly enough Z for us to pick on. In the States there are still few relatively rustless Z for a bit more dollars, I have seen some that are around 2000~2500$US and has little rust, those rust-free cars are what you want to look for.
If you have enough time, read the old threads, that's what I am doing right now, I've learned a lot.
"I told them they were stupid and walked away."
I am glad you did the right thing, not only you warned them of their stupidity, you also tried to keep a distance. Z cars are cool : https://www.zdriver.com/showthread.php?t=2659
08-21-2004, 09:19 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: DC area
Posts: 52
Ebay!
If you get on ebay, there is ALWAYS 240, 260 & 280z's for sale. At this very moment 12:15am EST, there's one on there for $750.00 w/only 25 bidders right now. It's located in Southeastern VA. Check out ebay & you'll find the right Z for you. Most go for around $1500 to $3000. You know you limits. I bought mine for $300 with very little work needed. The engine & trans are solid. 80% rust free. 
08-22-2004, 07:36 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 67
another young man with z car
In love with Z-car i should say..
im not a college student, but im poor and twenty three, but ive owned my 75 280 for four years and done next to nothing to it but drive. I bought the car for three hundred dollars from a guy who put it on my parent's corner in july of 2000 and the car has looked like junk, but run like a dream ever since. Things like the clutch, and fuel pumps, alternator, starter, yeah, but my family has been driving and collecting parts for these cars for thirty years. im finally finding opportunities (ie TIME + MONEY) to work on it and im thrilled. I have 280ZX disc brakes for the back, and an MSA twice-pipes exhaust kit to put on and just today i got a nice pretty steering wheel to replace my very, very tired factory one. Yes sir, this is a mighty fine car we drive.... thank you, nissan.
im not a college student, but im poor and twenty three, but ive owned my 75 280 for four years and done next to nothing to it but drive. I bought the car for three hundred dollars from a guy who put it on my parent's corner in july of 2000 and the car has looked like junk, but run like a dream ever since. Things like the clutch, and fuel pumps, alternator, starter, yeah, but my family has been driving and collecting parts for these cars for thirty years. im finally finding opportunities (ie TIME + MONEY) to work on it and im thrilled. I have 280ZX disc brakes for the back, and an MSA twice-pipes exhaust kit to put on and just today i got a nice pretty steering wheel to replace my very, very tired factory one. Yes sir, this is a mighty fine car we drive.... thank you, nissan.
09-11-2004, 07:59 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: frederic WI
Posts: 2
hey sup everybody? im new to the "z cars" but found one for for sale (said to be a '77 280z) the paper says $1000 the windshield 500 and the guy workin there said theyd be more than happy to get $300 (im thinkin $250) i started looking online for some info, and found you guys. so here i am i guess
09-16-2004, 10:12 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 67
only one suggestion to you
drive it. if it runs, that should be enough to get you to bite. for three hundred dollars, what do you have to lose? and belieeeeeeeeeve us, youve got the whole world to gain.
simple equation. light weight, powerful, rear wheel drive. that spells Z-car, RX7 or supra. supras blow motors quicker than lightbulbs, and mazdas.. i cant fault them, but my heart needs a z
as for four bangers, pfft. anything american is too heavy, anything european is too expensive.
simple equation. light weight, powerful, rear wheel drive. that spells Z-car, RX7 or supra. supras blow motors quicker than lightbulbs, and mazdas.. i cant fault them, but my heart needs a z
as for four bangers, pfft. anything american is too heavy, anything european is too expensive.
09-24-2004, 11:03 AM
#8
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
I figure that i wil buy a new car around my junior year in college, and i will budget about 10-12 g's to that venture. So, paying a max of around 3,000, the rest will be dropped into fixing it up, making it faster, more powerful, and maybe a nice rebuild on the interior.
09-25-2004, 04:11 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: frederic WI
Posts: 2
~squish~ thats the sound of my dreams being crushed (for the time being). long story short the dealership/junkyard i found the z at decided that after sending me in circles for a month, that maybe they dont want to sell it. 
not realy suprised though a deal like that is hard to believe. ill still be around reading about your cars, and dreaming about mine. who knows i might find one tommorow??
not realy suprised though a deal like that is hard to believe. ill still be around reading about your cars, and dreaming about mine. who knows i might find one tommorow??
12-16-2004, 02:38 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 10
Originally Posted by BUSS
~squish~ thats the sound of my dreams being crushed (for the time being). long story short the dealership/junkyard i found the z at decided that after sending me in circles for a month, that maybe they dont want to sell it. not realy suprised though a deal like that is hard to believe. ill still be around reading about your cars, and dreaming about mine. who knows i might find one tommorow??
not realy suprised though a deal like that is hard to believe. ill still be around reading about your cars, and dreaming about mine. who knows i might find one tommorow??
12-17-2004, 07:52 AM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: south TX
Posts: 8
I don't mention that I have a Datsun, since most of the Datsuns in my area tend to be the tiny trucks and some of the boxy older Datsun cars. The Z was modeled after European sports cars (they are not muscle cars), and looked nothing like Datsun had produced before.
I prefer to tell people that I have a Z car, and most of the time the result I get is 'Cool! I/My aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor used to have one!' These are turning into unique cars, still do not cost as much as the American muscle cars and are therefore still affordable (as they originally were marketed), and compared to the computer-filled cars of today, are 'easy' to work on.
My little Z will never win a race, since with a stock engine and a speed-phobic driver (me), I prefer to coast along so people can get a really nice look at the car.
I like your answer to the ignoramuses...
I prefer to tell people that I have a Z car, and most of the time the result I get is 'Cool! I/My aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor used to have one!' These are turning into unique cars, still do not cost as much as the American muscle cars and are therefore still affordable (as they originally were marketed), and compared to the computer-filled cars of today, are 'easy' to work on.
My little Z will never win a race, since with a stock engine and a speed-phobic driver (me), I prefer to coast along so people can get a really nice look at the car.
I like your answer to the ignoramuses...
