Well, since getting rear ended in my 280ZX, I haven't had the time to drop it off at the body shop to get fixed yet. Plus, there's a bunch of other stuff I want to do to it that requires taking it off the street for an extended period of time. I thinks it's about time to kill the "daily Driver" program for this car. I can't keep up with it and I certainly can't keep it looking nice with all the crazy sunsabitches constantly banging into it and all the other weird caca that seems to always happen to it.

Another thought, is that I have been putting a crap load of gas in it every week at nearly 4 bucks a gallon for premium and it's just not very economical or "environmentally friendly". I saw a decent looking Z31 up the street from me... It's an '85 non turbo, gray, interior sucks, body is straght, paint is shot, motor is strong and runs good. The guy wants almost nothing for it. I wouldn't mind making it a daily driver for a while if it meant getting my 280ZX in better shape and keeping it that way.

I would love to take it to MSA next year with the body kit on it, and the paint in good shape blah blah blah...

So, I might just go for it.

Rod.

 

Getting a second car for commuting is a good decision IMO. Especially if it means your 280 can get it's work done to it without having to backtrack everytime some moron puts another ding in it.

 

10-4 on that! My Z was only my DD for the first year. Then I got another beater car so I could do major work on the Z. Since then, the Z just sits in the garage... DOH!

 

I'd definitely say go for the Z31. It'd be a great way to keep your 280ZX in decent shape and get it to where you want. Maybe along the way you'll start to fix up the Z31 and have a relatively nice 300ZX to go along with the 280

 

Hey Rod it sounds like a good idea to me. I would do the same, but I love driving my Z everyday. Also I sold my other daily driver to my younger brother. And the only thing I have left that runs is my '75 Firebird, which she is definately not practical. Anyway I say go for it, if you can get it for almost nothing. Then you can have your 280zx ready for MSA '07. I will probably see you there bro'. Good luck to what decision you make.

 

shoulda kept the z32 rod, hahahaha, ive had my z as a dd for 5 years now, i so know what your talking aboot. repairs suck cause you gotta drive it the next day

 

Get another car. If I could, I would. But I just dont have the green. That fiat turned out to be just too much to get back on the road.
Plus The time you spend in the Z from then on will be that much better too

 

when i get the race car done, ill have a z daily driver and a race car z for the track, then i wont have to auto x my dd, no excess wear.

 

get a 4-cyl ecinomical car like a Pulsar. hehe...
Z31's are difficult... I like the l-series engine better. plus they are worse on gas than the 280ZX.... but if your commute isn't too far maybe that doesn't matter.
Nissan Sentra, 200SX...

 

I'm done on the z31s because many parts are no longer available.

 

Maybe I'll just get a Pulsar!

Rod.

 

Dude, used Civic's are a dime a dozen and they get close to Hybrid gas mileage... Put 82 octane in them and drive it until it dies...

Ok, they want a REALLY SHINY DIME, but there are a lot of them and they get really good gas mileage and you don't even have to care about the door ding in the parking lot.

 

you know what, I have to agree with lww on this. Civic's do get mighty good gas mileage. They have small tanks, and yet we drove probably close to 300 miles the other day and only used about half a tank in my friend's 5-speed civic.

 

I know this is not quite related to this thread. But my Z just went from 18mpg, to 22mpg! I finally got my Z dialed in the way he should be. That is roughly what I got in my '81, on average.

But yeah I agree Rod, get something that you don't care gets fubarred up.

 

That's why I was thinking Z31... It's a POS, but at least it's a Z

Rod.

 

Good point man, I never much cared for any Z's past '83 anyway. I say go for it bro', even though it could never come close to the 280zx.

 

if you dont get the z31 i would agree to get a civic... or a corolla... or a 200sx or a mazda protege or somthing that is just gutless... they all get like 30 mpg... also saturns although really ugly usally get around 30 mpg... but civic's corolla's and protege's and 200sx's are all ugly too... so whatever those are what i looked at getting as a "econimy friendly" car....before i bought my sweet 280zx

 

The Z31 definitely won't help you on the gas mileage, although, I agree with you on the looks...

 

go with a z31!!! i only own 3 of them--1-NA, the RELIABLE commuer--over 240,000 on odomete, only uses 1 qt oil every 500-750 miles,now, still reliable. tune every few thousand miles--every 3k miles,oil change--piece of cake. my two turbo z31s are more fun, more tricky--don't like being started wrong, have electrical gremlins--small ones, not the flame starting sort. (NA had that already, very early on) my favorite of my two turbos is my 1984 50AE fairlady.
I am female, so driving the fairlady is tooooo much fun--you guys get all excited seeing my 84 on the road!!

 

If you were serious, I coulda saved something for you. I just got rid of a sr20det out a Pulsar GTR, engine, full harness, ecu, trans, axles and linkage, and a rebuilt turbo, everything needed for a drop in swap!! 1 of my friends just bought it off me for his Pulsar,. There are alot of great cars out there. All make great daily driver's. It just depends on your taste. Personally the Z31, I think they look cool, I'd take 1 for a dd

If you want a 3000GT, I just got a clean 92, 1st gen. ( pop up headlights )Blown engine, but give me 2 days and I'll fix that, going to pick up a used 1st gen engine for it in a couple days. Sell it to ya cheap

 

Get Yo' self a civic homeboy, that way my *** can car pool with you to work.



IPOD!!!!

 

how about another PT Cruiser there Rod

 

The z31 does get better mileage than the s130 for the simple reason that it's coefficient of drag is far better.

That would be the windshield rake, headlight housings and the rest of the front end below the hood.

Now my 1981 280zx turbo got 21mpg towing a trailer with an automatic and a blown turbo........which happened 100 miles into the journey.

I disconnected the oil feed line, the waste gate actuator, and I loosened the turbo drain tube bolts and slid the stainless cover of a floppy over the drain port so exhaust wouldn't go to the pan.

This aside.

My z31 consistantly does 24 combined but most of my driving is highway and I am careful to preserve momentum and not drive like a moron.

 

The PT Cruiser gets crappy mileage.

Rod.

 

I'm just afraid that if I buy a Civic, I'll feel dirty all the time. I just don't know if I can handle the guilt of owning a Honda...

Rod.