So, anyone else feel like the little Dutch boy running around putting his finger in the dyke to stop the leaks?

This started a few months ago with squeaky brakes, I replaced the following:
Pads, rotors (on the back and front)

Squeak returned about 1 month later (after a couple hard days at the track) replaced the following:

pads, rotors, shim kit (just on the back this time)

Radio stopped playing CDs, went ahead and replaced with new JVC deck
Rear view mirror no longer switched from day to night, replaced

Bulb in one of the fog lights burnt out, replaced both cause the replacement (h-1) only come in 55w instead of factory 35w now.

one of my T-top moldings cracked when it got loose and banged around in the back during a drive a few weeks ago.

The shifter bushings disintegrated again.

Have to re-bleed /replace clutch fluid cause now it will boil and create bubbles under extreme heat.

So, that's 600$ in brakes, 200$ radio,8$ in bulbs, 35$ in moldings, 4$ in bushings makes for about 850$ in unexpected parts expenses.

add to that 400$ for a boost controller, and 260$ for misc. Body work and 1100$ for new leather (seats and wheel rewrap ) and you get 1760$ +850$ = 2610$ in the past 2 months for a 12 year old car.

add to that a list of problems I still have to get to.

small oil leak on one of the cam seals, Tires are wearing down faster than my tire replacement fund, new clicking sound coming from my A/C compressor, and now my auto climate sensor fan motor is becoming noisy.

So, anyone else enjoying their Z as much as me ?

 

oh i am haha i jsut had to work out the little injector gremlins in my 280zx and than after that i took it out for a drive and the clutch wont release so therefore the car wont shift. have pressure and clutch goes in and out but tranny isn't shifting its like its stuck in neutral. but dont worry my truck is eating me alive too.....

 

Welcome to the world of used cars.
Our Z's tend to be like that tho. Everything seems to break in bunches.
Besides, you should know as well as any of us. If you're not working on your Z, you're not happy.

 

I feel your pain... last month I spent:

$1275 for coolant leak repair which required transmission pull, Z1 split downpipes, bronze shifter bushings

$230 tow bill

this month:

~ $800 for another coolant leak repair which required plenum pull, while they're in their I'm having the remaing coolant bypass lines, heater hoses, fuel lines, valve cover gaskets & PVC kit replaced

$230 tow bill

I was sick when after two weeks back on the road I started getting steam from under the hood, thus leading to the above plenum pull job.

Next month it will be 120k service for around $1,000...

a $600 montly payment on a new *something* isn't looking so bad lately

 

well, If you do the 120k service, its not too bad, about 500$ in parts.

http://www.conceptzperformance.com/C...024.33.125.140

Its about 10 hours of wrenching if you never did it before and have all the tools. I am sure there is a complete list of tools on this site you can find if you feel like trying it yourself.

My alternator just stopped working, luckily I was able to get home on the battery so no tow bill, but I can add 220$ to the list. On the bright side, I am running out of parts I haven't replaced yet.

 

it took me two 12 hour days just to get to the heater core and replace the lines going from engine to firewall, a timing belt job is not just a walk in the park, been there done that, never again.......

 

I know my limits and suspect that most of the work I need done on the Z will be done by Z1 Motorsports since they are fairly close.

I'm comfortable doing brakes, but don't want to get into a job like the 120k or a plenum pull.

 

It's very good to know your limits, it will save you a lot of wasted time. I find its good to do it the first time with someone who has already done it a few times before...hrm...like a lot of things in life I suppose.

Oh Scott91tt, you might want to look into getting a AAA membership at 70$ a year the one free tow would have helped ya out (along with some other discounts it provides) hate to sound like i'm shilling for them but that card has saved me probably 1000$ this past year. (I travel a lot too)

 

its also very good to expand your limits

never got to sink much money into my Z as it lost compression in only one cylinder. so i sold it, didnt feel like dealing with that crap since it was only an N/A

 

I've been following this thread, and I have to add my $.02

First and foremost... IMHO AAA Master Membership is a must have for anyone with a car over 5 years old. Besides the obvious benefits of 3 free tows a year (within 100 miles), and discounts at alot of places... They also offer free TripTics anytime you need directions, (SO much better then anything online). You can even do the trip planning yourself online and choose your route (Back roads vs Highways, Avoid Tolls, Current Road construction details). For 70$ a year, it's paid for itself time and time again... Sorry if it sounds like I'm selling for them, I'm not... I just like to pass on info about something that is actually good for everyone.

Now about the parts... Knowing what you can and can't do is some of the most valuable info you have. Don't get into a job that is beyond your know-how unless, a) you have alot of time and resources to do it right. or B) You have a good friend that knows what the heck he's doing.

I've worked on my own cars since day one... learning as I went for the most part. I've done Engine swaps in 240's with no knowledgable persons assisting, but it did take over 3 weeks.
I now work on Mulit-million$ aircraft and think nothing of it...yet I'm NOT going to be attempting the 120K mile service on my Z. I don't have the skills or time right now to do it, and I want it done right and quickly... So... Enter: Checkbook Sorry for the Long Thread... I was bored at work and Wanted to share.

 

Hey guys, been swamped at work recently and haven't had time to post.

Regarding AAA, I am signing up today! I have been kicking myself for not having a membership when I started having these mechanical issues that required the towing. I initially thought I had towing on my insurance but just figured out that I cheaped out when I bought in January and didn't check the box

I got my car back from Z1 yesterday and everything seems to be in order. In doing the plenum pull/bypass I also had them do:

Under-plenum fuel hoses
PVC kit
EGR cleaning
heater hoses
brake & clutch booster hoses
valve cover gaskets

they found one of my intake hoses was split and leaking air, which they replaced with a good used one.

This repair bill was nearly $1,200 but at least I have some comfort in knowing that I *should* be okay with water leaks and some basic PM for the time being. The car is going in next month for the 120k and then I get to start playing with some performance parts. I would have done it this time, but I just can't stomach more than $1200 per month is repairs

 

Glad to hear you are getting some of those old car problems out of the way. You should notice the car feels better the more new parts you put on it. I am not sure if that is purely psychological or not.

After all my new parts, I must say my car is running very smooth and I can't wait to go a few months without spending anymore non-maintenance money on it.

 

i always had a problem with my Zs eating all my tools

 

i always seem to lose stuff between the back of the headlight and the rad. support..

 

I don't know how to get to a 12 mm socket that fell down in the rear driver's side shock tower and is now rolling around somewhere between. But I think the worst is when you are in the middle of putting something back together and you put a bolt/nut down on your bench or whatever and pick up a tool and then go to pick up the bolt/nut and you can no longer find it....what is that about?

 

Try having a 28 year old car and then come back and talk about "unexpected expenses"

If I made a thread for every time I spend more than $2600 in a short period of time on my Z... I would have a huge post count!


Rod.

 

i have a 55 year old jeep. and the most un-expected thing i have ever experienced with it was a fuel pump going out.

 

Yup, just like any other older vehicle, it will require periodic repairs. And, if it wasn't well-maintained before you bought it, then the gremlins can seem to creep up all at once. One thing about our older model Z's is that they just continue to increase in value if they're well-maintained, so I feel it is so worth the effort to eliminate the gremlins and "enjoy the ride".

 

Good point. This is my 4th Z and it's my favorite so far. I don't mind spending the money (though I was whining in my prior posts) as I do intend to keep this car.

 

Shop gnomes.....they eat bolts and nuts, sometimes washers but only if you don't have spares. They can't get them if they're in your pocket though

 

you think thats a problem wait till you get underpants gnomes..... UGH!!!

 

Step 1 - Underpants

Step 2 - ???

Step 3 - Profit