Congrats and THANK YOU to Pete Paraska for his Comments!

[Mikelly]

I want to get back to something Art glossed over...

 

Mr. K's V8 Zcar... So Art, what's the story there, and why the HELL don't you guys do a story on THAT?

 

Mike

[Pop N Wood]

If there’s one Z I could argue about butchering' date=' it would be the Series I. I can see the Series I being a collectable, but a lot of people don’t tear into those.

[/quote']

 

I will send you pictures when I cut mine up Besides, I prefer the words "sculpt" to "butcher".

 

I would definitely rather restore the Series I.

 

I would restore mine, but I can't afford it. Aftermarket stuff and a functional paint job is cheaper.

 

When I first got my Z I joined a car club in CA. I went to the meetings and listened to people roll off laundry lists of the aftermarket parts they had on their Z's. One guy in particular wanted 300 HP out of his engine, but was worried about how streetable it would be. I told him just go with a V8. The table fell dead quiet. I had 10 people staring at me with this deer in the headlights look, when finally the guy wanting 300 HP said "No, I want to keep it all Nissan."

 

Needless to say, I was confused. I asked the guy when was the last time he bolted a stock Nissan part on his Z. He couldn't answer me. He simply didn't know.

 

I liked Pete's comments about the Z being a modifiers car. I am sorry, but IMO a dead stock 240 is not much to drive. There is too much rubber in the front end, the aerodynamics are not right, the floorpans too flexible and you will be at a very serious disadvantage if you stick with the something like 7 inch stock rims with bias ply tires. At a minimum putting it to European standards (front spoiler, stiffer springs, recurved distributor and 5 speed transmission) will keep it "all Nissan" but still illustrates what compromises Nissan made brining the car into the US. And none of that compares to the garbage side moldings and decals US dealers slapped on the cars to jack up dealer profit.

 

The early Z's are a masterpiece of value engineering. And maybe they are Picassos, but IMO they are unfinished ones.

[SportZ2]

Mike, I found out about Mr. K owning a V8Z back in March when I was out in CA. It was news to me at the time. I will be checking back on it when I get to the convention and see if we can get a story. If it turns out that we can, I think it will turn a lot of heads in the Z community.

[z-REX]

it will surely turn a few heads, and might just shake up the purists a little bit!

[Drax240z]

I'm sorry to have caused such a problem by asking for this to be posted. I had sport Z for the first 4 issues... I simply don't have an income to be able to afford some of these things anymore, yet I was interested in reading what Pete had to say about Hybrids in general. To that point, I really like what "the moron" Pete had to say. Funny to picture Pete's car while reading Jeff's article talking about "hackers" and "defacing a classic work of art".

[pparaska]

What you should be talking about is in the response to Pete of what Jeff said. He asked the question, do Mustangs and Corvette's use Japanese engines instead of V8's. He said hell no. And he's right. They already have the best powerplant in them, why mess with perfection. And when you do find a Mustang with a straight six in it, you'll find that most people will switch to the V8 and I don't think they consider that bastardizing the car. But then again I don't talk to too many Ford owners.

 

I always love it when I see a Mustang or Kit Cobra with a non-Ford engine. It shows that the person who built it made a non-emotional decision and decided to use an engine they had on hand or just like to work on better, etc.

 

If someone wanted to put a twin turbo Nissan 4.5L V8 in a Corvette, I'd think they just wanted something different than the next guy, or a challenge. No problems there - parts is parts!

 

Mike, I found out about Mr. K owning a V8Z back in March when I was out in CA. It was news to me at the time. I will be checking back on it when I get to the convention and see if we can get a story. If it turns out that we can, I think it will turn a lot of heads in the Z community.

 

I remember reading about "Mr. K doesn't mind the idea of a V8Z" but never new much more than that. I do remember being at the 1995 Z convention and him signing the dash or something on Zman377's V8Z.

 

Mr. K is probably more open-minded than the typical purist. He's nostalgic in some sense, but also enjoys cars IN GENERAL enough to understand the street-rodder's point of view.

 

I'd LOVE to see that article in Sport Z. I think it would cause more of a ruckus than the 350Z styling thing did a few years ago. I'd LOVE to see a bunch of purists get their world turned upside-down by learning that Mr. K himself at one time had the desire to own a V8Z and did so.

 

But even that won't cure the purist. It's a human trait to have deeply held irrational, emotional beliefs.

 

Pete

 

"Where we have strong emotions, we're liable to fool ourselves."

[Guest ON3GO]

well Art theres a reason why guys with mustangs or vettes dont put in jap motors, its because there cars are still being made today in a form they already like. BUT look at older stangs and vettes and you will see ALOT of them with newer motors like LS1's LS6's, LT1, 4.6's and so on. and theres ALOT of older stangs with chevy motors in it and ive seen alot of old Z28s and SS's with ford motors under the hoods.

As ive seen Shelby Kit Cobra cars with Jap motors in them like SR20's and even a 2JZ.

AND there is a C5 vette in japan with a RB26DETT in it.

there out there but you just dont hear about it.

in my mind i think Datsun KNEW that people would be dropping V8's and such in these little fairlady Z's, thats why V8s fit so well.

it might not have been published but im sure Datsun tried to see if a 305 or 350 would fit in one when they were still making the Z's.

 

mike

[z-REX]

the last line of your post got me thinking, pete. one of my creative writing teachers talked about the difference between emotion and passion. emotion comes off as rash, irrational, and often doesn't appear to have much thought behind it. passion, on the other hand, is something from deep within, a strong feeling that grows over time to become a part of yourself. is this the difference between us and the purists? who knows, but it does beg the question.

[pparaska]

That was a quote, not by me.

 

Good point about emotion vs passion.

 

But if one starts with emotion, and then never goes through the critical thinking process, their emotion becomes their passion, without the irrational part removed. I call that being lazy - not questioning yourself about the things you have feelings about, etc., and possibly changing your position after looking at it from a broader perspective. Well, either being lazy or being immature. The REAL immature part comes from believing that everyone must share your (emotional) belief, e.g., that using other than Nissan parts on a Z is wrong FOR EVERYONE.

 

"...(lunacy) is what makes the world go 'round."

[zeeboost]

I can't beleive that even a purist would object to a better suspension and brakes because he will say that it doesn't take away from the original concept of what the Z is about or looks like.

 

Sorry' date=' I should've been a bit more specific. Here’s a pic of my zx that I just took a few minutes ago.

 

[img']http://hybridz.org/nuke/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/14744/sideshot%20of%20my%20zx.jpg[/img]

 

When I went on one of my junkyard scavenges a few weeks back, one guy that was there saw me pull up in her and was wondering why I didn’t keep it all Nissan. “That body is in such good condition, why would you want to ruin it like that?” He didn’t like the suspension (Tokico 5-way adjustable with Ground Control coilovers) because they lowered the car and it took away the classic Z look. He also hated the fact that I have a 5-lug conversion with 17” 5-star Eagle rims. Then he looked behind the front wheels and said, “I don’t remember the front rotors being that large.” The front discs are 13” brembo rotors, which he didn’t care for either – he thought it looked too “modernized”. That was even before I put the body kit on – I couldn’t imagine what kind of lecture he would’ve given me then. There are a few people like that out there, but I appreciate what’s been done to it, and that’s all that matters anyways.

[z-REX]

pete wrote...

But if one starts with emotion, and then never goes through the critical thinking process, their emotion becomes their passion, without the irrational part removed.

 

 

kind of sounds like celebrity marriage....

 

the thought process might make sense in the case of a concours jag or something along those lines. but those who own those cars don't do so to drive them.... they're museum pieces. but at least in our way of thought if you're going to have a car to actually use, isn't it exponentially more satisfying to be able to drive the car that most closely resembles the way you as the driver want it?

[Savage42]

I thought the cool part was the poll. Bottom line: 80% think it's cool or they don't mind what others do to their car, only 20% thought it was just wrong. (aka bastardized) I'd say those close-minded purists are now a minority. 8)

[Two40MuscleZ]

= MAD...Question: Why waste your valuable time responding to a "Negative Purist" who wants to thorw cheap shots at a subject that has no validity. Get over it Sagan...Your not any better than anyone else because you still run the original seat covers and stock hub caps on that peace of Jap tin that you own!

 

Some of the words missing from your vocabularly must include Hot Rods, Custom cars, concept design, Chuck Barris, Big Daddy Roth, Boyd Coddington, Jessie James, Rad Rides by Troy, just to name a few.

 

Before casting stones at individuals who take more pride and concern with building up their peaces of Jap tin then you obviously do; check out where this sport is heading. If your idea of a Hot Cruise Night with the boys is parking your ride along side all the other stock, nothing to really look at, 18 gauge aluminum cans, and watching the spider webs being spun in the back window, then go for it! I wish you all the best.

 

But, nothing gives you the right, to rag on someone who has expended time, energy, blood, swet, tears and a good part of their income into a project that can down right out look, out trophy and most certainly out perform anything that the aftermarket has to offer you. It's not about keeping things stock, or about how much money someone throws into their project. Its a matter of pride and individuality. From your outlash of unwarrented comments, it certainly reflects exactly what you and your run of the mill horseless carriage is sorely lacking.

 

Sorry if I offended any of the Hybriders. VAN