Something kinda cool ..

[majik16106]

I know that we here are all enthusiasts, and I often wonder what exactly it is that brings someone to a certain car, But more than loving a particular marque or model, we all have to have some real affection for our personal cars running or not. The time, work, money, and overall effort i think shows that we aren't merely crazy, but we really love what we are doing. I had a little reminder yesterday of why exactly it is that I spend so much time and money on my Z.

 

My girlfriend likes cars, she thinks certain ones are cool and certain ones aren't. she couldn't change her own oil, she knows how to change a flat because dad taught her, but her interest in cars stems from something much different than mine.. sort of. Seemingly its purely shallow, they look "pretty". But in the case of my car, its much deeper and she brought to my attention one of the many reasons I could never sell the Z. I was messing with some of my parts in the garage, sitting on the floor, and she sat down in the door sill (my door is off and there is no seats in it now), and she started telling me about how much she was looking forward to me refinishing it, telling me how she loves the feeling of her head sinking into the seat when im having fun, and how any time me and the guys are gonna mess around the interstate, I frantically search for my linkin park CD to play Feint. Then it just hit me, looking at her smiling at me, to most people it may be that "damn car that takes up garage space", and my friends look at as the reason they get half the hang out time they want, but I just realize its all the memories I have with it. Don't know, just something to think about next time any of us get all pissed off that our cars arent finished or that its taking too long or costing more than we wanted.

 

If my car had been running perfectly all the time, I probably never would have thought about it. All the times I get pissed and come inside and shes smiling at me and gives me a massage or something..

 

So here's to our constantly broken down being rebuilt out of date old Datsuns!

[Guest ON3GO]

Very cool man!

With us being the same age and all im on the same page as you.

werid thing with me and these old Z's is that i never even sat in or drove a old datsun Z untill i drove mine off the trailer that came from cali to my driveway. it was a big step for me just shoving out money on a car that i never saw, drove, or knew anything about. I think that money alone is what will keep me having a Z or 2 in my garage for all my life.

for me old Z's are a lifestyle, i always wanted to be different then all my friends and from everybody else in the car scene. my friends and i would alway go to the race's and big car shows and they would all drool over the supras and 240sx's, skylines, rx7's and etc with over 100K invested in them. But i never did, sure some i wouldnt mind owning but they never made me go "wow, i would love driving that car at 3 in the morning just for the fun of it".... See im a driver, i love going out and just driving.

also those cars i couldnt see myself in because everybody has one,.. sure not everybody has a 1000hp supra but even if you did have a supra it wouldnt be "anything good" because those people only think good supras have 1000hp. i have my fair share of cars that i loved because they were different then others cars at the time, but then i kept seeing the same cars over and over again and got bored of them.

with old Z's its not that way, everybody on this forum has a Z different from everybody elses in some way or another. Sure there might be 10 guys on here that have LS1 240Z's but they all look different, handle different, etc etc etc.

I love being different then others and Z's and my Z's do that for me, thats the main reason why im keeping my Z green, and other reason why im making the blue Z a drifter.

plus i really love driving these cars and working on them, i always get a smile on my face when i do either or

 

mike

[Guest comeandzpa]

Sounds like you've got a great catch there. My mom gives my dad a hard time for even having a motorcycle, and I get lectures all the time about how everything on my Z breaks and I should just get a new car. I don't want a new car, I seem to have developed an attachment to the Z. But if she is not only understanding but encouraging and supportive, it sounds like you've found quite the girl.

[wheelman]

Majik,

 

I'm with you man.

 

I had a 260 back in the mid 80s when I met my wife. We made many great memories in that car and it broke my heart when I had to sell it due to a growing family. I told myself "Someday I'll get another". Well after almost 20 years we're finally in a position where I can indulge myself.

 

So I started looking for a project car, not really intending to get a Z but then ran across this web-site and my mind was made up. I told Jamie, my wife, what I'd discovered and she was all for it.

 

She is totally supportive of me spending all the time I do in the garage and encourages me when I get pissed because I discovered more rust or some other thing. Sometimes she is more anxious to get it finished and on the road than I am.

 

Anyway Majik, comeandzpa is right, it sounds like you have found a great girl. Share the time and memories with her and it will enrich your life in ways you can't imagine.

 

Wheelman

[majik16106]

thats what i kind of realized yesterday, even though she isn't as quote "into" the car thing as i am, she is looking forward to this car being done as much as i am. For a lot of the same reasons, and a ton of different ones.

 

With you on that too Mike, Everytime Me and Chris (450rwhp mk2 supra) go out, people dont go "hey look at those old cars", they go "hey its Paul and Chris". We're known for it, its not just another supra, or another rx7, thats the other thing about this board, we all put so much of our personality into these cars, some people buy and mod certain cars cuz they are the car to have, supras especially, a lot of the owners of those 6-700rwhp cars couldnt change thier own oil, and they let some dude at a shop tell them everything to put on it. But all the people on here put a lot of themselves in the car.

[akeizm]

My reasons for staying with my z and wanting to make it into a pure beast is that I love the thing to death, its a rare car that people dont see everyday (I've had so many random people come up and talk to me about my car) and its my first car. Everyone had that attachment to their first car but I'm really glad its to my Z. I hope I never have to sell it.

 

Sounds like you got it good there majik16106, hope it doesn't change.

[datsunlover]

Right on guys! My girlfriend is cool like that too. I cant believe it sometimes, but she tells me thats one of the things she likes mose about me is that I go out and work on my car. ? Yah. She goes and 'brags' to some of her friend that I'm workin on an old Datsun, and it's so cool, ect. I don't think I'll ever be able to compleatly explain my love of these cars to evryone, but it's nice that I don't have to to my G/F and a few of my close friends. I'm pretty picky, and I don't think I can do body work that great., but then a friend, or my girl will come out to my car, look at it, and say 'Damn man! Thats looking good! This thing is gona be so cool man, good to see you're taking your time and doing a nice job with it!' I like that.. the 'this is the only car like this in town' thing, and I can say 'I built this. I did EVRYTHING on this car myself.' If I ever get it done...

[z-REX]

yup, i think we can all relate in one way or another. last night, when i was just absolutely exhausted, it was my wife who helped convince me that i really should get up really early to go to the new jersey z-club show. just because she knew how much it meant to me, and how i'd been looking forward to it, she ushered me off to bed and persisted until my dead ass woke up. and you know what? she just did it because she knew i'd have a blast, and she was right.

 

sometimes she gets pissed at my z just like any of us do, but she knows my passion for it and kind of shares some of it herself, whether she knows it or not. people were coming up to my z at the show, and she was answering their questions before i got the chance to talk half the time. i don't know... i just thought that was really cool.

 

as for the car itself? why z's? well, i've owned 14 cars in my life and driven a million others, and never did i feel more like i was at home in a car like i do in a z. it's me, you know... hard to describe but easy for you all to understand. a couple drives and it's as if it's a part of you.

 

and about the show... jersey, it was great to meet you! my setup really does want to be yours whenit grows up...bob

[80LS1T]

I totally agree with everything said so far! My G/F is the same in many ways stated above....#1 she knows that my car is like a family member. However she also knows that if it came between her and the car it would be her. Cars come and go but good women deffintely dont. She's not really into the old Z's but she likes her fair share of cars. She really loves the old Corvettes(70's sytle). That will most likely be my next project car. Something we can both enjoy once its done. She's too scared to drive my car because she doesnt want to hurt it in any way. I trust her but she doesnt trust herself.

 

The we got the guys at work(dodge dealership/shop). Most of them are hardcore american muslce car guys. Which is fine by me cause I love old muscle cars too. But I dont care for having the samething as everyone else. When I first started working there all I ever heard was "why would you put a chevy in a nissan?" and "that thing isnt really that fast is it?" Well after I smoked the guy with an 84' Cutlas with a 427" BBC(claiming 500HP) , I sure got some respect then! Now everyone wants to know how I did it! 8) "well how did you get that big engine into that little car?" I just had to "prove myself" I guess. They sure do have a lot more respect for "them old Datsun's" now!

 

GOD I LOVE MY CAR! 8)

 

 

Guy

[BARACU]

Z REX: I was at the Jersey show on Sunday. I'm sure we spoke at some point. Wish I knew you were a regular in here. I had the red 280 with the V8 ( only one there ). AL

[Guest Looking for apt in Alb Ny]

Al you have a fabulously built car. Let me know when you wish to sell it?

 

here is a picture of Al's Z. I was there.

 

Juan

 

 

[z-REX]

al...

 

we did! i was two cars down, passenger side, pearl white turbo 240. i, as well, had no idea you were on here! you told me the story of getting points off at nationals on a brand-new shift handle...

 

for those who don't know al's car, it's a REALLY nice ride!

[BARACU]

Juan: Thanks for the compliment! I think I'll be keeping this one for a while! great meeting you there!

 

Z Rex: After I had read your post, I thought that was you. Another funny story on judging: I happened to be standing there when they judged my engine compartment. Judge says "Aha, i found a place to deduct a point!" . When I got the judging sheets back, he deducted for a tiny scratch where the hood safety latch hit the bracket. 99/100 pts in engine compartment. hehe) Are you going to the show in Harrisburg ,Pa this Saturday? AL