Guest Dobey Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hello, I am newish here, I have been lurking for about a week and I finally have a question. I am really new to cars, I have a 1982 280zx 2+2 in my garage that hasn't been started for about 5 years with an engine that has 250,000+ miles on it and a broken transmission. I want to restore it just so its driveable for right now and then improve over time. I am not sure what I want to do with it exactly, probably some form of racing but that will be for later. Im posting here because I have no knowledge about this car mechanically nor do I know anything about cars at all, when I stare at an engine, I have a better chance of understanding japanese then understanding an engine and how a car runs and is built, for now atleast, I do hope to change that. I am very intrested in this car since it was my mothers and has been hers since she bought it, so I have been looking at for a long time. Until now I was not intrested in cars but I am going to start college in the fall and will need transportation to the local college. Whenever I get intrested in a topic I am a very fast learner and I want to learn as much about this car and cars in general without actually having to get a degree in whatever you get a car degree in lol. So this brings me to question I guess, what should I do to learn more about cars and how to restore mine, or what should I do? I really dont know how to approach this at all, I have googled things but I dont know much about cars so it doesnt matter what I get really. I am just glad that I found this site since it seems fairly well updated. I know of someone that owns and restores Z's (atleast his father does) at my high school but I graduate in 4 days so I don't know ill see him again. If you think you can help me or have information I can use please contact me through PM or if you use a popular messenger service let me know and maybe we can talk, beacause I know taht more question will stem when we talk there isnt a whole lot of sense to try and discuss them here. Oh I might as put my contact info here, AIM: Malcolm20151 MSN: Dobey_@hotmail.com Yahoo: omfg_1337 Email: omfg_1337NOSPAM@yahoo.com or PM me here Remove the NOSPAM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty260 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 i started off by reading most of http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ gives a very good grounding how are car works. -your cars is fuel injected, so read up on that, http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood-channel.htm i can do basic stuff like changing the oil, spark plugs, learn by doing, quite easy in these cars, fairly simple get a Haynes manual or similar, from local parts shop or ebay. easiest way to get car on road, would be to replace the engine and trans, either by buying a parts car, (280zx) with a rough body but running well, with lowish milage, ask a local garage how much to replace engine and trans. shouldnt to be much, dont know the prices there, mybe someone here will chime in. ps. are you able to register the car to get it road legal, here in new zealand, if the car is not registred for 12 months and/or put on hold, the car is not legally able to be driven, have to get new plates etc for car. figure that out first before spending any money on the car, sweet as. laters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dobey Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I know I will have to re-register it and get it inspected and all that stuff but thats for later. Luckily a good friend of the family has a brother that is a good car mechanic and can possibly help me out maybe a family discount you know . Anyways thanks for those helpful website I will enjoy reading them and I assume fuel injected cars are different from the rest of the Z's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty260 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 http://www.geocities.com/~z-car/specs/ the 280zx was a new model of z car, more grand tourer then sports car, still cool cars, looking for one here to do a skyline engine swap into. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=101669 - which will make a very cool race/drift car. probably best z car to start off in, less rust usually, and parts are lot easier to get, especially panels. more use ful links http://www.msu.edu/~levesqu6/links.htm http://www.zcarparts.com/store/4.16/00000001/catalog/c-index.html http://www.pape.ws/allan_and_rosanne/Z-Car_Stuff/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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