My Z disease is coming back/ I need practical advice

[violacleff]

So as clicked through the pages of ebaymotors, looking at Z's and coming across a few clean ones, I started thinking to myself "you know I've never really owned a Z that let me down." I mean seriously my first car was a Z (Zena). I bought that car for $1500 with over 190k miles on it and the only thing that ever went out on it was the clutch fan. I mean I didn't even take care of the thing servicewise.

 

Then when Zena started falling apart after 2 years, I bought Zarah. I drove that car 30 min. to work everyday, 100 mile trips to San Bernadino, LA, and not as much as a hiccup. It wasn't until I decided that I had to be the fastest daily driven Z car this side of Texas that I started having problems.

 

My bad luck with cars have followed me even to newer cars that I've been hit in, so now I'm thinking "why not get another nice Z"? I sold off all my turbo stuff, paid off my car loan and all my credit cards. Even the cards that had no Z related charges to them.

 

I'm starting to think that maybe I could be happy with a nicely setup NA Z even though its slow (compared to zarah). I would dump another 1500 into getting it AC'ed, and just enjoy it like I did my Z's of old.

 

I had previously decided that this was not a good time in my life for car hobbies, but now looking back I think I was more to blame and less the Z. Am I being stupid? Should I just get another Corolla and wait t'ill I'm rich to get back into cars? Someone talk me into/out of this.

[savageskaterkid]

Do it, my experiance was similar, junked my ZX, and within a year I bought an S30. I may end up selling this one, but only for another Z.

 

DO IT!!!

[Sparky]

I've never had a more reliable car than my 72 240Z when it was running NA. Even for the 2.4 liter it was plenty balsy for a daily driver. throw in a 2.8 with a nice set of rebuilt SUs and an electronic ZX distributer and your all set for miles of trouble free service.

 

the only problem is that if you start with a 1,500.00$ Z car your not starting off with the best base for a rebuild. when you start to add up struts, springs, swaybars and all that stuff your out a considerable amount. Now lets talk about comfort items like new door and window seals and your out another good chunk of change. the above really are things that need to be done right off the bat....after all who wants to drive a mushy Z or smell like exhaust on a hot date?

 

I was lucky enough that when I bought my 240Z it had all of the above already done to it...it didnt look like much but it handled well and only left me smelling a wee bit exhausty. (lucky for me I was dating crazy psycho girls at the time and they seemed to all love that smell *shrugs*)

 

anywho....I think these cars can be some of the most reliable and cheapest to maintain cars on the planet, but they are getting old, start with the best base you can afford and you will be better off.