BayAreaZT Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I semi daily drive mine also. I would probably drive it more if traffic wasn't so bad around here. I have a crack free dash and to protect it from cracking I always put one of those windshield sunscreens whenever I park. A good polishing will bring the shine back to your paint. I really love driving my S30 but the older I get and with a newborn in the house, the fumes and the lack of crash protection worries me more. The noise and the harshness doesn't bother me at all. If it gets to the point where I'm only driving it once a week, I'll probably sell it and get something like a E30 for a DD / toy like Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgkurz Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 The S30 Is fun, sexy, raw, competitive, easy to maintain, and you can touch the rear tires without leaving the drivers seat As a DD, it also has... Frightening accident protection. Wreaks of fumes (catalyzed, tuned, or otherwise). Ride quality disproportionate to handling (and downright unimpressive on irregular pavement). Noisy. Steering sucks. Horrific seats. No cruise control. Poor lighting. Marginal or non-existent HVAC. By comparison, my E30 M3 has 750 lb/In springs F&R with handling to match the numbers... but surprisingly reasonable compliance and ride quality (ie wife approves). Steering is not only sharp and communicative, its also appropriately weighted and linear as well. Quite enough to have the stereo on at a perceptible level AND carry on a conversation with my delectable wife in a 'normal' tone. Has A/C, Recaro seats, CC, acceptable accident protection, gets 30 MPG, and costs LESS than what it would take to duplicate in an S30. The M3 is one example. There are a number of modern cars that can match or exceed the S30 for less investment... some of them are even 'disposable'. An S30 is purely a toy in my opinion. A terrificly beautiful, rewarding toy... but still a toy. Competitive on nearly any level... but not without investing serious time and capitol. Many of us view it as the perfect canvas with which to paint our masterpiece, and I couldn't agreee more.... I just don't want to drive it every day. Perfectly put. You articulated my thoughts almost exactly. I drove an S30 for years as my only car but it just doesn't make sense for me any longer. I'd rather enjoy my Z on the weekends and in decent weather then put wear and tear on it in the daily commute. Parts are getting harder and harder to find so I figure it'll last longer if I keep it tucked away in my garage during the week. BTW, Ron see a pattern developing. S30, E30....what's next a Mercedes C30? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted October 30, 2007 Administrators Share Posted October 30, 2007 ...... BTW, Ron see a pattern developing. S30, E30....what's next a Mercedes C30? Looking forward to seeing a Mercedes in his driveway so I can return the crap he flung at me for my Infiniti Q-45.. Going to echo want Ron said, here.. Preface; Just turned 40 a few days ago! When I was younger, had only been driving a few short years, was an avid Formula 1 and IMSA GTP follower, (any of you remember watching Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Manssel, racing at Monza, Hockenhiem, etc? how about Geoff Brabham and Steve Millen rounding turn 9 at PIR in the IMSA GTP/GTO series)… In my mind at the time, IMSA GTP was the pinnacle of sports car racing.. fond memories.. Any way, back then I would’ve given up everything in life to own and drive the Nissan IMSA GTP ZX as a daily driver and also for track duty of course. I was eager and ready to “welcome†whatever compromise in street manners and drivability that car had and embrace those compromises as character and the urge to master and control that character was strong. My Z, the original BRAAP Z, loud, obnoxious, fun, sexy, at the time it was pert neer perfect. I almost gutted it with tube frame etc, wanting that street legal race car. That was youth and testosterone in control for sure. Then I swapped in a V-8, it was even closer to that 20 something’s idea of an ideal daily driver. Fast forward to today. Having matured, (not much really), and spent umpteen thousands of miles behind the wheel of many automobiles, that raw creeky, heavy steering “character†has lost most of its luster as an ideal trait for a daily driver. My current DD is a Z-32 and at this time in my life is a decent compromise. Steering is light, pedals are light and smooth, not sloppy, clunky or sticky. Wind noise and road noise is tolerable enough to listen to the stereo on the freeway at levels that won’t split eardrums. Stopping power is incredible, handling is fun and spirited. Something I never considered important when I was 20 something was crash protection, now it is a little more important. Ron Tyler and myself have had many discussions over the years on our concept of what it would take to bring an S-30 to level that is tolerable as a Daily driver. We have come to the conclusion that we are just getting too old for a project that involved, as well as manage a job, family, property and other smaller hobbies. It is far easier to just purchase a Z-32 or M-3 to fill the role of daily driver and leave the S-30 as that raw canvas with all its character. Face it, the character of the S-30 is what makes the S-30 what it is. Turning an S-30 into an Infiniti, BMW, Mercedes, is like turning a Maxim model into a catholic school girl. In short, for the more mature in age with hundreds of thousands of road miles behind the wheel, the S-30 is great weekend toy and excellent race car. Ron Summed it perfectly. “It is our Canvas†... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Looking forward to seeing a Mercedes in his driveway so I can return the crap he flung at me for my Infiniti Q-45.. Great comment. I Have to echo the comments on crash protection. I made the mistake of driving my 240Z daily for about 4 months 100 miles a day in Socal. Really loved driving it then got it accordian style. Rearended by a car 1000lbs heavier pushing me into a car at least 1000lbs more in front. End of story my frame was bent and car was totaled and I still have the lower back and neck pain to show for it. I got another 240Z and started over but will only drive it on track days, nice days and open road. My Audi A4 is now the DD that serves its purpose well. The S30 has its place and I am very aware of it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators RTz Posted October 30, 2007 Administrators Share Posted October 30, 2007 ....what's next a Mercedes C30? Looking forward to seeing a Mercedes in his driveway so I can return the crap he flung at me for my Infiniti Q-45. You guy's kill me. I don't know whether to laugh or cry Shamefully, I've already got one picked out... CLK63 AMG Black Series. 500hp, 0-60 in 4.1, and reportedly brilliant handling... "The out-of-the-box, on-the-road solution is insane. Anyone who wants, needs or thinks he could use more lateral grip on a public road should have their license revoked on general principle." Jay Shoemaker. I might be able to DD it ... Photo by: No idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJayHoward Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 My daily driver's an '08 MX-5. I bought my '76 280Z for a playtoy, and that's exactly what it'll become. But first I have to fix the chassis. Then buy/rent a garage and swap the motor. Then... ... Aah, I'm sure you know the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Ron, That Mercedes is nice, but if you really want to be true to the guys here you need a license plate frame that reads: "My other car is a 240Z". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators RTz Posted October 30, 2007 Administrators Share Posted October 30, 2007 Ron,That Mercedes is nice, but if you really want to be true to the guys here you need a license plate frame that reads: "My other car is a 240Z". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locodrftr Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Turned 23 this past july bought the car in june and its become my daily driver...however i think i like my s13 hatch as a daily instead.....but then theres just something about driving the Z that makes u want to drive it more and more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X64v Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I daily drive mine, usually around 10k mi/year. It's loud, but I'm 18. I'm sure when I get older, I'll hold the same sentiments as the rest of you, but for now it's the coolest thing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughdogz Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I DD my 260z. Yes it leaks water into the cabin in the winter, glass gets all fogged up. Yes, I smell like exhaust fumes when I get out of my car (my 130+ lb Akita dog does too but he doesn't mind either!) Yes, it is hard to start and drive when cold. Yes, I put up a lot of road noise Yes, I get crappy MPG (~18-20 around town) Yes, the headlights are dim Yes, the heater blower / defroster does almost nothing Yes, the black interior is HOT as hell in the summer with no A/C Yes, I know I will lose (big time) if I get into an accident with another car, especially an SUV But it is so damn simple to work on, inexpensive parts, reliable, with low insurance costs. No one will steal it since they have no clue how to start it. People driving near me tend to keep their distance since the rattle-can paint job looks like I probably have no insurance. My dog can tear the crap out of it, people can key it, back into it, I don't really care too much since it is my DD beater!! I just love the way you feel connected to the Z when driving it. You feel every bump in the road, the fun of double-clutching into every corner...it can be a challenge to keep it under control driving it in the rain...which is exciting lol! I could go out and buy a new 350Z outright as a DD, but my dog would tear the crap out of it for one thing...there is just something about the challenge of keeping up a 35 year old car with classic styling, decent power and handling that I just can't get away from. And Paul and Ron, I'm not that much younger than you guys...but not having a family / wife / GF probably makes a HUGE difference why I keep my trusty old beater around. Would I drive my nice 280ZXT every day? No way too much wear-n-tear. [Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention on of my main reasons for DD a S30 is that I don't want to drive some "cookie-cutter" car. I really value the uniqueness of the early Z. Even if everyone thinks an S30 has to be a "280Z" ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_furious Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I ride my bicycle to work when the weather permits, otherwise, I take the Z. 2.5 miles is just enough for it to warm up, probably the worst way to drive a car...10 minutes with lots of stops, shut it off, do it again later that day. It's my only car. It was cheap, it's reliable, gets decent mileage, parts are fairly easy to get, it's easy to troubleshoot, easy to work on, handles far better than any of the other cars I've had(which isn't saying much), looks good, and does exactly what it's supposed to. I'm happy. As far as creature comforts go, less is more in my opinion. I'd like AC, but I don't need it. I don't even have a stereo. The heater works, in fact, it works a bit too well...I find myself barely opening the valve, and leaving the fan on the lowest setting. My feet stay warm, and I can crack a window if the cabin gets hot. Just got it repainted. Next step is to get the motor & trans I just bought swapped in and properly tuned. Suspension comes after that, then wheels & tires, possibly ZG flares. For a guy on my budget and with my lifestyle, it's a good car. Maybe a Corolla or a Sentra at the same initial cost would be more economical, but I refuse to drive an anonymous cookie-cutter that I have to smog every year. It would crush my will to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big-phil Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I drive mine everywhere!!! I love the sound of the turbo spinning up just a little as I gently go through the gears. And I love the BOV as I get on the highway. I drive it everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calgary280ZT Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I drove my 77 between Calgary and Bakersfield three times this year (about 4,000 miles round trip, 22.000 over past 15 months) and left it in Bako for the winter so I can DD it every two weeks when I'm down there. So far the car has been amazingly reliable. It goes like stink, gets decent gas mileage and my customers love to ask questions about it. I'm in Calgary now and missing my baby every single minute...only 12 days till I see her again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e_racer1999 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 every chance i get. but there's no taillights so on days when i leave work after dark i can't drive her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getoffmyinternet Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Yeah, not me, because after getting my z exactly the way I wanted it I had spare cash to go out and buy another car to use as my daily driver... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenshinX Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I wish I could drive mine as a DD but thats what I'm working towards now need a major tune up and rewiring. Luckily I have a DD that I can drive while I save up for the precious Z. It's a 1997 Toyota Corolla CE with only 20,000 miles;oh yea its gonna last me for a while and I get 34 mpg and fill the tank up every 2 weeks. I think thats a sweet deal but its boring as heck to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Still working on my Z. When I get it road worthy, it's going to replace my current DD. That would be an old Toyota pickup with 275k miles. A bent valve that is still holding up after 10k miles. No heat or AC. Driver seat is so worn out that I am now sitting on springs. Cracked windshield. The lens cover on the dome light was so dry rotted it crumbled. The exhaust is loose and makes a lot of noise. I have to turn the darn thing off just to place an order at the drive in. Other than a big dent on the rear driver side, there is no rust. The clutch pedal makes a god-awful noise when I engage the clutch. I hope it will stay together until the Z is ready. I don’t care if there are fumes. It’s a far cry from the road hazard I’m driving now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIKWEAR002 Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I drive my jeep mostly but ill be driving the s30 now that it is so much cooler out. Only thing I dont like is the fumes and fear of people running into me and hurting the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1noel Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I can't drive mine as a DD. I get to drive my suburban cause it will carry all my stuff. On most days I try to get done early just so I can go waste some gas in the Z. {Sorry Al Gore}. Most of the time I'd rather drive it than the wife's 350Z. And mine will hold a fair amount of groceries-way more than her roadster. And as I've said before, it is a much easier to drive around town car since the swap. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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