Youngins: How'd you end up with a Z?

[240hoke]

I saw my first Z car at a car dealership/museum on a trip out west when I was about 12 years old. I was already really interested in cars at the time due to my dad always buying and selling and fixing them up, I would always help and get to drive them around the driveway. Anyway I had never scene one before, I thought it was an exotic at first being enthralled with Ferraris, and I absolutely loved it. I asked my dad what it was and he told me a Datsun 240z. He also said that he had two of them when he was in highschool.

 

From that point on it was all I could talk about non stop. I bought several books on them and figured out what year was best etc. When I was 14.5 just when drivers ed was starting my dad found a 1974 260z just outside of town in pretty good shape..he bought the car for a father son project and we had a blast cleaning it up. We put weber carbs on it and I drove it all over creation with him in the passengers seat, I loved it. My dad was more of a clean and shine type guy with cars and I took over the restoration stuff. We had delt with a few shops when we got the car and had several bad experiences, not to mention big bills. One shop closed my hood with a wrench on the radiator crossmember and dented the hood.... From that point on I decided to do all the work on my car myself, to not only learn about cars but to have fun! Armed with information from Zcar.com and HybridZ.com I dove in starting with the suspension first......by the time I was 16 I had drained by savings account (initially for my pilots license) and was putting the finishing touches on my turbo swap complete with a NPR intercooler and SDS! Talk about a ride for a 16 yo....the rest I guess you could say it history!

 

Here is a picture of my first Z, I guess this was my Junior year. I totaled it on the day this picture was taken.

 

I now have a serious problem; Im addicted to cars, z more precisely, and between cars and school I have no time and no money... and I like it

 

I am currently 22 years old and a mechanical Engineering Student at NCSU, I own 3 Z cars:

03 350z Track Edition (Daily Driver)

71 240z VQ swapped and highly modded (weekend project)

72 240z Beater (something to do at school, selling soon)

[janaka]

I'm 26, my wife and I were looking to buy a fun summer car and she had an exboyfriend who had a Z with a SBC in it. So it was her fault we bought it Drove it for a year with the L6 then went LS1. Its the best of both worlds now, old school looks, modern performance.

[Rustyfriend]

I'm 19 and got my first Z when I just turned 17. I was looking for a car to work on as a project because it really sucked trying to upgrade your dd and worry about having it ready at a moments notice. So I searched ebay and there she was....a '78 2+2 less than 10 minutes from my place and like everyone says, LOVE at first site. Bought her for $1200 two days later. She didn't look pretty but she had great mechanics.

 

 

Then found out she was extremely rusted and came across another z, a '77 2+2. This time from Florida with a mint body and freshly painted a lamborghini yellow. bought her this time ONE day later for $3800. Took the motor, suspension, and interior from the white car and swapped it into this one. Stored the good sheet metal from the white car for the future. Got the yellow car up and running in about 2 weeks of spare time (also spent my whole spring break on her ).

 

this is her as i got her (minus the nice front wheels)

 

Now she has coilover suspension, roll bar, bigger sway bars, seats/harnesses, happy new bushings all around, an airdam, and a turbo swap in progress! I wonder if the original owner knows what I have done in less than a year.

 

 

[twoeightyzx]

I first became interested in Datsun Z's at the age of 18. I was visiting an uncle of mine who had a Z31 2+2 in their garage. They were wanting to get rid of it as my cousin never parked long enough to change the injectors and it had an engine fire. Unfortunatly I did not have the time or money to fix it and get it running. He later took me to storage where an S30 that my cousin had also used during h.s. was. Only this one had been in an accident and the driver side wheel was shifted back 6 inches. At the age of 20 I started college having taken a little over a year off of school. Having been on the look out for an early Z I was elated when my parents told me of one not far from home. Two weeks later I was the owner of a '79 ZX. I knew it wasn't fast but it had a nice ride and I felt it handled well. I soon regreted not taking a better look as it had many problems. While at a local junkyard I asked about an old Z31 turbo. The guy I spoke to quickly informed me that the owner had an old Z he wanted to sell that had a good title. I saw it and instantly fell in love, '78 280Z. I knew all the spots to look for rust and altough there was some, it was not major to me. My sister laughed at me as I had previously bought a 240sx from a junkyard with its motor in the hatch and here I was with another non-running car. I changed the oil, spark plugs, coolant, and put a battery in. She fired up, small leak in one of the fuel lines, but running. Maybe not the best car to have at 23 as I'm still in school but if I have to drive, it might as well be in something I enjoy. No A/C in the Texas heat but thats what windows are for.

[Z_Rac3r]

I'm 19 in a little less then 2 weeks, and I love telling the story about how I got sucked into the Z world. Since I was little I've loved cars. Don't ask where it comes from... My dad kind of likes cars, but not working on them so I'm not sure. I was never really around a car person, I just loved them. Always played with hot wheels, micro machines, built car models, I love problem solving and puzzles. I'm studying Mechanical Engineering and Aviation Mechanics, so something clicked in me to be a gear head.

 

Well about 2 years ago, I was walking around a car show, and this guy... Mark Belrose, was standing next to his BRE road race prepped 240z. Id never seen a car like this before (I grew up in Colorado and Alaska... you dont see too many sporty cars in these places) and I was completely in love with it. I was walking around with my friend (a guy) and I guess Mark thought we were a couple and said to me "You'll go broke with a guy like that" (because he is a car guy, also into road racing) and my buddy laughed and said "Are you kidding, shes worse then me!". This sparked a funny convo with Mark and I knew I had to get a Z.

 

I was looking for a daily driver, so something good on gas (I was commuting 45 miles to work and school every day) but I wont drive anything newer then like... mid 80's and thats pushing it. I Love vintage/classic cars. I narrowed it down between a Z and an E30, I didnt think my dad would like the Z if I bought it because of its age, so air bags, etc. I brought up the issue with him, and he was like "well... its an old car, half of the time it will be having problems, blah blah blah..."... I liked this idea. I love to wrench what can I say, and I told him Id get it running solid and keep it solid. He didnt like the idea, but I was sold.

 

I found my 78 280z on craigslist, convinced my dad to drive down there with me the next morning... 3am to meet the owner before they had to go to work. I showed up, completely in love and excited, checked for rust (as my dad and the owner laughed at me as I'm crawling on the ground looking under the car). I bought her within 10 minutes, didnt even start the car *foolish on my part* and we were off. She had a rebuilt engine, 5sp, original paint and interior in perfect condition.

 

about 6 months later I saw Mark again, at the Roadster show in Solvang CA. Told him he gave me the Datsun disease. Anybody who knows me knows I'm obsessed with these cars. Its the styling, the sexiness, the design and engineering behind it, everything that makes a car a car... is perfect with the Z. I'm currently looking for a daily driver Z as my car is stripped and being prepped for road race.

 

Long story short, seeing a race prepped Z, stole my heart.

[FlatBlack]

I bought my 78 was I was 19, I am 21 now.

 

My roommate in Baton Rouge had a 73 240Z with a 350 SBC in it, he took me for a ride one night and right after the first pull from a stop I decided I needed one. I looked around for a while and finally found my 280Z just north of New Orleans.

 

I've always wanted to do an LS1/T56 swap but that will have to wait until I am done with school.

[webster280z]

I am 19, bought my first zed in January 2008 (I was 18 at the time). I have always admired the Z car, My father and I regularly watch ebay for rust free southern cars and trucks to import into Canada. I live in Trenton ON. One Day, while looking at donated vehicles in socal (on ebay) I found my beautiful 76 280z. I won the auction for 1500 bucks, payed 1000 to have shipped the New York state and have spent about 800 on it after. I currently have 3 280zs, a 78 that i bought in Ontario getting ready for a L28et swap, a 76 2+2 parts car and i sent a 71 240z to the crusher that i parted out.

[PanzerAce]

I'm 21, bought the car a few months after I turned 20. For me I had always wanted a real sports car as *my* first car, since I enjoy driving. At first I was looking at 951s, realized that CA smog laws wouldn't let me do what I wanted to them, so I started looking earlier. That pretty much meant that Z cars were my only option (oh, the trauma, I know ). I asked around for a good shop to get them checked out at prior to buying one (here, I think, actually), got pointed at Z Car Garage, saw that they had a classified section, then spent every moment I could towards getting the money for the Z that I currently have

 

No AC, no power ANYTHING, doesn't like to start int he cold, limited trunk space (though more than most people would think), and a stiff ride, but I've never regretted buying it

[h4nsm0l3m4n]

Wow, this is a very intersting thread. I am pretty new to this forum but I guess I'll add my story to the pile.

 

I'm 24 now, I bought my Z last summer, but my love for cars dates back to when I was 3 or 4 years old.

I was born in Russia, where at the time cars were considered a luxury. In fact, my parents did not even own a car let alone have one as a "project." I distinctly remember if we ever had to travel anywhere long distance we would take the train or find a friend of a friend who was traveling that way and would agree to take us along. Yet even back then my mind could think of nothing but cars, I knew all about the old Soviet era cars-Ladas, Volgas, Moskvitches, Zappos, etc, often talking about them with my parents and relatives, much to the amazement of the anyone present (or so I am told). My most memorable childhood experience had to be when my uncle took me on his lap when he was driving his old Moskvitch down a country road and let me steer. I think we went through more holes in the road that day then I have the rest of my life haha.

 

When we finally moved to the US in 1991 you cant imagine my amazement. Everyone had a car, and there were so many different models. Took me a while to get used to it. Our first family car was a 1980-something Plymouth Champ. Fast forward to high school. I always envied the kids with the cool cars but never really understood how anyone got the money to buy one. I drove the old family car, a 1991 Ford Taurus station wagon, not the prettiest car on the lot but I loved driving it. I focused on my studies and only really worked a lot my last year of high school where I used the money to buy a nice computer that I needed for when I left for college.

 

Since then, not much has changed. I am finishing up my Mechanical Engineering degree at Oregon State University. I've worked every summer for the last 3 years at one engineering firm or another, saving the money I made to get by the next year at school (my parents pay for my schooling but I pay for everything else). However, I would make daily rounds through craigslist for those three years, looking for a car, any car, that I could call my own.

 

Finally this summer my search came to an end. My parents were vising family back home (so noone was around to talk sense into me), I had just recieved two hearty paychecks, and I was feeling dangerous. I saw an add on craigslist for a 1975 280z for $1300 or so, the car seemed in good condition. The ad even said, "good for a project car you can drive". "Perfect", I thought, and made the call. The car was in the same town my girlfriend lived in, 2 hours away. I took off early from work that day, and, with my heart pounding the whole way, somehow made it to Eugene. The man who sold me the car was very nice and actually sold me it for less than $1000. I agreed to drive it to my girlfriends house and have the car shipped for $150 to my house in Portland the next morning. Everything seemed so great, a car, my own, to do with what I will at last! I was ecstatic

 

The drive to her house though quickly brought me back down from the clouds. The fuel filter was so clogged up I could not drive on the freeway any faster than about 45, and my lack of experience driving a stick made drivng on normal streets extremely intimidating. I was surprised I didnt cause any accidents, but I made it to her house in one piece. Next morning the car was delivered to my house and I made the call to my parents. I will never forget the words I said to them "So uh.. I dont know if this is good news, or bad, but I bought a car..." my dad just laughed and said "you crazy man, I should have seen this coming", we mostly left it at that.

 

So anyway, its been almost a year now me and the car have been through a lot. I've changed that damn fuel filter, but also the carbs, installed tokico shocks and springs, bought a used 6-1 header and had 2.25" exhaust made. More work is planned for this summer, perhaps I can run her in some autox events if she is up to it. Until then the car waits for my return back home. Its funny to think that I've waited 20 years for this car, now it just waits for me.

 

I never would have imagined that I could have a car of my own, and not just any car, a car which is effectively a toy. I dont want to seem too emotional but it really is a dream come true for me. I think we are all very lucky people to have these cars (or any cars) and hope we appreciate the gifts we have.

 

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my story and sorry about it being so long, I tried to shorten it up but I dont think it makes sense unless you know it from the beginning.

[mikeatrpi]

I wanted a project car when I graduated from college. I had about 6 weeks between commencement and starting my real job... seemed like enough time to restore a clunker! I test drove a Porsche 914, and a day later I went motorcycle shopping with a buddy. The guy said "I'm moving, man. Just sold the bike. But I got a couple old Datsuns. Wanna look?"

 

I drove the pair of 280zx's home a few days later. I didn't know anything about what I was getting into. Both were rustbuckets, one was crashed, etc.

 

Six weeks turned into years, always doing the work myself learning as I went. Started when I was 22, now I'm 27, and in a year I'll be driving the Z on my wedding day.

[icapture]

To the OP, I am kinda in the same boat as you. My pops owned one when he was my age, took my mom on their first date in it, and I hope to take my future wife (whoever she may be) on our first date in mine. At first the Z was a realistic dream car, but now that I have been working on her and becoming familiar with every part of her it seems that I am enjoying her much more than if I were to BUY a dream car. Making one yourself is SOOO much more enjoyable.

 

The Z is in no way a "dream car" in her current state (in process of getting a new power plant) but eventually she will be prime.

[mannyvig]

I got into vintage racing in high school and fell in love with the 510. I spent a lot of time looking for a good shell that I could afford at the time but there wasn't such a car. After college when I became a tech, I worked at the Nissan tech center for a while (the huge track at the beginning of the new Altima commercials).there were tons of awesome pictures on the walls of that place of old factory and race preped Z cars. I knew that eventually I would own a Z after seeing all the history at the tech center.

I've owned an S30 and an S130 and after a couple 150+ hour checks from the Infiniti dealership I bought me 73 and my mikunis. I don't imagine ever getting rid of this Z and will hopefully have many more.

[lowrider]

Well, i think i had this coming since birth. My grandfather always messed around with cars. He would fix them up and trade them. When my dads family moved to Tennessee in the 70's my grandfather started working on datsuns. He had 510s, 610s, trucks, you name it he owned it at one point or another. Unfortunately i never had the chance to meet my grandfather as he died the same year i was born. My whole family says im his reincarnation...

I have been interested in cars since day one. Throughout my childhood i drew pictures of cars that had a long nose and a hatch back rear that the Z is known for. I first found out about the S30 by an interest in the 350z. I googled 350z and it showed the picture of the Z on MSA's website that has the msa type 3 body kit; Been hooked ever since. Got my first 260z my junior year of highschool. It had a slick paintjob and a chevy v8 nestled between the frame rails. It was a fun car, and definitly the coolest one in the parking lot. Well worse came to worse and i wrecked it; effectivly wraping it around a tree in January of 08... a nice way to start off the new year.

Flash forward to september 08 when i found my current car. Bought it from the original owner and had no rust. So far i have swaped numerous parts from the first 260. Ive put on tokico hp shocks, eibach springs, poly control arm bushings, u-joints, and numerous other things to make this car driveable. I swear i could disassemble and reassemble the front and rear suspension with my eyes closed. So far im 18 and have owned 2 260z's and i dont plan to stop there. It really is a disease!

 

So i was destined to own an S30. Datsun is in my blood like it or not. lol

[kiwi303]

I bought mine last year at 27, I first met the 280zx when Greatuncle Bill (the black sheep of the family) bought a boy racer car in his 80's, shortly before being told he failed the old age drivers eyesight test! bad timing for him I would have been about 14/15 at the time.

 

Last year I was on the lookout for a project car, I would have been happy with anything front engine, rear drive with a long bonnet... RX7, 924 944 928, 2X0Z/ZX, Jag XJ6 XJ8. so long as it was a fairly good handling car.

 

I ended up with a 280zx with no engine, engine bay cleared and dual V engine exhausts installed.

 

I've a Rover V8 in the shed now stripped and awaiting boring out and rebuilding as money allows.

[Vintage]

I'll be 19 in 5 days. Bought my '75 just after turning 16. My father bought a 93 240SX hatch 5 speed with no options except ac and floor mats brand hammer new. I remember when I was little everybody referred to it as a sports car. He told me way back then when I was 16 the car would be mine. Well, plans change, and he traded it for a Sable for his wife to drive a few years later. I started getting into cars in a big way when I was 12, and acquired a 66 Mustang when I was 14 as a father son project. I started to want something to drive while working on it, and remembered the old Nissan. Shortly after, my brother bought an '83 5speed coupe, and I was hooked. Still havnt driven my S30, but its getting REAL close.

Since my 75 became a project much like my Mustang, I ended up buying a clean '76 Ford Maverick (Dad raised me Ford/Nissan) for 500 bucks as a daily driver -

You can see me wearing my MSA datsun shirt, haha. Unfortunately, this car was totaled last year, in a very wiolent way. Log through the windshield type stuff.

[amorfin]

quote]

 

I would be scared to have my car so high on jackstands like that and work under it.

 

But the car is looking good.

[Vintage]

That picture was taken 3 years ago, its on the ground (mostly) now. But believe me, it was very sturdy, couldnt have knocked it off if you wanted to.

[Ferrariferg]

I was 18, now 19. I have a long list of cars I want to own someday and I had always liked the look of Z's. My neighbor had a 280zx a few years ago and it was always out front for me to drool over. Then he sold it and not long after my friend bought one. He took me for a ride once and I was hooked. I opened the door and Betty started bitchin and scared me. lol. It wasn't even a turbo. It was just a 2 seater with a 5 speed but it could get up and go. Unfortunately it was totaled by a guy that ran a red light in a large lifter truck.

 

When I was looking for my first car my requirments were pretty low since I wasn't looking to spend more than $500. Just wanted something that ran and drove, and maybe something I could do some work to later. I was looking for an old beetle of VW bus for awhile until I found my baby listed on craigs list one day. 1983 280zx 2+2 automatic NA $475. Been sitting for 7 years with little rust, everything worked, interior was a 5 out of 10. Mostly just dirty and mildewie. I went to look at it with a friend a couple days later and fell in love. We went back the next day so my dad could look at it and he liked it so I paid the man and took my baby home. The whole way home all I could think about was all the things I wanted to do to her. Shes come a long way since I've owned her. It may not show to most people but I know where she started. Its gonna be a long time still before shes done. Maybe she never will, but thats ok with me.

[B00STDZ]

Well First off I'm 17 now gonna be 18 in a few months...

 

My story is very different from everyones...

 

I never really had many hobbies under 8 years old other than "playing with toys" or "hanging out with friends"

 

Well my interest in cars really got set off by the computer game Need For Speed 2. Exotic cars that go 200+ mph really amazed me. After playing the game and soon beating it I got into exotic cars alot like ferrari's, porsche's, lamborghini's, mclaren f1, lotus', etc.. Did lots of research always did school project on exotic cars... blah blah.

 

This was Pre-12 years old, When I became a teen I got a better grip on life... I figured I was still into cars and still wanted to go fast. I knew I would probably never own an exotic unless I got a good job in about 15-20 yrs..

 

Well, to tell you the truth I haven't been really to much into z's until recently. When I was 13 I got into MKIV Toyota Supras ALOT. I even joined a forum a while back, but didnt post that much. I originally wanted a supra mkIV as my first car. Well when I talked to the parents about it they didnt like the idea of a new driver driving a twin turbod supra.. I remember back 3 years ago I was shopping around and found a supra mkIV for $4,000!! No joke! Tried to convince my parents to get it but they wouldn't budge. The fact that They would be helping me pay for it and they didnt want me driving it in the first place didnt help things. Well nothing ever happend after this and the idea faded...

 

My dad has always owned z's but he never modified them, so I always thought they had a low aftermarket support. Well one day alittle over a couple years back my grandpa gives my dad his 260z. It is not running and the carbs didnt function properly, had alot of problems. Well we decided to get it running with a 4 barrel carb and a new gas tank, and drove it up here. Right when my dad got this car he always talked about passing it on to me but I again was unsure of the aftermarket support. So I went on google and searched for s30 car mod websites, and you guys could probably guess what I happend to find first..... MSA!!! This is when it started hitting home that this is accually a decent project and I started to become intrigued by the project.

 

Everything after that fell into place and this is where I'm at now. Noting that I got the car for free, I have had more money to spend on mods.

 

The project is almost complete and I am ready to drive it!

[skib]

Im 20 now and have 2 Z's since I was 18, I didnt know ♥♥♥♥ about cars but I saw a Z and was fascinated. Sitting in the seat and driving off in my first Z (a very hurt 280zx 2+ N/A running on 4 cyl, but a Z non the less lol) and that was it, I was an addict from that point on and theres been no looking back. Just 2 strait years of making a Z friends and reading HBZ learning everything I can.

 

 

 

 

lol thats it, no big long story from me