The Life and Death of My First Sports Car

"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12) 08/21/2016 at 20:42 • Filed to: 300ZX

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My second car and my entrance to the world of sports cars was a Nissan 300ZX in 2010. I loved that car, but I destroyed it. This is my story.

For some reason on the Aus-spec the indicator and parker were combined in one light. The light cluster to the right of the lower bumper is false.

I’d been looking for something to replace my N13 Pulsar for a while. I wanted a Nissan EXA (still do!), but I couldn’t find a good one, and while I searched my available income increased. I looked at 3rd gen Preludes, I graduated to the 4th gen, and by the time I hit 5th gen I had enough for the cream of the crop: the Z32.

We have rules in Australia that stop people from driving powerful cars when they’re young. I couldn’t drive a turbo or V8 anything, which starts to make the Z32 look like one of the best cars someone like me could drive. It looks great, it’s got a high-revving V6, the glass t-tops, the luxury, the RWD, the size , the excess. It was perfect.

The opulence!

The one I ended up purchasing was very nice. Condition was fantastic, price was right, it was Australian-delivered, the color was beautiful and rare (though I never properly appreciated it - I thought it was like a white that looked dirty all the time), and it had leather seats taken from a later model.

The pearl white really worked with the sunlight

The car had an effect on me. I’d never driven something so intimidating, so awesome. The drive home from Geelong through the city was a nerve-wracking experience. I never really drove it hard, and for the first few months I was reluctant to overtake people as I felt I was still easing into the car. It sounds silly now, but imagine how you’d feel if you purchased a V12 Lamborghini, you’d be scared to push it too hard lest it bite back and destroy your bank account. With my modest income, and driving experience little more than mother’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and my old Pulsar, little me had that same feeling that I was driving something better than myself.

I loved that car. I washed it, polished it, babied it, took countless photos of it. But alas, it was not to last.

The following 4 photos were all taken on the same day - 12/05/2012

One fateful day in 2012 I was driving to work through !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It had been raining, but most of the road was dry except for where the trees sheltered it. I was stuck behind a car and couldn’t have much fun through the corners, so I decided to hang back a little and do one hard pull out of the tightest corner on the road to satisfy my urges.

The arrow is pointing at the tree I hit. I put that gash in it. It still looks like that, it will never recover.

I slowed, grabbed 2nd gear, accelerated hard. I liked the shove the car gave in 2nd. But I was right in the top-end of the gear where all the power lives, the road was deceptively damp and I still had the steering wheel turned for the last bit of the corner. The car kicked sideways, in my shock I didn’t even counter-steer, though it happened so fast. I spun nearly 180 degrees before the front-right fender hit a tree, hard. My head hit the b-pillar hard enough to draw blood. But I was fine, the car was not.

The fender hit a tree

The front bumper hit an embankment

The next few minutes are remarkably clear in my memory. I walked around picking up pieces of my car off the road and swearing. I called my friend, who turned up in his Evo 6 TME and set off its flare. I called emergency services. I was questioned by the police. I left with my pride shattered.

In the distance: JDM Evo, JDM flare

I’ve never felt the same way about a car. I had a few more Zs later, I drove them harder to fill the void in my heart, I never had that same feeling of something being better than I could handle. But on the flipside, I drive my cars harder, and I know now both how to prevent a car getting sideways and what to do when it happens. It also opened me up to a world of wrenching myself, something I never did on the first Z, which lead to me joining the local 300ZX club and going on many cruises.

I made this tribute to the car, it lives in my bedroom. It features the 3 keys for the car (red valet which doesn’t open glove box or t-tops, black master, titanium master which are no longer available as blanks), the Z32 logo keyring and a piece of the actual paint off my car.

Lastly, a dump of photos of the car. Tell me it’s not the best looking Z32 you’ve ever seen! It makes red/black/silver cars look like shit, as well as anything remotely riced.

None of the pics in this post have been filtered (unlike my last Z post lol). Any that look fancy like this one are the result of a poor camera.

This tree actually fell down in front of me while I was driving to work one morning. I saw it happen, but had enough time to stop.

Woke up to this one morning. Close! Trees really had it in for this car.

I just noticed my wheels were on backwards in this photo, and probably all of them since I don’t think they were removed from the car while I had it

Taken on Arthurs Seat, another good twisty road nearby. I didn’t crash on this road, but my brother did, badly.

Cats loved it. Finally found the culprit of all those mysterious paw prints running up and down the roof and windshield!

Taken on the fabled Great Ocean Road, one of two trips the car made down there.

Also down the Great Ocean Road

BringBackTheCommodore > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 20:50

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Reminds me of my experience with a 1989 Firebird Formula 350 That died in an accident on a stretch of interstate ... great cars taken from us too soon live on in our memories.

Raymundo > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 21:02

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Sad day. Glad you’re alright. Do you plan on attending any sort of driver schools or driving events in your area? I don’t mean government courses, I mean car club events. Developing muscle memory could potentially save you in a moment where things just happen too fast to think and react.

TylerJ > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 21:25

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I have to own one of these before I die.

Nauraushaun > TylerJ 08/21/2016 at 21:35

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I have to own another good one! But finding one as good as this...no easy task. If they don’t get riced, they get crashed by someone like me.

Nauraushaun > Raymundo 08/21/2016 at 21:37

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This was a few years ago, but it’s always a good idea. I am a much better driver now. But I’ve thought about going on such a course, and now that I’m a bit older and have some money to spend, maybe it’s a good idea.

It’s easy to say “oh I’m heaps better now this can’t happen to me”, but if and when it does happen you’ll wish you’d taken the course.

Nauraushaun > BringBackTheCommodore 08/21/2016 at 21:38

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That’s just it. Before they get too old and start wasting away. We remember them in their prime.

That Firebird of yours was just before they got ugly in my opinion. :(

Sad stuff :P

zipfuel > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 22:07

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I remember when my friend first got his z32 it had ancient, rock hard, flat spotted tires and would like fishtail like crazy in the rain.

Not a forgiving vehicle at all, especially if your previous experience is all front wheel drive.

Chasaboo > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 22:22

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Weren't those cars really twitchy? I seem to remember someone telling me that back in the day.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 22:40

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I always loved these since I had a yellow 300ZX (Z32) Matchbox car as a kid. Since then, I’ve occasionally tossed around the idea of picking one up. It might be a fun car to play with while not being afraid of full throttle and still having adequate kicks.

Nauraushaun > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 08/21/2016 at 22:55

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I’d like to point out that not being afraid of full throttle is exactly what caused the untimely death of the car in this post.

But in general, in the dry, full throttle is all good

Orange Exige > Nauraushaun 08/21/2016 at 22:56

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I’ll be honest - I hate the 300ZX. Well, its looks at least.

I can appreciate it and it being a fantastic car - especially the TT - but it just was not the cream of 90s sports car design. My biggest thing with it is its half-assed (imo) headlights which were early 90s reactions to the lack of popup headlights. It’s like the NA Miata flush headlight mod - only not a mod...

But anyway, I completely hear you all too well on the reminiscing of a great early sports car lost far too soon. Mine was actually a 95 Miata which I regret crashing before I really even had a chance to enjoy it - or even replace its rear left caliper because the bleeder valve was sheered off :’( Conditions probably not too far from those you described, the main difference being salty, wintery roads and me just wanting to have fun.

I parted it out, and just about made my money back, but man, I think I feel worse about it nowadays than I did 3 years ago when it happened. It made me pretty proud of the Miata’s design, but not the way it should have happened :/

Nauraushaun > Chasaboo 08/21/2016 at 22:56

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In my sheltered opinion, I don’t think so. They could hang the tail out fairly easily, and the 2+2 being quite long made it very stable.

The 2-seater would be twitchier. And the TTs came with HICAS 4WS which can activate unexpectedly making them somewhat unpredictable (though it does allow sharper handling).

Nauraushaun > zipfuel 08/21/2016 at 22:57

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I found mine to be fairly forgiving for the most part. The tires are wide and hold the car well, when they’re not old and the road isn’t wet lol.

Orange Exige > Orange Exige 08/21/2016 at 22:58

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Also, that Evo... *drool*

Cool ass car. I’m not much into rally heritage but I know we didn’t get that Evo in the US and I know that I would probably drool in real life if I saw it.

Nauraushaun > Orange Exige 08/21/2016 at 23:28

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That’s fair. I feel the same way (for different reasons) about the Supra. I think the 300ZX was very cutting edge when it launched way back in 1989, both in design and performance. Unfortunately, being first often means you don’t do it the best, but at the time it was truly ahead of the game. I guess it took them a long time to figure out how to properly do headlights without popups: the RX7 didn’t even attempt it, the 3000GT and Supras attempts are gross in my opinion.

That’s not the way it should go at all! At least you made your money back. Mine wasn’t insured first party (if it had been I’d have almost paid the car off a second time in insurance in the time I had it), so when I crashed it it was gone and I’d spent all the money I had in the world on it. I borrowed a little from a friend to get the Z31 I got afterwards and it all worked out. But I did manage to sell the shell of the Z32 for $1500!

If it sounds irrational, it probably wasn’t as bad as it sounds. I was living at home, I could afford to spend all my savings on a car.

Nauraushaun > Orange Exige 08/21/2016 at 23:31

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It’s damn cool. I’ve taken it up the road it’s sitting on there, it’s phenomenal. At speed the turbo lag just doesn’t exist, it feels like a go kart.

We got a very small amount in Australia (100 per year I think), so this is a JDM import. But we can do that, there’s no 25 year rule and we already use RHD. It’s definitely drool worthy :)

realikesea > Nauraushaun 08/22/2016 at 00:26

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That whiplash was something nasty.

I loved that colour though. Simple and understated but beautiful.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nauraushaun 08/22/2016 at 00:32

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I know, and that’s real unfortunate how it played out. That was a good looking car. I learned a bit about throttle control and oversteer correction with my first car, which was a 120hp truck... I only tapped the side of a bridge, which I figured was way better than the Grand Am in the other lane.

I would like to also recommend looking into a driving school. If Aus is anything like Minnesota, there are a surprising number of car club events and schools that you can learn at, which is hella fun, and become more familiar with your car. Then you could handle the horsepower, while not risking mistakes at places without runoffs.

Nauraushaun > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 08/22/2016 at 00:39

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Sounds like the best possible outcome really. Sadly.

You’re very right. I’ll look into it. Skills for life.

Nauraushaun > realikesea 08/22/2016 at 00:40

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Yeah :(

Yeah :(

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nauraushaun 08/22/2016 at 14:22

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Interesting. Could you explain the powerful car rules to me? Or a link to something about it? I find those things interesting.

Nauraushaun > CaptDale - is secretly British 08/22/2016 at 18:23

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Here you are.

You get P1 (“Red Ps”) for a year then 3 years of green. You’re not eligible for either until you’re at least 18, and you also need 120 logged hours of driving experience as well.

It was simpler back in the day. In 2008 when I got my licence they just banned turbo/V8 cars for P-platers, as well as certain powerful NA cars like the older M3. But with so many turbo diesels and small displacement turbos going around these days, they’ve had to get much more specific on what they ban.

Most of the rules are for the better I think, but it’s easier saying that when you’re old enough that they no longer apply :P This happened to me (and a similar thing to my brother) in a car that was P-plate approved, I don’t think young drivers really need more powerful cars.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nauraushaun 08/22/2016 at 18:40

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Wow that is wild. Here we don’t have vehicle restrictions and insurance is not nearly as bad as other places are.

Nauraushaun > CaptDale - is secretly British 08/22/2016 at 18:50

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I wonder if younger people in faster cars are over-represented in the crash statistics. Our government would have you believe that’s the case, but Victoria is a nanny state when it comes to car stuff. They just keep lowering speed limits :(

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nauraushaun 08/22/2016 at 18:55

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Seems like everywhere is getting more and more nanny.... maybe people should just use common sense and stop being stupid....

Orange Exige > Nauraushaun 08/23/2016 at 20:13

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Wow that was an interesting read and I still do respect your own tastes but I don’t see/feel it at all about the Mk4 Supra - especially not in comparison to the 300ZX. Man, I think the Mk4 Supra is one of the most clean and timeless designs of the 70s-90s. I can see what you mean to a certain degree because it really doesn’t seem that distinctive, but I think that’s where some of its beauty lies - in its simplicity. Even though it is so soft of a design and seemingly generic, it really isn’t. The only car I would put up there with it is the FD RX-7, which is similar in design, but with a little more flair. If not for the popup headlights, it’d easily be a more timeless design than the Supra, but even with them, (I think) it can be pretty reasonably passed off as a 2010. (That’s what I mean by timeless. Basically, doesn’t blatantly look out of place today)

Anyway, glad it all worked out for you! If we were on the same continent, you would be happy that I hate 300ZX’s because that would leave more for you :)

Nauraushaun > Orange Exige 08/24/2016 at 00:19

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I feel that way about the Z! I feel the Z was simple and clean, but the Supra was too far. At least we both agree 100% on the RX-7, that was really something.

I’m happy a lot of people hate them, it’s certainly easier to find an unmodified one than it is the Supra (and cheaper too)