Driving a fun car is fun.

"bhardoin" (bhardoin) 02/26/2014 at 20:28 • Filed to: None

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I'm driving the Z to Target on the way home from work in the rain (held out a distiguished amount sidewaysness by punching it in first turning left from a stop light). I park next to a guy who's just leaving in his Nissan when he rolls the window down, says something complimentary about the Z. So we chat a bit about his , and he ends the conversation with, "and Congratulations."

Makes me feel like a boss.

jkm7680 > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 20:30

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Nice, I want one of these as a project.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 20:40

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This is why I want a fun car, not some underpowered hunk of junk.

bhardoin > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 02/26/2014 at 20:44

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Underpowered is very loosely defined. I think the Z is about spot in, and it has probably 110 horsepower at the wheels to push around 2500 pounds. But then I look around everywhere and people are shitting on the BRZ/FRS for having (gasp!) about 150 hp at the wheels and being (gasp!) 2700 lbs. I have a sneaking suspicion that many of these people just shift like grandmothers and don't like being near redline.

bhardoin > jkm7680 02/26/2014 at 20:46

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I highly recommend it. They're so easy to work on - the engine bay is enormous. I occasionally check my spark plugs just for kicks because it only takes about 15 seconds / plug. And I don't even have to lift it to change the oil, I can just reach straight through the engine bay to get to the drain plug.

jkm7680 > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 20:50

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The one that I'm looking at needs frame rails, and pans, mainly body work. I've always liked the looks of them.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 21:03

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I agree with your point, although, cars that have a small amount of power tend to be a bit dull. All I'm saying is, don't use an engine too small for the car it's pulling/pushing.

bhardoin > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 02/26/2014 at 21:16

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Yeah, agreed. I think my main point is that I think "enough" has become too inflated. I think as long as you can break the back end loose gunning it in first, you should be fine.

bhardoin > jkm7680 02/26/2014 at 21:18

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I didn't do the restoration on this car, but rust on these is the enemy. They're unibody, and if you have rusty framerails and pans, you're in for a LOT of work.

Big Bubba Ray > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 21:27

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Damnit I want one so badly. I looked at a 280 yesterday that was hella cheap, but it was a complete turd. I found one a few hours away from me that's been restored, but it's an automatic. If I find a great one for a reasonable price, I might sell my OB for it.

webmonkees > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 21:37

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"That car.. did things it shouldn't have. It was a force. It did incredible things and yet scared you to the bone."

-friend, reminiscing about high school days and "Weefie's" '74 Z with the 280 motor. I also recall the days of him working on the 240 motor, acres of valve train. Ended up taking that off to get rebuilt, then eventually the 280 motor was found..

Power? Grippy tires. Good suspension/mounts. enjoy the mile of engine bay.

Later, sold the car to a cousin, moved on to a 280, a couple more, even a 2+2, then built an insane VW Mk3..

So we go for a ride in that Jetta. This guy knew his car stuff better than you would think for a Tennessee yokel.. That ran a PC business.

This Z-trained driver proceeded to scare the crap out of me. Somehow he had managed to put 90% of the dynamics of the old Z in that.

(Front drive, rear drive, whatever, he had replicated the yoink! of a Z, somehow.)

Maybe it was the lead foot, but I had to tell him to back off or else that redneck in the S10 trying to race was going to understeer into the median.

Fun.

revrseat70 > bhardoin 02/26/2014 at 22:30

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Exactly! For a street car anyway.. I think the internet has made a lot of people think their cars all need to be gatebil* track-spec speedhunters ready unicorn cars when they MIGHT autocross once or twice in their whole lives. If anything: Do the bolt-ons and suspension upgrades that make the car what the engineers wanted before the accountants oppressed them and enjoy it! They won't spend every weekend fixing the car, and they'll be better drivers with more contentment/joy in their lives.

bhardoin > revrseat70 02/26/2014 at 23:56

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Amen to that. Plus you'll get decent enough gas mileage that you'll actually have the opportunity to enjoy it.

bhardoin > webmonkees 02/27/2014 at 00:32

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Haha. There's something about the way it turns in that's just brilliant. And how it settles mid-turn. I could imagine a jetta replicating it.

bhardoin > Big Bubba Ray 02/27/2014 at 00:33

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You could totally buy the auto and swap a manual. There're loads of people that have done it, and Z transmissions and motors are dirt cheap because so many people pull them for SBC and RB swaps.

Big Bubba Ray > bhardoin 02/27/2014 at 01:15

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Ya, that though has definitely been in the back of my mind. The car is perfect judging by the pictures. Exactly what I want in a Z. At this point though, I'm just looking for one that has a stick and is in decent shape. The search continues, I suppose.

You should post more about your Z. I need pictures to lust over until I can pick one up for myself haha

chuck07 > bhardoin 02/27/2014 at 02:02

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Now you have me looking at this:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/434773…

The front looks a little off, like it is missing the middle.

WorldRally17 > bhardoin 02/27/2014 at 09:37

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When I bought a 280Z last year I never expected to get a lot of attention, living in Detroit and all. Even though the car is three different colors (I had to replace some of the body panels) and it's not pretty in any way, I still had people drive up next to me and ask me to pull over so they could ask me about it! I can only imagine what's going to happen when I get it painted with some new wheels and fix up the interior!

bhardoin > chuck07 02/27/2014 at 10:43

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That looks awesome!
The front and rear just look a little different because someone took off the bumpers - the 280s had the enormous, ugly, heavy 5mph bumpers. Check for rust though - especially somewhere rainy like Washington these things turn to pure iron oxide.

bhardoin > Big Bubba Ray 02/27/2014 at 10:48

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I feel like a shamelessly narcissistic oppoite sometimes since about 90% of my posts are just my Z stories / Cell phone pics of the Z. But I guess I could pick up the pace a little bit. haha

bhardoin > WorldRally17 02/27/2014 at 11:01

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They're popular cars among even non-car folks. Everyone remembers that one friend/uncle/sister that had one back in the day. Hilariously though, anyone under 40 generally doesn't know what it is and couldn't care less.

WorldRally17 > bhardoin 02/27/2014 at 12:45

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I have definitely noticed this. Being 25 all of my friends had no idea what a 280Z was (except for those who were really into cars) and all the people that stop me on the street look over 40.

bhardoin > WorldRally17 02/28/2014 at 11:08

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I think its pretty cool actually how that works. I've met a lot of awesome people that are a lot older than the people I can normally interact with as a 21 year old .