New Member

[ehx37]

Hello,

I just registered for the forums largely to get the advice of enthusiasts who love their cars.

Right now I ride a motorcycle but am in negotiations with someone on a trade for their 1975 280z, the car is gorgeous, and I have to admit I'm a tad bit infatuated with the idea of owning it.

The body/paint seem to be in pretty good condition and the owner says they've never had any problems getting it started or mechanical problems while it was running. It does have a bit of rust on the floorboards, though I know this is something i need to look into a bit more.

So I guess the main point of this is, what am I getting myself into if I do this trade?

I would welcome and appreciate any insight or guidance you have!

Thanks for your time, sorry for the long post.

>.< just realized I posted this in the wrong forum and don't know how to edit. I'm a forum noob....

Edited February 9, 2010 by ehx37
Wrong Forum

[bigoak]

...no worries on the noob factor...

Go have a look at zhome.com (a web-site run by one of the stalwarts here). It has an excellent buying a z-car section.

The big issue on these is rust. In Tucson, not as much of a problem as up here in Toronto, but a problem nonetheless...

Use the search function liberally on the forums here and you will find a trove of info.

I would suggest finding a Z car specialist and having them give the car a good run through. It will be money well spent.

Good luck with the potential acquisition.

[WingZr0]

What ya trading, another cycle? What are you getting into, pure joy . As recommended have a pro check it out if possible. Search the forums for info on the"usual" rust spots. Check the frame rails for rust or hard dents. Let it idle for about 15 or 25 minuts and see if the temp guage spikes or redlines. Middle or 190 is about normal. Notice if it lags or hesitates at all and just general stuff you check when buying any other car

Edited February 9, 2010 by WingZr0

[240znz]

Get it up in the air and have a good look under the car. Mechanical parts are cheap to replace when compared to rust removal.

[Pomorza]

ehx37. First off where in Tucson do you live? Before you do what I did and buy the car without really inspecting it thoroughly take a nice slow walk around the car. Check for rust in the passenger's side wheel well. Check for rust under and around the battery tray. Check all the fluid levels and ensure they look the way they should. (don't want oil in the coolant or vise-versa). Take the car for a ride and see what it does. Note the oil pressure, water temp volt, anything and everything about the drive should be noted.

Thirdly I would, like everyone says, take it someplace and have it inspected. Your favorite mechanic should work but if you don't feel confident in them you could take it to a specialist, there's a few in Tucson. (Primarily Japanese, or Micro Import Service are two I can think of at the moment)

Jan

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Welcome, and look twice, buy once... have a look for the rust monster...

[ehx37]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I suppose my main source of apprehension would be that I'm looking to use it as a daily driver. Now, let me qualify that a bit, right now I'm on the east side of town and going to school, so my daily commute is about 16mi. round trip. That is really only going to continue until late may or june when I'm moving closer to campus, where it would only see use as a weekend driver or date car.

From what I hear its a reliable car, and nissans typically are, but the age is a source of concern.

My parents, who still pay the insurance while I'm still at the university are pushing for me to look at newer cars like the late 90s and early 00s mustangs because of the availability of parts.

Also, Pomorza, I'm on the east side of town and thanks for the Tucson Specific advice!

[ZCurves]

Be careful when using the Z as a "Date-Car". Girls love Z's, When I was in college twenty-five years ago, I started dating this pretty thang who happened to have a '79 ZX and liked the fact that I drove a Z too!

You have two guesses what happened next (and your first one doesn't count)...

[bigoak]

These things are exceptionally reliable. Parts are cheap and the work isn't overly technical. Rust is the thing to worry about...expensive and time consuming to fix.

[1 Bravo 6]

A good magnet, wrapped in cloth so as to not damage the paintwork will uncover any areas of bog.