psdenno

38 years, 1 month.

Speaking of paint, I'm curious about how well it takes other car doors opening against it in a parking lot - rips, peels? Looks good initially and it might be fun to have a shrink wrapped Z! Who will be first? Dennis

Put me at the head of the line for the tail lights/lenses if in good condition. Dennis

A wife who helps you dress your mistress - good woman! Dennis

Check the installation on a Porsche Boxster at: Dennis

It was a bone chilling 41 degrees here this morning and the closest snow is several thousand feet up the mountain. Winter in the California desert is actually the best driving season and preferred time of year to be outside working on the car. The Z is a little harder to start on these mornings but the Porsche comes out of the garage and the top comes off! Dennis

I paid $350 for mine and have an estimate of $650 for a "worst case" rebuild. Dennis

Question for seller of the Porche 280-Z: How many miles and does it have gullwing doors like the 270Z V12 did? Dennis

However, when a list is titled "25 Best Cars Ever List" one tends to think of it as covering a fairly long period of time - like forever. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there would be a Factory 5 Cobra replicar had there not been a Cobra somewhere in that "Ever" timeframe before it. Perhaps the title should have been, "25 Best Affordable Cars Built Since 1985, In Our Opinion, That Maybe Could Be Raced By The Average Guy Who Reads This Magazine and Dreams About Doing Stuff Like That, But Probably Never Will, List". Dennis

That's kind of what the internet already does, with the added advantage of instant updates, additions, and the ability to be interactive. Paper & ink books are nice, but they're becoming very "last century" as we move along with the advances in technology. Sorry to say, I can now do more research with my cell phone than with a visit to the library or book store. Dennis

A list like this will never make everyone happy. Case in point, Cobra owners when they see that the Factory 5 replicar made the list. Dennis

I have no experience with the Vintage Air unit, but after having the MSA unit in my '71 for over a year, I can offer some insight. The price was good, the kit was complete, the installation took less than 10 hours including removing the old 35 year old York unit, it cools the Z adequately in 110 degree desert weather, consider installing an aux electric cooling fan and larger than stock radiator (I had the radiator & added the fan). A set of rear window louvers will also help with the cooling process by reducing the "greenhouse" effect. Dennis

At the expense of scaring you away, allow me to say that I think you're being a little thin skinned on this one. The first two responses to your question listed 10 places to find "parts" that make Zs "look better than they did when they rolled out of the factory" - just as you asked. Then you responded, "but i have visited all those sites and have yet to find all the parts i need". Perhaps, you should have been a little more specific about what parts you were looking for. That would have brought more specific answers from the generally friendly and helpful members of the forum. There's a "learning curve" to posting "Help Me!" questions. Don't be shy or easily discouraged while mastering the skill. We all went through the same process. We'll help you. That said, what exactly do you need? Dennis

I felt bad about finding a later model turbo Z in the Pick-A-Part last year. It was complete, including the turbo, and had no body damage or broken glass. It had nothing that I could use on my '71. I hope someone came along later in need of just about everything before it went to the crusher. Generally, the early Zs I see are pretty well picked over by the time I find them. But, I'm heading out tomorrow to see what I can find. Dennis

Motorsports Auto, eBay, Pick-A-Part....the list goes on. Dennis

I agree with those who mentioned that the owners of new Zs probably don't make the connection between Nissan and Datsun. Or, they're egocentric twits. I don't spend too much time worrying about it. Dennis

I think we're all pondering this with a basic lack of knowledge. For clarification of terms, remember movies, books and music CDs are also "released". Unlike fish that are released into a lake, you can't do what you want with them after you catch them. Intellectual property rights belong to the original creator of the property. So, the right way to go about reproducing the posters is to contact Nissan and ask for permission for "Club" use or ask about a licensing agreement. I use factory photos of Porsche automobiles from the 1970s in a newsletter I produce. I asked the factory for the photos and they gave them to me with permission to reproduce the images in the newsletter. I can't, however, print individual copies of the press photos for resale. I also reprint magazine articles about the cars from that era in my newsletter. Road & Track, for example, gave me written permission to do so within a limited time frame. I've been doing this for almost 30 years and have only had one bad experience - when I didn't get clearance to reprint a magazine ad for a clothing company featuring a particular Porsche. The photographer for the ad shoot still owned the rights to the picture and was on me in a heartbeat. What were the odds he would see the reprint in my obscure newsletter 25 years after he took the picture? Obviously, better than I thought. Dennis

Someone, somewhere, owns the rights to the artwork and will come down with both feet and a couple good lawyers on anyone who makes copies of the original if they find out. Trust me, I know from personal experience. Dennis

Doesn't look that bad unless the chassis is bent. All of the above advice is solid, take your pick. Dennis

More than likely, it's the brake booster. I had the same symptoms on my '71 and replaced the booster about a month ago. Dennis

Since you're driving 1978 technology, you may as well be communicating with it also. However, if you tell us that while you're doing this you're planning to wear a polyester leisure suit and only listen to the BeeGees on the cassette player, be prepared to get some mental health referrals from the group.

The CB radio that hung under the dash of my Z in the mid '70s has been resting peacefully on a shelf in the garage since, well, the late '70s. I no longer get my ears on, Good Buddy. )

Today, I used my windshield washer. The last time I did that was sometime back in the late 1970s. Before I could use it, I had to replace the tubing and the "T" fitting near the driver's side squirter. As others have noted, aquarium tubing from WalMart ($1.49) works great. The "T" fitting came from the local True Value Hardware store ($1.30). So for $2.79 plus tax and about 15 minutes of labor, including re-aiming the squirters, I can now wash the windshield for the first time in about 30 years. Sometimes the easy jobs take the longest time to accomplish. The Z is a pleasure to work on. Dennis

Other than locking a cat, some kibble, and a litter box in the car, you might want to try a Google search for "storing a car for the winter". A couple good sites that come up are: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/automotive/1272486.html http://www.techguys.ca/howto/winter.html Mothballs seem to be frequently mentioned as a deterrent. Catching enough moths has always been a problem for me, however ) Dennis