Smokey

I just got a reply back from the owner from an E-mail I sent while I was at the in-laws. Again I had requested him to go through the service records (which he claims to have) from the previous owner. He says they are in his safe. Now he is saying he can't find them. While I was at his house, he was unable to get in the safe, cause the key for it was in a vehicle that was not there. Really starting to wonder if he is trying to hide something on this car. For some reason, something always comes up when I request the service records he has said he possesses:ermm: . Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I can produce documentation on everything I've done to my truck at a moments notice, right down to when I got the windshield replaced from a rock.

Hmmm, interesting way to check the condition of the inner quarter. Good news, it looks to be in very good shape. Bad news, gonna need some touchup paint and a Band-aid. Seriously, thanks for posting that up. Good reminder what "can" happen in any motorsport event. Vintage racing sounds like a lot of fun, but like you said, it can get real expensive real quick.

Aren't those on the same isle as the flashy things?

OK, here's the good news The Z is a reliable car--for 30 years old. The L28's were all equiped with Fuel Injection, and for the most part they are reliable as well. Most on the board choose to use the L28 short block with a different head and still use carbs, but that is your choice. Parts are not really that expensive on these cars, so when you do need to replace something, its not too terrible to do. They are fun cars to drive, but have their quirks, as any old car does. So, now here's the bad new, or more accurately, the stuff you don't want to here. This is not the best car for a daily driver, and that is compounded when operated by a student with limited income. I am not saying this to be mean, just speaking from my own personal experience. I bought a '72 while still in College as a daily driver. I too, loved the looks of the car. This one appeared to be in good shape when I bought it. But, I bought without really knowing the problems in these cars. I found all kinds of rust that had to be dealt with. I ended up replacing most of the rear suspension, all the bushings, and spent an additional $1000 on it the month I bought it. Later I had to replace the clutch, and a couple of wheel studs. My savings took a beating on this car, because when something broke, I had to have it fixed right then, cause it was my transportation. All that was expensive, but the killer was this. As a daily driver, you will be forced to drive in the rain and whatever weather happens. This is a death warrant for these cars. The frames allow water in, and then the frame rusts from the inside out. Splashguards were rudimentary until the end of the 280 run, allowing water to spray everywhere underneath the car. These cars, while reliable and fun, are not the best choice for a student looking for transportation. My advice, that I should have had in '93 is this. Buy something cheap like a Civic. Don't dump all your money in it, just keep it as transportation. Save your money, and look for a Z. It will take you a few years to find the best of the lot. Hopefully, when you find your Z you will have a garage for it, or at least be able to borrow/rent one. Keep you a beater to tool around in, and the Z is saved for sunny days and smiles :classic: .

From what you have posted, I would have to go with the '73. There is no mention of major repairs, it has a good driveline (L28), and the '73 will have better metal than the '72. However, these descriptions can be less than revealing. I have only looked at Z's that have the description of "excellent/no rust" and have still seen enough rust to push my next tetnus shot up 3 years . I have found, more often than not, that owners will overlook bad areas when describing the car to you. Not all the time to be deceitful, but just not wanting to scare off a potential buyer. It is up to you, the buyer, to make every effort to determine if the car is, in fact, rust free. Never assume that a Z will have no rust because of it's location. I have seen a bunch of Z's for sale in Ca, and Az with mentions of rust. Granted, it is not as bad as it could be. Any Z will rust, that is a fact of the car. Take some advice from someone who has owned one and has searched for the last 2 years for another. Take your time, and look at as many as you can. Each one has a different lesson to teach. Over time, you will become a professional Z critic, and a more informed buyer.

My vote goes for the poor contacts. Glad you got it fixed:classic: .

OK, that is pretty much what I was thinking. Really does sound like the diff is rotating when the load is released causing some biding issues. Bushings were my first thought. As far as the lube goes, every fluid will be drained, flushed (as best I can) and refilled. I don't have a clear idea of how long the stuff has been in there, and I want it out.

Thanks for the replies. I do like PPG paint and will prolly go that route. The code is not that difficult to remake. The body shop that I worked at has a gadget that will take a picture of the paint and give the percentages of all the "ingredients". It gives a perfect match every time. I just thought I would look for a simpler way since you cant even really see the damage. I think the hardest part will be straightening out the metal, but then again, the sheet metal is pretty thin on Z's.

Gonna need to do a little touch up work on my '78 Black Pearl 280 (well, mine soon, I hope:stupid: ). Problem is this, previous owner jacked up the front left of the car using the fender. The bottom of it is bent a little, but a good amount of the paint has flaked off. Not much rust, so I plan on sanding it down, straightening it out, priming it, and putting a few coats of paint over the affected area. I would like to keep the repair small since the original SAP stripes are present. This eliminates a repaint on the fender. Does anyone know if their is a paint company that makes a close match to the Black Pearl in spray form? If not, I can get a pint mixed up at a body shop I used to work at, and get one of those one time use sprayers for it. Not too concerned with the match, since the blend point will be just abover the bottom edge of the fender. You can't even see the damage unless you are below mirror level.

I did a search, but to no avail, cause I did not know the correct key words to use. So, here goes a question. On the '78 280 that I am about to buy, there is a whine, or howl coming from the rear of the car (sounds that way from the 25 miles I drove it). It only occurs when my foot comes off the accellerator and the car begins coasting. From what I understand, the rear end is a R200 w/o limited slip. Is this noise a U-joint going South, or the arrester strap on the pumpkin? Just trying to get an idea of repair costs on this. It is not that bad, just something that I think is indicative of a future problem that I would like to address quickly. Thanks so much.

I am sorry too, that you are having a hard time with the Holidays. All too often we take for granted that the Holidays are a happy time for everyone. That is not the case for all. What you have described is typical for lots of families that have lost loved ones. On my side of the family, Christmas has gotten to be a just another day, because we have lost so many over the recent years. Fortunately, I still have both of my parents, but this year we found out that my mother has Multiple Sclerosis, and it is progressing very fast. That took a lot of cheer out of the Holidays for me this year. Not trying to add to the depressing thoughts, just sharing for the sake of saying you are not alone, and I am sure that the members here will be thinking about you. You are in my thoughts. Try to make the best of it, as I am sure that is what your Dad would have wanted. Parents hate to see their kids (regardless of age) upset. So cheer up, go drive the ZX and remember the good times.

Not sure, but if he has a carbed Z then there is no ECU. Not sure if one on a 280 would cut it off or not. Never heard of that:ermm:

Yeah, I looked behind the bumpers. There is some surface rust on the bottom of the front bumper, but it does not look real pervasive at all. Judging from the condition of the rest of the car, I just really can't believe that there would be any real rust hiding in there. There is just a little bit of road debris on the apron by the supports, so not much in the way of junk has been kicked up over the years. Might be due to the low mileage, I guess. I will take another look at the bumpers again before handing over the cash.

OK, thanks, that is what I thought. I will prolly bypass the kit then. The bumpers are not that bad, and will offer a small amount of protection. Would like to get an air dam from MSA tho. Just needs something to balance out the front end. Plus it is removable if I need to bring it back to original. By the way Zrush, I saw your site on Suncoast. Very nice car you have there

Its under my tree, just not in the garage where I want it to be. I'm visiting with family right now, but when I get back the first trip will be to the bank to get the money. Gonna give the owner a call and let him know. 2Many, don't get me paranoid on any rust issues. You know I break out in hives just thinking about it. Can't find any real problems at all on the car.

Quick question. I know the front and rear are bolt on affairs, but what about the sides? I do like the kit, and would like to do away with the big bumpers on the 280Z I plan on getting. The side skirts will also cover up the only body damage on the car. However, I will not do this if it requires drilling or blending to the body. I would like to buy it, paint it, and bolt it on. Just a thought.

Well, it seems that it will be a good investment. I can't imagine that the car has 153,000 miles on it, but he is getting the paperwork together that might prove it. I think she will let me get it, or she would not have let me go and look at it, or any of the others. Of course, I am going to sleep on it for a day or so, but the owner says I have first dibs at this point. I really think I am going to buy it. The loan will not be a problem at all. The mortgage is all I owe right now.

OK, just got back from looking at it. Must say, I am impressed with it. Very short list of things that need to be fixed. 1. Left front fender was used to jack the car up over 3 years ago. Just a little surface rust in the dent. Should be pretty easy to straighten out and blend in some new paint. The bare metal still shines through in a couple of places, so the rust is not bad at all. 2. The battery area. little surface rust, but mostly dirt. Fresh battery acid on the inner fender that has not gotten into the metal as of yet. Again should be a pretty easy fix. 3. The 5spd is sloppy and needs new bushings-no problem. 4. Strange bearing type noise from the rear of car when I lift my foot off the gas. I think it is the rear diff mount, and if so, another easy fix. 5. Only other rust on the car is on the inside of the front/rear bumpers. This is just minor surface rust, and is nowhere near going through the chrome. Good stuff 1. Suspension seems tight 2. Everything works, even the clock 3. Carpet is in real good shape 4. Paint is excellent with some minor chips and scratches. 5. The stripe package is in good shape with some tears. 6. All original with no body work. 7. Interior plastic is in great shape, and no cracks (even the dash) Sooooo, here's the really bad part. Time to go and locate the money. We have agreed on a price. Just got to convince the wife (no problem :devious: ). Looks like I will soon be the owner of a '78 BPE 280Z.

The result of auto inbreeding? Is pretty cool tho. I think someone else posted a similar creation a few months ago.

Glad to hear it!! Sounds like a resonable estimate for the work done. Let us know how it turns out.

If you have both, and don't feel strongly about either, I would go with the stick. Reason is this. Auto's are fine when they work, but gum them up a bit, or get them hot, and they will cause you all kinds of problems. you will also lose a bit of horsepower through the auto. The manual will give you better power to the rear wheels, and is MUCH easier to service. And, most of all, the stick is more fun to drive.

There's a reason for that :stupid: Actually I applaud you for considering bringing it back the way it came from the factory. Can't help with the picture tho. What color is your interior? I imagine the Brown came with the Butterscotch interior which might be hard to find, unless its already there.

Before you spend the money on a new sender unit, check the grounds. Often times a bad ground will cause the needle to quit working and no amount of new senders will fix the problem.

I'll second Castrol GTX 10W-30. Worked very well in my '72. Unless you have a newly rebuilt motor, I would stay away from synthetics to avoid any leaks. Now lets hear about the tranny, and diff. Come on fellas. Never did open those up on mine.

That's a first. Usually its me jealous of all you guys---that have a ZLOL .