Smokey

What's so special about the Z? Geez, that is a tough question, better answered by another question. Why can I not become obsessed with Chevy, Ford, or Plymouth muscle cars? They do nothing for me. Yeah, I can look at them and think "nice car". I can drive them and complain about whiplash from the acceleration. I can listen to rumble of American cubic inches, and feel my molars shake out. But in the end, its "just another car". The Z evokes a purely emotional reaction from me. The body was taken from Jaguar, the performance (stock) is marginal by today's standards, and it is plagued by rust. But, for some reason, when I see one, none of that matters. When I drive one, I am taken to a place where it is only me----and the car. Nothing about the car is overkill, just an extension of the human driver. There is nothing else on the road (past or present) that becomes part of me when I drive it. The noises, vibrations, and smell bring me into the car much like that nifty plug in device in The Matrix. Its hard to explain, but you will eventually be saying---"Corvette, nice car, but lets talk about the Z some more."

My vote goes to a '78. Check the door VIN plate, it should have a manufacture date on it. I think the model years switched around Sept, so an 11/77 would be a '78 model. Looks in pretty good shape. BTW, the air damn belongs on a 240 with those marker light cutouts.

But if you do need to sell it, I'll take real good care of it. Background in Service work and Detailing. It will be maintained in all its glory. But I will understand if you decide to keep it.

You're close to me, when you arrive at a figure let me know. I'll drive down, look at it, get the loan, and drive it home.

That rust is looking worse in every picture. I think as a daily driver (replacing the Camry) you will be Flinstoning your way to and from work in short order. Being able to tack weld suspect areas is great, but, you must have some solid metal to do that with. My vote is plow on and look for something else.

Anything that absorbs moisture will kill a Z. The sand used to gain traction on the roads is very absorbant. If it ends up in the crevices in the fender wells and then you drive on wet roads, or even wash it. That sand will keep the moisture right up against the metal. Very important to keep the undersides clean and debris free. Also, if you are going fast enough to pick up the sand with any force. Think of it as slowly sandblasting your body panels.

Might not be the Duplicolor. Might just be the fact that the dash is now black. The darker the color the more heat is drawn to the vinyl. It might also be that the prep work on the dash caused it to dry out. Either way, hate to hear that another dash is all busted up.

Thanks for my new desktop, and the little push I needed to start looking for a Z again.

Been there, done that, got the scars on my knuckles to proove it. The Z is gonna be like most other cars as far as your question goes. How it has been taken care of in the past will determine the current/future reliabilty. If you are mechanically inclined the Z is a very simple machine to work on, heck the engine bay is so roomy you can stand in it to work on the motor. They are great cars and I think everyone should have the privaledge to own one at least once. That being said, I was in your shoes (college student with Z as DD) It worked fine for transportation. It was a hoot to drive in the mountains of NC. But, being a daily driver meant driving in rain, snow, and salt (latter two depending on your location, of course). Any of the above, or combination can lead to the death of the metal. Moisture begets rust, and rust begets LOTS of work. So, to make an accurate decision you must be able to answer these questions. 1. Can I keep it dry? 2. Can I deal with the occasional break down? 3. Can I keep it dry? 4. Will a 2 seater sports car fit in with my needs for transportation? 5. Can I keep it dry? 6. Do I have the financial resourses to keep the car up? 7. And, most importantly, Can I keep it dry? If you have a serious partner you can add the question 8. Will she hate it? Mine did, and she made me sell it. Fortunately, 10 years later I still have the girl. Married now, might be able to slip a Z back into the family if I play my cards right.

I hope so, the Enkies are OK, but not on this car IMO. I like the black ones, they go better with the look of the car. Only problem is brand new Yokahama tires on the bling bling rims that wont fit the black ones. Oh well, trying to contact him now and see if I can come see it today. I am hoping this car is not butchered up too much. From what I have gotten so far, it is bone stock, with the only mods being the wheels and tires. The interior is fair to good with only one small rip in the driver's seat. All numbers match. I still can't get over the fact that it has the original radio, and the dash has never been cut into.

Yellow is an awesome color! I even had a Yellow Xterra for a couple of years. Favorite color of any vehicle I have ever owned. As far as red goes--I've had two in that color, both got wrecked. My other vehicles seem to be a little luckier, so I tend to shy away from red now. Gonna try and go and see it this weekend (well, week for those of you who have a normal schedule). I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, and yes, that is the original radio (that works), and the clock works too. Pretty hyped about that.

I have pulled myself out of the Z hunt for a few months. Thought I would do better to concentrate on paying my truck off first, plus it has been raining here in the East non-stop since March. I think my '02 Tacoma is in danger of rusting from all the rain . Anyway, The truck is paid for, and I got a real nice set of wheels and tires on it, which brings me to where I wanted to be on it. So, it is time to start looking for my Z again. I happened on a '75 280 that is pretty local to me. It's yellow, so I have to give it a closer look. The price ain't too bad and the owner says that he has not found any rust on the car. Granted, I know there is some to be found on it. He bought it for his wife, and she doesn't drive it, so he decided to sell it. He has the original owners manual, and tool kit. He says it has no mechanical issues, and "runs like a champ". Here are some pics of it. Anybody know this car? It lives in the Charlotte, NC area currently. Any major issues with the Fuel Injection from '75?

Very common place for rust. Good pictures and a warning to go with them. Looks like your rails and pans are pretty much gone too. Got some fun work in front of you, but at least there are replacement parts available for what you have shown.

I don't know how much of a "helper" she would be, but I would sure spend all my time in the garage. Heck, I would even work on Yugos with her.

Not getting either so what does it matter?????

I like that orange quite a bit too. I have owned a Solar Yellow Xterra and my wife has had a Salsa (Red) Xterra. Now she wants the Orange one reeeeeeeeal bad.

I'm walkin from now on. The stats just aren't in my favor anymore. Thanks, that was

sled

Based on what you have said, and the pics you have posted, I would say the Z is well worth the asking price. I almost bought one here in NC for the same price. The killer was the only rust I could find on the car. It was uder the battery tray and had seeped into the frame rails, and the firewall. I share that just to let you know that even the well taken care of cars might have rust lurking somewhere. As I have learned, $10K+ for a near perfect Z is acceptable. But with that price comes the buyer's privaledge of nit picking a little. The battery rust I referred to would have been just fine on a $5-6K car, but not an $11K car. Be careful when you spend that kind of money cause you don't want to have to turn around and put another $4K in making it worth what you paid for it. Good Luck!!

Hmmmmm, the driver's door and rocker seem to be straight. Might be able to salvage some more items to help resurect a certain 240 that is in a bad way now . Glad to see you back

A guy that I talked to in SC about a '72 said that he had a radiator from a GM vehicle. It fit just fine, except it hung a little lower than original. Still room for the shroud and fan with no problems. Not sure what car the radiator is from, all I know is that it was a V8.

Well, if it is a hydraulic clutch, and there is no adjustment then I would try changing the fluid. With 120K on it, the tranny fluid should have been changed at 2-4 times by now. I would try switching to Red Line MTL or MT-90 depending on what the tranny calls for. This is some good stuff, and I have used it in an Xtrerra for 2 years. It shifted flawlessly where as it was notchy brand new. If that does not work, then it sounds like your syncros are beginning to wear. Just strange that all gears are going at the same time. Might be the release bearing. You hear any noise from the bellhousing? If so, with clutch in or out?

I'm with Kmack on this one. From the picture, it looks to be straight. What it appears to be is from the upper radiator support rubbing, and rusting. Then the owner repaired the area, possibly using some filler to smooth the damage out. Over time the filler cracked and the paint peeled up showing what you see now. Just a guess from a 2D picture.

Ernie, I am glad that you are home and getting better so quick (although, I am sure it has been slow for youLOL ). In my job I see all kinds of crashes and injuries from these crashes. Side impacts can be brutal. The fact that your car received the magnatude of damage you are telling us, and you came out in as good a shape as it seems, speaks of a certain amount of safety in these cars. I know that a newer car with side airbags would have done better, but geez 30 years old with decorative bumpers--not too bad! Again, I hope for a speedy recovery and a new Z project for you in the future.