Good for a first car?

[hyzing1]

Are the Datsun Z series good for a first time car owner? Would I just be better off getting a newer car?

[nizm0zed]

Do you like the smell of raw petrol?

Do you know the difference between an open end spanner, crescent wrench, phillips head screwdriver, torque wrench and feeler gauges?

Is your significant other (or parents if your young) accepting of the expense of large, sometimes excessively large lumps of cash on an object that often seems to spend more time in pieces than actually running?

Can you accept a cool look and sound even if the price is sore arms, ribs, kidneys, possible general loss of hearing and general body odour of unburned fuel?

 

If you can answer yes to those questions, then a Zed is a perfect first car!!!

[DreamZproject]

As a recently P plated driver (2 years) i am gonna go ahead and say no.

 

1. Cost - you can deal with it, great! If you're not sure, don't. to get anything

that is half reliable, as well as really knowing what you are doing you need to

set aside at least 12k for a 240/260 or roughly 6k for a 280zx. There's nothing

to say that you wont need something seriosuly expensive replaced in a short

amount of time though.

2. Safety - Seatbelts. Thats it. With a body construction roughly as thick as your

adverage tin can, you get hit, you feel it. Make your mistakes in your first years

of driving in something that won't turn into alfoil. (Doesn't even have to have all

the security features that modern cars have, just not as extreme as a 240).

3. Driveability - raw. beautiful. bliss. can get you into a ton of trouble. After my first

year in a 1986 honda accord i was really itching for some more power and RWD

action. Enter the MR2. FANTASTIC second car (do not regret 1 bit starting on

something slow and FWD though. I learnt so much!). 2nd day i owned it, wet road,

nearly went head on into a parked prius. I am a very cautious driver, never gotten

into any collisions, never even tapped my car into a pole or anything. But this car

was new, and i didn't understand how to handle it. Lesson learnt.

4. Steering - no power. Bitch to park. If you live in a lesser populated area as most

Z drivers do, NO problems. But learning to park properly in the inner suburbs with

no power steering is awful!

5. A/c - optional, can be on the car, but most likely you'll have to add it.

6. Look like an absolute boss - Perfect car for you!

 

I suggest that if you are willing to sink a bit more money into a ride than a regular car

and you are truly passionate about Z's, you start off with a 280zx. They will be; less

than half the cost of a 240/260 (if not less), less work (as they are somewhat newer),

safer (more metal and bulk, ABS?, Airbags?), power steering, A/c etc.

 

GOOD LUCK!

[gav240z]

In your position with the general cost of living in Australia and the cost of fixing up an old car with limited skills, tools and money.

 

I'm going to say a 240z / 260z isn't a good idea, I bought my first 1 about 16 years ago. Back then you could find a 240z for $2k in rough shape. They were rusty back then, now even more so. I couldn't really afford to run 1 back then and I really struggled as a student trying to fix up Zeds, but I loved them and didn't listen to anyone.

 

My advice having been there and done that is to buy a daily hack and then save your money to buy a good older Z that you can work on without rushing (have a garage etc.) and generally restore over time.

 

If you want to have fun now?

 

I would say the following cars are good to buy now.

 

1. Early gen Mx-5 with pop up lights NA6 and NA8 models.

2. Early RX-7 with no rust in original condition. But a little heavy on fuel. (To me this was the 240z replacement of the 80s) - the 280zx was more of a cruising / touring car than a sports car like the 240z).

3. Older MR2's non turbo or even later MR2. - These are quite cheap.

 

My pick would be the early gen MX-5 as you get a lot of car albeit with not much horse power but it doesn't appeal to boy-racers and therefore you'll generally find they haven't been abused like 180sx, 200sx, Skylines etc..

 

If you really want a classic Japanese car, I think the Toyota Celica TA22 is still relatively cheap - although plagued by rust also.

 

240z's are now difficult to find at rock bottom prices. Every so often a 260z 2 seater will appear for 7-8k but it's gone quicker than you can pick up the phone.

 

I think in the not too distant future it will make sense to start importing them from the US, but I've noticed even over there that prices are starting to rise.

 

[Six_Shooter]

I've always looked at cars like the S30 as a second, or "toy" car, not an only car. It's not because they are not reliable, or hard to maintain, they are not, at least not in my experience. It's because they are difficult to replace, if anything happens. Being that these are not usually used as daily drivers you will find something that you want to do to it, from forum posts, pictures of other cars on the interweb, local automotive gatherings, etc. This will cause you to want to disable the car to make improvements and changes that makes the car non-operational for short to long periods of time.

 

That being said, I use mine as a daily driver during the summer months, because it's just too damn fun to drive and very reliable. I would say however that if I could only have one vehicle, as much as I would like to think I would hang onto my 240Z, I would likely have something newer, that I wouldn't feel so bad about losing if anything bad happened.That's mostly because of the winters we get here in Canada, if they were more mild, like most of Australia, I might reconsider, but would still not be totally comfortable with the 240Z being my ONLY car.

[C.A.R.]

FFS, another thread on this?

 

I bet we'll never hear from the OP again...

[gav240z]

FFS, another thread on this?

 

I bet we'll never hear from the OP again...

 

Maybe... but perhaps we should write an FAQ on this topic? So next time it comes up we can direct the newbie to the FAQ?

[DreamZproject]

Just what I was thinking.  Perhaps just make this a sticky? It also shows other people the amount of times

The same question gets asked, and noone sticks around for the answer.

[luvemfast]

Maybe... but perhaps we should write an FAQ on this topic? So next time it comes up we can direct the newbie to the FAQ?

Goo idea 

[dat2kman]

You've all done a great job in scaring him off!

 

There are, if one looks long enough, and puts time into it, plenty of Zx's and some 260 2+2's that could suffice as an intro to the marque.

Sure it'll be a headache from time to time, but so would any other 30+ year old car to own and run.

 

Next time, how about a bit of encouragement.

 

Just how many 1poster's do we have as registered forum members???

[gav240z]

Next time, how about a bit of encouragement.

 

Just how many 1poster's do we have as registered forum members???

 

Yeah I agree I don't want to discourage anyone, but we have to be realistic also. Finding a good Z was hard 10-15 years ago, now it's slim pickings and I've noticed people asking a lot of money for what is essentially a rusty bucket. I was thinking of a 240z in relation to the original post more so than other series I have to admit, but yes a 2+2 or later ZX is not a bad idea if you can find a clean rust free example.

 

I will see what I can do about creating an FAQ - help from members in putting it together would be greatly appreciated though! I am but 1 man after all.

[gav240z]

In terms of single post members they start from here:

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php?action=mlist;sort=posts;start=3510

 

I can do an SQL query to find out exactly. I suspect lots!

[CroS13]

It's because they are difficult to replace, if anything happens. Being that these are not usually used as daily drivers you will find something that you want to do to it, from forum posts, pictures of other cars on the interweb, local automotive gatherings, etc. This will cause you to want to disable the car to make improvements and changes that makes the car non-operational for short to long periods of time.

 

This!

 

Ive been rear ended 5 times in my S15 in the last 6 years. Its been fixed to new each time, and lucky parts and or a replacement car is readily available, but its made me get over the car real fast. Never mind it can run the quarter mile in 12 seconds, and everyone else loves it, i think if you drive it everyday, it eventually looses what makes it "special"

 

Get a new reliable car for a daily driver, and save the car you "love" for a weekend car.

 

Rudolf.

[DreamZproject]

Yeah whoops, i did forget to mention the part that i bought my car half an hour after seeing it for the first time online.

I wasn't even looking to buy one! This happened for me at the ripe old age of 20, while still at uni . If the passion

is truly there then it's barely a question worth asking.

 

Holy crap! rear ended 6 times!?!? How damn good are the brakes on that thing!??!

 

[CroS13]

nope even worse, every time  its happened Ive been stopped in traffic, then the retard behind me has stopped, but doesn't grasp the concept to only accelerate when the traffic in front of you has started moving.

 

Maybe i should do the Datsun fluorescent safety yellow when it comes around to painting it?

 

Rudolf.

[DreamZproject]

What the hell!??!? you serious!? What a strange world.

[Zedman240®]

The FAQ should also include:

-differences between 240/260/280 etc..

- wheres the rust

-prices

- what mods are available like engines, brakes etc

-what wheels fit

-Power figures

-I can keep going and can help as much as I can Gav..

[George]

The FAQ should also include:

-differences between 240/260/280 etc..

- wheres the rust

-prices

- what mods are available like engines, brakes etc

-what wheels fit

-Power figures

-I can keep going and can help as much as I can Gav..

 

^ would be more useful than whether they make a good first car. I thought the answer to the OP's question was more one of common sense. Does it really come up that often?

 

Anyway, a wiki FAQ would be good.

[pauly_adams]

I really loved having my 260z 2+2 as a first car, it taught me a lot and made me not do any stupid stuff due to it being expensive to repair, the only thing I hated was parts where hard to find and not cheap other then that it was a cool car and I wont get rid of her. if you really want a z car I would buy a 280zx or z32 as they are a bit easier to drive in town and have electric everything