WA240Z Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Perfect winters day here today in Perth, clear blue sky, no wind and cool. Took the Zed for a fantastic drive through the Avon Valley this afternoon for a couple of hours. Great drivers road virtually no cars, it doesn't get any better. With so much fantastic discussion on here about finding the perfect car, modifying and restoring them, it prompted me to ask the question; how many of us get to really enjoy our Zed cars for the simple purity of just driving them for pleasure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted July 12, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 12, 2015 Gidday The Z is not quite at that stage yet, but I don't need much of an excuse to take the old Chev for run. Just love driving unique cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Great question. For me , the passion is racing and once you get in the groove you become one with the car. Having said that I love driving on the open roads in my zed. The Tassie trips that my brother Craig has organised on this forum have been some of the best driving experiences I have ever had. It's great fun sharing the driving fun with a group of fellow zed enthusiast . Drive days dont seem to work hear in Victoria . Many have been organised , few have been attended. I guess for some people the zed is more fun in the shed. But are forgetting what it was built for. Each to there own. Some cars will never be finished. And it's hard to set a date to enjoy the driving experience , not to mention the winter weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theremm Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Funny you post this - I was thinking of writing something similar the other day after a blissful afternoon drive back to brisbane from the gold coast! I have owned my 240z for just under a year and put almost 10,000 miles on it since Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riceburner Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I'm with Gordo, the racing is very addictive and rewarding. The feeling you get pushing the car at great speed, the feedback and understanding of the cars/drivers limits is something everyone should do. In saying that I too did a two week driving holiday in the Zed many years ago before it was fiddled with too much. It was one of the best trips I have ever done, doing it in the car was quite special and something I'll never forget. Having moved to the east side of Melbourne recently I have found myself very close to some great drives. I've been on quite a few solo runs, but I tend to steer clear of the well known ones as they seem to be wanna be racer hot spots. There's nothing like a crisp, clear day and a quiet little peddle in the zed. I find it really relaxing, nothing quick, just some beautiful scenery, no traffic, window down to enjoy the smells and sounds It's almost a shame to cover it up at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I try to take my Z out any chance I can get. The biggest factor is obviously the weather, but any excuse to drive, I will make a decent effort to get out. The drives I go on generally only involve 3 other cars though, and with drivers I know. Unlike many others, I don't hit the hills to go as fast as I can, the track is there for that.. I hate driving with people who stupidly cross double lines, speed unnecessarily, etc. I love the relaxed, non stressful drives. Sure there's areas where you pick up the pace but not to extreme levels. So unless the car's not behaving, weather's not wet, or the missus doesn't get in the way, you'll probably see me somewhere on the roads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightmaster240z Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Me I love driving my z everyday of the week and will pick it over the wife's newer car ever time . The trip to Tasy was the best fun I've had and look forward to the trip in February Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clockwork Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I'm definitely in the cruiser category. Went for a nice drive to the Tasman Peninsula yesterday. Weather was a bit hit n miss tho (plus a few tourists doing 65 on windy 100 roads, but you get that). But over all was a fun drive Plus I haven't had my car for long and not had much time to work on it, so its nowhere near tip top shape (add limited mechanical skills too ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyk_79 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I know a lot of people on here get some pleasure out of the restoration process, and whilst I do feel a sense of achievement when I get something sorted I definitely bought it to drive, not to fix. I would be a happy man if I could jump in the car early in the morning on a weekend and go for a drive cruise up to Wisemans Ferry with some of the nice roads between my place and there. Being mechanically inept I constantly underestimate how longs things will take me to get the car sorted though. Impatient1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d3c0y Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 People drive their zeds ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 12, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 12, 2015 Whenever I'm in Melbourne I try and take my car (240z) out for a drive. Since it's been sitting for a while there's a few things that I really want to sort out to make it nicer to drive. But I'm happy to be able to drive an S30z and not so worried about it being perfect at this stage. I took my FD RX-7 out Saturday morning in Sydney and it was all foggy and very very cold a bit damp etc.. - reminded me of Dublin weather actually and although the weather was crap I thought to myself I really have to wake up early on a weekend and go for a blast when nobody is around on the roads more often. I got up early as I was going for my motorcycle license, it's a bit weird going from a bike to a car again. It's strange there is almost something romantic about getting up early (5am) opening the garage and taking your car out and driving it around when the roads are empty and everyone else is in bed. You can just bond with your car without the stress of other bad drivers cutting you off or doing stupid stuff. There is some great roads around New South Wales and if you wake up early before the Sydney traffic congestion starts you can escape the traffic and get out to some of those roads relatively quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATTY Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 People drive their zeds ? im with you there mate hahah, my only problem is i keep doing stuff to her making driving it near impossible haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterAllen Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 People drive their zeds ? Sure do. I've chalked up close on 400 metres in 9 years, glad to say it was all in the last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted July 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 13, 2015 I got up early as I was going for my motorcycle license, it's a bit weird going from a bike to a car again. Welcome to the two wheeled club, what type of bike will you be riding ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 13, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 13, 2015 Welcome to the two wheeled club, what type of bike will you be riding ? Still got to do the theory test, but to begin with something relatively modest. Until I get more confident. I never really fully appreciated how exposed you feel on a bike until doing the course. It's a lot of fun but i'll start with a cheap small cc bike and then determine what I like the look and feel of from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvemfast Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I drove mine at a funday at Winton on Saturday. I posted here about it, but got ZERO interest. Regardless, I had a blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andoi Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 try to drive my zed at least once a week, but missed the last few because i am trying to change the stereo and cant get the face plate off.... read up heaps but .... meh will try again this sunday lol. also winton fun day. my mate went in a series 1 rx7, said it was great even with the weather and a lot of cars. wish we had something similar closer to home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonkers Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Driven a lot of Z's over the pass 35 years . Put in around 2500 laps round lakeside and QLD raceway. But the most memorable drives were in the company of other Z owners and ones that stand out were the drives from the Mount Cootha Botanical Gardens to Mt Jollies lookout for breakfast at sunrise in the middle of winter. They were drives to remember and very spirited. Almost roller coaster like. Its now been some time since the last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WogsRus Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 For me driving is like therapy. These days your bombarded with modern tech and the ever present distractions. When i've had enough i need to drive the Z. As soon as you start it, its like a relief, a bit of a drug perhaps. You get in, and from there on its nothing but the road, the car and you. No electronic nanny, no interfaces and sports buttons, its as fast as your balls are big pilgrim. You quickly forget about all the issues and daily worries. I try to take the ZZZ out at least once a week weather depending, hate driving in the rain, primary due to actually having a car with no rust, yes they exist. The issue with restoring is that sometime you loose focus and drive to continue, been there done that. Now i tend to start with a dam good a base and then work the car to suit me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter t Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yep full rego and on the road every weekend if its not raining. Up to Springwood and back just to charge the battery and visit grandson on the way back so he can hear Pa's noisy car. Now that's a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmates260z Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Mine is full rego too and would take it our every other weekend (the 2000 Sports on the other weekend). Go for coffee's with each of my son's, one down the Gold Coast. My eldest boy seems to take the Zed a few weeks at a time, always keen for someone to be using it ...better than sitting in the shed. End up driving the Sports more as the DSOA guys organise regular runs...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted July 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 13, 2015 Still got to do the theory test, but to begin with something relatively modest. Until I get more confident. I never really fully appreciated how exposed you feel on a bike until doing the course. It's a lot of fun but i'll start with a cheap small cc bike and then determine what I like the look and feel of from there. Going with small capacityor lightish weight bike is good idea. IMO a bike with a more upright riding postition will make the manoeuvres required in the skills test easier. Hard to beat a GN250 or CB250 in used or a TU250X in new. Or, if they are your thing get a chook chaser, but they are not as good on the road. Just my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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