gav240z

Welcome George, sounds like a great car. Feel free to share some pics of it as I'm sure our members are curious to see it. By the way it isn't blue by any chance is it? Gavin - From across the pond in Ireland

No 1 time posters take up very little space. In fact their impact on site costs is negligible. It's almost non-existent. The forum itself is CPU intensive. The usage of the CPU is what forced us off shared hosting (Cheap Hosting) - not disk space. That's why I'm looking at Google App Engine - it's free for the most part, but if you start using a lot of CPU resources you start to pay based on your usage, which is still very cheap compared with most web-hosting costs. The problem is this requires porting to a new platform. I'm not a great programmer - I'm thinking it's something I need to improve on for a variety of reasons so a project is what I need. The problem I see with this is porting might mean we loose some forum functionality, to be honest I know some people may not like this idea and have strong opinions about why they like things the way they are, but I think most forum software is difficult to use, bloated with unnecessary features and susceptible to things like forum spam, bots etc.. There are many advantages of going to your own custom built software, but it is a lot of work. So it's something I'm going to look into for the future.

As RB30X mentioned a way to reduce site costs it got me thinking about other alternatives to hosting and ways to make our online community easier to manage. Google App engine allows you to leverage a hosting environment and run your software using the processing power and scalability of Google Data Center's etc.. So anyway I got a bit distracted while looking into this and came across this long post... http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html I thought it was very interesting and it got me thinking about our own forum software and some of the assumptions these tools make and how they affect the way conversation flows online and how new members discover a site, sign up and become part of a community. Anyway if you have some time give it a read, I would like to improve my programming skills this year and perhaps a project like converting Auszcar.com to a python based framework is what I need?

As a first car - in my opinion a terrible idea. Heavy on fuel, expensive to repair, many would be tired now and probably relatively expensive to insure. However I've never owned 1 nor have I driven 1 so perhaps I should refrain from offering an opinion? Is she particularly keen on a 300zx?

If your getting that kind of advertising it might be because of the kind of websites you visit . I get friggin car insurance banners lol... yet I don't need any more insurance. Honestly many of the banner systems target advertising based on previous interests

Try the refresh button could be a cached version of the homepage causing the old chip in widget to be displayed.

Hi mate, Actually it's not so much disk space that is the issue as it is processing power for the end server. i'm not sure if the forum software is just incredibly inefficient or if it's just how forums are, but I tried several things to bring processing consumption down a couple of years ago and it didn't work. Also remotely hosted images is a good idea, although this in itself has issues such as: - Bandwidth exceeded for images - Hotlinking causes them to be blocked - The image is removed and then you get the missing images I've been to many forums with threads that are a couple of years old have missing images (when I could have really used those images also!) so there is a flip side to this approach. If I ever get time I plan to make some updates to the site and perhaps consolidate the site into the 1 software package this may help make it more manageable and feature rich along with giving more flexibility to others to help manage the site.

Yar... I keep hearing people say rotary's are not good for torque but my 13B TT is great. I know why Mazda decided on the Twin Turbo set up, it gives plenty of low down torque and then kicks over to the bigger turbo later. Pretty much like driving an NA car. Plus once you get higher in the rev range it simply doesn't matter. Sure compared to the L-series it has less torque (or feels that way), but it doesn't run out of puff like the L-series does. A 20B would produce enough torque surely? I mean I wouldn't tow a boat, but I wouldn't do it in a Z either .

^ partially my fault. Each month I have to update the donation widget to allow donations again. The widget is a visual indicator of donations so far for everyone to see. I could set it longer like 12 months, but I think month by month seems like a more management amount of money. The site does make a little bit of cash from advertising and sometimes this helps cover the deficit. Although I have to be 100% honest when I say I've been slack with the site for the past couple of months. New featured rides and news on the homepage. These are really important as they drive new memberships and attract people to the site. If people are interested in helping out please feel free to reach out. FWIW It's been great to watch the site grow and the community around it. The biggest motivator for me was building a network of contacts I can hopefully call on when it comes time to professionally restore my own 240z. I also think the early Z was under appreciated and ignored for a very long time. This has changed a lot recently though and hopefully will continue to.

How did I miss this? For sure we can do a write up. I think an interview format works best based on the popularity of the other articles I've done previously it seems to be best if the owner talks about various aspects of the car and build. So if you are still up for it I can send you some questions and we can get something together?

LOL, poor old Z31. I was too scared to even look at them given the complexity of their engine bay and the cost of components for them. Owning an RX-7 I imagine is a bit similar, so many people have a distaste for the rotary engine it's amazing how many people comment on how bad they are and how they blow up easily or need rebuilds all the time etc.. Frankly I'm amazed half the time because so many people have never owned 1 but act like experts talking about them. I was advised against getting an FD RX-7, but I think they are a superb car and I love it almost as much as the S30. I also enjoy learning more and more about the engines themselves and how they work. So I don't really get upset if people say you should replace the rotary with a V8 or try and put the car down saying they are unreliable etc.. I just get in and drive and think "wow this car is amazingly fast". I've also seen lots of negative comments about the RX-8 I feel for a similar reason the 280zx gets flammed because the car before it was seen as more performance oriented and all the purists get upset. I would love an RX-8 I think they look great, I used to not be too keen on the styling but over time it's really grown on me and I think they look like loads of fun. Now the RENESIS did have some reliability issues which were again revised in the later versions but it's sad to see people say so many negative things about them.

Seriously I don't know what all the fuss is about here. We are sharing opinions and comments about what each model has to offer. I myself have only driven 1 280zx, it was a blue 2+2 which had been retrofitted with a carby turbo set up and it was not running very good. The suspension was shot (or at least it should have handled better than when I drove it), it felt like a bath tub. So I can't really say how good they are compared to a 240z / 260z since I don't think it's a fair comparison. I will say that the 2+2 styling, like all 2+2 coupes it seems are always a compromise in terms of looks. I much prefer the 2 seater and the turbo version must move very quick. The problem is I've seen so many run down tired cars I can't recall seeing a mint ZX in a long time. Do I think they are a bad car? Not really I think they were very good for the time, but I would definitely go for a early RX-7 instead if I was looking for a car like the 240z but 10-12 years newer. As a cruiser / comfortable ride to work then yeah I'd say they are great cars compared to the noisy, hard to drive 240z. The fuel injection is simple and the power steering along with interior comforts are nice for long drives. God knows I felt exhausted driving the 240z from Melbourne to Goulburn for the Z nationals in 2005 (god it's been that long). The again my 240z is damn loud and the fumes, well at enough speed they are ok but when the windows come down the fumes come in . There are pro's and con's to any of these cars and at the end of the day it should only matter how you feel about it. We don't spend money on cars expecting a return on investment so if it's your toy then you just enjoy it. Also for the record I've noticed more and more ZX members join up recently which I think can only be a good thing.

I haven't read all the recent comments but... A long time ago I was open to having the club incorporate the Z31 and Z32 also, but many members were concerned it would attract the "wrong type" of members. However as these cars age they do have a place in the classic car world and we should be open to change or we'll just become an old gentlemen's club of pipe smokers who bang on about how good the old 240z/260z was.... I'll catch up on some of the comments later when I'm not at work

Vintage vehicles have always been protected because they have history which is important to preserve. I doubt they would impose that on 40+ year old vehicles. As we know they make up a very small percentage of cars on the road and hence would make very little difference having them on the road. What I would like to see however is stricter road worthy laws and testing in Australia. Here in Ireland the UK there is compulsory testing every 1-2 years ( depending on vehicle age) as part of the test there is an emissions test done. This would make many second hand vehicles in Australia drop in value as many would be unfit for general road use and people who have to maintain their vehicles to a higher standard. Having cars in better tune would reduce emissions, whilst at the same time making newer cars such as electric more attractive. New electrics being lower maintenance etc.. and also attracting less road tax due to no emissions. 40 + year old vehicles could be exempt from this form of testing (as they are here) and will always appeal to nostalgic rev-heads like us. But let's face it most of us would drive a boring electric to work and do all the wear and tear on that rather than drive our 40+ year old classics into work everyday etc.. So they will remain a speciality use vehicle.

The lithium in batteries is recyclable, I think electric cars are good. But I don't really go in for this Hybrid shit. I came across this Croatian guy who build a really quick BMW which he converted to electric when the old ICE blew up. http://www.rimac-automobili.com/evaluation-vehicles/e-m3-video-gallery-vp12 He has now build the Concept One which is 1 of the nicest looking Super Cars I've seen in a while. The running cost of an electric vehicle is significantly lower than an ICE powered car, but right now they are relatively expensive along with the battery technology which is still being improved and will only continue to improve. When I think of the engines we use now they just seem so primitive compared to electric and I personally would love to build an electric powered car myself. In fact my rotary engine decided to flood itself this weekend and I've been trying to unflood it (without much success just yet) and part of me is just over it, part of me is thinking this wouldn't happen to an EV. Now I know EV's will have their own problems, but not needing to worry about radiators (mine is leaking), intercoolers, exhuast systems, intake manifolds, valves, pistons, cylinders, camshafts, crankshafts, bearings, oil pressure, oil leaks and all the other stuff that goes along with current engines seems like a welcome change for me . Of course i'll always love my vintage cars and I think oil will always be available to them, but they will become more like special occassion vehicles. When I think of all the possibilities of integration with your mobile phone, ipad, android tablet etc.. and your EV I see lots of possibilities. Like management of range, charge status (when you're at your desk and the car is on charge), maps, navigation, music libraries etc.. I also really like this concept http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/92314-nissan-leaf-can-power-your-house-for-a-day-or-two

Dimitri I know you probably can't be bothered, but what kind of 240z items have you got? Door cards? Interior Vinyl (Diamond Pattern?) / 240z gear knob / rear 240z bumper? Original OEM 240z door mirror? I need some odds and ends, bits and pieces for my 240z and always have a hard time finding them. To be honest it would be much better for you to list this stuff individually, but then you have the hassle of going through it, taking pictures, writing descriptions, posting out individually etc.. It's a lot of work - I should know . I could be willing to lend a hand, in exchange for a few needed bits?

The 240z tail lights are thin on the ground here. They are also worth big money in the US. The US ones are pretty common and easy to get for a cheap price to boot. So I don't know how much luck you'll have. Good luck all the same though . I think you would be better off trading a part that's hard to find in Australia for a hard to find US part if that makes sense? Something like the Turbo ZX optical distributor or Turbo Borg Warner 5 Speed? L28 turbo bits etc..

BTW: Jay's car the dark grey 2+2 you posted a picture of has S2000 seats in it.

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=686600 Why do you want FC seats? I think the FD seats / MX-5 seats suit the S30 much more as they are similar in shape to the stock S30 seats. Are FD seats in Australia expensive to get? Over here you can get them for under £100 - in fact you almost can't give them away. But leather ones are more expensive and re-trim kits are relatively expensive.

No problem but as I and luvemfast have stated adding pictures will help with selling your car.

Very good posts Mr Tennis. I tend to agree with much of what your wrote. You mentioned the 280zx (S130) was said to be not as fun as the Mazda RX-7 of the time and to be honest I would agree. Although I've never driven the earlier RX-7 I would say it's much more inline with the concept of the early 240z. In that it was relatively cheap (probably still is) and light, handled well and was a good capable sports car. I'd say where the early Z revolution ended, the Mazda RX-7 picked up and continued the concept selling very well. Not to mention that although many 'wonder' about the reliability of the wankel rotary powerplant, in fact the early N/A RX-7's are known to be very reliable and dependable provided they are given the appropriate care. If someone really wanted a 240z/260z 2 seater, but wasn't willing to deal with the rust, restoration process etc.. Or spend vast sums of money on something already restored I'd probably recommend the early SA22(FB) RX-7 or a MK1 MX-5. I would say they are the best alternatives at a low price range and still represent great value.

LOL - You know I have been thinking of trading my FD RX-7 in for an MX5 - The FD always has something that needs fixin' right now it's spent more time off the road than on. Why do I buy these project cars? That was rhetorical btw. But an MX-5 is cheap to run, own and drive. Really would be a fantastic car, so if you have a tight budget get an MX-5.

Didn't NZ get some 2 seaters? Might have more luck finding 1 there in correct hand drive too! Think Nzeder (a member here) used to own a couple.

Ok guys, I've decided to remove many comments on this thread. Expect a follow up thread soon re: posting in classifieds from new members. Let's give ShamanAd an opportunity to sell his / her car and provide more details such as photos etc.. If ShamanAd asks for feedback from the community feel free to offer your thoughts / opinions. Thanks,

Amen to that. Usually putting money into your PayPal or western union is a way to money launder. My g/f used to work for western union and based on all those stories I'd never use them myself :-) . So many scams going on.