mikedoeslife

Not surprised that went quickly!

oof, that’s extremely nice. Those were another of my longtime faves, but ultimately not one I’d be quite as prepared to spend big money on. They just don’t look as exotic as the Z.

There’s a few of us prepared to pay today’s asking prices, yeah. Mind you, it’s not without a lot of grimacing and regret that I didn’t make a move 20 years ago. These things are the reason I launched grandJDM.com, after all! (Which I later handed over to the guys at Japanese Nostalgic Car.) The simple fact is, I want one and I’m not interested in taking on a resto project. I’m not wealthy, but my career has progressed to the point where I’m finally in the position to access finance without having to live on a diet of 2-minute noodles or leave my family without the things they need. Incredibly, my partner and the mother of my children has approved the decision – but I guess the fact we’re almost done with expensive full-time childcare has helped ease her mind a bit, when it comes to me introducing this new debt into our lives, haha. But hey. I’ve wanted one of these since the early 2000s and they’re not going to get any bloody cheaper, so... that’s it, I guess. If it turns out I would’ve been happier with the upcoming 400Z... those are only going to go down in price!

Yep. I’m not necessarily in a hurry, but the longer I have to wait, there’s a good chance I’ll just go for the Z35, haha.

Haha, thanks guys, this has all been very helpful. I guess I’ll continue to sit and watch the market for the right buy! It’s tough; I prefer the ‘Devil Z’ look as noted, and I know there aren’t heaps of those around – and rightly so, given what it means doing to the guards. Likewise, I don’t want to be the guy that bought a clean Z and cut it up, so... I guess I’ll just wait and watch!

Ah well that’s good of him at least. A different idea of what “a couple small spots of rust” means though, haha. Thanks again!

Oh wow, where did you learn/see all this? Thank you for that @smugley!

Ah wow, thanks Gav, that really puts some more context to the car for me. It looks incredible to me (I do prefer the Devil Z look over the factory style), but all the work done to it might actually be a bit too full-on for me... hmm! It’d almost be wasted on me, haha.

Apologies if this one has been posted already, but what do y’all think of it? I’m very tempted... It’s the look I prefer (although I wish the wats were still on it) and the L28 is hugely appealing too. (Tried to paste the URL but the mobile interface wouldn’t let me, weirdly. It said it was pasting, but nothing appeared in the window...)

Aaaah but you see, I'm not fussed about power – even the S30 doesn't make much, really, in a modern context. Slow cars are still plenty of fun, if not more so! Plus I have access to powerful cars through work, heh. And you're absolutely right, the 86 is not a super stylish car in its stock form, but I'd certainly never keep it in its stock form, haha. Correct, too, that the 2+2 Zs don't do it for me. I can't stand the roofline, and whether I can see it from behind the wheel doesn't matter much; I want to look at it when I'm mowing the lawn and be in love with the sight of it, y'know? I actually really like the look of the Z34, it's just the cabin that has become a letdown over time. The infotainment is cruddy, the materials aren't great, the steering wheel is a bit ugly, etc. That isn't something I think about in 30/40/50-year-old cars – but it matters to me in newer cars. It's a curse! I would be a happier guy if I cared less and could overlook these things, haha. Now of course, the 86 is underpowered – but I don't care. And yes, it has a cheaper-feeling interior than many alternatives, but it was designed to be that way and I think that makes a difference to me.

Ha, been holding tight for a long time! If I could find the right car for less than $40k, I'd jump on it this very second – but 'the right car' is a manual two-seater, and you just don't see those around for under 40k. Well, not without needing a lot of work – and tbh I don't have the skills or inclination for that, or the budget to have it in and out of workshops. Yes mate that was me, how ya trackin'? Early RX-7s aren't really my style aesthetically – I don't hate them, but it's just not where my heart is. Likewise the MX-5 – an absolute hoot to drive, but a little too compact for my liking and not really my scene. The 370Z was very very high on my list, but there's one thing I can't overcome, and this will sound silly: the tech. In a properly old car, I don't care about tech, but in a more modern car, I do have this weird 'prerequisite' of a modern or at least modifiable infotainment system. You can't install an aftermarket head-unit in the Oz-delivered Z, and I absolutely despise that generation of Nissan's infotainment. An upside to the 86 is that it has a standard double-din space, so I can get a nice Carplay-enabled Sony or Pioneer head unit in, and I'd be relatively happy lad. But yeah... when I'm not thinking about cars, I'm busy being a gadget nerd, so it's a bigger priority for me than it might be for others, haha. Anyway, it's not like I'd ever 'give up' on owning an S30 – it just might have to be later in life when my financial commitments ease up!

Well, this has all pretty successfully reminded me I won't be getting a two-seat, manual S30 anytime soon, haha. If ever! I joined these forums years ago when I was a young broke designer. I have a good job these days, earning decent money – but now I also have a mortgage on a fixxer-upper, and two expensive young children (full-time childcare is pricey)! Ah well. This is my first post in probably 10 years, who knows when my next will come, hah. I've been thinking more and more, lately, that I might have to make do with a 2018 vintage Toyota 86. Not the car of my dreams, but it is at least fun and affordable (I'm a motoring journo, so I've driven 'em all).

Tech specs revealed. http://www.themotorreport.com.au/12094/2009-nissan-370z-tech-specs-revealed/

Apologies for the apparently poorer quality of your copy George, the boys had to move to a slightly cheaper format. Issue 1 didn't sell quite enough copies, so the cost of printing issue 2 became a bigger concern than had otherwise been expected, I believe, and therefore the quality had to be dropped a little. I didn't have as big a role in the design of issue 2 (I only did a few pages here and there) due to other commitments, but the boys have done a great job without me! I'm looking forward to being back on deck for issue 3!

A few different colours here: http://www.themotorreport.com.au/12014/nissan-370z-spotted-in-red-white-black/ And hey, you guys aren't TMR readers? Support local produce yo! And support me For what it's worth, we had all of the above stuff before Autoblog. I for one think this is the best looking Z since the S30. Only ever liked the S130, Z31, and Z32 in 2-seat form (down with 2+2!), and the front of the Z33 bored the piss out of me. I liked the back of it, but the rear quarter windows were too much like the Z32 and the arse just looked MASSIVE. The Z34, while not technically a huge difference, feels like a massive improvement to me.

What's this about? Wouldn't mind going myself...

Japanese Nostalgic Car have now linked to this thread as well http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/blog/2008/08/21/hint-hint-nissan-another-retro-datsun-design/

Nice! Here's a bunch from a Wangan Midnight live-action movie. The car's not quite accurate to the manga, but it's damn nice nonetheless.

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/4721/if-nissan-took-a-leaf-out-of-fords-book/ Hah!

All Zs should look like this. It's as simple as that.

I love the rear quarter window - very 240Z - but that's about the only thing it's got in common with the 240Z.

I'm not a fan, but the tail light modification that dzeyene made is a huge improvement to the rear.

Great work! Very nice

Alright, thanks guys.

Here's a thread on HybridZ of a guy who's already done it. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=856167