ozzy 79

Hi, The last parts of my first 280zx... 2 x Targa Tops for a 1981 280ZX 2+2 plus storage bags. The T-Tops themselves are in I guess "average" condition. Mostly all there, red trims, functional - at least when they were removed in 2003... The vinyl bags are brittle/split. May be of use to use as a template to create new ones... Located in GEELONG, VIC. Not looking to be posting these due to their size/weight... Drop me a line if Geelong is too far for a nice Sunday drive... maybe we can work something out. I want these to go to someone who can use them... Cheers ozzy

Thanks for the ongoing replies stevofoxono, ouch! And what a day for it... I am getting the impression that I'll need to make sure my fire extinguisher is on hand if/when I get a Z31! Ideally down the track I hope to have more money to buy something in true "good" condition... But within the next 6 months we need to have a 2nd car, and whilst my wife wants that to be a late 90's trusty though cheap runabout, I very much want to return to being a Zed owner...

Thanks for the reply Ahh... Reminds me - I saw a cream Anniversary badged Z31 in about 2004 in Darwin, that was going very cheap... The salesman admitted it had had an engine fire... "Nothing to worry about though, just needs - " something or other done to stop it happening again... Glad to hear the digi dash is ok. Always wanted to get one for the 280zx... This may be the better option. I've seen a few sub $2k on Gumtree, but they certainly would need some work to even keep them on the road... I want something that I can drive straight away, so hoping the $3k mark will hit the spot - on the right day.

G'day, How far does $3,000 go towards a Z31? I've been looking at online sales sites, and it certainly looks like I'd get a 300zx with $3k... though I've seen some that look pretty decent, and some that look shocking... Is there any major issues to look out for with them (that I wouldn't already know having owned 2 280's)? I know the headlights can be an issue... Is the digital dash an accessory worth worrying about? As I recall, the 280zx version was generally considered cool but buggy and annoying... (ie due to lag between what the dash said you were doing, and what you were actually doing) Cheers ozzy

No It was a pile of rust by the end... The "ding" in the left door was some bastard who literally put his boot in (could see the boot print after he did it)... No targas, but have a set in the garage from my first Zed A guy from Toowoomba bought it mid last year. No idea what his intentions where for it, but I *think* he was going to restore it. Maybe.

At that point, they were actually all being guided back to the pits for their next round... he wasn't racing like that...

Two 240 or 260s and a 300zx racing right now... Planning on going again tomorrow, might take the video camera, though not sure if any Zeds are racing... Today was meant to be "contemporary" vehicles... and tomorrow classic... Would have thought 240z's were classic... ... No Zeds while I was there today... Nice E-Type though... Got some video... might get round to making it into a compilation for YouTube...

Well obviously this was just the abomination as no other Zeds had one, and I know nothing.

You know, I've always wanted to try an electric Zed... and the 240 is very light compared to the 280...

Not actually trying to aggrieve 240/260z owners... I wouldn't want something like this: That's far too stand-out-ee... Just like a modded WRX that I saw one day, with a massive stainless steel checker/dimple plate for a fuel door... That looked absurd... But the 280zx has a very cool design, IMO... and the 240z's very stock-to-any-old-mother's-van style just seems incredibly simple for such an iconic car... Just been trying to find images of an E-Type's fuel cap/door to compare... but it's not as easy as I thought... (Am saying - I've no idea, but was curious what an E-Type's looks like as a comparison, given that the 240z was based on the E)

From memory when I first had a close look at a 240/260, I first thought that the Z emblem on the c pillar must have been some secret hatch hiding the filler... Then finished walking round the car and.. oh.. just a standard door...

Hey! T-Tops are a great idea! They bake your head, let water in when it rains, weaken the car's structural integrity, and look cool...

Am actually quite serious - in as much as I love the 280zx cap design, as it's quite fresh, and just think the 240/260 design is so ubiquitous as to be very boring... I'd not likely hack up a 240z for this issue however...

G'day, My first Zed was a 280zx. So was my 2nd. Then I looked at some 240z's and 260z's... and the biggest thing that struck me... My god the fuel cap is so boring!!! Ok - it wasn't the first thing, but it really stood out... The 280zx has this funky star cap, with no door... and the 240z has... a door that looks like it belongs on my Toyota Camry... Sorry - just had to say something. Been checking out 240z's on eBay/carsales etc, and it kept hitting me again. I swear if I ever do buy a 240z, I'm gonna commit a horrible crime and take that door off, cut out the whole section and replace with one from a 280zx... Oh and... note to the wise... leave your key in the star cap when you're refueling... And... if you found a star cap near the petrol station in Berrimah, NT back in 2001 and kept it... I curse your name. :} cheers Ozzy

Not scared off I recall working on my first 280zx, then sitting in it holding my infant niece, and thinking - yeah one day it'd be cool to be teaching my own kids how to repair/maintain a nice old car like this... Then when my own kid did come along, there just wasn't any money to consider keeping a Zed... But hopefully that'll change in the near future, and I can start my 5yo changing spark plugs... I'll probably stick with a 280zx... Having stripped one down to the chassis (well, interior at least, plus worked on a fair few engine bay components), I at least know what I'm looking at... and would get a lot more car for my $, compared to a 240z... (Cos let's face it, a 260z just isn't gonna cut it - if you're gonna go back, go right back to where it started).

Shame it's not about a year ago - I could have given you a relay... I understand they can be pricey, unless you find a wrecker who doesn't want to charge the earth, and has one...

G'day, When I'd tell my work colleagues that I drove a Nissan Zed, and they'd say "A what?", I'd show them this picture... They'd look at me and say "Yeah, right!"... so then I'd show them my actual 280zx... In actuality, I think the above (first) Zed is a bit too extreme for me... I'm quite happy to add aftermarket light covers, or maybe a different valence/apron, but that car has had some MAJOR bodywork done to it! Is darn pretttty though...

That was my car. Sold it for the asking price, too. Not sure if it was to be parted or restored... Hoping restored...

Thanks for the answers so far, guys. Given my list of Zeds in Darwin, I figure I must have gotten better at distinguishing the 240z and 260z... But they really do confuse me. Don't know how accurate this chart is, but does kind of show that there's not a whole lot of differences between them... Sadly I've never driven an early Zed. Best I've done was to sit in one at a backyard wrecker in Darwin (Noonamah I think). He had I think a 260z up at his house, and then a field with maybe half a dozen other Zeds sitting in it. Sat in the 260z, and it certainly feels very different to the 280zx... not least being the dashboard gauges that are very much more all about the speed and the revs... (Also very uncomfortable for me, as it was full of spider webs... so couldn't really get a good feel for it) When it comes to working on a Zed, I'm quite at home working on the electrics - used to pull apart my toys (Walkie Talkies, 'laser' guns, etc), so the 280zx with all its features was a lot of fun, tracing wiring diagrams etc etc... Whereas in my mind, restoring a 240z would be more about carbies and body work... very alien to me... (Very generalised there...) I quite like the idea of a 2 seater... but with a 5yo boy, and another kid on the way, all I'd hear for the next decade would be "Where ya gonna put the kids!"...

G'day, Post inspired by DevilZhee - http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,11976.0.html I'm a 280zx guy. I grew up driving in cars with air con, and was jealous of people with auto windows, I liked leather or wood trim, even if it was fake... (IE middle class family) When I saw my first 280zx (once I actually started paying attention to cars at all), and researched them, I was in love - a sports car with all the creature comforts, right down to spray washers for the headlights - that was as old as I was! (Give or take a year) So, aside from a little bit of OCD regarding the idea of owning an "original" Zed, the 240z, 260z, and 280z have never held much of an interest. Frankly, when I see a pre-280zx car, I have to look at the badge to know if it's a 240z or 260z... (And... did the 280z even come to Australia?) What are the tangible differences between the 240z and 260z? What makes you a 240z lover versus a 260z lover? Do you all really just look at the 280zx and think - overweight piece of crap... :} Cheers Ozzy79

Thread caught my eye as before I bought my 280zx in '99, I very nearly went with an Rx7... And have to say - amazing work! I'm so jealous of people who can work with metal... Well, anything remotely creative with their hands, really. If I had half your skills, I'd have kept my rusty 280zx instead of selling it for $1k...

I guess the injectors could be clogged... At one point early on in my Zed days I had 2 of my injectors clog up... sounded awful running on 4 cylinders... Remove the fuel rail, pull out the injectors and soak in a cleaning agent... (Ok, might be more complex than that - I left it to a shop to fix, though I did replace a leaky injector in '06). Hopefully wont be too much of an issue... and if the car is in such good condition, you'll have a great ride soon!

Congrats on the liberation! Can't say I know much about getting a car that's been that idle to start again, but I'd be wary of stale petrol... maybe dirty plugs... I presume you've got a new battery installed? (Cos, that'll definitely be dead! Check the volt meter in the dash - if it's working). Was the car starting ok when it was stored? How much fuel in the tank? Spark getting to the plugs? When I purchased my 81 280zx in 1999, at the old age of 22, I couldn't have pointed out the spark plugs from the injectors... Over the following few years, I replaced the power steering pump, the alternator, speedo cable, condenser (with professional help, inc a R12 gas recharge), did plug and filter services, gutted one car to rebuild another, took the dash out numerous times, rewired the 81 wiper amplifier to fit a 79, even fixed the rear washer jet because of a stupid QLD Rego Inspector who insisted it had to work... It's a great way to learn about cars. I wouldn't say I'm a genius, but I at least have a good understanding... Your first purchase... should be the Haynes manual. It's a 99% rip off directly from the Nissan Factory Workshop S130 manual, which is a lot harder to come by, and more expensive... There are online versions, but if you're covered in grease and shit in the middle of performing some operation, you don't wanna mess up your iPad to find out what to do next. Better to get a real book a lil messy instead. So where are the pics?! cheers Ozzy

No car to race/show, but I'll be there. Just sent a message to a friend who recently purchased a GTR... He wants to race it eventually, but wont be ready for this event (if a GTR would be eligible?). Shame, it's a damn fast car!

When I got my 280zx, I thought about having a solid colour, but with a harlequin pin stripe... Not sure how it would have looked, but thought it'd be interesting!