Nissan 300ZX - anyone here actaully owned one??

[Dowding]

Buy an Imprezza Turbo for £10,000, second hand. Brand new £25,000.

280 BHP, 0-60 in 5.5 secs. 4WD with legendary handling.

[-tronski-]

Holden HSV GTS 300

5.7-litre 16-valve fuel-injected C4B V8
300kW @ 6,000 RPM/510Nm @ 4,800 RPM
6 speed manual / 18 in. Bridgestones doing 0-100km in 6 secs






Tronsky

[Skuzzy]

Nice cars.  A bit slow for the club though.  The average 0-60mph in the club (32 members when I retired from it) was 4.0 seconds.

The quickest (Porsche 911SC4 Turbo) ticked off 3.2 seconds and the slowest was a Porsche 911.

My Z would run 0-60mph at 3.7 seconds.  Of course, it was pretty heavily modified.  I believe the standard 300ZX TT would click off 0-60mph in just under 5.0 seconds.

It wasn't about the cars or the price of the toys that got me retired.  I figured it was time to leave as age has a way of slowing your reflexes down a bit.  I still dream of hitting over 200mph though.
I also needed the time to complete a restoration/rebuild of a Ford Daytona Coupe.  Been working on that project for a couple of years.

[AKDejaVu]

I also needed the time to complete a restoration/rebuild of a Ford Daytona Coupe. Been working on that project for a couple of years.

If you have some pics of that, I wouldn't mind seeing them.  I love to check out virtually any restoration I can find.  Shoot me an e-mail at dstaines@teleport.com if you're not too keen on posting the stuff here.

AKDejaVu

[Skuzzy]

I plan to post pics when they make sense DejaVu.  I got a ton of photos and film on this project.  I just need to sift through it and pull out the "oops" photos.  You know what I mean?  The ones where you thought you had a brilliant idea on how to deal with the problem, but in practice it was a boo-boo.
I have the engine working now, and start it periodically, much to the chagrin of my neighbors.  It is on the bench stand with open headers.
Unfortunately, it is the pre-side oiler block, so i am trying to convert it.  Ford has a lot of information on this car, which has been a big help.
And get this, Ford has a discontinued parts warehouse where all the dealers in the network send discontinued parts to be written off and destroyed.  Luckily, there are some softies in that warehouse who cannot bring themselves to destroy some parts.  I was able to wangle a brand new set of 427 Lemans heads from them for the engine.  While looking through the bins, we found a brand new front sway bar for a 65 Shelby, a Cobra emblem for a 69 Shelby, and the original knockoffs for the wheels of the 65 SC Cobra.  I thought I died and went to heaven.  

I plan on posting the restoration story on a WEB site once it is all done.  I probably have another years worth of work to do on it.

[AKDejaVu]

The mistakes are what you learn the most from.  Like I said... I'd love to see the pics.

AKDejaVu

[Steven]

<>

I have to disagree.  But it's good we all have differing preferences or else we'd all be wearing the same clothing, driving the same model and color car or flying the same aircraft in Aces High (ala F4U-1C.)  

Yeah, the 280ZXs weren't much for handling, but the 82 and 83 turbos were a lot of fun on the street, though had a louzy turbo-lag when stock.  240Z's are fun too and I had a friend who fixed one up very well.  I'd pass on a 260Z and a 280Z and the first incarnation of the 300ZX, but I like the 82/83 280ZXs.  Stock turbo 280ZXs increased the HP from about 138 to 185; though, I don't know what the torque was off-hand but was good due to the inline engine.  Not a lot in today's world, but always worked for me when I was young and stupid.  (Wrapped a ZX around a tree during my 21st year...crashed a motorcycle on the street that same year too.)  With a little work, that HP (more importantly the torque) could be increased.
My dream is a 240Z/280ZX with a small-block in it.  Heh heh.

[Sparks]

Wow - thankyou thankyou for all the info - Skuzzy especially

I must admit to prefering the 300ZX and they are soooo cheap for the performance here.  The twin turbo manual can be picked up for anywhere from 8 - 10K for a decent one (a similar price to a decent 3000GT - a good freind just bought a 3000GT for 7500 and its mint) - so whats that ..... 11-14K dollars.

Some folks are saying the Skyline or last model Supra are better but for me they don't have the look and they are a lot more money.

I looked on a few 300ZX sites and there look to be a few aftermarket bits available in the states - one appears to be a straight chip change which buys you 85bhp more ???

So I think the search begins .....

Sorry Dowding - I know the Imprezza is a good car and all but well it's just so ......... saloon.

Thanks again guys

[Saurdaukar]

Oh man I wish I had a scanner... I would advise against a 300ZX... of any year.  A buddy of mine is a Nissan head - he has owned both the NA and TT versions of the car - has had nothing but trouble with them both.  ::pitch coming::  There really IS no substitute afterall... Porsche 951 (AKA 944 Turbo).  Best bang for the buck sports car in existance.  Easily modified, best handeling car on the planet (Or at least so said Car and Driver)  

Porsche 951 (944 Turbo)
Black/Black 286 HP, 305 Ft/Lbs
2.5 Liter turbocharged slant 4
2750 lbs wet
48/62 Distribution
Top speed 173 MPH
0-60 5.1 sec

Car is obviously "tweeked" but it was all done at a minimum of cost, and Im no mechanic - easy work.  The numbers on paper are "moderately impressive" but if you can find one in your local paper (I recommend anything after the first year of the Turbo, 86) go take it for a spin... 60-100 times are more impressive than 0-60 and the car has so much mid and high range grunt that passing other motorists besomes almost addictive.  In trouble?  The brakes are unreal.  If you like drivers cars - this is one of the best.  Only downside to the car is the clutch... very expensive to replace - or very difficult and time consuming if you have the ability to do it yourself.  Either way good luck.

[Skuzzy]

Well, I put over 100,000 hard miles on mine, had it for 10 years and never had a problem.  I know several others who would say the same.
On the other hand, I did know a few 944 owners.  They seem to have problems with the rear brake springs breaking on them.  That could have been an issue with a particular year model too.  I do not recal the year models those guys had.  They were not part of the club, just some regular guys I used to work with.

Oh, when I say I did not have a problem.  I mean, other than regular maintenance (oil, plugs, brakes), there were no issues with my ZX.  I busted over 190 in it after it rolled over 100,000 miles and it still never burned a drop of oil.  The interor of the car looked brand new when I sold it.
You do have to pay attention more to the ZX than other cars, simply because of the turbos.  Driven right and taken care of it is a good car.  Mine was a 91 (the new style) model TT.

Oh Sparks, I did forget to say:  On the spark plugs.  Do not attempt to change them yourself, and only allow an authorized Nissan dealer do it.  The plugs each have a separate coil attached directly to the plug.  The harness for the coils is very stiff and can be cracked, which will cause all sorts of voltage leaks.

[Elfenwolf]

Originally posted by mrfish


any 280zx is for sissies.

however the 240z-280z line is all good (except some 260z's) even the 2+2. i had a dog of a 260z 2+2 with those miserable hitachi carbs. also had a 1971 240z and a later '77 fuel injected 280z. 240z was the best by far.

the zx models were way tamed down and fatter and loaded with smog crap. probably the first decent zx was the 300.the  just z cars are great though.

The 240Z kicked ass. I had a 1963 Austin Healey 3000 back in 1972 I bought for 700 dollars that had a broke motor. Rebuilt it, used that car as my daily driver and ran across a 240Z once on a road trip to Lake Berryessa that absolutely blew my doors off. Made me realize what an antique I was driving, but man that car was fun.