Anybody wanna go for a drive? Maybe a quick coffee? Around 2 or so?

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Carz are in hybernation, Mike.

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1970 240Z

Not mine. Soon though but not yet. Believe it or not I still see 350z's on the road.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Oh, you'll zee lots of 350s and 370s on the winter roads. They are undercoated with today's technology, and they're built to avoid the nooks and crannies the older cars had. Today's Zs also have special panels under them which road salt does not affect. In short, it's safe to drive a modern Z on winter roads.

But they learned all that technology by watching what road salt did to the HLS30 carz. Mine was Z-BARTed from the dealer (sea salt everywhere in Hawaii) so it took about 10 years to start corroding. But eventually two NY winters ate it up. It has again been undercoated (this time with Rhino Liner) but I'm taking no chances unless the house and garage are on fire.

That 'dangerous' looking little 280 you own is about to undergo a rehab, so it almost doesn't matter how much salt gets up under her skirts. ( ). But if you're driving her now, you'd better let NOTHING stop you from the work you intend to do to it.

New England roadsalt KILLS old Z cars. I really worry about Phrog's nifty Carrot Car out there in the Cape Cod salt and sand.

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1970 240Z

My Z at some point was polycoated or something like that. The sticker is still on my window. I think the coating wore off....

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Mike,
Hey hey Hey! Love your enthusiasm!

Wife and I were coming home from Fairfield around 9:00am...saw a magnifizant pure bright white 370 convertible on BlackRock Tnpke.
We were in Wife's Outback or I would have tried to deliver a club card.

Keep trying re: coffee runs. I have a Camry with blizzaks that will go through anything (almost). Even during the week (I'm retired).
Alan

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2007 350Z Grand Touring Roadster "OURZ"

How about today.

I can't even get my 4wd out yet! Little Z wouldn't stand much chance.

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1970 240Z

Our 350Z has been in the garage for a month. I think I had her out once just to give her a breath of fresh air. In two weeks she will move to her winter quarters a few doors down the road. Neighbors head to Florida until mid spring and have an empty bay. By dropping the liability and collision insurance for the storage period I will save a few bucks.
It will be a pleasure to have the Camry in our garage, especially in this weather weather.
Happy New Year!! Stay safe.

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2007 350Z Grand Touring Roadster "OURZ"

Took my car out yesterday. It was probably the most fun I've ever had in it actually. Of course there was only about an inch or so on the roads at the time, but my tail end constantly wanted to kick out, even with my new all seasons on.

Hi Patrick! Yeah, I can picture you having fun with that monster in the snow! What a blast!

Don't think the rest of us aren't tempted to do that, too! It's just that most of us are old enough to have seen what happens to old Zs when they get road salt in their veins.

One of the 'funnest' times I ever had with my 240 was when my local NC town had built a new high school and were tearing down the old one. They had finally taken down the fence around the football field, which had a 1/4 mile cinder track around it. It was late at night, nobody was there, and they were gonna bulldoZe the field up anyway, so I took the 240 out onto the narrow running track around the field.

With a little practice, I got a full drift around each turn and touched 60 on each straight. (Well, that's what the speedo said ~ the rear wheels were spinning almost constantly).

On dry pavement it's hard to drift a Z well. But on loose cinders or snow or ice, you can get some really well-balanced stuff going on.

Frank

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1970 240Z

My 71 is tucked in for the winter, or at least till the next indian summer day.

I know I'm late in this response, so no coffee this time, but after reading Frank T's reply I had to chime in.

Back in the day, my 71 Z was my daily driver, and I did my share of driving from northern NJ to Stamford CT (62Miles each way) every day to get to my new job in CT. Lot's of bad weather and close calls, but if you think back to the early 70's, most of the other cars of that period were not that great in snow either. We managed somehow.

One winters day I was on a business trip to eastern PA, traveling on I-78 (I think) in NJ when an unexpected snow storm blew in. I got stuck behind a garbage truck doing about 15 MPH in the right lane (the left lane had about4-5 inches of unplowed snow on it). I tried on a couple of occasions to pass him on the crappy left lane, only to chicken out and return to my original position in line. This went on for about 20 minutes. Finally, I tried once again, and to my suprise, I was getting around the truck! When I got past him, I slowly re-entered the right lane only to have the back end break loose and spin me backwards towards the outside guard rail. The garbage truck came to an easy stop and here I am facing him feeling like a real tool. I waved at him, he waived back. I got the car spun around headed in the right direction eventually getting to my planned destinattion with damage only to my pride. This was my last Z drive in the snow.

Drive safe and have a Happy New Year!

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John Kish
1971 240Z - original owner

Whew! Lucky boy!

(For our newer members, John is one of our Club's few "Original Owners" who bought their 240Zs new and have owned them ever since. John's late 70/early 71 240Z is nearly showroom perfect today. You get special memories when you own your Z that long).

Frank

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1970 240Z

Might be a 'kill some winter time' thread there,Frank.
It occurs to me that a few of us must have owned our current babies for some time (23 yrs for lil red)
Anybody?