I'm new to the site but not the Z cars. I have a 1977 280Z I bought in 2004 as a restoration project . Of course hidden body damage was found but I decided to keep going and use as a DD . It's currently being painted and overdue in my driveway by a couple of weeks . I have previously owned a 1979 ZX and 1982 ZX and 1996 300ZX hardtop . Jim

Jim,
Welcome! Great to have you on board. Sounds like it will be a very exciting day when the 280Z comes rolling back into your driveway with fresh paint. Looking forward to meeting you. Sincerely, Ross

Yay, another 280!

Jim, you're going to meet some very dedicated brothers in this club. Some of our nicer cars are 280s and the owners are steadfast daily driver guys ~ they simply believe that's what the car is for.

Really good to have you aboard ~ welcome! Do you suspect your car could be home in time for our car show on 19July? Pop a picture of it into our Member Rides galley!

Frank T
Mbrshp Dir
Raffle cZar
Volunteer Guy
1970 240Z
HLS30-02807

Glad to be here and look foward to meeting everyone . I am going to stop by the shop to see when I might expect it back . I gave it to him in primer with everything off but the hatch glass so it was just a matter of fitting it in between collision work . I was happy to just find a shop willing to paint it at the price he gave me as many shops turned it down . Should ony take a full day to get it back together so I hope to bring it to the show . The inner hatch and enging bay paint won't match and fitment of the body is not great so it's not a show candidate . Should have been a parts car but I decided to finish it anyway. Jim

You just described many cars in this club.

Most of these cars are 20-30 years old, and parts are becoming hard to find. My own 240 was headed for the crusher when I sold it in 1986, and was saved by another guy, who started restoration and sold it back to me. It's never going to be a show car, but when the brakes are roadworthy I will proudly show it as a daily driver.

One of our members (Bryan) drives his 1970 240 daily. It has knicks and dings but sounds like a Maserati and I find more beauty in that 38 y/o car than in most 95-point restorations.

Just the fact that you can still drive the car and care enough to keep it roadworthy is a beautiful thing. BRING IT.

Another of our members (Jim) drives a really nice (but not perfect, thank God) 260. He loves the car and it shows. He proudly brings it to every meeting and parks it among the new 350Zs some other members drive. Guess who gets the most attention?

Really glad to have you with us.

Frank T

i agree , i drive my 260 every day , and i deliver pizza in it , you would not believe the looks i get when i pull up and get out with a pizza for someone , i drive my car so all the people who are not fourtunate enough to have a z car can see what they are missing. and i will be seeing you guys at you car show , as a ZANY and CTZCC member .

You just reminded me of my teenaged best-friend's uncle, who owned a pizzaria and delivered pies in his 1962(?) Dodge 413 Cross-Ram Dual Quad stationwagon! He dragged the car on weekends and delivered pizzas in it M-F. "Guaranteed Hot Delivery!", just like you.

Bring the car!

First ZX I had was a 79 280, had it a short while and a 1ton city pickup truck cut in front of me at an intersection, I ended up under his front end... I sold the car in it's crashed condition to a guy who delivered pizzas in it for about a year. He eneded up leaving the country and I bought the car back and I restored it back, turns out my neighbor had a ZX in her back yard hit on the opposite side of mine, grafted all the good parts over and rattle canned them from black to the blue the rest of my car was and got more compliments on that car.... That's how it all started for me, now 15 ZX's later..........

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Now on my 15th/update/16th Zcar, Z's4vr....

Just stopped by the bodyshop to see how the Z was coming along . He was painting the jambs when I walked in and should get it finished Sunday ~ Monday at the latest . It was supposed to be done a couple of weeks ago but he got busy with other work . I can't complain because no other shop would touch the car . I just need a front end alignment and have the brakes looked at . I hope to be able to drive it to the show this month . I'll post some photos when I get it home . Jim

Great news Jim! We are looking forward to seeing it at our show. Ross

Thaks Roo, I'm looking foward to my first Datsun Meet !

Only a few hours of work left to get it back together . If I can get the front end aligined and switch the wheels next week I should be able to drive it to the show! These are pictures before I picked up at the shop. Jim

Ooooh, Man....!

One of the happiest memories of my life was the day I brought my 240 home from the paint shop and parked it in my garage to "cure".

I loved to open the door and smell the new paint. I had it done in Metalflake Copper in 1976 or 77. The very next year Nissan released new cars painted almost the exact same shade. I had a completely unique Z for about 7 months, then everybody else had one "my" color !!!

Jimmy, that's one beautiful car. If you get enough lights back on it to be legal, please bring it to the show no matter what other work remains to be done. We all love to see cars progress, and a year from now it will be cool to look at your finished Z and remember seeing it the month it was 'reborn'.

Mike Engelhardt will love to see this when he gets back from vacation overseas in NJ.

Frank T

The Z looks sweet Jim, I almost bought a silverblue 78 a couple of years ago.... Ended up with my 85GLL instead, just had to wax it up tonight due to fading paint, now it's red again........ Frank, Mike is overseas in Italy, in a month or so he goes to Jersey, He was at my house a couple days ago showing off some body parts in his pickup bed from a 54 Ford 1/2 ton w/chevy power he just aquired......... See you guys at the show.

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Now on my 15th/update/16th Zcar, Z's4vr....

The 85 GLL looks great Tom and I'll see you next week . Jim