Hello all,

I am in the middle of my second year out on the east coast. I am currently pursuing my graduate degree in mechanical engineering.

I am originally from California and have been autocrossing for six years. Unfortunately I did not bring my car over from Cali, and am without a car

I have been looking around at used sports cars with the eventual goal of running in local autox's. I am amazed at how many old Z's are around here on the east coast! My normal autox car in Cali is a 1986 Toyota Corolla (last RWD model). My dad has a mint 1976 280Z that I am very fond of. I joined this forum to browse, research, and get advice on the 280Z, 280ZX, and 300ZX. Hopefully I will be able to find one of these beautiful cars for my own in the near future!

Here is my AE86 Corolla:



And my Dad's 280Z:

Welcome J, You going to love here. Great cars, Great Events, And Awesome people. ENJOY>>.

_________________
Bob Sharp Racing History Memorabillia Chairman / VP of Marketing
RDZ MOTORSPORTS / CONSULTANT
RDZ MOTORSPORTS PROTOTYPE
Black 2007 350-Z
67 Camaro Custom
Orange Late 71 240-Z Sold and sitting in a Doctors Collection

Colin Foote Never Forgotten!!

Welcome J!! The only problem with the North East is that our Z's have to hibernate for the winter. But when they awaken, they are well rested for the summer season! Hope to see you at one of our meetings or events.

As our retired Membership Directory often says, you don't have to own a Z to belong to CTZCC, just have a passion for them!

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Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

Greetings, J ~ and welcome! I'm a "limited" Toyo fan, but I have to admit that one looks hot!

If your goal is to AutoX [ONLY] a Z, I would highly recommend the earliest model you can afford. (Price tends to escalate as the year goes down). The original 1970 240 was hundreds of pounds lighter than anything which followed it. Additionally, the earliest 2.4L engine was the least encumbered by air pollution and had excellent carbs. That gave a very good power to weight ratio for the little bit of money you paid for a new Z in 1970 or '71 and gave you a free-revving engine.

They aren't without fault tho ~ body flex is a concern under serious cornering stresses (such as AutoX), and there have been reports of the rear quarter lights (little windows) popping out on turns in unmodified carz. Shock tower braces front and rear tend to mitigate that (a device which was developed for the Z by Connecitcut's Bob Sharp Racing and his arch-rival-buddy out in Cali, Brock Racing EnterpriZes back in the '70s).

Today these early carz are FAR better than they ever were Back in The Day, because there are LOTS of upgrade parts available now which weren't even thought of back then ~ and of course there have been more than 40 years of trial and error invested in their post-production development.

Some people prefer to buy a heavier 1972 or 73 model, carve most of the weight out of it ("add lightness") and beef up the engine, suspension and brakes for a really good "AutoZ" car. Also, there are so few of the 10,000 lightweight 1970 carz left today (and the prices are so high), that the better thing to hope for is a good, intact 1971 car.

Whatever route you chooZe, start with the most complete rust-free car you can find. It's all fun, but you tend to leave happier at the end of the day when nothing falls off your car.

Check our MARKETPLACE forums often ~ any of us who runs across a Z for sale (anyplace) usually sticks it in there for others to zee.

Good to have you here with us!
Z ya ~
Frank
1970 240Z
(Not for sale at any price)

*(PS ~ BTW, J, here's a 1971 240 which is available now in MASS. It was the long-term project of another Mechanical Engineer who passed away recently, and his family is offering it for sale. A lot of the work you would normally do to a stock Z has already been done to this car, and it comes with a spare engine. Price hasn't been determined yet because we haven't had anyone available to drive up there and estimate the car:

http://forums.ctzcc.com/viewtopic.php?t=6613 )

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

I am excited but a little bit nervous about picking up an older Z. I have some experience with cars but am still very 'green' (I spent much more time driving than I did tuning/fixing/restoring). I look forward to learning more about cars. It is comforting to know there's a wealth of knowledge and experts here just in case if I run into something I can't do on my own!

We ALL run into something we can't do on our own!

One of the best partz of the CTZCC is that our 570+ members range in experience from the novice, first-car owners to the career-long Z mechanics and race drivers. We all love to share our experiences with each other and don't mind helping when possible. This really is a brotherhood. Weird family, but tight-knit. You're one of us now.

Like the guyz said above, you're gonna love it here. We're just grateful when someone buyz an old Z with the intention of keeping it on the road for a few more years. We love these carz. Don't let your experience determine what you buy ~ just your wallet.

Frank

Welcome aboard!

_________________
Keith Hultmark
2009 370Z Touring - Sold (5 years owned)
1993 300ZX - Sold (5 years owned)
1976 Porsche 912E. #163 of 2200 - SOLD (3 years owned)
2018 BMW 330i GT xdrive daily driver
2004 BMW Z4 3.0i ….it is a Z

welcome to the club! maybe Dad will part with the Z???

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Most likely not... it's his baby!

yeah i know the feeling. but i do plan on passing my 280z onto my son Evan. of course i got plenty of time before that. he won't be here until May.

_________________
Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694