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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:23 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:19 pm
Posts: 1644
First things first:

I want to give an incredibly huge thank-you to Justin (Jtang) and Frank for their incredible help over the last YEAR AND A HALF or so, as I have asked question after question and sent PM after PM. To the rest of you, thanks for letting me stick around this awesome club for so long even without a Z (I was actually kicked out of a Nissan club last week for not owning a Nissan-where’s the love?!?!)


With that said I would like to reintroduce myself.:

My name is Filipe, I am a student studying Architecture in Boston, MA, and as of 3 hours ago, I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF A 1984 DATSUN/NISSAN 300ZX TURBO!!!!!!!!

Yup, that’s right. This young rookie has finally found the car for him! “No Rust” ~79,000 miles, and a 5 Speed that I’ll be learning how to drive stick on! And it all came at a sticker price south of my budget! The car comes from Framingham, MA. It’s a 1 family car. The original owner bought it back in 1983 and about 3 years ago was going to trade it in. His Son-in-law wouldn’t allow that and snatched it up. He has put in some money every year since. He replaced the tires, belts, clutch, battery, and the lines from the shifter down to the clutch.

For those who know me, I’ve been on the “hunt” for a Z for about a year and half. I looked at a Z31 first, then flirted with the idea of an older s30, and then even the newer Z32s. I always said that if it was meant to be, then it would be. This proved to be true!

On March 3rd, during my daily hunt on Craig’s List, I came across this beauty. I immediately emailed the owner asking him to call me as soon as he could. He didn’t respond for what seemed like WEEKS (in reality it was about a 2 day wait). I had the typical ho-hum conversation with him and when it came down to the nitty gritty, he said that I was about the 3rd/4th person in line. I was shocked! I had responded to the ad within hours of it being posted! So, in an attempt to avoid a situation like the sale of Barry’s ZXT (http://forums.ctzcc.com/viewtopic.php?t=6896) where I was also stuck in line, I asked the current owner of the Z “Is there anyway you can hold it for me? I’m a student at a college in Boston, and won’t be home for another week.” Knowing this would be a stretch; I crossed my fingers and held my breath…He explained that he was looking for an enthusiast, not a run-of-the-mill kind of buyer. By now, I knew I was in. I explained my intense search for a Z, my admiration for the Z line and my involvement in the CTZCC (again, thanks everyone!). The seller really appreciated this, he could tell how committed I was, and agreed to hold off any other potential buyers until I could come up. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that this was all meant to be…

…and it was!

I got to Framingham right before 5 today. Noticed a house for sale, glanced at the driveway, and there was the Z! From the curb she looked great! Then as I approached, I noticed some of the black turbo trim was starting to go in certain parts, “doable” I thought. Walked up to the front door, met the owner, chatted for a bit, and then it was off to the races. I had my checklist ready. Engine bay: check. Underside rust: missing. Straight body? I’d say so. Rear camber? Seems about right. Wheel well rust? Absent. Spare wheel well: Inaccessible. “NOOOOOO” I thought! The owner’s father in law had radio wires running across the cover. I’d never a Z with a metal sheet over the spare…caught me off guard. Rust to the right of the spare well? Absent. To the left? Some surface rust starting to come through the previously non-original primer coat. “Will keep an eye on that” I thought. Tires? New.

And then it was time to test drive the car…sat in and I thought “this ain’t so bad!”. But then it all struck me. The carpets would have to be replaced. Headliner? Needs replacement. Radio Antenna? Not working. Essentially, a few odds and ends. Being naïve, I automatically said to myself “No way I can shell out our agreed price for this car!” Dad said it was a good driver, and the turbo did sound about right. Mechanically from my rookie point of view it seemed solid.

Needless to say, there was a lot of standing around and getting on my back to see the car time and time again. The only “not so good spots” were right where people have been placing the jack on either side. “Doable” I thought, again. At first, I just couldn’t come to wits about buying the car. But then the more the owner talked, the more it made sense. His father in law owned it, one family car, bottom was clean, mechanically sound, clean Carfax. Etc etc etc. I asked the owner if he was absolutely dead set on his price (which he already had lowered once from the original asking price). I started to throw out offers a few hundred below the previously mentioned price…after a bit of heavy breathing, leaning back and forth, we agreed that so long as I send him a picture every summer of the car and don’t put 44” chrome rims on it, he would drop the price for me, a first time car owner and a Z enthusiast! He gave me the keys, I gave him the check, we spoke some more, took care of the papers, spoke some more, and off we (Pops and I) went!

The drive home was compromised by heavy rains 90% of the way, but Pops had it completely under control. The T-tops didn’t let in a drop of water.

There were so many coincidences with this car that it almost feels unworldly, like I had the Z Gods watching over me! The fact that the Monday the owner first scheduled to show the car was the Monday I was heading home for Spring Break, that Daylight Savings Time began the Sunday before giving me an extra hour of light in the afternoon to see the car (the earliest I could get there was after 5), that my bank CD matured TWO days before I needed the money for the Z, etc etc etc seemed like it was all too good to be true. My favorite coincidence (If I can even call them that by now) of them all, was that the first day I wore the CTZCC sweatshirt that Frank (thanks again!) sent me as a gift for the first club post of 2013 was also the day the owner called me back regarding my inquiry of the Z. From there, the rest is history!

That, ladies and gentlemen, is proof to me that some things are just “meant to Z”.

I got a deal on a great Z. Sure the odds and ends will keep me busy, but I feel like that’s the JOY of being a Z owner! SEE YOU IN APRIL!!!!

:D

More pics soon!


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Last edited by Filipe on Thu Dec 26, 2013 6:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:40 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 8:17 pm
Posts: 2148
Location: Colchester, Ct
How awesome is that Filipe! Congratulations! You're finally a Z owner after all the searching AND you already have a great story to go with it!

Anxious to see you and your new Z!!

And make sure you thank that father of yours! He sounds like a keeper.

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


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:44 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:19 pm
Posts: 1644
phil280zxt wrote:
How awesome is that Filipe! Congratulations! You're finally a Z owner after all the searching AND you already have a great story to go with it!

Anxious to see you and your new Z!!

And make sure you thank that father of yours! He sounds like a keeper.


Thanks Phil! I knew it was only a matter of time.

Pops? Yeah, I think I'm going to hold on to him. (Maybe get him to a meet!)

:D


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:57 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm
Posts: 14779
Location: CT
YEEEEHAAAAAA!!! :D Finally!!!

Mann, I am grinning from ear to ear! What a happy story. And I notice you have deleted your "still on the hunt for my first Z", which will never again apply to you.

I couldn't be happier for you. This is an adventure which will make your entire YEAR, dude! Have Dad take you to a large empty parking lot and start practicing with the manual gearbox as soon as possible.

Hey guys ~ we all know how Filipe will spend his nights now....sneaking out to the garage to look at and sit in his new Z every 40 minutes! :lol:

This is great. Welcome aboard, buddy. Well done. A beautiful Z, too!
There were no coincidences about this. It was all meant to Z.

(What will Z will Z. It was meant to Z. I'm going to remember that). :wink:

And I hope you wore that CTZCC sweatshirt when you went to meet "your" Z, too.

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1970 240Z


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:01 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:19 pm
Posts: 1644
Frank T wrote:
YEEEEHAAAAAA!!! :D Finally!!!

Mann, I am grinning from ear to ear! What a happy story. And I notice you have deleted your "still on the hunt for my first Z", which will never again apply to you.

I couldn't be happier for you. This is an adventure which will make your entire YEAR, dude! Have Dad take you to a large empty parking lot and start practicing with the manual gearbox as soon as possible.

Hey guys ~ we all know how Filipe will spend his nights now....sneaking out to the garage to look at and sit in his new Z every 40 minutes! :lol:

This is great. Welcome aboard, buddy. Well done. A beautiful Z, too!

(What will Z will Z. It was meant to Z. I'm going to remember that). :wink:


Thanks Frank! One minute I was frantically looking at the sky for an answer to give the guy, the next I was spewing out offers...I couldn't believe it.

I'll be insuring/registering it tomorrow, then it's off to the lots!

Ahh, FEELS GREAT to be on this side of the fence!

EDIT: Yes! Of course I wore the sweatshirt!


Last edited by Filipe on Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:06 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm
Posts: 14779
Location: CT
The Z Angels were with you, man! 8)

Sometimes, these cars wait for us. We don't even know they're out there, but they seem to know us before we even hear about them. It's as if your Z choZe YOU.

Maybe we never own a Z. Maybe they own us?

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1970 240Z


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:10 pm 
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Posts: 1644
Frank T wrote:
The Z Angels were with you, man! 8)

Sometimes, these cars wait for us. We don't even know they're out there, but they seem to know us before we even hear about them. It's as if your Z choZe YOU.

Maybe we never own a Z. Maybe they own us?


Oh this one waited alright! The owner could have easily sold it from below me countless times. At the price he was asking, he had people lined up. But he made a promise to me, and respected it.

I tell ya, when a guy turns down a higher offer because he knows the car is going to an enthusiast, it helps restore my faith in humanity!


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:17 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm
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Location: CT
Let's zee ~ spring break, new Z in the garage, still breathless and diZZy from the excitement.....I wager Filipe doesn't sleep until about Friday.

Any takers?

Frank

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:28 pm 
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Frank push that another week or so. I was offered an internship at an architectural firm a week or so ago, still recovering from that one!

:wink: :wink: :wink:


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:30 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:44 am
Posts: 588
Location: New Haven, CT
It's about time!!! Congratulations, I am glad it went well!

And don't worry, I was crawling under my Z today and noticed on the passenger side frame rail (where someone had jacked it up w/o a wood block) there is a little bit of surface rust... gonna wire brush that and paint if up as soon as this differential business is done with.

So once you are comfortable with the gearbox, I'll see you at the racetrack :P

I have been checking the forums all day to see this post!!!

Also, I feel like I have stopped at that gas station before. It was on my way back from Boston (I had bought [yet another] set of wheels and a spare front bumper for the z31)... for some reason no gas stations in Mass. have bathrooms?!

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1986 Z31 NA 2+0


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:34 pm 
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jtang wrote:
It's about time!!! Congratulations, I am glad it went well!

And don't worry, I was crawling under my Z today and noticed on the passenger side frame rail (where someone had jacked it up w/o a wood block) there is a little bit of surface rust... gonna wire brush that and paint if up as soon as this differential business is done with.

So once you are comfortable with the gearbox, I'll see you at the racetrack :P

I have been checking the forums all day to see this post!!!

Also, I feel like I have stopped at that gas station before. It was on my way back from Boston (I had bought [yet another] set of wheels and a spare front bumper for the z31)... for some reason no gas stations in Mass. have bathrooms?!


Thanks Justin, I completely agree! :D

It was most likely the same one. There's a bathroom, but you've got to ask the cashier for a key, then go outside. Must be a MA thing.... :twisted:


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:03 pm 
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Posts: 219
Location: Jamestown, RI
Congratulations Filipe!

It was really great reading your story! Brings back great memories of buying my first Z. I can tell you're going to be a Z-guy for life.

Franks right about going to look at it every forty minutes. You won't be able to stop thinking about it. I still visit my car in the garage at least once a day to just look at it even if I don't work on it. I think I'm not normal though. :oops:

They way I know if I truly love a car: Whenever I get out of it after a drive and start walking away, I just have to turn around and have another look.

Enjoy your Z!

Rob

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1971 240z


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:09 pm 
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rob240z wrote:
Congratulations Filipe!

It was really great reading your story! Brings back great memories of buying my first Z. I can tell you're going to be a Z-guy for life.

Franks right about going to look at it every forty minutes. You won't be able to stop thinking about it. I still visit my car in the garage at least once a day to just look at it even if I don't work on it. I think I'm not normal though. :oops:

They way I know if I truly love a car: Whenever I get out of it after a drive and start walking away, I just have to turn around and have another look.

Enjoy your Z!

Rob


Thanks Rob! I don't think we've met before but I'm sure our Z's (feels AWESOME to be able to say that!) will change that.

Ha! My friend says the same exact thing about his car!

Man, I love the automotive world.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:29 am 
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Posts: 1373
Location: Webster, NY
Congratulations Felipe!!!! Man, it's about time!

Great car, better story. Reminds me of when I was a poor college student and bought my 1970 240Z which I still have to this day. Trust me, this Z will be a part of your life forever.

My '84 ZXT was my Dad's from new, when he passed I was honored to have it. It's a lot like yours, just dark grey not black.

Looking forward to Zeeing you behind the wheel! Road trip to Rochester in July??? :D


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1970 240Z
1977 530Z
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zcarnut@hotmail.com
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:04 am 
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YES! Roadtrip to Rochester in July!!! Everybody!

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