Me and my Z

[Challenger266]

Howdy all, I joined the forum beginning of July. I only put up 1 post about it, I couldn't get the car to start and was frustrated. Well, allow me to introduce myself and follow up on that original post "my 1987 300zx wont start"

My name is DeWayne and I'm from south west Michigan. I bought this 87 Z for $650 with the ambition of getting it running and selling it to make some cash. Well, it didn't go that way. When I bought my Z it would turn over but would not start. If you sprayed atarting fluid in the intake, it would run for a moment. The ECU showed a CAS fault, so I replaced that sensor and it still would not start. ECU still showed CAS fault. By a suggestion from this board I replaced the ECU. Car fired right up.

Then I drove it...motor out of timing, shocks trashed, broken rear coilspring, Speedometer didn't work, nasty shudder in the front end when I applied brakes, pulled hard to the right, doesn't want to downshift...the list keeps going. I ended up replacing both front rotors, inner and outer wheel bearings passenger side and putting 4 new tires on the car. At that point I was about 1600 invested. I then parked the car in the yard with a for sale sign, and listed it on craigslist.

Got a few tire kickers but nobody really wanted the car for what I had investes when they heard what else was wrong with it. So after a couple months, I took it out and drove it a couple times, actually felt kinda sorry for the car. Previous owner was hard on it. When I bought it, the car had a nifty fluorescent orange sticker on one of the windows saying it would be towed if not moved!

I saved this 300ZX from the salvage yard! My wife caught me sitting on the porch ataring at it and asked me why don't I just fix it and drive it? My daily driver is a 2012 F350 4x4 crew cab...long bed...big friggin truck lol. This Z is a heap compared to my truck...but still...it's a 5-speed, T-tops and groovy lookin little car, it needs a new exhaust but it still sounds angry. Wife also said I needed to fix it so she could race her 2011 Juke against it...said she could whoop my Z...lol as if.

Well, 2 and a half months later I just ordered new coil springs, shocks, Speedometer cable, rack and pinion, power steering pump and a bushing kit. I will repair most of what is wrong and drive it until winter, then disassemble and restore it over the winter.

From this, I will be looking for new interior parts, any links to help me rebuild this car would be appreciated.

[KeedyT]

Good luck man, it's a sickness....... need someone to move your post into the Z31 forum though :-)

[BadQ45t]

Looks like your post is in the right place now. The z31 is very under-rated car for the ages. Take it from one of the few people that bought one in Feb of 1984 that still owns the car, they are really great cars. I drove my Z across the desert, up and down California, and for the last 20+ years it has been just a sunday driver. I still think the car is one of the most classic looking Z's on the road and once fixed up is very reliable and will serve you well. Keep this thought in mind, in 1984 the NA Z was a 18k car, the only options were Turbo Package (turbo engine and adjustable suspension), the leather digital package and t-tops. I couldn't afford to insure the Turbo car (I was only 23 and Turbo insurance was 5k a year) but my brother talked me into the digital/leather package, the t-tops were a no brainer. I added the spoiler, mats and mud flaps at the dealer on Feb 3rd 1984, she is still in my garage today and I still drive it like I stole it.