Weird Myths or Facts about your Z car

[TomoHawk]

I was thinking about putting one of those corvette flag things on the hood, so my car would only go up in value about $30,000?

[CW240Z]

I was thinking about putting one of those corvette flag things on the hood, so my car would only go up in value about $30,000?

I think so, it might only be a 25k boost but dont quote me on that.

[sblake01]

Whatever you do, don't get one from an 84 Vette. It might actually lower the value......

[CW240Z]

Whatever you do, don't get one from an 84 Vette. It might actually lower the value......

Haha isn't that the truth, maybe some Porsche 911 emblems, those are good cars no matter what year you pick!

[sblake01]

Yeah, that falls under 'ask me how I know'. I'd take any of the three S30's I once owned over the 84 Vette but the way I came across it, I couldn't pass it up.

[LeonV]

Yeah, that falls under 'ask me how I know'. I'd take any of the three S30's I once owned over the 84 Vette but the way I came across it, I couldn't pass it up.

Same with me and an '83 Mustang GT. Got it for free with 89k miles! Needless to say, never again...

[CW240Z]

I to would jump on a good deal for a Vette, even if it's not the most desirable model. seems like those cars can only be found in pristine condition or X-derby racers down here.

[CW240Z]

Same with me and an '83 Mustang GT. Got it for free with 89k miles! Needless to say, never again...

Can't beat free!

[LeonV]

Can't beat free!

Some days I did want to beat it. With a hammer.

[CW240Z]

I have certainly been there before with my cars, boy those hammers come in handy

[TomoHawk]

You guys make me think of those carnival/ college events where you get to whack an old clunker with a big sledge hammer for a few bux for charity.

[CW240Z]

Man I wish I had a personal clunker to whack at every time my car gave me problems, there wouldn't be anything left of it!

[cesar280z]

Wow I just git a ter

[FastWoman]

So I'm driving the back roads and see a very nice copper '78 Z in the middle of a field with a "for sale" sign on it. I pull over and knock on the door, asking to see the guy's Z. He shows it to me. Throughout the course of the conversation, I realize he is trying to sell a 1978 280ZX. I keep trying to explain to him that there is no such thing -- that his car is a 280Z. He finally instructs me to look at the "Z" on the logo, which has a hash through the middle of it ("X"), making it a 280ZX. I explain that the letter "Z" is crossed in some countries to distinguish it from the number "2." He then shakes his head and tells me his insurance company insisted his car was a ZX and not a Z, explaining about the crossed "Z" on the emblem. All along, they had been charging him higher insurance premiums for his 1978 280ZX than they would if it were simply a 280Z. The snakes!

[TomoHawk]

Last summer I met a guy at a cruise-in with a 1981 280Z! I tried to explain the '78 model was the last one, but he insisted it was a 1981 280Z. Fortunately, another Z guy magically appeared and agreed with what I said, but the owner STILL insisted that he was right. O-L....

I still get people who will roll down the window at a light and yell out "nice ZX."

Kids today get too much information through their "smart phones?"

[SportBikeMike]

I cringe everytime I look at Zs on Ebay or Craigslist. Alot of '79-'83 '280Zs', and the occasional '77-'78 '280ZX'. Its amazing people don't even know what type of car
they have. I mean they have emblems all over them.

I pulled away in my 280ZX-T yesterday and my neighbor says "nice 280Z!". It never ends.....

[72 OJ]

This morning while washing my silver Z at a local self serve car wash , I guy washing his Honda Ridgeline said " nice kit car with a Corvette engine ''

[TomoHawk]

Datsun made engines for Corvette?

BTW- a lot of the 280ZX stuff you see on eBay or wherever, is because either the seller is stupid, or just wants more kinds of people to look at the auction listing. Some people will do crazy thing to sell stuff or make profits on eBay, like selling a "one-of" or "Museum quality" 240Z for $69,000

[rocketdog]

Back in the late 70's I got transferred from San Francisco to Rock Springs, WY. My Z was only about 3 years old then. My buddy and I decided we'd go fishing up at this lake in the mountians. The map showed a "road". It was a two track with lots of big rocks only suitable for 4-wheel drive. Fueled with a few beers I drive the Z to the lake carefully dodging the bigger rocks. What a bunch of surprised looks from the other fisherman with their big honker, jacked up 4 wheel pickups when this Japanese sports car pulls up next to them! The Z still has the battle scars of scraped rails on the underside. Whenever I'm under the car fond memories come back.

[8DC]

I get the occasional Porsche comment (must be the round headlamp, sloping hatchback look that inspires these), and once had someone ask about my Mazda (no idea where that comes from, I fail to see the resemblance), but most people that express interest in the car "knew someone who used to own one" and have some Z memory that they will relate.

Everyone assumes that it is faster than it is (face it, without quite a bit of engine work these cars are slow as balls by modern standards).

The 280Z/280ZX mistaken identity thing is rampant and is probably the thing that annoys me the most but the idea that the 280 "was so much larger" than the 240 runs a close second.

[GreenZZZ]

"You're going to fit all of THIS into THAT?!" I said, "Supposedly," still skeptical.

Everything I owned fit into my 240 until I was about 22. I wouldn't buy stuff unless it could fit into "the pack" which was an elaborate load-out scheme to move out of a furnished apartment at the end of a semester of school. Like your shopping experience, the car was loaded to the ceiling even on the passenger side.

On the misconception side, I was on a date and the gal asked if my car was Jag while sitting in the passenger seat. I tap the "Datsun 240Z" logo on the glove box and a few times and get nothing but a confused stare. I figure she didn't read much and said, "Yeah, its a Jag with a Mercedes straight six motor for reliability..."

[motorman7]

I was filling up at the gas station yesterday with my yellow 240. A 7 year old boy jumps out of the car and tells his mom, “Wow, that looks like a Muscle Car”. The mom agreed and said, ”Yes, that sure is a Muscle car”. Made me smile. Wish it had a muscle car motor

[gnosez]

The one where "g" nose means Grande Nose instead of:

Well, the A nose design didn't work and the B, C, D....didn't either.

[TomoHawk]

And the 300ZX is the cause for all of us having a 280ZX too.

[Jetaway]

One of my bigger smiles this summer was when an old fart (i.e., maybe five to ten years older than me), walking with I assume his grandson (four to six years old), spotted my 240 in the garage and told him:

"See that car? Its a 260Z, a bad ass car." I quietly said "240" and he tells the kid, it's "a 240Z, those are bad ass, bad ass cars. Bad Ass!"

Chris

[bluezcrazy]

[QUOTE=Jetaway;406408]One of my bigger smiles this summer was when an old fart (i.e., maybe five to ten years older than me), walking with I assume his grandson (four to six years old), spotted my 240 in the garage and told him:

"See that car? Its a 260Z, a bad ass car." I quietly said "240" and he tells the kid, it's "a 240Z, those are bad ass, bad ass cars. Bad Ass!"

This story is the best, and made me for awhile.

Bryce

[TomoHawk]

What exactly is "Bad ass?"

[bluezcrazy]

I think this link to Urban Dictionary explains it best.
Bad Ass-1. adjective. having extremely favorable qualities 2. adjective. pertaining to a person or thing that is rugged, strong, and/or ready to show these...


Unfortunately the internet blocker at work won't let me see more than what I just typed.

Bryce

[MotoManMike]

Way to teach our youth a good base of adjectives. Especially when referring to a car. Very funny. I had a guy ask me other day where I found "that orange pinto"(this is at the shop at work). I kindly asked him if he bought his glasses at Walmart (totally flew over his head) and replied, Its not a pinto, its a Datsun. Oh a Datsun, I didn't know they made them anymore... wow. Needless to say he wasn't with it but I got a little chuckle. Of all the cars he could have picked to mix it up with he had to pick a pinto? Really? The Garth mobile? I guess I should look on the bright side, out of at least 12 cars in the lot he noticed the Z.

[LeonV]

The Garth mobile?

That would be an AMC Pacer...

[TomoHawk]

I've read some of the stuff on the Urban dictionary website. the people that contribute there are worse than over at zcar.com... The same people are probably the authors of the "SMS dictionary for the illiterate."

I'd rather use Wikipedia for a definition of this, or just wait until some TV show on the Discovery Network provides a definition of "Bad ass car"

[grantf]

Now the AMC Pacer, that is "BAD ASS!"

[bluezcrazy]

You can't take Urban Dictionary too serious, that's just the first thing I thought of getting a definition for Bad Ass off of. I don't usually quote anything off of it.

Bryce

[TomoHawk]

You can't actually use anything from the Urban Dictionary website. It's run by illiterate urban teenagers, and they use urban slang as the definitions of urban slang?

[Reverend]

One of the "myths" of 240z's is that there supposedly were some cars made with factory sunroof. Which we ALL know to be untrue. Well... there is one persistent guy here (who might read this) who keeps telling that his 1971 has factory installed sunroof, and even published that info in national car magazine that made a story of his restoration (that z is awesome by the way!). You can imagine what kinda feeling that caused in me. I politely let him know (in our "local" z forum) that there is not a single z left from the factory with a hole in the roof. This guy starts to go mad and yelled me for destroying his reputation etc etc. In the end, admin deleted our conversation from the forum cause he boo-hooed to him. I think he was über offended about the fact that his car was not unique but the opposite. If he had ever read this forum, he would know

[TomoHawk]

I know a guy with a 260Z that has an authentic factory electric sunroof.

[hls30.com]

One of the "myths" of 240z's is that there supposedly were some cars made with factory sunroof. Which we ALL know to be untrue. Well... there is one persistent guy here (who might read this) who keeps telling that his 1971 has factory installed sunroof, and even published that info in national car magazine that made a story of his restoration (that z is awesome by the way!). You can imagine what kinda feeling that caused in me. I politely let him know (in our "local" z forum) that there is not a single z left from the factory with a hole in the roof. This guy starts to go mad and yelled me for destroying his reputation etc etc. In the end, admin deleted our conversation from the forum cause he boo-hooed to him. I think he was über offended about the fact that his car was not unique but the opposite. If he had ever read this forum, he would know

Wait a minute, that car is unique-it was owned by a guy that built and defended his reputation on ignorance and was too proud to look into what he was told. That car is unique because it is a reminder to the rest of us how powerful misinformation can be when pride mixes with it and it is presented as fact to and by those that are ignorant-also a testament to Journalists to research and verify your "facts"

I too know a Zowner with a authentic factory electric sun roof-it is in his Lexus!

[MotoManMike]

That would be an AMC Pacer...

Wow, i was only 12 when wayn'es world came out. I guess I'll not beat myself up too bad about it, now the AMC guys can start a thread "myths about the AMC Pacer's"

[LeonV]

Wow, i was only 12 when wayn'es world came out.

I was 5 and in Russia...

[TomoHawk]

I too know a Zowner with a authentic factory electric sun roof-it is in his Lexus!

I'll have to remember to ask for proof. But so far, I just roll my eyes every time he tells this 'fact' to a spectator.

[hr369]

i found a 6 volt headlight at a thrift store in calif about 10 yrs ago. They were rare then. I paid 99 cents for it. sold it on ebay to a restorer

[black gold man]

My father had a 79 zx 2+2 with power moon roof.

[grantf]

Wow, i was only 12 when wayn'es world came out. I guess I'll not beat myself up too bad about it, now the AMC guys can start a thread "myths about the AMC Pacer's"

Now I feel old.
Now I feel Young: "Party on excellent!"

[MotoManMike]

, if it makes you feel any better, i've had a total knee replacement and i'm only 32. (bad injury when i was 28) I probably feel older than you most days i get up.

[zbane]

An ex-coworker thought it was too bad that I didn't get a rotary equipped ZX. When I told him that Nissan didn't equip their cars with Wankels, he became far too insistent that he was right, and I was not...
I reminded him that it was Mazda that installed rotary engines in the RX line of cars, to which he agreed...and then said "yeah, and in their datsun line too"

I just shook my head and walked away...

[hr369]

I'm not sure this one is a myth or true. That is the L6 design was bought from mercedes. Anybody?

[Stanley]

Some good myths and comments, here's one more:
My client checked out my car and said something like "you know, it has the same motor as the chevy six." I felt a little insulted (no disrespect to the 230, got one in my truck - torquey little beast but won't wind like the 240 without a full-race build) so I rattled off what little I knew - 7 main bearings, overhead cam, duel sidedraft carbs. Wish I'd said this: "you know a lot about cars. Think I hear a noisy lifter. Can you help me find the side cover?"

[TomoHawk]

The way I heard it....
Nissan was building engines under a license for Mercedes, and used that as an example to designing their own engine.

[Jetaway]

Didn't really expect to start an etymological discussion, but the Urban Dictionary's definition of "bad ass" is pretty much what I had in mind, and I am equally sure it was what the passer-by also had in mind.

Though for a car, probably want to include "fast."

Chris

[TomoHawk]

The problem was that the only definitions available were on the Urban Dictionary website, which uses urban slang to define everything, so it doesn't make sense at all. But it seems that the term is based solely on looks, which is a subjective thing.

[Jetaway]

I'm not sure this one is a myth or true. That is the L6 design was bought from mercedes. Anybody?

I read in an old Road and Track that it was modeled after the Mercedes engine. Which means that they chopped it by two cylinders for the 510, then added them back for the Z, I guess. Short of an exact duplication, I have no idea how one would conclude that one engine was based on or modeled after another. But that's why there are experts.

Chris

[ninjazombiemaster]

People mistake my Z for a Porsche all the time. I guess there's some resemblance.
I'm certain you could just swap the logos and half the population would be fooled into thinking it was a classic Porsche or E Type Jag.

[TomoHawk]

A couplde weeks ago, I was getting some gas, and a woman asked me if it was a corvette. I said it was a ferrari!

[olzed]

I read in an old Road and Track that it was modeled after the Mercedes engine. Which means that they chopped it by two cylinders for the 510, then added them back for the Z, I guess. Short of an exact duplication, I have no idea how one would conclude that one engine was based on or modeled after another. But that's why there are experts.

Chris

Myth.?

[TomoHawk]

OK, which Mercedes engine, then?

[72 OJ]

Tom- looks familiar...... 1969 MB 2.8......

[ninjazombiemaster]

Theres a resemblance all right - but then again I have to agree with the notion that really all engines have design commonalities that could justify saying that they were based on each other.
Air Intake > Fuel Injection/Carburetion > Compression > Spark > Combustion > Exhaust
The number and position of these things change here and there but an Internal Combustion Engine is an Internal Combustion Engine..

[72 OJ]

Some info on the Datsun/Nissan L engine....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_L_engine

[bombsquad]

I seem to get the "my buddy in high school had one and we hit 160 mph" story quite often. (the myth)


The previous owner who started the original restoration of my Z found, killed and counted 120 black widow spiders who had taken residence in the car.
It's a nice story to share with people after they are buckled in and I am shifting into 5th gear (the strange fact)

[TomoHawk]

I'm sure it probably felt like 160 MPH to the person driving, but we all know the car has neither the power nor the gearing to go that fast. Kids like it when they look in through the window tho.

120 spiders? I wonder how he knew that. I hope he got them all, or at least least "bombed" the car thoroughly to get them. Fortunately, you need certain conditions for them to thrive. I don't keep the windows up in the barn just to keep the dust out!...

[theczechone]

My favorite was when I had my Z32 at a car wash and an elderly gentleman complimented me on my new mustang.

[TomoHawk]

You'd think a person that 'knowledgeable' would know better?

Do you suppose we cold get an artist's conception of the Mustang-Z?

[Captain Obvious]

My favorite was when I had my Z32 at a car wash and an elderly gentleman complimented me on my new mustang.

Do you suppose we cold get an artist's conception of the Mustang-Z?

Haha!! I remember a really funny pic entitled "Beauty and It's Ugly Bitch" or something like that... I've got a copy of it here, but it's most certainly inappropriate.

I'm sure there are others on this forum who remember that pic!

[TomoHawk]

My favorite was when I had my Z32 at a car wash and an elderly gentleman complimented me on my new mustang.

Do you remember what year it was? It would help to understand the confusion.

[hr369]

This is advertised on ebay as original factory. Ok mythbusters real or fake?

[EScanlon]

Not original from the FACTORY, but it was installed by dealers in the US to combat Vapor Lock problems they encountered with some of the emission control wrappings, settings, etc.. Also known as the "Competition Hood" by others.

2¢
E

[TomoHawk]

I have never seen that hood scoop myself, but I would not be surprised if a lot of people put them, or something like it, on for "performance purposes" like the so-called ram-air scoops or racing cams.

O-L... Another year, another weird myth! 150+ posts!

Bring them on...

[SteveJ]

Site member Pat Carr has the "competition hood scoop". IIRC correctly, he still has the flattop carburetors, too.

[jerz]

Here are some details on the Competition Hood Vent from the August 1975, Nissan publication, "Modification Plus".

[Donairs]

People have tried convincing me I drive a Pinto..

[rcb280z]

2 days ago I was cruising around at the beaches here and I heard someone yell out "Nice Porsche'! I was looking around for the Porsche until I realized they were looking at me. I yelled back saying it is a Datsun to set them straight! I just laughed to myself.

[Mikes Z car]

Maybe if you had a Porsche they would holler "nice Datsun!".
It would be entertaining to have decals that rotated out like that license plate did on James Bond's car in that old Bond movie. That way you could select decals from Porsche, Ferrari or Corvette or anything at all. Just dial it in.

[TomoHawk]

Better yet, an LCD screen with all those names on it.

[Reverend]

I wonder does anyone make " ITS A DATSUN, NOT PORSCHE" stickers....

[FastWoman]

You'd need that sticker with the appropriate emoticons:

It's a Datsun
NOT a Porsche

[TomoHawk]

How about this:

[siteunseen]

Or this?

[IdahoKidd]

I wonder if conedodger has the license plate frame "My other car is a Porshe"

I got into a brief debate with a gal at a gas station over my white Z and whether or not it was a Porsche. I finally let her win by admitting it was a rare Northwest Edition Porsche 280 but to not tell anyone she had seen it as I didn't want the publicity.

[TomoHawk]

We'll make those license plate frames read "My car is the other Porsche"

It beats me WHY people would be so adamant about the S30 being a Porsche. Is there a Porsche model that would make people think that? I like to kid people and say it's a Ferrari (the Japanese export model) and people will smile and say, "Oh yeah, sure."

[grannyknot]

We'll make those license plate frames read "My car is the other Porsche"

It beats me WHY people would be so adamant about the S30 being a Porsche. Is there a Porsche model that would make people think that?

If you remember the 944 and 928 models from the 1980's then you can see some resemblance. (Most people don't look at car styling very closely)
Chris

[TomoHawk]

they better get to the optometrist as soon as possible, or at least stop driving, if their sight is THAT bad.

[SportBikeMike]

I've never understood the Datsun- Porsche comparisons. My '87 RX-7 had a pretty strong resemblance to a 944 (pretty intentional I think), but the Datsuns look much more like a Ferrari (OK by me!).

[TomoHawk]

Yeah, all the Z-history related TV shows, books, and videos I've seen relate to how the S30 design has majorinfluences from Ferrari 250 and 300/330 fastbacks, and the jaguar E-type. Even Matsuo-san mentioned it in his video interview.