After wanting a Z for a very long time (on my shortlist of dreamcars) I finally bit the bullet and sold my '74 Plymouth Duster V8 to get one.
I had been planning on getting one for a while, but when my friend Zach, (known on here as CrazyOctopus, he of the Volvo-powered 240Z fame) bought one and started building it, I must admit I put it off since his build was so crazy I felt like it would be hard to match.
But eventually I decided to just get one.
I lucked out and found a very nice example in Santa Barbara, owned by a very nice lady who had owned it since 1979. The interior was rough, and it hardly ran due to sitting for a long time, but the body was in good shape, even if the VW Techno blue respray was a bit dulled, and the price was incredibly reasonable. I ended up buying it, and driving it the 100 or so miles back to Long Beach running on only 3 cylinders. After replacing the fuel injectors and doing a tune-up it runs excellent.
Right now I'm in school working on a second degree, and the Datsun is my daily, handling the 80 mile a day commute with ease.
Here it is when I first got it:
Doing a 1970's style photoshoot at my girlfriend's birthday party:
After having the paint professionally buffed out, and starting to fit small fiberglass bumpers, front airdam and lexan headlight covers:
Since then I've fitted the rear bumper, replaced the seat upholstery, replaced the dash, rebuilt the shifter, gave it a new shift boot, amongst many other things.
Here's how she sits now.
I had been planning on getting one for a while, but when my friend Zach, (known on here as CrazyOctopus, he of the Volvo-powered 240Z fame) bought one and started building it, I must admit I put it off since his build was so crazy I felt like it would be hard to match.
But eventually I decided to just get one.
I lucked out and found a very nice example in Santa Barbara, owned by a very nice lady who had owned it since 1979. The interior was rough, and it hardly ran due to sitting for a long time, but the body was in good shape, even if the VW Techno blue respray was a bit dulled, and the price was incredibly reasonable. I ended up buying it, and driving it the 100 or so miles back to Long Beach running on only 3 cylinders. After replacing the fuel injectors and doing a tune-up it runs excellent.
Right now I'm in school working on a second degree, and the Datsun is my daily, handling the 80 mile a day commute with ease.
Here it is when I first got it:
Doing a 1970's style photoshoot at my girlfriend's birthday party:
After having the paint professionally buffed out, and starting to fit small fiberglass bumpers, front airdam and lexan headlight covers:
Since then I've fitted the rear bumper, replaced the seat upholstery, replaced the dash, rebuilt the shifter, gave it a new shift boot, amongst many other things.
Here's how she sits now.