TwinTurbo.NET: Nissan 300ZX forum - Good ole Spartanburg, I grew up in Greenville
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Subject Good ole Spartanburg, I grew up in Greenville
     
Posted by LJZTT on August 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM
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In Reply To Trying to Estimate Value posted by giZmo96 on August 10, 2009 at 03:42 AM
     
Message In my opinion you clearly do not want to part with the car so here's what I would do if I were serious about keeping the car....this assumes your finances are in some sort of reasonable order so that if you need to borrow a couple grand, you can afford to do so.

I would find an old japanese pickup, an old civic, or something simple to drive as a DD. Winter isnt bad there at all so no need for something really hardy. If you are going to be all finicky over what you are seen driving to work and the grocery store in, then you need to get over it or just part with the Z. The DD needs to be something that wont set you back much money, preferably something you can either work on yourself and therefore has lots of room under the hood. This is the whole point of it being "simple", keep it under 2k, preferably closer to 1k. Be prepared to buy tires for it or do something to ensure it will last you a year or two of troublefree driving. My pickup cost me 1200 to buy, and I spent about three or four hundred on thermostat, fan clutch, tires, battery, and having a mechanic figure out that my high idle was due to a frayed throttle cable. Once you have the DD in place, park the Z in the garage, or leave it outside. Buy a decent form-fitting cover, there are many to be found on the internet, ebay, etc.

Now you are ready to make up a plan of attack, set a goal, a realistic goal. Current issues resolved within a year, end of next winter, whatever, just pick something to work towards, no plan doesnt have a quantifiable conclusion. Then start reading up the tech section here, ttzd.com, and decide what you are going to tackle first. Email knowledgeable members here, not just someone who seems willing to help, but someone whose help will actually be help. Consult with them on where you should start and go for it. Baby steps, dont try to fix it all in one swing, just peck away at it, dedicate a whole saturday or tuesday night or some time each week at it according to your goal. Use the writeups here. I never used to change my own oil until I bought my NA, now I feel confident I can pull the motor out of my TT and swap turbos, do just about anything short of an actual motor-rebuild, and I havent found a single thing that isnt written up here in some detail.

With time, patience, and a bit of discipline, you can do this. It may take a year or more, but with a decent DD it shouldnt matter. The alternatives are; get it to Bernie in VA somehow and let him rehab it, or sell it if it is dragging you down and free up your income so that when things are better you can swing another Z.

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