Although many are under the impression that a car is just a car, there are those who know the truth. Often times, a car means so much more to us than a simple way to get from point A to point B. Even from the early days, a car represents an escape, a way to get away. It becomes an extension of who we are. It reflects the way that we take care of things. For whatever reason, those who become attached their cars often have a particular model or style that they find most attractive. However, even though we may idealize our dream cars to be everything in the world that we could desire, that may not always be the case.
While many may dream of Mustangs or Lamborghinis, my dream car was a simple one. I had always loved the first generation Nissan 300zx. Sure it was shaped like a wedge, had an interior that looked like stacked up boxes and possessed a suspension which aged miserably, but there was just something about it that made it infinitely appealing to me. Thus, when an opportunity presented itself to pick up one as a second car for a small amount of money, I just couldn’t resist. I learned many things from the Nissan, and perhaps the greatest lesson is that dreams aren’t always are their cracked up to be.
Day 1: Test Drive
Even “Mapquest” hasn’t heard of the location where this Z sits. However, after a little guesswork, some horrible directions, and ten or twelve turn arounds, the 300zx is located. The first thought after pulling up to is that a picture can do great things for a vehicle. The vehicle has a dent in the back bumper, the hood doesn’t line up quite right, the owner has affixed ugly wheels to it, and the paint is one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen on a vehicle. While the bottom half of the car looks brand new, the top half is faded and chipped beyond recognition. I question the owner, and he mumbles something about “sun fading”. Still though, my brain is stuck on this car, and no amount of common sense in the world is going to pull me from it. Borrowing the keys, I hop in, hear the creak of the 21 year old leather, and gingerly place them in the ignition. Pleasantly, the car roars to life, and digital dash lights up, and there seem to be no problems mechanically. A short drive is enough to convince me, and make the deal. Unfortunately, there is a full day of work today, and all the detailing and fun stuff is going to have be pushed off to a later date.
Day 2: Washing
The next day is an early day out from work, and a trip to the carwash is in order. After scrubbing every inch of the vehicle, and applying a claybar (truly wonderful product by the way) Nissan actually looks presentable. Leather conditioner does wonders for the seats, and I redo the hatch carpeting with what is left over from the last Nissan. Overall, things are looking on the up. That is, until I decide that changing the spark plugs and wires would be a good idea. Comedy ensues as I realize everything on the vehicle is all original. It takes an air gun and twenty minutes of work to get each plug out, and a miracle to thread the plug wires to where they should be. The fuel filter comes out surprisingly easy, and after wrestling with the airbox for a few minutes, the filter comes right out. All said and done, all this washing and tuning up turns out to be a 6 hour process. At the end of it, the Z shows no noticeable changes, and after a few hours in the sun, looks exactly the same as before it was washed.
Day 3: Some thoughts
Driving the Nissan around really is an interesting experience. Not a bad one, per say, just interesting. The car has some nice acceleration, and you can tell that it loved to take the corners when it was new. Twenty years has dulled the suspension a bit, but the car really does come to life under the right conditions. The clutch is pleasant to use, although the gearshift feels like rowing a boat. The throw is just incredibly long. The back end hunches down whenever you get on the gas, and the brakes are surprisingly quick to slow the car down. This particular model is a two seater, and while that may at points in the future become very annoying, for now it’s a welcome release from carting around friends and people who are just going to mess up the inside of your car anyway. Speaking of inside, you quickly get the impression that Nissan could have put a little more thought into designing the interior. The power leather seats are great, and the steering wheel is nicely shaped and trimmed, but everything else needs work. The dashboard is just a collection of sharp angles and boxes, and the heater controls require extensive reading to operate properly. Still though, it was working air conditioning and heat, and the t-tops are really a lot of fun. Overall, this may be the best “cheap” car that you can find for under $2000.
Day 4: The hint of problems?
After a couple days of driving, I start the car to notice that the voltometer has dipped below its usual reading of twelve. Correlating this to the difficulty when starting it, a new battery is decided to be the most likely cause. The old terminals are rusted and useless, so those are replaced too. Sadly, this does nothing to curb the problem. On an unrelated note, the suspension on this car could really use some work. I’m not sure what exactly has gone wrong with it, but hitting a bump feels like being punched in the kidneys. The car actually has a nice view of the road while driving, and there’s something comforting about being able to look out and see a long metal hood in front of you. Even if that hood does wobble a lot under normal driving conditions. Still, the lack of voltage being recorded is a bit of a worry. There’s no doubt that this a car which can be temperamental.
Day 5: Country roads and t-tops
There really isn’t a better combination out there. With some nice windy roads and the roof out of the car, it’s difficult to imagine why anyone would want to drive anything other than a 300zx. Then, you take a look around the inside of the car, or hit a small pebble in the road, and the reasons seem obvious. While the Z isn’t a car for everyone, there are a great amount of appealing things about it. It may not have the straight line punch that my Eclipse GT does, but all the ingredients for a sports car are there. It’s not going to win any drag races, and it may very well kill you around the corners if you take them like an idiot. But, if you know what to expect from a rear wheel drive car, and don’t go in with your hopes to high, there’s an incredibly rewarding experience awaiting from owning the vehicle.
Day 6: The highway
Originally, Nissan billed the 300zx as a kind of “cruiser” it was designed to drive well on country roads, but primarily built as a highway touring car. However, twenty years has diminished the vehicles ability to handle the open road to a degree. The tires on this particular car seem to be poorly balanced, or else a front end alignment is in order. Steering wheel shake takes complete control at any speed over 65. Also, the deteriorating suspension helps to make taking a long trip a frightening experience. A quick trip to the garage and the wheel balance is sorted out. The car is now stable at speed, although the suspension helps to make one careful of hitting any bumps. The digital dash is surprisingly usable. I hadn’t really even noticed it much up until today. Surprisingly, though, it is easy to read and a fun feature of the vehicle. Although most owners end up swapping them out after a while anyway (they don’t age well), it’s one of my favorite pieces of the vehicle.
Day 7: Final thoughts
Although the 300zx isn’t the perfect car, for the low prices that most of these vehicles can be had for, there really isn’t a whole lot to complain about. They are solidly built, have great reliability for the age, and pack a lot of features into a small car. The digital options and power leather seats are great, and a lot of fun to show off to friends. It isn’t a race car, but it is fun to throw around corners. It’s comfortable for a trip, although some suspension work is likely going to be needed for most of them. They had firm suspensions to begin with, but age has made them more uncomfortable then sporty. They have a nice feel to the clutch and transmission, and the engines manage to run strong no matter how many miles or years on them, and the t-tops are by far the best things about the vehicle. There just isn’t a more fun or enjoyable vehicle you can buy for the price. Sure, they aren’t for everyone, and finding a 2+2 greatly improves the usability. If you can manage the hassles that come with age, a Z31 is great fun, and an incredibly buy.
