Naw... It's about my 2+2 being my first Z, and the one I've done the most work on.

 

With the whole argument of 2+2 vs. 2 seater it really kinda depends. I swear there are times when I see the 2+2 and think that longer roofline makes it really good, then there are other times when I see the 2-seater and feel like it blows the 2+2 away. It's a really hard choice. I'd rather much have people arguing over which looks better the 2+2 or 2-seater, rather than ragging on the 280ZX altogher.

Besides Nismo, I thought you said you liked the feel of the 2+2 better over the 2-seater.

 

Well thats a good enough reason. My wife hates my 280zx but it's got sentimental value with me so I love it. Even if she does make my life hell every time she has to look at it or hear about it.

 

Haha, I hear ya there brother!

 

HAHA, my wife hates my cars, all my cars. She hates when I bring home another car. She is all ways like, great, another piece of ****. But when they run great and look perfect, then she loves em, even though she can't drive most of them ( stick ). And she gets angry when I sell em off, especially cause she knows that another piece of **** is coming home

 

ha ha, thats funny. My wife is the one that showed me how to drive a stick. That was back in high school though. Yes, I've been with her that long I let her drive it once and she stopped complaining about it for a while cause she said it was fun to drive. But after a while she was back at it. Despite the fact that that car has carried me all the way across the country she still feels the neccessity to call it a POS though. It's alright though, She drives a Neon I dont even have to voice that one to her

 

A Neon?? And you allow this?? Oh wait, mine drives a Civic!! Never mind, Oh Well, So J what's up??

 

I got that book from ebay. I see what you mean. It really does make you appreciate the 280ZX much more than before. It's funny to read the driving impressions from the guy who drove the 2+2. He loved everything about it, he loved the power it had, the styling, the luxuries, comfort, etc. He said he could in no way see the design of the Z getting any better. He goes on to even mention about how despite the softer rear suspension, the fact that it still held up really well even in a slalom and at speeds of over 100mph. I'm glad I purchased this book. Makes me love the ZX even more, and makes me love my 2+2 more.

 

I don't need a book to tell me how kick *** the 280zx is. I know it is, and it always has been. wink smiley here.

 

You're right Wildman. Although it is kinda hard when all the articles and everyone rag on the car when they've never even driven it.

 

That's their problem, their full of sh#t. They don't know their hand from their face. He hE. All I know is I like what I like, and who gives a flying you know what. What anybody else thinks, 280zx's rock, and always will.

 

Bwahaha, after literally months of non-stop downloading, I finally finished downloading every episode of Top Gear since its reintroduction in 2002 (that's over 25 gigs of video!)! And in one of the episodes I've chanced to watch (7-6-2003) they were reviewing the 350Z and had an example of each of the older Z's, including the 280ZX. Naturally Jeremy Clarkson praised the 240Z, but then, expectedly bashes the 260Z through the Z31. He describes the 280ZX "...was John Prescott". I have no idea what that's referencing though. Haha, but I think it must still be better than how he describes the Z31 as "Marlon Brando...'the horror...'" He asks the 280ZX owner "What in the name of all that's holy possessed you to buy that? ...it didn't look good, it's beige with red seats!"

 

I'm gonna go ahead and say I think I understand why people rag on our cars. Well I should say non-Z drivers rag on them.

To start I think it was simply because of the 280Z. I mean we have a car that comes out, that is now a bit heavier than the 280Z. It's still using the same 2.8L engine with a lower compression ratio. The 8.3:1 as opposed to the 280Z's 8.8:1. Even though 0-60 times were from resources and such a little quicker than the 280Z, the horsepower numbers, due to rating systems, etc were lower. So what was impressive about a newer designed Z that had the same engine as the previous model and had a lower horsepower rating. No one really noticed the fact that it was better designed, that it had more luxuries, a smoother ride, was more stable at high speeds, etc. It's all those numbers. From the sounds of it, the 280ZX was also in fairness quicker than the 72-73 240Zs. I know that there was a drop in compression and it lost power, hence why the 260Z was a lot slower in terms of it's engine, but that was never really documented and people don't seem to know that fact. Finally another fact that never seems to be mentioned my anyone was the upping of the 280ZX's compression back to 8.8:1 for the non-turbo models. Plus I believe it was said that it got a different gear ratio and even a different rear differential in the later ZX years?

I was reading an article of the test drive impressions of the new 280Z. They were saying how it did 0-60 in 9.4 seconds which was not as fast as the early 240Z, but definitely faster than the 260Z and later 240Zs. I thought that was interesting to see an article from back when the 280Z came out, it was praising the 240Z, but not as heavily. Nowadays the 240Z regardless of year is treated as if it were the fastest Z.

When you know all of that, it's hard to see why anyone bashes the ZX. It had so much better braking ability, it was far more aerodynamic, it retained the style of the early Zs and managed to bring luxury. To think it performed as it did with extra weight too is pretty incredible.

 

I think the reason the 240Z gets as much praise as it does is not so much because it's actually more capable then it's successors, but more so because it was the original. It was the original Z. A pure sports car. And one of the best sports cars sold in this country at the time. It was the one that started it all and will always carry the most heritage. Problem was when the Z lost some of that pureness, people started looking at it as "softer". Which wasn't neccessarily the case. It adapted, would be a more accurate description. Nissan didn't just reach into a hat to decide what to change on the Z. It had regulations to follow on top of the fact that the american public preferred larger more comfortable cars. Thats where the ZX came into play and became the best selling of the Z's.

Of course I'm also of the opinion that the 79-80 ZX's pretty much lived up to the hype: They weren't all that great. Finally with the F54 the ZX got the much needed power boost. And the Turbo of course just took the cake. I'll take a turbo ZX over a NA 240Z any day of the week.

People like to rag on the ZX for not being a pure sports car. Well I say its not meant to be a pure sports car. Its a GT car and a damned fine one. It's a compromise, and makes those compromises well. You can pick up a 280ZXT and get a car that is not only faster than any of the S30 cars, but it's also far more comfortable to drive, comes with A/C, a superior gear box, far better brakes, a lower coefficient of drag, and still has the potential be an even better vechicle. Nissan designed the S130 the way they saw fit. It wasn't a flawed design of a sports car. It was an advanced design of a GT car. Its just too bad so many people had such a hard time comprehending that. Thats one that understand this are the ones that love them with all their hearts.

 

I'll tell everyone the truth. I hate mine. Maybe because they are both in pieces and I need 2 of them just to make 1. Maybe when I actually get 1 together the feelings will change. Everyone I tell that I have a 280ZX is all ways like really, that's cool. I say no, it is a big bucket of parts. Maybe if I bought a really nice 1 then I would feel different. But as it stands now, I dislike em.

 

The only people that rag on Datsuns are people that have never driven one. I had one, and yeah, it was a chunk. 300$. Late 82 w/ all kinds of crazy stuff. I mean, All my friends looked at it, and was like what a waste of 300 bucks..so I said, "Let's take it for a ride" We'd drive it around and They'd end up paying for the gas they used...Very fun car to drive. I'd rather have my TT though. LOVE it. I wouldn't trade My Z for anything. To me, The Z is a drivers car. It's not something you look at, or race nessecarily, It's something you drive because it feels right. Man, my mom is the same way with me and my dad, we always come home with "Good deals" but it's almost always junk...I sold my 280zx for 80$. Had almost no rust..It wasn't nice, but it was worth more then 80$..but I got my love now. Ok I'm done.

 

I love my 280ZX.

downside is when the T-tops leak on occasion, and the stock suspension (springs) are too soft. But after I fix that by installing a wickkid stiff suspension, it'll be cool.

 

I HATE MY LEAKY T-TOPS WITH A PASSION. . . .getting a slick top next time. but i love everything else and will put up with that crap because that car has been so good to me and she is sexy as hell. Just needa finish getting that pos fiat going so i can make my 280 my weekend car and keep her out of that rain.

 

Sometimes it's hard to make up my mind about this car. I love my 2+2, but at times I wish it was the 2-seater because I like the shape just a little better on the 2-seater. At times I feel like the weight difference is really going to affect performance, but realistically there's not that much of a weight difference anyway. I think the problems are that it's a 2+2 and auto. I'm looking into swapping that to a 5-speed

All I gotta do is take care of my leak, whatever the hell it is. I'm hoping to get that taken care of real soon. I just realized that I've never even pushed my Z to the 85 speedo limit since I changed fuel injectors. It is possible that it'll get and have a lot more power after fixing the injectors right? It feels like it does. I was driving on leaking injectors and it felt decent, but once it hit around 60+ it felt like it lacked. After the swap hitting 70 felt like it had a lot more power to it.

But regardless of everything I love the 280ZX. Regardless of the 2+2 or auto. Being non-turbo and what not. It sure feels like it does have some good power to it and when I'm driving that car I love everything about it. People pass me on the freeway just at regular speeds, I could care less because I love driving the car. It's such a great experience every drive. Not to mention I could care less if their car is faster, my car just looks sweet.

 

I've got both a 2+2 and a 2 seater. I much prefer the 2 seater in the looks department. But other than that there is no noticeable difference in driving between the two. I'm sure the 2 seater accelerates faster but I dont notice it while driving. There's no difference in the handling of the two, seems even to me. I'm sure the extra weight makes a fraction of a second difference in the 1/4mile, but other than that it goes unnoticed. My 2 seater gets most of the driving time cause cosmetically it looks much better and it's not rusted out like the 2+2. But the 2+2 is great for hauling things with the back seats removed

 

Yea, that's why I'm thinking of getting a 2-seater to go with my 2+2. The 2+2 does come in handy. The one time my friend wanted to ride with me so I said sure. Well his girlfriend must ride everywhere with him. The backseat worked out nicely then.

 

Just shove her in the hatch area!

Back in highschool, I packed 5 to 6 people in my Z everyday to cruse to lunch.

 

I remember, he walks over and his girlfriend is with him. You've got me: "Uhh...well I guess she can get in, if she can fit in the back"

Oh I know in another thread it was said that the 280zx 2+2 had a smaller fuel tank. That from at least that one book I have is not true. When I look at the car sitting in my garage regardless of the 2+2. I really do think it looks amazing. Pictures just don't do these cars justice.

By the way I'm still looking for the older style 280ZX taillights to put on mine. Does anyone have any that they could sell me? I can only find the passenger side taillights on ebay.

 

ha! ya, I kept the limit at 5 in my 2+2. Can you believe 3 high school guys would set in that little back seat just to cruise in a cool Z-car with t-tops??! It wasn't even that nice back then but it was a popular car.

 

Huh, when I was in High School I would like to borrow my Mom's pimped out '75 Lincoln Town Car and drive around with 7 or 8 of my friends. That car was awesome! 25 feet long, Big as an aircraft carrier, Giant 460 motor with lot's of get-up-and-go... Those were the day's. When I wanted to play the Stud, I would borrow my Brother's '78 Triumph Spitfire with 4 speed manual/electronic overdrive. That car was cherry and oh so sweet. Unfortuneatly for him (and me), on one of my pimp excursions I took it off a 70 foot embankment at about 90 MPH! I almost didn't live through that one for two reasons: 1. I was pretty banged up to say the least and spent a good long time in the hospital. 2. I thought for sure my Brother would kill me once I recovered from my injuries.

Rod.