# z31 as a First Car?



## LetsGoFast (Sep 27, 2011)

Hello, I was just surfing the web, when I stumbled upon this site. Now then, a bit of back ground. For a while, I wanted the 280zx to be my first car. I did lots of research I checked everything, but then I stumbled upon the 300zx's. I fell in love. 

But anyway, I was wondering, how would that work out as a first car. I've been saving for a while, and one will be in my reach soon (if I keep saving). So. Some general pros and cons would be great. I'm 15.

Don't let that deter you, I am great with cars. I love older cars and the classics, and I am not going to "Pimp It" besides putting some performance parts in it, you know, give it some more...push? 

So how is it? Is it easy to work on? Hard? Gas Mileage? General problems to watch out for, things to look for when I buy one? Any information would be appreciated.


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

The straight 6 of the 280ZX will be an easier motor to work on as a newbie.
The electronics are both very primitive compared with today's systems.
Either car would be about the same as a first car. They're both pretty old.
You WILL be spending a lot of time and/or money getting the thing somewhat reliable to drive daily.
Performance should be the last thing on your mind/wallet.

As far as what to look for...
information:look_for [Z31.com]


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I agree with AZ... A lot depends on your ability to work on it, the condition of the vehicle you purchase and how much money you'll have to invest in your car. Personally, I probably wouldn't recommend either as a first car; a late model Sentra or Altima or even a slightly older Maxima would all be much more practical and fuel efficient. The differances between the 240/260/280Z's and 280ZX's compared to the later 300Z's are night and day. The early Z's were much lighter and sportier to drive, but lack of factory undercoat caused a lot of rust issues in these cars (as well as most old Datsuns). Early Z's and ZX's used the reliable and fairly easy to work on L-series straight-6, with the turbo being an option on some ZX's, which are quite quick, especially considering other cars in their era. There is a fairly strong aftermarket for the early Z's, probably a bit moreso than the ZX's. Pre-75 Z's had carburators and you have to watch out for the "flat top" dual carbs used on the late 240's and 260Z's. Many have been converted over to the better, earlier "Coke bottle" style carbs or aftermarket Webers or a single Holley 4-bbl. The dual carbs require a bit of finesse and occassional tuning. 75 and later Z's are fuel injected. As far as the 300ZX's, they are much heavier and tend to be more of a luxury sports car. While having much better undercoating from the factory than the early Z's, you still have to be careful in checking them for rust. Many of these cars have been used and abused, so be careful in which car you may choose. Parts for these cars can be very expensive and turn into a money pit quick! I always recommend you have a mechanic or shop knowledgeable in these cars check it over thoroughly before you commit to it! Turbo versions are a lot more powerful but are also a bit more complicated. The digital dash that come in some tend to be problematic and most prefer the analog gauges. The electronic suspensions seldom work in most that came with it and many have been converted over to non-electronic suspensions. I have heard replacement electronic stuts are no longer available from Nissan, but most Nissan dealer part sites still list them, albeit at approx. $1000 each! 300Z's have a lot more options and electronics than earlier Z's, so the potential for more problems exist. That said, for a "sports car," they were very dependable, overall, but how dependable they are now really depends on how well they were taken care of by previous owners. I'm not trying to discourage you, but just want to make you aware of what you could be getting into if this is your choice. Good luck in whatever you choose!


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## LetsGoFast (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks a lot, that really helps. Especially the website link, just great. I am fully aware that the Altima would be a much better first car, but....I am never one to stick to the "norms" of living. Plus I am pretty determined. That, and they are pretty cheap, and pretty common around where I live.

I was aware after some research that the dash lights (if they are the digital variety) will have some problems if they even do work. I am not worried about this. Like I said, I'm not looking for a perfect car, just a project really to turn into a fun, functional first car. First I plan on getting it fully operational though, as previously stated.

Though I did have some more questions.

From what I understood from several spec sheets and sites, the 280zx's had better gas mileage. And the 300zx didn't really do all that well when it comes to gas mileage (decent, for the year of the car, but still....). I was wondering, when I am starting to mod, what sort of parts could I install to maybe improve gas mileage, if that's even possible.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Yes, the 280Z/ZX's got better gas mileage than the 300ZX, but they were also a lot lighter and most had manual trannies (there were manual tranny 300ZX's, of course, but you'll find a lot more auto tranny 300Z's than you will find in 280Z/ZX's). The 300ZX's were also more heavily optioned than the 280Z/ZX's. It's apples vs. oranges! I'm not sure what to tell you as far as impoving the gas mileage of a Z31, outside of keeping your foot out of the gas, find a way to lose some of that 300Z's weight and keep it properly tuned and tires properly inflated.


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## LetsGoFast (Sep 27, 2011)

Okay. I knew it weighed more, but it didn't seem like TOO much more, but who am I to say what's what? I'm 15. Trust me, I'm going to baby this thing. 

I prefer manual anyway. Funner to drive.

Though there is one more question. What do you guys think: 2 seat, or 2+2. Of course the 2+2 would be a bit more practical for a highschooler such as myself, with friends and all, but the 2 seat seems much more....sporty....

The way I figured, the 2+2 seat would weigh more, which would cut back on speed/gas mileage. But how much, is the question....

I apologize for asking so many questions but I don't know where else to come to besides a forum who deals with this stuff everyday.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I always thought the 2-seater looked much better than the 2+2's, especially if we are talking about the 280Z/ZX's. 

Curb weights:

240Z/260Z 2355 lbs.

280Z 2875 lbs.

280ZX (2 seater) 2824 lbs.
280ZX (2+2) 2989 lbs.

300ZX (2 seater) 3027 lbs.


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

What kind of mileage did the 280ZX get? My NA Z31 got 24mpg city and 28 on the freeway. Even when I delivered pizza, my NA would still get 22mpg.

And I'm curious to see how you can say the 300ZX came more heavily optioned. It seems to me that the 280ZX had all the same options the 300ZX had.

And then there's the automatic transmission comment. How do you figure that there were more automatics? Did you mean in raw numbers or in percentages?


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