New Z Owner - Devon

blot

Active Forum User
Hi Tim, I'm new on here aswell! Got a 280ZX 2 seater turning up today, I just could'nt afford a Z so its the next best thing i hope! I'm in Barnstaple mate, I'm half decent with spanners, Fully qualified but ive been off the shop floor for about 20 yrs! Kept my tools though, I can weld abit aswell but i leave body stuff to my brother, Perhaps i could shoot down to you and have a look at yours sometime? I'll introduce myself on here later when ive got the car in my grubby hands and have taken some pics.
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
280ZXs are great. They were my first introduction to Zs as my old man had one in the late 80s and I thought he must be the coolest dad alive, haha.

Yeah that'd be great, mate! Picking mine up on Friday.
 

blot

Active Forum User
Ok mate, I might be going to Tivvy saturday so i could shoot down and have a look, Keep me posted.
 

morbias

Well-Known Forum User
...and you are in America and it is a 280Z not a 260Z...

All UK cars had a full size spare. Many of the changes that took place for the 280Z in America never got implemented here.

Never knew that, that's the problem with most info on the net being about US cars I suppose :eek:
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Hi Tim, I'm new on here aswell! Got a 280ZX 2 seater turning up today, I just could'nt afford a Z so its the next best thing i hope! I'm in Barnstaple mate, I'm half decent with spanners, Fully qualified but ive been off the shop floor for about 20 yrs! Kept my tools though, I can weld abit aswell but i leave body stuff to my brother, Perhaps i could shoot down to you and have a look at yours sometime? I'll introduce myself on here later when ive got the car in my grubby hands and have taken some pics.

From the States or a UK car ?

Hello Tim. Good luck.
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
Jesus, what a day. Somewhat of an inauspicious start to my Z love affair, but hey ho. What should have been a 1-hour train journey turned into a 3-hour bus and train journey due to all the flooding down here, then unfortunately the car died on the motorway. 2 recovery trucks, a lot of waiting around, a very friendly 300ZX owner who pulled over to see if I need any help and 10-hours after I set out this morning I am now home and the Z is in the garage.

All was fine for a while then I noticed it had started running rough when I applied any throttle. This got progressively worse until any throttle at all just had it spluttering and coughing. Pulled over, turned it off. Tried to restart it and the battery wasn't even able to turn the starter motor. There is also some coolant splattered about from radiator cap and a small water leak which looks like just a manky pipe that needs replacing.

Time to learn how engines work then. First though, having skipped breakfast and now not eaten in 24-hours, down the Chinese.
 

blot

Active Forum User
Hey Tim, Reminds me of the nightmare i had earlier this year driving a Green Goddess back from Port Ellesmere! Hopefully it's something simple, Where did you drive it from? Was the car previously laid up? Get some pics up mate!
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
Only from Bristol. Got about 15-miles. Yep, laid up for a decade or so before chap I bought it from got it up and running and MOT'd again. I can only assume alternator is knackered if battery drained whilst driving it, but would that cause those running issues?
 

blot

Active Forum User
Exactly what happened to the old Goddess! I know its not a Z but the voltage regulator packed up, Ended up with same symptoms as you, Loss of power then died, I was on the hard shoulder of the M5 at 9PM, Nice! Should be an easy fix, Jump it and stick a voltmeter across the batt, You want about 13.5v ish, Any help you want just give me a shout mate, If you havent got a meter let me know and i'll try and shoot down with one, Cheers, Scott.
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
Quite tricky getting decent pics in my wee garage, so probably easier just to say it's the white one Geoff Gale was selling here:

Datsun Z cars - classified ads and private sales

Bought it with a set of slot mags, a pair of the american style front indicators that recess into the spoiler just below the bumper, a pair of half decent bumpers, a decent tailgate (one on it is shot, a roof skin with headlining (rust around the aftermarket sunroof), a pair of lower rear quarter repair panels (ones on it are not shot but not great) and some badges.
 

STEVE BURNS

Club Member
, If you havent got a meter let me know and i'll try and shoot down with one, Cheers, Scott.
What a lovely offer
:bow::bow:A newish member first came on the site in November 2012, offers to travel 53 miles that would take 72 minutes to help out another new user who also first visited in November 2012.

Goodwill like this is what the whole club should be about and gestures like these reinforce my belief of what a great place this is
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
Exactly what happened to the old Goddess! I know its not a Z but the voltage regulator packed up, Ended up with same symptoms as you, Loss of power then died, I was on the hard shoulder of the M5 at 9PM, Nice! Should be an easy fix, Jump it and stick a voltmeter across the batt, You want about 13.5v ish, Any help you want just give me a shout mate, If you havent got a meter let me know and i'll try and shoot down with one, Cheers, Scott.

Right, thanks for the advice, I'll get on it! I have't got a meter (I don't have many tools at all for working on cars, only houses!), but I'll get one. Couldn't ask you to do that for the sake of not having a £10 multimeter and I'm thinking I probably need to wait to call in your generous offer of assistance for when I get to something seriously difficult! Also going to need some very long jump leads to be able to jump it where it is, so I'll have a look around in town later.
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
What a lovely offer
:bow::bow:A newish member first came on the site in November 2012, offers to travel 53 miles that would take 72 minutes to help out another new user who also first visited in November 2012.

Goodwill like this is what the whole club should be about and gestures like these reinforce my belief of what a great place this is

That's what I thought. I am humbled by the generosity!
 

superdry

Club Member
Hi Tim Michael from honiton got a voltmeter and jump leads if you need them I'm free on Sunday afternoon if you need any help :smash:
 

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
Hi Michael. You, like Scott, are a Gent! I am amazed by everyone's generosity.

I didn't end up buying leads or a meter today, as I couldn't find any I thought would be long enough (my garage is accessed by a very narrow one-way service lane on a slope - had visions of trying to push the Z out no my own and it rolling down into a telephone pole), but have actually just realised that I am retarded and there is a fairly simple way of getting close enough with normal length leads.

I bought my first house last year, practically derelict and having never really done much work on houses. Went in with boundless confidence and enthusiasm then opened the front door on the first day and thought "Dear God what I have I done here and where the hell do I start!?". Think I have been in same sort of harumph today re the Z and not thinking straight. Anyway, figured the house out and got that done, will get this done.

So, having gotten over my little harumph I am going to head out tomorrow morning to the big Sunday market / car boot at Exeter Livestock Market and buy some leads and a multi-meter, (there's usually plenty of this sort of stuff there) or failing that Halfords, as even if I did borrow them on this occasion it's something I should have anyway.

I am terrible at accepting offers of generosity and hate putting people out; however, I really would love another Z owner's input (not to mention someone competent at mechanics) into my car and where I should start with it. I was hoping to be able drive it over to you so it wouldn't be putting you out too much! But yes, if you do fancy laughing at my foolishness and incompetence at some point, tomorrow or any weekday evening or weekend that suits you best, then I would be extremely grateful. But please don't go too far out of your way. I can offer tea and a rock solid IOU.

Apologies for the essay!
 
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