There have probably been a number of these threads over the years, but let's have another one anyway. :biggrin:

 

My Zed was in use yesterday - topless, no less! - and she's currently parked outside the house. So I'm looking out of the window and finding myself asking "So what is it about her...?"

 

Personally, there are a couple of reasons:

 

I always loved the shape as a kid... they were just so sleek and almost space-aged. I remember being in the car with my parents and there being a Zed behind us and it was like being trailed by a shark! When an opportunity arose for the driver to overtake, I watched it go past (it was a nice day so the driver had the roof off) and I just thought "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

 

Fast forward to a few years ago and I'd grown used to the power of my old Beams Celica so decided to start looking for a different car. A Celica GT-Four was an option, but I quite fancied some open-top motoring again (after owning an MR2 for a while). Plus I could have two turbos instead of just one... ;)

 

So I started looking at Supras. But an Aerotop TT was waaaaaay out of my budget and, to be honest, I wasn't convinced by the look with the roof off. Perhaps an MR2 Turbo then? Nah - I'd owned an MR2 before and, whilst it was fun, I wanted something different and that had a little bit of exclusivity. :)

 

So a Zed then. Ideally a 2-seater TT, but again out of my price range at that point. So I arranged to buy Baz' old white LWB and I got very excited at the prospect! Sadly, the deal never happened and, if I'm honest, I was a lot more gutted than I ever let on.

 

Long story short; I travelled to Norfolk and picked up a black LWB auto... and loved it. It was just as space-age as I remembered and riotous fun to drive!

 

Fast forward another 18 months and those rear seats were starting to niggle at me a little, so the hunt began for a SWB. Which, obviously, I found. :)

 

So today. I look at her out of the living room window and ask "Why this car?" Well, here's why:

 

For starters, she's like my childhood fantasy given form. She looks like no other car around here... an ocean of bland, generic hatchbacks and suchlike... and there's my Zed, standing out!

 

But, for all that obviousness (possibly a word I just made up!), she's subtle. There are no lairy wings or bumpers on display - wheels aside, she's pretty much as Nissan intended - but she just looks impossibly cool. Whilst driving around yesterday, heads were turning everywhere and quite a few thumbs-ups as well, and I could see a lot of people thinking "What is it??" I like that confusion :)

 

In comparison to her stablemates of the day (Supras, GTOs, RX7s), I think she's nowhere near as brash or vulgar. Supras look big and powerful in comparison, but (in my opinion) a little dated now as well - the big headlights and circular taillights are very much a 90s styling choice. So again, subtlety. Which I like.

 

There's a local "car club" I'm a member of and someone has recently joined with a silver Supra Aerotop and people are fawning all over him, saying things like "Nicest car in the club!" and suchlike. And it's a nice car... a very nice car... but it's incredibly obvious. There's another member, a friend of mine, with a Ferrari 355 so that pretty much automatically prevents a Supra from being the nicest car in the club, but that's by the by. :lol:

 

Subtlety. I think that's what I love about my Zed. It doesn't hide it's light, but then doesn't shout it from the rooftops either, but can still play with much more modern machinery and surprise plenty of people.

 

As I look out of the window this morning, I simply can't imagine a time when I don't own this car. To me, it's the perfect one: a SWB manual TT with the targa roof. It's almost like I'd been waiting for this very car since one drove past my parents all those years ago... :biggrin:

 

So, your turns now. Why a Zed for you?

Because you can't find TransAMs/Cameros in right hand drive. :lol:

I fell in love with the zed back in 1993,a car dealer friend of mine bought one,he traded in a 3litre turbo supra for it,I remembering him bringing it round to show me,soon as I seen it a gleaming red Nissan 300zx twin turbo and manual...that was me hooked for ever:),but it took me until 2004 before having time in my life to find this uk zed that I have,and yes I wouldn't sell her,in fact I have two of them,I couldn't sell it anyhow! It owes me a small fortune!! But I love it.

After owning a 260z and a couple of 280zx, I then buggered off to Africa, not the place for a Z32. I married, settled down and raised kids, then came back to Blighty.....settled and got the usual family daily run around and company cars, I know..boring. Then....last year I was diagnosed, underwent surgery and endured 3-4 months of pure hell and eventually recovered from the big C. To keep me sane, focused and positive, my bro and my missus advised me to get a car, any car to have some fun in when I recover, my bro had just re-built a 240z and I started looking/researching the 300zx and its provenance whilst lying in my hospital bed ....it worked. I love that goddam car and I am glad and so friggin grateful I have such a terrific motor to enjoy whenever I want, plus I am meeting some really cool peeps along the way as well which is a bonus. My zed got me through and keeps doing it every time I look at, sit in or drive her, she's special alright.

 

:bow:

There's some great history coming via this thread! :thumbup1:

Just because........:wink:

 

I had owned a couple of Mk3 Supras and was looking to move on. I was impressed with the Mk4 Supra in every way - apart from the fact that, whatever way you look at it, it's just so damned fugly...:nono: The 3000gt, whilst also ahead of its time, simply could not pull off the 0-100mph sprint as quick as its rivals; owing to its excess lardiness. Plus, like the Mk4 Soop, it proved to date very quickly; with its scoops, ducts and spoilers.

 

Then I looked at the grand-daddy of all 1990s GT cars - the mighty Porsche 928s4. The 300zx was also on my radar - because its simple, clean, wedge shape looked the most timeless. And it was good value in comparison to the aforementioned; but above all, after driving one, it simply won me over. It felt better conceived than the Supra and 3000gt and like the 928, it had a soul - sure the Supra is faster (in 326bhp UK spec, certainly), but that felt cold and clinical. The 300zx interior felt like an updated version of the 928; the 300zx, I still think, is better looking than the 928. It's every bit as quick (let's not forget that Nissan's test drivers lapped the 'Ring faster than Porsche's could in the 928gt back in the day!!); and, whilst I'd have gone for the big V8 porker in a heartbeat, the Zed was half the price but all of the car and more.

 

And the 300zx still has "it" today. It as aged gracefully in comparison to its peers; purely down to those clean lines. Nissan got this car's design right, straight from the factory 27 years ago - who'd have thought that, from a mainstream Japanese manufacturer?

I'm not sure exactly when I started to notice these cars, maybe when I was around 10 years old. I'd always flick through the auto trader in the supermarket & see how much they were going for. Also, I'd always buy a zed when playing Gran Tourismo on the PlayStation. Nearly bought a none turbo swb for £700 when I was in my very early twenties but insurance costs put me off. Should've just bought it but very happy with what I've got now.

And the 300zx still has "it" today. It as aged gracefully in comparison to its peers; purely down to those clean lines. Nissan got this car's design right, straight from the factory 27 years ago - who'd have thought that, from a mainstream Japanese manufacturer?

 

Supras have only aged with fibreglass plastic surgery...

 

Should've just bought it but very happy with what I've got now.

 

You probably made the right choice. but enthusiasm convicned me and I couldn't resist.

It's odd didn't realise till recently, but as a kid I had a toy car, was my favourite apparently took it everywhere, as you do get older, forgot about it, wasn't till a couple of years ago my nan dug a box of my old stuff out her loft, there it was a silver with a big zx on the side and orange windows lol,

 

I only bought my first 300zx as it came up as a related search when I was looking to replace my 200sx, then realised I could insure it...

 

So I guess it's fate for me, seems every time I try to get away I'm drawn back in... Think may be a disease, hopefully there's no cure...

i ended up with a z just by chance after i sold my 944 then a week later sold my lotus else then 5 week later i sold my porsche to i was board one night and was looking on ebay for a cheap car to play with for a few months while i was looking for a new car was long at 911 turbos m3s all kinds of stuff. with the plan 2 sell the z soon as i found what wanted, but i just got hooked due to shear aray or parts and up grades. and the big power you can get the z. so 3 years on a many many thousands spent on the z its is near the end and will be on the road soon in the spec i want yes i have gone a bit nuts on it with all the parts i have got for it, but in the stock tt format it just felt to lazy but i did see i could all be changed to make it go and handle and look like the vision in my head so we will see soon if i got it rite finger crossed . i have owned all kinds of cool stuff but the z stands out some how. plus the forum to thats a big part of it to. even when i do get really pissed off i always come back :gunsmilie:

It's odd didn't realise till recently, but as a kid I had a toy car, was my favourite apparently took it everywhere, as you do get older, forgot about it, wasn't till a couple of years ago my nan dug a box of my old stuff out her loft, there it was a silver with a big zx on the side and orange windows lol,

 

I only bought my first 300zx as it came up as a related search when I was looking to replace my 200sx, then realised I could insure it...

 

So I guess it's fate for me, seems every time I try to get away I'm drawn back in... Think may be a disease, hopefully there's no cure...

I too have a little toy 300zx from my childhood, found it when my parents sold up the family home. It now lives on the dash board of my van.

1990 or 91 silver one was parked in town ,so I went over to take a look then the owner turned up and let me sit in it ,well from that day on I was hooked until he told me how much he just paid for it then it stayed a dream way out of my reach ,had 3 since then DREAMS DO COME TRUE

I owned a 350z for almost 3 years, and sold it due to a messy break up (I associated that car with her). Replaced it with a VXR8 which I then sold to finance a house deposit.

 

I had been hankering after a new toy to tinker with for a while, and really wanted to keep myself in the Zed family as I was still running the 350z-uk forum.

I didn't want another 350z, and couldn't afford the time to restore a 240z/260z. And whilst the 300zx had never totally appealed to me aesthetically, I had been keeping an eye on them for some time as part of my role as an organiser of LakeZ and other inter club shows.

So when one popped up on here as an MOT failure and had been for sale for a year I made a ridiculous offer which the owner accepted. My wife had not long given birth to my twin boys, so she remembers none of the conversation we had about me buying it. But she did get quite annoyed when she walked into the garage and found a blue Zed there!

 

Anyway, role on 3 years and the car has grown on me greatly. It infuriates me regularly and I have threatened to sell it numerous times. But now that I am almost complete with the suspension and brakes overhaul I intend to drive it a lot this summer. It'll be the first time it has ran like Nissan intended so hopefully I will find a new love for it and it won't try to kill me again.

 

"If" I keep it, then I think a LSx will find its way under the bonnet sometime in the future.

After owning a 260z and a couple of 280zx, I then buggered off to Africa, not the place for a Z32. I married, settled down and raised kids, then came back to Blighty.....settled and got the usual family daily run around and company cars, I know..boring. Then....last year I was diagnosed, underwent surgery and endured 3-4 months of pure hell and eventually recovered from the big C. To keep me sane, focused and positive, my bro and my missus advised me to get a car, any car to have some fun in when I recover, my bro had just re-built a 240z and I started looking/researching the 300zx and its provenance whilst lying in my hospital bed ....it worked. I love that goddam car and I am glad and so friggin grateful I have such a terrific motor to enjoy whenever I want, plus I am meeting some really cool peeps along the way as well which is a bonus. My zed got me through and keeps doing it every time I look at, sit in or drive her, she's special alright.

you have a pm:wink:

I got my first one because I love a challenge!-now on my 5th..................and I like to drill holes!

I got my first one because I love a challenge!-now on my 5th..................and I like to drill holes!

 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:Theres 95% dont know what your on about Dazzler but us oldies can keep a seceret:wink:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:Theres 95% dont know what your on about Dazzler but us oldies can keep a seceret:wink:

 

Personally it's one he SHOULD keep to himself. :lol:

Personally it's one he SHOULD keep to himself. :lol:

 

:rofl::rofl: Yep

For me no child's dream. I owned almost 18 cars now and 17 of them were japanese. My MR2 is still standing on my driveway but will be gone soon. I'm someone who's very quick tired of something and so I change a lot from cars. In fact I was looking to buy a Skyline but then the very long procedure to get it on the road in Belgium made me change my mind and I just looked for any Nissan between 85 and 93 and a Z came up. The appearance pleased me and I started looking for one. The more I searched, the more I fell in love with. Now I have one and I really love the car. I know she will give a couple of headaches (engine rebuild etc) but for some unexplanable reason, I don't care. SHE STAYS :yes:

:rofl::rofl: Yep

 

:wink: