The owner did not abuse the car but maitence was another story. But, because he was located in dry Arizona, no rust inccured until his move to Ohio in the mid 1980's. Before the move, the car was repainted the factory original brown and got an undercoat of Ziebart rust-inhibitor. Unfortunately, the Ziebart didn't hold up to long and rust quickly developed.
The car stored in a normal household garage for a few years before being used again. Then, when the owner relocated to another part of Ohio, the car was put in a storage garage where water leaker and caused further rust. The car never really properly taken care of, which could be one of the culprits for it's condition now.
I aqquired the car summer of 2001 for a measly $700. The car was in running order but the body was in rough shape. Rust holes on the fenders, rocker panels, gas tank straps, wheels, and undercarraige. The framerails were also pretty badly rusted out along with the floorboards. All-in-all, it was typical rust for a nearly 30-year old Z car that wasn't taken care of well.
The engine gave out a few times in-between and I haven't driven her regulary as I am concerned about her condition. The rear driveshaft u-joints are bad so new ones are in order, amongest other things so I don't think the drivetrain will hold up to too much more wear.
As of now the Z is in my garage with the interior apart as I am reupholstering it and installing a new sound system, although this should be last on my agenda. The engine was firing until the distrubitor started acting up and now I believe the vacuum advance is malfunctioning as I am reading low vacuum.
It turns out Wiring a new stereo head unit into a 1974 car with only two speakers in rather difficult. Ontop of the fact that the stock wiring is old and brittle, none of the harnesses match up meaning it is cut and splice time. I also plan on getting a rear speaker box that mounts flush up against the rear part of the hatch door and holds two 6x9 speakers in it for added thump.
My plans for the Z are literally endless. So far, I have complied a sort of "dream list" of parts that I hope to eventually install. Here it goes:
Engine/Drivetrain/Brakes
-1981-83 L28ET turbo swap
-'83 Borg Warner T5 transmission
-'92 200SX 4.11 rear differential
-T3/T4 ball-bearing hybrid turbocharger boosting at 26 psi
-large front-mounted air-to-air intercooler
-HKS Super Sequential Blow-off valve
-2.5 inch aluminum intercooler piping with silicone seals
-MSA polished aluminum radiator
-Twin FAL 12-volt electric fans
-Complete engine built up with forged Arias pistons, no-gap rings, forged connecting rods, balanced and blueprinted crankshaft, new crank bearings and seals, 3-angle race valve job on P90 head, lapped titanium valves, titanium springs, new lash pads, Crane Cam turbo-grind camshaft, new rocker arms, billet cam gear sproket, custom L-series tubular GT turbo exhaust manifold, 3.0 inch diameter stainless steel custom exhaust without cat and with 4 inch outlet Apexi N1 canister-style muffler, cold air intake with K&N filter, Bulldog timing chain and gear with cover, new lightweight pulleys, new belts, ARP turbo head studs, ARP 9mm rod bolts, carbon fiber valve cover, MSD 6H-R ignition coil, MSD 8mm racing spark plug wire set, NGK sparkplugs, MSA billet oil filler cap, K&N premium oil filter, B&M competition oil cooler, MSA competition oil pump and water pump, Russell braided stainless steel lines and fittings, AEM ECU, GReddy E-01 electronic boost controller, RC engineering 600cc fuel injectors, and Walbro 255 liters-per-hour in-tank fuel pump
-300ZX-TT clutch and brake master cylinders
-300ZX 4-piston brake calipers (front) and rear disc conversion with 280ZX 2-piston brake calipers (rear)
-SP Performance slotted and cross-drilled Diamond brake rotors, 12.5 inch fronts and 9.5 inch rears
-stainless steel brake lines with banjo fittings
-Hawk brake pads
-300ZX-TT brake booster
-stainless steel clutch hose
-Clutch Masters street/strip 6-puk clutch with 280ZX clutch collar
-lightened 10.5 pound aluminum flywheel
-B&M short throw shifter
-Kartboy shifter bushings
-Koni Illumna 12-way adjustable gas-charged shocks
-Koni springs
-new mustache bar
-new suspension bushings and urethane mounts
-new rear differential mount
-Spicer oversized u-joints
-MSA aluminum driveshaft
-new rear halfshafts with new CV boots
Exterior
-media-stripped chassis and reuseable body panels
-new front right and left fenders
-new rear hatch with glass and defroster
-MSA carbon fiber hood