Reminiscing

[akumazedex]

The story begins about three maybe four years ago, I really did loose track. I started my first job at a auto repair shop, I was ignorant then, young, straight out of high school. My first day on at the job one of my coworkers was giving me a tour of the shop explaining equipment and so on. Then he leads me around back. Among maybe eight to ten cars parked in a pack, rusting, forgotten and dying, there she was. A 1982 280zx slick top, my 280zx slicktop. I immediately fell in love. Something about the sleek look, the innocent appearance, yet intimidating potential had me hooked.

"who's car is that? I said referring g to the z

"that's Greg's" (one of the owners of the shop at the time.

"do you think he'll be willing to sell that to me?"

"probably, it's been sitting here for maybe, Ionno, five years? But the engine was rebuilt!"

 

Those uncertain words, "maybe", there was hope.

 

After much nagging and what seemed forever to get the lein papers done, and $800 later, it was mine. Beat, rusted, neglected, but it was mine. It almost seemed tht the car chose me. Yes, you, you are the one that shall make me what I was once, a feared and respected demon of the street.

 

As soon as I got my hands on those keys I started work.

Rebuilt motor or not, after sitting for so long things get bad. I replaced injectors, plugs, wires and just about every stupid vacuume line. I spent many late nights at the shop working on the z to get it street ready. That's also about which time I joined this forum, and thanks to everyone that helped me with my noob-ness back then, I really did learn a lot.

 

Months later, came the day, pink slip and insurance paper in my hand along with a nifty number I'm supposed to put in my window. That day at work dragged on for ever, and stopping every ten minutes to stare at my new possession didn't help. That night, I took it for her first drive. The ripped pleather seats, cracked vinyl dash, that musty old car smell we all like, the Cadillac ride of the blown shocks, but that didn't matter, I was driving a z, my z. We rode to the local marina about 45 minutes away. That was an awesome ride, the chilly spring breeze on the freeway and the hum o the straight six made me fall in love that much more. The months of work and waiting finally paid off. Coming home later and parking it in the driveway in place of my 210 that I left at work I just stood and stared for what seemed like forever. After that day is when everything took off, and the mods finally started trickling in.

 

I have been so caught up in working on the car recently that I have forgotten why I have it in the first place, but the free time I've ha recently I remembered the humble beginnings of what I have now. I love the feeling of an old timer coming up to me an telling their stories about their z's they had many years ago, and schooling the kids about classic J-tin.

[DAT510]

I can relate to you. good read.