67 Mustang & 78 Datsun 280Z ; Can't All Car Lovers Get Along!

Quick Back Story: My friend Noah (1967 Ford Mustang, 289, 3SPD Auto) and I (1978 Datsun 280Z, L28 straight 6, 5 SPD Manual) ; both bought our cars at age 15. These are our first cars . They are both pretty much original in every aspect.

The Mustang still has: original 289 and 3SPD trans, seats, head liner, body. The Datsun still has: origianl l28 and 5SPD trans, seats, head liner, paint, whole road side kit & body. (Thoughs are just the importaint things to me).

Now what's the main differences? Well for starters the Datsun is of course foreign. Made in Japan and modern day Nissan. The Mustang is carbuerated, Datsun is EFI. Mustang has drums all the way around, Datsun has disc in front and drums in back.

Other than that I can only think of subtle differences, because they are 11 years apart; It would be easier to compare a 240z to a Mustang.

So what's the problem? Car rascism. Car rascism is the problem. It sounds funny (which to me it is), but I love all old cars. I think it would just be amazing if all car lovers wether you have a foreign car (to the USA) or a USA made car, can just get along!

It was kind of sucky bringing my Datsun to a company where the guy said he works on any classic car; And having him said he won't look at it because it's foreign. What's more ironic is I called the day before and said it was a Datsun and the guy said "Oh sure bring it on up here and we will work on it!" Then when I called the next day a different guy answered and said they won't work on foreign classic cars.

As I said before I feel as though the classic car community would be much larger and more creative if everyone accepted eachothers own unique taste in their classic car. Let's be honest if you are reading this you probably have a thing for classic cars; You would'nt want anyone to dis your beauty and your pride and joy! Everyone has a different opinion understandable. But everyone can agree on one thing here. We love classic cars and the history behind them!

With all of that said I'm curious what you guys think the about the situation.

Here's a video of the Mustang & Datsun reving along with some pictures

In all fairness, you're not really comparing apples to apples there. An early Mustang and a late Z-car are two ends of a very wide desirability scale.

An early 240Z just sold at auction for a bit over $70,000, and they've been hitting $40,000 with increasing regularity, but as with Mustangs, it all depends on the car. An early 240Z is (no offense intended) a lot more desirable than a '78 280Z, and therefore more valuable and more apt to find an enthusiastic audience. Compare a base 1970 Mustang and a base 1970 240Z and I think you'll see that the Datsun might be more valuable. Heck, compare your car with a 1978 Mustang and see which one has a stronger audience--I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Sure, early Mustangs with the big engines get a lot more attention, but the Z-cars are finally getting some respect from serious collectors. In fact, many Japanese cars are finding enthusiastic young owners with disposable income, driving prices up.

It's not that there's automotive racism, it's just that cars that are undesirable tend to remain undesirable, while desirable cars will appreciate. It's always worked that way and collectors don't care where the cars come from if they're cool. Nobody hates your car because of what it is, it's just that the early 240Zs are the ones collectors want to own, not the later cars with smog-choked motors, heavier bodywork, softer suspensions, etc. It's the same reason that the Series I E-Type Jaguars are more valuable than the later Series III V12s, despite being ostensibly the same car underneath.

I totally agree with all of that. I guess I used funny wording and yes as I said in the post a 240z would have been a much better comparison.

He probably doesn't want to work on it because he doesn't know enough about it.

I would very happy for someone to tell me they didn't want to work on my car before he worked on it.

I would happily oblige him to take my car elsewhere.

In all fairness, you're not really comparing apples to apples there. An early Mustang and a late Z-car are two ends of a very wide desirability scale.

Believe me, you do not want someone unfamiliar with a Japanese sportscar working on it. You'd do better to find a mechanic who knows a little about same-vintage British cars as the Z to service it. Depending on your location there may even be someone who specializes in the Z cars.

Beast- the question is do YOU like the car, and are you willing to learn about it to where you can service it yourself without having to rely on someone who may or may not be competent to do it? The 280Z was complex for its time but still nowhere near the later 280ZX. Those were some heinously complicated cars to service.

While I'm thinking bout it, that Z is begging for a Borla exhaust!

Before I offer what might be behind the thinking of the shop:

Seemingly in a different lifetime, I was young and enjoyed lots of non-USA vehicles, including a 1968 Datsun Fairlady 2000 which was probably the most enjoyable car to drive I have ever owned; so the following is NOT meant to be derogatory to your Z.

Somewhere along the line, I became convinced that buying American would help keep Americans working; and I reluctantly sold the Datsun.

But to possible reasons for the attitude of the shop:

(A) Knowledge/literature. There are many good aftermarket service books available for the Mustang, and while they are no longer available at every garage sale; they are readily available and cheap. Also, lots of mechanics grew up working on Fords and Chevies and there are probably a lot more mechanics with knowledge of the Mustang than of the Z.

( Tools. The Mustang can be serviced using S.A.E. tools, the Datsun requires metric. If your shop specializes in older American cars, then no need to duplicate all of your service tools in metric. The same can be said in reverse for shops that specialize in imports.

© Parts availability. One can probably completely build a 1967 Mustang if one has a title and a bare spot in one's garage. The same is NOT true for a 1978 Mustang (or most American vehicles made from about 1975~1990, let alone imports such as your Z). There are some parts for my 1996 Ford shop truck that are simply not available new. And never will be again, as demand is insufficient for specialty companies to reproduce the parts.

If the shop owner "threw verbal rocks" at your Z, then that would be unfortunate; but I can certainly understand a shop specializing in older American cars (classic or not) not wishing to work on it. And it is quite possible the first mechanic that said they would work on it was new, didn't know shop policy, and did not wish to turn away a customer.

Jon.

I am 16 now, I've actually never brought my z any where to have it worked on. It's all been done by me. I simply wanted a trained mechanic to look at it for me to see if they could do anything better (sense I have just learned as I went). I've also owned a 1980 MGB which I sold last summer. Both cars were bought and intended to be sold. The z just stuck with me.

I am 16 now, I've actually never brought my z any where to have it worked on. It's all been done by me. I simply wanted a trained mechanic to look at it for me to see if they could do anything better (sense I have just learned as I went). I've also owned a 1980 MGB which I sold last summer. Both cars were bought and intended to be sold. The z just stuck with me.

I'm sure you'll find a good Datsun mechanic. And, that Datsun mechanic will likely not work on Fords

I think that most folks who respond to this forum realize that it doesn't really mater where a well designed, purpose built car comes from that makes it special. Very few of the old timers who had an aversion to anything made in Japan and Germany are left to lament how the two countries, along with Korea, have taken over the auto industry around the world. The future of young people in the old car hobby has been formulated by the last forty years of dominance of the industry by Japan and Germany. It may be hard for a sixteen year old to understand why his grandfather might drive a Toyota everyday but will be in love with his own 1955 Chevrolet. It takes time to develop an appreciation for history and a sixteen year old has not yet had the time. At the XXX drive-in, in the Seattle area, there is an old car event every weekend, but there is none bigger then the annual import event which was held last weekend. The overflow basically takes over the whole town of Issaquah.

In 1979 I bought a 240Z for my wife to drive. In the thirteen years that I owned it I came to love it. For many reasons I found it to be a huge step up from the TR3 that I had been driving for my spots car fix. I painted it and did a general refurbishment and then drove the H... out of it. Even with the hard use that my X and I handed out, when she blew a head gasket at about 170K miles, tear down showed there was almost no cylinder or bearing wear! In 1995 when she sold the car it was still running strong with over 230K miles on it. I wish she had given me the chance to buy it! So to the young man who started this thread, put that chip that you have on your shoulder in your pocket, nobody here is going to knock it off. You may have many times to use it in your lifetime, but try to choose when to go to battle more wisely.

Thanks I guess I'm realizing most people really don't care about where it was made; just how they competed with other equal cars at their time.

There are some Asian cars that are interesting and worth fooling with; dare I say it even collectible. The original Z cars and Datsun 2000 roadsters, Toyota 2000 GT and Celica/Supra, possibly even an original Mazda RX, fit that mold. A low line econo-box, probably not so much.

I mean, can you honestly envision anyone doing one of these? Always felt like these were the precursor to the Pontiac Aztek, which by all acounts is one of the fugliest cars ever produced.

Always felt like these were the precursor to the Pontiac Aztek, which by all acounts is one of the fugliest cars ever produced.

Today's cars, Cube, XBox, Juke, Soul, etc, make the Aztek look pretty good. I swear computers are designing these butt ugly cars...........people can't possibly be this bad.

Now these OTOH...

1977 Celica GT (yah, baby Mustang ripoff) and Datsun 2000

Mazda RX4

As far as the repair shop, that is lousy that they told you they work on anything, told you to bring it in, and then refused to work on it because it is foreign. However, you are probably better off not taking your car there anyway.

As far as all car enthusiasts having to like every old car and get along, I don't see why I should have to. I have seen very nice original cars butchered by someone doing lousy quality and taste customizing. Can't say I will ever like someone that does that. And with regards to foreign cars, it is just my opinion, but I blame the foreign cars (especially Japanese) of the 1960's - 1980's for the current crop of boring 4 door "mid-size" econoboxes that every manufacturer produces now as opposed to the stylish and artistic cars of the 1930's - 1970's. While I wouldn't insult the owner of an antique foreign car, and can respect their decision to own or restore one, I don't see why I should be told I have to like a foreign car or fake liking it because it is old and I like old cars. I didn't like them when they were new, and I still don't like them now. I would simply walk past it and look for something else that interested me. In fact if there were only foreign cars and no American cars, I probably would not have any interest in old cars at all. The thing about this hobby is that you do not have to like every old car because there is a wide enough variety to find something that actually does interest you.

I don't care how much a car owner butchers his own car. It his after all. I don't have to like it but I would not ever go so far as telling a guy that.

Each car owner that has some enthusiasm for the hobby should be encouraged, not scorned.

I bought one of those Datsun 2 liters new in 1970, and it would wax an SS 396 on the highway. I even out dragged a Healy 3000.

One guy in a 427 Vette was flabbergasted when I shifted into 5th gear at 120 mph and walked away from him.

It was its fastest with the hardtop on.

Unfortunately I was 21 or 22 and it got wrecked. It seems like it cost me $3100 dollars.

I think the one pictured ahs the wrong seats in it. And I like the wheels.

Beastlikethat1,

Congratulations on becoming a car guy who likes cars older than you are. Welcome to the hobby.

I was a Z Car guy for 20 years. All used cars, but fun and dependable. First was a 72 240Z,then a 77 280Z, 79 280ZX and finally a 84 300ZX.

Even at that time finding someone to work on them was a problem. American mechanic's in Datsun dealerships were fish out of water when it came to understanding the car unless the "Micro Fish" (predecessor to the Computer) had a slide showing the repair procedure. I was able to find a few people who used names like "Z Doc" or "The Z Place" that specialized in "Z Cars". Often I would go 30 miles for a minor adjustment, but was happy to find understanding knowledgeable mechanic's. They were all durable cars and known for their reliability. Keep looking and I'll bet you find someplace that will not only help you but encourage your interest in doing it yourself, then you will be the "Z Guy" to others.

Of note: The one I liked the best was the 1979 280ZX, the fastest was the 1972 240Z, the worst was the 1984 300ZX.

Welcome aboard what may become a lifetime hobby.