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You really shouldn't drive it in the snow, ever. It's gonna handle like balls and if they salt the roads at all then that car will disintegrate in rapid time. If you had spent a lot less then maybe but for a car you just payed almost 5 grand for the winter should not be an option. My car has supposedly never been driven over salt and there are small rust problems all over. Just get a beater truck or subaru or something for winter, it's what they're for.
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Nov 24, 2014 01:56
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ACH-138 posted:You really shouldn't drive it in the snow, ever. It's gonna handle like balls and if they salt the roads at all then that car will disintegrate in rapid time. For the salt, I plan on getting an undercarriage wash every week, if that counts for something.
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Nov 24, 2014 01:58
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Yeah he has a point. Z cars aren't in any way famous for their rust prevention.
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Nov 24, 2014 01:58
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SperginMcBadposter posted:Is this true for most transmissions? I may have been unintentionally beating on mine if it is. Erm, actually I was just about to correct myself on that. Z31s had T5s (WCT5 in the case of the Turbo models) which did have a synchro'd first gear. If it goes into 1st while you're moving without drama or having to double clutch it's probably synchronized. I believe a synchronized first is more common than non-synchro'd but don't quote me on that. All I know is the C59 in my Vibe is definitely not synchro'd on 1st. Turbo Fondant fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Nov 24, 2014 |
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Nov 24, 2014 02:02
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Tommychu posted:Erm, actually I was just about to correct myself on that. Z31s had T5s (WCT5 in the case of the Turbo models) which did have a synchro'd first gear. Every time I do 1st gear right now is with drama. I am not very good at getting into 1st gear.
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Nov 24, 2014 02:03
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 OH poo poo I'M OVERSTEERING WHAT DO I DO The most succinct way I can tell you how to very safely drive RWD in the snow or really in any oversteer situation (please understand oversteer if you don't already) is: Hands Try to disconnect the front wheels from the rest of the car in your mind. Your hands are controlling your front wheels regardless of what the back wheels are doing, and you need to keep them pointed exactly where you want to go. Realize that when the body starts to rotate, the wheels will be in the same place relative to the body unless you move the wheel. With practice you'll be able to accurately "feel out" where the front wheels are while you're oversteering. Feet Once you feel the rear end beginning to get away from you, the ONLY pedal you should press in is the clutch. DO NOT hit the brake, DO NOT hit the gas (unless you're having fun spinning everywhere). Keep the clutch pressed in until you are sure the rear end is done loving about. Braking will make things worse. Accelerating will make things "worse". With practice, accelerating makes things more fun, but only when we've learned to control being out of control. Eyes As with motorcycles, look where you want to go, not what you're trying to avoid. If you're staring at that light pole, trying to avoid it, you're gonna go straight for the light pole. This has been Oversteer 101 with your friendly neighbor Adiabatic. Edit: Snow is great for learning how to control oversteer, because it's possible to oversteer a lot easier, and everything happens in slow motion with less input. Just, for gods' sake, in whatever you do, give yourself PLENTY of stopping distance. Adiabatic fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Nov 24, 2014 |
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Nov 24, 2014 03:51
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It's possible that this car will teach you, through pain and heartache, to hate Nissan. If I have any advice I'd say just keep reading and take your time with the changes you make so that it's done as well as possible. Don't hesitate to get help unless you're ok ruining this car. And I say this as someone that ruined a few in my late teens/early twenties. In regards to driving in the snow and salt, these cars aren't very common in part because they tend to dissolve when exposed to salt. If this car legitimately doesn't already have holes in frame and/or body it's probably because the previous owners DIDN'T drive it in winter.
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Nov 24, 2014 04:18
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Mat_Drinks posted:It's possible that this car will teach you, through pain and heartache, to hate Nissan. I'm not really okay with ruining this car. I'd like to keep it around and make sure it remains ticking for a while to come. Hence why I'm trying to ask for advice, feed it good gas, get car washes, get good oil, try and avoid getting it rusted out like crazy, and other sundry such actions to ensure it won't die horribly. I DID ask about salt a bit earlier, asking if getting the undercarriage sprayed during the car wash would be enough to stop/minimize the effects of the salt, and no one really had an answer for me.
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Nov 24, 2014 06:49
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Sperglord Firecock posted:For the salt, I plan on getting an undercarriage wash every week, if that counts for something. This plus the fact that you say you know nothing about gas engines or turbos and haven't spent the past two months you were searching Craigslist doing some reading up and learning yourself up on how gas engines and turbos work (seriously there's plenty of learning resources online) and are planning on winter driving a nice older car known for it's propensity to disintegrate into rust at the first hint of water makes me think that this thread will end in tragedy, the only question being whether it will end somewhere on the sockington rust scale or in the mechanical failures thread.  Of course either way will be good reading material 
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Nov 24, 2014 08:08
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HotCanadianChick posted:This plus the fact that you say you know nothing about gas engines or turbos and haven't spent the past two months you were searching Craigslist doing some reading up and learning yourself up on how gas engines and turbos work (seriously there's plenty of learning resources online) and are planning on winter driving a nice older car known for it's propensity to disintegrate into rust at the first hint of water makes me think that this thread will end in tragedy, the only question being whether it will end somewhere on the sockington rust scale or in the mechanical failures thread. Okay, lemme correct this. I know generally how a gas engine and a turbo are SUPPOSED to work. Gas goes into the compression chamber, air is let in too to allow for combustion, piston goes up, spark plug combusts it, driving piston back down, causing power, you get the idea. Turbochargers work by taking the exhaust and using that to drive a fan and through the magic of fan stuff it pumps more air into the combustion chamber, making the combustion more pwoerful. Edit: If any of you do have some good rust prevention tips that also involve not having it sit in a garage the entire winter (because I do need to go places), I'm willing to hear it. In addition, I MIGHT pick up a winter beater just to drive around. fishception fucked around with this message at 08:59 on Nov 24, 2014 |
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Nov 24, 2014 08:49
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Learning manual progress is getting easier, less thunking and anger whenever I shift into first. Might try taking it onto the highway later on. Haven't dealt with stop-and-go traffic yet. Lesson 1 with first - never ever shift into it unless the car is at a stop or just barely moving. If it doesn't have a synchro (in reality, the synchro is probably just worn out, but I don't know Z cars), come to a stop, shift into any other gear (2nd would be easiest), then shift into 1st. Shifting into a synchronized gear at a stop will stop the spinny parts inside the transmission, and make it possible to get into 1st without grinding. You may find that reverse may not have a synchro as well. Same deal, shift into a gear with a synchro before shifting into reverse if you want to avoid a grind. Later on, you'll learn to rev match, which will allow you to shift into 1st with the car moving with either no grinding or a tiny grind. It's a very good skill to have in case your clutch cable/hydraulics ever take a poo poo. SperginMcBadposter posted:Is this true for most transmissions? I may have been unintentionally beating on mine if it is. No. You would know if it wasn't. Instead of slipping into 1st, it would go GRIIIIIIIIIIIND and you'd have to force it. You still shouldn't shift into 1st above about 5 mph. Mat_Drinks posted:It's possible that this car will teach you, through pain and heartache, to hate Nissan. This too. Nissan does make one hell of a fun car to drive, but they use gallons of KY to get the engine into place. And put parts that might need replacing less than once a year in drat near impossible to reach places. For example, to replace the power steering pump on my 99 Altima, I would have had to remove the intake manifold and 2 engine mounts. PCV valve? Unbolt power steering pump, lean it out of the way, do it all by feel (or remove the intake manifold). The knock sensor was also supposedly equally difficult (I think it's a 4-6 hour job if you go by the book), but I found a way to do it from under the car by leaving a super bright light on top of the intake manifold and looking/feeling around. Took 15 minutes. It helps that I have long and skinny arms. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 13:27 on Nov 24, 2014 |
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Nov 24, 2014 13:17
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some texas redneck posted:Lesson 1 with first - never ever shift into it unless the car is at a stop or just barely moving. It really doesn't grind when going into first. When I do it right, it's downright silky smooth. Tastes great, less filling. When I do it wrong, the car rocks around like a tilt-a-whirl. So grinding on reverse or 1st really isn't much of a big deal. I have no idea how bad it is for the engine parts on the Z31, but again, the stuff that needed replacing has been replaced pretty recently, and done so by a guy that seemingly knew what he was doing. So when I do have to do stuff with it, at least everything else won't be horribly broken in the process.
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Nov 24, 2014 13:50
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From what I found on Tire Rack, it looks like you can get snows for this thing for around $90 per corner. I'd suggest finding some steel wheels and getting some tires if you're really going to drive this thing this winter. You will be incredibly frustrated and ulcer-ridden come March if you don't. There's a salvage yard up north here with an 84 and an 88 300zx if there are any little pieces that you need or what. It's also not a bad opportunity to just get in there and see how poo poo's put together. I've been driving RWD cars in Illinois winters for going on 13 years, so the offer still stands if you want to drag it up to Lake County and gently caress around.
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Nov 24, 2014 15:36
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Boaz MacPhereson posted:From what I found on Tire Rack, it looks like you can get snows for this thing for around $90 per corner. I'd suggest finding some steel wheels and getting some tires if you're really going to drive this thing this winter. You will be incredibly frustrated and ulcer-ridden come March if you don't. There's a salvage yard up north here with an 84 and an 88 300zx if there are any little pieces that you need or what. It's also not a bad opportunity to just get in there and see how poo poo's put together. Yeah, I'm still torn on whether I wanna get a beater or try braving it. My main concern is sliding out and my brand new baby wraps itself around a light pole. I'll probably be fine, since I'm 24 and thus made of invincibility.  But I don't want my car dead. :<
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Nov 24, 2014 15:50
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Sperglord Firecock posted:If any of you do have some good rust prevention tips that also involve not having it sit in a garage the entire winter (because I do need to go places), I'm willing to hear it. In addition, I MIGHT pick up a winter beater just to drive around. Sacrificial winter beater is the thing I would recommend. If you're absolutely insistent, Krown undercoating or similar usually helps out if you can get it professionally applied by a good shop. You'll want to get that reapplied every year, and it makes the underside of the car mucky and gross to work on, but it's better than rust.
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Nov 24, 2014 15:51
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Sacrificial winter beater is the thing I would recommend. If you're absolutely insistent, Krown undercoating or similar usually helps out if you can get it professionally applied by a good shop. You'll want to get that reapplied every year, and it makes the underside of the car mucky and gross to work on, but it's better than rust. Will that cost more than a beater? Edit: Factoring in insurance and the like, mind you. Since insurance being mandatory is a thing in Illinois.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:17
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Will that cost more than a beater? Depends how hardcore you are about hunting down cheap crappy cars, really. If you buy a RWD beater, you can write it off (in both senses) as a training aid.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:21
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InitialDave posted:Depends how hardcore you are about hunting down cheap crappy cars, really. The only issue is, again, mandatory insurance, which can result in a pretty hefty fine if I don't have insurance and I get into a crash. And if I do get insurance, that's an extra 300 for 6 months of insurance for it. That's not a good thing.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:24
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Are you sure its an extra $300? My main driver is a 2004 mustang gt, and when I added the cruddy 99 explorer my insurance went up about $10 per month. Of course this all depends on where you live and a bunch of other stuff.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:40
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I feel like I should say that the undercoating also isn't a guarantee of no further corrosion. Given my life experience with Z31s:  There is a lot of doubt in my mind as to whether they can ever be adequately rust proofed to feel OK about exposing them to salt and excessive moisture. Another bonus is that a beater will give you a backup car while this one is down for any necessary repairs rather than having to fix it OMG TONIGHT in order to make it to work the next day.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:44
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Sperglord Firecock posted:The only issue is, again, mandatory insurance, which can result in a pretty hefty fine if I don't have insurance and I get into a crash. And if I do get insurance, that's an extra 300 for 6 months of insurance for it. If you already have one car insured, adding a second to the same policy is usually only a small addition to the cost, especially if the second vehicle is cheaper and less 'sporty' (i.e. in a lower risk bracket) than the primary vehicle on the policy.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:46
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Sperglord Firecock posted:The only issue is, again, mandatory insurance, which can result in a pretty hefty fine if I don't have insurance and I get into a crash. And if I do get insurance, that's an extra 300 for 6 months of insurance for it. Look into a crown vic. They are dirt cheap to insure, body on frame, RWD, and most importantly, they are so god drat common, the car and the parts are dirt cheap. Quite a few goons own them, and other than mediocre to poor gas mileage, they are nothing short of solid.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:59
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Nothing will destroy a vehicle faster than road salt.
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Nov 24, 2014 16:59
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I absolutely love Z31s and miss mine a great deal. But it was just such an abusive relationship. Rust, convincing your younger siblings to root around in the engine bay because HEY TECHNICALLY IT FITS, and parts were never cheap. That said, T-tops, turbo and recaros almost made up for all of that. I hope you enjoy your Stockholm syndrome.
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Nov 24, 2014 17:00
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I raced a 1980-something (85? 87?) 300Z during the 24 Hours of Lemons, and it was a hoot. I live downtown if you ever want to get some stick shift coaching / want a hand working on your car. Hit me up via PMs!
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Nov 24, 2014 17:09
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If you drive it during the winter you're dumb. Get a winter beater.
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Nov 24, 2014 17:20
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Tommychu posted:Erm, actually I was just about to correct myself on that. Z31s had T5s (WCT5 in the case of the Turbo models) Pretty sure no Nissan had a wct5, just a regular t5. NA cars got Nissan's own transmission. Also, unless you're in heavy equipment or big trucks, first gear has pretty universally been synchronized since the late 60s early 70s. Driving rwd cars in the snow is a lot of fun, but for an inexperienced driving, it can be quite stressful. And with all the traffic in Chicago, the hills, the small streets, I really wouldn't recommend it. You could be a champion snow/ice racecar driver, but you're still on the road with Joe "I can't drive worth poo poo" next to you. Engine braking puts a lot of unnecessary strain on your transmission. Like everyone keeps stating, don't put it in first while moving. I never down shift unless I'm turning or coming off the freeway. I down shift into 2nd for most 90degree turns BEFORE the actual corner (already on the brakes, already going under ~25mph). If coming up to a stop, keep it in whatever gear you're in until about 1.5k RPM, then clutch in and shift to neutral. The only time I might down shift one or two gears is if you're going fast enough to be in 5th. You're not supposed to coast to a stop out of gear or clutched in. Are you sure your car is a factory turbo car? Engine looks like a non-turbo model. Someone may have added a turbo system to it, in which case I hope it's been tuned.
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Nov 24, 2014 17:38
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mafoose posted:Pretty sure no Nissan had a wct5, just a regular t5. NA cars got Nissan's own transmission. Also, unless you're in heavy equipment or big trucks, first gear has pretty universally been synchronized since the late 60s early 70s. Thankfully, I stopped doing a lot of those bad habits because people told me it was bad. So there's that! I got a car cover over the car, because I want to save my baby from the snow. :< I have no idea if it is a factory turbo car. It probably is not, since, as I stated, the engine/clutch/turbo were rebuilt completely about 5k miles ago.
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Nov 24, 2014 18:01
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Also the ad stated it was a VG30E (T) which sounds like it got added on.
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Nov 24, 2014 18:29
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Alright, so, I talked with a shop nearby. They are willing to do a full rubberized undercoating for my car for about $220, although I want opinions on if this is necessary/a good idea. Thoughts?
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Nov 24, 2014 22:05
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If the car wasn't old and hadn't lived threw Midwestern winters then I would say probably. But if its rust and garbage underneath your just trapping the rust under rubber.
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Nov 24, 2014 22:07
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SouthsideSaint posted:If the car wasn't old and hadn't lived threw Midwestern winters then I would say probably. But if its rust and garbage underneath your just trapping the rust under rubber. There's one spot of rust on the underside. Literally. I want to see what I can do to get that rust spot off before doing anything special with that.
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Nov 24, 2014 22:09
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Buy a Crown Vic/Grand Marquis. Don't let this poor beast turn into Datsun Oxide. 
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Nov 24, 2014 23:16
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Seriously it's gonna dissolve, you're a reasonable person to think spending money on undercoating and diligent maintenance would prevent at least most rust but it will get in because it's a datsun. A beater will cost you under a grand, and the Z doesn't need to be insured the entire time you're driving the other car, it's the way I do it here in central NY and it's the only way to do it if you want to preserve that sweet piece of 80's nostalgia. Also this means that you'll have to clean the rats nests out of it every spring, small price to pay believe me.
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Nov 24, 2014 23:28
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The beater is a good idea - you want this car to last a long time, are you going to re-coat it every year? What happens if you spin out in the snow with your newfound RWD power, hit a curb, and have to sideline your DD? Or, some other snowblind driver just plows into you On top of that, you're still getting the hang of a manual. Get a cheap car, rough up its transmission learning how to master stick, and next spring you'll be in great shape to enjoy your baby.
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Nov 24, 2014 23:31
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Get a beat up, rusty old Subaru and come join us in  No seriously, get a lovely old subaru and flog that bitch in the winter until it blows away in the spring breeze, rinse, repeat. Save the nice car for sunshine.
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Nov 24, 2014 23:38
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Terrible Robot posted:Get a beat up, rusty old Subaru and come join us in All of the beat up rusty old Subarus are gone, because they probably don't even last through the winter. I'll have to look into getting one when I get an actual legitimate source of income, since cars do cost money.
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Nov 25, 2014 00:06
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Sperglord Firecock posted:I'll have to look into getting one when I get an actual legitimate source of income, since cars do cost money. It's just a matter of time before someone suggests you sell the Z and get a 240DL and an Impreza.
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Nov 25, 2014 00:08
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Viggen posted:It's just a matter of time before someone suggests you sell the Z and get a 240DL and an Impreza. gently caress Imprezas. No, seriously, I see every half-rear end jerk driving around an Impreza like he's hot poo poo, even if it's a lovely beater. I hate it. I hate how it looks. I hate how every rear end in a top hat on Craigslist also sells their Imprezas at some hilarious overinflated price "entire floorboard rusted out, asking 5k obo" fishception fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Nov 25, 2014 |
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Nov 25, 2014 00:16
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Sperglord Firecock posted:The only issue is, again, mandatory insurance, which can result in a pretty hefty fine if I don't have insurance and I get into a crash. And if I do get insurance, that's an extra 300 for 6 months of insurance for it. I have no clue whatsoever how it works where you live, but here it's very common for people still living at home to have one of their parents sign on as the owner of their car, since the parents most likely have a much lower premium.
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Nov 25, 2014 00:26
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