3 ms·

The next car I buy will almost certainly be from the 1980s if I can manage it. Specifically, a first-gen Nissan 300ZX. Partly, this is driven by personal inte

The next car I buy will almost certainly be from the 1980s if I can manage it. Specifically, a first-gen Nissan 300ZX. Partly, this is driven by personal interest in that particular car. However, I also see that there is still a healthy network of support for cars from before 2010. There are disadvantages besides the price to buying a newer car.

chucksta 3y ago
Bold, knowing current tech in a car is an issue, moving to an 80's hi-tech car is mind blowing. They are known for being loaded with all kinds of 1 off proprietary tech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7JdE1Gq8IY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7JdE1Gq8IY <3 the car too though, and thought the same thing at one point
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- hot_gril 3y ago
  My small experience owning old "reliable" cars is that they still have more issues than something new-ish. Maybe they were designed and built tougher back then, but parts still have lifespans. Fuel economy might be worse too. 20 years is already old enough that it'd be more for fun than practicality to me. 1980s turbocharged sports car, that'd be awesome but probably not cheap to drive. A clean 300ZX is also pretty valuable today.
- bovermyer 3y ago
  That video is about the second gen ZX, the one from the late 80s and early 90s. But yeah, they're not the easiest cars to work on. However, some of that is mitigated by advancements in fabrication technology in the last twenty years.
jhallenworld 3y ago
I have slowly rebuilt my wife's old 2000 VW Passat (B5 platform). 232K miles so far.. next year it's officially an antique, can get different plates for it. Some nice things about this car: Yes it has a computer, but from just before they serialized everything, so you can easily drop in a replacement (which I've done). It was used as a taxi in some countries, so spare parts are plentiful. The complete repair manual is available: https://www.ebay.com/itm/395132634978 https://www.ebay.com/itm/395132634978 I recently repainted it with Rustoleum from Home Depot using a roller (the clear coat had worn off, it looked horrible, but no rust otherwise).

chucksta 3y ago

Bold, knowing current tech in a car is an issue, moving to an 80's hi-tech car is mind blowing. They are known for being loaded with all kinds of 1 off proprietary tech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7JdE1Gq8IY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7JdE1Gq8IY <3 the car too though, and thought the same thing at one point

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hot_gril 3y ago
My small experience owning old "reliable" cars is that they still have more issues than something new-ish. Maybe they were designed and built tougher back then, but parts still have lifespans. Fuel economy might be worse too. 20 years is already old enough that it'd be more for fun than practicality to me. 1980s turbocharged sports car, that'd be awesome but probably not cheap to drive. A clean 300ZX is also pretty valuable today.
bovermyer 3y ago
That video is about the second gen ZX, the one from the late 80s and early 90s. But yeah, they're not the easiest cars to work on. However, some of that is mitigated by advancements in fabrication technology in the last twenty years.

jhallenworld 3y ago

I have slowly rebuilt my wife's old 2000 VW Passat (B5 platform). 232K miles so far.. next year it's officially an antique, can get different plates for it. Some nice things about this car: Yes it has a computer, but from just before they serialized everything, so you can easily drop in a replacement (which I've done). It was used as a taxi in some countries, so spare parts are plentiful. The complete repair manual is available: https://www.ebay.com/itm/395132634978 https://www.ebay.com/itm/395132634978 I recently repainted it with Rustoleum from Home Depot using a roller (the clear coat had worn off, it looked horrible, but no rust otherwise).