Zero to 50 in 4 Years
04-22-2007, 09:40 AM
#1
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Zero to 50 in 4 Years
A few days before filing tax in '03,I picked up a brand new car,a 350Z,from the Dealer in nearby Gainesville,Fllorida.It had 72 miles on the odo.
About 4 weeks later--early May--I took it back to the Dealer for it's FOURTH oil change.(...the first three were New Orleans,Phoenix and Boise,each about a week apart).
The car had about 13,000 miles on it and was now a Premium Used Car.The service manager,who had personally prepped the car for Delivery--a month ago !!!--was so surprised he came into the customer lounge where I was gorging on Nissan's Krispy Kremes to ask how I had piled up so many miles so fast.
"I drove it around the country" was my munchy reply.
The car still had reddish-brown dust on it from Kansas,hadn't seen moisture since Denver,still had Alabama gas in the tank and a parking ticket from Butte,Montana in the sunvisor.
I less than a month's time,me and my new Z had been on a circumnavigation of the Western US,beginning and ending in Central Florida and culminating in a wierd moment on a mountain road in Yelowstone where I was being passed,and finally surrounded,by a huge herd of buffalo--dozens of them,all bigger than the car and silently clumping past me.One of them had an eye as big as a pizza pan and he wouldn't stop staring.I don't know if he was looking at the Z or at me,but he WAS deciding if we were food or not as he glided by.
If ONE of those humungus critters had decided to roll over on me,the Z would have been reduced to an expensive orange wok and I'd be writing this on one of those computers where you use your eyes to find the letters that you want to print.
Bison are so huge that you couldn't fit one of their heads into the Z's passenger compartment,no matter how many seats you take out or how much you push and shove.Probably couldn't fit one into a Suburban,for that matter.
I had been completely surrounded,in a moving river of steamy meat,feeling very small in my bug-sized sportscar--a truly surreal moment.
"That's where I was last week,on the Z's First-Month-Birthday" I told the Service Manager as I showed him a few photos of some Bison that I have been close to.
Since then,the car has seen most of Florida,from Pensacola to The Keys;it's been to Austin,D.C. and NYC;I've had other oil changes in Nashville,Petersburg,Va and Baton Rouge.
Together,we survived a tornado,Florida's Summer of Many Hurricanes,parked ourselves on rainy sand dunes on the Outer Banks and got lost in Brooklyn.We've traversed The Tail of The Dragon in Tenn. and The Blue Ridge in N.C. at speeds approaching the irresponsible and sat in hours-long,hundred-degree traffic jams in humid places like Houston and Atlanta.
The Z has cruised The Vegas Strip,Bourbon Street and Broadway,it's been on two wreckers and three ferryboats,has crossed The Continental Divide five times and the Mississippi River seven.
Once,I parked it right on the lip of the Grand Canyon.Another time,I totally LOST it for a full day in pre-Katrina New Orleans,forgot where the hell I had parked it,but I blame that on Bourbon Street and 4-for-1 Beck's.
In Manhattan,it cost me twenty-six dollars to park it for a movie and dinner.
It's taken 4 years to get past the milestone 50,000,and the Z has matured well.Today,at 53K,I have zero problems with the car,except for the seriously pitted fascia and the nearly-worn,second set of tires.And the screws around the splashguards,which keep unscrewing themselves.Otherwise,nothing of concern at all.
Except,of course,for the ridiculous inflation of the cost of Premium gas,something necessary to fuel my further adventures with the Z,which has gone from $135.9 to $3.18.9 in the 4 years since I bought it.That's a concern.
I plan to keep on driving my Z indefinitely--or at least until gas gets to five or six bucks,when nobody will be driving.
People still comment on it,still want to challenge it on the street,still beg for rides in it,and the Owner,who will NEVER take this fine car for granted,who still looks back in pride as he walks away from it and makes it go "Beep",never ceases to be happy that he bought it,way back in '03...
About 4 weeks later--early May--I took it back to the Dealer for it's FOURTH oil change.(...the first three were New Orleans,Phoenix and Boise,each about a week apart).
The car had about 13,000 miles on it and was now a Premium Used Car.The service manager,who had personally prepped the car for Delivery--a month ago !!!--was so surprised he came into the customer lounge where I was gorging on Nissan's Krispy Kremes to ask how I had piled up so many miles so fast.
"I drove it around the country" was my munchy reply.
The car still had reddish-brown dust on it from Kansas,hadn't seen moisture since Denver,still had Alabama gas in the tank and a parking ticket from Butte,Montana in the sunvisor.
I less than a month's time,me and my new Z had been on a circumnavigation of the Western US,beginning and ending in Central Florida and culminating in a wierd moment on a mountain road in Yelowstone where I was being passed,and finally surrounded,by a huge herd of buffalo--dozens of them,all bigger than the car and silently clumping past me.One of them had an eye as big as a pizza pan and he wouldn't stop staring.I don't know if he was looking at the Z or at me,but he WAS deciding if we were food or not as he glided by.
If ONE of those humungus critters had decided to roll over on me,the Z would have been reduced to an expensive orange wok and I'd be writing this on one of those computers where you use your eyes to find the letters that you want to print.
Bison are so huge that you couldn't fit one of their heads into the Z's passenger compartment,no matter how many seats you take out or how much you push and shove.Probably couldn't fit one into a Suburban,for that matter.
I had been completely surrounded,in a moving river of steamy meat,feeling very small in my bug-sized sportscar--a truly surreal moment.
"That's where I was last week,on the Z's First-Month-Birthday" I told the Service Manager as I showed him a few photos of some Bison that I have been close to.
Since then,the car has seen most of Florida,from Pensacola to The Keys;it's been to Austin,D.C. and NYC;I've had other oil changes in Nashville,Petersburg,Va and Baton Rouge.
Together,we survived a tornado,Florida's Summer of Many Hurricanes,parked ourselves on rainy sand dunes on the Outer Banks and got lost in Brooklyn.We've traversed The Tail of The Dragon in Tenn. and The Blue Ridge in N.C. at speeds approaching the irresponsible and sat in hours-long,hundred-degree traffic jams in humid places like Houston and Atlanta.
The Z has cruised The Vegas Strip,Bourbon Street and Broadway,it's been on two wreckers and three ferryboats,has crossed The Continental Divide five times and the Mississippi River seven.
Once,I parked it right on the lip of the Grand Canyon.Another time,I totally LOST it for a full day in pre-Katrina New Orleans,forgot where the hell I had parked it,but I blame that on Bourbon Street and 4-for-1 Beck's.
In Manhattan,it cost me twenty-six dollars to park it for a movie and dinner.
It's taken 4 years to get past the milestone 50,000,and the Z has matured well.Today,at 53K,I have zero problems with the car,except for the seriously pitted fascia and the nearly-worn,second set of tires.And the screws around the splashguards,which keep unscrewing themselves.Otherwise,nothing of concern at all.
Except,of course,for the ridiculous inflation of the cost of Premium gas,something necessary to fuel my further adventures with the Z,which has gone from $135.9 to $3.18.9 in the 4 years since I bought it.That's a concern.
I plan to keep on driving my Z indefinitely--or at least until gas gets to five or six bucks,when nobody will be driving.
People still comment on it,still want to challenge it on the street,still beg for rides in it,and the Owner,who will NEVER take this fine car for granted,who still looks back in pride as he walks away from it and makes it go "Beep",never ceases to be happy that he bought it,way back in '03...
04-22-2007, 11:54 AM
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All time write-up. Thanks for the great foresight. I've already put 21,000 on mine in 7 months and plan to follow some of your footsteps this summer.
I've got the packing for trips down to a science. I bet you have some tips though.
I've got the packing for trips down to a science. I bet you have some tips though.
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04-23-2007, 05:47 AM
#8
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Packing the Z
Packing tips?Yeah,I have one--don't pack much.
I bet I spent a couple hours test-packing the hatch,trying to squeeze stuff in.I wound up packing my things in 2 soft side bags,one with everyday stuff,like toiletries and a few changes of underwear,one with the main clothing supply.I took very little clothing,with the idea that when things got smelly,I'd stop at laundromats along the way.That never happened,and by Las Vegas I was carrying some odiferous cargo in my overstuffed pillowcase and was stopping at smalltown Walmarts for fresh shirts.
I took the pillowcase to store laundry,took a small cooler to stash my Beck's,and I reserved the space between the bar and the seats for souveniers and other junk I picked up on the trip.Still,the hatch was filled.The compartment behind the passenger seat held most of my necessaries,like an atlas,a carton of smokes,a couple of photo albums I took along to show pictures to friends,etc.I also wrapped some necessary tools in a towel and packed them in the spare tire cubby.
The passenger compartment was a challenge,due to the lack of places to stash anything.Almost everything wound up on the passenger seat--maps,toll tickets,water bottles,CDs,name it,and everytime I'd find a challenging curve,everything would fly to the floor.
I was traveling alone.Despite packing frugally,I instantly realized that if someone else was riding with me,there would have been no room for their stuff,and they would have had to be constantly Fed-Exing their things to the next town.
I bet I spent a couple hours test-packing the hatch,trying to squeeze stuff in.I wound up packing my things in 2 soft side bags,one with everyday stuff,like toiletries and a few changes of underwear,one with the main clothing supply.I took very little clothing,with the idea that when things got smelly,I'd stop at laundromats along the way.That never happened,and by Las Vegas I was carrying some odiferous cargo in my overstuffed pillowcase and was stopping at smalltown Walmarts for fresh shirts.
I took the pillowcase to store laundry,took a small cooler to stash my Beck's,and I reserved the space between the bar and the seats for souveniers and other junk I picked up on the trip.Still,the hatch was filled.The compartment behind the passenger seat held most of my necessaries,like an atlas,a carton of smokes,a couple of photo albums I took along to show pictures to friends,etc.I also wrapped some necessary tools in a towel and packed them in the spare tire cubby.
The passenger compartment was a challenge,due to the lack of places to stash anything.Almost everything wound up on the passenger seat--maps,toll tickets,water bottles,CDs,name it,and everytime I'd find a challenging curve,everything would fly to the floor.
I was traveling alone.Despite packing frugally,I instantly realized that if someone else was riding with me,there would have been no room for their stuff,and they would have had to be constantly Fed-Exing their things to the next town.
04-23-2007, 06:07 AM
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Originally Posted by davidv
Cool. The 350Z belongs on the road. All kinds of roads. Members often post photos of their spotless garage queen. Not impressed.
garage queen hahahahahahhaa nice one
04-23-2007, 06:38 AM
#11
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Zero to 50 in 4 Years
Wow, I really enjoyed reading your post. How awesome to have driven that journey in your Z. It would be awesome to see some pics if you have any, or if you go on future excursions then take some pics to post for your next adventure. Good safe driving to you !
I love the remark about the Garage Queens ! Too funny, thats how I feel exactly. My motto is "Drive it if you got - it." why let it sit in a garage ?
I love the remark about the Garage Queens ! Too funny, thats how I feel exactly. My motto is "Drive it if you got - it." why let it sit in a garage ?
04-23-2007, 06:44 AM
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Trip packing ideas
I also use the spare tire well/cubby for rag wrapped tools, tow web, and emergency stuff. It actually holds quite a bit inside the spare and around it.
Rubbermaid makes a slim, tall, 12 can cooler that will fit between the strut and the seat allowing you to get to it without going through the hatch.
Soft gym-type bags for clothes are the only way to go to fit the contours of the hatch. Leather is better as it doesn't contort as much as nylon, when packed tight, to keep your cloths more wrinkle free.
Nylon stuff sacks are great for organizing other things(towels, cleaning supplies, hammock, sleeping bags, tent, trinkets for the natives, etc.). Sort the things out first, THEN buy a different stuff sack of the appropriate size for the things. Use different colors so you easily know what is in which.
Get waterproof stuff sack(s), like they use them for rafting, for the dirty clothes, wet towels, liquid containers which may break.
If you don't have one, get the seat-back organizer from Nissan made for the Zs which hangs from the passenger head rest supports. You need specifically this one as it allows you to unlock the Pass side seat back while sitting in the drivers seat to easily access it and the "glove box".
Camping goods stores are a good source for things to travel light and don't forget to use the cargo net to keep all this sh*t in place in case of an accident.
You should still have room to pick up that beautiful, buxom hitch-hiker we all dream about on road trips. Unless, of course, you already brought her with you from home. Rule for the ladies: 3 pairs of shoes MAX or meet me in St. Louis.
Rubbermaid makes a slim, tall, 12 can cooler that will fit between the strut and the seat allowing you to get to it without going through the hatch.
Soft gym-type bags for clothes are the only way to go to fit the contours of the hatch. Leather is better as it doesn't contort as much as nylon, when packed tight, to keep your cloths more wrinkle free.
Nylon stuff sacks are great for organizing other things(towels, cleaning supplies, hammock, sleeping bags, tent, trinkets for the natives, etc.). Sort the things out first, THEN buy a different stuff sack of the appropriate size for the things. Use different colors so you easily know what is in which.
Get waterproof stuff sack(s), like they use them for rafting, for the dirty clothes, wet towels, liquid containers which may break.
If you don't have one, get the seat-back organizer from Nissan made for the Zs which hangs from the passenger head rest supports. You need specifically this one as it allows you to unlock the Pass side seat back while sitting in the drivers seat to easily access it and the "glove box".
Camping goods stores are a good source for things to travel light and don't forget to use the cargo net to keep all this sh*t in place in case of an accident.
You should still have room to pick up that beautiful, buxom hitch-hiker we all dream about on road trips. Unless, of course, you already brought her with you from home. Rule for the ladies: 3 pairs of shoes MAX or meet me in St. Louis.
04-23-2007, 06:46 AM
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Nice story, although I would have definitely purchased a 'Bra' for the car knowing I would be doing that much driving. I plan on picking up one for my raodtrip to visit my bro in West Palm.
Any helpful roadtrip advise for fellow Z owners?
Sarg
Any helpful roadtrip advise for fellow Z owners?
Sarg
04-23-2007, 09:01 AM
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Really enjoyed reading your travel log. A few years ago my mother and father-in-law were in Yellowstone pulled over watching a buffalo herd. They were in their motorhome and directly in front of them was a guy in a perfectly restored red bug eye Sprite. They were watching buffalo in a field to the left. To their right was a small hill. At some point my father-in-law happened to notice some movement up on the hill. It was a large male buffalo falling heading over heels (apparently buffalo are really clumsy) down the hill. The buffalo fell right on the passenger side of the Sprite (luckily nobody was sitting in the passenger seat). It totally smashed the car (the driver was ok). We still laugh about his call to the insurance company....
Hello, I just got hit by a buffalo. You hit a buffalo? How fast were you going? I was parked.
Hello, I just got hit by a buffalo. You hit a buffalo? How fast were you going? I was parked.
04-23-2007, 11:47 AM
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Blue Highway's my man, You get it. The Z is MEANT to be driven, and driven far.
I'm about to hit my 1 year anniversary of owning my Interlagos Fire '06. 18,000 miles right now, half from last year's Cross Country trip. a couple grand more from various travels around California. And I'll be making an appointment when I get my Oil changed this month for one in August.My 30,000 service will be due when I get back from my trip this summer, which is clocking in on my initial mappings as 11,000 miles for The Bay Area - Florida - Virginia - Maine - Seattle - Home.
I was amazed at how much supplies I could actually fit in back, but I still had to utilize the passenger seat a great deal. My morning ritual started in moving the passenger seat all the way back and putting my ice chest in on the floor. Then I would move the seat as far forward as I could, locking the ice chest into position (No spills on my carpet) and making room for my laptop behind the seat. No maps on the main seat (Love the Navigation system, even if it let me down a couple of times in Atlanta and Louisville), but a couple of books on things to see in the area and my camera for pics, a lot during the trip taken out my window while doing 80.
And at least one time every day I would generally scream how much I love this car as I'm passing a slow RV on a 2 lane highway, quickly accelerating from the 45 it was forcing you to go up to 100, quickly leaving the annoyance far behind.
I'm about to hit my 1 year anniversary of owning my Interlagos Fire '06. 18,000 miles right now, half from last year's Cross Country trip. a couple grand more from various travels around California. And I'll be making an appointment when I get my Oil changed this month for one in August.My 30,000 service will be due when I get back from my trip this summer, which is clocking in on my initial mappings as 11,000 miles for The Bay Area - Florida - Virginia - Maine - Seattle - Home.
I was amazed at how much supplies I could actually fit in back, but I still had to utilize the passenger seat a great deal. My morning ritual started in moving the passenger seat all the way back and putting my ice chest in on the floor. Then I would move the seat as far forward as I could, locking the ice chest into position (No spills on my carpet) and making room for my laptop behind the seat. No maps on the main seat (Love the Navigation system, even if it let me down a couple of times in Atlanta and Louisville), but a couple of books on things to see in the area and my camera for pics, a lot during the trip taken out my window while doing 80.
And at least one time every day I would generally scream how much I love this car as I'm passing a slow RV on a 2 lane highway, quickly accelerating from the 45 it was forcing you to go up to 100, quickly leaving the annoyance far behind.