On Sunday I found out that I got orders to Hawaii, and that I will be living there for the next 3 years. Here's the problem the Air Force will only pay for one car to be shipped. So I have the Following options:

Pay to get my Z shipped there
Leave it in my Father in Laws Garage
Or sell it

I just got the car 2 weeks ago and already had plans to get the Greddy TT kit put on sometime next month. Another problem is that at the end of the 3 years in Hawaii I will most likely be going to Japan and would have to pay to ship the Z again or be faced with the option to sale again (potentialy loosing a lot more money on the car because of supposed new body style). I didn't pay cash for the car or anything so right now after car payment and insurance its a little over $500 a month to drive my Z. Plus I'm still paying on my wifes car. That's a lot of money here in Arkansas and Hawaii is a lot more expensive to live (my pay does go way up though).

I love this car but at the same time I would think that $500 extra dollars a month in Hawaii could go a long way. I know that you only live once and I really think that I want to get the most out of my 3 years in Hawaii, but....Driving in my roadster with the top down is an excellent experience in itself, and I can't think of anywhere that has better weather than Hawaii for a roadster.

What do you think that you would do.

Right now I'm thinking of maybe not going with the turbo just ship the car, drive it for the 3 years then sale it before I move to Japan and keep my losses to a minimum. As much as I love my Z I think that a $20k skyline gets my blood pumping too .

This is a couple pics of my car so you can imagine what driving around Hawaii would be like.

 

i say take it with you--hell you just got. skip the mods and enjoy your car as it is. then sell it over there when you leave.

hawaii + convertible bad *** car= good times!

you said it yourself, "you only live once!"

 

Spent some time military on the island too. Had a motorcycle the whole time and LOVED how convenient it was. BTW, that's a SICK car you got there.

 

keep the z . for sure .
the day after you sell it you'll regret it ha

 

ship & enjoy. I honestly think this position is even better for you. If it has to go after the three years, let it be. If I had the opportunity to take it with me, I would. Good luck to you.

 

If you are married, they should be shipping two cars. I was stationed in Hawaii for three years, and if I remember correctly, they shipped two cars when I left.

However, if I am mistaken, it's not all that much to ship it yourself. I think right around $1000. With the dislocation allowance and travel pay you get, it will more than cover it. As for the cost of living in Hawaii, your BAH is much, much higher, and you also get COLA (if you didn't already know)

One thing to keep in mind, though, is reigtering your car in Hawaii. You MUST pass a safety inspection, even if you keep your car registered somewhere else. If you have lowering springs, an aftermarket body kit, or even a 3 pillar gauge pod, you have to go through whats called a "recon" safety inspection which is a pain in the ***, and very easy to fail. Post on the Hawaii section of the boards for more information, or do a search on "recon" and "Hawaii" on google to get some more information. I drove my G for 3 years in Hawaii (minus 20 months in Iraq....), and the recon was difficult.

 

Pretty much with the others on this, but did you discuss it with your wife. You wouldn't want to be considering a divorce as well as transporting a second car. Oh, don't forget picys with Hawaiian backdrop when you've moved.

 

do not bring your z to hawaii.
cars on hawaii islands are notorious for getting rust real fast due to high level of salt content in the air and moisture.

 

True. Owning a Z here in Hawaii is a lot of fun especially on the weekends, though you must pass Recon tests in order to put it on the road legally. Also, if you tint is darker than 35%, kiss your safety, and Recon inspection goodbye . Z owners have to be real careful on what we mod because tickets aren't fun either.

Other than that, you'll love it here. Let us know of any questions or concerns you might have in the Regional -> Pacific: parts of the forums. We're always on there. Good luck on your decision

 

the percentage of modded Z's in Hawaii is very high, bring it.

 

i live in hawaii. never had a problem with rust... even with my 94 pathfinder. don't listen to this guy, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Especially since you just bought it I'd say ship it over. Like someone above said, nothing better than hawaii weather with a convertable. I'd stay off the greddy tt, but if you part it out after 3 years and sell the tt and do it at the right shop I highly doubt you'd have a problem selling the kit or the car whole w/ tt.

 

Thanks a lot for the comment. I will have to check and see if since i'm married if they'll ship two cars for me.

 

Do you think that it would be harder for me to pass your inspections if the car has a TT kit on it? Are there shops there that would be able to re-tune the car for me when I got there? Thanks for all of the help guys.

 

One of my friends are in Hawaii, and he has a Z. convertible, silver just like you. he says it is a pu$$y magnet.

 

That's really cool, but i'm married J/K

 

Too late to tell the wife it's an unacompanied remote?

 

Your Z would fit right in. Chek in with the boyz in the Pacific region in the forum and Im sure they'll be able to help you w/ stuff like recon and saftey check inspections etc. Plus the car scene/crew is nuts there.

 

It is very hard to get a Z tuned or worked on properly in Hawaii. Mine stayed in the garage because no one could tune it. Built motor, turbo and no boost for a year, fun huh!

 

Oh not to mention my front bumper got ripped off in shipping and the roads are horrible I got tons of rock chips and a golf ball size rock went into my radiator.

 

According to who? Are you just making that up? Sounds like it. Not one car I know out here has any rust issues.

Military does NOT pay for two vehicles to get shipped out here (which is why my DSM is still in the mainland). It really is worth it to pay to have a second car shipped though. That way, you can send one a month or so before you leave so it will be ready for pick up as soon as you land on island, and you'll still have the other to get around with until you leave the mainland.

With that said, I'd have the gov't ship your other car, then pay to ship the Z. You can make sure it's better taken care of when you're paying out of pocket. You can pick the type of container it comes in, how it's stored for shipping, etc. I had my Evo shipped and paid by the gov't... what a mistake. The shipping company STILL (after a year and a half) owes me over $6000 in damage done to my car.

EDIT: Gov't is planning on allowing for 2 vehicles to be shipped for married couples, but I'm not sure that's official yet. If you're dual military, you'll luck out.