My junker

Have you ever owned a car that isn't quite perfect, and you wonder why you have it? (I'm referring to one of those extra cars, like the rednecks like to collect...OMG, I'm a redneck)! That describes my 77 Datsun 280-Z. It looks like a sports car (with the extra detail of rust spots and oxidized paint), but it doesn't run like a sports car! When the hood is opened, one can see why it doesn't have that "get up and zoom" like it once had. The hoses are all bad, and someone decided it would be a good idea to go silicone happy. But, that's easy to fix right? Just replace the hoses! Not as easy as it sounds. First of all, it's impossible to find after market parts, so forget running to the local Auto Zone for parts. You'd be better off going to the junk yard and trying to find anything under the hood that looks better than what you've already got. Now, here's a little twist to things. The car was running pretty good, considering the overall shape of things under the hood. One day the transmission started to stick and I discovered it was low on transmission fluid (yes, a sports car with an automatic)! So, after adding some transmission fluid, do you think it ran good after that? Nope! Suddenly I felt like I was driving a moped scooter! Just a few months earlier, it was cruzing down the interstate at 110 MPH (obviously the cops were at the donut shop)! I'm afraid to put fuel injector cleaner in it (yes, it has fuel injection too...77 was the first year they put it in), because it might clean out those areas that are now holding leaks pretty well). The interior isn't all that bad, except that it smells like old car. Original cream colored leather seats (except that now they are a little more of a tan color), with only a few little problems. A nice looking replaced dash (affixed with silicone, of course). The original can of Nissan Fix-a-Flat under the spare tire. But, nothing can be perfect, so there's a whole list of what's wrong with the interior too! For instance, if the weather is cold, the passenger side door won't latch shut. The drivers side mirror is loose, so it's pretty much useless, unless you can figure out a way to move your head up and down at the exact rate that the mirror is wiggling around. Every window leaks (this makes it fun when taking through a car wash)!

Now that winter is approaching a joy results from being able to save a few bucks on insurance by storing the car until spring time! Every spring, I get excited to take it out on the road, until I realize how much work needs to be done! It's just wrong for a car like this to be such a junker, and I intend to make it like new again, for the sake of the car. Unless I sell it first! I'd probably make enough money on it to go buy a bicycle or a nice skateboard!