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SHE WILL LIVE AGAIN!
by Roger C. Schlobin
The saga of my 1977 280Z is hard to believe. When I was planning for my retirement in January of
2000 and happily anticipating leaving the ice and snow of Northwest Indiana for the sunny climes of
Greenville, North Carolina, I thought that the dream of a ground-up restoration of my original,
beloved 280Z - bought new was dead (HLS30-405670). Even though I'd only driven her for the first
five years in the salt and slush, the deed was done. My restorer looked underneath and pronounced,
"Find a new shell!"
However, through the help of the Z list server and Carl Beck, I found the same car I'd bought in 1977
for sale in Anderson, South Carolina (HLS30-412310). She was identical, even the same color (301),
except she had a 4-speed instead of a 5. She had been bought new in Chicago within months and fifty
miles of my original purchase. Better yet, she had been on blocks since 1978 and had only 15,000
original miles on the odometer. Sadly, it was November of 1999, and my retirement stash wouldn't be
available until 2000. The day looked dark. However, the sellers, Karen and Dan Bloomberg, were
great and took a deposit after Carl found someone from the same small South Carolina town to inspect
her.
Son Jacob climbs on the bumper of Roger's first Z love, while the new object of the author's
affection sits serenely in the background (ed.)
Shortly after my arrival in Greenville and amid the ice aftermath of the great Raleigh snowstorm,
I tried to drive the new girl back from South Carolina. Time had taken its toll: rotten fuel lines
and bad gas clogged the injectors. It took nine hours at 5 mph on the dark interstate amid the
blaring semi horns and ice to bring her home. I had held the steering wheel so tightly in my left
hand that it was weeks before the pins and needles went away.
So the old Z was sadly dismantled for her parts, 5-speed transmission, and modified engine.
Roger Williams, who gave the old Z her funeral drive, remarked, "Get many tickets with this."
However, the old girl will live again. A Cartech turbocharger has been added to her now-gold engine
and soon the old girl will come back to life in the new body with the 5 speed and a brand new emblem,
compliments of Jay Miller and some cash. The turbo project has demanded a rebuild, visits to
machinists, and frequent parts scavenging. After all, it's the original Cartech system that
was offered as an aftermarket bolt-on in the late 70's. Right now, the new girl has 26,000 miles
and NISMO headlight covers. She is a frequent winner in class at Z events, especially in stock,
and for her beauty.
Please note that I have always owned female cars; I've never gotten along well with male ones.
You're surprised that cars have gender? That's why you have to be careful what you park next to
in malls. Some cars are promiscuous and have the morals of alley cats. After all, that's where
Yugos come from.
Dr. Roger C. Schlobin is the President and one of the founders of the Emerald City Z Club.
He's currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at East Carolina University and is Professor
Emeritus of English of Purdue University. He is a scholar of literature of the fantastic and a
well-published writer of fiction and scholarship.
© 2007 Triad Z Club
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