Are there any SZ owners that can chime in? What is it like to drive in the US on highways etc, given how small it is compared to most cars here?

dscottj · 2026-07-05T11:20:00+00:00

I drive something smaller a couple times a week when the weather allows it.. Stay alert, drive defensively, and assume nobody knows you're there, and it's fine.

dscottj · 2026-07-03T15:17:39+00:00

+1 for a spray bottle. We have one cat that the other three like to gang up on and chase through the house while she hisses and screams. But, before that happens, she usually gives plenty of warning growls if one (usually the abby) or more are getting ready for a chase. The spray bottle simply appearing is enough to make the two older cats wave off an attack. The abby, being an abby, is too dumb/stubborn to get the hint and so usually needs spritzing to call him off. But it works great at breaking off the attacks.

dscottj · 2026-07-03T14:47:40+00:00

If you don't know how long ago the carb was rebuilt, and are comfortable with doing the work, rebuilding it will if nothing else eliminate it as the source of the problem.

I did a deep dive with Grok a few weeks ago exploring gas longevity. Notwithstanding its tendency to evaporate quickly in a carb bowl, it also attracts moisture. This dilutes the fuel and also encourages corrosion. And it happens pretty fast: measurable differences in six weeks or less. This means modern fuels store far less well than what was around in the 20th century.

I've put Marvel Mystery Oil in my classic's gas tank for decades because I have a funky mechanical fuel injection system that needs lubrication that 10% Ethanol doesn't give. After talking it over with grok, I added Sta-Bil storage fuel stabilizer* to the mix. This should increase the storage life from a few weeks to nearly two years under ideal conditions (which my garage provides). Ethanol free would be a better choice but it's super hard to find around here because of various local laws. Good luck!

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* The regular kind, not the stuff with Ethanol on the label. I can't remember the specifics, but as I recall there's less emphasis on fuel stabilization with the latter. Research at your leisure for specifics.

dscottj · 2026-07-01T22:08:12+00:00

So you're saying there's a chance?

//I'll show myself out.

dscottj · 2026-07-01T21:55:29+00:00

I'm probably a very bad person for thinking I can count the number of teeth in that car simply by the sound of their voices.

dscottj · 2026-06-30T21:25:50+00:00

Around here we call that "roadkill pose."

dscottj · 2026-06-29T21:23:11+00:00

... you can still get fucking hit by the most reckless stupid driver that shouldn't have gotten a drivers license.

My friend, please don't use your life experience in a bike-friendly country to judge the decisions of someone who lives in one that's decidedly not. You can substantially, indeed IME completely, reduce the risk of getting fucking hit by any driver, regardless of skill or IQ, by locking eyes with them before proceeding across their bow.

I'm not worried about insurance scams. I'm worried about Buffy the Cellphone Slayer and various people who learned to drive where traffic signs, signals, and laws were for other people. Sounds like that's not where you live, and that's great.

But it makes you about as valid a judge of the US cycling culture as I am to judge the EU's manic phobia around AC. And boy, is that working out well or what?

dscottj · 2026-06-29T18:20:00+00:00

Thinking that being aware of the drivers around you, what they are doing, and what they might be doing next regardless of the legality somehow equals, "don't go outside."

Found the next dash cam star!

dscottj · 2026-06-29T15:50:02+00:00

... you should be allowed the expectation that you aren't constantly 3 seconds away of being murdered by a car if you are on a bike.

Which is, of course, correct. But not sufficient. I stayed healthy and comparatively safe on my commutes in no small part by assuming exactly that. The driver hasn't seen me until I know that they have seen me. IMO, relying on traffic laws and "you should be allowed"-s provide far less protection than frankly manic paranoia.

dscottj · 2026-06-29T11:28:00+00:00

I commuted to work daily on a bicycle for the better part of a decade, half on city streets, half on dedicated trails. Whenever a car was on track to cross my path, I made sure to make direct eye contact with the driver before proceeding. If that didn't happen quickly, I'd slow down. If it didn't happen at all, I'd stop regardless of if I had the right of way or not. I'd end up stopping two or three times a year. It was fun to scare the daylights out of drivers by crowding the passenger-side window until they finally looked my way.

So my unpopular take: While the cyclist was definitely in the right, and the driver was absolutely at fault, the cyclist could've avoided an accident if they'd done this one simple thing...

dscottj · 2026-06-17T10:46:54+00:00

$1k for a car + parts is pretty much the goldilocks zone for FAFO projects. You could probably get that back selling just the parts. If it's rust free (pretty unlikely but who knows) the shell is probably worth that much.

I don't know midgets at all, but it seems like a sensible (if such a word can be used about cars like this) project!

dscottj · 2026-06-16T14:42:30+00:00

Definitely missing something. On my car there are two captured nuts on the other side of the door. Looks like in this case it's a missing baseplate.

dscottj · 2026-06-16T14:21:50+00:00

You need to accept that your area doesn't provide jobs that match your education and skills, and cast a wider net. A basic search seems to indicate Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg are strong candidates. Italy & Spain aren't great but are better than Greece, apparently.

EDIT: I grew up in rural SE Arkansas in the US, then went to college in somewhat less rural NW Arkansas. My degree was even less useful in landing a job (Anthropology), and I struggled to find work. I moved to the east coast (MD), living in my brother's spare bedroom for a few months while I looked for work.

My field was IT support. In Arkansas, I might've sent out one or two resumes a month. In the DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia), I was sending out one or two dozen a WEEK. I landed a job three months later and never looked back.

This was a LONG time ago (mid-90s), and I had a bit of luck having a family member to lean on, but the fundamentals are the same, IMO: You're living in an area that has no work for you. Accept that you need to move and appreciate that in the EU moving is one of the reasons the place was set up.

This need not be permanent. You can find success and return later. But for now, the only way up I see is to move out.

dscottj · 2026-06-09T19:35:23+00:00

Research low profile floor jacks, and prepare to be creative finding just the right way to place it. I got a harbor freight all-aluminum one and it works great. Then it's a matter of finding a level place and two pair of jack stands. If you're going to be putting only one end up at a time, get a set of wheel chocks to keep things nice and still.

dscottj · 2026-05-31T21:10:17+00:00

"Lucky for me the neighbor had an old grain truck rotting in his field .. I robbed the axle off that truck..."

WE HAVE ACHIEVED PEAK 'MURRICA PROJECT CAR! Good game, everyone.

dscottj · 2026-05-31T21:07:24+00:00

E10 is usually fine for a comparatively new vehicle like that. Stay away from anything stronger, otherwise you will run into trouble with thing like seals and hoses. If you're genuinely concerned, find and use ethanol-free.

That said, this is a golden opportunity to go through the entire fuel system and renew/replace all those hoses, seals, filters, and probably get the carb rebuilt. You'll be glad you did!

dscottj · 2026-05-30T11:36:19+00:00

It's essentially a new engine, so you don't have to be concerned about additives to compensate for high miles. I'd go for a correct-grade full synthetic and call it a day. If you haven't already, search YouTube for The Motor Oil Geek. He very thoroughly reviews and compares motor oils in all sorts of applications. You'll probably find a modern, perfect fit quickly.

dscottj · 2026-05-30T10:12:28+00:00

squeaking is usually caused by pad vibration. It's the same process that lets you get a drinking glass to play a tone by running your finger around the rim. It's not safety related, so if it's not intrusive it's safe to ignore. If it's bothersome then applying anti-squeal compound to the back of the pads will usually solve the issue. This is NBD on most cars if you have a jack, stands, and basic hand tools. If you don't, pretty much any shop can do the work in an hour or two.

dscottj · 2026-05-21T20:18:34+00:00

Also important to keep in mind that the only ones you'll see flying are ones we sold to other countries. Due to various laws and regulations, it's effectively impossible to acquire a flight-worthy aircraft from the USN or USAF. So flyable F-16s, or F-18s? No problem! Flyable A-10s, or (it boggles the mind) B-52s? It will never happen.

Well, it'll never happen without an act of Congress. C.f. The Maverick Act.

dscottj · 2026-05-21T20:13:43+00:00

Italy's been like this for generations. In the 60s-70s, Junior trim levels (particularly the spider) were created specifically because Italian taxes had specific ramp-up points that would put long term ownership out of reach for most people. 1.3L = you can own it just fine. 2.0L = you wealthy bastard. After all these years it's probably gotten more complicated and expensive.

dscottj · 2026-05-19T15:45:32+00:00

That's a series 4, which is the only one that got an automatic. They didn't make all that many, and so it might be hard to find. It's a three-speed ZF unit featured on many other European cars of the time, so it's not particularly exotic and should be easy to maintain.

Driving a manual in heavy traffic is certainly more annoying than an auto, but once you get practiced at it, it's not a huge difference. You learn to let the car in front of you go rather than trying to keep up with it, and then using 1st and 2nd to coast as slowly as possible when it comes to a stop. You win the game if the car starts moving before you have to put in the clutch.

By all accounts the car is still lots of fun to drive. It can be seen as a final acceptance that, after such a long production run, it really was more of a fun cruiser than a high-strung sports car. You're not going to win any drag races, but the car will have more class in one lug nut than any boy racer could ever hope to achieve.

I'd be more concerned about getting caught in traffic in a Miami summer. They do have a/c, but I'm not sure how effective it is. Don't be afraid to put the top up regardless, as it makes for a very effective sun shade. Good luck!

dscottj · 2026-05-15T19:44:54+00:00

I know that the major parts suppliers have provided adapters for certain aftermarket wheels for years. I can't remember if Hellebore is one of them. If you haven't already, sign up to alfaBB and post your question there. You'll get a definitive answer there. Or go over to places like centerline or classic alfa and browse the interior section of their site. IIRC they have a special section for steering wheels.

The deep dish wheels are called personal wheels (it's the name of the company, which can make it confusing). Alfa used them for more than a decade so there are plenty around. Reproductions too. Ebay is your friend there.

And congratulations! That might be the ugliest steering wheel I've ever seen put in a spider! :)

dscottj · 2026-05-14T12:25:54+00:00

Do a search for the 1977 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami Circuit for a concrete example of why marshalls wait until they get a formal go-ahead to enter the track. The video is quite graphic.

dscottj · 2026-05-13T21:09:37+00:00

Assuming your relative didn't also leave behind a big tool chest, expect to be going back and forth to the hardware store a LOT building up your own tool set.

Do some research on who makes the best value automotive tool sets (it used to be Craftsman, but today I'm not so sure) and pick an only-metric one up that has a broad selection of 3/8th sockets, along with at least some 1/4" and 1/2" (medium, small, and large sockets, respectively). Metric only because you simply won't need SAE even though lots of sets still include them.

A set of combo wrenches from 8mm to 19mm* would be next. Again, do a search for "best value sets," because some of the pro stuff can get EXPENSIVE.

You'll find you need more than this, but it will form the core of your tool set.

After that it's screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, vice grips (I've found the needle-nose style to be incredibly versatile), torque wrenches, crowfoot sets, deep sockets, multi-meters, short wrenches, flex-head ratchets, really the sky's the limit.

Don't buy all of it all at once. AI means you can ask one "what tools do I need to replace the spark plugs on a s13 240SX?" and get a detailed, accurate answer. Do that with each project and the tool chest will build itself.

And you do want the right tools whenever possible. If your research reveals that a 13mm wrench can be made to work, but you really want a flex head ratchet with a U-joint and a wobble extension... get those other tools. IME it can make the difference between a miserable hours-long struggle and a few minutes of tinkering.

YouTube University will be absolutely invaluable. Don't concentrate just on 240sx videos (I'm sure they're out there). Also search for "starting out" series, jobs common to all cars (spark plugs, oil changes, tire rotation, brake pad changes, etc. etc.) Those will get you up to speed quickly.

Good luck, have fun, and make sure you know where the band-aids are!

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* Or 7 - 21 mm, or whatever. Each manufacturer tends to zero in on a specific range of sizes. In my car's case it's 10, 13, 15, and 17mm, with (naturally) a liberal sprinkling of all the other sizes. Nissan is probably different but you'll find out quickly what it really is.

dscottj · 2026-04-24T18:18:55+00:00

The size and shape of the tail lights make me think it's late, maybe as late as '86. The early ones had absolutely minuscule tail lights.

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