What is your email address?
What year did you join HRR?
2017
Do you have any other family members in HRR?
Amy Wilson – Spouse
Guy Wilson – Father
Cindy Wilson – Mother
What would you like to share about yourself?
Cars have always been a big part of my family, although not in the traditional “I restored a car with my father” sense. My family came from the Detroit area, and my father was an automotive engineer, working for GM and subsequently Chrysler before we moved to Tennessee when the Smyrna Nissan plant was built. My grandfather worked for (and retired from) GM, along with several others in my extended family.
As a child I would disassemble anything mechanical that I could find, much to the dismay of my father who had to reassemble them. As a youth I was fascinated with motorcycles and learned to work on them on my own. In my teenage years I started tinkering with cars, mostly from a maintenance and repair standpoint. When I obtained my drivers license I got caught up in the loud stereo system fad along with my peers. While this fad lasted only a few years, it taught me a lot about automotive electrical systems. While I did have a short stint with “hopping-up” a car (see below), my interests have returned to maintenance, repair, and restoration of my newly acquired antique automobile.
Do you have any personal or favorite web sites?
http://mattgarage.blogspot.com – My personal blog
http://www.classiczcars.com/ – Classic Z Car Club with a great discussion forum on these cars
http://forums.hybridz.org/ – Very active discussion forum for all Datsun/Nissan Z’s
http://www.carpartsmanual.com/ – Need an original part number for your Datsun? Look it up here
http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/ – Great technical how-to articles for S30 Z’s
What vehicles do you currently own?
1976 Datsun 280Z
1996 Nissan XE 4×2 Pickup
2008 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe 6MT
2011 Nissan Cube
2019 Nissan Leaf SV
1967 Honda Cub 90
2006 Honda ST1300
2011 Suzuki VStrom 650
What has been your favorite car that you’ve owned?
Shortly after my family moved to Tennessee in the early 80’s, my father purchased a 1976 Datsun 280Z for my mother to drive. The car was then handed-down to my older sister. Once she purchased a new vehicle, the 280Z sat unused. I spent a summer tinkering with the car before I could drive, thinking that it might be mine soon. When I finally obtained my license, I was given a newer car instead of the 280Z and we sold the 280Z not long thereafter. I always had fond memories of that car. Once I was ready to purchase a “toy” car for myself, I began searching for a 1976 280Z of my own. In October of 2016, I found a ’76 280Z in great shape and have since been tinkering and piddling with it as time allows (you can see my progress on my blog).
The Datsun/Nissan Z line has always captivated me and remains my favorite series from any car manufacturer.
Do you have a car story to share?
About 10 years ago I souped-up a 2005 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V with upgraded suspension and engine bits. I also installed a nitrous injection system. It was a really fun car to drive, but it was no Z.
You’ll have to catch me in person for some of the more interesting stories…
