Preserving and Protecting your early Datsun Z

Owning a vintage car is not the same as owning a modern automobile. While modern cars still require maintenance, the maintenance intervals are often less frequent.  You can drive a modern car day in and day out without having  to do all that much and your car's onboard computer will often warn you of problems.

If you own a first generation Z (S30, 1970-1978) at this point your car is 40+ years old, with the earliest 240Zs rapidly approaching the 50-year mark.

The early Z benefits from regular use

Your Z's maintenance and care may not have been such a big issue back in 1972, because by 1972 standards the Z was fairly well engineered and built to be reliable. Daily use would benefit the Z and any problems that cropped up with mechanical components would be addressed as they happened.

Vintage cars are fighting two battles: first they are old, which means that many of the original components and systems may be old and subject to failure, for example, a 40-year old wiring harness. Second, vintage cars are typically driven very few miles and can sit for extended periods of time (including winter storage) and lack of use and storage causes multiple problems. These two battles exist regardless if your car is original or restored, as a restored car will begin to deteriorate over time, and restorations always vary in quality and extensiveness. 

At this point, if you have an early Z, you now have an investment that could be worth $15-50k and its a wise decision to protect your investment. Here are some things that you can do:

1. Look at the owners manual and the factory service recommendations and try to follow them. When your Z is no longer your primary vehicle, it is easy to over look simple maintenance items because the thought train is that "I'm not putting many miles on this car, so it doesn't need much attention." Many service items will specify mileage OR age, which means that you need to replace your antifreeze at 24,000 miles OR two years, which ever comes first.  It's not likely you will drive 24,000 miles, so pay more attention now to the time intervals.

2. Your Z has grease fittings- use them!  At the time you do an oil change, this is the time to inject grease into the grease fittings on the front end and rear axles. You should cover the front ball joints, tie rod ends and rack and pinion grease ports. At the rear of the car, the 4 universal joints. Note that for the U-joints, a needle type grease fitting will be much easier to use than the nipple type. If your tie rods don't have grease ports, you can still inject grease under the boot with a special needle injector.

3. Bleed your brakes and clutch, at least every 2 years. Brakes are a major system on the Z and you will have nothing but problems with your hydraulic system if you leave old brake fluid in for too long. Standard glycol brake fluid absorbs moisture and will eventually damage the master cylinder, calipers and wheel cylinders.  If your Z is driven very little and stored frequently consider using DOT5 silicone fluid, which is a better choice for show cars.

4. Upgrade your alternator and install headlight relays. The stock alternator on the Z was relatively low output (45A) and also used an external (technical) voltage regulator. You will notice on early Z's that the headlights may dim at idle and get brighter as rpm go up. You can actually run down the battery running the blower motor at full speed, with the headlamps on.  If you've added a newer car stereo that will draw more power, as will any halogen headlamps.  I can't promise this will happen to you, but at one point my very old voltage regulator stuck causing very high voltage surge which blew out almost every bulb on the car. This included both headlights, marker lamps, tail lights etc. The worst of this was the instrument lamps. If you've ever replaced the instrument lamps on a 240, you will know what I mean. Do yourself a favor, upgrade to a 60A alternator with an internal voltage regulator.  Adding headlight relays will also save your headlight switch and fuse box from damaging heat and current. These are relatively inexpensive upgrades that will protect your electrical system from future havoc.

5.  Fix little problems before they become big ones. That small oil or coolant leak won't get better on its own. If the car is losing coolant, you risk overheating and warping the cylinder head. Similarly make sure your sending units (temp. and oil pressure) are operating properly and remember to scan them when you're driving. 

6. Replace in pairs. For items that have a left and right, when one unit fails the other is not far behind.  If your LH front caliper goes bad, you should replace both the left and the right. Always do struts in pairs, although you don't need to do the front and rear at the same time, you can space these out over a year or two if you wish. 

7. Replace items at the end of their lifespan or before. If you know a certain component has a limited lifespan, for example a radiator hose, don't wait for it to fail. Just replace it by virtue of the fact that it is old. The same goes for fuel tank hoses, and any fuel hoses under the hood, which are subject to more heat.

8.  Replace or restore multiple systems together if it saves you time vs. doing them independently. For example, if you need to replace your header or exhaust manifold, that is a great time to rebuild your carbs.  Or if you need to rebuild the carbs, and your headers are old, it will be much more work to do them later.  When it comes time to do rear struts, that is a great time to also do the stub axle bearings, and rear control arm bushings.  By combining these jobs you will save time and money in the long run and have better reliability.

9. Refinish assemblies when they are out.  Because your Z has gone up so much in value, and isn't being driven that much, it's a great idea to refinish components (either by power coating, or using POR) on suspension components, subframe assemblies etc.  This is more work, time and money but you will be preserving your car for years to come by refinishing these components. 

10. Get your Z up on a lift. This should be done regularly, at least annually to inspect all systems from under the car- exhaust, engine, trans. , differential carrier, brakes etc. You will see hidden problems before they leave you on the side of the road.

11. Drive your car! Your car will go bad from sitting too much. Fuel turns to varnish. Seals dry out. My '71 was barely driven 1,000 miles in 10 years. Here is what went bad: distributor (lack of regular oiling caused worn shaft bushings), brakes (wheel cylinders, calipers, master cylinder), fuel hoses (dry rot), carbs (gummed up), water pump failed (gasket dried out), oil pan leak.  Tires can also develop flat spots and will go bad just from age.  Try to drive your Z 2,000-5,000 miles a year. I realize that mileage can affect value, but if you let your car sit, you've spent money on something that you don't use, and it's systems will deteriorate further reducing your value!

12. Keep a maintenance journal. Keeping a record of what you have replaced or serviced will help you remember what to do in the future. You should also make notes of known problems that you plan to fix later on, so that you don't forget about them.

My First Concours D'Elegance

A Mercedes 190SL during Saturday's event


It was supposed to be a Datsun weekend. The plan was to drive the 240Z to Saratoga Springs early Saturday for the Hemmings Import & Exotic show.  But a host of mechanical problems including a sticking throttle and wandering steering kept me working on the Datsun through Friday. The final test drive on Friday was revealing; there was still a significant amount of exhaust fumes coming in the cabin, with the windows down. The thought of driving 3+ hours (each way) with fumes coming in the car was not enticing. I might be able to make it there with the windows up (no fumes) and the blower fan, but certainly not on the drive home at 2 pm, with temperatures in the 80s.

The decision was easy then, rather than 6 hours in the Datsun, I would take the SLK to a local Mercedes show in Northeastern CT, which was only a 1 hour drive each direction.  Because it was already past the deadline to enter the Concours as a judged vehicle, I was told I could enter "display class" which allows you to show your car on the same field, without judging and pay only $20, instead of the $85 for the judged competition.  The SLK needed no preparation other than vacuuming and a quick wash and detail.

I set out on Saturday morning with the top down, but it only took a few miles on Route 90, which was busy with summer traffic, including large trucks, to realize that the top needed to go up. I pulled off into Charlton Rest area, pushed a button and 22 seconds later I was driving an air conditioned coupe. Once getting off Rt 90 to 395 South, the traffic lightened and the drive was a bit more relaxing. After exiting the freeway for good, I dropped the top again and drove the final 9 miles on quiet country roads in a rural part of Eastern CT.

I'd only seen coverage of prestigious Concours events on TV or in magazines... Pebble beach, Amelia Island.  To show a car at those events you have to be invited, and only the most significant, rare cars enter.  Even to be a spectator at those shows will cost you at least $100.  All the car shows I'd entered to this point were "people's choice" meaning that there was no real judging and cars won based on votes from the attendees who voted by ballot.   At a typical Datsun show I'd seen a lot of modified cars, which run the gamut of typical mild performance upgrades all the way to radical V8 conversions. As of late though, I have seen more original or close to original cars at the shows.

Doing a factory correct restoration is a different endeavor, it requires time, research, learning and of course finding the correct parts (either reproduction or refurbished original). A few years ago there was a tendency to over-restore (i.e. better than new) but that is mostly gone now, as the judges are looking for cars as close to factory original as possible.  The best, and most valuable Concours quality cars are trailered to the shows and the hobby becomes more focused on events (i.e. shows) than on driving.

The Mercedes SL dates back to the 1950s, the first real SL being the 300SL gullwing. Less than 2,000 of these cars were produced, and it was followed by a roadster version that had standard doors.  When the powerful, racing oriented 300SL was retired, what followed was a much less powerful 190SL, which shared the body style.  With 190SL values already above $100k, restorers turned their attention to the 230, 250 and 280SL models, which used a fuel injected inline 6-cylinder engine. The 280SL is really more of a touring car than a sports car. It does have very clean lines and these models
A 280SL with "Pagoda" style  hardtop

are now also crossing the 100k mark.  I was told by one of the restorers, that the cost to restore an early 70s SL was over $100k.

The 380SL and newer 560SL are also crossing into collectability now. These cars were very expensive when new, and they are even more expensive now, for a good low mileage example or high quality restoration.


A restored engine bay on a 380SL V8 model.

Mercedes supports its hobbyists very well, and most factory parts for these old cars are still available- don't ask about the cost!  When you see the cars in  person  you realize the amount of time and effort needed to achieve these results.

So, the event was not "snooty" at all, despite what seemed like an army of white-shirted judges who descended on the cars like a swarm of bees, each with a clipboard taking notes of the interior, paint, trim and engine compartment. The scoring was done at the show, but the awards were not until the evening and I was long gone by then.

For the drive home, I checked the "avoid highways" on google maps, which increased the drive time from 60 min. to 80 min. but I was treated to some nice rural backroads in CT and MA rather than the monotonous view from the interstates.  On most of the back roads, the speed was 40-60 mph, but that made for a nice leisurely cruise home with the top down.

How to survive a ride with better riders

No matter what the sport, you will improve more quickly if you do it with others who have higher ability than you. I have found this to be true with skiing, tennis, running, hiking and cycling.  Aside from more experienced athletes who you can learn from, there is a motivating factor when you're in a group surrounded by higher level athletes.

Cycling is one of the few endurance sports that allows weaker riders to stay in a group with stronger riders, due to the nature of pack riding and drafting.  For example, if you know you can ride 40 miles solo at 16 mph, you might be able to do the same 40 miles at 19-20 mph if you draft off the other riders.  The trick is to this in a way that you can survive the distance of the ride and finish.

Here are a few tips and tricks I've learned over the years to do it:

1. Maximize your preparation. The other riders may be stronger than you even on their worst day, so you need to be at your best. You have a lot of control over your own preparation- such as rest, diet and hydration. Don't cook your legs with hard riding the day before, if you know you will be challenged by the pace. Make sure to eat enough breakfast and to properly hydrate the evening before the ride. Check your equipment- twice. During the ride you want to focus on your riding, not on issues with your bike. Get to the ride early enough so that you have plenty of time to stretch out and get dressed.

2. Underdress slightly. Why? Because you will likely be riding above your comfort zone and you don't want to get too hot.  You also may not have time to stop and remove clothing if the group is zooming along. Make sure you have enough food and water for the ride, and cash if the group stops.

3. Depending on the ride... warm up. Some rides have a 10 -20 min warmup, others start very fast. If you are the type of rider that doesn't fire on all cylinders until the first half-hour is over, then make sure you warm up either by riding to the start or getting their early and doing a warmup loop.

4. Size up the others. OK the ride's been going for 20 min, by now you can see who is smooth, who climbs well, who descends and corners well. You will also see which riders have trouble closing gaps, or are just antsy about staying tight on a wheel.  As soon as I notice riders who are letting gaps open, I go around them and glue on to the wheel of someone ahead of them.

5. Sit in.  Let the stronger riders do the bulk of the workload, believe me they won't mind, especially if they know you are of lower ability.  A common mistake is to feel that you need to keep taking pulls because the others are. No. Not until you're stronger.  If you decide to take a pull, make it a short one.

6. Use your body position and road positioning to maximize the draft. This is often overlooked, but extremely important.  Sitting on a wheel is not enough, you need to find the sweet spot where you have the least wind in your face. Move left or right as needed, stay as close as you can to the wheel in front of you.  When you are in the sweet spot you will feel a noticeable decrease in effort.  Stay low- on the drops if it helps you or if on the hoods bend your elbows to drop your torso. Keep your knees in. Keep your head level, not looking down which creates more resistance. Breathe.

7. SPIN! As in high cadence. I was watching the riders around me who at times were cranking out 275w and they were all spinning at least 90 rpm, some over 100.  Look at your heart rate... if there is room for it to go up and not be in the red zone, then increase cadence. Shift more load to your cardiovascular system and less load on your muscles. You will use your muscles on the climbs and later in the ride or if the pace bumps up and you need a big gear.  

8. Spin up climbs- at least some of them. A lot of riders attack the climbs, and generally in a group where you're one of the weaker riders the climbs may be where you suffer the most.  Try doing some of the more gradual climbs sitting and spinning a higher cadence. 

9. Keep drinking- liquid fuel. On a hard ride I prefer liquid fuel to solid. Eat your banana in the car. On a fast moving ride, maintain energy levels by drinking your sports drink every 10 min or so. Don't be fooled by colder weather. You are still sweating and you need water, electrolyte and sugar.  IN a fast moving pace line you may not have time to unwrap your Lara bar.  Do that when the group takes a break.

10. Go to the front. What? Didn't you say in #5 to sit in? Yes. But there can be times when going to the front works to your advantage. Much depends on the other riders. One benefit of going to the front is that YOU now control the pace. For example, on todays ride, there was one guy that was making it hard for everyone every time he came to the front. My HR was shooting up on the climbs, because he kept attacking the climbs.  So when he came off one of his monster pulls, I went to the front and kept the pace moderate. You can't slow the group too much, but believe me the other riders will often not complain if you ease it up slightly. I noticed that on the climbs, I was able to keep HR constant if I was at the front.  Another advantage of being at the front is that you can keep the pace more even. This is useful in a group that has too many surges or rapid changes in speed. Remember, its not always the pace that wears you down, it is each jump and acceleration. Riding at the front could be a way to recover slightly, if you do it at the right times.

11. Stay positive. Focus on the fact that you've survived this far. Do not focus on the fact that you may be suffering, in fact try to conceal your suffering. Keep your body language that says "I'm fine" even though you may not be fine.  Tell yourself, "OK if I can just crest this hill, I can recover..." and you will.  Much of whether you survive the ride will come from mental toughness. You may be stretched, you may go into the red zone, but at some point the other riders will ease up.

12. Avoid burning matches. Skip the sprints, the sprinters will sit up at the end of each sprint.  Focus on not losing contact with the wheel ahead as each time you need to close a gap means more energy expended. 

13. Remember your round pedal stroke? Use it. Again, a relatively fast circular pedaling motion is your best friend. If you find yourself struggling focus on that smooth pedal stroke. Use your hip flexors to reduce some load on the quads. 

14. Use your strengths to your advantage.  If you're a better climber, then use the climbs as your place to pull. If you're a big strong rider who is a locomotive, then you will be in your element on the longer flatter sections of the ride.  If you are a great descender, rip the descents. Its not that you're trying to drop the other riders, its more a mental game for you to show them that you're not totally useless.  If you can put the other riders into discomfort, they might be less likely to drill you. 

15. If you can't hang on the whole ride, you still did 50% or 75% of it. Do not view it as a failure. It may take several attempts until you can finish the entire distance without being dropped.

Changing it up

Capoolong Creek Trail, Pittstown NJ

The author discovers that the preferred road to Clinton isn't a road at all.

When I returned from the job interview in Fall River, Mass. (just outside of Providence, RI) I hung my suit jacket in the closet, where it will now gather dust until the next interview. It's funny how we put things away we seldom use, or hang them up.  Another thing on a hook was my mountain bike, which resided in the dark basement, with deflated tires and cobwebs amongst the spokes. 

Road season is drawing to an end, many have already switched over to 'cross. The group training rides are dwindling and more rides are now solo endeavors. With many road miles under my belt, and Monday an easy day, I decided to change things up and hauled the MTB up from the cellar.  I would ride the Capoolong Creek trail, which begins in Pittstown and take that to the Lower Landsdown trail all the way into Clinton. At that point, I would relax at Citispot with a cappuccino. 

The last time I rode Capoolong, it was on my 'cross bike, and the first couple miles were a bit dicey. The single track is rutted, there are large rocks and big tree roots. Right now those obstacles are being slowly concealed under a bed of leaves.  While I was able to get through Capoolong on a CX bike, I was never fully relaxed, spending much mental energy on where my front wheel was headed and getting out of the saddle to let the bike absorb the rocks and roots.  Enter the Mountain Bike.

The '99 specialized FSR XC is ancient by today's standards. 26 inch wheels, cantilever brakes. But that didn't really matter that much for Capoolong, which is relatively flat and not overly technical.  On a scale of 1 to 10 of difficulty, Capoolong is really only a 2.  While in my past life I did ride a mountain bike, fast, downhill over technical terrain, I seemed to have discovered self preservation and prefer less radical terrain than the contemporary hammer-head MTB crowd.  The full suspension Specialized was the perfect tool for this trail. With the plush ride and wider tires, I could pretty much pedal flat out and the bike did the rest. I blasted through the single track in a way that I simply couldn't have done on the CX bike. Rocks and roots were soaked up by the suspension and I discovered the harmony of flying through the woods on a single track as fast as my bike would allow.

Rewind to the train trip to Boston: when we got into Eastern Connecticut, the train was hitting 130 mph. It was quite a rush watching the countryside rip by at that speed. And the sensation of ripping single track is similar. With the trees or tall grasses closing in on you, it feels like you're going 100 miles an hour.  I looked down to see that I was really going about 20 mph.  With a mountain bike, you can relax a bit knowing that your bike will plow through ruts, rocks and branches. You can focus on your direction and pedal stroke. In short, it makes off road riding into much more of a Zen activity than a CX bike.

The trail widened out to a rail trail when I crossed Landsdown road. That is the spot where the spur railroad connected into the Lehigh Valley rail line. From that point its another 3 miles of easy riding into Clinton.  On the trail, I only heard three sounds.. the sound of the gravel under my tires, the wind rushing past my ears and the hush of crickets. When you ride 5000 miles a year on the road, it feels like a different world without car traffic.

In Clinton, I sat outside Citispot and enjoyed my coffee, while chatting with some old-timers.  We all agreed that kids today are missing out. In our own childhoods, we would be free to ride out bikes down the trail to the town to get a cold drink or something to eat. The soccer moms had not yet arrived.

Another discover I made today is that the off-road route to Clinton is much easier than the road route. My usual road road is about 14 miles and has significant climbing in it.  The off-road route however is a former rail line, so it is relatively flat, and shorter. I think I just discovered my new winter coffee ride route to Clinton, whether on a CX or MTB.

How one cyclists hurts all of us

I was stopped at the traffic light, at the junction of Rt 513 and Pittstown Road, along with several other cars waiting to turn left to head towards Clinton. Along comes a cyclist, who first rode through the red light, made a shallow right turn and then made a U-turn onto Pittstown road and started heading the direction I was about to go.

This simple seemingly innocuous act of boneheaded-ness is bad for cyclists in general. I waited at the light another 20-30 sec. and then it went green and I drove North. I came upon the lone cyclist heading up a short rise on a 2-lane road with a 45 mph speed limit.  What should I do? I thought about slowing down and yelling something to him about the fact that he should not ride through red lights.  But my guess is he understands that and just chose to ignore the light.  As a cyclist, I wouldn't crowd him, although I am sure some drivers would as "retaliation" for his stupidity or flaunting traffic laws.

The foolish thing is there are not a lot of stop lights in this part of rural NJ, and there were already cars waiting at the light, so he could easily have waited and gone on the green light.  He saved 30 seconds of waiting and hurt cyclists everywhere, as a group.

Why? Because we want respect on the roads. Respect is difficult to gain, when as a group there are individuals who don't respect the traffic laws.  When a rider runs a red light in front of a group of motorists, it instantly changes the motorists opinion of cyclists.  How can we expect cars to respect us on the road and obey traffic laws, when we ourselves flagrantly break them?  Now, the next time I am out riding on 513, I am just "one of those stupid cyclists, who has no respect for the traffic signals or roads…"

Here's a tip- if you plan to run a red light, do it when no one is looking.

The lethal combination of speed and inexperience

Think of teenage drivers…especially boys. Those of us who can remember our early days of driving probably remember the combination of lack of experience, willingness to take risks, poor judgement or generally reckless behavior.  Teen drivers are a high insurance risk due to the lack of experience, but also the tendency to speed or take chances.  While I never wrecked or totaled a car as a teen, I came close a few times, and certainly did my share of stupid behaviors on the road. Fortunately I grew out of that and started driving more predictably.

While bike racing is not driving, some of the same tendencies exist in new racers. The sport is new and exciting, you want to go fast.  And with todays Carbon frames, faster wheels, power training and online coaches, relatively inexperienced riders can go very fast.  Tools like Strava, while fun and entertaining form of social media, also engage new riders into trying to achieve power and speed.

The problem is that raw speed, without requisite skill and discipline on a bike, can lead to serious injury or even death.  Too many new riders focus on speed or power output, without learning the fundamentals of safe bike handling.  In a cat 5 road or criterium race that is a bad combination.  In that regard, Strava is a safer option, as the rider who wants to finish first can do so, alone, racing against the clock.  Riders who come into road from mountain or 'cross need to realize that road requires completely different pack skills that did not exist in their former disciplines.

Racing requires discipline and safe riding. Obviously if you are undisciplined and crash, you won't have much of a racing season. In coaching juniors, I see some of the same tendencies in juniors that you see in adult cat 5 racers. The ones who are the strongest and most competitive, with unbridled enthusiasm, are typically the ones that jump out of the pace line without warning and sprint up each rise, for a bridge or want to be the fastest down a hill.  We often had to tell these kids that the goal of the ride was not to be the fastest or the first, but to focus on their paceline skills. A successful devo ride is the one where the paceline stays together on a climb, not fragments.

A strong runner does not make a good soccer player. The potential is there, but being fast on the field is only one aspect of soccer. A developing player must do repetitive drills, and learn how to handle the ball and play in a position.  Basic safety skills, like looking over your shoulder while holding a straight line, properly taking a corner, safely accelerating and braking are all part of learning how to race.  Going through a turn alone and elbow to elbow with 50 other people are completely different.

It used to be that cat3 was considered the more dangerous category. Sure, there were crashes in 4 or 5 but those races were typically slower, the 3s race at higher speeds and in a much tighter pack. The sprints in a cat 3 race are blazing.  The problem now is you have riders with cat 3 (or in some cases cat 2) power output and speed in a beginners group.  More experienced riders know the ropes, they usually know when its safe to move into a space, and when its better for them to yield to another rider.  A good rider won't risk himself or others in the pack to go from 18th to 16th in a sprint.  If he is boxed in because the rider in front of him sat up- well that's life, he will finish and race another day.

Thinking back to some of my early training rides with a racing team in San Diego, I was 30 years old, new to the sport and certainly fast to some degree. The weekly training ride had a very fast power loop, which to some extent was all out with a sprint near the end.  One week where I was riding like a maniac at the end of the loop one of the veterans told me I needed to stop hammering so much, relax a bit, sit on a wheel and observe.  I didn't realize it, but due to my hard effort, speed and oxygen debt, I didn't take a good line on one of the curves and nearly ended up in the trees.  This is a great example of how masters in the sport can help new racers add discipline to their raw speed and make them safer riders.  Gradually, I began riding with smaller groups of cat 2/3 racers and you quickly learn the right way to ride or won't be allowed back.

Having seen some horrific crashes in cat 5, many are talking about solutions. Skills clinics are a great start, and it may even be a good idea for USA Cycling to make these a requirement before being issued a license.  New racers need to realize that they are in a learning period.  Mental errors like looking down at 30 mph, going too fast into a corner or making unsafe moves in the pack are more common. It takes time for the racing skills to become second nature.

Does Daylight Savings Time Make Sense?

Its that time of year again. Early March and we are setting our clocks ahead an hour. What is wrong with this you say? Daylight saving used to begin on the first Sunday in April and end the last Sunday in October.  It has been extended one week in the fall, which may not pose much of an issue, but it is the early start to daylight savings (basically 3 weeks earlier) that I (and others) object to.

Early March in the Northeast is still winter. Morning temperatures can be in the 20s or 30s.  The days have gotten longer since December and now we can wake to morning sunlight and warmth coming through our windows. Our bodies circadian rhythms ensure that it is easier to wake up when it is light outside.  We don't need to use as much heat (and lights) in the morning on standard time. My neighbors walk their dogs in daylight, kids are driving to high school while it is light out.  It is light out in the evening now past 6 pm- enough time to drive home while its light and maybe go for a walk outside.

By shifting back to DST too early: my neighbors are now walking their dogs in the dark, its cold and dark when we wake up, kids are driving to high school in the dark. Why? So we can have extra daylight from 6-7 pm? It is too cold outside to play golf or tennis now anyway. So there is no benefit of the extra daylight at that time.

Any energy saved in the evening is lost in the morning as more heat and light is needed on dark mornings.  No one has ever proved that DST saves energy for that matter.  DST is really pushed on us by sporting goods and other retailers who want you to go shopping after work and buy things. It really does not serve any other purposed.  The days naturally get longer in our latitudes as we move into spring and summer.

Lastly there is the nuisance of resetting all our clocks. Yes, my iPhone will do that on its own, but the clock in your car, the microwave and 10 other devices will need you to do it- twice a year. Its time to send DST to the dust bin, along with other ideas that no longer make sense.