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Good Point - - Yes, I have had that list for a long time. There are 59 Z's listed there and looks like 14 didn't have their original engines. Although at first glance, the original engine serial number are listed, perhaps taken from the data tags? It will take a while to see if any of them are way out of line, with what would be expected... Also might account for the other 9 not getting their original engines..

Have a look at the Larry Chen's Vintage Z video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_TjHwA1xgE at the 27:24 mark you can see the Master list. There is a column that lists Matching# and M for yes, N/M for no. There are 14 N/M listed. There is also a column for engine#.

Of the 11 I'm aware of, 2 got different engines by the choice of the owners. One now has a Rebello 3.0L and the engine for Mr. Crain's Z was custom built with performance enhancements (not an AER engine). Don’t know if the 1 with the Rebello had its original engine or not…it wasn’t recorded/reported by the owner. Pretty sure other than that 2 the other did get AER rebuilt engines. Need more data to be certain.. I spent a couple hours with Mr. Crain at the Amelia Island Concourse, where he was regularly one of the Judging Staff (along with Peter Brock etc). We spent some time talking about Mr. K, Nissan and Mr. Crain's Vintage Z. I hadn’t tried to track where the original engine out of his Z went… I’ll go back an look in my files/notes.. As far as I know - The original engine serial number were left on the engine bay tag. Owners that reported a different engine in the car - knew it did not match the original listed on the tag.

The images from the Japanese magazines suggest that every part was inspected as shown in the pictures. The reality seems to be that the parts were inspected by employees of AER. Then a Shop Rep signed off on the work. And apparently, re the metal particles, much of the work had to be reworked or cleaned up. That seems to be the reality based on the weight of the evidence presented so far. It's just the way it it. More than "fairly obvious". Disappointing to some, interesting to others.

Back to normal programming. This 240Z auction is ending today but it's already up to $23,000. Kind of surprising considering its unusual appearance. It does look clean though. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-293/

Yes - quite possible, even likely as they ran out of NOS parts.

Hi Mike - You know what you are talking about, you made that clear. Your talking about your experience and knowledge. If someone at Nissan or at Pierre's told you there was no effort to retain original engines with their cars - that is what someone told you. You weren't there everyday, neither was I. I'm sure we both got a lot of information as well as misinformation and rumors out of that entire crowd 30 years ago.

I've noticed that many of your comments are based on your own assumptions. You seem unable to accept that Nissan could have possibly made mistakes or cut corners or created an image for marketing purposes that was not a true representation of reality. Some of your statements seem purposely vague also, like "went in to the restoration of". What does that even mean? Were they installed in engines that were installed in the cars? No assumptions please if you choose to answer.

Did the 11 get new engines? Or rebuilt engines sourced through AER? If they got new engines did Nissan create a new engine serial number tag for the engine bay or leave the old engine number? Each car has its own provenance. Which is part of what Dean Huff is trying to put together for his, I assume. Good luck.

It also seems very likely that at least some of the components you describe as 'props' went into the restoration of the VZ Program cars, so they are pertinent. If we are discussing odds & probabilities, my bet is that many of them ended up on the cars in question.

It looks like the engine work was not as well-supervised as the body work. Only the Shop Representative signed off. As opposed to Body Restoration which required a Nissan Rep and a Shop Rep, and a Nissan Q.C. Engineer if there were questions. Still curious about the metal particles, if the engines came fully assembled.

As above, he's in Maine. I'm sure he'll comment when he returns.

Where can a copy be obtained, please advise. @26th-Z is it available as a digital download?

I was never in the corporate world, but my wife is, and I think this is when she would ask the people in the meeting to take it off line.

I may be late to the party but it’s great so see other Z owners from the Netherlands! I just bought my first Z last weekend. I bought a 1977 280z. @2-8E-Z I don’t know if you will answer but where did you get all your parts from? I’m kind of having problems locating European suppliers. I’m not afraid to order directly from the US but the import tariffs and taxes just add a lot of cost on top of the parts and shipping.

As it's clear I don't know what I'm talking about this will be my last post to this subject. Cue the cheering throngs!

In the 10 months between 19 March 1997 and 16 Jan 1998 Nissan sent 42 engines to AER for remanufacture; they were all received by Nissan as of 12 May 1998. When they were received by Pierre, they were assembled and hot tested, before installation. What did assembled - mean? To assemble a remanufactured Long Block, you have to add everything outside of the block & head. Oil pump, water pump, fan, alternator, intake/exhaust systems, electrical components etc etc. It would be good to keep in mind that Pierre constantly “hosted” Photo Shots for Nissan PR/Ad. as well as all the magazine and news articles in period. In many photos you’ll see hundreds of new OEM parts laid out on the floor or benches for the Photo Shoots. Video’s as well - these "props” were left sitting all over the place. I wouldn’t try to determine any process based on staged prop’s sitting around the shop. @zspert wrote - “…...there was NO effort, none, to keep engines and transmissions with the cars from which they came.” If that was the case, then we are seeing an amazing statistical aberration. If 42 engines were sent out, then received - and no effort was given to return the original engines to the cars. The odds of any 1 car receiving its original engine would be 1 in 42 ie 0.024 or 2 in 100. What we actually see is, of the 35 VZ’s accounted for, 24 of them got their original engines,11 did not. 68% got their original engines.

He did indeed, and you'd be well advised to obtain a copy and read it.

No. Quite simply, I'm pointing out that "the engines were built by AER" is not the whole story. As was shown in the Pierre's shop photos - and has been related anecdotally - some engines were also rebuilt on-site (with machining likely done by contractors), so it's the usual case of story being more complex than bald statements - and VZ Program PR blurbs - can convey. This VZ Program engine build digression started because a VZ car owner asked about valve seats. It was you who made the suggestion - bizarrely, in my opinion - that the engines may not have been fully rebuilt, or even not rebuilt at all! I posted contemporary photos from Pierre's workshop which I hoped would help to contradict that and I think it's clear that the VZ cars would indeed have had proper engine rebuilds - one way or another - and yet, having made the suggestion of a lesser scenario (your 'alternator rebuild' simile), you don't own it. Where's your retraction? Now you've got another Straw Man scenario going where I'm somehow suggesting that "...Nissan engineers worked alongside AER employees or..." or, or, or. Where does this come from!? Where does that "Nissan engineers" quote come from? I haven't seen anybody make that suggestion. I and I'm sure many others appreciate your valued input on this forum - especially on technical matters, in which you use your expertise to help a lot of people solve issues they would otherwise be lost with - but you have a habit of complicating discussions on matters historical with alternate, hypothetical, if not totally imaginary scenarios. It doesn't make for good detective work.

No. Quite simply, I'm pointing out that "the engines were built by AER" is not the whole story. As was shown in the Pierre's shop photos - and has been related anecdotally - some engines were also rebuilt on-site (with machining likely done by contractors), so it's the usual case of story being more complex than bald statements - and VZ Program PR blurbs - can convey. This VZ Program engine build digression started because a VZ car owner asked about valve seats. It was you who made the suggestion - bizarrely, in my opinion - that the engines may not have been fully rebuilt, or even not rebuilt at all! I posted contemporary photos from Pierre's workshop which I hoped would help to contradict that and I think it's clear that the VZ cars would indeed have had proper engine rebuilds - one way or another - and yet, having made the suggestion of a lesser scenario (your 'alternator rebuild' simile), you don't own it. Where's your retraction? Now you've got another Straw Man scenario going where I'm somehow suggesting that "...Nissan engineers worked alongside AER employees or..." or, or, or. Where does this come from!? Where does that "Nissan engineers" quote come from? I haven't seen anybody make that suggestion. I and I'm sure many others appreciate your valued input on this forum - especially on technical matters, in which you use your expertise to help a lot of people solve issues they would otherwise be lost with - but you have a habit of complicating discussions on matters historical with alternate, hypothetical, if not totally imaginary scenarios. It doesn't make for good detective work.

Sure thing!

Did @26th-Z ever complete the document/booklet Chris was doing on the Vintage Z program? He mentioned it back in 2005!

Here...

That's a 1978 280Z. The fuel rail and other parts tell the story. Somebody has installed a fuel pump in the engine bay, and it is not connected a to a tank. of the type that don't like to pull fuel. That fuel pump should be moved back to the original area by the fuel tank (if it still works) so that it can self-prime with fuel. Download the FSM if you want to go deeper. https://www.classiczcars.com/files/category/13-280z/