Attempt to transfer Restoration program discussion over here from the BaT thread.

It's an interesting discussion at its core. HS30-H seems to be implying that the engines were not rebuilt by AER, or maybe not all of them were. But he's not offering an alternative, unless he's saying that Nissan engineers worked alongside AER employees or received unassembled parts from AER or somewhere else. Rebuilding requires a machine shop. In 1996 I don't believe that Nissan had any manufacturing facilities in the States. They started assembling cars here in 1993. So, if it wasn't AER who was it? Where were those pictures taken? Seems unlikely that "Nissan engineers" were examining parts in the States. If they were, where did the parts come from?

Also interested in where those metal fragments were seen in the AER engines. Under the valve cover? In the oil pan? Why were they seen if the engines arrived complete? Was AER just supplying short blocks and separate heads? The checklist implies that "The Shop" was to assemble the engines (pasted image below). Also implying that multiples machine shops might have been involved, each receiving instructions. Can't tell.

These questions can be answered if we avoid the sidetracks.

Interesting how Nissan is still using the 240Z in their marketing. First thing you see on their Heritage page.

Nissan USA

Nissan History: The Path from Datsun's Inception to Today

Uncover the story of Nissan's heritage, including where Nissan started, when Datsun became Nissan, and the key dates that mark Nissan's evolution.

The Checklist document is interesting reading. There's a Nissan rep, and a Shop rep, and a QC Engineer, and an NRD Engineer. Not sure what NRD stands for, have to keep browsing. Also a National Service Center. Not sure where that is either.

6 hours ago, deanhuff said:

@w3wilkes no, as near as I can tell, I am the fourth owner since the restoration. I have contact info for owners 2 and 3. Owner #2 is the one that told me he bought it off eBay 20ish years ago from a guy in Michigan. I'm trying to contact the original owner in hopes of either getting a scan or procuring the "Certificate of Authenticity" signed by Mr. K.

EDIT: further poking around on the internet has revealed a new name: https://web.archive.org/web/20130102122335/http://www.editgrid.com/user/mlwilliams/Z_Car_Registry

EDIT2: a later revision of this list and the owner name has changed: https://web.archive.org/web/20131128034951/http://www.editgrid.com/user/mlwilliams/Z_Car_Registry

Both of those links are variations of the Registry PDF I posted back in June. To the best of my recall, the version I posted is the original format that was active at the time I added my car. This version includes the original engine # where known and a column for replacement engine info. Because it was an active online spreadsheet a user could modify the report format to suit their taste.

https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/69433-2015-2020-online-registry-spreadsheet/#comment-676812

@jfa.series1 Thanks so much...the PDF version is missing my particular vehicle (HLS30-68727), but it is very handy resource!

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