What Zs belong in Museums

[Mr Camouflage]

They made a Paul Newman version Skyline, does that count?

[Arne]

My answer will vary depending on the parameters. Am I allowed to take my museum cars out on the road now and then, or must they stay inside, hermetically sealed and preserved?

[26th-Z]

Will,

You forgot to mention the most beautiful Zs. Her Majesty the 26th is very greatful as she doesn't want to sit around in no museum.

[hls30.com]

My perfect Z museum would have one stock low vin from each model variation from through out the world, an unrestored #1 and a gold medallion winner (or equivalent) stock version for each major revision within a model in each local, a lightly modified version and a highly modified version(Gold cup winners or equivalent), and a daily driver, a rust bucket(as found), and a wreck of each model-and those that were professionally modified-Scarab, Ttop/convertible conversions. I would also have the cars with a rich/substantial racing history from anywhere in the world included.

The point of my museum would be to show the range of what Datsun/Nissan did and what Z fanatics did with/to their cars so that enthusiasm would have the best chance for developing. The running cars would also be in a parade at least once a month-weather permitting. I see a museum as a place to learn about, and experience something with the opportunity to develop a passion for it.

To me an automotive museum has to have a track and cars to run around it. Obviously not every car in the museum should be run around the track, but the performance level of every running car in the museum should be represented within the collection of cars that are.

At the very least, each model should have an interactive display with the right sounds and controls to experience-even if they are simulated for those who cannot actually drive under the track conditions conditions because of a lack of licensing-drives license/SCCA license, et al.

There would be an interactive garage area to learn about typical maintenance issues and the necessary tools, and the ability to join in on and help in an actual restoration/maintenance service, and there absolutey must be an interactive spindle pin display, a cold beverage dispenser, and above all a Hooters restraunt located in the building for the wingmen! and a daily bikini contest and photo shoot with the patrons and the Hooters Girls.

Will

[Arne]

The point of my museum would be to show the range of what Datsun/Nissan did and what Z fanatics did with/to their cars so that enthusiasm would have the best chance for developing.

A nice thought, but therein lies the fallacy. People who would find and visit your museum are already enthusiasts, and probably know a fair amount about Zs or they wouldn't be interested in seeing them.

I'm still of the opinion that the best way to promote these cars, and build enthusiasm in currently non-Z auto enthusiasts is simply to drive them. Get them out on the road, in normal, ordinary use. Get people to see them. Hiding them in a museum is like preaching to the choir.

[conedodger]

Sometimes the choir wants to hear the sermon.

The question really wasn't who do you disagree with - it was what Z's if any would you put in your museum. So there is no wrong answer.

I really admired Carl Sagan. That is why I find his 914 to be interesting. If Paul Newman owned and drove a street Z, I would love to see it. Remember, it is my museum. Some of you wouldn't get past the security guard... ever.

[Mike B]

If Paul Newman owned and drove a street Z, I would love to see it.

Here you go http://www.suncoastzcarclub.com/files/Memberz/JimFrederick/240Z_1972_paulnewman/Newman.htm

I agree with sblake01 though, unless a car was personalized specifically for someone by the factory and has documentation of it, it doesn't do much for me.

-Mike

[geezer]

I checked 1 through 8 with the exception of 3. A rotation of any combination of these would be fine by me. I'm not much for celebrity cars, movie cars or cars from TV shows but maybe my patrons would be and that is who I would be catering to. So you have to keep in mind the visiting publics interests more than your own. Otherwise it would be more like a private collection than a museum.

[=Enigma=]

Thank you Ron, this is exactly why I included cars owned by famous ppl. I could care less about these cars unless personalized for or raced by a celeb, but much of the public is interested. Remember that a museum typically caters the general public, so If you don't include what the people want to see, your museum will be empty and end up as a private collection.

[sblake01]

EDIT: Never mind.

Edited September 12, 2009 by sblake01

[hls30.com]

I can't get the voice of Carl Sagan out of mu head saying: " if you were an animal and you looked like food, the humans would eat you". His way of speaking with that absolutely silent H always got me.

I guess if Carl Sagan was a 914, he did look like food to a 240Z, and they ate him......

Back to the Museum, I included everything, in terms of a Z, I have have found at all interesting. From the seemingly perfect to the absolutely falling apart, and everything in between. Zs interest me, so I put them all in there. I would rather look at a 240Z than a than a 350Z, but they all belong so I would put them in chronological order in a circle so you could see any of them from any of them. I would also have a full size line art display with the front, side, and rear profiles on sheets of plexiglass so you could overlay individual models to see the differences easier.

I forgot to mention I would also have all of the factory work up models and studies inline with the cars, and at the 240Z section would be life size animated models of Mr. K and Mr. Matsuo ready to speak about the 240Z with clips from speeches, letters, and articles.

Each of the racing Zs would have a life size model of the driver(s) playing the audio from tv/radio interviews from right after the Victorys.

The daily drivers and modified Zs would have oral introductions to their cars taped by their owners. Each display would be made as personal as possible.

Just outside the backdoor of the museum would be a life size model of Albert Goertz(dressed as the wicked witch of the East) spouting responsibility for all that was 240Z from behind a desk with a photographic chart of all of the proof that his claim was not so.

Will.

Edited September 12, 2009 by hls30.com

[ConchZ]

What about something to represent all the mods done to Zs over the years? The ease of modifications is part of the Z's popularity. V8 swaps and spoilers and air dams have been commonly done. Seems like you'd want a a genuine Scarab in your museum to represent the history of Z mods.