I am mostly making this entry for a place to document my journey. Maybe it will serve as a reminder of what I did, what was done, and what may be. Maybe, just maybe, someone will find some use in it sometime down the road.

The patient is a Jan 1971, purchased by my father. The car was a garage kept, California daily driver. Every day it made a 10mile round trip to his work, in the windy road, wine country hills of central California.

At one point my brother took custody, a young man with ideas and dreams, he made changes. Some were for the better, others, the jury is still out. It was at this point the car became a hybrid 1971/1972. Many of his favorite items from his lime green 1972 Z, totaled in a moment if misjudgement, found their way to the 1971.

At this point it moved out of the California garage and into the central valley California sun where it baked for a decade. Life choices found my dear brother moving to Europe, following a dream, meeting a partner and parking dads Z for almost 15 years. It was started and rarely driven, but at some point, life support was pulled. In 2018 the vehicle was moved to hospice, a garage in Vancouver, WA. After not moving for 8 more years. a new doctor entered the picture.

Fortunate for me (and the Z), my brother was a prodigious collector and suffered from the family (Y chromosome only) "I might need this someday" condition. Alas, the car came with extras.

Here is where I pick up the story.

@DrFeelGood great to read about bringing your dad's old Z back to life. I'm out in the Gorge in Oregon so not far from you. I have 3 1970 build 240Z and loads of parts as well. Happy to offer advise and guidance when you need it, feel free to reach out by PM.

Edited March 29Mar 29 by SpeedRoo

That is so cool that you were able to keep your Z in the family. My Uncle Marc had a 1970 240Z, which kicked off my long term love affair with these cars. I told him to let me know if he ever sold it that I would buy it. Sadly, it was not meant to be, as it caught fire in his driveway after a Sunday drive (we think an undetected leaking or ruptured fuel line was the cause). By the time the neighbors noticed the car was on fire and the fire department arrived, it was a total loss.

Fast forward to present times - after years of searching, I found my 280Z about 3 years ago. It took some sorting and is still a work in progress, but it is currently drivable and an ongoing father and son project. My uncle, seeing me as the carrier of the Z torch in the family gave me his original Z hubcaps, which I cherish. For my 280Z, I have the original window sticker and have done some research on the history. I think it was well loved, and driven, as meant to be. I don't think it will ever be a concourse level show car, but rather a nice weather driver to be enjoyed and kept in the best possible running condition for a now 50 year old car.

Best of luck on your journey, may it be a great adventure!

Edited March 30Mar 30 by Paulytunes

6 hours ago, Paulytunes said:

That is so cool that you were able to keep your Z in the family. My Uncle Marc had a 1970 240Z, which kicked off my long term love affair with these cars. I told him to let me know if he ever sold it that I would buy it. Sadly, it was not meant to be, as it caught fire in his driveway after a Sunday drive (we think an undetected leaking or ruptured fuel line was the cause). By the time the neighbors noticed the car was on fire and the fire department arrived, it was a total loss.

Fast forward to present times - after years of searching, I found my 280Z about 3 years ago. It took some sorting and is still a work in progress, but it is currently drivable and an ongoing father and son project. My uncle, seeing me as the carrier of the Z torch in the family gave me his original Z hubcaps, which I cherish. For my 280Z, I have the original window sticker and have done some research on the history. I think it was well loved, and driven, as meant to be. I don't think it will ever be a concourse level show car, but rather a nice weather driver to be enjoyed and kept in the best possible running condition for a now 50 year old car.

Best of luck on your journey, may it be a great adventure!

Thanks for sharing and also the kind words. I am NOT (edited) dropping the fuel tank off now for repairs. Apparently Mac's Radiator on SE Foster Rd. does this work. I just rebuilt the fuel pump and will be overhauling the carburetors with new lines as well. I too, am very aware of fire hazard. My dad is coming into town for the summer. He is 82 and still drives the red 2003 350z he purchased to replace this one. I am going to try and get us both to the Datsun meet in Brooks, OR that @Terrapin Z mentioned.

Cheers

Edited April 3Apr 3 by DrFeelGood

Well, I did get the Safety Designs roll cage removed so now I fit a little better. I still cannot adjust the drivers seat back to teh final notch but I also have not disassembled it yet. I will wait until I get the correct seat covers and can get rid of the "velour" ones installed now.

I did move the cage onto another local Z-owner. New home acquired for $375. In 2001, it was purchased new for $699. This feels more than reasonable for 25 year used safety equipment. That money goes right t back into the zed of course. I will have to weld the holes closed and figure out a fix for the rear wheel arch covering that was cut for the bar mount. I likely will put rubber stoppers in there for the driving season.

Nice Series One frame...

Fuel tank back from the shop and after applying the new insulating rubber to the holding straps, taking the opportunity to replace hoses and clamps, and cleaning up a ground point, its back on the car.

One thing I noticed was there was no drain plug washer when I removed the tank. It did not leak from here but after looking it up online there is a part number for the plastic washer. I purchase and installed it but it does not look right.

Fingers crossed, hopefully nothing leaks.

Edited April 15Apr 15 by DrFeelGood

Head down to Winks and get a copper crush washer, they should have a metric size to fit the drain plug. I prefer to use copper anywhere fuel is present.

Roo

1 hour ago, SpeedRoo said:

Head down to Winks and get a copper crush washer, they should have a metric size to fit the drain plug. I prefer to use copper anywhere fuel is present.

Roo

This is the answer. TY

While I was waiting for the repairs to the cracked fuel tank,

I took the opportunity to clean up and refresh the tail section a bit. Some fresh paint and stainless hardware, new tail seals and lights that were in much better condition than what was installed really made a difference. The wiring connectors on the "new" tail lights were different than what I had, but swapping the whole bulb harness was easy enough. Maybe series 1 and series 2 differences... :shrug:

I also removed and painted the metal hatch emblems, replaced the vents, and replaced the lift strut.

I need to still figure out why the gate makes noise when I drive. The latch is retracted all the way so it probably needs new seal rubber.

Still working on the interior hatch vent as it is pretty rough.

I also replaced the bald hockey pucks that were installed on the wheels. Selecting tires is always such an unknown, but I settled on a Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 in a 205/55R15 on the Panasport FZ 15x7 wheels. It feels pretty good. I am running 32 PSI for lack of any reference yet.

Still so much to clean. I am basically just distracting myself from getting into the carburators as it is running a bit rich and doesn't seem to be improving. I CAN now open the hood without fear of breaking the handle so there is some real utility to cleaning.

I replaced the front bumper strip (rear to come) with aftermarket units from Resurrected Classics, so now I don't ruin pants when I walk too close to the front. The over riders will be dressed with rubber from Vintage Rubber shortly. I gotta stop spending money.

Edited May 2May 2 by DrFeelGood

8 hours ago, DrFeelGood said:

I gotta stop spending money.

Ummmm..... Yeah.

You have a car hobby, so good luck with that. Hahaha!!!

Been busy at work so just a little time in the evenings. I have been working on the steering wheel and am pleased with the results. I stripped the spokes to metal and painted with 2 light coats of VHT engine primer followed by 3 coats of VHT engine GM satin black enamel. I then sanded the rim smooth and finished it with 600 grit and 00 steel wool. The spokes were prepped with acetone before painting and the rim with isopropyl alcohol. I coated the rim with 3 coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane in warm semi-gloss. One light and two medium coats until it flowed smooth with about 20min in between coats. I kept it moving the whole time spraying in my hand and immediately used the hair dryer for a few minutes on high heat, low fan to set the application so it didn't slump or run (just in case). Ambient air was 72-76 degrees F and around 50% humidity for all the days. The color is just the wheel with no stain. It really is a beautiful thing, this 240z wheel. I love its simplicity

Edited May 11May 11 by DrFeelGood