DatsunZGuy

Welcome! Also try finding Victor at http://www.classicfairlady.com/

Welcome! go to : http://zhome.com/ --->Z Ownership ---> What To Watch For When Buying A First Generation Z Car.

Attached is a photo I took of the smaller rear tail light finishing panel rivets compared to the interior ones.

I've noticed that Carl's visits and postings have dropped as of late too. If I recall, he started a new job recently, and that might be the reason for the absence. I hope all is well.

When I was stationed in Denver, I had a ’73 Z that I had to park out in the elements. My biggest fear was hail damage during the Colorado severe thunderstorm season. To combat this, I purchased a large sheet of carpet padding in draped it under my water repellent cover (evolution fabric I think), which helped protect it from hail and the occasional car door impact.

This car is still one of my favorites! http://www.geocities.com/jasonparuta It’s just the right amount of tasteful modifications without going over the top.

I noticed the same orange Nissan restoration program car is back on the auction block. However, the seller’s ID is slightly different and location is now in San Luis Obispo, California as opposed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I live an hour away from San Luis, and it sure doesn’t look anything like that. Just to be safe, I reported this issue to ebay. Auction on now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4557192341&category=6187 Auction ended on June 13: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4554472949&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Okay…okay…I’ve owned my MR2 for 6 months now, and have owned five 240Zs in my life off and on since the age of 16. I am now 40 years old. Comparing stock examples “head-to-head,” I would have to give a slight advantage to the MR2. Again, I own a NA (normally aspirated), not a turbo, which has 135 horsepower versus the turbo’s 200. Compare that to a 1972 240Z with about 150 horsepower. Now, let me caveat my comments with the fact that I just drove my MR2 back and forth from work today, while my 240Z has been sitting on jacks not having been driven for about a year. So, that may be swaying my vote toward the little Toyota. Aspects I like about the MR2: 1. I think the stock MR2 handles better stock 240Z. Yes, I’m aware that the MR2 is over 20 years newer and thus more advanced. But my goodness, it is so fun to drive a mid-engine sports car through twisty roads. 2. Going topless! I have to admit, there’s nothing like driving on a warm summer day with the t-tops off. 3. The styling of the 1991-1995 (MK II) MR2 has always caught my eye. I’ve had a soft spot in my heart of the Ferrari 308GTS for a long time. It might because I spent my formative years growing up in Hawaii when Magnum P.I. was on the tube. I’ve always known that a 308 would not be practical, so the MR2, also known as the “Poor Man’s Ferrari”, would be a logical alternative. 4. For an inline 4, 2.2 liter motor with 85,000 mile on it, the Toyota pulls very strong. In addition, I’m averaging over 25 miles per gallon. In contrast, I was averaging 20 MPG with the 240Z. This might be because I was really “lead footing” the Datsun. As I stated above, I’m comparing stock vehicles that are over a two decades apart in automotive evolution. That said, either car could outperform the other given the proper suspension and engine modification. And should I get behind the wheel of my 240Z again when its restoration is complete, my opinion may change. Plus, the Datsun doesn’t require one to be a contortionist to work on it compared to the mid-engine MR2. As for value, hands down the 240Z is worth more and harder to find in decent shape. However, low mileage MR2s can fetch a good asking price as well. Example: http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/ida/vdetail.jsp?result_car_id=null&dealer_id=505848&car_id=181038164 Personally, I think the price is a little steep. But what would one pay for a mint 240Z with that mileage?! In the MR2 community, if you own a low mileage 1995 MR2 turbo that is SMG (steel mist grey) with a black leather interior, you are sitting on a gold mine. Bottom line…my heart will always be with the 240Z with its classic GT styling and primordial ergonomics. However, the MR2 does have some positive aspects, which shouldn’t be readily discounted. Finally, if I had to sell one, I would have to say “sayonara” to the Toyota. For now, I feel fortunate to have both. Alright…I have donned my nomex suit, flame away. :dead:

I own a '93 MR2 NA and '72 240Z. PM me if you want to discuss pros and cons. Are you a member of http://www.mr2oc.com/ Threads: 109,540, Posts: 1,128,307, Members: 22,547

I had an ’86 Mazda B2200 truck with a R12 system, which was pretty much empty. I bought one of those R12 to R134a conversion kits at my local Kragen and charged it myself. After a year it was still blowing cold. There’s nothing wrong with the DIY kit as long as you don’t overcharge your system.

I assume you are still running R12 in your AC system. Freeze 12 is worth a look http://autorefrigerants.com/co00030.htm

I purchased an exclusive “Big Sur Edition” Z from a Datsun dealer once. The car was green and it came with a special commemorative scented medallion, which hung from the rear view mirror. All kidding aside…dealers are notorious for creating “Special Edition” cars by slapping on a bunch of appearance add-ons to help stimulate sales and fatten their profit margin. This might be case.

Nissan applied this black paint at the factory for appearance reasons. This treatment helped to limit the contrast of bright paint behind areas like the grille. You should also find black paint on the framing right below your seats. 4th photo at the link below has a sentence talking about the black out treatment. http://zhome.com/Classic/Refresh/REFRSHZ3.HTM I also think Wick's book talks about it too.

Carl’s right. Any attempt to repair a dash with some type of filler and dye will end up looking really ghetto. If you don’t have the funds to purchase a new dash or restore your current one, then a full dash cap would be a good compromise. Although I’ve never seen one firsthand, the photos I’ve seen on ebay of Z cars with them installed look pretty good. In fact, the only way I can tell they have one installed, is seeing the seam when the door is opened.

The site below implies that some Appliance wheels were made in Japan. Nice site...by the way. That's news to me http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/ "Appliance wheels were popular in the Seventies. Their five-spoked wheels can be identified by the word "Japan" stamped on the inside, and also by their large, recessed holes for the lug nut washers to seat in. As long as you don't mind the deep holes for the lug nut washers, Appliance five-spoked wheels are considered to be good-quality Torq-Thrust copies."

Appliance Honeycomb/Mesh http://www.triumphspitfire.com/wheels.html

Here's mine:

http://www.levineautoparts.com/spraycanofto.html#touch I never used them personally, but it seems you should be able to order Datsun 904 code paint. Bottle and rattle can too.

Welcome! Two places in So Cal come to mind: Pierre's Z in Hawthorne (I think) Classic Datsun Motorsports in Vista Both were involved in the Vintage Z programs a few years back.

Perhaps the guy purchased the 350Z solely because he is compensating for a personal problem, which he believes will be taken care of by something orange and round looking. The resemblance is uncanny…

I purchased a set of seat covers from Classic Datsun Motorsport a few years ago, which I have never mounted. The attached photos show who manufactured them, the part number and finally a comparison of the grain patterns (new covers versus original).

I was looking for other members of our board today at the MSA show, but didn’t see any. I had my club t-shirt on (granted I had a dark jacket over it due to the rain) walking around with my wife, Michelle, and English bulldog, Monty. After 2 hours walking around at MSA, and after the soaking, we decided to drive back home. On the way, we stopped in Santa Barbara for a late lunch. We parked the car and proceeded to walk toward State Street (the main street in town). Guess what? Another car show!!! They closed off about 6 blocks and had a variety of rods, muscle car, customs and bikes on display. This included a couple of nice Chip Foose designed cars. The small Nissan/Datsun contingent consisted of a nice Fairlady convertible, 510 coupe and the custom 260z that won the MSA show a couple of years back. My wife fell in love with a little powder blue Austin Healy Bug Eye Sprite. Our dog got a lot off attention, I had a chance to see a bunch of awesome vehicles, and my wife has had her fill of car shows for awhile.

Oops…I completely forgot about the Magna sedan. You must have thought I was crazy crawling under by car to repair a scratch on my highly polished gas tank My ’88 Magna: Sorry to go off topic for a bit. Now back to subject at hand: Scratch Removal.

This is the best stuff I have found for scratches. I had some pretty bad ones on the gas tank of my black '88 Honda Magna and the ScratchX took them right out. :cheeky: http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detailpage.cfm?sku=G-103&store=meg