psdenno

The radio surround panel looks a little plain for a stock piece although it does have the early antenna switch slot (homemade?). Aftermarket replacement? One of the first things I did after buying my Z was to replace the radio. But I used the stock surround. Dennis

Interesting....no side roof vents or early Z rear decklid vents. As Chuck pointed out, a custom. Dennis

Looks like the final exam at "paintless dent removal" school. Dennis

In a decade, or so, when all cars are electric, that will no longer be a problem. The grille opening will just be a fond memory from a bygone era - kind of like tail fins, chrome bumpers, and quad headlights. Dennis

I don't remember any "artist's concept" leaks of what the original Z would look like - it just kind of showed up in final form at the big car shows and in the enthusiast magazines around the time it hit the dealerships. But, that was a different time. New models cloaked beneath car covers arrived at dealerships and were hidden from the public until the official Fall model year introduction date. Then, there would be a BIG reveal with newspaper ads and coffee and pastries at the dealership. As a kid, I remember going to the warehouse where the local Pontiac dealer stashed the new cars and trying to see them through the blacked out windows. A security guy came out and let my friend and I in to look at the cars - better than Disneyland. New car/model year introductions were a bigger deal in those days. No previews of the XKE, T-Bird, Stingray, or Avanti before it was time. I think that was far more exciting than how it's done now with new models showing up throughout the year. Yes, I'm sounding old. Must be time to go chase some kids off my yard. Dennis

A Z update would be nice, but concept cars and what ends up in the showroom are usually quite different. The final design and manufacturing processes generally take a lot of the pizazz out of a concept car. Here's hoping I'm wrong this time. Dennis

Nice treasures, but you left the headlight buckets! Dennis

If that sells, I have a burned out headlight I may put up for sale. Dennis

The product MSA sent you is unacceptable and the folks there should either replace it, discount it deeply, or change their ad for it on their website. The unit on their website appears to have a shiny black gelcoat finish (not the mounted picture, but the stand alone picture). The item in your picture is far from that. I've bought a lot of items from MSA and I'm surprised they accepted such a poorly made piece from a supplier and willingly shipped it out to you - two quality control failures for them. They don't mention that extensive finishing work is required. The spoiler you got looks more like what they sell in their "scratch & dent" sales. That said, they are good about making things right and I think a phone call to them would get you a good replacement. Dennis

Got any pictures of your car's interior we can review? Dennis

Go with black or the the color or the tail light surround rather than body color - it gives a more menacing look. Dennis

From all his past post he wants someone to say YES or NO. So can you or anybody else tell him YES or NO? So, if a simple Yes or No is all that's needed......... YES! Totally safe. The car won't catch fire, drive into a ditch, or tip over because the choke is open. However, for 46 years, I've judged when to back off on the choke by performance feel, not by looking at the temperature gauge or the clock. That's been my experience in starting and driving in ambient temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees to 120 degrees F. Real seat of the pants driving just like knowing when to shift by sound and feel rather than looking at the tach. The Z is a car for all seasons. Dennis

For comparison....I just went for a drive in my '71 240Z. The outside temperature is 82º. I have an electric fuel pump. I pulled the choke lever "open & close" a couple times before leaving it pulled all the way back. The Z fired right up and I drove away. I eased off on the choke after about a minute and a half and completely closed it after about two minutes of running time. All was good. Dennis

Front bumper, front fender Datsun emblems, at least one front side marker light. Got any more pictures of the rest of the exterior and interior? Dennis

Do you have the air filter enclosure? It appears to be missing in the picture. You'll want the air filter in place before running too much air through those carbs. Also, looks like the car was originally silver based on the paint in the engine compartment. You might want to look for panel rot on the rockers, doglegs, and rear fender arches. Dennis

Good car, good memories. Thanks for sharing. Dennis

Odd that new bushings don't fit snugly. In the early 1970s, when Datsun dealerships with parts departments were a little harder to find, a common fix for a loose bushing was to slip a piece of bicycle inner tube between the worn rubber bushing and the metal clamping collar that secured it. Shadetree maintenance at its best! Dennis

I received the following email through another car club I manage and thought Z owners might be interested. Read on. Dennis Greetings, I'm a Casting Producer based in Los Angeles Casting an Exciting New TV Show on a Major Network(I can expand via telephone)!! We want people that love their cars and have a companion that can accompany them on this amazing adventure across America during the Summer (husband and wife, High School Friends, Brothers and Sisters, Fathers and Daughters, etc). I was hoping you could let your clients know that this opportunity exist. The star of this show is the car followed by the personalities of the drivers. With the impressive array of cars that have come through your shop, I was hoping your clients would see the show as an opportunity to show off their ("your") creations. Please feel free to contact me at the numbers below with any questions. The Casting We are looking for: Teams of Two (2) Driving in their own Amazing Car for a Race Across the Country to win $100,000!! This Casting is Nationwide and Open to all Car Makes and Years, provided the Cars look and run great! Are you Super Competitive? Do you love your car and want to show it off? Is your Car an extension of your Personality?? Application: https://pitmancastinginc.formstack.com/forms/untitled_car_race_project_application Or, if you know someone that this opportunity would be perfect for, please forward them my info! PS. Big fan of your show. Cevin Middleton Casting Producer Pitman Casting 210 N. Pass Ave suite 101 Burbank, CA 91505 Office: 818.666.3606 ext. 309 Cell: 818.642.9875 Fax: 323.784.0353 Cevin@pitmancasting.com Skype: Cevinmiddleton

Earlier in this thread, Esprist said he planned to have headlight covers available by mid 2016 through his parts business, jdm-cars-parts.com. I wonder how that project is coming along. Dennis

Buy list for "Vaporware"? Might be a little premature. No one has seen a finished product. I applaud anyone who can make this project happen. But, Datsun forums are littered with project promises of quality headlight covers at an affordable price that never materialized. Maybe, just maybe, we should hold off getting in line to buy until a product actually exists. Dennis

Scoping all the air vents probably isn't a bad idea on a 40+ year old car. No telling what's growing in there or what the mice have hauled in. Dennis

I think you'll find a few other uses for it, too. Could be handy for scoping out the backside of the dash wiring and connections without having to bend your body to fit in the space in front of the seats, looking in an empty gas tank, or finding dropped screws in hard to see spaces. And, if you ever decide to open a colonoscopy clinic, you're good to go. Dennis

Looks like all you need to complete your darkroom is a "safe light" and some clips to hang prints to dry. That appears to be a nice set up for anyone looking to get into developing their own film. Dennis

But, now with your newfound color photo lab, you can process the film yourself, Cliff. It was meant to be! Dennis

There must be millions of once loved film cameras and expensive lenses stashed away in closets, attics, and garages just waiting to be thrown away or displayed on a shelf as a curious object from a long gone era. There still is one local camera shop that sells 35mm film and developing chemicals along with photo paper. No more Fotomat One Hour Photo stands, however. The days of dropping off a roll of film and wondering how the prints would turn out are long gone. Dennis