psdenno

Welcome back! Always good to hear from another '71 Z owner. Dennis

Or is it a CorZed? All the king's horses and all the king's will have fun putting this one back together again - if ever. Dennis

I've had an aftermarket 1970s vintage exhaust system on my 240 for about 35 years and prefer the throaty sound over the stock exhaust note - especially on a foggy morning. For me, it adds to the sports car's appeal. After years of driving "quiet" contemporary cars, I was pleasantly surprised by the burbling sound of the exhaust on my Infiniti. It adds another dimension to the driving experience. Dennis

Great '71Z story! Tracing a car back to its early owners can be an adventure. I've done that with a '70 Porsche and got car loan documents from the wife of the original owner. Enjoy the Z! Dennis

As Gary pointed out, the votes tell the story. There's no manipulation of the data. Certainly, the 60 members who voted have made it clear that THEY feel engine changes and exterior modifications change the nature and intent of the Z. Of course, coming to a clear conclusion based on the results of 60 voting members out of a stated club membership of 26,634 is a bit like the tail wagging the dog. In most cases, I find it easier to tolerate, or even enjoy, a modified Z than to tolerate an out of control Z owner who goes on and on about the perceived wonderfulness of his or her car, how much it cost, and why it's better than the original. That behavior tends to place one on the fast track to being viewed as an unlikeable twit. Dennis

Grant, thanks for posting the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial. Can't remember viewing it. I see it's from 1969. I was keeping the world safe from Communism at that time and missed a lot of TV. I'll add the Owl to the Frito Bandito and the Speedy Alka Seltzer guy as lasting memories of the '60s. Dennis

I agree. If cars have a soul, it's in the engine. Replace the engine and you have a different beast. That's not to say I fault those who change to a more powerful motor. Everyone has the right to do what makes them happy. They just need to realize their happiness may not be shared by everyone who views the end result. My experience is that great cars tend to speak for themselves and don't require the owner to constantly toot the horn to get attention. Dennis

OK, tried "pissin' up a rope"....4'7" was all the better I could do. Perhaps we could get a poll going on how high other members of the group can get. Maybe I should have asked, "Has anyone changed their mind about what makes a Z a Z or what modifications go too far as a result of the poll and comments of others?". Dennis

Here's a link to a Hemmings article about how car values have fared compared to stock market investments based on information in the Wall Street Journal. The 1971 240Z is one of the 50 cars tracked since 2004. http://tinyurl.com/9r2r6bn Dennis

Nope. Dennis

Sooooooooo, after 124 expressed opinions and responses, do we have an answer for "What makes a Z a Z? What modifacations go too far to be called a Z?"? Dennis

My son just finished working on a different NASA project as part of his summer internship with a major contractor before heading back to college for his Junior year. While it was not quite as exciting as the Mars probe, it was quite unique and will be amazing to see when put in place. Glad to see NASA is still plugging away in spite of all the budget cutbacks. Dennis

I'll be watching! So many complex operations in the landing process with no room for error. The cable drop system is amazing. Dennis

Speaking as one who changed my Zs color at one time, and then changed it back, I wouldn't change the color. Other than the obvious need to also change the engine compartment color, under hood color, door and hatch jams, floors, tool bins, and a few other hard to reach places in order for it to look like it was meant to be that way, in my case, it wasn't a wise decision. After a few years, I went back to the original color and am much more content. On the other hand, it's your car and you can do whatever it takes to make you happy. That's what Zs are all about. Dennis

You can see a selection of heater hoses here: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SHC01 Dennis

If you're talking about the braided cloth hose wrapped in electrical tape, it appears to be a heater hose and would leak water/antifreeze. Trace the connection and attached hose and you'll see where it goes toward the radiator. Dennis

Are you referring to an air conditioning hose for freon/134 or a heater hose for water? Dennis

Yup. And isn't that emotional fluff why we all buy the cars we buy? Then, some of us tend to booger them up. If it wasn't for our desire for emotional fluff, all cars would look, sound, and run the same. Dennis

I totally agree. As the original owner of my '71 Z I know exactly what pulled me into the showroom to buy it - the shape, the engine, the interior configuration. Replace any of those characteristics and it's no longer a Z as the factory intended. I have no problem with owners who do body mods, engine transplants, or interior changes. But, the result of those changes is no longer the Z that I saw on display in the Tokyo Ginza in 1971 and purchased when I returned to the States shortly thereafter. Dennis

Nice! Hadn't seen that one before. Dennis

Rear wheel drive cars, including Zs for the last 40+ years, have been driving in snow for a little over 100 years without too much difficulty. I think you would have been OK with an FR-S Dennis

It's essentially the same kit I now have in my '71 - purchased from MSA a couple years ago to replace the York compressor ARA unit that I had installed when the Z was new. Dennis

Try this link...$999.00 for the kit. http://tinyurl.com/6peszsa Dennis

Never thought I'd have a reason to use the "Ignore List" feature, but like you, I've found it works great. Dennis