Zedyone_kenobi

Thanks, I certainly look forward to hearing your opinions of it.

I may have to try this stuff... anybody have any experience with it. It appears to be the ticket for my current paint issues.

I will be taking delivery of my Z as most of you know in about a little over a week. I want to do a really great detail job on her before I take her out for registration etc. So, my question is this. How do you bring back the shine in older paint. Most of the car is very glossy, but parts are starting to look satin to flat. I would like to bring back the luster to the car. My plans were just to do the basics. wash claybar polish with buffer wax with buffer Anything else that I can use to get back the new car shine.

I believe the valve seats are pressed in...

Believe it or not the factory AC still blows very cold air. Its shocking. I have no idea how long this treat will last, but I plan on using it, as nothing dies faster than an AC that never gets used. I debated taking the restore route, but if I did I would not be practicing what I preach. I have always preached to be honest with yourself and what you have the time/space/talent to do. I have no shortage of mechanical talent. But I am woefully lacking any skill at body work. I also have a 4 month old. And he takes up most of my time. I wanted my first Z to be a car I could enjoy from day one and slowly work on maintaining it, and taking it from 90% done to 100% done. Make it perfect for myself, while keeping it maintained and as close to pristine as I could. I had to buy one in this condition. I know the harsh realities of a complete restoration, and even though I have a 3 car garage, and plenty of tools, I still would not be enough to do it right in anything that would resemble a reasonable amount of time. Its never a fast job. To do things right takes time and effort. Thats time I would not be able to spend with my little boy. I mean look at his face when he first saw pictures of my Z... I could have sworn he said, can I have the keys.. but it may be my overzealous fathers imagination combined with chronic sleep deprivation... who knows. So, I search for a near perfect Z in the price range I could afford. I was guided by some wise people on this board, and the end result is my dream car you see. Worth the wait, and every single penny.

Well, I decided not to take any chances, and I am having my car transported via Horseless Carriage I waited this long to get my baby, why take any chances in getting her home.

I think I am going to use uShip I found what appears to be a good vendor, anybody have experience with uship?

I would like to go with DAS, but the nearest DAS is 64 miles from the previous owners home which is where the car is. He is retired now and would have a hard time getting the car there.

I plan on it. Right after it gets home. I just need to find a company that can ship it without me having to worry about it.

Yeah,I know, I asked about that... I was wondering why they were so low instead of lined up with the Datsun decal. I plan on taking them off if the paint underneath is not discolored or overly bright. I would really prefer a clean side.

good advice!

I wanted to, buy my wife is taking care of our new 4 month old by herself. She needs me back quick, not taking every backroad in existance in my new Z. So I have to wait for the transport folks to deliver my baby. Just need to find a good reliable one.

After my trip to North Carolina, I was blown away at the condition of this car. Mark did a masterful job of taking care of her. I am now left how to bring her home. I have to find a good transport company to bring her back to me. I already miss her. But its good to be among the fold now. Here are some pics of my new pride and joy. words cannot describe the feeling of finally owning my childhood dream car. I look forward to giving it a good bath, claybar, wax, and polish. I will enjoy every single minute with this beauty!

Which one would you recommend? I happen to live in houston.

The most realistic thing everybody here is alluding to is to be honest with yourself. Make realistic goals and have realistic expectations. Know how much time you have on your hands and be somewhat aware of the work you can do, the work you want to learn to do, and the work you will need help with. Projects often fail or be left to die because of the owner is not honest with him/herself. Just take a few hours to gather your thoughts on your budget, both in time and in dollars of what you will want to put toward the restoration of the Z. These are the steps I went through. I know my limitations, and body work is one of them. I also know that with a new 4 month old baby, I do not have any time to learn. So any car I get would have to be free of body work. I am not scared of any mechanical or interior work so I could be more forgiving in those categories, but again my 4 month old takes a lot of my time. And early on I decided I wanted a project car that I could enjoy from day one, not three years from now. So my decision was to buy a well kept and well maintained nearly original car. I will pay more for it up front, but the aggravation of having a car sit in my garage for untold months as the repairs bills keep growing and growing is worth the up front expense. Plus you almost always come out ahead buying a near restored example.

I will not have a car as Mark was kind enough to act as my chauffeur for a day. But I will be arriving around 2pm on Wednesday and will be staying in a hotel around Ashville Regional airport (AVL). I will PM you my cell number, as it would be great to meet you over dinner somehwhere...if you have time.

You got me red handed. I have been talking to Mark for a couple of months. It is Marks Car. I have nothing but great things to say about him. Very friendly over the phone, and comes across as a very warm and personable guy. I feel very lucky to be purchasing a car from him.

I fly out Wednesday morning to see and drive what will hopefully be my entry into the world of the 240Z. I have read enough books, searched enough websites, talked to enough sellers, saved enough money, and now its time. I fly out with check in hand to see this beauty wish me luck.

sblake I agree with you. Av-gas. Its typically made to run in a much leaner environment, and while it works, its not ideal for your engine. Race gas with higher octane made for automotive use is the ticket for hot street setups.

I am about to pick up a 71 240Z, and was wondering how everybody with origina engines in their Z's handle the lack of leaded gasoline? Do you add it to the mixture? Or just drive it regularly? Do you use regular gas or super unleaded? That thought just occurred to me as I was reading the 'how to build your L series engine" book.

Per capita is useless. We all must boycott Those damn Virgin Islanders!!! They are killing the environment. The US is 15th in that list behind a host of other countries. You can only compare the US against a similarly developed nations. Comparing the US against a 3rd world country and saying we are more wasteful than they are is not a 1 to 1 comparison. Having the US compared to Chad, or Cambodia is just ridiculous.

Keep it...its an investment!

I think that pretty much sums it up. All problems faced in this country and other modern countries are the same. Problems such as medical care, unemployment, education, environment, security, are all far to complex to be handled completely in a thread on the internet. The BEST you can hope for is to read everybodies opinions, those that you agree with and those that you do not, and try to gleam some new bit of information that you can add to your own personal collective database. Some of us, me included, are too far to one side of a problem to fully understand the opinions of others. Reading those opinions and actually listening to them are means to grow as a person and I think in the end will make you feel more comfortable about whatever decision you make. The world is a billion shades of gray. Its always changing, and evolving when we throw a splash of black or white into it.

I think to some degree that has already started. Disposal of goods is becoming a real issue that is even being considered in early design. After the product is built, its too late to worry about how to dispose of it. Of course this in the earliest of stages. I am far from a green fanatic. In fact, I am so sick of the word green, I get nauseated when I hear it. However, when I walk down the grocery store isle, its apparent something needs redirect our thinking. Everything is disposable, from mops, to wipes of all sorts, etc. Its not the correct path to reduce waste. Anyway, I hear what your saying, thanks for the points to think about.