motorman7

No disappointment here at all. I really enjoyed following your whole adventure. It brought back some great memories. As for SoCal, I love it! I have lived here most of my life and there are not too many places I'd rather be. I grew up in Redondo Beach and am now settled in San Diego. Best weather on earth and some of the best roads. Skiing and surfing both well within reach. No plans to move anywhere else. Best wishes in your endeavors, Rich

A zinc plating kit is what I told my wife I want for Xmas this year, only I am looking at the kit from Caswell. I hope to be plating by early next year. Rich

I was very tempted. If it had perfect frame rails and the engine bay plaque it would be in my garage right now. I have two already, one that still needs plenty of attention, so best I let this one go. Very original though in many ways, which is getting pretty rare. Best Regards, Rich

I checked out the Z on Craigslist and took some photo's. The car is a 7/70 build, S/N#HLS30-06947(Not sure on the last two digits, might be dislexic and forgot to take pics of door jam tag :-|). The Engine tag was missing, but most likely it is the original engine. Engine S/N is roughly 3K higher than the Car S/N which is correct for the early 70 vehicles. Engine is very original with a number of 40 year old hoses still on the car. Smog equip looks to be operational. Radiator and fan look like they have been replaced. The engine also has the original E31 head. Nice valve cover! Car was originally 920 Safari gold. Looks like it was painted red, then again with the current titanium metallic paint. (Visions of Antiques Roadshow Faux pas dancing thru my head). Paint job was done well though with no noticable runs or overspray. Bumpers were descent, but missing some parts. Owner installed new seals all around. Tires and rims are also very nice. Drivers side frame rail is not too bad, but the passenger side rail is pretty beat up with a major rust hole in the back end, about the size of a silver dollar. Some rust under the battery tray, but not real bad. Rear hatch area looked good, also had new seal. Radio was missing, seats have been re-upholstered, but done well with no tears. One panel was missing in hatch area. Interior is mostly original. Three deep cracks on the dashboard. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/1464650515.html FWIW, Rich

Aaahhh, it's not sold. I called the guy up and will check it our tomorrow. The paint is an odd color (not original Dasun Color). He says the original was 'mustard', so I'm guessing it's the 920 gold. He was not sure if engine was original or not. That's usually not a good sign but we will see. He has only had it for a short while. Will report back tomorrow. Rich http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/1464650515.html

WOW, looks like it was a steal. That sold pretty fast. I hope it went to an owner that will take good care of it. Rich

I saw that one. If anyone is interested, I can check it out and report back with pics. Ramona is only about 15 miles from me. I have 2 already and no more garage space, so will have to pass on this one. Rich

Maybe I missed it in the earlier posts, but did you try to remove the manifold nuts and they did not come off? I recently pulled the exhaust and intake manifold off of a 39 year old Z and a recently rebuilt Z. No problem with either one. Just used a good Craftsman 12mm socket with extension for most of the nuts and 12mm box end for those the socket couldn't reach. Wasn't that hard. Rich

Can we use Paypal?

I doubt that it is and most likely it is not for a number of reasons. First off, a patent application will run you anywhere from $5K - $10K and typically takes more than a year to receive. In addition, there is a patent "annual maintenance fee" of $500 to $1000. Financially, I don't think it would make sense for him. It would also have to be proven unique and different from exisitng designs (which it is, or may be, but again, this has to be technically proven and agreed to by the patent office). It is not an easy process. And if it is challenged, and I beleive it would be, then it gets more costly. Second, now that the mount has been "produced and advertised", it is not patentable as it qualifies as "existing art". I did a quick patent search (http://www.patentstorm.us) and did not find this mount defined. I did notice that some of the patents on differential mounts were filed by the big boys (Mercedes Benz, Hyundai). That's a different league and not sure many are capable of competing/challenging them. I am doubting that the earlier mounts had any patent pending info or paperwork on them which would also be required. Just my thoughts. Rich

I'm looking for one for my 71Z...Haven't heard a response from him in over a week on the Hybrid thread.

The only issue you may have is with the date code for the Radiator decal near the upper hose neck. I believe the code of the decal is for a December 70 build date , "0 & L". If that's the date of your Z Mfg your in luck. Rich

I have to say Dave, I was a little taken a back at your comments regarding driving habits...until I looked at what you were driving. Yes, I must say, I would drive your motor much different than I drive mine. I posted our engines both below just for reference. I would most likely drive engine A as you explained and engine B as I explained. I guess it's just a matter of reference and personal preference. Best Regards, Rich

Dude, that is too funny! First off, you have to question anyone who starts off their instructions with "These are a performance engine". What a riot. I would find myself in disagreement with a number of his statements. Not sure I would want to do the blow the smoke out the back end trick. Personally, I agree with what Moritz has said. Rarely do I shift above 3K unless I'm at a freeway on ramp light or doing some spirited driving. Used Firefox to read the article. IE did not work

Aaahh, I'm jealous! That definitely is a beautiful drive. Drove it once in a '67 datsun roadster which was great. Drove it again in a U-Haul towing a van in the winter; not so nice. Your trip brings back memories of when I drove my parents Z from LA to Idaho in 1984. It was a gorgeous drive. Especially Northern California and Oregon. Best of luck for the rest of the trip, Rich

The pad mounts on the inside rib of the console. You can see in the middle picture at the top that the mounting hinge piece has a bend to match the console inside rib. I think this is visually much nicer and mechanically better. My dad installed the pad with machine screw and nut; no problem stripping out. Rich

Thanks for the info Dan. I really like the pad. It is a nice arm rest while driving. Also, it is the first thing my arm rests on when getting into the car.

Thanks for the tire education. That is a big help.. OK..sorry for hi-jacking the thread. Now back to 920 gold......I love my 920 gold.

Does anyone know the history of these Center Console Arm Rests? Are they after market items? Still available? I am relocating the pad from my 70Z console to the 71 Z console because I really like it and I drive the 71 every day. (Not to mention, the JCCS judge gave me the evil eye on my 70Z indicating it wasn't a stock part). Also saw the pad on this photo, but this pad looks a bit taller and nicer than mine. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/album.php?albumid=177 Thanks, Rich

AAhh, that's right. The 70 series should have clued me in. The glove compartment decal specifies the 175SR14. I'm thinking the 'S' is a 78 series tire. I did notice the rim had the black front and the silver back. Now I am wondering which tire on the car has the original spare rim. Then again, I am sure there are much important things to consider. Thanks for the input. Rich

Boy, I was a bit overly optimistic. Looks like Dad was in here way before me. I thought the cover looked pretty funny, almost like a smiley face, but not smiling. I think that was on 180 degrees out as there was an arrow on it pointing aft and the flat on the forward end. Fits better with the flat towards the back and I am guessing the arrow should point forward (unless you drive in reverse most of the time). I found an old Bridgestone tire in there. Looks like it may be one of the original 175/70/14s as it was a bit worn. I like the made in Japan emblem there. You can see the Hubcap scrapes on the rim and the location of the old tire weights. Lots of padding hair in the bottom so I cleaned that out. The paint looks real nice as well. There was a bit of stray glue in the area but no rust. I cleaned up the tire a bit and re-assembled everything. That was fun. Anyone know what that black plastic thing is? Rich

It was on Nov 8th in 2008. Will be Nov 7th in 2009. Still hope you can make it :-)

You've sparked my curiosity now. I am betting the spare tire compartment of my 70Z has never been touched or opened. I'll check it tonite and post pictures. Also, just a few quick thoughts on the 920 gold as mine is still the original paint. It looks great in the sunlight and under flourescent lighting, but not so pretty in shade or normal light. In the sunshine or flourescent it is a beautiful shade of orange. In shade or normal lighting it looks almost tan, like an army camouflage tan. Much prefer the sunshine. Rich

It's getting harder and harder to keep them looking original, especially with parts not being available. Some things were really very cool. I really like the braided hose that the cars came with. Unfortunately, I changed mine out for the trip from Idaho to CA. I need to getsome for my 70Z when Espirit comes out with them. Guess I have a mental list of things that need to get corrected. The battery cable is another item.

Interesting Article on the JCCS Show. This was my third year in attendance, my first with an entry. My 70Z took 3rd in the Original Class at the show; behind the 1959 Datsun shown in the pic (1st) and a Mazda RX3 (2nd). I would be a bit more excited about that, but the sad thing is that most of the 360 cars at show were not original. Most are modified and alot are seriously modified. I must be getting old here. As a teen I'd modify my trucks and cars as soon as I bought them; headers, mild cams, high CFM carbs. Now I want them the way they came from the factory. Aaaah, age and nostalgia. Just my 2 cents. Rich