EhlersRS

Bart, I see HLS30-00456 is on Carl Beck's '69 production list, so he may have some more info on the car. Restoring #456 would be a huge undertaking and it looks like the car has had some "work" done on the front end. It's also difficult to tell whether the owner has the other early Series I parts for the car. There also isn't any mention of the original engine. On the bright side, the dash appears to be in good shape! Robert S.

I agree with the other comments and would also be interested in a full set (front and rear) of vertical strips for the '70-'72. Even though my car won't need new strips for several years, I would purchase a set if the cost was reasonable. Robert S.

I agree this car needs more work to be in top condition, but it's a nice example for the Midwest. If it doesn't have any rust issues, I could see it bringing in $10K. This car has something mine needs...a complete Series I fuse cover/ash tray. Robert S.

Guys, I saw this 1970 240Z for sale near Dayton, OH on Craigslist: 1970 240 Z Datsun It looks like someone did a nice job on the car, but they didn't leave much info on the car. Robert S.

Joe, Welcome to the forum! I'm also glad that you are restoring this car with originality in mind. You can get a replacement rear deck panel from MSA that will have to be welded in: Motorsport! Rear Panel Upper Top Repair Insert, 70-78* 240Z-260Z-280Z - The Z Store! Nissan-Datsun 240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-300ZX(Z31/Z32)-350Z-370Z Parts You have a good starting point and it looks like there is minimal rust compared to a Midwest car. Congratulations! Robert S.

Jeff, Your car looks great! I had the same issue with the oil filter on my car, but the filter sat on the car for +20 years from the last oil change in 1989! At first I tried the big screwdriver punched through the filter, but that wasn't enough torque, so I had to use an old metal rod to break it loose. In the end the filter was mangled, but I got it off! Keep up the good work! Robert S.

The car is certainly not worth $2600 (with the Buy It Now option). I see missing parts and judging from the engine components, this car really has 116,370 miles on it. The owner states the engine is a 4 cylinder. I wonder what happened to the other 2 cylinders? This car still has some good parts left, especially if the Series I style dash is crack free. Robert S.

Jeff, Congratulations on your new Z! Looks like you'll have a fun summer! I'd also like to see how Dave's yellow 240Z turns out considering how nice your car is looks. Robert S.

Colten, Not sure how I missed your original post, but congratulations on getting your first Z! Out of curiousity, what's the VIN and manufacture date of your car? It's always nice to see another '71! Robert S.

Guys, I ran across this 240Z on Craigslist and wanted to share. I can see a few issues that might downgrade the asking price, but it's a nice example. 1972 Datsun 240Z *RARE* Robert S.

Robert, I see you put the car up for sale. I'm sure someone will have the time to get this car back on the road again! Do you have plans of getting another 240Z in the future? Robert S.

Ryan, According to Carl Beck's website (240-Z Design and Manufacturing Changes) and the VIN, your car is one of the later Series II cars produced. The last Series II would have been HLS30-45999. Ironically, my car is one of the earliest Series II produced. Since you're swapping out the auto tranny, here's a good write up from Arne: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/tech-pubs-howto/21274-240z-260z-280z-auto-4-5-speed-swap.html It's great to see another nice 240Z in the Midwest! Robert S.

Blodi, Congratulations on your new Z! 918 orange is my favorite color on the 240Z's also, but I ended up with my second favorite of yellow. Out of curiousity, what is the manufacture date and VIN of your car? Robert S.

JD, I agree with your decision to keep the original carbs since this car already retains most of it's originality. I was also thinking about Arne's comment and would guess a lot of the '73 240Z's no longer have the original carbs. In the past I've seen a few posts (on here) regarding the flat top carbs and getting better performance out of them. As far as original hubcaps, they come up for sale occasionally on Ebay, Craigslist, and Datsun Classified and generally run between $200 to $900 for a pair (depending on the condition). Robert S.

Alissa, That's funny! My second car was a '86 Honda Prelude and 6 years ago I bought a new Corolla. If your parents give you grief about the 280Z, just tell them it's easier to work on than a Civic or Corolla, and the parts are less expensive! Robert S.

Thanks for sharing the story and photo! Along this "Z" journey I've also met some great people and it's one reason I enjoy this forum so much. What a coincidence the Captain looks the same in person as he does in the Hotels.com commercials. Robert S.

Hello Alissa, I saw your post on the Datsun Facebook page, so I'm glad you found this forum as well. This is great group of guys (and girls) that are very knowledgable about Z's and always willing to help. You did great for your first car! My first car was a 1984 Mercury Lynx. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought it. Look forward to seeing the progress on your car! Robert S.

Matt, I finally had time to catch up on your thread and your restoration looks great! Your car had a lot less rust than my "midwest" Z so I'll be replacing a lot of sheet metal, but seeing your progress gives me hope! Look forward to seeing your car come together! Robert S.

Daniel, I also bought a pair of Zedd Findings floor pans and support rails from MSA. I haven't started work on the car yet, so I can't speak to how difficult they are to replace, however the construction is high quality and close to the originals. As others have said, these pans will require some additional work to fit properly, but there isn't a quick solution to replacing floor pans. After you check the pricing from Charlie at Zedd Findings, I would also check with MSA since they sell the same floor pan kit from Zedd Findings. The shipping costs might be less from MSA since you won't have to pay duty from Canada. Right now they run $364.95 from MSA (Motorsport! Premium Floor Pan Kit, 70-8/74 240Z-260Z Coupe - The Z Store! Nissan-Datsun 240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-300ZX(Z31/Z32)-350Z-370Z Parts) and they will give you a car club discount if you tell them your CZCC member id. Generally they give you around 10% off. From the other side of Iowa...I hope things are going well for you in Sioux City. Robert S.

Robert, Another thing we have in common is we're fairly close in age, but we both bought our Z's before 40 years of age. People can't say I bought my car because of a midlife crisis. I used to go by my middle name in my late teen's and early 20's, and eventually went back to Robert. Sometime after that I started signing everything "Robert S". Anyway, here's a short video of my car running on just fuel in the carb bowls, which is why it eventually cuts out: Robert S.

Joe, I test fitted the new right fender and it lined up well, but it needed to be tweaked where it wraps around the rocker panel and lower mounting bolts. I was checking for overall fit and didn't intend to get it snug, since that will be worked out when the car is ready for paint. Since I've been unable to find good used fenders in the Midwest and my original fenders would require too much work, I decided to spend more and get new ones. However, I think buying used ones in good shape is also a good option, especially if you're working within a budget. The most recent person I know that has used a new Nissan fender on his project is E-tek, and it seemed to work well for him: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/check-out-my-ride/36032-e-tek-racing-71-parts-car-resto-2.html I'm glad to see you're making progress on your Z. I know David, the former owner of your car, but never had time to visit before he sold the car. At least it's out of the rust belt and in good hands! Robert S.

Ruffy, Watching your video brought back memories of hearing my Z run for the first time. I estimated the engine hadn't run in 5-10 years, but after replacing a few wires and filling up the carb bowls, it fired right up! Hopefully the title transfer goes well and you can begin restoration. Robert S.

Bruce, Thanks for the good news! I know my floats will need to be replaced because they are cracking and brittle. Robert S.

Guys, I've been meaning to update you on my recent experience buying new OEM fenders from Nissan. Last summer (July 2013) I checked at the local Nissan dealer here and they were able to get both sides. I didn't have the money to buy new fenders then, so I had to wait until the tax return came in earlier this year. On March 24 I went to Nissan to order both new fenders and they could only get the left side (63101-N4700). They said the right side (63100-N4700) was no longer available. I went ahead and ordered the left side in hopes that I could also find the right side somewhere else. I paid $430 for the left side (63101-N4700) locally and didn't have to pay any shipping, although it was shipped from Nissan in California. Then I started making phone calls to find the right side fender. First I called MSA to find out if they sell OEM Nissan fenders. The person I spoke with said they do sell Nissan fenders and in January were able to get the right fender for someone. They would have to get the fender from Nissan, so I decided to call Courtesy Nissan. Courtesy did not have any right fenders in stock and once again were not able to get them. She checked the inventory of some other Nissan dealers and gave me the number of a dealer in California to call. She said they had 2 in stock, so I called them next. The guy in California said they did have 2 right fenders in stock, but they were being shipped to Australia. So, he gave me 3 more dealers to call: Lyncburg, VA, Atlanta, and Palm Springs. Lynchburg showed 2 right fenders in stock and the other dealers showed 1 in stock, so I called Lynchburg Nissan. They did indeed have 2 in stock, but they didn't have the packing materials to send one to Iowa. When the dealer gets parts delivered from Nissan, they come in plastic boxes that must be returned, so they didn't have any large boxes for the fender. I arranged for the nearest UPS Store to package and deliver the fender, but I had to wait for the Nissan parts department to drop it off. I bought the fender on March 25 for $277 (no tax) and finally on March 28 they delivered the fender to UPS. The cost for packing materials and shipping was outrageous, but with the inventory of new fenders drying up, I decided to bite the bullet (so to speak). I paid $363 to have the fender shipped and it arrived to Iowa 4 days later in pristine condition. After ordering the right fender from Lynchburg Nissan, I spent some time talking to the parts manager. He owns a 260Z and after learning that the right fenders were quickly becoming "not available", he kept the other right fender for himself. He also mentioned I would have been charged more for the fender if he had known this. I'm glad that wasn't the case, because the shipping costs were so high. Judging from how difficult it was to find a right fender and that MSA no longer sells Nissan fenders, I'd guess these NOS fenders will soon be gone from Nissan completely. There were probably just a dozen right fenders left in the U.S. Nissan inventory when I purchased mine (that's just an educated guess). Joe, there have been several discussions here, where guys have used aftermarket fenders, such as those sold from Black Dragon. The consensus is that aftermarket front fenders (and hoods for that matter) need a lot of work to properly fit. One guy from this forum bought Black Dragon fenders and they fit so bad, he used them to repair his original fenders. My suggestion would be to use the Tabco lower repair panels to fix your original fenders, granted the rest of your fenders are decent. Robert S.

Andy, Thanks for sharing with us! I really like the old Datsun dealer plate frame. Look forward to seeing more progress on your car! Robert S.