Carl Beck

SOLD for $11,499.00 - some one got a super deal. FWIW, Carl B.

As I recall - according to NGK - The Projected Tip was intended to keep the electrodes pushed farther into the combustion flame - and thus to keep the plug from fowling as easily. I would guess that with the L28E - the more precise air/fuel mixtures offered by Fuel Injection, along with the wider plug gaps ran with the electronic ignition - they didn't seem to think that the Projected Tip was necessary any longer. Personally - if the engine has 100K+ miles, and it is ran mostly in stop/go traffic - I'd still use the Projected Tip plugs. Likewise - the "R" resister plugs help keep engine ignition noise {electrical} at bay. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Jerry: The MiniLite statement has nothing to do with the condition nor safety of now 40+ year old magnesium wheels. Yes, it is still a winning "design". Yes, when first cast magnesium wheels are light weight and very strong. Most magnesium wheels are stamped or cast with their Date of Manufacture - there is a reason for that, and it is important to pay attention to it. Magnesium wheels are designed to meet a specified duty cycle and service life. What metals are alloyed with the magnesium, how the wheel is cast and or forged and machined, how the wheel is designed structurally all play a role in meeting the pre-defined duty cycle and service life requirements. If I had to guess, I would guess that the Minilite's you have and the American Racing Wheels that I have - were designed for competition use over a period of 5 full seasons or less. I would be interesting to see what warning labels if any, came on them when they were new. I did quite a bit of research when I was attempting to restore a set of American Racing Le Mans wheels for my BRE Z. Most of the information I trusted came from the guys in the Materials Lab where I worked. So take if for what it is worth. Magnesium hardens with age and it thus becomes more brittle over time. Within a defined high load impact a new magnesium wheel will actually flex or deform without failing {about three times as much as aluminum}. That same wheel twenty years later, given the same level of impact, may fracture, and that can cause a sudden and unexpected failure.. Then there are variables among/between different qualities of magnesium wheels. Cast or Forged there can be small voids in the original structures, and within these voids there can be corrosion taking place over time, which in turn can cause deep pitting. [the magnesium alloy billets used for Forged wheels can have the same problems as any castings - it is all about process control}. Magnesium wheels are porous - as anyone that runs them knows - they have to be coated to seal them, at least on the tire mounting surfaces to hold air for very long. They are also subject to rapid oxidation and corrosion when exposed to moisture. So moisture and air can penetrate deep into the metal. As the magnesium wheel ages, these corrosion pits both external and internal to wheel, can develop into fractures in the metal {somewhat like a chip in a windshield can develop into a crack}. While eddy current inspection can help identify these microscopic fractures on the external surface before they develop farther, it takes X-Ray inspection to find potential problems within the metal. All that said - I do have a set of 40+ year old mag's on the BRE Baja Z. They are there just for show, to roll the car on and off the trailer. I had them inspected {NDI Tech at the local Air Port Service Center} and picked the best 4 out of 8 wheels. Crazy as it may seem - I have driven the car at highway speeds on them as well - but I am well aware of their limits and the risk I am taking. I certainly would not do any of that on 40+ year old mags without having them professionally inspected, and found to be at least currently "solid". Nor would I sell any 40 year old magnesium wheels to anyone for other than "display" use. FWIW, Carl B.

$2500.00 for ONE wheel and used tire??? Yieks! I have a set of 4 wheels that look to be in better shape - - I'd sell all four for $2000.00 - maybe even less! FWIW, Carl B.

For your First Z - I would recommend either the Blue Z listed by madkaw, or the Red Z listed by JLPurcell. Both these guys know a lot about Z's... Both Z's look to be pretty good examples that you could drive and enjoy. If you are talking $10,000.00 to $15,000.00, then putting your money into a pretty Stock example makes far better sense to me. If you did want to resell it in the future - you would have a far better chance of getting most of your money back out of stock Z. I would have no interest in any of the first 3 you listed. For the most part they have been personally customized to the tastes and budgets of their previous owners. If you want a Street Mod or Custom Z and your going to spend that much money - then start with a far less expensive stock example, then make the way You Want it. That way at least you will know what has been done and that it has been done right. FWIW, Carl B.

No welding experiences nor equipment No garage and no lift Won't and shouldn't spend thousands of dollars From what you have written - your option is to sell the car to someone that can and will fix it themselves. Rust is always far worse than you think at first..it gets worse as you uncover it... Cut your losses and dump the car. Don't put more money for anything else - into a rust bucket you can't fix. FWIW, Carl B.

Cancelled Orders - are a very common problem for all the sites that offer On-Line Ordering of Nissan Parts for 240Z's. All too often it is a hassle to get them to actually issue an off-setting Credit, for the charges on your Credit Card, after you have waited for weeks on "Back-Order", before they even cancel the order. In the mean time you are left "hoping" and "dreaming"... that you have found a source for NLA parts. Call your local Dealer Parts Dept, or Courtesy in Texas - if they can't get the Part you want - chances are great that none of the other On-Line Vendors will either. FWIW, Carl B.

Read this Thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/open-zcar-discussion/48392-affordable-chrome-plating-plastic-metal-parts.html As I recall it is $100.00 to have a pair re-chromed -that includes shipping. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Jonu: Search some of the more recent Threads related to the Unilite's. I would at least seem that the quality of the current product is far less than what they have been. Several people have complained about the Unilite's just dying suddenly - and shortly after being installed - It is possible that today - current owners of the newer production lots - would not recommend buying one. FWIW, Carl B.

The mountains in May are simply Beautiful! The resort setting for the Event is GREAT! I drove "the Tail" for it's scenic beauty at a very safe speed{several times during the week} - and enjoyed every minute. I may buy a cabin in that area - if I can find one I can afford. The only problem for me with ZDAZ, is limited rooms available at the Event Site itself..which means you have to book early.. I usually don't know if I can go or not until a week or so before the event.. and by then there is no place close to stay.. Nonetheless - it is a Must Attend Z Event... FWIW, Carl B.

What Brand and type was your original spare? I have a few up in the attic.. What did it cost to have the luggage straps restored - how did they turn out? Carl B.

I just went though a similar process. Looking for something that the Wife and I could enjoy in a more or less Classic Car or Special Interest Car. We really didn't want a "project" as much as something that was ready to drive and enjoy. Had to have: Modern A/C for Florida {her main objection to the 240Z} Convertible - she missed her last one... Sporty..to Sports/GT Classic Car Insurance The requirement for modern A/C pretty much ruled out most 40 year old sports cars. A retractable hardtop seemed to be the best of both worlds ie Convertible with good A/C. Mecerdes Benz SLK 230 Sport FWIW, Carl B.

Nice - looks like every picture of a Z was taken directly off the color charts, contributed by Michael Perdue on the Z Car Home Page. 70-78 Datsun Z Paint Code Gallery In the picture presented - the color looks closer to 903.. but it could just as easly be presented as a 115 car. You would have to see it in person. FWIW, Carl B.

In todays market - it is hard to find CASH buyers at anything much above the $14K to $16K range. Until you get into the serious collectors - but they want at least #2 condition, pure stock examples. What you have is a very nice "Enthusiast" car. One you could drive anywhere and take to local car shows, where the people are not Z Experts {so they wouldn't nit pick it to death}. Although the enthusiasts love the 240Z's - most won't or can't pay much above that $15K range. I agree that one could not most likely duplicate it for less than $20K - but most enthusiasts have $10K to $12K to start with - and they can over time put the additional $6K to $10k into their own car. They just can't plunk down $14K to $16K to start with. One could simply get lucky - and find a buyer that is replacing a totalled Z - when they have the insurance money to buy a finished car... It all depends on how long the owner can hold the car, now much effort is put into advertising it - and of course being lucky enough to reach the right buyer. Depends on one's personal situation as well - but $14K Cash in hand today - might be better than the hope of $16K in a few months. In the end - EBay might be your best method of reaching enough serious buyers, to actually get the car sold. BTW - you have done a great job with it.. FWIW, Carl B.

As they say in the Mafia - "it's just business - nothing personal". , Carl B.

Well it is at $27K now - still hasn't meet the reserve. Have either of you two guys gone to look at it yet? If it is ACTUALLY a 7K mile car - that has been maintained in road worthy condition and kept in proper storage - with absolutely NO damage of any kind... $27K would still be a bargain. Try to restore on to that condition and you'll spend a year or two and far more money than that. Looks like it might be a Survivor Class Winner.. IF IT CHECKS OUT... if it does - it might easily be a $35K car.. FWIW, Carl B.

Amazing... My Unilite has been running fine for 35+ years now. Maybe Mallory is buying cheap parts from suppliers in SEA now.. I switched to the Unilite because I got tired of having the Points wear slighty out of spec - then having the engine pop, spudder and break-up on a hard launch or above 5500 RPM. The only time my Z stopped dead - and refused to restart - was when the insulation on a wire from the Points wore off - and grounded the wire on the inside of the distributor. Nissan later added additional protective insulation to that wire.. Hope you get it sorted out.. FWIW, Carl B.

There are NHRA and I believe SCCA approved Fire Extinguisher Mounts for use in the car. Some have two straps to hold the extinguisher in place. You can usually get them from most Racing Supply businesses. It is a good idea... they can run $15.00 to $60.00.. In a car you want an easy method to "arm" the extinguisher - once you get it out of the bracket - you will want a large Pull Ring, that you can grab and pull OUT - for example to enable the trigger to be depressed. Secondly - most automotive fires in accidents are Fuel related. Electrical fires usually burn the wiring, and may ignite a paint fire, but it is the gasoline that is of most immediate concern.... So a good "B&C" rated extinguisher will handle most auto fires, and one filled with Baking Soda will do the least harm to other automotive components. With some ABC types - the damage done by the chemicals in the extinguisher can be worse than the damage done to the car by the fire. There are lots of really cheaply made "consumer" Fire Extinguishers on the market. Stick with the older or better known brands - and be willing to pay a few extra dollars for Quality. A good 2.5 lb extinguisher will cost around $40.00 to $60.00 {chrome maybe $70.00 to $90.00} Look for U.S. Coast Guard approval - these extinguishers are tested by UL for the Coast Guard to meet certain standards.. It is just one "check" for quality products. Third - find a local company that sells Fire Suppression Supplies - to your local Fire Departments. Then go pick an extinguisher up. Shipping some higher pressure extinguishers can get expensive. Secondly - you may need to have a good extinguisher - refilled, and in that case a local supplier is easier to deal with. FWIW, Carl B.

Just my personal opinion - the XJ-S is a beautifully styled automobile. Bank vault like is body rigidity, silky smooth on the road and whisper quite. A truly beautiful automobile - it is a shame it hadn't been built and sold by Toyota or Nissan. Great design but bad execution We loved ours until the typical electrical/electronics problems started to raise their ugly head - then there was that engine fire - that sent it to the scarp yard. If someone gave me an XJ-S, I'd build a "replica" of the Group 44 XJ-S { only with a Chevy v8 under the hood}... stunning!! FWIW, Carl B.

"Talking" - is what the whole project was about. Getting people to talk about the Z's and more importantly about the 370Z. The problem for Nissan is that as far as I can see - over 90% of the positive comments were about the Datsun 240Z and its Owner. FWIW, Carl B.

The Future... turbo diesels..

I think the owner of the 240Z got Sandbagged.... Should never have let "NISSAN's" Driver drive the 240Z. Did anyone really expect that a guy sponsored by NISSAN - would let the 370Z come in second to a 40 year old model. They should have had any current SCCA 240Z racer drive the 240Z. Seat time is important, and the Nissan Driver has had lots of it in the 370Z's... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Brian: I guess that pretty much covers the spectrum. A Green 70 Barn Find {deserves a full restoration}, the Yellow Street Mod {pretty much ready to drive} or the Blue numbers matching fully refreshed 71. I'd grab the Green 70 and just stick it away. Then buy the Yellow Street Mod with the L28 if it sells for a reasonable price - For about $16K you could have the best of both Z worlds. Five or ten years from now - if you did a Show Quality proper Restoration - the Series I Z would be a Classic Car to keep. In the mean time you could drive/auto-cross the Yellow Z. I'd like the Blue 71 a lot more - if the undercarriage had not been undercoated. If it was clean, rust free and original I'd like to see it kept that way. Nonetheless it looks like it could be very nice Z to own and enjoy..The modifications like Euro Bumpers, 260Z seats, somewhat incomplete engine {no air pump, part of an A/C system} Speakers cut in the door panels etc - all lower the value of the car at this point. But that might be a good thing for the Buyer.. decisions decisions.. FWIW, Carl B. FWIW, Carl B.

Same Color..

bacarl: If you are serious - you'll look for years trying to find a better "Project Car" at anywhere near that price, anywhere East of the Mississippi. Of course that is a "restorable" example - and you would have to be willing to put the time and dollars into it - easly to spend $20K+ along the way just "refreshing" it. Full and proper repaint {stripped down to a bare shell by you} perhaps $6500.00 to get the job done in a couple months. Full suspension rebuild, with the component parts stripped and painted etc. Good Shocks, brakes, all suspension bushings replaced andmaybe new springs for autocross... another $1000.00. Fresh valve job with minor head enhancements at least - and maybe a full rebuild. {scuffed the cylinders and wiped out the cam/rockers as they threw a battery in it and cranked it over - who knows?}. Ah heck have the whole thing rebuilt - $3500.00/$4500.00 depending..{L26 crank and an over-bore maybe}. Then new tires with some "grip" and wider wheels another $800.00 to $1000.00 {with mounting/balanceing and sales tax or shipping charges}. Rebuild the radiator and cooling lines. Add new starter, alt. distributor and rebuilt carbs.. another $1200.00. Drop the fuel tank and clean it out.. New carpet and a set of racing seats.. another grand.. And so it goes... don't start out thinking you can get the car they way you want it - for $10k, nor even $15K.. "refreshed" you'll have $20K and a lot of personal time in it.. Or you could start with something like this one -if the bidding doesn't go to high.. pretty much finished {but you would have to have it checked over before buying}.. EBay Item Number 161008859120 Datsun : Z-Series 2 door coupe in Datsun | eBay Motors FWIW, Carl B.