Carl Beck

Most States I've lived in - reassign a new VIN, to replace the original - for one reason - the Car was reported as a Total Loss by an insurance company, and sent to Salvage. In which case the Title is surrendered back to the State. If the car is then rebuilt out of the junk yard and other parts - - It is assigned a Rebuilt or Reconstructed VIN and a new matching title. Here in Florida for example - the new VIN is the same as the original - only preceded by FLA. HLS30 2323 for example would become FLAHLS30 2323. This is to assure any new owners is aware that the car had a Salvage Title. @87mj - - - that would be the Legal Route for you. Apply for a "Salvage Title"- because in effect you are reconstructing a Z out of different parts, that the factory never put together in the first place.

The Owner should try to get it into Pebble Beach 2018. No doubt it should be shown at Monterey for the Historics Week.. Beautiful job all around and the work is well documented. Should sell for above $60K at Amelia pretty easily .. but I doubt the original owner would part with it. (and he shouldn't). Carl B.

Just my personal involvement/prespective: I was working as a New Car Sales Manager for a DATSUN Dealership in 1972. So received all the DATSUN PR Photo's and Press Releases. Happened to keep the one about the 50 OMS Duplicates sold in Southern California to promote the California 500 & DATSUN. Started looking for any one of them, in about the mid 80's. Yes, as a huge fan of Peter Brock and BRE, as well as the DATSUN 240Z - I was hoping to find one in its "as sold" condition. That was when I started asking everyone "on-line" if anyone knew of one that I could buy. As I recall the original owner of this car responded by EMail - saying he had one, but had repainted it - got tired of the attention it drew as he got older. Then a few years later I heard from the person he sold it to ( personal friend of the owner).. as the new owners plan was to put it back in its OMS livery.. As sometimes happens, one people get into a project and find out how much it costs.. they are forced to live within a their budget.. so it doesn't alway turn out the way they dreamed. I'm not in any way trying to support a $50K price - although I would love to see it. That would put a greater market value on all Datsun History.. I do however believe this car matters and hope someone will do it justice. FWIW, Carl

From the same Web Site/Page: (Quote) After completing its official duties, the 1972 OMS Pace Car was purchased by Joel Anderson from the Datsun Competition Dept. for $1.00 and Joel picked it up at Sears Point from Bob Bondurant in 1979. Joel was Frank Leary's Crew Chief and later became a fellow competitor. Joel and Frank shared a shop together in Santa Clara for years. Joel was one of the competitors at Atlanta when Frank won the American Road Race Of Champions in 1978. The OMS Pace Car was later prepared for competition in IMSA's GT-U Class. Pictured Below: Now more highly modified for IMSA GT-U duty, the former OMS Pace car was campaigned by Anderson in black livery wearing #49 show here at Laguna Seca.(END Quote) Joel and I have communicated frequently over the years - but I never thought to ask him exactly what BRE did in preparing the OMS Pace car for track duty. The Z in its #49 Livery from its IMSA days - is still ran at the Monterey Historic's... although in a far more race prepared configuration from IMSA. The Pace Cars and the Duplicates were BRE Blue... it was a DuPont color called "Big Bad Blue".. and they had the BRE livery.. the Photo's then digitized for Internet - can be somewhat misleading - depending on the lighting and old film processing etc. FWIW, Carl Edit - oh wanted to add - these were more specifically - all 1972 White 240Z's with Red interiors. (helps narrow down the field a bit).

As I have followed this cars reported history over the years - then its sale - and its initial refresh; the graphics "0's" and stripes initially reapplied - they were pretty poorly done.( ie. not to scale etc.) So it doesn't surprise me that they were either removed or painted over subsequently. The car presents better without them, even if incomplete. The Ad does say it a Condition 3 example...even if it is a Low Condition #3 at this point. Nonetheless - A Japanese Sports Car Pacing a traditional American Indy Car Race it is an interesting part of the 240Z's History and I believe this car should be actually restored properly - to preserve that history. Like most Special Interest Cars, an interesting history or well founded story add some value for many Collectors - just how high the premium for that value is - only the market can tell.

There is no documentation for that - since it is incorrect to begin with. On the other hand, if we are taking about a claim that this was one of the original 50 Duplicates - its known and reported owner history over time - helps to support the claim. Sanding down careful to see if the original OMS livery is there helps as well, common practice when trying to authenticate a cars history. There is no huge premium involved - asking price aide - it's a Dealer. Granted it is no where close to a $50K example..

I don't see that Claim made in the Ad. Perhaps because I understand that 50 OMS Pace Car Duplicates were sold to the Public - they are saying that this is one of the original 50.

Hi For vehicles manufactured in 1969 and early 1970, California CARB was the only requirement for gasoline vapor recovery on cars sold in California. Of course at that time California was the single largest market for Datsun in the USA as well. The Federal EPA was expected to follow California's lead in this area - and it did sometime the following year (1970). So from a production perspective it made sense to make gasoline vapor recovery standard equipment on all Datsun 240Z's at some point. Nonetheless, any 240Z's not equipped with gasoline vapor recovery systems - could have been legally sold in States outside California. Interesting side note: The early 1970 Factory Service Manual - Chassis and Body - On page FE-4, Figure FE-9 (a picture of the fuel tank) is noted: "Fuel Tank For California" - and is shown with the Evap. Recovery System. "A reservoir as shown in FIG FE-9 is provided so as to relief expansion and bubbles due to heating (for California, USA). The Service Manual only identified HLS30-U as being for USA/Canada. FWIW, Carl B.

I think most of us cringe when we see the newer “replacement parts” in the automotive aftermarket - for our original L24 fuel pumps. You know the one’s that look like tin cans! Well it seems that GMB has a pretty good looking replacement that has a more original appearance. Most of you may already know - they have sold a ton of them! Just in case you haven’t been shopping EBay….. Prices on EBay seem to be in the $31.00 to $34.00 range - $13.43 PLUS $17.81 Shipping for example. I ordered 3 and shipping charge was adjusted to $22.84 total. So $13.43+$7.62= $21.05. Others are price higher initially, but with lower Shipping costs.. so shop, shop.. Most likely worth picking up a spare while you can - that at least looks correct. E Bay Item Number: 161900004682 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mechanical-Fuel-Pump-GMB-550-8040-fits-70-73-Nissan-240Z-2-4L-L6-/161900004682?fits=Make%3ADatsun|Model%3A240Z&hash=item25b1fe054a:g:MOwAAOSwKytZMhTp

Hi Kats: My first 240Z - HLS30 01777 -purchased in March of 1970 - did not have the Clamp on the steering rack. It was Dealer Installed - as I recall - sometime around Nov./ Dec. of 1970. I had taken the Z back to the Dealer because the shocks were leaking again. They installed the Clamp at that time and pointed it out to me. Even before that time we knew the steering rack was too loosely mounted - you could feel it in the steering wheel. The steering rack had a lot of play (movement) in its original rubber mounts. You could feel this during hard driving - on an Auto-X course for example. At the time, the cure was to place a section of Lead tire weights - the type used to balance aluminum wheels - thin strips of lead with two sided stick-on adhesive - on top of the rubber rack isolators - and then clamp everything down firmly. This tightened up the steering response. This having already been done - I never noticed any difference with or without that Clamp installed. If I had to guess - the Clamp and Bumper was just a way to limit the amount of travel the Rack had in the soft rubber mounts. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Steve: Since the Convention for 2018 is going to be held in a much cooler month - I'll make every effort to have the BRE Baja Z there. Time to take it back to the engine shop there, to have it checked and retuned etc. anyway. I think you must mean - Randy is trying to line up the Blue 240Z - Yes/No? The #3 C-Production Z was Blue/White. Carl B.

Hi Mike: Different Collector - same area. You are correct #238 went through two or three owners, in a couple different States - along the way to were it is now.

Hi Mike: I thought you had #237, #238 was in a Collection in GA. FWIW, Carl

Hello drpchuyny - - Great to see that amazing 69 production year 240Z - went to someone that greatly appreciates it. Good to see you here as well. It is perhaps the most complete and original 69 production Z's I've seen in many years. Most not already restored, have been very badly neglected and missing many many original parts. I think you are way ahead of the game on this one. Please do keep us updated on the progress.. FWIW, Carl B.

You mentioned Vise Grips... This is the only type of Vise Grip I've ever been able to get flair nuts out of the exhaust manifold with. Soaked them with Kroil for a couple days - then heated the manifold glowing red hot (acetylene gas torch) - locked these vise grips on the flair nut - and smacked them with a big brass hammer. unscrewed them all - but even so, as you mention the threads on the flair nuts were so messed up, they weren't useable. I now have three sizes of these in the tool box..for flair nuts. The only thing better than a good Snap-On flair nut wrench. http://www.irwin.com/tools/locking-tools/the-original-locking-wrenches Wonder job - fun to watch it take form..

Wonderful work.. great to see the progress. Sorry to say that the block paint is WAY TO DARK (looks like a Royal Blue). The block paint should be closer to the blue on that Oil Filter. 70/71 Z's had a bit more green in the Nissan Blue used then, and it was a bit darker - for 72+ Nissan Blue was actually a lighter blue with less green undertones. The Blue on the original block is a bit faded - but much much closer to what it should be. I'd find a more accurate color.. that dark blue is going to look completely out of place on a restored 72... FWIW, Carl B.

As I recall - the rear wheel cylinders were a different size - with the Ventirated Type.. 1978 Sports Option -

Looking GREAT - that Z deserves a very high end Paint Job.. Can't wait to see it.. Carl B.

If the car you are talking about is a 1973 240Z - CONDITION is 90% of the Value, followed by Location. If the location was the same, then the selling price would be the same. The difference would be in how long it would take to find a buyer. Or the difference might be how easily a buyer could convince you the A/T hurts the value, so you would sell it for less. 10 years ago the A/T might have hurt its value ... today - mostly original, well cared for, pretty clean - - cleaned, detailed and properly presented...the low end seems to be $18K no matter the transmission. Personally - it depends on how much you want to spend swapping it out to a 5spd.. That is money you won't recover as it really won't increase the value of the car. As Chuck mentioned - money spent on proper improvements like reupholstery for the seats etc - is money that you might at least get some of it back. FWIW, Carl B.

Great Progress - great work on an amazing 240Z.. Carl B.

Great Progress... looking good! That Z is so clean compared to 90% of them... Carl B.

Hello Kats! The Video on YouTube is much better - thanks for putting it there. Your photographs are stunning - keep them coming. Carl B.

This just in from Sports Car Market - A good write-up on the 70-78 Z's - 77 280Z - Original Paint, 87K miles, all original car - Metallic Brown - $44K. Their analysis is that 240Z's are pushing the $50K range.. So maybe I'm a little low on my estimate.. $35K reserve perhaps.. A Super Samuri sold in the UK for $61,240.00 as well. FWIW, Carl B.

May be this will help... the Pads are different widths for the Solid vs Vented Rotors. I have the vented rotors on the BRE Z - with American LeMans 14x7's.. no problem with clearance.

The Hagerty and other Classic, Collectible and Special Interest Value Guides - are all based on Pure Stock examples. As they left either the Factory or the Show Room Floor. If the subject vehicle isn’t pure Stock - the values there really don’t directly apply. They do however give us one benchmark to consider, but in general any modifications or variations reduce the market values. (of course we can all quote exceptions to any/all rules). If this 240Z had actually been Restored to Concours Quality #1/#2 standards - $45K to $55K today and sold to a private collector pretty quickly. As nice and beautiful as it is.. it is still a high end Enthusiast 240Z (Condition #3).. reach the right buyer that loves the Metallic Brown, loves the one previous owner status along with the original documents… it should bring $25K to $30K fairly quickly. It is in a good market area - Lexington is an easy reach from most of the Central and Eastern population. Start with a one owner 73 always garage kept and well cared for..with relatively low mileage (less than 100K), rust free body in very presentable condition - easy $18K to $21K.. then add a couple years work and another $30K to completely refresh it - you might be able to duplicate this one. $25K to $30K would be a bargain. I believe more people are starting to realize it at this point. I wouldn’t be afraid to put it on BAT with a reserve of $30K… I'll run it by a few people I know.. see if there is any interest .. good luck, Carl B. Oh... AGREED - good photos sell 240Z's - get it up on a lift and get good undercarriage photos.. very important..