Carl Beck

Did "Euro" versions get the rubber trim on the bumpers? What we call the "Euro" bumper comes without the rubber trim, nor the holes to mount it. The car in the picture also has no Emblems of any kind.. Interesting as usual - thanks Kats, Carl B.

Thanks David!! I appreciate that... Carl B.

Hi Dan: I appreciate your looking... thanks. Most people do not realize that the quarter panel extends into the roof structure and is sandwiched between the inner and outer roof structural panels for strength. When you cut the old quarter off, at or just below the visible seam - then weld a new quarter back on there - you can wind up with a much weaker uni-body as the result of a poor butt joint weld. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Adrian: I sent you and Mark an e-mail message. So the two of you could connect directly. If you didn't get it - let me know. I did get a response from Mark, and he has reviewed this thread... perhaps sent you an PM. kind regards, Carl

Good for you!! Looks like a good job too. You didn't by chance take pictures of the area where the rear quarter panel, merges under the roof structure, over which the roof panel goes - did you? If so I'd love to have a copy. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Dave: Let's start with the Stock Front Spring. If you look at the Field Service Manual (FSM) you will see that the spring's Free Length is 15.5". ( I don't have a FMS for the 260Z - so I'll have to use figures that are guesstimates for this discussion). Your FSM will also list an "Installed Length" or "Installed height" - it will most likely be something like 8.72". Your FSM will also tell you how much weight is sitting on the spring, when the car is sitting on the ground. That will be something like 685 lbs. Your FSM will also tell you what the "Spring Rate" or "Spring Constant" is. It will tell you how many pounds of weight will compress the spring one inch. As a guess on the 260Z that spring constant will be around 101 lbs/in. (might be 112 lbs/in... but we'll use 101 for now). So if you have 685 lbs... divided by 101 lbs/in - the spring will be compressed 6.78 inches. 15.5 minus 6.78 = 8.72". ( this is just an example of how these numbers are arrived at) Now if you install a spring with a shorter Free Length to begin with - but one with a greater Spring Rate.. that same 685 lbs will not compress it as much per inch. So if you start with a spring that has a free length of 10.75" and you intend it to be 1" shorter than stock when installed.. your installed height would be 7.72" (rather than the stock 8.72"). 10.75" - 7.72 = 3.03" So you would need a spring that would compress only 3.03" with a weight of 685 lbs sitting on it. A spring rate of 226 lbs/in would get you there. (685 lbs divided by 226 lbs/in - Spring Constant = 3.03) Another thing to keep in mind is that a coil spring has a more or less constant rate of compression - once the spring is pre loaded and compressed to 80% of it's free length. So starting with a spring 10.75 in free length - then using it compressed to 7.72" will give you a pretty constant spring rate in use. The fact that the spring is loose with the tires off the ground - isn't a big deal really. What matters is that the spring is held in place with the weight of the car sitting on it. To have the spring shift - you would have to get the entire weight of the car off the spring, at the same time the shock rod is fully extended, and the wheel/tire is off the ground. Unless you are running high speed Pro Rally events and making long high jumps .. you aren't going to have the entire weight of the car off the spring... (if you are running Pro Rally events you have to have travel stops on the suspension to keep it from dropping down to full extension when the tires come off the ground). FWIW, Carl B.

Calipers usually freeze up when the car has been sitting for prolonged periods. Moisture gets into the brake fluid - and corrosion can form around the piston. Then when you step on the brakes, the piston extends, but will not retract. (far greater force is exerted to extend it by the hydraulics) First thing to try - flush the brake lines and caliper out with fresh brake fluid through the Master Cylinder. In effect bleed the brake until you get clean fresh fluid coming out. Drive the car and heat the brake caliper up. As the car is rolling about 40 mph or so - hit the brake pedal several times... Usually the caliper will free up. You can tell if a caliper is hanging up, if the car stops by itself when at a very slow roll. Likewise you can tell if the caliper is free again, because at a slow roll the car will keep rolling. If the above doesn't work... you can take the caliper off. Manually clean off the piston and clean the cylinder. Make sure there is no pitting from corrosion and check the rubber seal. "Usually" that's all it takes. If the piston or cylinder are pitted or scared - replace the caliper assembly. Or if you don't want to screw with it - just get a rebuilt caliper. They aren't an arm and leg... The "problem" you can run into is dealing with the flair nuts on the brake lines. Amazing how many of them are rounded of. Not a bad idea to change the rubber line at that point as well. They are inexpensive and they do crack with age. The other possible cause - is a front wheel bearing that is going out and that has seized up, or that has been over tightened. Put your hands on the tire at the 12:00 and 6:00 o'clock position - try pulling out and pushing in on the top and bottom - and see if there is any flex or movement in the assembly. There should be none.. good luck, Carl B.

Hi Adrian: Mark Belrose has HLS30 7940. It was an SCCA C-Production competition car. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL US http://ZHome.com

Interesting indeed. Have you ever seen so many candidates to vote for? We must have had 10 or 12 here!! I voted for the guy at the bottom of the list.... I thought he deserved to get at least one vote for all his trouble. FWIW, Carl B.

Not with you around Alan. By the way, how many 1969 production year JDM Z's were equipped with an A/T? For that matter how many before the introduction of the L24 there in Oct. 71? Back into your wheel Hamster....

Really.....? Wonder how I missed that fact..... Did you mean that A/T's were available "from day one", in the 240-Z's in Japan? That would put day one around Oct. of 1971 for the JDM 240-Z's, FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Gary: I believe Courtesy only had about 7 sets left. Actually - I worked with a Spring Manufacturer that Bryan had located, and who expressed an interest in working with us. Bryan was the one that initially drug me into this... We sat up a Group Buy for the Internet Z Car Club and the Classic Z Car Club, so that the cost of the springs could be held to something reasonable, considering the custom build order. Courtesy Nissan supported our effort, buy paying the manufacturer for the entire order. Then they collected the funds from the people that had agreed to buy sets in the Group Buy, and shipped the springs out to each individual involved. I talked an owner that had purchased an NOS set of Euro Spec. Springs on E-Bay - into reselling them to me, so we could be sure that the reproductions were accurate in every detail. Being a real Z Car Fan he was willing to sell the NOS set to me, and he purchased a set in the Group-Buy as well. (Z Car People Are the Best - Mark Graham). I provided the spring spec.'s to the manufacturer, as well as the correct paint codes, and I keep track of who was signed up for the Group Buy. As I recall, out of the original order for 40 sets (4 springs in a set), we had about 33 sets pre-sold, and Courtesy held the remaining sets in their inventory, for later retail sales. They didn't last long.... We did the same thing with US Spec. Stock springs. I mention all this because without the support of Courtesy Nissan's Parts Department - I doubt any of it would have happened. This represented a lot of time and effort on the part of the guys at Courtesy - and all for next to no real profit. One more reason to give them your Parts Business if your going to order parts on-line from anyone. http://www.courtesyparts.com FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Al: The Metallic Blue 240-Z that I bought new at the end of 1971 - first received some head work, a set of triple Webers, Nissan Cam Kit, Bilstein Gas Shocks, Nissan Comp. Headers with 2.25 exhaust system and turbo muffler. BRE Front/Rear anti-sway bars, BRE Front/Rear Spook/Spoiler and headlight covers.... that was followed by a Type-A 5spd. and 4.11 rear gear. Then around 77.... I pulled the L24 and replaced it with an L28. Bored, head work, Euro Pistons, Nissan Cam Kit, fully balanced, triple Webers... added a 77 5spd. and Torsen/Gleason Posi unit in a 4.11 R200 (by BSR). To say I love this car is an understatement. My son (now 35) and I have taken it on several longer road trips over the years. It's just a blast to drive and rock stable; the faster you go the better it holds the road. The problem was.... the longer I had the car, the greater my fear that some old lady in a Yellow 75 Caddy would take it out.... Either because she ran a red light, or because I was sitting still at a red light and she didn't stop... Happens here in Pinellas County all the time.... So I quite driving it much... I decided to simply buy another 72 240-Z to DRIVE. Around 1995 - I found a one owner car here in St. Petersburg, refreshed it and keep it basically STOCK. White/Red combination. Getting older now, I needed more support for my back and hips on longer road trips - so I took the stock seats out and replaced them with great seats from an Accura Integra. Because my main use of the car was going to be longer road trips - I added an 83 5spd. and left the stock rear end in. This gave me a highway cruise at 70/80 mph - with lower engine RPM and thus far less engine noise in the cabin. I added the BRE front Spook and headlight covers, new gas shocks, ARE Libra's and 195HR14 tires. AIR the car had just under 60K miles when I bought it... On our first road trip in the White Z - after about 5 hours into the trip - I ask my son if he noticed anything different about this trip.... He said; "YES, I was just about to ask you the same question." Both of us had noticed that on this trip, we could hear one another talk, we weren't traveling in the 90 to 100 mph range (which was all too often normal in the Blue Z), and we let people pass us if they wanted to go over 75/80 mph on the freeway... They would pass and give a thumbs up - and we would simply wave and let them go. (something we just couldn't do in the Blue Z - we just couldn't let anyone pass...;-). Where the Blue Z urges you to go just a little faster.. and faster.. and faster. Where it urges you to slow down to 70 mph, just so you can feel it rush up over 130mph... Where the Blue Z demands your total attention to driving... because your constantly at high velocities.... The White Z - allows you to enjoy the trip. The White Z allows you to enjoy the company of the person that is along with you because you can hear them and carry on a conversation .... because your total focus isn't on SPEED.. trying to catch that car ahead.. and blow by them.. Performance/Speed is addictive - just like any drug... the more you have, the more you use and then the more you want. L24 to L28 to Turbo L28 to Corvette Power... it never ends. Until one day you have some mind altering experience.... Like taking a basically stock Datsun 240-Z on a trip... and realizing just how wonderful a Sport/GT it was to begin with. Grand Touring.... a pure stock 240-Z will run all day and all night at 90+ mph if you want to... but it will give just as much driving pleasure at 70 mph. If you want performance - go buy a good body shell and drop a Corvette motor in - rework the entire suspension and brakes. Skip the half measures in between, in the end it will save you a lot of money. Not to mention preserving the value of your stock 240-Z. Planning on taking your wife on a longer road trip - leave the Z basically stock. Enjoy the trip with HER and you'll both want to do it again. It is really a pleasure to enjoy a Classic Car in it's original incarnation. Just my experience... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Gregg: Contact Inside Line Editor-in-Chief, Scott Oldham at: soldham@edmunds.com I do not have a phone number for him. FWIW, Carl B.

Sold at $37,100.00 About right for the condition of the car. Had it been properly stored and not been undercoated by the Dealer... it would most likely have been a $50K car. As it sits, it is going to need a lot of hours of detailing... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Sid: Looks like a very nice Z, that someone had taken care of. For parts - your best bet is to try your local Nissan Dealer's Parts Dept. first. Very few items in the aftermarket match the quality of OEM parts. Given your location, Motorsports Auto is close, and you should personally stop by there and meet the guys. See: http://zhome.com/PartsService/Vendor/Classifieds.htm Of course it is always good to find/join a local Z Car Club. You'll meet some great people and they are more than willing to help. http://www.zcciv.com/ You'll have to stop by the Datsun Heritage Museum, it's not too far from you - as I recall it's about due East from HB... See: http://DatsunHeritageMuseum.com You'll also want to have that Z insured on an Agreed Value Policy - with a Classic, Collectable and Special Interest speciality carrier. As long as you are not using it for daily transportation, and as long as you have a clean driving record... Many of us use the Hagerty Classic Car Insurance company.. listed in the Vendor List above, on the Z Car Home Page http://ZHome.com hope that helps get you started.. FWIW, Carl B.

Good luck... I think Marc intentionally dropped out of sight years ago. I'm surprised to see he has anything Z related left on the Net. FWIW, Carl B.

Details - Details - Give us Details!!! VIN? Engine Serial Number if known. Special Parts that were on the car - in case we see them advertised or at a flee market? Do you have better pictures of the Wheels/Tires? What specific CITY was the car in? They usually show up close to where they were. That's a real bummer... sorry to hear it. FWIW, Carl B.

What: Edmunds’ http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/ Inside Line and Nissan celebrate the all-new 370Z with a private coming-out party five days before its L.A. auto show world premiere. Bring a new or old Z if you have one, and come see and touch the new version with fellow enthusiasts. When: Saturday, November 15, 2008 4:00-8:00 P.M. PST Where: TBWA/Chiat Day 5353 Grosvenor Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066 Cost: Admission is free and Edmunds’ Inside Line will provide food and giveaways. Details: Edmunds’ Inside Line and Nissan are proud to announce a special roll-out of the all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z. This will be the first unveiling of the 370Z anywhere in the world. There will be three fully functioning 370Zs at the event, including two production vehicles and one test mule. And yes, you'll be able to sit in the car and poke around under the hood. Bring your new or old Z to display at the event, and spend the evening with other Z owners and enthusiasts. FWIW, Carl B.

Here is a picture of the BRE rear spoiler from late 71. As you can see it lacks the upright reinforcements on the front face, as shown on the Nissan part. There is also no provision for mounting the original deck lid emblems on the rear surface. I call it a "Nissan" rear spoiler because as I understand it - it was an optional accessory. Not standard on the 432Z's. The U.S. Parts Catalog lists about six different part numbers for the Nissan rear spoiler - but no notation is made for applied dates. Pictures of the 73 JDM models - show a rear spoiler that looks like the BRE spoiler, at least on the front face. The upright reinforcing ribs of the earlier style are no longer there, so Nissan must have also changed their original design. The Parts Catalog shows six studs mounted across the bottom, about equally spaced on the Nissan part. The BRE Spoiler uses two studs on each side, on the outer edges of the deck lid, plus to in the deck lid itself - which are reached via the two rubber drain plugs in the deck lid lower edge. Bryan - note that I did put rubber washers under the Studs. BRE ran their original design front spook in 1970 on the #46 C-Production car. Sometime in 1971 they changed to the MK-II design, put it on their #46 and #3 Z cars, and sold that model to the public. FWIW, Carl B.

Are you coming to the Fantasy Of Flight show Nov. 8 and 9? A few of us from the Tamba Bay area should be there. If the weather holds -I'll be there Sat. and Sunday. http://fantasyofflight.com FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL

Go ahead Bob... everything else will work out.... You can store it at the Datsun Heritage Museum for a while if need be... FWIW, Carl B.

The current owner has homes in both GA and Florida. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Mike: I'm not sure what Bob's VZ sold for... but two that changed hands recently via private sales, were well over $35K and one was over $40K... As these cars settle into private collections - it will be harder and harder to find one for sale - and when they do become available, they will more than likely find a willing buyer waiting... Wishing he'd bought it sooner rather than later.. At the same time - I think we all realize that with NOS parts, or period correct parts constantly going up in price, not to mention getting harder and harder to find - there will be fewer and fewer 240-Z's of any year that get properly restored. I could recommend this VZ at $39,500.00 to anyone that loves 240-Z's, and feel like I did them a favor if I talked them into buying it. Nissan did a great job on these cars and at least one has some idea of the extent and quality of the work done. FWIW, Carl B.

Yes.... The parts business of BRE became Interpart... and the guys that bought the BRE Parts business added other lines of performance equipment and accessories to expand the profit center. So for a time the BRE Parts business and Interpart were one and the same really. To my knowledge BRE never sold the Nissan Part, nor did they reproduce an exact copy. The BRE rear spoiler was built differently, and had a fully enclosed bottom. The only original Nissan spoilers I've seen pictures of - were open (not fully enclosed) on the bottom. I was looking for a picture of mine... but it looks like I'll have to take one on the car... The original BRE Spoiler Mounting instructions don't have any pictures either. The BRE Spoiler came with a foam rubber seal - that was supposed to go under the spoiler - I didn't put it on mine. I didn't want it holding moisture on the car - better to let the water run off. It also came with DATSUN and BRE decals... I didn't put either on. FWIW, Carl B.