Carl Beck

Are we forgetting that California, Oregan and Washington are also close to the oceanROFL FWIW, Carl

Hi nwa240z: Thanks for your reply. You have a pretty original car and so far no other has turned up with the same Series Number. So you are most likely in pretty good shape. Likewise "scarab153" plus he has some documentation to accompany his. I'll state right up front that I'm no expert on the Scarab's - indeed I have only a very limited knowledge of the cars. I applaud Mike's efforts to gather together as much information as possible and make it publicly available here. Thanks to you and scarab153 for contributing to that knowledge base in this thread. It is a shame that an effort to publicly document and register these cars wasn't started years ago. It would have been of benefit to all owners, as well as sellers and buyers alike. If you and Craig believe that there were two cars given the same series number by Brian, and you believe that the car on e-bay really was produced/modified by Scarab, then that's the best information you can provide to a prospective buyer. I do believe that it should be preceded by "In My Opinion" or "Based On My Research I Believe...". The main reason for public discussion on this forum, is for the benefit of prospective buyers. The Pro's and Con's of any car are usually fully discussed - and the prospective buyers, if they are here, can make their own decisions. My opinions are simply based on 40+ years in the Classic, Collectable and Special Interest markets. If I wanted a Scarab, I'd want it as original as possible and with as much documented history as possible. {Tigers, Corsa's, Pontiac GTO's, Fuelie Corvettes, LS-6 Chevells you name it and you'll find plenty of fakes in the market}. Buyer Beware - anyone that wants a real "whatever" - I believe is best advised to buy "whatever" when it is fully correct, with a documented history. Lacking that, the closer one can get to that standard the better the bet with one's money. Personally if i wanted a Scarab, I'd keep looking for one, I can't see getting involved with any car with a controversial background nor one that has been so extensively modified to begin with. As you said - we'll have to let the market determine what that specific car is worth. I would hate to see it set the benchmark for the value of Scarab's. FWIW, Carl B.

Hello jtmader: In five years the price you paid for the Z's you mention - will look like an absolute bargain. In addition to that, if you go shopping five years from now - you'd be looking for a year or more to find any for For Sale in like condition. Some of the old saying prove true over time - "You can't pay too much for a really great car, nor too little for anything less." FWIW, Carl B.

IHMO - the only way the seller on E-Bay can prove it is not a fake - is to display the original bill of sale, and other Scarab Documentation that would have come with the car. It is presented as being a 2 owner car - so the documentation should be available if it is not a fake. For collector cars - if any question exists - the documentation rules. FWIW, Carl B.

The question is, "was it ever a Scarab?". The blue Z on E-bay is presented as being a two owner car - were you the first or second owner? I'm wondering why you believe it is a Scarab - when so many things say it is not. FWIW, Carl B.

If one owner has all the original documentation showing #153's purchase and the car is still "correct". That is Scarab #153. If another owner has a car with the correct badges, same Scarab number - wrong engine mounting position, wrong front spoiler, and NO ORIGINAL FACTORY DOCUMENTATION showning that the car was produced on that date and later sold by Scarab - then all he has is a HybridZ with a STORY TO TELL.... At best he has a SCARAB Replica... Is is a mistake to assume that the Scarab facility made any mistakes on their numbering - when they bothered to number their cars to begin with.. FWIW, Carl B.

Is a coil spring, with "0" clearance between the coils really a "spring" or is it just a "coil of spring steel". Is it possible that someone has heated these springs, to let them collapse? Maybe to lower the ride height? ??????? Carl B.

Hi Kats: Where would we see Mr. Matsuo's Letter ? Did you mean to include it in your Post? FWIW, Carl B.

Seller Says "has about 140K miles" The $19K car had closer to 60K - and the engine and engine compartment were fully refreshed (Cad Plating, paint etc)... This car really should sell in California in the range of $14K to $16K = IF everything stands up to the description. Looks like a slight dent in the front bumper... and one would want to see if the paint is of high quality.. etc etc.. A nice one owner car... Cars like this were selling for $5K or less ten years ago.. FWIW, Carl B.

We may never know - but I do know that the highest price paid for a stock, all original, very low mileage example of a Datsun 240-Z that I have seen, was paid for a White 72 with Red interior a couple years ago. I personally happen to favor the White 72's with Red interior - here in Florida it's hard to beat owning and caring for a white car. My personal all time favorite is of course the 72/73 Metallic Blue with white interior. Honestly I believe we are past the point where color matters as much as the overall condition of the car. FWIW, Carl B.

I just received the nicest call from Andy Girasek in Tampa. Andy said he had purchased a Blue 71 Z from the same man that had Bill Jones car a few months ago - and he was trying to make arrangements to go get the Silver car... but got busy, put it off for another week etc...... Andy had called the previous owner today - only to find out that we had already picked it up over the weekend!! Andy said he was at first a little upset that the owner didn't call and tell him there was another person interested in the Z - in which case Andy would have shot him up a check or whatever to finalize the deal. Then when the previous owner said the car was going back to it's original owner Andy said he didn't feel as bad about losing the car... and was happy to hear it was going back to Bill. Andy ran "Just Z's" in Tampa for 20+ years and is a super Z mechanic. Very little he hasn't seen and fixed a hundred times or more on the 240-Z's... Super nice guy and he just called to say hello and share war stories... I guess this deal was just meant to be... FWIW, Carl B.

Courtesy Nissan Richardson(Dallas), Texas E-Mail To: "Courtesy Nisssan, Inc." sales@courtesyparts.com Web Site: Order On-line At: http://www.courtesyparts.com Call Toll Free To Order: 1-800-527-1909 Toll Free FAX: 1-800-382-7891 Open: M-F 7:00AM-7:00PM CST, Sat. 7:00AM -3:00PM CST

Really? How many miles are on this one?

E-Bay scam perhaps???

The one currently for sale on E-Bay is in California... -Carl B.

Hi Mike: The PO said he bought the car from the "EX"-wife of the previous owner, when she got it as part of a divorce settlement. He had been working in Washington State at the time - 2001. Then he was transferred or moved to Georgia. He had purchased a couple of 240-Z's in Washington State with the intention of "refreshing" them with his son. One car - a blue 72 - was sold to a person that was moving from the North East to Tampa Florida. So that car is there now... His son left for some reason - I'm not sure what happened there - and his health declined.. so all work on the Z's stopped. He never bothered to transfer the title, nor register the car for road use - as it wasn't done... From what little documentation that was in the car - it appears that the person that bought it in 1984 had it until he lost it to his ex... and she sold it in 2002. FWIW, Carl B.

Vintage Racer - Started this adventure with his Introduction "Atlanta guy needs 240Z help" http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31340 I replied that given the VIN - I could tell him if it was a 1970 Series I or 1971 Series II vehicle. Doc. replied with; HLS30 30855. JUMP BACK......!! I know that Z !! So I contacted Doc - and he wanted to see Galaxybj {aka Bill Jones} get his car back just as much as I did. Doc connected me with a friend of his that lived in the area, Bill Whitten was also most willing to help, so I took him up on his offer. I called my son Carl jr. and ask him if he was ready for another road trip to pick up another Z in Georgia... {the last time a one day trip turned into a five day adventure!!). I told him that we would take a trailer and pick the car up - instead of trying to drive it back! When I told Carl jr that it was Bill Jones old Z - he agreed to go along (knowing that he's be doing most of the heavy lifting)!! In the mean time - Bill W. had a friend of his - Jim - take some digital pictures of the car and e-mail them to me, so I could verify the VIN. When Carl jr. and I were there to pick up the car - we found out that Jim was a man that used to work with Carl jr. here in Clearwater!! Amazing!!... Long story short - Bill J's - car is now sitting in my garage waiting to be picked up for transport to New Mexico..... You did say that you'd give most anything... right Bill?? See: http://zhome.com/Carl/BJ71Z/FindingAnOldFriend1.htm FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Paul: Good for you!! I hope you enjoy the Tiger. You do realize that there well be only a few people that will know the joys of owning one. We took my wifes 1991 Thunderbird Super Coupe to a Ford Meet in Tampa a couple years ago just for fun (it has 9K miles on it). Out of a couple hundred Mustangs, twenty or so Early Birds - I think there were three Tiger's there. Everyone was wondering why Sunbeams were there... Most people didn't have a clue, until an owner opened the hood for them... Just go easy on the starts, easy on the clutch and easy on the brakes - something a college roommate never did learn - we worked on his Tiger more than he drove it. have fun... Carl B.

Someone has/had this - either on this sight - or on E-Bay. From the Canadan Sales Brochure.. FWIW, Carl B.

Interesting perspective. It is the fault of the customer that something intended to be used for sport or fun happened to require maintenance uncommon to the automotive market in which they lived. Instead of damming the darkness of automotive abuse in America, the Japanese light a candle. They design and built cars that could not only survive the ugly Americans mistreatment, they thrived on it. For Nissan's part, when they realized that their domestic models were not up to the riggers of life in the fast lane here in the U.S.A - they didn't keep sending the same failures. They redesigned and upgraded their products based on their target customers requirements. It's all sour grapes for the British and Italians of the day. The DATSUN line of small cars, pick-up's and sports cars evolved as necessary to survive in this market - the result was a line of vehicles delivered to their customers in America that took everything their American owners threw at them, and which are still on the roads in great numbers today - taking even more. The word reliability is a watch word for the Datsun 240-Z, and it's a joke for British and Italian Sports Cars. There is a sound reason for that situation, and it isn't to found with stupid owners. With enough care and coddling it is possible to keep a Yugo or Vega running, but why bother!! FWIW, Carl B.

If anyone would like a 79 280ZX 2+2 with 6K miles... let me know - $20K for an all Black Beauty. FWIW, Carl B.

The "B" pillar is actually the frame for the quarter window = there really isn't a "b" pillar in the sense of the word as being a pillar of strength. Anyone that has lifted a striped body - has found out that the rear half of the shell is about three times as heavy as the front.. Suspended at that point in roof - they would have to have a brace running to the rear bumper mounting points - to hold the body level... FWIW, Carl B.

I don' know how many people here get Classic Motorsports Magazine... but there is an interesting report about America's "British Reliability Run" The event will take place in three States - Sept. 27-28. Each will be 800 miles long. Now here is the kicker.... "Rag Tops and Roadsters" is sponsoring the Pennsylvania trip, and they will also be providing roadside assistance in the form of a well stocked van, plus an empty enclosed trailer".... - The whole story fits this thread to a "T" doesn't it? Road-side assistance, well stocked van's and an enclosed trailer - - for an 800 mile trip!! The picture shows MGB, Triumph Spitfire and GT... we are not talking about early 50's cars here.... All this to "prove" the reliability of the British cars..... I guess it is a challenge to get one of these to actually run 800 miles without needed a trailer to haul it home... Just too funny... FWIW, Carl B.

Are you looking for a 69 or 70 production year Z to Vintage Race? Or are you looking for a driver that can be set up for weekend duty?

Oh.. didn't notice that... the seller should accept the high bid... lets hope he had the reserve at $10K...