Carl Beck

Hi Bryan (everyone): There is no cutting of the transmission tunnel in the early cars - to install a 5spd. "IF": A. you find one of the Nissan Competition Shifters provided to put a Type B 5spd in an early car.(70/71) B. you bend your shifter to about the same profile as "A" above C. you put a Type "A" 5spd. in the car (with the Z bellhousing and tail shaft housing). FWIW, Carl

Project File: Like any major corporation, Nissan assigned Project File Numbers to most of their internal projects, primarily for accounting purposes. According to Brian Long, who spent quite a bit of time with Nissan's Historian in Japan, Mr. Hara, the Head of the Product Planning Department , assigned the project file name "Design Project Z" because "X" and "Y" had previously been assigned to earlier projects. As I understood it - Mr. Matsuo, the head of the Sports Car Styling Studio, had a department budget, and within that budget, he could spend his budget developing the various design/styling concepts he wanted. (with the overview of his Supervisor of course). Past "Styling Concepts" when a specific concept was approved for farther development, where significant funds would be expended on it - it got its own Project Number assigned by Mr. Hara and of course the funding required to proceed.. In his book, as Mr. Matsuo outlines his story of how the Z Car was designed and developed, he tell us that once Mr. Katayama selected Mr. Matsuo's "Plan A" Styling from among the alternatives presented at the end of 1967, - the Project finally started to move forward past Concept and Styling.. and Engineering was called in.. the Project got the "Z" application at that point and it just stuck with the car. Mr. Hara was the Director in charge of both the Styling Studio's and the Design Engineering Departments... So projects involving cross department funding were assigned Project Numbers by him. So I believe that the answer to your original question - what does Z stand for ?- would be it stood for the Project File Number for "Design Project Z". As far as the meaning of the letter "Z" to the Japanese... there seems to be several stories. FWIW, Carl B.

Check with a couple other Sign Companies... "Signs Now" here in Clearwater charged me $28.00 each for two static cling, vinyl signs - 24x24"... of the IZCC's three color Logo... actually it was Red and Blue ink on a white vinyl.... As I recall they charged me about $30.00 to take my .jpg image, convert it and blow it up to print. I wanted static cling, so I could easily install/remove them from the front fenders of the Z.. I would think that regular vinyl decals would cost less.. I'd keep checking with other sign companies... FWIW, Carl B.

There is nothing on the car that would indicate that it was an A/T - and I don't see any reason to keep the A/T in the car if you don't want it. I would go with the 5spd... instead of the 4 if I had a choice. The only reason to keep it an A/T that I can think of - would be if you had the original window sticker, bill of sale etc. that shows it as an A/T and you want to have the car match the paperwork for Show Purposes... But if you bought it to drive and enjoy - enjoy it the way you want it. 2400 valve cover - darn... there's a hole in that hypothesis... all the other one's reported the non-2400 valve covers.. thanks, Carl

Hi Mark: two questions - 1. Could you tell us the original engine serial number 2. Does it have the later valve cover - ie the one without the 2400 on it. We think that they introduced the later style valve covers with the introduction of the A/T The lowest VIN we have found so far that was an A/T is 08947. There seems to be a close grouping of A/T's at the beginning - 8958, 9062, 9290, 9591, and now 9603 were all A/T's and we haven't found any standard shift cars between them... Past that initial point - the A/T's seem to be spread out with lots of standard's between them. Looks like you picked up a very nice car.. I would also agree with the market value range stated. good luck... Carl B.

Sanity Check? The original rear deck lid glass was "clear" with no "defroster lines". - Right? Clear meaning no tint ?? If the objective is to keep the car faithful to "original" - then you need a clear glass with no defroster lines. Keep in eye on E-Bay, visit other Z Car sites and post "Wanted Ad.'s" etc etc - then pay what you have too. If you get a rear glass with defroster lines - then remove them.... aren't you still looking at "tinted glass" instead of clear? That buys you nothing in term of keeping "original"... If you are going to tint it anyway - it won't be faithful to "original" anyway... right? So what's the issue? Get a new rear glass - it will be tinted with defroster lines - then add window tinting film as dark as the lines... Hook up the Defroster - per the Factory TSB... and you'll have a car as delivered from a dealer - that might have preformed the job... now is that "original" or not? I don't know if following the Factory TSB's where modifications are directed - is considered "original" or not?? how it would be judged?? - But then you don't care about that anyway if your going to add tinting film. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hummmmm....... 1) You specifically ask about increased Horse Power 2) L28 with S.U.'s etc 3) exhaust done... 4) headers... 5) street cam 6) mentions that it may need rebuilt carb's.... $500.00 ........ ...... OK: Make an appointment to take the car to Atlanta.... get with a known good Z Shop ... Pay them to do a complete assessment and give you an ordered list of items that need to be addressed. They should have a chassis dyno - or at least have common access to one. For $500.00: a) you'll have a good baseline established for that engine - measured rear wheel HP at start - compression check - leak down test - fuel/air ratios at specific RPM levels - everything as far as "tune up items" checked for performance to spec. - engine timing curve documented (pull the distributor and measure/record it) - etc. etc. etc. now you'll know what to buy - or what to do to gain HP - in what order. Ask them to write it down for you. c) it might save you thousands of dollars that might have been spent on needless, useless "junk".. The alternative is to buy more needless or useless junk, and keep adding it at random in the hopes that something will work a miracle... That would be my best advice... good luck, Carl Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

If you have enough fuel pressure to fill the float bowls and keep them full while feeding the engine at 6.5K RPM - then I would think you have enough fuel pressure to get them there to begin with. Sudden acceleration/deceleration is one reason they are there to begin with. If you floored it - and it took off at once.. ..but later started bogging down.. then maybe you would have a fuel supply problem. The fact that you can get to 6.5K slowly and smoothly - might indicate that you have a problem with the damper fluid your using. If you floor it - and the vacuum slides respond too quickly - you'll be running too rich at that instant based on the vacuum demand from the engine... and we all know that a mixture that is too rich, not only costs you power, but money. I'd change the oil in the dampers first - observe how thick/thin it is now -then go just a bit thicker. If your not sure - try using 20wt. first as a base line. The second place to look, is the engine timing. Check the vacuum advance and check for vacuum leaks. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Kats: Most of the Dealers I knew at the time never were ask to replace the clear glass with the tinted glass and rear defroster. Keep in mind that by the time the 240-Z's started arriving at the dealerships, Nissan Motor In U.S.A. had close to 900 Authorized Datsun Dealers. They tried to get at least a couple cars out to every dealer.... so only a couple of 240-Z's with clear glass would have been delivered to any one dealer at the time. If any of them did remove and replace the clear hatch glass, they most likely threw the originals in the trash. The Dealers put aluminum wheels on almost every 240-Z before they sold them. That added additional profit to the car for them. At $3526.00 MSRP the dealers only had about $500.00 in profit to begin with. They paid on average about $20.00 for aluminum wheels then - and listed them at retail to the customers at $450.00.... thus adding $370.00 profit to the sale ! That was almost as much as they made selling the car. Body Side Protective Molding was also a very common extra cost equipment item added by the Dealers to most 240-Z's here. That cost them about $45.00 per car and they listed it for between $125.00 and $175.00. The original "take-off" steel wheels and hubcaps were first sent to the Part Department for storage. At first this was only a few cars, but as the supply of 240-Z's started coming on stronger.. original wheels and hub caps started piling up in the Dealers Parts Departments... and then when they took up too much room and there were no buyers for them - the Dealers simply threw the excess stock in the trash. In the Northern States, the Dealers were able to sell some of the stock steel wheels to customers that wanted/needed to mount winter tires. But that wasn't too many. No one wanted to buy those ugly hubcaps... not after they had seen a 240-Z with aluminum road wheels. Some customers did request that their hub caps be put in the cars prior to delivery - but the truth is most customers never even saw the original hub caps. By the time the Dealer was ready to deliver the car, they had already been removed and replaced the extra cost aluminum wheels. As late as 1985 several Dealers still had some in their warehouse as they had retained a few... but as time passed and more room was needed for newer parts that were being sold - the last of the OEM Take-Off's were also thrown in the Trash. This is a normal way of doing business - obsolete and non-selling parts get throw out, because the cost of shelf space to store them, exceeds their value. There isn't much demand for rear hatch glass here in the US - it doesn't seem to get broken very often. For a long time, if an owner had a broken rear hatch glass - they just went to the local junk yard and bought the entire rear deck lid The only people here in the States that want the clear hatch glass with no defroster wires - are people restoring the very early cars (prior to #1456) - and there aren't really that many of them, that don't have their original glass. On the US Spec. DATSUN 240-Z's after #1456 the tinted glass with the rear window defroster was standard equipment - so the customers had no option. Of course the tinted glass was a very useful standard equipment item because the hatch back design leads to a lot of heat in the car from the Sun. To keep the cars cooler, the after-market suppliers came up with the first rear window shade kits. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Alan: Ah... and just what would one mean - if they did use "S30" or "S30-series"? I've always found those terms to be meaningless, if not qualified with additional information. IF You Use "S30" would it mean: a) S30 unibody S30 Fairlady Z-L IF You Use "S30-series" would it mean: c) S30-series of First Generation Z's (70-78) d) S30-series of Nissan Fairlady Z-L's.. I certainly would not suggest that "S30" nor "S30-series" ever be used without the necessary additional information needed to to assign them an understandable meaning. Don't use 240-Z when you mean Fairlady Z-L. Or, don't use 240-Z when you mean "the first generation of Z cars. etc etc. Do attempt to understand statements within the context that they are intended. I think we could, and indeed should, drop the use of "S30" and "S30-series" as stand alone terms. By themselves, they are completely nondescriptive. Just use Fairlady Z-L, First Generation Z's, etc. That would be far less confusing for everyone. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Alan: I try to research the subjects and report in a summary fashion what which I find. Taken from sources that can be referenced, for everyone here to read. So far nothing would indicate that the Z Car was ever "Designed From The Beginning" to be a "family" of cars all of equal importance to Nissan Motors Ltd.... Nor do I believe that the history books will ever focus equally on all the variations of the core design - that core was the DATSUN 240Z according to the people that designed and built it. As usual - your replies are to statements taken out of context, or misquoted into statements I have not made. A good debate tactic, used to change the focus of the specific subject, but not very productive in terms of a discussion intended to pin down specifics and facts. If you would like to view the first generation of S30 Z's (70-78) in hindsight as a "family of variants" I certainly would have no problem with that. Personally I view them as variations to the original design, because my focus has been on attempting to find out not only who did actually design the car, but how that design came about, evolved and how it held its "design integrity" through the design to production transition. At issue here is your assertion that "from the beginning" Matsuo's design was for a "family" of models. According to him, he and his team turned out a very specific final design. One that fit a very extensive set of major design requirements, all encouraged by, driven by, and/or derived from Mr. Katayama and the American Market. While retaining Mr. Matsuo's overall styling concepts. I will do that. I will also ask him why everything he has written for publication, everything he has stated publicly - would seem to be at such odds with his personal conversations with you. From my research: The Story of the Z Car - is the story of how Nissan changed the Design Paradigm for the automotive world in 1970, with the design and development of the Datsun 240-Z. That change was all about designing specific models for specific targeted export markets, rather than modifying domestic models for export. Nissan certainly did make accommodations during the down stream engineering and production planning phase to the Export model - to allow for limited domestic sales. While "British Sports Cars" stayed very British, and "Italian Sports Cars" stayed very Italian; Nissan, Kawamata, Katayama and Matsuo - designed and then built a Sports/GT specifically for America, it was Sized for Americans, Powered for American driving needs, Luxuriously appointed to American expectations, designed to meet all US Regulations and priced to sell competitively in America - at great profit margins for Nissan. That change in automotive design philosophy is what put Nissan in the #1 Sales Position here - and put the English and Italians all but out of the market.. and indeed in many cases out of business. It wasn't a family of sports cars - it was a design that evolved over time with and ever more specific focus on American customers - the DATSUN 240-Z. Everything else after that, was simply a logical and rational spin-off from there. For the reasons stated above - I believe that the statement is a good way of summarizing what actually took place, and I see no need to change it. It was actually a way of getting people to read the rational behind it... and it seems to work pretty well. If I titled it "Changing The Design Paridigm"...I doubt it would grab much attention. FWIW, Carl

Not only a good baseline for later - if you don't have the rear checked, how would you know if something has worn out, gotten loose or even bent etc. You may not have to have the alignment "checked" every time on the rear if you are the only one driving the car - but it is a good idea to have it checked every so often and before you start to get uneven tire wear.. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi moompup: The quotes of mine related to Production of Right Hand Drive 240-Z's in 1969 - that Alan posted - were from 2003 (see thread referred to below)..... If you follow that thread, you will see that as the subject evolved over the years - I did in fact agree that it was possible cars before HS30 00004 were made - I also went on to explain that my main concern was to dispel the myth that existed in Australia that they had received any 69 Production 240-Z's. 4-02-06 Post #19 <a href=http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20843&page=2>http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20843&page=2</a> As the information gathered by Kats in Japan years later has shown - there were at least two Pre-Production or Production Prototypes built in 69.. ie HS30 00001 and 00002. We are still waiting to see if we can find some documentation on 00003 - which is shown in some Nissan Publications as being the first Production vehicle (released to the public). I belive that all the other quotes are on the money. This "family of cars from the beginning", "unanticipated demand", etc etc dribble - not only greatly distorts the actual design, development and production processes, it refutes the most significant accomplishments of the men involved and completely misses the most amazing aspect of this historic automobile. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Coy: Is your daughter going to be 16 this or next year - or is she going to be 36? Just how long from now did you plan to give it to her? If she's going to be 36 - fix the car up and give it to her. If she's going to be 16, keep the Z for yourself and get her a nice 1976 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, or maybe a 72-75 Buick Electra 225. Mass amounts of relatively inexpensive high quality steel - to surround her, and limit acceleration. ;-) At 16 she'll need lots of strong metal around her - and something that gets 8 mpg will greatly limit the mileage she can afford to drive if you make her pay for her own gas (and thus limit the exposure to driving hazards). Next best thing is a full size pick-up with a six cylinder engine... I'll have a Z for my daughter - but she's been working on the Z's with me since she was 8 years old. Today at 12 she can polish metal like a pro., she can rebuild and/or change the front ball joints - this summer we're working on doing front brakes... By the time she is 16, she will know how much work it took to refresh a Z... but even then, I'd only let her drive it with me in the car. After she has had five or six years of driving experience, and a couple of good professional drivers training courses (Boundrant /Skip Barber etc)... then she will be ready to have a 240-Z - without it killing her. I hate to say it - but girls between the ages of 14 and 21 are complete hair brains... a wreathing ball of emotions and greatly lacking the focused attention, for a span of time required to drive in todays world. at any rate - good luck Carl B. A son 36, a son 33 and a daughter 12 Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

HI Stephen (everyone): Anyone else know who owned HLS30 01455?... the last car to arrive without the defroster? I'll give you a hint - he wrote a book about the Z's.... FWIW, Carl B.

Thanks Mike That is very interesting and it explains why I can't find a list of Authorized Datsun Dealers. As you may know, Mr. K started here in the US with about the same set-up. Datsuns being handled by distributors, and he too recruited Gas Service Stations among some of the first Dealers. The difference is he started that process here in 1960..... and finished that year with something like 23 "Authorized Datsun Dealers".... by the end of 1973 he had built that into a Dealer Network with over 950, now very successful Datsun Dealers. It really is an amazing success story, supported by an even more amazing Corporate Strategic Plan, executed with boldness and precision... once the ball got rolling here. Not only in terms of sales, but the associated support - technical training, parts, transportation systems, capital investment, real estate accusations etc etc. Of course all along the way Toyota either lead or kept pretty close... thanks for the information.. Carl

Because today, just like yesterday - so many didn't want the A/T to begin with. About 12% of the 240-Z's sold in America were equipped with an A/T. In general, these cars were purchased when new - by drivers that wanted a good looking second car for the family, with lots of utility. Not really your typical Sports Car buyers at the time. Most of the A/T equipped cars were then driven with more care and lead an easier life so to speak, than the one's that were driven hard an put away wet by the Sports Car people... As a result, many of the 240-Z's that you find today with the A/T are in far better shape than average. They are however being purchased today by both Real Sports Car people - and buyers of Classic Cars. Both of these groups prefer the standard transmission, and feel it's worth the effort to buy a car in better condition with the A/T and then convert it. Thus most of the remaining A/T equipped cars are being converted today. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi moonpup (everyone): I'm sure that you must have been badly mislead, confused by the subversive writings of Mr. Kawamata, Mr. Katayama, and indeed Mr. Matsuo on this subject .. Just like 99% of the rest of the world. It's all been propaganda... marketing fluff... . We can't believe Mr. Matsuo when he documents his story of how the Z Car came about - - no, no, no... It has been deviously translated to fool the Americans. Nor indeed that pure marketeer Mr. Katayama.. (would you buy a used car from this man?) Some of the troubling facts of the matter that we simply have to get over include : In 1960 the first "Fair Lady" went on sale - built in Left-Hand-Drive only the SPL212. From 1960 though 1962 Nissan had built 695 sports cars and had exported 684 of them. Barely able to supply the huge Japanese Domestic Market with 11 sports cars!! In 1963 (starting Oct. 62)... the Fairlady 1500 (aka Datsun 1500 roadster), really put Nissan in the Sports Car business. With production of some 6533 units in 63 and 64, they Exported 3887. Supplying the now sports car hungry JDM with 2646 units. In 1965 as Mr. Matsuo took on his new assignment as Chief Of Design, for the Sports Car Styling Studio (staffed with a whapping 3 people)... Nissan Motors Ltd. built 4,066 Sports Cars.. of which 4,293 were exported. (so Domestic sales shrank to something like 673 units) By 1966 as Mr. Matsuo decided to change his approach, and focus instead on the US Regulations and Katayam'a suggestions .. Nissan built 6105 sports cars and exported 5,922 of them. (so Domestic sales were something like 193 units). It becomes very obvious that what Nissan really needed at this point - is complete family of sports cars to satisfy such huge domestic and world wide demand. In 1967 as Mr. Matsuo got Mr. Katayam's support for a new sports car for America, and the design evolved toward the car we know today as the Z Car. Nissan built 7622 sports cars and exported 6,714 of them (so Domestic Sales skyrocked to 948 units). By 1968 as Nissan readied the Z Car for America, with a planned production of 20.000 units per year, the JDM Sports Car Market consumed a whapping 991 units of the 13,690 produced. (where do you suppose they all went?) Based on selling 991 Sports Cars in Japan in 68 - makes you wonder why the Z was planned for initial production of 20,000 units per year ??? By the end of 1969 as Nissan put the Z Car into production.. uh as a "family of cars"... intended to sell broadly into that Japanese market, and oh, by the way sell as well into the "world export market "...da... the JDM demand for sports cars hit a total of 99 with the remaining 8,769 dumped overseas. Must have thrown a real scare into the market sales forecasters... can you see the panic on their faces? Oh yes - that "World Market"... please, someone tell us where in the world in 1970 did Nissan have more than 50 Authorized DATSUN DEALERS in any one country, other than the 750 here in America - - maybe Canada... Australia maybe??? (anyone have a List of Authorized DATSUN Dealers from 1970 for Australia? - I can only find a couple of distributes there in 1970.) So you see moonpup - we can't let the facts, nor the documented writings of the men involved confuse us. Can We??? FWIW, Carl B.

Hello Wizard... Let's go back to the beginning on this. First - if your throw-out bearing is making noise - that's nothing unusual. There is no reason that you can't drive the car with it making noise. If it is the throw-out bearing, it's mostly noisy when you have the clutch pedal to the floor. (clutch disengaged). Driven with some common sense, a Z will run several thousand miles with a noisy throw-out bearing. (I drove one back and forth across America that way). Second - If you want to know what year engine you have - look on the block, just below the #5 and #6 spark plugs - and tell us what the Engine Serial Number is.. it will begin with L28- if it's a 280Z or ZX engine. Third - You have reported conflicting information related to your trip to the Auto Parts Store. At Your Post #9 - you wrote that they needed to know if the kit was for 8/12 or the 9/12 width. Then at Your Post #12 you said they showed you kits for for like 81/2 and/or 91/2. A kit for "81/2" - would mean either a 1981 or 1982 280ZX and a kit for "91/2" would be for a 1991 or 1992 300ZX. That is hugely different than saying/writing 8/12 or 9/12. The bottom line is - you need to buy a clutch kit for a 75 though 83 280Z/ZX. They are all the same today. You can not use a clutch kit for a 91 nor 82 300ZX, nor a 280Z/ZX 2+2, nor a Turbo. (unless you find when you open it up - that the flywheel is indeed one out of a 2+2). Either you aren't paying close attention to what they are telling you at the Parts Store - or you are getting confused on the way home. Contrary to the general advice so far - I would not recommend that you attempt to change the throw-out bearing and clutch by yourself at this time. Based on the explanation of your present situation, and given your very limited mechanical experience, an attempt at this task would take you at least a week and maybe two - to successfully complete the job, if you had everything you needed in terms of tools and work area. You would need: 1. A good basic set of hand tools (including a good pipe wrench) 2. A Torque Wrench - and the knowledge to use it 3. A Good Hydraulic Jack - both to get the car up on the jack stands and to hold the transmission 4. 4 Good Large Jack Stands - tall enough to allow you to get under the car and drop the tranny. 5. Yes - the clutch alignment tool is a must 6. Something to drive back and forth to the Parts Store/Machine Shop to drop off and pick up the flywheel. 7. A drop light.. you'll be working far into the nights 8. The service manuals that show you how to do this job 9. Several days - during which you will be frantically and frustratingly Posting Panic Requests for HELP to this forum - and waiting on replies.... every step of the way. You would also need to know how to handle rusted nuts, bolts and possible broke studs. As you'll have to drop/move the exhaust system. How to bleed the clutch master and slave (if the slave pops a seal when removed). If you plan to drain the transmission fluid and then refill - you'll need the pipe wrenches mentioned above - if you have any hope of getting the fill plug out, and maybe a propane torch... Drive the car to work - save some money and have the job done. Or find the local Z Club in your area - and get some experienced help. FWIW - just my best advice... good luck Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Guys: With E-Bay you never know... but the seller said he's spent $25K so far.. and when you try to dump a "Project Car" you are lucky to get 50% of what you paid. So - what we have here - is a hybrid-Z with about $17K of new and otherwise hard to find parts - no longer a Stock example of the Fairlady.....and it doesn't sound like he still has the original L20 engine. The Ad says "Datsun Z-Series 240-Z", but it isn't. It's a Nissan Fairlady Z. People with serious money to spend usually don't want a Project... they buy finished examples, and when your talking twenty grand - that will buy some pretty nice finished examples. People willing and able to do the project themselves, usually don't want to put too much cash in up front - because they know they'll need to spend at least twice the selling price - to finish the car. They also know that when it's finished - it might be their dream Z - but no one else will want to pay what they did.... The market for Right Hand Drive cars here in the US is somewhat limited. Everyone likes to look at them, but very few people really want to own one - unless they have another Left Hand Drive car to drive, or unless they can pick one up for a song. While we see 29 bids from about 7 different bidders - we also see all but two of them drop out of the bidding at at $6,800.00. I really can't see the bidding on this going much over $12K... we'll have to wait and see... this might be the dream Z for the last two bidders - or one may still be waiting until the last seconds to bid... but we'll most likely see the individual parts brought back to E-Bay if the car does sell for anything over $12K. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Pretty easy to find used - and pretty easy to refinish them to as new condition. They are actually a composite wood fiber and fiberglass material - so you just sand them down lightly and refinish with varnish... Members here have documented the process... If someone here doesn't offer to sell you one - check E-Bay there are usually a few there. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Guys: 1. Yes - that is a very rare - Nissan Supplied and Dealer Installed hood scoop. Done only as a last resort to the cars with chronic operational problems... after all other "fixes" for the emissions carb.'s had been tired. 2. Rick - the Dealer would be fined heavily, and could lose their Dealer License if they removed or modified any emissions systems on cars they sold. So they aren't going to change the carb's on that car. The Federal laws apply to both the manufacturer and their Authorized Dealers.... 3. If the floorboards/undercarriage checks out to be truly rust free and damage free - $10K for that car would be a bargain today. Add up the cost of the bumpers, chrome/stainless/emblems etc, interior, engine detailing, new paint and you are over $10K now... the car is free. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

HI Steve (everyone) As per the earlier discussions on this subject - it would appear that the most common high pressure gas shocks - will in effect raise the rid height of a 240-Z between 1/2 to 3/4 inches. We had both the OEM US Spec. Springs and the Euro Spec. Stage I springs reproduced this past year, with the help of Courtesy Nissan. When people started reporting that their 240-Z's were sitting noticeably higher after installing the springs with new shocks... I had both the reproduction OEM U.S. Spec. and Euro Spec. springs measured for spring rate and free length by a professional racing shop (because they had the proper equipment to do it).... they were exactly the same as the NOS Nissan Springs used as the models. That same shop reported that when they measured the gas pressure shocks - they found that the shocks off loaded "about " 100 lbs from the springs. (I'd have to go back and look up the exact amounts). Just how long the newer gas pressure shocks will hold that rate, once they are in use is still to be determined. A couple of the people that have installed the Euro Spec Springs, simply cut a coil and half off them prior to installation - and they report that that the ride height of their Z's came out close to stock. The ride and handling were much improved. (of course you'd expect that with new springs and shocks compared to 30+ year old units). The set up's on my cars - are all older design spec.'s - and no longer available today. I have Bilstein Gas Shocks on my Blue 72 - I installed them around 1975 and they are still the best shocks I've ever had on 240-Z, that was used for both street and track. On the White 72 that I use mostly for longer road trips (GT use) - I have stock springs and the older gas pressure KYB's from about three years ago. They provide a nice "stock" feel. This car only has about 73K miles on it now - rides/drives like a new 240-Z. The older KYB's didn't see to have the "lift effect" that the newer one's do. Of course the BRE Baja Z had the Nissan Competition adjustable coil-overs, with gas pressure shocks. It sits about 2 1/2 inches higher than stock, and can be lowered to about 1/2 lower than stock. I think that today - if I were looking for a performance oriented setup for use both on the street and track.... I'd go with adjustable coil-overs. They offer the advantages of having many different spring rates available, adjustable ride height and more clearance for wider wheels/tires. The disadvantage is of course cost and the amount of work required. It would seem that our selection of more or less "stock" shock replacements is very limited at this point. But the Euro Spec. Springs do offer a bit firmer ride/handling, without being "bone jarring" - if that's what you want. Cutting a coil and half off their free length prior to installation with the newer higher gas pressure shocks is reported to be a pretty good compromise all things considered. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Guys: According to the Factory Spec.'s - you should have 6.34 inches between the ground, and the front frame rail - measured at the seam where the floorboard section meets the firewall section. Running 195HR70x14's that are pretty close to the original wheels/tires in diameter... If you measure from the bottom of the rocker-panel, where the half circle is cut out to indicate the front jacking point - you should have 8.5 inches. At the back of the rocker-panel, measured where the dog-leg meets the rocker - you should have 8.5 inches. If you do have the measurements above - and you measure the front wheel arch - the part of the innermost semicircle closest to the top of the tire - you should have 26 5/8's inches. On the rear wheel arch - you should have 26 1/2... As you can see - the 240-Z's had plenty of ground clearance to begin with... FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Chris: Thanks for letting us know. As Carl was IZCC Member #8648, and made Posts to our Z Car List - I'll let the subscribers there know as well. 54 is so young.... regards, Carl B.