hls30.com

TomoHawk, The GTO will be back in the pipeline after the 240Z is finished, and I plan on entering both of the cars together in shows-more of a Dr. Jekyl.Mr. Hyde than Primadona and Zwolf, but similar. BTW, having seriously modified adn beautifully done Zs in a show with Bone Stock also serves to grow interest, much like the synergy between Hybrid Z and this club, but the build quality and fit/finish must be first rate! I have amassed several things to go into the GTO it to make it more Ferrariesque (More Real GTO parts, Tripple webbers, several z parts modified to look like Ferrari Parts, etc...) People who "dig" Ferraris will come over to see the GTO(and make sure it isn't what it looks like) and get to see the real car underneath in the 240Z(Ok, the GTO is a '77 280Z underneath...with an L28ET) Will PS Bonzi-are you sure that isn't the "to and from trailer" motivation for the British cars...

TomoHawk, You are missing a serious part of the equation. As ZULAYTR said, the key is getting the cars seen. In having the cars at any show and having them accompanied by an enthusiastic and well informed owner, the cars will become more popular, along that vein, When was the last time you saw any of the cars in the Amelia Island Concours Album in my gallery live and in person? In all likelihood you might have seen a few, but most you probably have either never seen in person, or have seen only at a high end show. How popular is the brown Packard pictured earlier in the thread? How may gold medallion Zs could you buy with what it would sell for? A car does not have to be popular to be valuable, it simply has to be valued by at least two people with more money than sense! Getting the cars seen by and creating interest in the people with serious automotive budgets is what will drive the values up in a big way, just as they have for the Muscle cars. Carl has exercised a healthy budget in his car, and Racing expenses aside, I am sure Ron has a good starter house or two in his. Look at the writeups in the car magazines, a few are on cars that just happen to be lucked into, but most are about cars that are enthusiastically and habitually shown. Will it take time, sure, but the more enthusiastic Z owners that enter their cars in any and every show available the less time it will take(given the cars are show worthy). Serious Value is a popularity contest, but only within a comparatively small group of people. Will

if by "bell tops" you mean round tops, order Ztherapys Carb video and ods are you will have the right tool. Better still, swap out your crabs for a set done by Zthrepay...the seat of your pants won't recognize the car! Will

Don't forget an ice pick and a magnet! Will

Yes they will-I have one of those on the red 240Z in my gallery. Will http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=14319

There I have to disagree with you. My local Z club has been invited to participate at this years Hilton Head Concours as the First Japanese representation. http://www.hhiconcours.com/ My '72 is registered for this show, and we have several others models of Z registered as well. Though the blurb does not spell out we will be there, we will. Add to that Carls invitation to the Amelia Island Concours, and his showing at the St. Pete Speed Show, and there will be Zs in "The" most prestigious South East coast shows starting this year! This years Amelia Island show was said to surpass the Pebble Beach show by everyone I spoke with that had gone to both. Will

Tomohawk, I don't know the last(or the first) time I said "Sweet" I really enjoy looking at cars. The effort involved is what gets me. I will admit the design in older cars attracts me more to them than most newer cars, and I would expect an older car to last longer than a newer car(other than paint). On of the strange things to me is that Amelia Island had around 30 MGs, Several examples of the same models, and yet the only Japanese car I remember was the BRE 510. Every direct competitior of the Z back in the day was well represented, but No Z. Carls car will be there next year, and I hope that some of our Gold Medaillon winners and more of the Historic Zs will register for an invitation for the following year-that would make for a great car show! Will

Other than the headlight treatment, it grows on you...or... me. Will

No way that is a 2000 mile car... That is a parts car, looking at the tops of the frame rails tells me I probably don't want to see their bottoms. Here in Georgia if it were down the street, and everything was as the pictures lead me to believe(depending on the "extra" parts), I would take a couple hundred dollars-maybe up to $500(depending on the condition of the removed parts and exactly what the "other parts are). Will

Welcome to the club! Look for someone to try to get there before you! seriously, 1) Look for a camera to take and post some pictures so we can see what you have found and give you pertinent Intel. 2) Look for Rust, Frame Damage and a clear title! 3) Look for every hose and fluid system to have to be completly gone through, all rubber to need replacement, and parts to be missing. 4) Look for a bargain! Will

Sorry, with the new info, locked motor, it would not be a case of bringing a trailer and stopping by on the way home. That's what happens when enthusiasm and assumption meet and bar good sense from entering! I wouldn't haul a car anywhere unless I got a great buy on it, or it needed nothing. Will

All of these assume that there is plentiful refreshment, and relief available, in the form of snacks, seating, and well maintained restrooms! Will

As a judge I enjoy a car show when there is ample time to do the judging. I like to look at the cars twice, once as a whole, to see the range of the field, and once individually, to find the devil in the details. I write down what I took points for and why. I feel that as a judge I am supposed to share the info that cost an entrant points so the car can be better for next year. Talking to the entrants at the show is a double edged sword, some know how to question and learn/educate. Others will offer no proof of their points and expect to bully a point back by determination. Talking to an owner about a point reduction can be a terrific or a terrible experience, but more often memorable than not leads to a "No good deed goes unpunished" experience. Will

When Entered in a show, I enjoy two things more than anything else. First the opportunity to go around and see all of the cars and meet the other entrants before the show actually starts. I like to have my car ready, and to go, look, look, and see before the show opens to be able to talk to the owners and see the cars before the spectators get there-it is usually the only chance an entrant gets to see everything and everyone, and if done early, the best photos will be right before the show. One note there, the owners should be identified with a picture of their entrant on their name tag/badge that way as you wander you can actually find the roaming owner of the cars you are really interested in finding out about. Second hanging out by my car and sharing info, stories, parts sources. It is nice to be singled out for the job you did by an experienced judge-or group thereof, but I would rather have a conversation about the car than a prize, everyone who stops to talk about your car is giving you something better than a $30 mantle cover-though there is nothing wrong whit being awarded one. I won't dispute points-unless I have proof, but I would rather get their reaction to what I did with my car-though ultimately I built it to my standards. Will

I have never been to a car show I didn't enjoy. Granted some have been more fun than others. The least enjoyable one I have gone to was in Charleston a year or so ago. It simply was not laid out well-hard to get to spectator parking, and all vehicle traffic had to drive right through the middle of the show. That said, it was still a good time. As a spectator, The very first thing I do is run through and get tons of pictures. A a spectator, the kind of show I like is determined more by the owners of the cars displayed than the people putting on the show. When a show has owners that stay with their car(s) to talk to the people who have come out to take a look that makes a show to me as a spectator. At smaller shows this is the normal approach, at most larger shows this is a rarity. At Amelia Island, I ran into only six owners(not talking sellers) who were at or in their cars, beaming at the chance to talk about the car! Many of the cars there had enthusiasts hovering, waiting to see who would show up, some had salesmen hawking to anyone that cot within 100 yards, and a few had models paid to look pretty and share what little they knew about the cars There was one older woman owner-absolutely radiant about having her car at Amelia Island, she was dressed in period attire, and though she probably didn't perform the restoration of her car, it was obvious she was there every day asking questions, making sure her car was finished to meet her love for it. I talked to her at length, and when I went to take pictures of her car, she started to get up and move. When she did, I told her the only thing more beautiful than a glorious picture of her car would be a glorious picture of her car with her in it. That was one of the best moments I have had at a car show., and this is the picture.

John, I've been meaning to talk to you about that... You are supposed to WATCH the G-string bikini contests, not enter to win! Will

I won't tell you, but if you give me the owners name I'll pull the trailer by your house on the way home... Will(that's a yes)

Mike, There is this neat tool the owner of this site gave all of us....called "search"..... It is a good thing that having my tongue in my cheek(and not one of the two I am sitting on) doesn't affect my typing! Z content....Nissan never released a "Datsun" key for the Z(no reference to it in any parts book-78), but I have seen a dealer issued key that did have the Datsun Logo on it-matching their License tag frame, dealer tag, and dealer emblem. I'll hunt for a picture-it was all a collection of dealership tie-ins Will

Welcome to the club. I have a Tank from a '72 that I can photograph and measure for you tomorrow, Will

Nor could you see the devilment in my eyes as I posted my reply! well, all but the key part... Will

I have been called worse-something to the effect of and "old man with no understanding of the "new fangled" 350z" leaps to mind! I have no issues with being called any of the above, though "Bill" and "Mr. Stokes" are my father... Back to content... These are the keys I have to make Dies from. Also pictured is a new ignition cyl. with two new style replacement keys. I have several sets of these if anyone has a need, and I bought them from a locksmith who was going through his "old" inventory and was parring down. I have both keyways of the oval key, One side is NOS out of a lock set for an early car,and Not pictured is a second complete NOS lock set I bought from a member who posted them available on a thread here, as I recall he had several sets, and some of us got lucky for around $200...wait, that sounds wrong somehow... Will

The top piece is turned under the top of the underlying piece. I believe Distinctive Industries makes the kits that everyone sells. Will

Mike, and everyone else I apologize for flaming defining actions that I found detrimental and offensive. It was not my intention to make maters worse, but I see that is clearly exactly what they did. I apologize for hijacking the thread, and pushing it somewhere with only marginal Z content. While my intentions were good, they were not a necessary and productive addition to a thread, forum, or this club-and I should have recognized that before posting. William Stokes

I don't think you'll find that at a car lot 'round here! Will