26th-Z

Real nice article, Arne. Thanks.

Ok, ok, I was on my soap box when I saw that "matching numbers" thing. Carl hit the nail on the head. Don't get fooled by the eBay mumbo-jumbo. And as we have seen in past threads, the chassis numbers don't always match either! It does sound like it has some valuable parts, though. A 2400 valve cover is worth at least $100 these days.

What "lower engine cover"? Do you mean oil pan? Satin black with engine blue overspray. Do you mean timing chain cover? Natural aluminum with engine blue overspray.

Do you guys know what "matching numbers" means? Do you guys know what numbers to look for and where? Yea, the number on the dash matches the number on the shock tower. SO WHAT! Does that mean the car is matching numbers? NO! The automobile VIN number shown on the dash plate, shock tower plate, and (in our case American import) driver's door jamb plate, have to match the VIN stamped in the firewall. The engine serial number stamped on the shock tower plate has to match the serial number stamped on the engine block. That is "matching numbers". If you say that the engine is not the original engine, (for whatever reason you say that) then the car is not matching numbers. Whew!

Yes, 919 yellow. May I suggest that now that we know the real name Safari Gold, that we use it instead of mustard? I believe that the records Nissan kept of colors and production numbers have been destroyed. We will never know. Safari Gold is quite common around here. http://zhome.com/History/ZColorGallary/index.html

Hey! Nice thread! Yes, one can get infected with this "collection" disease. Carl pointed it out to me last night, in fact. I agree with him about the first two cars. Very nice early example 240Zs should be going in the $18 to $25 range. Have a look at the difference in photographic quality between the two cars. That's one reason for the wide difference in price. The car you guys are discussing now isn't worth more than $1500 IMO. Provided the rust is under control. The pictures are deceiving - no rear shots - and I would always recommend one looks at a car before purchasing it. (Although I didn't) Depending on what the restoration plan is, a full strip and "stock" rebuild will run in the $30k range for a car that will probably be worth it by the time it is finished. Not my taste in wheels either.

I don't get it. Original what? Bring your car back to stock? Those wheels aren't stock! They're "Slots".

Yea, the S130 wheels are much more "iron cross" than the "Black Pearl" wheels. I have heard them called that also. Whatever they are, they are pretty.

Just a few days remaining until The Florida Z Association – The Rights of Spring Autocross / Solo – April 22nd in Gainesville, Florida. Fifty cars are scheduled to take the track, a .65 mile driver training course – part of the NHRA Gainesville “Gatornationals” Raceway. The event is open to prepared and street machines; competing in four different Z classes for first in class and fastest time of the day. Come race with us! Tune your machine and driving skills with the best Z-cars and Z-drivers Florida has to offer. Registration is still open and you can read all about it as well as register on-line at the FZA website http://www.flza.com/fza/index.jsp I notice we have some non-Z cars registered by some of us whom we might refer to as “Z impaired”. That’s Ok! Mail-in registration is now closed, however the PDF information files (including a map) are still up at the web page of Her Majesty the 26th http://home.earthlink.net/~cwenzel/index.html We made the decision last night to not limit the event. If we get 53 cars or so, we can handle it. In other words, if you wait until the last minute and show up Saturday morning with $50, I won’t turn you away! How’s that!?!!! The gates open at 8:00 am for registration and the driver’s meeting will start around 9ish. Feel free to bring coolers, chairs, canopies, whatever makes you comfortable - sunscreen! Motel rooms around Gainesville are in very short supply, however we plan to gather at Bill Coffey’s Friday evening for a little tech and talk – 3862 NW 37th Street – if you can make it. It looks like some of the new FZA goodies will be available and I understand we will have event t-shirts! Someone asked if he could bring parts to sell / swap and I plan to load up a box myself! Sure! Come join the fun! Don’t want to race, but can’t miss the fun? Join us for the day of Z-car talk and discuss our plans for the upcoming 2006 ZCCA international convention in Dallas and the 2007 ZCCA convention. Hope to see you there! Questions? Write to Rights of Spring cwenzel@earthlink.net. Chris

Mr. Badmood is struggling today. I said; "I call these..." Thank you for posting a wheel that you call by the same name. Very interesting. Actually, the wheel in question as well as the S130 wheel doesn't have a name other than "road wheel". So there! I'm still correct!

North American import models had rear quarter red indicators. All models have front indicators.

I didn't realize this was some sort of mystery wheel. I call these "Iron Cross" wheels. 40300-N3225 and N3227

No need to ask about the silver jump suit. I just sent her an e-mail and asked her out. I was just thinking the landscape had a California feel to it. The optional wheel lists as E4200 compared to my version E4600. Huh!

Learn something new every day! A friend of mine said he found some "Z" hub centers that fit on the D cap. Check this out. The catalog indicates that the D center excludes Europe. Do you have Ds or Zs over there, Alan? 40300-E4400 Assy-Road Wheel- 5Jx14 40300-E4600 Assy-Road Wheel- 5-1/2Jx14 (steel) Optional Oh BTW, where is the background for that KS wheel advertisement?

Huh?! I'll have to get my slots out and have a look. Thanks, Alan for jumping in on the KS wheels. I didn't want this wheel thing to stay confined to the American shores (much less Southern California) without at least some mention of what was actually available. I have that R&T issue. I'll have to go have a look.

Ronnie, I think those are the first pictures I have seen of 913th and I am delighted to see she is 907 green with that godaweful butterscotch interior! Welcome to the club! You gotta either love pumpkins or....! Humble's book is a great biblical text and I'll mention probably the most important thing he says; "make a restoration plan". Make some decisions about what you want to do. Figure your time and finances and tailor your expected results to your estimation of what needs to be done. Every last one of those decisions can be changed, but for now, you made committed decisions. Make yourself a plan. Decide what you want the car to be when you are finished and what you are going to do with it when you are finished. That is my one highest recommendation. Another good text is a series of articles that were in the old ZCar magazine by Bill Reagan about the restoration of #2545 - a 1995 Gold Medallion winner. Those articles were published in a spiral-bound notebook. I don't know if it is still in print. I see them on eBay every now and then. I would start asking around in your local Z club. What I believe about low serial numbered cars is that they need to be stock to achieve the highest dollar value. Every now and then, I see a choice car sell for $30,000 and higher. They are usually low mile originals, but I see some Vintage Zs and an occasional restoration reach those levels. Let's face it. An original is going to be worth more, but the way I figure it, my cars will be worth what I have in them when they are finished. My time excluded. I think there is no question that if you adhere to stock in a low number car, you won't loose money. I believe that a stock restoration low numbered car will be worth shockingly large numbers in five years. Stock, however, is only a description for the direction of the restoration. Really, my cars for instance, are restored. The perceived value is in the quality of restoration. I plan to make some tasteful period modifications to my restoration of 26th because I plan to drive her. 27th is intended as a show car and will get most of the real correct stuff. I have some nifty authentic parts that weren't on American imports and some nice wheels for 26th. But other than that, she is stock correct to November 1969 with the exception of restoration materials like paint, primer, sealer, etc. with the vast majority of her parts restored rather than replaced. 27th will be real stock with emissions and 'D' hubcaps and the braided hoses. 27th will also require the most replacement parts of the two. My progress is directly related to my monthly allowance from my income. Time is not a priority - so far, it has been three years but so what. While I wait to save up money, I do Z research, read Z books, and go to Z car shows. I originally budgeted $7,500 per year for four or five years, but I have not reached that nor have I pushed for that. I bought 27th out of that budget. 26th will be driven aggressively at club functions. 27th will be shown and rarely driven. I imagine the cars will be sold some day - hopefully as a pair. That, is essentially my plan. It is based on a belief, a budget, and an expected outcome. The plan changed drastically midstream when I bought 27th, but the basics remained the same. And I guess the only other important thing to mention is that it is your car and you can do anything you like. Have fun. Chris

The wheels on 26th in that picture are Japanese spun aluminum 14x6. They were the wheels originally installed by the dealer and they are commonly referred to as "Slots". The black and silver wheel I posted is the orignal steel wheel from 26th. The 'D' hubcaps I posted are actually the later version of the "D" hubcap. Notice on the back, the many closely spaced tabs for gripping the wheel. Earlier versions of this hub cap had less tabs and they were more widely spaced. They had a tendency to fall off. And one comment about the slang being used: "Mag" is short for magnesium, a common material used for casting wheels - very light weight - and not the best of terms to use for commonly discssing wheels. Now, the Japanese cars did not get "D" hubcaps because they were not Datsuns. They got this hubcap. The Japanese option wheel originally available was manufacured for Nissan by Kobe Seiko. Here is a racing version in magnesium. You will commonly see this optional wheel style (in aluminum) on the PS30 / Z432.

Standard wheel and standard D hubcap for American imports up to around 7/71

Thanks Alan, I looked and looked for those pages. Was really perplexed that I could not find them!?

Is this what you are looking for?

Correctest for me is semi-gloss black with engine blue overspray. I have seen Vintage Zs with engine blue. http://zhome.com/Concourz/

Your topic has been mulled around before, sakijo. HS30-H chimes in on that discussion. From what I have read and a couple of conversations with a couple of different people, I am led to believe that the records have been destroyed. I know the cars had what we would call a build sheet - I have seen one - but for the most part, any specific recording of the manufacturing date is unheard of. So we banter back and forth about different ideas. Is it at the time the build sheet was made, or is it when the car rolls out the assembly room door?

Read about it last night. http://allafrica.com/stories/200604120824.html My respects, Chris

Here is the rear dog-leg portion of the rocker I cut out of 26th after she was dipped and all the rust removed. This is a metal patch repair that was done in 1990 and the filler was lead. Point being, that if you don't do it right, it makes no difference between bondo and lead. Lead repair is a dying breed. Lead is poisonous. There really isn't any need to use lead these days. Best of luck finding a body shop, I will tell you that I interviewed six or seven shops before I found the guy I am working with. I hear horror stories night and day about body shops and feel so lucky to have the shop I have. Frankly, if you want a really nice job, go to a restoration shop. Body shops make their money on fast collision work. Restoration shops are more geared for the type of work you may be looking for. Yes, they are far more expensive, but the cost of the hassle and bad feelings is far greater. See if you can't find a shop that will let you do the grunt work. You'll save a few bucks, learn something in the process, and get far better results from your own motivation to take your free time and do it right. Probably the worst thing you can do is drop your car off and hope someone knows what kind of results you expect. Chris

Kats, The original coat hook design made it to 26th and 27th. I know 16th and 19th have the same. It might be fun to see how many cars got these. Pininfarina was probably the top automotive design studio of the day. I know Mr. Matsuo has deep respect for their work. I have this 8-track which requires a separate amplifier. I have never found anyone who knows about it. The unit is brand new and I will take some pictures of it. The box is only slightly tattered, eh? Thanks for the scans! It gave me memories of our visit in Long Beach and I had to pull out the pictures! Chris