26th-Z

Mike, The seats are all pretty much the same through the years. When you say the headrest design is different, do you mean the upholstery? Headrests are definitely oriented right and left, but the basic shape of them is constant. What does change is the hardware. The seats for my early cars do not flip forward or recline. They only adjust slightly via a round, hand turn knob on the inboard side. Now...you have a Fairlady and the seat hardware could be different from what was exported to America. I would doubt it, though. Have a look at Kats' site for some excellent pictures of seat restoration. http://www.geocities.jp/datsunz903/

Enrique, Over and over I see you post thorough, experienced, advice to various difficult problems and I want to express my recognition and thanks. Not just this thread, but countless others over the past couple of years; you have offered great advice which obviously takes some time to type up and convey. It doesn't go unoticed from me and I'm sure there are plenty who feel the same. Thanks Chris

I was planning to drive over to Sebring this weekend. Was looking forward to it all week. But I just have too much that needed to get done around the house...er, farm. You DO know that I am a part time citrus farmer, don't you? Seriously. I cleaned out only three of the trees and squeezed about six gallons of orange juice and another three of grapefruit juice. By the time I'm finished, I'll have coctail mix up to the 4th of July! This is the time of the year to prune the trees and fertilize. A farmer's work is never done, but the back yard is looking great. Please accept my applogies, Greg. I'll bet that red Z of yours looked pretty darned good in front!

I have to use lame excuse number 23 as I harvested the citrus crop this weekend. Sorry I missed it.

I think Troy beat you to the punch, Will. I haven't seen his tail lights, but he is advertising like hell on eBay. Do you have the same deal going with the same manufacturer? Try this place to get your chrome refinished. I haven't used them yet. http://www.cvvacuumplaters.com/ I would simply make a judgement call and say that if you don't include the reflectors, you may get arrested for violation of the Homeland Security Decree and you certainly won't pass "stock" at the car show. Reflectors are wholesome.

Its a concept, guys. A concept. It is NOT a car. Its a show piece. A concept.

Vicky, Remember Jimbo had that white '72 with the red interior and the red pinstiping? It was beautiful pinstriping, Gav. Hand painted. Not tape. I'm not real big on the chrome wheel arch accents, but a Z looks good in pinstriping and it is quite period correct. Very feminine. Chris

Yeah, I didn't mean anything bad, Zthing. I was just using, perhaps poorly, an expression of what I am very guilty of. May the gods of metal bendage and bondage grace the floor of your Z-car.

Zthing, I would be willing to bet that the reason everyone else charges more for Charlie's floor pans is because they ARE Charlie's floor pans! There is no better deal out there. My advice here would be that by the time you get through crapping around and spending time and money trying to make your own metal solution to your rust problems, you would be far better off buying the metal from Charlie. Believe me! There will still be plenty of bending and fitting to satisfy anyone! I just finished installing pans and rails in 26th. 27th will get the same and I am very satisfied. There is no question in my mind. This is the standard floor pan and frame rail repair solution. Chris

It is a little known legend that Dat's son ruled the Japanese sports car province with regal silver Z cars cast down from the silver cloud lining atop Mt. Fuji. Now, I would say that Japanese sports cars should be white with red accent, but the historical archives of Her Majesty the 26th show the final Z prototype cars painted silver. Perhaps silver was the designer's choice? You might say; "Chris! What about British Racing Green"? Well, BRG was a na-nana-boo-boo color chosen to snub the British car industry when the far superior Z car was introduced. There is no question that all Z car colors are beautiful, that the Z car looks great nude or painted, but silver is closest to nude metal and sexiest; conveying power and strength in the design.

Great job, Mark. If you get bitten by the show bug, think about bringing her to Florida in 2007!

Those are a different spoke design, Arne. Notice how the spoke comes into the rim on top of it rather than inside of it on the other set. Those center caps may be cast aluminum which would be nice. Typically new center caps like mine are chromed plastic.

I would like to point out that the intake and exhaust IS on the passenger side. These are right-hand drive cars and the American imports are backwards.

Yep! Frame rails and floor pans from Charlie Osborne at Zedd Findings.

Here is another picture I found of the same car - early 1970 with 23,000 original miles. Looks like painted hinges and black hinge torsion bars. There are a number of guys around with original, low mileage cars; especially the later models. Give Charlie Osborne a shout, or Mike McGinnis. They would know a lot more about the later models. Stock horns, by the way, are olive drab dark green, not black.

26th was not a good example as she has been painted a number of colors over the years. I should go out and check 27th but it has been so dark lately! I have to wait for the weekend. I have that same picture in my files, Ed. They were on a web site some years ago when I copied them for references. I think the hinges are supposed to be painted the color of the car. I have seen the plated ones and I don't know what the deal is there.

Sorry I missed your mention, Stephen. Looks interesting and I ordered one.

I sold two of them a year ago for $20 each and you should have heard the bitching! Wish I had not sold them.

Oh my! I didn't see this thread until now. All S30 chassis front radiator supports were brush painted flat / satin black. Now, I'm going out on a limb by saying that because I have come to learn that as soon as you establish something consistant about the S30, you find the exception. So except for the exceptions, the front of the radiator support is brush painted black. The picture you posted, Ed, is the car I associate with Harry Figg? - an exquisit over restoration. Here is a picture of the area from an early 1970 build with 23,000 original miles from the national convention.

Check out this web site. http://www.carcareonline.com/ I buy a lot of stuff from them. Highest regards. Chris

Thought I would pass this along from Dan Banks on the IZCC e-mail list. Hi everyone and Happy Holidays! During Nissan's earliest decades of the 1930s and 1940s, significant influence into design and engineering came from an American fellow named William Reagan Gorham. He is credited by David Halberstam, writing in his epic historical work on Ford and Nissan "The Reckoning," as the Technological Founder of Nissan and also responsible for leading the engineering on the very first Datsun automobiles circa 1932. William Gorham moved to Japan in 1918 with his wife and two sons and spent the rest of his life there. He took Japanese citizenship, changed his name to Katsundo Goahamu, and was reverentially buried in Japan upon his death in 1949. In 1950 a group of his closest associates wrote a book detailing his history in Japan. This book includes significant insights into the early automobile industry of Japan and also how Datsun and Nissan got their start. Only a limited number of Japanese language copies were ever produced, unfortunately making this important work inaccessible. Now, Gorham's surviving son, Don Cyril Gorham (who has his own amazing biography!) has completed a full translation of this book, entitled "William R. Gorham; An American Engineer in Japan." For those who would be interested in learning a bit more about Datsun and Nissan, the early Japanese automobile industry and this man's contribution to it, please go to www.lulu.com, a self-publishing website. Put "Gorham" in the search and you can use PAYPAL or your other chosen form of payment to obtain your 178-page copy to your door for about $15. I met with the 88 year old Don Gorham two weekends ago after his reunion trip to Japan. During that trip he met with an old colleague of his father's, Mr. K. and of course they talked about the book. There is considerable excitement now over this work finally becoming available to an English speaking audience and, again, all are encouraged to order a copy, which includes neat old pictures of early Datsun cars, engines, and engineering of the times. Best regards all, Dan Banks Historian, ZCCA Secretary, Z Car Club of Northern Virginia 1933 Datsun Fire Truck 33-27355 1971 Datsun 240Z HLS30-22155 (2/71) 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT (3/90) ZCCA Gold Medallion #15 2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab "Z Puller"

Pictures of center caps and lug nuts.

Hey Ben! Happy New Year! Those are of the design I like the best. Mine are painted centers and a polished rim. They look great and you are right; no one seems to know what they are. Ha! The real deal. If you want a knobbie when you drive, drive on Watanabe. The Buy-it-Now price is quite reasonable.