26th-Z

Hey ya, Z Babe! The horn pad on the left looks like 48410-E4600, but mine has a Datsun emblem in the middle. The pad on the right looks like N3500, but the parts book shows it with a Z logo. 7 - 73 is the change date.

Hi zman! No, you can't screw in new floor panels. They would need to be welded in. Replace your wheel cylinder. Replace or repair your exhaust leaks. Check the advance mechanism of your distributer and set the timing, adjust the valves, before you go messing with the carbs.

Will, Haven't had too much to say. The car went into park mode and I got on to some other things. The engine is rebuilt. I have also been working on the Vintage Z paper. A lot of time has gone into research and gathering information. I'm still on for a compendium at the national convention. I guess de-railing comes in many forms! It's time to shell out the $1,400 to have the car dipped and here goes the savings account. I'm going to try to do all the welding work in one shot, get the car to primer, and stand back to look at the finanaces. If we do well, I may get her green by the end of summer. That would be nice. I have two ways to go at the moment. It seems I found another welding "arrangement". The PLAN was to roll the car between my shop and the body shop - one building next to mine. "Beautiful-Body Rick" was going to weld with his equipment and I was going to grind, cut and fit. Rick and I have this scheme to spray the insides of the chassis with primer using long plastic wands on pump-up garden sprayers. Without any seam sealer in the car, the primer would just run all over the place, but everything would get covered. Then we would do the weld routine. This scheme was developed a long time ago and is why my shop is where it is. Rick won't take my car into his shop because he doesn't want it taking up space. Having the paint shop right around the corner is way convenient. The new scheme is to leave the car in Wauchula with Don. Dennis and Don bought the place while 26th was there. Don did contract work for the old owners and was involved with a rod shop in Largo. So Don moved his metal shop to Wauchula. Right now, he is working on a Pantera shell. Around Wednesday, I'm going over there for lunch and talk with Don. 26th should be dry and up on saw horses by then. It will be my first look at what metal really wasn't there. Fooled-ya!!! Ru-ust!!!! I know there are some serious issues and it becomes a matter of how much cutting and fitting I want to do. If all the little crap adds up to "lets just replace the floor" or "lets just replace the rail", then I might be inclined to leave 26th with Don. I'm already planning on rear dog legs and some rear wheel arch work. The best part of this deal is that they will dip the car again after all the welding work. Both guys charge the same hourly. Both guys invoice the same - labor and materials - monthly. One place I pay for the grinding and fitting and cutting. The other situation, I do it. Then there is the argument that I make money faster, sitting here drawing, than the welding shop spends it and that I am better served having the pros do it. We'll just have to see how bad the rust really was. It may cost me a bunch more, but I really like the idea of dipping the car after the welding work is finished. I guess its a matter of how right is doing it right? The down side to this is that I will not get to lay on my back underneath a car in the swealtering summer heat grinding away at a piece of metal I can't really see because my face mask is all fogged up and sweat is running in my eyes.

There's that famous Z look! Without the front bumper, kinda looks like a 350Z, huh? Nice paint job on the second Z, but I don't like the WHITE wheels. Cute little Porsche. Is the GT 500 a Hertz? Nice Cobra. Thanks for the pics. Looks like you had fun!

Hey Will, I'm so creamy with excitement, I can't stand it. Little miss 26 - finally - bare metal! ! ! Its been six damned months ! I have my work ahead. Here are some shots from last weekend when they were stripping her. There are some holes in the firewall to fill from the old A/C. The battery box area is just on the verge. I'll have better, really bare metal, pictures this week. Then the fun starts! You are probably right about the crack problems in the roof seam. I fixed 26th some ten years ago and so far...so good. No crack. With my luck, it will be the first thing that happens after the resto is complete. I totally agree with the price of tools issue. Shopping for tools is fun and Eastwood will always get you going! They have some cool stuff. Rust has definitely been my favorite color but its getting rather dated. And all the flaking is embarrassing. I'm going to get a kick out of bare metal. And POR? I just don't think its appropriate. I just don't like the stuff. I guess I should keep my mouth shut. I don't have some expertise, knowledge that convinces me the stuff is crap. I have no mission. I just don't like it. I'm skeptical.

S30 body shells have lead fill in the seam between the roof and the rear quarter. There is also lead fill at the base of the windshield posts. Those areas should never need attention, however the roof seam can crack. I just got a new Eastwood catalog and noted the couple of pages they have devoted to lead products. Their material products are 70% lead and 30% tin which have a "plastic" temperature range of around 100 degrees. They also have a lead-free material. They have the wooden paddles and of course, all the body files. I'll also opinionate that I think Eastwood is expensive, but I generally think their merchandise is first rate quality. Once you get into it, you'll find all kinds of products out there. Lead is a good material to use for finishing weld repair areas and areas where surface rust has pitted the metal badly. Where a straight body line is required, lead is in my opin, the way to go. Lead is filed smooth - never sand lead and protect yourself from the dust - always. I do not like POR. I think POR stands for "Previous Owner's Repair" and because this thread is entitled "Doing it Right", I'll voice my arrogant, purist attitude. Plastic body fillers with metal dust are right up there too. Doing it right means cutting out the rust area and welding in new metal. I like the look of painted metal.

Hey there! Eastwood sells plenty of body working / metal working videos. Very inspirational. At least you get the chance to watch someone explain what they are doing and why. Eastwood sells the tools and kits to get you started, if you want to learn. One of the first things you will learn, as I did, is that you don't fill holes with lead. You fill holes with metal. Lead is filler for seams and dimples, just like bondo is supposed to be used. After lead is placed, it is filed with a rasp as compared with sanding methods for bondo. One can easily see how bondo took over the market. Keep in mind though, that 240Zs have lead fill issues and thus makes it important for our brand of people to keep the knowledge going. Learn to work lead. Thank you

Alan hit the nail on the head concerning Zeitgeist of design in the middle sixties. Several cars look very similar. I don't subscribe to any theory that any of these cars had anything to do with Matsuo's design. Let me show you some pictures. First the common picture comparison including Alan's comment about the Ferrari. Then two pictures - a Maserati and Model C-3 - both from 1966. Matsuo conveyed to me how shocked he was to see the Maserati and how similar it was to the models he was working on. Finally, a Matsuo design sketch. Sure there are similarities, but that is pretty much where it ends. Matsuo was influenced, of course, as any designer would be. However, there is no historical basis to conclude a specific derivation. Matsuo was not involved in any of the R380 work that was going on at the time. He was working within an independent studio. There is historical basis to show how the unique design identity of the S30 evolved.

I'm glad you posted your comments, Alan. Many of the things you cited from the article didn't sound correct forcing me at pen-point to consult my Japanese literature. I was hoping you would see this and comment. Thanks.

Looks like a Nardi steering wheel? Very nice. I have heard that the "Datsun Griffin" logo is a complete fabrication. Does anyone know the history of this logo?

What is a shame about this particular item is that the box is torn and some of the kit has been assembled. I have seen similar kits, but not this one. Nice find!

Not really far off at all, Jim. If you study the development of the S30, you will eventually come to these cars and the racing program. "With the Prince merger confirmed, Nissan decided to cancel its own A680X sports racer project in favor of developing the Prince R380 still further"; Long, Datsun Z, 1998. This is Datsun's sports pedigree. For those who wish to surf, the photo gallery has quite a few pictures of these cars in the Nissan museum.

Thanks for sharing the article.

My parts books go up to December 1973 and, briefly looking, I don't see any reference. If overflow bottles were stock, they had a part number. The plate Banzai sells is an exact duplicate. The silk screen was made for the Vintage Z program.

I think we're going to get ncz headed in the right direction. That is a really good article, Camouflage. I'm real happy to finally post some progress pictures of Her Majesty. It's been 6 months! She looks a real mess at the moment. The pictures are after her second dip in a tank of paint stripper - similar stuff to paint stripper you buy at Home Depot. After most of the paint and undercoating is cleaned off, the babe dips in the electrolysis tank to have all her rust removed - inside and out. Its a three day process. I'll start a thread next week when she is completely bare. BTW, that's a Lady T-Bird sitting next to her in the spa. The dipping spa was also attended by some famous Countess Alfa Romeo.

I thought your answer was a little tame, Carl. According to me, if you buy the set of two, one side is free. Tell Charlie I sent you. And along with the "buy-one-floor-pan-in-June" special, a little pink welding elf is sent down from Santa's workshop to put it in place for you. Seriously, the metal from Zedd and Baddog is first class. So is the metal from TABCO. And speaking of metal panels and welding; here are a few of 26th taken today. They are somewhat pornographic as you can see the babe is stripping and somewhat in the bare metal. She should be completely bare and rust free in a week. I may pick her up and bring her home next weekend, but the company has sold since I left Her Majesty there last November and the new owners have set up a metal shop. The new guys are hot-rodders. I am considering leaving her for the metal work.

Here is a favorite reference http://datsunprojects.org/zpaintcodes/ I have the impression the 920 Safari Gold is one of the most common colors.

I have some Service Bulletin information about the names of colors and my best understanding is that these names apply to North American export models. 901 Silver Gray (metallic) - black interior 903 Universal Blue (metallic) - blue or black interior 904 Kilimanjaro White - blue or black interior 905 Monte Carlo Red - black interior 907 Racing Green - brown or black interior 918 New Sight Orange - black interior 919 Sunshine Yellow - black interior 920 Safari Gold - black interior This information is from early literature and does not include Patrick's number 112 paint color (Lime Yellow), but I thought I would post to let you know the proper (American) names for the early colors and that there is another yellow to consider.

Patrick, This is a BRE / Interpart front spoiler. Notice the difference in the shape of the duct. There should actually be a top piece that turns the duct into a tube for the brakes. I see you are having the same trouble with your stock Z that I have with mine. There are a few modifications that really make the Z look much better and perform better as well. The front spook / rear spoiler is one of them. The BRE style is classic and quite period correct. And the pieces are quite functional. Furthermore, the Japanese cars came with spooks and spoilers. So did the European exports. Consider that the front spook is worthless without the rear spoiler. If I were you, I would shop around for the exact pieces you want. You may decide to do nothing or you may decide on nitrous - I don't know. Anyhow, have fun. From all the pictures you have sent me and posted, I think the dash is original as well as everything else. Your new ride looks pretty cherry. Chris

Hello and welcome! You are not going to find a new correct dash easily. A used '72 dash is on eBay right now. But watch out for old dashes. The covering is brittle and fragile. The solution is to have your dash or a junk yard spare recovered. http://www.dashboardrestorations.com.au/index.htm MSA sells blue colored interior rivits and used to have vinyl interior kits. If Classic Datsun can't help, try Banzai Motorsports. Your visors were originally blue and the carpeting was black. Classic has the correct carpeting as well.

Congrats Patrick! Very pretty car.

Well...a judge could bust your balls for damned near anything Its one of those discretionary calls. And there are plenty of them. Do you use the larger diameter hydraulics or stick to the smaller diameter? Do you use worn but correct brake rotors or brand new incorrect ones? Rubber bushings or synthetic? Paint or powder coat? Do you intentionally try to duplicate the sloppy workmanship of the original build or the thin chrome? For that matter, when does rust become "patina"? This is a crazy game, eh? So far, my experience with judging cars has not led me to believe that anyone would get a deduction for incorrect balls. Let me finish my car(s), win gold, and I'll let you know what I got away with. :paranoid:

Her Majesty already has her balls taken care of. Not interested. This is a perfect example of the sort of thing the Vintage Z program faced. The 11mm size was replaced for a reason - think about it. The restorer is faced with the decision to keep the car dedicated original and inefficient or upgrading the service standard. What would you do? What would you rather buy if you were buying a restored car?

This book is on eBay right now. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4550027645 "All About Fairlady Z" is a soft cover, superior color quality book covering the history of Z cars. It is written in Japanese entirely. I highly recommend it and would love to discuss the text with someone. The book includes many historical pictures I have never seen, however there seems to be limited discussion about the export variants. Chapters cover major Z enthusiast events - Mad Mike is prominantly pictured and I even think I see a photo of Mr. B - Carl Beck The hstorical photos alone are worth the price. Two thumbs up recommendation from Her Majesty the 26th.

Confirm that, Marty. I e-mail with Keith quite often.