26th-Z

If I understand it correctly, a "poker run" involves stopping at certain points to obtain a game piece as part of the "fun rallye". The "game piece" can really be anything from a playing card to a puzzle solving clue to rallye directions; depending on how the fun rallye is set up. I didn't do the rallye at Daytona, but I heard it was fun. Fred and I won the rallye in Dallas after managing to get lost a couple of times. We got so lost in Syracuse that we just stopped and went to a couple of junk yards. We did that in Long Beach also. The rallye shouldn't last more than a couple of hours, end at a nice place to get food, and involve at least one potty stop. I'm not a big fan of diversion attractions. You're supposed to be on a rallye, not shopping. Keep it focused. My BIG suggestion is that the rallye directions and route get tested by people who aren't involved with planning it at least a couple of times the week before the event to make certain that everything works properly. Nothing worse than lousy directions.

I think you will find the TR-6 to be a lot of fun and very similar to the 240Z in terms of mechanical design. As I understand it, the 6 was the export version of the 5 which was faster but didn't meet emmission standards at the time. Either way, the 6 is fun and fast, but the Z is faster and MUCH more stable in the corners. Congrats on your purchase. No, I don't hate you!

Two South West Florida clubs: Suncoast Z Car Club in Tampa http://suncoastzcarclub.homestead.com/ and 350Z Club of Florida http://www.350zclubofflorida.net/ Both are in Tampa. I'm in Sarasota.

Carl, We're getting way off topic! I really don't know what to say about any of the photos. The people in the Parker photo are the same as the red brochure photo, but they have different clothes on. I see oddities in all the photos from what we are normally used to seeing. I don't think the NA test cars had colored fender light lenses. I see in at least one of the photos that the rear bumper has that rubber end cap that we normally associate with home market cars and the 432. The wheels used for the snow tires on the test cars are like nothing I have seen before. The list goes on and on. The Road & Track article indicates the 240Z came with carpeting, AM radio and rear window defroster. Also, their pictures all show the hand throttle. Point being that I don't think we can expect consistancy with the production of later months.

Of course anything is possible, however as highly unlikely as that farce about Mr. K ripping the Fairlady emblems off at the docks. The North American test cars were silver, they had no emblems, and they were returned to Japan. The snow tires were black-walls and the wheels were silver. Have a look at Kats' videos. I'll bet this is the red car.

Yes, now that I look at the pictures more closely, I can see the D on the hub caps. Not necessarily the same car. I wasn't aware that the very first cars came with D hubcaps. Here is the Road & Track introductory car. No D hub caps. Do you figure this one to be the silver car? Note the whitewall tires, Kats?

I think that's the same car. Look at the hub caps. How do you know it's #7 ?

Do you mean this car?

I was hoping you would weigh in, Alan. I was glad to see the conflict between Katayama and Kawamata mentioned however the cited examples require deeper explanation. Of course the bias toward Mr. K, but for good reason from an American journalist. Non-the-less, I would hope the diamond plating erodes a bit. Just remember this, my friends; no one is going to retrospect history which put themselves in anything but the glorious light.

Well! I can't thank you enough for throwing that Hemmings article into the fray, Zztom! Seriously! That was great. Here are a couple more logos they didn't print. Despite a couple of spelling errors, the article confirms a few things I have long suspected. Did anyone ever really believe that Nissan used the Datsun name "in case they failed" story? The Katayama revival of the Goertz scheme is an interesting spin. Don't you think, Alan? And, did you get the line about the corporate rivalry? I don't think I have ever heard it put that way.

After watching that great video I looked up the web site. The kit shown in the video costs about $100. All the various stuff is also available individually.

That's very interesting ! ! ! I don't think I have those wing nuts.

There was a conversation years ago about the validity of the manufacturing date on the door tag. The point was made that the tag represented a "date of shipping". The November date stamp on 26th is a perfect example of the presented case. Obviously, 26th was assembled in October, however I believe the original engine was replaced before she was shipped.

Thanks for posting the info, Carl. It certainly answers many questions one may ask. I can vouch for the complexity of what has been accomplished so far. A 501c3 is Internal Revenue Service lingo for "non-profit corporation" as many of you know. It takes over a year to process the application. A corporation must be established with published by-laws, officers, and a board of directors. This is all governed by law, I would imagine California corporate law, and provides for the corporation and it's benefactors a legal tax status. Fred has been talking about this project for years. Every time I go to an annual ZCCA convention, Fred is talking about the project. I can imagine how fulfilling it must be to see the birth of the dream. Congrats to all the board, the officers, the Datsun Gang, and especially to Fred and Betty.

Don't ya think Nissan should campaign the GTR? As much as I like Johnny O, I was glad to see the Astons beat the Corvettes.

There are two types of owner manuals printed as of December, 1969. I believe the darker Z at more of an angle survived into 1970. Yes, this manual was reprinted in 1997 as part of the Vintage Z program. In past threads, I have seen manuals like these with the reference to the hand throttle omitted. I have no idea what these are worth. I keep trying to buy a Vintage Z reprint with no luck!

Thought I would post a picture of the Datsun Gang taken at Daytona last year. Fred is third from the left with his wife Betty next to him. Then, John Parker in the beige shirt with his arm around Mrs. Usami. That's Masataka Usami on the right. Behind the line-up is Mike Taylor and Johnnie Gable. I'm not certain who the fellows on the left are. I think the guy on the far left is Hiroshi Degawa, director of NISMO, but I could be wrong. I'm glad to hear this project is taking shape and I'm looking forward to talking with Fred about it in Cleveland. Get behind this, everyone! Send Fred $5 if that's all you can spare. This is a project that really should happen!

I'm really enjoying this thread. I have some questions, please. What is the length of the long primary strap and what is the length of the tail? I never realized that the primary strap could be mounted from the back. I always figured that placing luggage in a car and adjusting the straps would be done from the tail of the car and not inside. What a total surprise to see your pictures, Kats. Ron, in your description, you mention using a jig to cut the strap length. If the longer strap is just a "mistake", how could the length always work out in equal length pairs? But notice in the pictures that the longer strap is mounted from the luggage stop! What do you do with all that extra strap tail? I have no idea why the seat belt hooks are mounted so high on the seat. They look like the correct small metal hooks, though.

Hi Kats! Good to see you pipe in on this subject! Both 26th and 27th came equipped with the short straps. After looking at them and measuring them, I recognize the texture of the strap weave. It is course like those pictured. The straps we are talking about have the hardware sewn to either end and the other half of the luggage strap is the tail. There is no way to get them mounted backwards. For information, my straps measure 16 inches ( 40.6 cm ) and the tails measure 52 inches ( 132 cm ). What is troubling me is that all the pictures and references show the short straps - or straps that position the hardware in line with the shock towers. I would like to see pictures from brochures that show the longer strap length. Perhaps the 280Z brochures? Anyone have those?

Exactly the point I was trying to make. Over the years I have found that as soon as an aspect of the S30 gets nailed down, the exception is discovered. I was shocked to see the date stamp on this belt. It makes no sense for a lift buckle to have that date when we all know the push button buckle was installed much earlier. I believe that by 1972, the lift buckle mechanism was no longer legal. So this is very strange.

Mike, Are your close-ups of different texture? I seem to recall mine are real smooth weave and not as rough looking as your pictures. I'll have to go out to the shop and dig around. All the hardware is silver sink plated? And I see you still have the little plastic strap sleeves. I have posted this before, but this place is an excellent place to get belts and straps restored. http://www.ssnake-oyl.com/ Of course, it wouldn't be odd to find an exception to the various lengths. Have a look at this seat belt I bought on eBay. Manufactured in 1972?

Hey Mark! Haven't talked to you in long time! How ya doin?

Those are probably the best threads about emblems. As discussed, the first "batch" of emblems were cast solid and appear on the very early cars. Randy, you have a metal "white Z". The picture below is the "Chrome Z"

Mike, This picture from the 1970 brochure. Notice the position of the buckle. I think short straps were the fashion of the day for our early queens. My guess would be that after realizing that the short straps didn't hold much more than a B cup, Datsun gave us longer straps for our double Ds. (Daily Driver)

I'm up on my high horse because of some book I read a couple of months ago. The premise of the book was that we are buying oil from and funding the very terrorists we are at war with. It was a very anti-saudi theme with lots of history about the development of the middle east as testiment to the jihad we face. And then the pitch was made for energy self sufficiency - not for just us, but the rest of the world as well. At the moment, flex fuel vehicles seem to make the most sense toward reducing our consumption rate of fossil fuels. The distribution infrastructure is already in place, something which kills the hydrogen fuel cell idea. At the moment, hydrogen costs more to produce than is obtained, however it can be produced with Lp gas which is plentiful. Ethanol and methanol don't pack as many btu's per unit as gasoline - a drawback perhaps. In terms of "green earth", ethanol, methanol and the bio diesels make the most sense of what is on the table for consideration. America consumes 70 million barrels of oil per day, I'm told. I don't think we really need to burn the precious stuff and polute our atmosphere if we don't have too.