HLS30-08323 08/70 finds a new home...

[daddz]

This car was dropped off at Datsun Dynamics about 2.5 years ago by the original owner. She stated that she bought it while finishing college. In any case she wanted to find out how much it would cost to rehabilitate the car (I am not sure of her intentions so I wouldn't say restore).

I first remember seeing the car in February of 2003 upon one of our regular visits out to Datsun Dynamics. Unfortunately, the owner suffered a divorce and the car still remained throughout the summer of 2004. Last fall I was told that the husband was going to take the car and have it 'restored' at another shop. As it turns out I was in Florida when the call came and I recieved both good and bad news: Datsun Dynamics was closing its doors and this car had to go or be crushed! Thanks to some of the best friends around the car was rescued sans title.

Once the car was safe and secure I began to pour over the car looking for clues as to where it might have spent the last 35 years. This is probably my favorite part of the classic car hobby and I was surprised by the box in the back. In the box was a collection of old factory Datsun parts which included:

2 old Datsun oil filters still unopened in the original factory packaging

1 Datsun condenser

2 fan belts (one of which was used and put back in the sleeve)

1 factory Datsun speedomoeter cable still in its plastic.

The next thing that cought my attention is the car's production date: 08/70. This was assembled as a '70 but, since it probably didn't get stateside until October of '70 it was sold as a '71 as evidenced by its emissions sticker under the hood. Even though it has the early style 'Nissan 2400 OHC' valve cover it is most likely titled as a '71.

In addition, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires that two stickers be placed in the windshield signifying that

1) the car has passed its annual safety inspection--the sticker on this car expired in November 1979!!

2) the property taxes have been paid and this sticker expired in April of 1980!

Given the recent information regarding Mark Felt as 'Deep Throat' during Watergate I was especially interested to see a Watergate complex parking sticker since that is supposed to be the site where the parking garage meetings took place. Just the other night I was trying to decipher a metal 'dog tag' of sorts under the hood affixed to the inner fender well indicating where the car was shipped to an overseas address which coincides with the additional fog light attached to the rear bumper for European roads when I found a receipt for drycleaning in German! It still even has its original Koito headlights!

Hopefully, the owner will be happy to discuss the prospect of seeing the car refurbished and back on the road again. Enjoy the pics...

[26th-Z]

I went after some of the DD cars, Rob. You evidently made it just in time. My luck wasn't so good. I heard they DID send cars to the crusher.

Very nice!

[texasz]

In case you are interested, I have a close relative! HLS30-08215

I went after some of the DD cars, Rob. You evidently made it just in time. My luck wasn't so good. I heard they DID send cars to the crusher.

Very nice!

That's very sad to hear.

[26th-Z]

That's not the half of it, Texas. I showed up a week before they "closed" and gave a list to one of the guys because I just happened upon the find, didn't have tools with me or the time...etc. So I gave the guy a list, told him to pull all the stuff off the cars, put it in boxes and send it to me. Paid him for his time. Set up the shipping to just go over and pick up the boxes. Well, he dropped a motorcycle exhaust on his leg, burned the crap out of it, got laid up, time went by, and off to the crusher went an interior with a hand throttle. It's beyond sad.

But I learned my lesson. From now on, whenever I travel in Z mode, I carry tools with me.

[texasz]

...time went by, and off to the crusher went an interior with a hand throttle.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not a hand throttle sent to the crusher!!!!

*he screams in agony*

:cry:

[26th-Z]

Oh yea. There's some serious crying in my beer going on. I thought I had stumbled across the parts find of the century. I took a whole bag full of stuff that wasn't bolted down. Gave the guy $75 cash and a list for another $450 worth of stuff. I was high-fiven all around, thinking I was so cool. Used up all my friendship points with a couple of Z friends - the whole nine yards. Then I got the good-news / bad-news phone call. I still don't have what parts he said he managed to get and it looks bleaker by the day. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Learned my lesson in spades.

No intention of hijacking Daddz thread. I saw what was there. Daddz SCORED!

[hls30.com]

Put me in these loops! Have truck, trailer, tools and a flexible schedule-I don't mind pulling parts for informants-or club members-might have to get help with gas at 11 mpg with the trailer empty and 9 with a doorless shell on it...

I faxed and phoned the guy with the parts business that was closing in Cali about $1500 worth of parts and after eleven phone calls, he dissappeared.

Will

[daddz]

Chris,

Don't worry about it! (hijack thread since it's directly related) It's a shame that alot of good parts went to the trash bin.

texasz,

This is the 240Z that I hinted at awhile back when I noticed your production date and serial number. We have to compare notes or at least compare pictures since they are so close.

As a side note I spent about 20oz. of Castrol Super Clean and about 5 hours today cleaning the 240Z. All of the door jambs and hatch cavities as well as the engine bay were cleaned carefully so as not to damage any stickers. Also, I scrubbed the wheel wells and the floor boards under the car and all was silver paint! I'll have to jack it up and get some better pictures of it.

[texasz]

texasz,

This is the 240Z that I hinted at awhile back when I noticed your production date and serial number. We have to compare notes or at least compare pictures since they are so close.

Check out my gallery, those pix were taken three years ago right after bringing her home and cleaning her up a bit. It basically looks the same except for the spare tire well, I sanded it down to bare metal then used POR-Putty to fill any rust holes and then applied POR15 to prevent any rust in this area ever again.

[S30TRBO]

Yes I was the one responsible for retrieving her from the crusher thanks to my buddy Mike who owns a towing company that loaned me the 2005 International Rollback last minute. I also scored a NOS Z31 turbo hood still in the box (any takers) and another friend that came along got a free complete VG30ET.

I must say she looks awfully sexy parked next to mine at my house....

Well it's about time you joined the 240Z world let the project begin Rob, now sell some others to help finance this beauty.