Well, I wound up with another low VIN Z...

[Mike B]

I finally got the engine pulled, the car stripped down, and headed off for body and paint work yesterday. I think it will probably be done in about two months.

The car was parked in an underground parking garage when it was a daily driver, until it was stored in the mid-eighties. As a result, it is almost rust free, however, it has more door and fender dings then I have ever seen on a Z. The prior owner must have parked next to someone that didn't like him every day.

Lots of staining in the back from the exhaust and in the engine bay from oil leaks. Does a clear coat help protect a white car from this kind of staining better than a singe stage paint? I'm not sure which I will go with at this point. I'm sure a little maintenance and periodic cleaning would have gone a long way to preventing the staining in the first place though .

-Mike

[Mike B]

I also found these markings on the transmission bell housing and the back of the engine. I don't recall seeing them before.

-Mike

[Mike B]

I went over to drop off a set of NOS fenders and a second set of valance panels for #210 today. I want to have two sets of valance panels painted so I can mount a spook to one and have a spare set if I want to switch back to a stock look for a show or something. I took some photos of the progress. Things are going a little slower than planned, but I'm not in a hurry and it should be getting more attention next week.

Also, my painter has worked on lots of Z's and said that he found a couple of unusual things near the hatch that he hadn't seen before. He said the top of the hatch opening has lead along the inner edge. You can see the lighter colored line along the top of the hatch opening on photo #7. Also the seams where the roof is jointed to the quarter panels was welded differently than he has seen before. I believe he said it was welded along the entire seem rather than stitch welded. The rear of the car had all of its original paint on it before it was stripped, so that is how it left the factory.

-Mike

Edited August 21, 2010 by Mike B

[Mike B]

Here are some pictures of writing we found on my HLS30-00210 once we stripped the paint. The first two pictures are Japanese writing on the left quarter panel. The next three pictures are Japanese writing on the top of the right side door. The last picture is the "No.3" written on the top of the left side inner fender. Hey Rick, maybe this means this is really HLS30-00003 and it just got sent back through the line and had a higher VIN number assigned .

Maybe Alan or someone can translate the Japanese writing for us.

-Mike

[black gold]

Mike,

really very nice car, good luck with your new z. I have 70' and I hope to get 69z.

[HS30-H]

Here are some pictures of writing we found on my HLS30-00210 once we stripped the paint. The first two pictures are Japanese writing on the left quarter panel. The next three pictures are Japanese writing on the top of the right side door.

Mike,

I think these are - as you might already have imagined - panel finishing instructions from some kind of quality controller. I think they are notes from one worker to another indicating what needs to be done to improve the appearance, fit and finish of the panels.

They are really difficult to read, let alone translate! A combination of very casual writing style ( it might be a bit rude to call it poor writing skill ) plus the fact that these guys quite probably only needed to the most basic of notes to know what was meant, and the fact that some of what was written is half missing ( as in your photo no.024 ) all adds up to a real challenge. I'm sorry I'm not able to do better.

I think the note in your photo no.015 reads: "Naka CW shi age", and my approximate reading of that is "Middle CW (re?)finish". I don't know what 'CW' refers to, but it might be indicating an area of the panel concerned, and I am imagining that my translation of 'shi age' ( a verb ) refers to something that is yet to be done. I think it points to something that needs to be improved, or fettled..

The writing seen in your photos nos.023 & 027 I think reads as "Ue ba-ri narashi", although there is also something written to the left and underneath that ( also I think starting in "Ue" - meaning 'up', 'upper' or 'top' ) that I can't make out. I think this means: "Upper / top 'ba-ri' smoothen ( out )". Does that make sense? I don't know what 'ba-ri' refers to ( possibly a seam, joint, fold or other detail of the body section concerned, and the guys in the body finishing section would have known what it meant ) but I think the upper part of it needed to be smoothed / levelled / flattened out, according to the person who wrote the note. That's my guess anyway.

With this car being such early production, I can imagine that the presses hadn't had much tweaking yet, and the guys assembling the sections of the body were still learning on the job. Perhaps these same guys were finding new / better ways to accomplish their tasks as they went along ( witness the roof joints and hatch opening on this car, which later bodies don't show ) and these graffitoes were linked to those processes, or a consequence of them? This kind of thing is bound to be quite cryptic to us looking in from outside.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Perhaps Kats, Golgo13, Esprit or any other native Japanese speakers can correct me, or give their thoughts?

Body looks in absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G condition, by the way. I'm very envious!

Cheers,

Alan T.

[Mike B]

Mike,

I think these are - as you might already have imagined - panel finishing instructions from some kind of quality controller. I think they are notes from one worker to another indicating what needs to be done to improve the appearance, fit and finish of the panels.

They are really difficult to read, let alone translate! A combination of very casual writing style ( it might be a bit rude to call it poor writing skill ) plus the fact that these guys quite probably only needed to the most basic of notes to know what was meant, and the fact that some of what was written is half missing ( as in your photo no.024 ) all adds up to a real challenge. I'm sorry I'm not able to do better.

Hi Alan,

Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking, some sort of panel finishing/rework instructions. I realize it is pretty challenging to read and translate these. They were difficult to photograph, especially the ones on the door, due to the angle of the light and I didn't have a lot of time. It was late in the day and the painter was wanting to leave. I might try to play with the contrast to see if I can get them any more legible.

Here is what Eiji had to say "picture 23 and 27 says "上バリナラシ", 上 means up or top, バリナラシ means deburring or something out the burr or like that."

I guess it doesn't really matter so much what they say exactly, but that we are able to see them at all and get some insight into what the production process was like. I hadn't seen anything like that before, so I was very interested in them. Thanks to both you and Eiji for taking the time to look at them and giving us your best guess on what they might mean.

Body looks in absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G condition, by the way. I'm very envious!

Thanks Alan. There are a few small spots of rust and some body work to be done, but over all it is a very solid car. I'm never quite sure what I will find under the paint on a Z, so I was happy that this one was pretty clean.

-Mike

[geezer]

She is coming along beautifully Mike. It sure helps to start with one in such good condition.

I find it a little unusual for a finish panel to have this writing on it at all. You would think that it would have been completely removed going through the phosphate and rinse processes. It is common practice to use white chalk for marking defects and instructional information on any bare metal surface that will be visable on the finished car simply because it is easily removable. But what be the fun in that all these years later?

[Mike B]

Thanks for the comments Ron. I was wondering if that was a common practice to write on the panels like that, and it sounds like it is. I was also surprised that this writing survived not only the paint prep process, but also the chemical stripping of the panels. I wonder what they used to write these with, some kind of marker? I guess the factory red iron oxide primer that was used provided good coverage for anything written underneath, even on a white car like this.

-Mike

[Kathy & Rick]

Hi, Mike, Rick here.

Everybody before me agrees that she's a beauty, and I couldn't

agree more! She will only get better as the project progresses.

Great to meet you at Nashville (Franklin). You are one of the

people I was hoping to meet, given our similar interests in Z

Cars. I wish we had had more time to talk and interact; it all

went so quickly. Now that I see the progress on your project, I

will have to save up for a trip to Seattle so we can continue our conversation(s) in the presence of your little GEM!

Having had auto body repair training, I was astonished to see

the production markings which had been hidden under the paint.

But I was not nearly as astonished to see how the primer and

surface coats had "hidden" that information, as I was to see how

the primer and paint had managed to "stick" at all. I don't know

what material was used to make the markings, but unless there

is what we call a good "tooth" for each succeeding layer to

adhere to, or to "grasp" or "grip" if you will, the likelihood of

peeling is very high.

So, that is fascinating to me. Equally fascinating is your com-ment concerning the marking "No. 3." I suppose we will never

know for sure if HLS30-00210 was indeed an early test mule that

was eventually released to the public as a production vehicle.

Based on what I have read, I rather doubt it. But if indeed it

could be proven so at some time future, I couldn't be happier for

BOTH YOU AND HER.

Whichever VIN proves to be the accurate one for the car will

never minimize the condition OF, and obvious bright future FOR, this spectacular find!

All Z Best,............................Kathy & Rick

Edited August 22, 2010 by Kathy & Rick

[Mike B]

Hi Rick,

Yes, if you ever decide to load up the trailer and head West you should plan around attending the Canby, OR show (in June) or the Vancouver B.C. show (in Sept). I'm sure all the NW folks would love to see your car.

I don't really think that the "No. 3" marking was anything more than an inspector sign off. I was just kidding with my comment about it being an earlier car, although the solid cast hood emblem that it came with and the welding and lead work around the hatch opening are interesting. There was a very similar "No. 1" mark that I found on the back of the speedometer in my HLS30-00032. As Kats noted earlier in this thread, there were various delays and rework done on some of the cars, and we are not even sure how or when VINs were assigned, so I think it is really hard to say for sure which cars were finished ahead of others.

-Mike

Edited August 22, 2010 by Mike B

[kats]

Hi Mike,

About the writing on the rear metal panel,I agree Eiji-san and Alan. Upper portion of the

rear panel had got the burr, so they needed be smooth out.

Nice car,Mike! And I have got an used oscillator for you, but it is really old and I do not know if it works or not.Anyway it is a small gift for you,I will send soon.

kats