Yet Another Z In My Posession Now...This Is Getting Out Of Control!

[texasz]

A few weeks ago (9/26) very early on a Saturday morning I set out on an adventure to pick up another Z. I hit the road at 4am...yes you read that correctly, far earlier than anyone should ever be awake! The starting point, Cedar Park Texas (suburb of Austin)...the destination, Oklahoma City which is just over 6 hours per Google Maps (and it's fairly accurate, considering I was pulling a car trailer). The goal, pick up HLS30-018482, a 1971 transition car with most all the series I bits and pieces...production date of 1/71.

First obsticle, only an hour on the road and I'm starting to fall asleep. Ok, pit stop for a 5 Hour Energy Drink...20 minutes later and I'm wide awake and ready for anything the day can throw my way. Or so I thought.

All was smooth sailing until Norman OK where there was some NASTY road construction leaving the road rougher than many trails I've 4-wheeled on. I don't mind so much except I have two Z engines strapped down on the front of my trailer and don't want anything to happen to them. Well you guessed it!!! Something did happen. After one especially bad bump I see two of my tie down hooks with little strips of blue webbing go bouncing off the back end of my trailer towards the car ridding my a**. I'm certain I was more scared that he as I knew what would happen next...he'd end up with an engine (or two) on TOP of his hood if we hit more bumps like that one and he had not backed off.

With this I slow WWWAAAYYY down, he backs off and fortunately we are nearing the end of the construciton zone where I can pull off the side of the road. Now on the side of the road, still a bit shaken, rather pissed off about the situation, and a mere 3 feet from traffic that has now got back of up 70-80MPH (and yes, there were plenty of 18 wheelers which caused a lot of wind when they passed) I'm out on the trailer assessing the situation and determining how best to deal with it.

Of the 4 ratchet straps (1000lb working load each mind you, they should not have broken) I had holding down the two engines only one is not broken. I see that I only lost two hooks though and neither of those were attached to the ratchets. So with a couple of quick rescue knots (bowlines specifically, good thing I'm an Eagle Scout) I manage to have four tie downs again. Though of course after this little incedent I don't trust these straps completely so I pull out two of my car straps (G-Force rated for 10,000lbs each, if these break then I'm totally screwed) and put them on also. I did notice that both engines were sitting on an old tire...now only one was...scary how close that was to being a REALLY bad situation.

Back on the road again!

Well I get to OKC, stop at Home Depot for more ratchet straps as I have to have my car straps to...well...tie down the car. Now it's time to get the car and this part goes fairly smooth. We have to move his other Z out of the way by pushing it UP the driveway into the grass. One of the tires on 'my' new Z is completely flat and the bead has come off so we have to work it a little and shoot it full of air before it's going anywhere. Then due to the front end damage put the front wheels of what is about to be my new Z on dollies which I brought (and didn't realize that they needed put together since I had never used them nor taken them out of the box). We roll the Z down the driveway into the street lining it up with the trailer and winch it up on to the trailer. Redo all the tie downs on the engines and strap down the Z. Ahhhhh, all done. Make sure I have all the odds and ends that go with the car, complete the paperwork, check that everything is fastened down one last time and start back home.

I did have to make one last stop at Home Depot to get more ratchet straps though as I had not previously realized I would need one to keep the hood from flying open/off while driving down the road. No big deal, this is fast and easy.

The trip home was completely uneventful, just the way I like it. On the way thorugh Norman I did look for my lost old tire...never saw it though. When I hit Sanger Texas (about 5 miles North of Denton, 30 miles North of DFW) I spotted something that made me stop in my tracks...a junk yard full of vintage autos!!! Pulled a U and went back. This place is right next to a drag strip too! NICE! Unfortunately they were closed, at least they only had a chainlink fence so I could see a lot of the yard. I even spotted a few old Z cars, they were too far away to tell what model...they were 1970-1983 body styles though for sure. Very cool place, I'll have to remember it and make a point to be in the area when they are open some time.

Anyhow, back on the road home. I get back at 8:10pm and am beat, I just want to head straight to bed.

Sunday morning I get up and am excited to get out and start assessing my haul. I'm out sorting through the bins/boxes of stuff that came with it, cleaning out stuff that's in the car, tossing trash, and vacuuming out the inside. This is when I realize I have hit the mother load. This car has a hand throttle in it that is hooked up and appears to be fully functional!!! I nearly fell over backwards off the trailer in to the yard when I saw this, I had no idea it was in there when I bought the car. There were no handles on it though I figured it's still worth it. I clean the center console area a little more and fide two switches in one unit...this strikes a memory, I have just found the dual switch used for the driving/fog lights!! Another nice rare part in the US market. OMG what a day! Well I continue on and while sorting through the bins I find the proper series I ashtray and it's got something rattling around inside...it's the choke and throttle handles and set screws! I'm lovin' this car right now!!!!!

After assessing the car, ripping off the mangled sheetmetal from the front end I am thinking that this car is really not in that bad of shape except for the front end damage. The floor pans seem to be solid as does the spare tire well. The driver's dog leg needs attention and the battery tray is not great though I've seen worse. The driver side front frame rail is toast as is the inner wheel well. The good news is that I have a doner car that could be used for these parts. Someone along the way really cared for this car and it shows. I'm going to have a conversation with my body shop to see how feasible it is to fix this ol' girl and get her back on the road...and just how much it will cost me to do.

Pix of the car that the owner took which I based my buying decision on as well as pix I took after having clean her up are available here: http://www.pape.ws/gallery/v/Our_Life_Together/Our+Hobbies/Allan_s+Hobbies/240Z+Car/1971+Yellow+240Z+_HLS30-018482_/

Oh, and for those who asked why I didn't take my car to ZCON...this is why. After the above adventure and having this car on my trailer already I was not interested in dealing with all the work that would be necessary to take my car to the show.

Edited October 15, 2009 by texasz

[bd3]

Great story. I've really enjoyed it. I hope to secure a z of my own one of these days.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Great story. I've really enjoyed it. I hope to secure a z of my own one of these days.

Keep an eye on your local craigslist.com as you'll see then here on the west coast all the time. You're actually better off getting one from this side of the Mississippi. Stay away from the "Rust Belt" cars. Spend a little more to get one here and have it shipped to ya. the money you spend now will easily outway the price of rebuilding a rusty one.

JM2CW

Dave

[Darrel]

Nice hitch set up. I wonder what the tongue weight is rated for? With a bit of tweaking with that hitch you could probably make it able to actually tow something with it.

One guy in our club has a '70 with a hitch. He towed an mg on a one axle trailer to scca events years ago with his 240z. What the pics don't show is the metal bar that is bolted between the bumper brackets and the body mounts. Just looking at his car you can't even tell there was anything behind the bumper.

Edited October 17, 2009 by Darrel

[texasz]

Keep an eye on your local craigslist.com as you'll see then here on the west coast all the time. You're actually better off getting one from this side of the Mississippi. Stay away from the "Rust Belt" cars. Spend a little more to get one here and have it shipped to ya. the money you spend now will easily outway the price of rebuilding a rusty one.

JM2CW

Dave

Agreed! Keep an eye out for cars in TX, NM, AZ, and CA. Though make sure you educate yourself first, just because that is where the car is now does not mean that's where it has been for the last 35+ years.

[Kathy & Rick]

Nice hitch set up. I wonder what the tongue weight is rated for? With a bit of tweaking with that hitch you could probably make it able to actually tow something with it.

One guy in our club has a '70 with a hitch. He towed an mg on a one axle trailer to scca events years ago with his 240z. What the pics don't show is the metal bar that is bolted between the bumper brackets and the body mounts. Just looking at his car you can't even tell there was anything behind the bumper.

Hi, Darrel, Happy New Year.

We have what looks like (and sounds like) the identical hitch on our '70 as

well, except that ours is chrome. Can't get out to check the tongue and

draw weight ratings right now, it's too cold, windy, snowy, and dark. But

we used to pull a little enclosed trailer full of pylons, timing gear, etc. to

our Z Club's autocrosses back in the '70's, quite effortlessly.

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

[Darrel]

The hitch that our club member has, designed it.

Looking at the hitch on the original post it looks like it's only bolted to the rear valance and maybe the top of the bumper. I saw one like it at the junk yard, only there wasn't a bar that went underneath.

I hope to make one for my 240 so if need be I can either tow the club trailer or a small trailer for picking up parts.

[Bonzi Lon]

This hitch was installed at the time of purchase, 1977. It did haul an enclosed U-Haul 750 miles back from college too. Now that was a driving experience.

If you need measurements I can get them for you, don't really want to sell it. IIRC it has a tounge wt. of 500 lbs, chrome plated, has a mfgs name. As you can see it has a bracket of the same dimentions that bolts through the spare tire well, and a bracket to the bumper.

Upon refurbishment, it was intended to be put it back on. Polished everything up, spent some time on it, go to install it and was injured like 4 times in attempting to get it to bolt up. After that last mashed ring finger, I figured out this car did not want to wear a "trailer hitch".

Bonzi Lon

[Marty Rogan]

I just sold a hitch for my car last year. I used it to pull a small utility trailer for my race tires.

There was a cross bar that mounted behind the bumper using the bumper mount bolts. Unfortunatley I don't have a picture of that piece on this computer, but you can kind of seem hehind the bumper.

It pulled like there was nothing behind me.

Marty

[sblake01]

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