My two swiss S30Z Fairlady Restoration build thread

[JDMjunkies.ch]

I stumbled across some cool parts once again. This time in Germany (online, since borders are closed due to the COVID crisis). Luckily the parcel-services still work international ?
This time i found a set of NOS splash panels / Mud guards, for a nice price from a guy who knew my project. He got the panels with his car when he bought his personal Z from a Nissan-dealer a few years ago, but didn't need them.

 

First i thought that i didn't need those, but after looking for the original items from my car, i realized (and remembered) that those were completely missing on my car. I guess since they're not really important for the car, and probably prone to rust at an area so exposed to water and salt, they're something that people just used to remove when rusty back then. So i'm really glad i found a set of those.

 

Just another missing piece in the puzzle. And finding old treasures of NOS is just part of the whole fun of restoring an old car, i guess ?

[JDMjunkies.ch]

The covid crisis apparently gives me too much time to browse the online classifieds for nice stuff. so i stumbled upon a german Ex-nissan dealer who had a lot of old manuals for sale. Luckily he had a set of Transmission manuals for the 240Z for sale. I own a FS5C71A transnmission but he only had the B-type and Automatic transmission manuals.


But the price was great and they're rare to come by. Especially the german language ones (for automatic at least), so i thought i'd grab them to put them in my knowledge collection. maybe they'll come in handy at some point.

 

I also have plans to update my big transmission knowledge post whenever i find time and motivation.


More stuff is on the way, so stay tuned ?

[JDMjunkies.ch]

So with every day the small bits and pieces at the house are more and more finalized and slowly i start to have more time (and money) for the car again. I rather do one thing, but that right, instead of having 10 different projects at one time. So the car was a bit on hold over the last two years, but i really hope that i find more time now.
Before i start work, i decided i need to get a better overview of all the parts, so i went through all the boxes, labelled them (I will improve that) and made sure all parts are in the shelve and away from the shop floor. Picture does not show the finished state.
I also sold a big box to germany, which gave me some additional space on the shelve.
 

Then i decided to remove some "bolt-on" weight from the engine which is stored on the engine stand. Makes it look a bit better in the corner and avoiding me hurting myself while i move around itwhile working around the Lift. Before:

Alternator gone

 

Heater hoses off

 

Engine mount brackets off:

 

Oil filter off:

Oil pressure or temperature sensor (i guess) off:

 

Fan / Waterpump pulley off:

Nasty old water pump off:

And this is how it looked at the end. still ugly and dirty and greasy as what, but at least all the bolt-on parts are gone. since i don't know yet when it will be rebuilt, i decided to keep it assembled together to protect it against damage or corrosion.

It was the first real work performed in the new garage and it's so much better with proper lighting, all tools in reach, air pressure tools on hand, etc... took me probably two hours including all the shop cleaning, compared to maybe two weeks for the same work in the old garage....

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Last week i got a bit of en unexpected Phone call. My bodyshop got himself a personal project which he wants to finish and needs the space, so i had to get my car back to my home temporary.  So first i cleaned the whole garage and made sure it's nice and tidy when the old lady comes to see it the first time ?

 

Went and picked up the car with the help of some nice guys from the road support team:

 

After a short ride home

 

The car now is in it's new home:
 


 

That doesn't mean the project is stopped or paused, though. I have some parts arriving over the next few days and i made myself a little to-do list and also got some tasks from the bodyshop to complete before it goes back. Im sure it will stay with me for a few months before panel beating starts again but im fine with that. It gives me the chance to have a closer look at some details:

[JDMjunkies.ch]

A week or so my buddy Stefan asked me if i'm interested in a NOS multifunctional steering wheel switch for the Z. Don't ask me where he found it. I wasn't really planning on buying such an item, but who am i to turn down an offered NOS part? Especially when the part number matches with my car?
So yesterday it arrived in my mailbox, complete with original bag and partnumber-label.

 

Thanks Stefan for offering me this sweet item!


More new parts arrived here and i will show them here tomorrow ?

[JDMjunkies.ch]

A while ago i found an used optional passenger footrest for the 240Z and got it. Unfortunately the original rubbers were beyond repair. Lucky that's where @RIP260Z stepped in and offered to have them re-printed, since he made some of those in the past. Luckily it appeared that some others were on board too and it ended up in a small batch production. A few days ago the two-piece item arrived here

This is how they look assembled. You can install them in an angle that the "split line" won't be visible when the footrest is folded up or down.

Compared to the original item. The material is harder compared to the original rubber pieces, but the looks is 99% the same and it will definitely do the work and look batter then the damaged original one:

He also sent me a long message explaining in detail how to install it. Thanks a lot!
I will have the old footrest sandblasted and powdercoated after i made some re-adjustments when i have the next batch ready for powdercoating!
Thanks for the great service and great item!

[SteveE]

@RIP260Z   Would it be possible to send along the detailed mounting instructions.

Thanks Steve

[RIP260Z]

Glad it arrived safely Nils, and you are happy with it.

SteveE, will pm you shortly....

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Finding historic Information on the Nissan Motor corporation  Japan and USA is relatively easy, since there are archives full of information and a lot of books around it. Finding specific information on smaller countries history regarding the "Datsun" Brand is a bit trickier... So when i found an old Swiss information document for sale on a local website, i had to get it.
From Todays point of view it's fairly funky with it's cut-off titles and different fonts used throughout the document. PS, full document for download at the end.

 

It is an information brochure to the new customers advertising the efforts and advantages of the relatively young Datsun (suisse) SA. I guess it must have been from around 1071 up to 1973 or something like that, Proudly stating that they've sold 5000 Cars in the countrly total over the last few years.
The first page is an introduction to the brand including a rendering of the (then beeing built) new car storage warehouse in Urdorf (Zürich area) and including a signature of the then-Director of Datsun (Suisse) SA, Ernst Pfister

 

Page two introduces the Japanese mother-company including some nice pictures of the Factory, test-tracks etc. Including some informatino about their (then) current efforts to develop a new Rotary engine, Electric cars (!) and a Steam-powered engine. Quite a bit funny. On Page three there are pictures from the (mentioned above) Storage warehouse in Urdorf under construction and the Headquarter at the Stauffacherstrasse 45 in Zürich. As well as the old spare-parts warehouse in Switzerland:

 

A quick Google streat view image shows that the building still exists and looks pretty similar with the windows and entrance-door position and shape.

 

The next few pages show the car lineup and their advantages (mostly the solid quality):

 

A dealer list, the motorsports-effort (Including Nissan R382, R280-II and East african Safari rallye cars) and press reviews follow on the next pages.

 

And also the (quite a bit hilarious in todays context) superb 12 Month / 20'000km warranty ?
On the back page you can see the slogan "DATSUN - Brings new values"
I really like this document. It has a lot of character and some nice information and photographs rarely seen otherwise and something that is a bit more specific compared to the information you find usually.

 

Oh and along the document above, there was also the swiss Datsun 1400 Dealer Windshield sales document that were put in the windscreen on the showroom floor for the Datsun 1400 aka Datsun 510 aka Nissan Bluebird. I have no useage for it, but will keep it of course and try to give it to a swiss 1400 owner who likes to have it ?

 

Click here to download the full Datsun (suisse) SA Document as a high-res pdf:
1972 Datsun Suisse Information Leaflet 

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Yeah it has been a while since i worked on the car myself. but i decided it's time to assemble all t he small bits and pieces into "subassemblies" whever possible.
Last week i worked on the moustache bar. So here we got the puzzle in single pieces:

The powdercoating company also coated the inside of the bushing shells, so i cleaned them with the dremel tool

Added som fresh Bushing grease:

And in with the new bushings

And all hardware combained. ready for installation.
It looks like a simple thing, but if you think what work went into it:
- Everything had to be disassembled from the car first
- The moustache Bar got sandblasted
- The bar got primered and powdercoated
- Old Hardware fasteners got cleaned (in the rattler), zinc plated and yellow passivated
- New OEM Nissan Locking nuts and washers ordered and added
- New Polyurethane Bushings with bushing grease


Hope to find some time for some other work again soon, it's fun after all ?

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Today this little panel arrived:

 

It's there to protect the fuel filler neck that goes to the tank

 

And is installed in the RH wheel housing. Just a small little bit that was missing and another piece of the puzzle:

[JDMjunkies.ch]

As usual, progress is slow but steady. So this week something arrived which i've ordered over two months ago, but was delayed due to COVID-19. I mainly bought it because it had a slight water-damage and was almost for free. and it's still nice enough to work with in the workshop.

 

Just another piece of documentation ready. Looking forward to get back into the project soon.