1970 Series1 240z "barnfind"

[Patcon]

Just now, gogriz91 said:

I saw two orange 240s that were built that same month at ZCON.  Gentleman from SC owned both of them and was selling them.

I missed those

Did we get to meet this week in Atlanta?

[gogriz91]

Probably, I had the red 240 with the bronze TE37 wheels

[HS30-H]

11 hours ago, jakay11 said:

Waitlist...

So, not "purchased new" on "July 11th 1970". An order was placed, a reservation was made - not a purchase.

It might seem like splitting hairs, but this car simply didn't exist at that point - so it could not have been "purchased new" on that date.

[jakay11]

9 hours ago, HS30-H said:

So, not "purchased new" on "July 11th 1970". An order was placed, a reservation was made - not a purchase.

It might seem like splitting hairs, but this car simply didn't exist at that point - so it could not have been "purchased new" on that date.

So without meaning to sound like a d***, yes you are correct - just like buying a house - the contract date is not the "purchase" date even though that is when the transaction started, and Purchase Date is usually the closing date when keys are delivered and ownership is transferred.  If you want to split hairs and be precise, this is what I understand (considering that this car was built T -4yrs my age and I wasn't around to verify):

Down payment and contract to buy was signed July 11th 1970 (shortly after the brakes failed on my father's 1969 AMX Javelin (6 mo after he had gotten it) - The contract probably has Bob Sharp's fingerprints or DNA on it somewhere as they knew each other... ?

Car was built in Dec of 1970, and shipped to Newark NJ (port of entry), was delivered 2/18/71 and was Titled 2/22/71 as a 1971 car.

  Of particular interest is the receipt for repairs that suggest steering vibration and shock failure so soon after delivery - that's when the Konis were installed... Jake did either or both that repair and/or the exhaust.

[Zed Head]

HS30 loves to split hairs and other things.  Serious.  Don't get caught up.  He has an early Z and is incredibly protective of the brand and model.  There are a few other guys that might join in also.  A tiny club of early Z owners.  You might have to pick a side.

 

What are your plans for the car?

[jakay11]

6 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

HS30 loves to split hairs and other things.  Serious.  Don't get caught up.  He has an early Z and is incredibly protective of the brand and model.  There are a few other guys that might join in also.  A tiny club of early Z owners.  You might have to pick a side.

 

What are your plans for the car?

Since I don't know what side I'm picking, I'm just letting that one go for now.

Plans are simple so far - Ship car from NJ to Colorado, get it running again, make it safe.  (It was last road registered in 1980, last driven in 1986 to a shop and back.)

After that use the car for a bit, and it suss out.  No crazy mods (just make it run on unleaded safely without additives) - I need to see what it's like before I know where I'm going with it.  Right now I forsee 2 main options - leave it as a time capsule and get it running or refresh it and make it "new" (I hate the idea of concourse level of better than new) - This is of course a (period) modified car so it will not be brought back to factory (I'm assuming period mods by such a famous shop as BSR only add to the providence)  I am a bit staggered by the value of the vehicle that Haggerty has put on the car though!

[Zed Head]

No need to pick any side really.  Just wanted to give you a heads up.  Conversations can take a turn for the worse when these early cars come up.

Some people like the full restore, others like some original history.  And, there are others who would love that car for a V8 conversion, because it's so clean and rust-free.

[jakay11]

So to answer that question - this particular car will probably be more original history assuming it can stay that way (and I don't see why not right now).

I'd get a different car as a track toy for vintage racing / bombing around the canyons or as a project toy

As for V8 conversion - (LT1?  Maybe keep that for a NA Miata). Not unless it was already done (I'd be afraid of upsetting the chassis dynamics with too much weight in the nose and too much power for the drivetrain/ tires to handle - btdt)...

[26th-Z]

It has more to do with the people who like to see things described properly.  The title of the thread piqued my interest only to find out that the car isn't.  I'm happy that you inherited a low mileage early car, and it's a very pretty car, but I would encourage you, jakay11, to learn a little more about your car and appreciate what you have.  BTW, the interior is not leather.

[Zed Head]

Is your Z really the "26th" Z?  I used the serial number to designate the lineage of somebody's Z, like you're doing with your screen name, and HS30 tried to correct me.  Should we go down the rabbit hole?  Should you change your screen name to be correct?

[Zed Head]

I'm just playing around jakay.  I love a good logic debate.  Words and what they mean.  I Google a lot.  Good luck.

Too bad you couldn't have made it down to the ZCON in Atlanta.  The car probably would have been a hit down there.  

 

 

[HS30-H]

2 hours ago, jakay11 said:

So without meaning to sound like a d***, yes you are correct - just like buying a house - the contract date is not the "purchase" date even though that is when the transaction started, and Purchase Date is usually the closing date when keys are delivered and ownership is transferred.  If you want to split hairs and be precise, this is what I understand (considering that this car was built T -4yrs my age and I wasn't around to verify):

 

The analogy with buying a house doesn't really work. The house (presumably) already exists, is in a fixed location and has been seen and approved by the purchaser. The car in question was months away from being made, and was not even a 'bespoke' order. He may have expressed a preference for body colour, and not a lot else. Nissan did not have a special day set aside to make 'Mr Magoo from Chattanooga's red 240Z'. 

The reason that some of us get pernickety about this kind of thing is that all sorts of false claims and implications can arise from such false assertions. One of them was a well known commentator on the marque who insisted that 240Zs could be "purchased" in the USA in 1969, when in fact there were no standard production cars available for purchase from dealerships in the USA until well into 1970.

Yes it's pointless hair-splitting to some, but that's what we do. If we don't get it right, then who will...?