31K Miles Series I 240Z Up for Auction on BaT - Over $100k on First Day!

[Captain Obvious]

9 hours ago, CanTechZ said:

I thought the red car readings were 2.2 Mil average. I didn't zoom in, 22 Mil sounds to heavy. 

Yeah, that would make more sense and that's why I was wondering if I missed a decimal point or something. If the red car were 2.2 instead of 22, it would line up better. But I don't see any decimal point there.

So I have no idea what to make of those readings then. And of course, there's all the stuff that Zed Head mentioned too. Different person using different gauge in different ways on different locations on different cars. Who knows what could happen.

It all just looked too weird to me and I wanted to see if someone could put their finger on it.

[CanTechZ]

1 hour ago, Captain Obvious said:

Yeah, that would make more sense and that's why I was wondering if I missed a decimal point or something. If the red car were 2.2 instead of 22, it would line up better. But I don't see any decimal point there.

So I have no idea what to make of those readings then. And of course, there's all the stuff that Zed Head mentioned too. Different person using different gauge in different ways on different locations on different cars. Who knows what could happen.

It all just looked too weird to me and I wanted to see if someone could put their finger on it.

It is strange that no decimal point can be seen in those mil readings. For reference the seller of the "Green Monster" claimed 2 - 5 mils on BAT and posted a video of the readings on that car and other cars.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-240z-124/

 

[240260280]

Orange peel and paint thickness measurements seem to tell us something.

[Zed Head]

Different colors probably go on at different thicknesses due to their ability to cover.  The Green Monster video was pretty good but that guy kind of just walked around and took a bunch of measurements but didn't say much about why some cars had different thicknesses, besides assuming that a repaint would be thicker than original paint.   He assumes that a second paint job is always thicker, like a painter doesn't strip and sand areas to make them smooth, before painting.

It would be better to have 20 or so specific locations to measure at, and measurements at those points from a whole set of cars, as a database.  The old beat-up $5000 Z's probably have plenty of untouched paint to measure.  That would mean more, I think, than these random measurements.  Good idea, questionable execution.

[Zed Head]

I think I found the key to verifying low miles.  "Original cosmoline".  7:00.  It actually is pretty impressive that they found some.

I tried to work at a place that details cars when they came off the ships, before they go to the dealerships, and that stuff is everywhere.  I didn't last, you have to be a human squirrel to do high speed car detailing.

 

[AK260]

Just read this entire thread top to bottom.

 

 

Firstly, I’m frankly in awe of you guys and your immense knowledge of these cars. I feel even more like an ameba swimming among Great Whites!

 

Secondly, even to my untrained eyes and before reading down, paint readings aside that car didn’t add up to me. I’m very pleased that your comments had a superb positive effect and saved some poor sod from parting with silly money for something dressed up to be something it clearly isn’t.

 

Thirdly, this thread just makes me so pleased that my car is very far from perfect! I just couldn’t own or drive a car that is completely immaculate - it’s a big burden.

 

And I do get it, people buy these as investment and show pieces, but that’s never me. Horses have to stretch their legs and gallop otherwise you may as well stuff them.

 

Thank you for the education on this thread - I have learned so much!

 

[240260280]

Looking at pictures again. What is up with the engine block colour for so low miles?

Not much blue to be seen?

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by 240260280

[grannyknot]

40 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

Not much blue to be seen?

That's what 131,000 miles will do.😏

[siteunseen]

I'm know E31 aficionado but mine has spent some time at a machine shop. Bigger valves were put in and the bottom was skimmed for true flatness. 

Mine...

The "31k" cars...

 

[Zed Head]

13 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

I'm know E31 aficionado but mine has spent some time at a machine shop. Bigger valves were put in and the bottom was skimmed for true flatness. 

I noticed that too.  Here's the Green Monster, 21,000 miles.  You can see the blue paint that Blue246 was talking about also.  Dogpile!!

Edited October 23, 2020 by Zed Head

[Captain Obvious]

11 hours ago, CanTechZ said:

It is strange that no decimal point can be seen in those mil readings. For reference the seller of the "Green Monster" claimed 2 - 5 mils

Oh well. I was just wondering if there were any conclusions to be drawn from the readings. Unfortunately, the readings don't really make much sense, so there's no conclusions to be had.

[Zed Head]

If I ever find a 240Z in a barn I'm going to just have the dirt it's sitting on carved out and placed on a trailer with the car on top and whatever happens to be on the car itself.  Cleanup will be whatever hay/dust/dirt/droppings are blown off on the way to its new home prior to taking 300 pictures and posting on BAT.