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For those of you that follow the Datsun Cars and Trucks For Sale FB page probably saw the car for sale. It was purchased by its new owner yesterday evening and who took it home to Houston. I enjoyed owning the car, refreshing its various components, and learning more along the way. The car is still a blank canvas for the new owner that can be driven as is or taken in any number of directions. My wife and I have some big financial goals we want to achieve in 2020 and the sale of the Z will ensure that happens. I will still check in from time to time to see what everyone is working on. I thank everyone for their encouragement and support.

A great story. I can relate to Frank. I bought my Z in September 1970, in St. Louis. I still have it, and it will be 50 years old next year. I was 22 then, so you know how old I am now. My z still runs, and drives, but needs lots of work. Reading your story brings back many memories of fun trips I had in my Z. My first born, was almost born in the car, barley made it to the hospital. Thanks

I haven’t heard about the trouble, I will ask some people. I don’t think there will be a big difference between them , maybe just linkage and fuel pipe connecter , jet setting ? Here is what I am planning to install to my spare S20 . Kats

Updates: https://autoweek.com/article/empire-hill-climb/datsun-280zmercedes-v12-empire-hill-climb-engine-swap-update-tick-tick https://www.drivingline.com/articles/race-car-spotting-a-home-built-v12-powered-datsun-280z/

Little Fauss and Big Halsy

As with pretty much all KONI dampers, these are digressive valvings on the Z cars. This means that as they initially begin to move, they build damping forces at a pretty steep rate to give very low piston speed, subtle body motion control but the rate of climb continues at a decreasing or digressing rate at target piston speeds across their working piston speed range so that they do not get too firm and causing handling, tire grip, and ride comfort issues once the suspension and body get into significant motion. A progressive damping curve would normally be a bad thing as it would have very little damping force and control in subtle suspension motions but it would rapidly increase the rate of climb becoming overdamped and harsh over big motions and bumps. A progressive damping curve on a car would be an extreme rarity and I can't say that I have ever seen such in my nearly 25 years in the business. Some cars and specific suspension designs (typically not struts) prefer a more linear damping curve meaning that that the rate of climb is relatively even across the piston speed range and typically have pretty limited initial low speed damping forces. Some relatively linear damping examples are a number of BMW rear shocks that are mounted well behind the axle and trailing arm with an overdriving or more than 1:1 motion ratio. Progressive rates can very often be a very good thing for performance car springs but would be a bad thing for performance car damping. Progressive springs and digressive damper valvings can be very well matched, especially when adjustable.

As car enthusiasts we are not merely the owners of 4-wheeled machines but caretakers of classic and interesting automobiles. Anytime we acquire a used but “new to me“ vehicle we always want to know its history, where has it been, has it been treated well, what made the owner buy this car over another, and so on. Many times there are clues left behind in between the seat cushions or stashed in the glovebox in the form of receipts, matchbooks, and maybe even an occasional photograph that was included with the sale. Sometimes the story of ownership is passed down through the owners themselves. But as time marches on and these cars and their previous owners grow older it is becoming harder to track down and have the opportunity to talk with the original owner of a car. After several conversations and a few months of planning this opportunity materialized and I am so grateful it did. This past weekend I trailered my 1971 240z #8011 to the Dallas area to visit family, attend the Dallas/Plano Cars and Coffee, and have lunch with Frank Lauriello, the original owner of the car. On Sunday October 4th we met at Main Street Bistro and Bakery for brunch. I didn’t know what Frank looked like but knew he was in his 60’s. Seeing that everyone else there was a young beautiful family and well-dressed I figured the first guy in his 60’s that walked in by himself would be Frank. Sure enough as an older gentleman walked in I tapped him on the shoulder and I was right. We formally introduced ourselves, shook hands, and a got a table outside. After ordering coffee and discussing how beautiful the weather was the conversation quickly turned to cars. Frank had never heard of Cars and Coffee so I told him about the event and even given the fact there were two dozen Italian exotics in attendance, only three classic Z’s were there. Being exclusive does not always mean being expensive I said. He laughed and agreed and asked the next time it comes around he would like to check it out. When I originally setup this weekend I was hoping to meet Frank at C&C but he was already booked up on Saturday. The waitress comes back around, we order our food and get back to our conversation. I asked Frank what made him buy the Z and what else was he considering when he did. He told me how he was looking at Porsche 911’s as they were fast and cheap back then and the 240Z’s were already popular around Los Angeles. After test driving the 240z he figured it would be more reliable than the Porsche so he bought it in late September of 1970. He remembered that the car was built in August of 1970 and felt it should really be called a 1970 but was titled as a ’71. I asked him “how cheap was a Porsche 911 in 1970?“ Frank: “About $9,000” Me: “How much was the Z?” Frank: “Around $3,000 if I remember correctly” Me: “How much was a house in Los Angeles in the early 70’s?” Frank: “Around 15 to 20 grand” We both laughed, seems that Porches have always been expensive. He went on to tell me a few years ago he considered buying a new 911 but his wife would not even get in the car to go on a test drive. He still likes them but he for now they are not in the financial picture. I asked him has ever thought about getting another Z, maybe a new one like a 370z? He said they are nice but he has not paid that much attention to them. Our food arrives, we take a few bites, switch gears to another topic of what we with our time, job, etc. Frank goes on to tell me that he volunteers with an organization that provides handyman services to senior citizens called Plain-O-Helpers. I was truly impressed with the variety of work they do and how busy they are, averaging thirty houses per week. They work with the city and county to help seniors get their homes up to code or install ramps, grab bars, and more. He has been doing it for twelve to thirteen years and I could tell he has a real passion for it. Suddenly my job as an IT project manager was not that interesting. We took in some more of our food and I ask Frank to tell me about any exciting trips or adventures he had in the Z. He wipes mouth and sits back as I can tell the mental wheels are spinning and he says “we drove that car everywhere.” “We took it up the California highway all the way to Canada one time, we drove it to Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada.” “It was always a good car, had plenty of room for our bags” “It was always garage kept and never got rained on unless it had been driven and the rain came along” There were no adventures or mishaps with the car. Based on Frank’s stories the Z served as fun but essential transportation to their destinations. The conversation changed gears to ownership history and I shared what I knew based on the information I had gathered from the owner I bought it from. Frank owned the car for approximately twenty five years and during that time he lived in LA, Colorado, and then moving to the Dallas Texas area where he lives now. He sold the car to a car collector a few years after moving to Dallas in the mid 90’s. The car had an issue with second gear and at this point Frank was done with the car and did not feel like fixing it. We concluded that the collector fixed the transmission and sold the car on to the owner in Denison Texas near the Oklahoma border. I told Frank I actually spoke with this owner briefly after buying the car and that he was now in his 90’s. I did not keep him on the phone long, just confirmed a few things about the car and was hoping he still had the window sticker as Frank originally told me during our first phone conversation that it went with the car. Fortunately he remembered the window sticker but unfortunately it was lost during a move. I told Frank about all the work the work that Dave Hoffer and his crew had done on the car prior to me buying it from Dave. This included the engine and suspension rebuild along with the 5-speed transmission swap. We wrapped up our meal, took care of the check, and vacated our residency on the patio. We walked to the parking garage where the Z was and as we came upon it we talked about the condition of the paint. He said the color it is now is very close to what he remembered as the original color. I opened the hatch and showed him the evidence of the BMW graphite metallic that remained along with the original paint peeking through in a few locations where the BMW color had flaked off. I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride and he quickly accepted. After a quick seat belt adjustment we were off as several car alarms chirped upon our exit, informing us that we were disturbing their morning slumber. I took Frank on a nice loop away from traffic so I could do some spirited driving with him. He said “she really moves along” as the engine pulled the car around with ease, always providing a little g-force to the occupants. As we got on to a road with a higher speed limit I shifted in to 5th demonstrating how nice the car cruised and Frank agreed that is what it needed since day one. We drove around some more as I could see him looking around the inside of the car, taking it all in. As we made our way back to the parking garage Frank asked if he could take my picture with the car so he could show his wife and I replied “absolutely”. I parked on the side street next to the garage as we took turns taking pictures of the car and of the other standing next to it. We chatted a little more as Frank remembered being in a small accident in the car, being hit on the front right side. He said the shop did a good job and I concurred as the car has nice shot lines and handles well. I told him I had picked up the set of slotted mag wheels the last time I was in the Dallas area from a guy off Craigslist and asked what wheels were on the car when he got it and did he ever changed them. “It had the regular steel wheels and wheel covers on it, always did.” I popped the hood to show him the engine bay and that you could see the detailed suspension as well. He was impressed with all the attention to detail and was so glad to see that it has always been cared for. He mentioned the dealer chopped off the front of the original air cleaner to make room for the AC compressor. I have the “before” pictures of when Dave got the car and had always been curious who chopped the front of the snorkel off the air box and why. The morning had turned to the afternoon and I knew I needed to start heading back to Austin. I closed the hood down as Frank stood at the back of the car looking over the rear passenger quarter panel and as I joined him I hear him say “she looks really good, makes me wonder why I ever got rid of it” I could tell the memories were playing in full HD at this point in his mind. I told him I really enjoy the car and I am very happy and honored to have it as I know how special it is. I thanked him again for meeting with me, shook his hand, and that it had been a pleasure getting to talk with him. He did the same, thanked me for the meal, and said he really appreciated me reaching out to him and setting this up, it had been a fun morning. I told him I would keep him posted on the car and let him know the next time Cars and Coffee was taking place. I got the Z loaded back up and back to Austin without incident. As I write this I have more questions I wish I had asked Frank and wish I had someone to take pictures of us during our meeting. For now, I am beyond thrilled at getting to meet with him as it will be one of the many great memories I have with the Z.

I forgot to mention that a great product available from Honda Dealers is called Shin Etsu Grease. Just put some on the rubber seals or any soft rubber part, rub in with a cloth and it looks and feels like new. It also prevents doors from sticking closed in the cold. Honda Part Number is 08798-9013. They usually have behind the parts counter at the Honda Dealer. \\

An update on HLS30-01032 almost 10 years since the last post: I did a Google search on HLS30-01032 and found it on IZCC's Classic Z Car Register - http://www.zhome.com/IZCC/ZRegisters/classic.htm I have also attached one of the pictures of the car that the seller posted on the original Cragslist back in 2006. VIN:HLS30 01032 Production Date:01/70 Color Body /Int:Orange/Black Orig.Eng.Number:L24-4056 Owner:John Odell City/State/Cntry:Woodland Park, CO, USA IZCC Member#:554 Comments: e-mail: johnodellmd@msn.com Date Registered:18 Aug. 09, & 3/22/10

I am also a fan of the Type Q/Type 2 Mikuni 44's... but local legend has it that they don't stay in tune. Apparently the magnesium/alloy composite they are means that as they heat up they distort and create vacuum leaks, leading to poor tunability... At least that's what a local guru (who I trust knows more about them than me says). Have you heard of similar? By the way is there any difference between the Z432-R option ones and the U20 Roadster versions?

@Patcon same as the one at the beginning of this tread. I like to see those things by myself, so I decided to go any pay them a visit, met with Amy and her boss, small joint, good products and nice people from what I experienced.

Hi Gavin , I am glad that you like standard, skinny wheel Z432-R . I attached this picture car is what I call basic , plain , standard Z432-R (there would be more proper word to call ) , unfortunately not for sure the chassis number . Nissan sold this model for whom wants to do motor sports , and not intended for road legal . The race manual describes this configuration first , then describes how to modify for each part one by one . Most of Z432-Rs what we see today are the car like this .And were at least when they were sold . Nissan began to sale this ( basic ) Z432-R as a road legal car adding a windshield washer tank to pass the requirements. And some other modifications might be made .Probably customers might place orders to the dealer “ I want a heater , brake master vac , “ etc . We have seen one Z432-R had full interior trim just like a Z432 ! Those cars ( 20 cars or so, all of them 1969-1970 made ) were mostly sold in 1972-1973 , after Nissan works switched to L24 for track . We think that was a clearance sale of Z432-R . Z432 was 1850000 yen , but one day Mr. Kubo ( legendary tuner) was told “ could you please buy a Z432-R for 600000 yen ? “ Mr. Kubo didn’t take it because he saw works race car is now using L24 . I think works race car is different from picture car . First of all , usually works Z432-R was red , not 918 orange . Courtesy Motor Magazine . Kats

You might have a brake fluid leak.

Here are my new bumpers on my ‘73: Got them from Vietnam, the fit is excellent, I visited the factory in Saigon, about 1h drive from District 1, small shop, nice people and nice products. They do bumpers for all kind for all brands. In fact I bought 2 sets, the 2nd one will go on my ‘70 after I’m done with restoration.

I put small rubber pieces on the sides, too! ?

"The first place to check the voltage on the yellow wire is at the voltage regulator." - I'm measuring 7.5v on the yellow wire at the alternator and at the relay. Enough for the original relay but not the new mini-cube. and now it magically works again. ughh. would rather it stayed broken long enough to identify the fault.

I'd buy one if they decided to build it. Dennis

Hi tool man, 1: Yes. You will need to drill an extra hole to fix the bumper side arms. I don't have any photos of that part modification. I was at the stage where I just wanted to finish it. The hole is about 100mm in front of the 280Z bumper hole IIRC. I can check mine, but it would be better to measure and determine the position in your own situation. 2: yes. It will fit under the gap shield. Not sure how that will look though.

Is that little green car a future model? looks nice.

Thanks Kats, that is interesting. I have to say I like seeing the same interior colour in a race car as the exterior. I see a lot of white interiors on race cars too, often so oil spills or other fluid leaks can be spotted easily (or at least that's the reason I'm told it's done). But this is just another small detail of the Z432-R I was not aware of. On the topic of different trim level Z432-R's, this car (and I don't recall the chassis no. I'm afraid) really catches my eye. I love it's completely bare bones / raw look. NB: The straight gear stick and the Topy steel wheels are just begging to be changed to some kind of racing spec wheel, but I love it like this. I'd love to drive it around on the steelies, since it just has that weekend racer look. In Australia Bathurst was a famous racing circuit and track because anyone could enter off the street. You could walk into a local dealer buy the hotted up version of whatever car it was you wanted to race and then go from the show room to the race track with it. Many did, and drove on steel wheels (but removed hubcaps). So it has that sort of appeal to me.

I like the original Z432 as it is... with the stock S20 engine. Same goes for the 240Z ( Export model ). Both have their own story. HP numbers from both stock engines only differ about 10 hp, but it's more like that the S20 Z has totally different engine and driving characteristics. They are both cool in their own ways. Same goes for the Toyota 2000GT with it's 2 litre twin cam engine.. The S30 for the Japanese market also seems are rare thing ? Cause it has the L20 engine and E30 head I believe ? How much of these are left ?

+1 on the Duplicolor approach. I've finished one grill and two rear panel sets with that combination. The grill close-up is for a color check. BTW - I primered the back side of the rear panels then sealed with clear.