Goose52

I prefer the BRE Spook and ran one on my car from the time it was new in 1972 until 1987. However, with a lowered car, I ended up repairing the lip on the bottom of the spoiler several times due to parking incidents, dips in driveways, etc. I ran the stock valance from 1987 until 2006 but never really liked the look. In 2006, I considered putting a Spook back on, or perhaps the basic MSA airdam ... then thought about my clearance problems with my Spook years ago (the car is still lowered). So, the compromise to have something other than the stock valance was to install the MSA aero lip. It's sorta an S130/280ZX look ... FWIW

I would have thought more of the valuation experts would have jumped on this one by now. Perhaps you might want to change the title of your thread to something like: WTK - Value of HLS30 #415 Also, you could see if the insurance company would go by the listings on the NADA web site - go to: http://www.nadaguides.com/SectionHome.aspx?LI=1-28-0-5000-502-504-50005&l=1&w=22&p=0&f=5003

Wow - I want to be like Ken when I grow up (I'm only 54 now). Good show !

I had the stock seat re-done last year - the seating surface is now pretty nice and is better than stock. Of course, we don't have the adjustable lumbar support that we have on our newer cars ... but in the old days I handled that by shaping a towel behind my back. Wife will be with me (she's a trooper but I don't think she really knows what she's getting herself into!) and we will do it in 4 easy days. I'm looking forward to it really but the first day will certainly be a re-education back to a simpler driving experpience as compared to the airconditioned, cruise-controlled comfort that many of us are now used to for the long haul drives. Only really bad thing is that I might have to make the trip in the June to August time frame - will have both more traffic and more heat!Thanks for the tips.

A round trip from Southern California to Pennslyvania and back in the '74 and '75 time period (had the car on blocks in PA while I was stationed in Japan). This was in a '72 240 with no airconditioning and a 5 speed with an R-190 diff with 4.44 gears - a bit "buzzy" but manageable. Otherwise - shorter trips in the '70s from the LA area to Yuma, Las Vegas, Reno, etc. Haven't put more than 200 miles at a time on it in the past 25 years. However, I will be moving from Cal to Tennessee next year and plan on driving the car across for one last cross-country trip (about 2,000 miles). With no airconditioning, no cruise control, and with a stiff suspension, it will not be as much fun at age 55 as it was at age 25! As Carl said - to be in your 20s again... Wayne

Good reading on this subject in this thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18761

I bought my car new in September 1972 and immediately named her Brandy - after the song of the same name (Brandy - You're a Fine Girl) by the Looking Glass. I just Googled it and this song was the number one hit for only one week on the Billboard chart of August 26, 1972 - about 2 weeks before I bought the car. I still have a brass plaque on the console that says "Brandy - 13 September 1972." This is the second plaque that I just installed last year - the original finally got too scratched up after 34 years of service...

A coincidence in that just today I got an email from Hagerty notifying me that my annual renewal was ready. Interesting was the below message advising me to consider increasing my declared value. I don't think this is just a ploy to troll for more premium dollars - I do believe that they are car guys providing advice about current and potential future market conditions. I've never had to file a claim but every contact I've had with Hagarty has been effecient - a first class organization based on my limited experience. Thank you for choosing Hagerty for your collector vehicle insurance. Enclosed is your policy renewal invoice for the policy period July 05, 2007 to July 05, 2008. You’ll notice that we’ve included an option to review the insured value of your vehicle. Most collectors realize that their collector vehicles are often appreciating assets. While Hagerty attends many major antique car auctions and events in order to stay current with market trends, we also recognize that no one knows more about your own collector vehicle than you do. In general, the value trend in quality collector vehicles continues to be very positive, so we’d like you to consider the insured value of your car. We've made the following suggestion: They then went on to recommend that I increase my declared value from $12,000 to $14,000 - for an additional $10 per year for a total of $164. Sounds pretty good to me... Goose

Thanks! That design is about the closest to mine that I've seen over all these years ... it looks pretty good. Will do...Wayne

Thanks. The wheels are ATS (Germany) 15x6 that I installed on the car in 1983. They are pretty rare here (and if anyone has one for sale - I'd sure like to have a spare!).

Hi Tom, You told me your Board name yesterday and I guess I forgot already. Yep, that's the fun part of the show - exchanging the stories, etc. Here a shot of the wheels ...

I agree - a great venue. My car was spotted in the sun but there were shade trees to retreat to if necessary. I liked the grouping of cars by models (240, 260, 280, 280ZX, Z31, Z32, 350) - this let people with an interest in a particular model to see all of those cars in one area. I counted at least 105 240Zs so we had a good turn-out. I'll be back next year.

Wow - that cover looks great !

Understood. My bad for saying "BRE shop" in my first post above. I was obviously at Interpart as I drove over to the address that was on the catalog.It is important, of course, to assure that our oral and written accounts reflect the correct roles of the various entities that contributed to the collective history of our Z-Cars. So it is indeed important to reflect the role of Interpart in the big scheme of things. OTOH, 35 years ago, if you lived in SoCal and wanted "BRE stuff" (like the decal in the below photo - still on my front side markers after more than 34 years) ... you drove over to El Segundo to the store. The ownership and relationship of Interpart to BRE was unknown to most of us at the time and we weren't really thinking that this was Interpart marketed, and sometimes BRE-logo'ed stuff!

Hello Carl, I think you're right - I probably should have said Interpart - not the BRE shop (as in where the race cars were built/maintained). I have no photos of my trips to El Segundo back then. I have a vague mental picture of the front of the building and the parking lot and the small area where the parts counter was. It was a larger industrial building and I have no idea what was going on in the rest of the building. On one visit, I remember there was a nice 510 parked out front with fender flares and Libre wheels - don't know whose it was. FWIW, I still have 4 Interpart catalogs - the one dated 2-1-72 shows an address for Interpart at 141 Oregon. The other 3 catalogs (8-1-72, 2-1-73, 1-1-74) all have an address of 100 Oregon. So, at least through January '74 Interpart was on Oregon in two different locations. Also, as shown in the photo, the 510 stuff was still shown in the 1-1-74 catalog so if there was a fire, it must have been later in '74. Wayne

I don't know if BRE issued 240Z medallions or not ... but they did indeed design a commemorative wreath for the 240Z just like the 510 design. The attached photo shows this design silk screened on the vinyl case for a BRE/Interpart bra that I bought at the parts counter at the BRE shop in El Segundo in 1972. Note how the repro medallion says "C PRODUCTION CHAMPION" when the actual design says "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 1970/71" FWIW

$5884.18 on Sept. 13, 1972. Lots of options - some I asked for, some the dealer installed and you got whether you wanted them or not! $4210 base price 500 air conditioning 300 mag wheels 220 BRE header/exhaust system 113 BRE spook and rear spoiler 50 front bumper guard 50 side molding 50 undercoating 100 dealer prep 279 sales tax 10 tags

I agree with Arnie's statement: They made enough of them that we can have both kinds. There are still enough high-end cars, and the corresponding collector interest, to preserve the breed so to speak. Then, there are lots of other cars that will never be of concours quality, but will make wonderful drivers for years to come. My car was a daily driver for the first 17 years, then a weekly or twice a week kind of car for the 17+ years since then. I now put about 2,000 miles a year on it. The car has been pretty much refreshed and is ready (hopefully) for another 20 years of driving. By then, I will be about 75 years old and will probably not have enough upper body strength to handle the steering while parking. At that point, I'll pull out the quick-steering knuckles and put the stockers back in, install a larger diameter steering wheel, and drive it for another 10 years or more... (again, hopefully!). All of this, of course, assumes that gasoline will be available that far in the future ... So, my vote, for my car, is driver ... not museum piece.

Interesting - as I said, I vaquely remembered that 5-side flange w/dimples around the lug hole area but just don't remember any details. I just did a web search and found a photo of the Cromodora style that I remember seeing on 240Zs back in the 70s. These are true magnesium wheels. Note the circular ridge around the lug hole area and the relatively flat spokes - a completely different design than yours. To give credit, I lifted this photo from a gents restoration web page here: http://www.weekendrides.com/72z.html Anyway, when you clean them up, your wheels will look great. I always liked this kind of 5-spoke design ...

Speaking of 5-spoke mags, these have been on my car since 1983: ATS (Germany), 15x6.

I think they look familiar (looking at that dimple in the casting around the lug holes) ... but can't remember what they are. I was paying particular attention to 5-spoke designs back when as I liked the wheels on the Ferrari 365GTB from the late 60s/early 70s (and the similar style that was later used on the 308/328 series). For a process of elimination, I know this wheel is not the Chromodora "Daytona" type magnesium wheel that was popular in the 70s, nor is it the ATS 5-spoke like I have on my car (see following post). Guess I'm stumped.

Those were the dealer-installed wheels when I bought my car in '72. Ran them until about 1985. 14x5.5, 3 3/16 center hole, also had the "P/S" center caps. Was told by the dealer that they were "Per-Spec" mags ... never knew for sure if this meant they were "Performance Specialties" mags. No photo of the wheel on a red car ... only a photo on a silver car (this was scanned from an old, grainy photo taken more than 20 years ago).

I was 20 when I bought a new '72 with a re-enlistment bonus while I was in the Marines - I still have it.

George, I am always amazed at how many of us kept our cars all these years. Yours certainly might have a record for trips across the pond! Bought mine in '72 with a re-enlistment bonus (I only did 10 years) and it has been a part of every major life event that I've had since then ... lots of memories ... Goose / Wayne PS - thanks for your 30 years of service. Wayne