DatsunZGuy

to it being a 1973. 1. VIN 2. Bumpers 3. Heater Panel 4. 1973 smog equipment, but with earlier carbs

I don't see any "glaring flaws". The only one I can find at the moment is that this beauty clear on the other side of the country from me

I would look for little details such as if the original stickers in the engine compartment such as on the radiator, air cleaner and front radiator support are still there and what shape they are in. Also, if the original style hose clamps and braided cloth radiator and heater hoses are present. In the interior, I would look to see if it still has all the fabric labels on the seat belts. These items would likely to be gone, seriously deteriorated or replaced on a high-mileage car.

There’s a very nice unrestored ‘72 for sale in Virginia. The price is a little steep for me, but I’m impressed by its condition, originality and documentation. ***CLICK HERE*** Less than 32K miles and a much coveted braided top radiator hose to boot!

Thanks! The wheel paint was purchased at my local AutoZone and the matte clear at Ace Hardware.

Hey Ben (v12horse), The combination of paint I used is a very close match to the original steel grey or anthracite finish. Here’s another photo, but this time it’s of the rear panel. To my knowledge the rear panel on my 72 has never been re-painted. As such, the grey is much darker and better preserved where it was covered by the license plate. I painted my license plate light using the paints in my earlier post/photo and mounted it back on the panel for comparison. It’s kind of hard to tell given the lighting in my garage and flash on my camera, but the license plate light matches very closely to the preserved portion of my rear panel. At least that what my eyes are telling me. :classic:

I have had pretty good success (IMHO) approximating the original shade and finish using the following: Dupli-Color High Performance Wheel Coating – HWP102 Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Multi-Purpose Paint – 1902 Matte Clear

I restored and polished set of six spokes for my car using Dupli-Color High Performance Wheel Coating "HWP 102 Graphite" Albeit, I didn't completely paint the spokes. I also used this paint along with clear flat to match the original factory anthracite (argent) color of the front grill , rear panel a hupcaps on my 72. You can see some of the finished product in my gallery. Here's a snapshot of one of the hubcaps:

$280.00 to re-chrome your front and rear bumpers is a screaming good deal. I paid $777.42 to have my set redone (front, 3-piece rear and all 4 guards) at Bumper Boyz ( http://www.bumperboyz.com ) in Los Angeles. They specialize in classic car chroming and had a price list, which included Z cars. As for how they’ll stand the test of time. Before I wrapped the bumpers for storage, I applied some POR-15 clear to the back of the bumpers in hopes that this will deter rust from forming.

I purchased a 240Z carpet set from Les at Classic Datsun Motorsports when I visited his shop a couple of years ago. The carpet in the green Z is of the same type and pile sold to me, which Les said was used in the factory restoration cars. Albeit, it not the same as the loop pile of the original carpet of the era, it is of very good quality nevertheless. Also, you'll notice the seat belts are not original (note red release button), but they are from Nissan. I recall that Courtesy Nissan sold a set on ebay awhile back.

You might be right, Carl. :classic: Wasn’t his name Burt, and went by “cardogman” on this forum? If I recall, he bought the in Florida and lives in New York. I felt really sorry for the guy because didn’t his radiator go bad and some acid was accidentally spilled on the car? That might explain why the radiator doesn’t look original (note the roof-shapped fan guard as opposed to the normal round arch). Also, he may have had the car repainted due to the acid incident. That might account why the black stripe on the hood is now missing. Also, he may have removed the fogs light (were installed behind the grille) slotted mags and added the overriders on the front and rear. I wish Burt would chime in and set the record straight. Burt's Car

The current high bidder at $25,000 is named "gayenigma". ***CLICK HERE*** I have no comment....

Edit. Previous sympathy message no longer warranted and never really deserved in the first place.

Here’s a link to a site that advertises gold cadmium (a.k.a. zinc dichromate) plating services. I plan to this outfit out once I start work on the engine. I was thinking of getting a D.I.Y. kit, but wasn’t too keen on the idea of having to store all those chemicals. Also, I would like to re-plate some larger, odd shaped parts like the air gallery (if I can manage to coax it off the exhaust manifold), and I don’t think those home kits will be able to accommodate this. CLICK HERE

I purchased a couple of Wolf brand car cover made from their Evolution fabric. I have one on my 1972 240Z (kept in the garage), and the other is on my 2002 GMC Sonoma truck, which is kept parked out in the drive way. I am very happy with the performance and durability of the cover over the 2 plus years that it has been exposed to the climate of the Central Coast of California.

My prayers are with your family.