usafdarkhorse

Thanks Tom! I need to get the engine bay looking as good as yours does! Thanks for the kind words! I've stowed the D hubcaps and the steel wheels in the garage, and I've got a set of ARE Libres, but the '72 is currently sitting on those. I thought about getting a set of wheels from here in Japan that would be fitting, but I think I'll keep the American looking 5 slot mags on the white car since I like the way it looks with them. The '72 will be my mod car and needs a mountain of work before these finally go on.

The last weekend I was in the US in May 2015, I got the GoPro out and did a quick drive through some back roads near my home in Tennessee. Turned out pretty well. Watch in HD! This is pretty much my only outlet to enjoy the car since I'm 8,000 miles away from it, so I appreciate when my brother takes it out on drives, shoots a few cell pics, and sends them my way. Here's a few he took yesterday (7 Jul 2015) while near the Sunsphere at World's Fair Park in Knoxville. I do miss driving it, but I don't feel too terribly bad since I finally ended the 6 year no-NSX drought, so I've got that to tool around with in Japan until I come back for good.

Tooled around in it for a bit before a gunked up gas tank sent rust up through the mechanical pump to the carbs on a local drive, so that took a bit to sort out. Before: After: That November, I left for Japan and I've been coming back about twice a year for a week at a time every year. While being gone, my brother Jonathan had been taking it to a meet or two. I went back to the US for training for about 5 weeks starting later April and was close enough to drive home every weekend and mess with both 240Zs for a bit. Hung the Twice Pipes up a little better Got the two of them together

Wow, 3 years and no update. Thanks for the info Mike B. So, a ton of updates all at once. I went to go pick the car up in Ohio back in May of 2012 shortly after posting those first pics. Most of the links died in the previous posts, so here they are again. Ownership! Got a UHaul trailer and towed it back to Wright Pat AFB for the night. The next day, while we were there, we decided to go to the National Museum of the US Air Force, my parents' first time visiting, my second time. Spent 4 hours there and saw probably 60% of what was there. Then we saddled up and started the drive back to TN. Overkill? Back at home.

I remember taking a look at this car awhile ago and wondered where it went to after leaving craigslist. I was going to buy it for a restomod project and ditch the auto, but it looked pretty bad through the hatch area.

And that's why this forum is awesome. Someone's bound to know the answer...although I can't seem to get to your link there^^^

Ya know, I don't really know. There's evidence of repaint, at least in the engine bay, as one member here pointed out but I was hoping to meet up with #797 here in Knoxville to compare them side by side to see what was different because I know his has been restored. If it has, it must have been awhile ago because all the stickers/plates look pretty worn Can any members here confirm that?

Found out first hand how sparingly the last owner drove the car and how inaccurate the gas gauge can be. Ran the tank nearly dry on my second drive out and sucked some gunk up into the fuel line. I guess 1/2 tank means "fumes". Have to drop the tank, clean it out, and blow out the lines. Had to go back to Arkansas and left the car with a local Porsche shop. While it was sitting there, the owner's son took a number of photos of the car:

Wow, long time no update. Thanks for the advice! Someone always has a unique take and good advice to offer when it comes to experience with Japan and Yokota in general. The year cutoff is April 1976. Prior to this date, cars should not need to meet Japanese emissions requirements (Cat A vehicles) but will still need to meet JCI. TMO doesn't want to ship a car to Japan that the owner will get in wayyyy over their head with legalization costs by being newer than April 1976. They tell you that you cannot ship a newer car there, but you can. It has to be waivered, but you probably already know that it costs $3-5K to legalize a newer car. I looked at bringing over a 1976 Porsche 911 before this Z, but Porsches don't have a month of manufacture on them, so I would have had to get a letter of authenticity from Porsche AG which I didn't feel like doing.....that and 1975 and 1976 911s are known to be basket cases... So about a month and a half ago, I took some leave and went up to Ohio to pick the car up and bring it back. After loading it up and looking back at it about once every 5 minutes all the way home, I figured out that there was no way I could ship this car to Japan just to sell it. I wanted it. Here's how I found it, phone pics sorry: It's mine!: Towing it back: Back home: I was thinking all the way up to Ohio that I was going to bring it home and prep it for the trip to Japan, but I couldn't do it. I figured out before I even got it home that there was no way I was going to tear into the taillights, speedo, whatever else it would take to legalize it, much less put it through the long boat trip over there. So now I'm leaving it at home to wait for a few years before I can enjoy it, which is OK. I really wanted this car anyway. It needs some bushing help, especially up front, and one of the door panels needs a little upholstery work, but it's all there. Last weekend I pulled the black carpet out that runs along the transmission tunnel and over the rear struts and the blue vinyl was just sitting underneath looking as good as ever. Literally EVERYTHING works on this car electrically and the switches feel like they've just been rebuilt, but I have to keep telling myself that it's better than rebuilt even. That's the way it was supposed to feel from the factory. Very happy to have this car and I don't think I will plan on selling it unless something dire happens. Thanks for reading my story.

Yeah I think I've got to do that before it goes to the VPC, but I'm not completely sure on that (just heard). Maybe it's old enough that it won't need that anymore, but I'm preparing for the worst. I'll be moving to Yokota in November. How was it? There's a servicemember from Yokota on japanesenostalgiccar that has a popular thread recounting the story of him picking up a '72 Skyline. Seems like it's going to be an unbelievable experience. Thank ya sir. I'll be careful with her. Possibly. The most likely place would be the Knoxville Cars and Coffee at EAG that occurs every other month or so (I think the next one is in July). I'm going to pick up the car next weekend. In reference to the carpet covering some stuff as mentioned above, the blue vinyl is still intact on the strut towers and transmission tunnel. It's just carpet over top.

I believe we met (I was lusting after your green 72). About a year ago, I had a silver 75 that was highly modified. I was at the very first C&C back in 2008 with the NSX and every one after that until I sold it in 2009, so maybe you saw it. I also had a buddy with a black 92 NSX that was its spitting image, just black interior, and he still goes to C&C with the car. I'm from out in Lenoir City, but I've since moved to TX with the military, about to move to AR for training, and then Japan, so you may not see much of me at all! Hopefully I'll be able to swing by one last C&C with this Z.

Yeah maybe jumped the gun on the "nicest Z in all of creation", but you all for sure have more trained eyes than I! If it were an NSX, I could spot it a mile away. Interesting though that she didn't mention any of that. Maybe the car's caretaker took it upon himself to do some of it because they seem a bit old to lie to me haha. You can see the blue diamond vinyl peaking out at the transmission tunnel. Haven't looked at the other places, but I'm crossing my fingers. Eagle eyes! Appreciate the kind words all. Original or not, patched up or not, she's a beaut. I'm excited.

Thank ya sir. An adventure it will be. I've heard of guys bringing 280Zs over, not even having registered the car yet, and getting offers upwards of $10K. I think it would be a shame just to bring it to sell, so I'll mull on it for awhile and drive it when I can (when it's feasible because having a car in Japan is a hassle really). It just blows my mind for someone to have owned a car since brand new for this long. I almost feel like I have a duty of sorts to see this thing well-preserved. Daunting. If I thought I was paranoid with my NSX, I'm going to be freakish with this thing. Here's my photobucket album: http://s947.photobucket.com/albums/ad316/usafdarkhorse/1970%20240Z/ I'll post some good ones from there at the bottom. PM'd you about the price and rubber vs. urethane question. I used to work at a tint shop with very good results on my last 280Z above when I very lightly tinted the windshield, sides, and hatch glass for UV protection. Couldn't even tell it was tinted, but it does block 99% of the UV. Coming up. Also posted my photobucket above. That's what I keep hearing. Too nice to do anything but put some wheels and tires on her and drive! Floor carpet. The only carpet that is NOT original is the rear deck carpet (being under the hatch glass). Looks brand new! Light tear in the panel Some of the underneath I was talking about Can you believe this is an OHIO CAR? Engine bay. Worn braiding. Battery tray Not a repaint!

Hi all, I'm mostly a lurker on here, but I thought I'd share with you all. I've owned a few Zs, my last being this 1975 with L28ET and MS2 that I sold in July of last year. Miss that car, but couldn't stand to let it sit out in rainy weather and rust after I moved down here in Corpus Christi. This past December, I found out that I was moving to Japan this coming November, so my NSX aspirations were put on hold after I had found the most perfect 1992 Comptech supercharged black on ivory NSX up in New Hampshire (telling that guy I couldn't buy his car almost literally hurt) . My last NSX for kicks: Miss that car dearly as well, more than the Z. I've been in a sportscar void for about a year now after getting sensible and buying a decent 2002 Accord to DD back and forth to base. Thought about getting an S2000 to have fun before I left for Japan. Then people started putting this crazy idea in my head about shipping an old car to Japan, to drive and possibly sell, because the Japanese go nuts for anything they can't have, just like us (a la Skyline). So I've been casually looking through old Datsun Z and Porsche 911 classifieds. Came close on one 911 down in Georgia, but the owner couldn't get me the info I needed (apparently older Porsches before the 1980's VINs did not have a month of manufacture stamped on the body...very important for Japan). Ended up stumbling across an ad in Ohio for a 240Z advertised as "one owner". I inquired. What I found was probably the most perfect, original 240Z in the United States. This lady bought the car brand new in 1970 having just come off the boat. After some time, she drove the car less and less and let a good family friend take care of the car for her, the person I originally contacted. It has 59K original miles, and the rust-problem was widespread enough by this time (July 1970) that the dealer took the car to a local shop to completely rust proof the bottom as brand new, and it looks like it. This car is so perfect, I'm starting to have trouble thinking about possibly taking it to Japan, but I know that it would probably survive better there than here. It may just need to go to a museum. I present to you 1970 Datsun 240Z Series 1 #7356, white on blue interior. Floorpan. The only drawbacks I see is that the car shows some evidence of sitting. The bottom has some surface rust on the suspension components as well as some dry rotted bushings. It was just not driven all that often (maybe once a month). Doing all the fluids and replacing the bushings with urethane. Then I'm getting in contact with a government vehicle processing center to prepare for the move to Japan. I'm going to need the amber turn signals lenses for the rear and the speedo changed to KPH, but it's gonna be well worth it. Alot of people think shipping an old car to Japan is a PITA. It'll cost me about $1K to register it there, but I think just being able to say you drove an old Z, left hand drive 240Z at that, in Japan is priceless. It really is. More updates to come. Thanks for reading my diatribe.

How ironic. I'm from Knoxville, TN, and just bought a white on blue interior 1970 240Z. I got on here just to see who else had a car with the same color combination. She's # 7356, 7/70.