conedodger

Thank you Will. That is a good reminder. Post edited. I stand corrected. My apologies...

I guess I could check the date by figuring out when the last game at Metropolitan Stadium was played. It was a game between the Vikings and the Cowboys and the Metrodome was going to be their new stadium the next year. The Cowboys won and the fans had begun dismantling the stadium for souveniers. Seats were being cut out from under people! I had a first date with a gal and wanted to impress her. I didn't normally drive my Z in the winter at all but I had polished it all up and since the roads were clear, I thought I would drive her. It was cold that day. You Minnesota guys know what I mean but most of the rest of you cannot even imagine what -35 F is like. Especially if you are sitting still. Believe me, with the performance that Tammy Kramer was putting on that day, no one had any reason to stand up and cheer. Oh, did I say Tammy? I guess I meant Tommy. After the game, we went out to the parking lot and she started right up. But then the unexpected happened. Well, unexpected for me anyway... The defroster didn't defrost and the heater didn't heat. I was stuck in the traffic leaving the stadium trying to get on to the Crosstown and she started to overheat. The thermostat had frozen and the head warped from the heat. We managed to get to a restaurant on Lyndale just across the Freeway and we ordered food while waiting for the tow truck and my friend to come get us. Somehow, she went out with me again. In fact we went out for more than a year... I threw the gal back but I still have the car!

I have put these in without removing the steering rack. Not difficult at all. Basically, when you turn your steering wheel with the rubber insulator in place some deflection takes place. Put in the urathane and any steering input is transmitted more quickly because there is no deflection that would have occured with the rubber. It has no effect on the alignment. What I am sure Reddie73 is refering to is that if the wheels encounter something that forces them to turn - the wheels turn the steering wheel. Some of that is mitigated by the rubber insulator.

Ahhh.... I have seen that. I didn't like it. Try and imagine the GMish Rally stripes from the 70's. This looks really good on the cars and I have seen some V8 conversions use it as a 'hint' to the guy they just street raced as to why they got their asses waxed! Your idea is a Mopar graphic and it clutters the long sexy lines of the car.

Not sure what you mean. I have seen yellow cars with the Rally stripes ala GM cars like the '70's Camaro and Chevelle. This looks good. I have also seen the ZAP model from '77.

Sometimes the choir wants to hear the sermon. The question really wasn't who do you disagree with - it was what Z's if any would you put in your museum. So there is no wrong answer. I really admired Carl Sagan. That is why I find his 914 to be interesting. If Paul Newman owned and drove a street Z, I would love to see it. Remember, it is my museum. Some of you wouldn't get past the security guard... ever.

That can be done with hand tools. I own lots of air tools and find I mostly use hand tools. I would consider replacing the clutch and pressure plate as you have the engine out and it is easier than driving it 2K miles and having it go bad. Resurfacing the flywheel is not a bad idea either. Flywheels require a torque wrench but not an air torque wrench. Torque them to spec not as tight as you can...

I voted for low vin Z cars and racing history cars. It wasn't a choice but if a famous person owned a Z and it could be found and restored that might be a choice I would make as well. The attached pic isn't a Z but it is an example of what I might find interesting as a museum patron. Carl Sagan with his 914...

Again, I will have to disagree, in a way... Yes, the people who designed and built these cars intended them to be driven and enjoyed. But that was then. Perhaps they imagined the greatness they created perhaps not, more likely they were just pleased with their success but didn't imagine a following almost 40 years later. Sure, they intended that they be driven and enjoyed but if you could ask them now they might have a different opinion - this is now. I would go so far as to say probably have a much different opinion. If I build something today that is intended to be used but later it becomes historically important I would want it preserved in a museum. There are plenty of them being driven and enjoyed and this one is important historically as are probably most of the vin# under 100 no matter where they landed in the world. The owner should do what he wants with it because he owns it but I would hope that one day it ended up in the Datsun Heritage Museum as it would be a worthwhile exhibit. Am I biased? Yes probably as I was an early contributor but I think I would have a hard time just driving around in a car that was the very first of any pedigree. I would want to make sure nothing bad happened to it as you can never replace the first of anything. The guy who designed the Chrysler K car did so with the intention that it be driven and (ok, maybe not enjoyed) but your point of view reduces the Z to that level. It isn't even close. It changed everything and the lowest vin# sold should be destined for preservation of some kind.

On this I would have to disagree. Yes the first 100 cars are special but the lowest VIN registered in the US not any more special? Just another low-vin conversation piece? Well, after all - we are here to converse about these cars so to trivialize that is to trivialize this... I would say that while the first 100 are special, a car like the 13th is important, perhaps historically so. It should be restored and put in a museum. Perhaps your perspective is different owning the 26th but from where me and most of the others here are standing, this is a very important car. My car is a 73 and it sold in high volumes because of the popularity of this car...

Probably the lowest VIN# Z sold to the public in the US...

So... What news of this important early Z? You remember... It was the subject of this thread.

I think there is a Z specialist in Oakland called the Z Doctor IIRC... Do a search for ZONC which is the Z Club of Northern California. Doc Kanorowski is the tech director and he also owns the shop I am talking about...

North Hollywood Speedometer, Palo Alto Speedometer... Two I have used. Do a search for repair and restoration of guages.

Will is correct. The Comp Department steering knuckles are 10mm shorter and can be fitted to the later cars. This quickens steering and increases effort. These knuckles were simply the early ones marketed as a competition upgrade.

!!! I am a member of the Sacramento Valley MG Club. I haven't owned one in years and naturally when I did it only ran for about 30 miles over a period of 2 years but once you join their club they keep sending you the newsletter for life. Some of the recommendations are outdated. I think EOS is NLA for one...

A good Porsche engine builder, a guy who makes Porsche cylinders, and a guy who does CNC cylinder head work on Porsches got together and tested most of the currently available herd of oils that car guys are using. They found that Brad Penn has the highest zinc content of all the popularly used oils. Brad Penn is a shortening of the name Bradford Pennsylvania where the old Castrol GT refinery was located. I guess when the refinery was going to shut down it was bought out and is being operated by the old employee and management group. Testing second in this group for zinc content was Royal Purple and Swepco Synthetic. The old school synthetics could cause oil leaks but now days the synthetics contain additives to swell seals so that is uncommon. I use Brad Penn in my 914, Swepco in my 911, and Brad Penn in my Z... The 911 has very low mileage and runs considerably cooler on the Swepco synthetic. Why is Porsche test data relevant? These are all older flat tappet engines.

Ebay is the wrong place to look for appraisal information. Your appraiser will look at a lot more than that. Cars with history can bring higher value. I suspect though that in this case unless your unnamed drivers were fairly famous that effect will be limited. Z Store cars have brought very high prices. I am not so sure they deserve to be bringing higher prices than a well restored and original car but they can. It sounds like you are thinking of selling. Good luck!

Not too sure why worth is even being discussed. Is the guy looking for offers? Seems to me he has just shown it to some guys he met and let them take pictures. Perhaps the proper semantics would be the lowest VIN actually sold in the USA? No way to tell what VIN was sold first in the USA, and in any case that was probably in California no??? Is there any more to report on the car? This seems to have devolved into a critique of the US hegemony.

Very cool...

I just unbolted it, gave it a few spanks on either side at 3 and 9 OClock and it began moving forward on the shaft. Then I just gave alternating pulls to the left and right sides and off it came...

Arne is of course absolutely correct. I forget that for most guys don't need or want to pay for Hoosiers, Kumho, Yokohama R-rated rubber. My apologies. You should be good for a long time. Now I will go back to sticking my thumbnail deep into my tire rubber and smiling :stupid:

Dude! Where is your cat??? Seriously, lose the air pump.

Consider 16" wheels. It is hard and will be getting harder to find tires for 15" wheels.

In the right hands it is not terminal... Good luck and happy welding!