EhlersRS

Eric, Thanks for posting the photos of your project and for giving us "faint of heart" more courage! I'll be starting the rust repair on my '71 Z this summer after some other projects are complete. My friend and I just placed a large order with MSA, which includes new repair panels, floor pans, and frame rails for my car. I wouldn't attempt a project this complex without his experience to guide me, but I still get overwhelmed with the amount of work and my lack of knowledge. I checked out the photos you posted 7 years ago when you made the trip to pick up this Z. It really gives perspective to the amount of damage you recently repaired: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/data/500/IMG_0604.JPG Also, the photo of your Frontier pulling the Z reminded me of the trip to pick up my car: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/data/500//IMG_0608.JPG http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/members/ehlersrs-albums-1971-datsun-240z-picture53969-took-several-attempts-line-car-up-car-dolly.jpg Robert S.

Jeremy, Your cars look great! Of course I like the Z and your dad's RX-7 is a nice ride! Robert S.

Bart, Thanks for the updates and glad you got everything straightened out with the plates and insurance. I finally got the fenders off my car and can see how extensive the rust damage is. I haven't found any surprises yet, or at least, nothing I didn't expect to find. In a few weeks I'll be ordering new repair panels, floorboards, and frame rails from MSA. Robert S.

When we bought a used Sentra in 2009, the dealer used one of Carfax's competitors for the history report. I don't remember the name of the company off hand. The report showed the car had 3 previous owners, so we at least knew some history of the car. I guess there's no substitute for having the car physically checked out. Another alternative is to buy cars brand new or from someone you personally know. I own two vehicles that I bought brand new and we recently bought a SUV from my sister, who was the original owner (traded in the Sentra). The Z on the other hand, had 4 owners before me. Ironically, with all of the maintenance receipts and conversations with all of the previous owners, I know more history of a 42 year old car than a Sentra made 5 years ago! Robert S.

Arne posted a nice write-up in 2006 when he converted his auto transmission to a manual transmission: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/articles-our-members/21274-240z-260z-280z-auto-4-5-speed-swap.html Robert S.

The only place I've seen MSA mention a Z club discount is on the account logon page: https://www.thezstore.com/store/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=553e9de94df9e110ce0311ffb21dae33&Screen=LOGN&Order=0 "Note: Z Car Club members, please email the webmaster with your Z Club affiliation and membership number (must match the current membership list sent to us from your Club Officers), after you have created your Z Store account! Normally we will be able to complete the set up the following business day. Thanks!" Robert S.

Welcome Norm! Enjoy your new Z and thanks for sharing with us! Robert S.

Jim, Glad to meet you! Unfortunately I'll only be a spectator at the show this year. I bought a '71 240Z last summer to restore and haven't done much work on it yet. In fact, I haven't even driven or rode in a 240Z yet. Hopefully the Branson Z Fest will help motiviate me to get more work done this summer! Look forward to seeing you! Robert S.

Lonny, Thanks for the information. I tend to plan things well in advance, so I'm not that spontaneous. I look forward to meeting you at the show! Robert S.

Mike, Sorry to hear about your car, but glad to hear you're relatively well. Welcome back! Robert S.

Chris, I finally had time to read your thread. Great job on your Z! Like you, I'm the 5th owner of my car. The 3rd and 4th owners planned to restore the car, but circumstances kept them from working on it. I also have a stack of receipts from the first 2 owners, but thankfully no major body work was done that I'll have to redo. The car was repainted in the late 70's and of course it has lots of rust. Thanks for the photos of your work and I look forward to the finished product! Robert S.

Hello Everyone, I was wondering who's planning to attend the Branson Z Fest this year? (Branson Z Fest 2013) Our wedding anniversary is on June 5 and my wife suggested we plan a trip to Branson to see some sights and attend the car show. Yes, my wife really does love me. This will be our first time attending the event. I'm hoping more S30's are registered since only a few are currently registered to attend. Robert S.

Carrie, That's great you were able to purchase the car for $1000 less than the asking price! I'd say most people are will to work with you if you already have the cash. That's funny your first car was a Tempo. My first car was a 1984 Mercury Lynx (equivalent to a Ford Escort). I paid $1200 for the car and it ran fine until I blew the engine. I ended up rebuilding the engine and trading it in on my second car, a 1986 Honda Prelude. I bought my Z last summer to restore and I'm just a few years behind you in age. So, I'm not sure if this is my midlife crisis care or not? Robert S.

Welcome Carrie, Did you buy the 260Z that was for sale in Jerseyville, IL (on Craigslist)? I noticed this car online a few months ago and it looks like a great car! My coworker is restoring an early 260Z that is white and looks very similar to yours. It's always great to meet another Z owner in the Midwest! Robert S.

Now we know what really collided to Earth in Russia. It wasn't a meterorite, it was a 280Z! Robert S.

Bart, The car's looking good! Glad she's on the road and hopefully you'll pass the inspection soon! Robert S.

Here's the one I couldn't remember by JDM: Search Results : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce Robert S.

Mike, If you are referring to the heater control panels, there are several vendors that sell reproductions: Motorsport: Motorsport! Heater Control Panels - The Z Store, Nissan-Datsun 240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-300ZX(Z31/Z32)-350Z-370Z Parts Zedd Saver: http://zeddsaver.com/interior/heater%20bezel-large.jpg I know there's one more vendor, but I can't remember the name off hand. Robert S.

Joey, Welcome to the board and congratulations on starting your Datsun fund! I worked a second job on the weekends and sold stuff I didn't need to save for my Z. As mentioned above, fairly rust-free Z's can be found in the Midwest, but they generally cost more than those from the Western states. This is a great place to ask questions and learn about Z's while you're saving. Robert S.

Sorry to hear about the loss of Enrique. Like others, I never met him, but enjoyed his posts and wealth of knowledge. Prayers and thoughts going out for his family and friends. Robert S.

Mike, From another discussion about 240Z radios (AM and AM/FM), what do you think about reproduction radio face plates? It sounds like they are hard to come by in decent condition. I'm guessing over the years people replaced their original radios and trashed the faceplates. For instance, one of the previous owners of my car replaced the AM radio with a "newer" radio. He reused the original faceplate, but hacked it up to fit the new radio in. Thankfully my car came with a spare original AM radio and faceplate. The faceplate does need a "facelift" though. Robert S.

Alan, We never actually met before now. When I ran across cars that interested me, I would save the photos from the sale ads. I remember when yours first went up for sale on Craigslist. Of course living in Iowa, I'm always excited to meet other Z owners in the area. Last June I bought a '71 from Peoria, IL to restore. Your Z didn't have much rust underneath. Mine has the usual Midwest rust because it spent it's life in Peoria. I have been fortunate enough to talk to all of the previous owners, including the original owner who is now 81 years old. He had some good stories to share about the car. I'm still waiting for Spring to really get started on the car. Hopefully there is another Z in your future. I don't even see many 350ZX's around here. Perhaps you could be one of the first owners of the new Z coming out in 2014? Robert S.

Mike, Sorry to hear you lost your friend. My "girls" will be 7 years old this summer, so I expect they'll be around for a while. As mentioned above, I also saw the chroming service advertised on Ebay. Some of the guys had their reservations about the Ebay ad, to put it mildly. You've got to stop posting those tempting photos of chrome parts! For some reason I didn't realize the choke/rear defrost plate from the center console had chrome. I'll have to add that to my list of parts that need rechroming. I do have a more technical question. For those parts that need to be repainted black after the chroming, such as the 240Z taillight trim, heater control panel, etc., what is the best method to repaint those and do you have any suggestions for paint? Thanks, Robert S.

Bill, Congratulations on the purchase! It's always great to have another nice example of a 240Z in the Midwest. Look forward to seeing more photos of the car when it gets home. Robert S.

Bart: Sorry I haven't responded, the last few weeks have been busy! I'll see what I can found out about the other owners (Steven Campbell and Hertel R E JR). Since Hertel's name is on the warranty card, I'm sure he's the original owner. That was the case with the original owner of my car. I also browsed through Stolze's website and was amazed to see all of those Z's in one place! I hope the progress on your car is coming along. Alan: Glad to hear from you! After seeing photos of Bart's new Z it looked awfuly familiar. I was still saving to buy a Z when I ran across the ads for your car in Iowa. I was also surprised to see the car show up in the Netherlands. Also, I enjoyed seeing the pohtos of the car on your user profile. Good to meet you and it's nice to meet another Z fan in Iowa! Robert S.