EhlersRS

Mike, I would have responded sooner, but I got busy towards the end of the week! Thanks for posting the photos of the rechromed seatbelts and hubcaps. The original seatbelts in my car aren't looking too good, especially on the driver's side. It looks like one of the harness pieces sat on the floorboard for a while and was exposed to moisture, thus causing rust. The passenger side looks a lot better. I also have an extra set of belts from the parts car. Is that your dog's reflection in the hubcap on the lower left? Thanks again for posting the photos and I can't wait until Spring to get working on the car again! Robert S.

The only manufacture I'm aware of that sells new seat brackets is Bad Dog: 240Z Seat Brackets [seatbracket] - $120.00 : Bad Dog Parts, Datsun Z car parts and accessories Robert S.

Steve, Thanks for the tips and photos! I'm a future DIY welder and plan to start the rust repair of my Z this Spring. The clecos are a great idea! Robert S.

Mike, I agree with the previous posts...all of that chrome is beautiful! My car is at the very early stages of restoration and I still have to purchase new sheet metal and repair panels. Do you plan to continue offering this service for those of us who don't have the extra funds for new chrome yet? Do you have the ability to chrome other interior parts such window cranks, belt buckles, and early series coat hangers? Also, I understand the cost to ship wheels is not cost efficient, however can you chrome the old style "D" hubcaps? My car came with boxes of spare parts, some of which were interior chrome pieces, etc. When it warms up again here (eventually), I'd be interested in helping with the collection of cores for other customers. Thanks, Robert S.

Guys, Thanks for the information regarding the later 280Z decks. The only 280Z I've seen inside is a '76, so I just assumed the later Z's had the same rear deck. The Series I are somewhat more desirable than the later 240's, but I really like the "secret" compartments in the 240's. Robert S.

Jared, Thanks for sharing your story! It's a good reminder that God does work in our lives, even when we can't see what he's up to. I saved for about a year to buy a Z to restore and just couldn't find one that seemed right. I ended up posting some wanted ads and a guy in Illinois responded to my ad. After meeting the owner and his family and seeing the car in person, we both felt like I should be the new owner. Thanks again and your ZX looks great! Robert S.

Bart, It was great meeting you and glad to hear you enjoyed the photos of your car. I still can't believe not long ago it was just a few hours from here and now it's half way around the world! I've talked to all of the previous owners of my car, including the original owner who is now 81. He had some great stories to share about the car and his past experiences. I was hoping to located a photo of the car from the original and second owner, but they didn't seem to take any. Anyway, it looks like Alan VanGundy still lives in Iowa, so he would be easy to contact. Does the paperwork indicate how many previous owners there were? My car came with the maintainence records up to 1988, so I was able to track down the owners. I browsed through your previous rebuild posts and agree this new car is in much better condition than your last Z. I'd guess your previous car had more rust than mine and it spent most of it's life in Illinois. Well, if you'd like help tracking down the previous owners I'd be glad to help! Robert S.

Hello Bart, Welcome back to the forum and congratulations on purchasing your 240Z! I immediately noticed the car was previously registered in Iowa. It was located near Des Moines, which is about 2 hours west from where I live in Cedar Rapids, IA. Before finding the 240Z I bought last summer, I used to spend hours online looking at cars for sale and documenting cars that were nearby. When I saw the photos of your Z something looked familiar and then I realized this car was for sale in De Soto, IA last year on Craigslist! Actually, it first went up for sale 2011 and then was relisted in early 2012 (on both Craigslist and Ebay). I've uploaded photos of the car when it was back in the States here: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/members/ehlersrs-albums-bart-s-1971-240z.html It appears to have the normal "midwest" rust, but looks a lot better than most examples I've seen around here. The original ad stated it had interior work, such as new seat covers and carpet. It's also great to see the previous owners kept the original documentation and records. Congratulations again and keep us posted on your progress! Robert S.

Mike, That's a good point regarding reproduction ash trays. Since I need a replacement ash tray, I figured I'd have to respray the console and ash tray to bring the color back anyway. This step of the restoration is years down the road, so maybe by then we'll have some new reproductions! Robert S.

For someone that doesn't know a lot about manual transmissions like me, these videos are great! Robert S.

Mike, I haven't started dismantling my car yet so I'm sure there will be a lot of hard-to-find items I'll be searching for. It appears the Series I ash tray/cover is difficult to find in good shape and perhaps this would be a good candidate for reproduction. The '70 - '71 models had this style of ash tray, so again that's about half of the 240Z's. Robert S.

I bought my 240Z from Peoria this summer and haven't registered it in Iowa yet. Just for fun I ran the VIN at: http://www.ilsos.gov/regstatus/ and the title status came up! Of course I have the IL title and already knew it was clean. Nate, if this 240Z doesn't work out for you, I hope that you are able to locate one to buy in the future. I see you have a 280Z, so it's great to see more Z's in the Midwest! We pass right by Quincy on our way down to my wife's parents who live near Springfield, IL. Robert S.

Gary, Glad you weren't hurt in the wreck and glad your car was saved from the scrap pile! Robert S.

Lee, Like any good parent, you protect your kids from the dangerous world as much as possible! Eventually my Z will undergo a complete restoration to repair the years of neglect and salty Midwest winters. We had our first snow last week and I'm pretty sure I heard the Z laughing at the other cars sitting outside in the snow. Robert S.

Alex, Funny you should bring this topic up. I was talking about the same thing with Carl Beck a few weeks ago. He has a list of about 1300 VIN's from various sources. From Carl's estimate, the 1300 VIN's he has may represent 1 out of 3 (maybe 1 out of 2) cars. From the 160,000 or so, there may only be 2% or 3% left. That would leave 3200 to 4800 cars left. Judging from the threads that Mike linked to, there are probably more than 4800 still out there. However, those conversations were in 2008 and 2009, and certainly more cars have gone to the scrapyard since then. I'm aware of about half a dozen 240Z's that probably aren't registered and they are in various states, from parts cars to current restorations. I'd like to see a concerted effort to collect more VIN's and update the current state of the VIN's already collected. Robert S.

Ed, I found this thread yesterday. I haven't started the restoration of my '71 yet, but I'll be sure to use the documentation of your restoration for reference in the future! I always enjoy seeing photos of the restoration process. Robert S.

Tony, Thanks for posting the photos from the party! We were in FL for vacation, but unfortunetly had to return home on December 2. I would have loved to attend the party. Also, I like your '71 Z. My '71 was manufactured in 2/71 and is the same 919 Sunshine Yellow. Robert S.

It's sad to see the tragic event that took place. It reminds me of the photos of Frank's car after he hit the retaining wall. Life really is too short! Robert S.

Looks good Bruce! Is there anything that you can't fabricate? I finally got the new spray bar installed last night, but have a few more things to work out to get the engine started. I look forward to seeing the new spray bar in action! Again, good job on the shift knob! Robert S.

Jamie, Glad to hear you are making more progress on the Z! Also, congratulations to your wife for getting through school! That's a big accomplishment! We'll be stopping in Chattanooga on our way down to FL next month. It's been two years since our last vacation, so we can't wait! Robert S.

Looks good Christine! I didn't know that you lived in the Chicago area! Glad to see another Z in the Midwest! Robert S.

Wayne, Thanks for letting me know the cost. It looks like the reproduction faceplates would exceed my budget, but I also like the idea of using the original parts when they can be restored. I'll be sure to keep this in mind when the time comes to start the interior restoration! Robert S.

Same here George, it's difficult to see such a beautiful car in that shape! I'm glad that you weren't injured in the wreck. Do you have plans to purchase another Z? The ARE Libre wheels are my favorite and I'd love to own a set of them some day. Speaking of the center console, I could use another ash tray/fuse cover for my '71 project. Mine came broken from the previous owner. Hope this car finds a good home! Robert S.

That's interesting Bruce! I wonder why Nissan decided not to make the tenths digit visible? I'm not old enough to know when cars switched to displaying 6 full digits, but I'm assuming this was common practice. The tenths digit must have only served to increment the other digits. Robert S.

Congratulations on your first Z Justin! I bought a '71 in July to restore and know how easy it is to feel overwhelmed! Just curious, what is the manufacture date and VIN of your car? From the photos you posted, the rust doesn't look bad on this car, but of course rust is always hidden. This forum is a great resource for advice and searching previous topics really helps. Congratulations again! Robert S.