daddz

Alan, Thanks for the great news regarding your recent trip. I couldn't agree more regarding your comment about us "kindred spirits" being able to experience the same event in person. Furthering that point, if we could be aware of these events ahead of time maybe we could arrange a "field trip" and put faces to names from this community.

Vince, Some good suggestions have already been presented and I might add that your friend check with an Auto Appraiser to obtain a professional opinion. You can check with the Better Business Bureau, local insurance agents, or classic car insurance companies for a possible referral and typically it is money well spent. While the 280Z may not be regarded as highly as the 240Z in terms of rarity and purity of concept, there are those who appreciate not having to fiddle with carbs and such. The 280Z in the picture looks pretty damned nice for having survived on the East Coast. The only thing a purist might not like is the automatic transmission (it can be swapped out for a manual 'box) and the mirror installed on the passenger side (280Z's were shipped with only a driver's side mirror unless it was a '77 ZAP or '78 Black Pearl Edition unless the dealer installed those mirrors pre/post delivery). Good luck and who knows maybe it could end up in your garage?

It looks like I fall into the lower middle section (4th bar) and I must say it is great to be single because, with 6 Z's and 2 parts cars there is no way I would be able to get away with so many cars in so many places (thanks, Dad) and still be married:D A comedian once asked the question: "Why can't we start out rich and young without having to work and end up old and having to work?"

I have bought a couple of items from these people; the only frustrating thing about dealing with them is that if you want to know whether or not a piece is available they will only be able to look it up by a part number. They are in the process of moving an entire warehouse of parts from Wisconsin to Oklahoma and they only have logged in about 15 % of their inventory. I did score a brand new dashboard for my '86 300ZX hardtop for only $125.00! It arrived in the original plastic bag and box from Nissan. Wouldn't it be something to drive out to the warehouse with a truck and buy all of the parts you think your Z or Z's would need? Anybody up for a roadtrip?

Cars that I would like to own (other than the Z): Toyota 2000GT Porsche 928S Porsche 911 RS 2.7 Porsche Speedster Mazda RX7 (FC) Acura NSX Ferrari 250 Lusso Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Ferrari 512BB Ferrari 375 GTB/4 Ferrari 550 Maranello Dodge Viper GTS Coupe 1965 Jaguar XKE Coupe 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe 327 4sp. "fuelie" Lotus Elise (both old and new) 1985 Lotus Esprit Jaguar XKSS Morgan 4/4 Alfa Romeo Cobra Daytona Coupe 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback Triumph TR6 Triumph TR3 Austin Healey 3000 BMW M1 BMW 507 Coupe Ford GT40 Datsun Roadster 1600 (low windshield) MGB GT and that's about all I can think of for now...

For more information please read more at the following link: http://www.240ztt.com/280Zfs.html Thanks for looking.

It's funny that a similar discussion was carried out last night after the monthly meeting of the Northern Virginia Z Car Club. After the meeting ended at about 8:45p.m., the Z car faithful ventured out into the humid evening air to look at and discuss each other's cars. The Z32 followers sort of congregated amongst themselves admiring the the modifications made to each other's cars. I was the only one driving a Z31 which received a few walkarounds mostly due to its newly lowered stance (Tokico struts/springs) and the hardtop body. My friend Buck brought his 11/70 240Z which generated alot of complements. Arnie, who like myself has all generations covered except the Z32 brought his LeMans Sunset Touring 350Z out and that also had some looks applied to it. Towards the end of the evening a couple of guys pulled up and walked over to the 350Z and started gushing about the car. Comments were made about how the new Z would keep up with a Boxster and so on. At that point I began to understand what the 240Z must have been like to own circa the springtime 1970. The comparisons to the E-type and speed that would sometimes equal the mighty 911 must have crossed more than a few minds back then. So, have we gone full circle again?

"kats": Many thanks for the information that you have been able to provide with regard to the S30 series (not that you haven't heard this before) as it has been sorely missed for many years in the United States. My first question is with regard to the last of the S30 production, namely the 1977 and 1978 models; is there any record of "special" models such as the "Black Pearl" from '78 or the "ZAP" edition of 1977? While I appreciate the early S30 I continue to have an affinity for the '77 and '78 models and yet there seems to be so little information available for these cars in terms of production data and specification (i.e. the number of '78's painted Wine Red Metallic #611). Alan: Thanks for the crusade to help us Yanks understand that the S30 was built and designed in Japan regardless of where it was "planned" to be sold. Not to bring a new argument but, with regard to Albrecht Goertz, it is hard to dismiss his influence on another fine and yet under-appreciated car, the Toyota 2000GT, which has at least a common familial tie to Nissan by way of Yamaha. What are your thoughts on this matter? Again, thanks to kats for all of his efforts for the S30 and thank goodness for Matsuo-san for keeping such fine records and photos.

My '78 has one of those damned things as well! I plan on cutting the roof off of my soon to be parts car (another '78). At some point in the future when I find a shop that I feel confident in, the sunroof will become history and in its place good old factory sheetmetal. The bitch about it is my sunroof doesn't leak (not bad since it was installed in '79 and weatherstripping replaced in '95) but, I just don't like it since the factory didn't put it there. If you are so inclined you could scout around in the junkyard or buy a parts car and cut the roof off of it or pay someone to do it for you. When I cut the roof off of my father's '77 280Z I was instructed to cut at the base of the A-pillar in the front and behind the lead filled seam at the rear (behind the top of the quarter window). The job took about 10 minutes with the air-powered saw and the roof is not that heavy (you can pick it up with two hands it is just a little awkward because of its size).

I too suffer from the same condition and I have compiled a list of cars that I have owned since 1990 when I acquired my first car (a Z of course): 1983 Datsun 280ZX 2+2 (only way I could get insurance) 1987 Toyota Celica GTS (compromise car) 1982 Datsun 280ZX (hardtop) 1978 Datsun 280Z (pearl white w/ goofy stripes) 1988 Toyota Supra Turbo (really fast at the time) 1978 Datsun 280Z (daily driver rust bucket) 1978 Datsun 280Z (parts car but still fast w/ 20k motor) 1978 Datsun 280Z (never owned a yellow car before) 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE (13b engine, sneaky fast) 1978 Datsun 280Z (the infamous orange car) 1987 Mazda RX7 GXL (money pit, nice handling car) 1986 Mazda RX7 SE (really strong motor--beat a Lotus Turbo Esprit from Waldorf to Glen Burnie, Md.--the owner couldn't drive) 1982 Datsun 280ZX 2+2 (why?) 1976 Datsun 280Z (another money pit) 1977 Datsun 280Z (my father liked it so much it's now his) 1978 Datsun 280Z (bought from original owner for $480--my avatar) 1986 Nissan 300ZX (hardtop--another money pit) 1984 Nissan 300ZX A.E. (fun but scary w/ old suspension) 2003 Nissan 350Z (wow it's fast..) 1982 Datsun 280ZX (a hardtop like my first '82) 1978 Datsun 280Z (rescued from a junkyard...what makes a person do that?) 1978 Datsun 280Z (Ca. cars can rust too!) 1978 V.W. Scirocco (bought it for $25 because the owner wanted to take his wife out for dinner...the car was a big POS) 1982 Datsun 280ZX (sold it after a month because I had too many cars) 1987 Nissan 300ZX (another hardtop sold to a friend) 1987 Toyota Supra (owned it for a month and traded for the Celica...what was I thinking?) 1976 Datsun 280Z (it was a shame to call this a Z..big mistake) I can relate to having spent more than half of a paycheck buying parts for cars. I am now down to the following: 2003 350Z 1982 280ZX and two '78 280Z's 1976 280Z (should be coming back when a friend changes his duty station) 1986 Nissan 300ZX (the hardtop that continues to drain the account...damned Z31's)

Glad to hear that your Z is back home where it should be! Nice pic as well. Hope it doesn't stray from home ever again.

I would say that my favorite year for the Z is 1978 and this is why: 1) I think it has more creature comforts (carpet as opposed to quilted Tijuana-look vinyl) which make for a pleasant cruise unit. 2) In the U.S. we had the five speed option by then which also makes for pleasant freeway flying. 3) I think better color choices by '78 and better quality paint as well (not necessarily better corrosion protection though) which allow us lazy owners who store the cars outside to not be faced with waxing as often. 4) Since they're newer they haven't had the chance to corrode as much as a '70. (always though it would be fun to own a 09/70 240Z so that we'd collect SSI at the same age :classic: ) Keep in mind I chose those factors as I am more likely to drive the I-95 corridor from D.C. to ? rather than autocross the Z and as such my criteria is different. Ideally it would be nice to have the '78 for daily use and a 09/70 240Z or better yet a '71 to '73 240ZG for weekend use.

Alan T, I have found the URL that is housing your article and the link is here: http://www.classiczregister.org/html/magazine.html I believe the following is your article: http://www.classiczregister.org/Article2.pdf I hope this doesn't present a complication for you as a professional writer. Thanks again for the background surrounding those two videos that were recorded onto one tape.

Absoloument! Yes. The two were indeed copied onto one tape as it turns out (after checking the video library upon arriving home this evening). The drivers are in fact Masahiro Hasemi (ex F1 driver?) and Kunimitsu Takahashi (some say a Japanese John Surtees due to the start on two wheels I imagine?) and yes the track is Fuji Speedway which I understand was purchased by Toyota! Damn! It wouldn't be so bad if they would produce a follow up to the wonderful Toyota 2000GT instead of those "fake" sportscars (I know I'll be flamed for thisLOL ). It's interesting that I remembered that tape as I had lent it to my mechanic friend (actually an old Nissan Master Technician from '75 to '92) and had been neglecting to get that copy (sorry Joe) back to its rightful owner for better than a year now:( It was while I was reading a write-up from the classiczregister.org website last evening that I remembered that tape. I believe that article was written by....Alan T (thanks for the window into that seldom experienced world) and the part about the 432R sparked the old brain cells. It's a shame really that all Z car enthusiasts don't have immediate access to that footage; especially this time of year when the cars are brought out of winter hibernation to be enjoyed by all. It's almost as good as getting in that old Z and imagining that one is behind the wheel of a right hand drive competition prepared car and easing out of the paddock onto the... you fill in the blank as to which racetrack an so on. Thanks Alan for the clarification with regard to that bastardized tape which brings so much joy and so much pain to my neighbors:D (thanks Joe for bringing that tape back from Japan)

Another great video regarding the Z series is from Japan. It was filmed in conjunction with the Fairlady ZG club in Japan. The first hour or so seeks to tell the story of the Fairlady Z and has some great action footage and in car footage without any stupid music dubbing. The driving sequence must take up about ten to fifteen minutes of tape in one section and the wonderful noises coming from the cockpit as the driver downshifts from third into second with the tachometer already registering about 4500rpms before the downshift is truly amazing! It also shows an L series inline 6 being assembled which is memorable as the mechanic slips the piston rings by hand while holding the piston assembly in his lap. The second hour of the tape concerns itself with telling the story of the old Skylines and again with great in car footage as well. In one sequence there are two older drivers that obviously raced these cars when new as a bit of a rivalry is detected once they are underway on the racetrack. The question becomes: how to get a hold of more copies of this tape? Hopefully someone on this message board will have some insight....