Wick Humble

Note: The red NL is sold to collectors in S. Cal; the black project car is now priced at $1,200 for quick sale. On craigslist. Wick

Thanks for the good words! In HTRYDZC I tried to keep to the names Datsun gave parts in the factory shop manuals, though not in every case; some were too silly. I can't think of a lot of good things to say about the dash removal chore; I just did my new 'restomod' '71 project a couple of years ago, and I still have the sound system, alarm, and A/C to finish wiring up. Not that it's so difficult, but once the thing is back in, there is so little room to work even with the glove box still out. Not impossible, but my joints aren't what they were back in 1987 when I reassembled HLS003547. Oh well... BTW: Howard Fisher and I are working on a complete revision of the Restore book, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of it's being 'in print', and thank goodness, still selling pretty well. Who'd have ever guessed? My pal Steve Pettersen (Pettersen Motorworks, Chico CA) is collaborating, and we hope to have some color shots, esp to replace some of the murky ones I did on the old Nikon Ftn 35-mm. back in the day. Besides some nice cars and parts, he has several spectacular Z's under restoration -- if he could get all those funny old roadsters out of his resto shop! Wick PS/ anybody want to buy my NL320 trucks? Both '65's, one nice red one, and a rare black project for a lot less dough. I want to build Kustom! Happy Z Trails!

I don't know if that would work (emissions, etc) but I stuffed an L28 with 5-speed into a '71 Mercedes 230 sedan -- commuted in it about 12 years before selling. (Gal wrecked it!) It made an okay car a real fun ride, esp as it was SB42 smog-inspection exempt. Used a Maxima oil pan and throttle linkage, and notched the front cross-member (with heavy internal stiffening) but not many other changes, despite the fact that the M-B was an automatic car; very nice driver and cheap!! Shamed a Subaru WRX coupe through three gears; young dudes said "Whoa; fast car, grandpa!" Got me through my Z-less period after Nissan bought my orig owner '70 back in '95. Built a better '71 and got the silver color I ordered in the first place but settled for green... I wrote an tongue-in-cheek article on it for Z Car Magazine (I was Restoration Editor then) but it folded (not my fault, I always hope!) before it got in print. Red NL320 has been crowded out of the garage now; it needs a new home; $8,995.00 asking.

Two 1965 Datsun NL320 'unibody' Sports Pickups, or "Commercial Cars" for sale by Wick Humble 1. Red, nice driver, orig specs, many new or low mile parts -- including new interior -- priced at $10,000.00. Lost indoor storage, love the little truck, but newly restored 240Z gets the preferred parking. Not show; needs complete repaint to be super nice, but really polishes up well, turns heads on the street all the time. Orig. 1200, 4-speed on column, etc. Very very little rust; only seen in freckles on bed floor. Factory big jack still with it, purse shelf under dash, had had new brakes, battery, tires, etc in last five years. New kingpins incl. A very scarce item new, claims "Only 1,000 registered" but whether worldwide or USA unknown -- great material for a 100-pt restoration. 2. Black, original factory color (very rare, I think!) a total project truck -- priced at $3,000.00. Missing engine, trans, seat and upholstery, and has some rustout in floorboards. Will need windshield, etc. Appears to only have superficial exterior rust, but will need much rechroming. Tail light lenses weathered, but intact. Driver's door s/s trim missing, also. Had this one since 'nineties; was going to resto-mod it, but too old now! Doors still shut like bank vault! Getting rarer all the time; make this one your eyecatcher at the next mini-truck show! I have photos on both on craigslist LA, SFO, SACTO in CA; located in Chico, N. Cal. First time listed nationally.

Unless you have a Detroit six in your car (and I know of one!) you don't have lifters at all; probably figured that out by now. The L-series are SOHC, and require mechanical setting on the cam followers. Easy if cam and pads in decent shape. Lucky You! Wick

There is a depiction of an early Z in "Cars II" (a very disappointing effort by Pixar/Disney) and of course the '72 wheel-cover used as a gong at the Tokyo event early-on. My favorite references were in the Bob Newhart shows:character Howard Borden the navigator has a Z-Car fixation and frets about someone putting dings in "...the Z" in their apartment house parking garage, and in the later "Newhart" the proto-yuppie Michael is obsessed about someone hurting "... the Z-Car" in several shows. Whether is was Bob N. himself or a writer both shows shared, the wonderful Z proved it's high public profile; after they could have said "Vette" or "Trans-Am", right? Wick Humble of "How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car"` infamy

A user of this forum called me with a current address in So Cal for my Z-Car 3547 (sorry if I slipped a cog on the exact VIN prefix -- its been a while!) and while I haven't tried to get in touch with the owner (yet) I sure do appreciate the tip! My silver '71 (HLS3025906, by the way) is progressing; deep into ironing out the 40-year old Nissan tin. My '70 hadn't many issues, and virtually zilch rust, thank goodness! This one is going to have Tokiko springs and struts, Suspension Techniques bars, L28 rebuilt by Steve Pettersen Motorworks of Chico, steel-synchro 5-speed and trick clutch, Konig 15" spokers from MSA, Toyota 4-piston front and ZX rear calipers, Turbo oil cooler, Fairlady grille, Euro signals, and later buckets in black leather, four-point belts, polished Diesel cam cover, Hobrecht roll-bar, eventually A/C, lots of sound-proofing, and more. Steve is my local connection, and a Z-Guru for Nor Cal folks. He shares his neat shop with me for major surgeries; echoing Mark Twain on Charles ****ens "He knows all there is to know (about Z's) and I know all the rest!" If you took the late, great "Z-Car Magazine" -- of which I was Restoration Editor -- you met Steve in our S30 article about ten years ago. He's building the ultimate '432' S-30 car, and has his own 'dream garage' locally. I also have two '65 NL320 'Sports Pickups" (properly Datsun Commercial Cars), a red 'barn find' that is a fun driver and pretty original, and a black (no kidding, from the factory!) roached one that will probably be re-done by my son-in-law, before I'm too old to help -- L20B, 5-speeder, etc. The 'unibody' 320 was the Datsun that originally got me interested in the marque back in '63; I'd been doing '55-57 Chevies and flatmotor Fords previosly. They are a neat little rig, and get tons of good notice from other drivers, but the column 4-speed is a pain, believe me! THANK YOU for the wonderful feed back on "How To Restore Your Datsun Z-Car", it sure picked up my ego! It was a labor of love, and I wish the photos had been better quality, but I was learning! My Editor, Tom Monroe, was a great help, and made sure the Nissan parts book drawings got included; even helps me! The late "California Bill" Fisher (also Fisher Books and HP Books) was a great Z fan, and the Fisher family is still great to be associated with. By the way, I no longer wear my hair that style (c. 1985) because I don't have much of it left! FYI: I'm going to sell my daily driver '71 Mercedes 230 sedan (the infamous ":stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid:BenZ") with personally installed L28 and 5-speed, Alurad 15" mags, etc. this spring -- gotta get that Z painted!! Hope to see some of you by next summer, and "Happy Z Trails"! Wick Humble

I purchased HLS0003547 from Calmbach Motor Co. in San Antonio TX in July of 1970. I was a soon to be ETS'd SP5 at the Medical Field Service School (read about it in the novel M.A.S.H.!) and heading home to CA and grad school. Married, my wife and I drove it 91K miles until 1984, and began a complete restoration for my book "How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car", California Bill's Auto Books, Tucson AZ. This has been in print for twenty years now, and brings me about a buck a day, still! We showed the car locally for a number of years, but back then a Japanese car didn't pack much punch at concours! In about 1997 we had a financial crisis, and I had to sell 3547 back to Nissan USA ($12,000) for a display car while they were getting together their repop Z's to sell as new cars. It went to several auto shows, then was retired to their offices in Carson CA. Pete Brock told me that the green car had been sold to a private party about 2007, but I don't know who. I'd like very much to find out where the car is now, and in whose hands. Nissan didn't notify me of it's availability or I might have tried to buy it back; it is a big piece of our family history! Is there any way to locate this particular Z-Car? Is there a Z Club member who has information about it's story after released by Nissan? I'm building a silver '71 (the color I ordered -- if that can be what it was called in early 1970! -- in the first place; green was my second choice!) for the street but not as a pure stocker! My last big project before retiring from teaching. I hope this qualifies as a Z-Car History topic!