Hardway

I am in the middle of replacing my fuse box with an upgraded MSA unit. When it came time to chop off the old spade terminals and transfer them to my new box I hit a roadblock. As you can see the female terminals inside the sleeves have seen some heat. The reason for this is they are somewhat corroded and this corrosion lead to resistance which leads to heat. Needless to say I don’t want to use them and need to source some new ones. I am also thinking of replacing the male terminals as well but some steel wool may shine them up. For now I am having a heck of a time finding the female terminals where I don’t have to buy 10 – 10,000 of them and there is not a 3 week wait. I found one seller on Ebay that has a pack of 10 but they are in China and are 2-3 weeks out. All the local auto parts stores are coming up empty handed. Any idea where to find these and the matching sleeves? I have already checked out Vintage Connections and Cycle Terminal.com. CT has the connectors but they are designed to be put in to a plastic housing and no one seems to have the sleeves. Any guidance or direction is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I currently have a 51521 on my '71 240z and have not had any problems. The overall quality of the filter vs. the old lube shop grade Penzoil filter is night and day. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

The girl on the cover of the brochure at the very top of this thread looks like the same girl in the "Strange Datsun" video that was posted up about a week ago or so. Coincidence?

That is definitely a project car but it has a lot of good things going for it. Kudos to you for rescuing it. The fact that it runs is a huge plus. Given everything that has been done to it and everything it still needs I would say it’s worth right at $3K, maybe a little more. The rust is what really brings the value down. The carb and manifold is a non-issue. If you like the Car-Tech 4bbl setup and want to swap the dual carbs on, go for it. At the very least I would say get it running on fuel out of the tank if you can. I know that means dropping the tank, cleaning, etc. but it will be worth it. Just getting that taken care of alone would bring the value up several hundred dollars. Given the amount of rust the car has its going to require someone with the skills to fix it or the money to farm it out. If your Subaru buddy really wants it and will pony up what its really worth then sell it to him. The bottom line, the car needs quite a bit to be safe and roadworthy. An old Z is probably one of the best old cars to learn how to work on a vintage vehicle. If your buddy does not want it post it up on the Datsun Classifieds and various Datsun FB pages. There should be no shortage of buyers looking for a running Z project for around $3,500 and those outlets will help ensure it goes to a Z enthusiast.

Looks like the engine compartment has been blacked out. How is the rest of the interior? Still have the original radio in it? How does it run and drive? Does the suspension need any attention? If it still has the original radio in it and everything else is in very good shape, given the relatively low VIN, I would say $14K - $16K. The purple and blacked out engine bay hurts it. Is it better than the original mustard yellow, I would almost say yes. Paint it a more popular color and match the engine bay to it, its $18K+ all day long. I would love to know what the broker picked it up for. Better yet, the story on how he or she found it!

It looks great! The color, wheels, and stance are all spot on just as Hazmatt said. One question, what did you do to lower it? I saw your original introduction and you mentioned doing coil overs. Is that what is on it or did you just put on some lowering springs? I hadn't given much thoughts about lowering my '71 but after seeing your pictures it definitely has me thinking about it.

Thanks so much guys! I found a good used set of all 4 cables on Ebay along with the clamp and screw I need. I agree, its odd that the ends of my current cables are made so well. Its possible they are cables from another car. When I did a search on Ebay a cable came up for a MG that looks just like mine. MG "New" Parts 46 inch Heater or Defroster Cable 62 75 MGB MGBGT | eBay Funny thing is, the guy I bought the car from had a beautiful Triumph TR-6 parked next to the Z he was restoring. Maybe my cables are the old cables from that car? Anyways, as always the forum members come through again!

My car is a 8/70 build 240z. The control cables look like old aftermarket choke cables from an auto parts store. The outer sheathing is coiled metal, not plastic. I am missing 1 cable and another is bent up so I am thinking of replacing all 4 to regain smooth operation of everything. I am also missing a cable clamp. Can anyone verify if these are factory cables? I personally don't see any value in keeping them since their lack of function is limiting the overall function of the heating system.

I will speak from my personal experience of buying a car sight unseen. More often than not what rolls off the trailer has been a disappointment. Even the best pictures and numerous emails full details will never tell the full story of a car. Since you will be shipping the car back to Norway and you only want to do that once, I think there is a ton of value and peace of mind in seeing the car in person, driving it, and having the opportunity to go over it yourself. What you are embarking on is not only an adventure but it will be an investment of time and money once it’s all said and done. I have never worked with a broker but I think you are right. If you do your research you can do the leg work yourself and possibly save a little money in the long run. Due to the list of things that need to be thoroughly checked on these cars I would have a hard time trusting someone to get me the car I want. If you are talking with the seller of a higher quality Z then they will understand getting interest from out of the country and hopefully will be more open to working with you on it. Any good seller would probably accept a reasonable deposit to hold the car until you could fly over and inspect it, as long as the flight can be made within a week or so. Once the car is in front of you and you have cash in hand, you can either walk away or make a deal. Bear in mind your up-front loss could mean losing your deposit and of course the money for your flight. On the bright side, it could also keep you from making a large financial mistake. Since you are thinking of flying over here this is how I would plan it. First, these cars go fast when good ones come on the market. It may be best to plan a week or two vacation over here to go look at cars and have cash in hand. Second, if you don’t find one while you are here make as many contacts as you can, attend meets, etc. Those contacts could possibly serve as “boots on the ground” to be on the lookout for you. If they find one and you buy it, send them a finders fee for the effort. While the guys on TV make finding a car on the other side of the world look easy it’s definitely not impossible. If you want it bad enough, you will make it happen!

I would like to know more about the "internal explosions" taking place in the engine that you are talking about. Our engines by their very nature have internal explosions to run a they are internal combustion engines. I agree with Carl that unless there was an issue with the muffler itself you should not have any issues. I wonder if you mean "pinging" is what you heard by the internal explosions. If so, this would happen at higher RPMs and could be due to many factors such as incorrect timing, lack of fuel, or using low octane gas to name a few. Just looking at the pictures above, the 90 degree elbow at the inlet of the muffler was definitely hurting flow and performance but should not make an engine run on only 3 cylinders.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Based on everything above I think I have figured out what I am going to do. I am going to go with a MSA box and get Dave's parking light harness and install the headlight relay harness that I already have. Then if I decide to add A/C to the car or anything else I will install a secondary ST fuse box to control power to those components. As brother J.D. would say, "its time to get out tha chuckboooook"

Good eye Blue! I have never noticed those until you pointed them out. I posted this topic up on the Datsun 240z Lovers FB site and a member thought the brackets could possibly be for mounting a G-Nose. We know they are factory brackets based on the spot welds and the fact other cars have them too. So far the possibility of them being for installing a G-Nose seems the most plausible so far. In regards to the small pocket on the passenger side, its hard to tell if other cars have these or nor and if they are related to the mysterious brackets.

Thank you for the compliments EhlersRS! Yeah, I was really happy Shane was willing to ship some of the smaller parts. The ability to get parts outside of Ebay from other states at very fair prices is definitely providing support for the classic Z community. I must admit, the mysterious front brackets have me intrigued. I looked in my ’71 FSM and there are no pictures or mention of the brackets anywhere. I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for them and I would love to hear it. For now, here are some more pictures of the brackets. And one from under the car even though the valance panel is covering 95% of it.

I will say something that I and many others have said before, buy the very best car you can afford. I see you are in Norway so getting parts and things shipped to you will cost more for any work you are doing so if you can, buy a car that does not need a lot to begin with. In today's market $8K - $10K buys a very nice 240z with a lot if not all the issues already addressed that you listed above. You have to ask yourself what you really want. A $5K project car that may need some time and money invested before you can drive and enjoy it or spend $9K on a car that needs one or two small items and you can start enjoying from day 1. Either way, keep us posted on what you find and consider buying. There are lots of very knowledgeable members on here.

Good eye Mike! To be honest, I don't know what the brackets are for. They do appear to be factory mounts as they look to be factory spot welds. Just glancing at them I wonder if the horns are actually supposed to be mounted on them since they have threaded holes. I am sure others will chime in but if needed I can take some more pictures of them this evening.

You guys are great! This is exactly the kind of info I needed. I can see the value in the MSA box in the fact it only takes a few minutes to install. Of course the ST box from Blue Sea along with the connectors from JDM Electronics would make a sweet and expandable fuse box solution. Seeing that I plan on putting a Vintage Air system in the car at some point the ST box may be the way to go. Plus, by making some 6-pin connectors if anyone ever wanted to go back to a stock style fuse box they could. zKars, can you expand on how you went about it building and installing your Blue Sea ST box?

So my ’71 240z has the dreaded yet common parking circuit contact burn hole. I see that I can get MSA’s updated fuse box for $200 or get a used good condition box with a cover for $100 - $140 shipped. For those of you with the MSA fuse box, does the clear fuse cover still fit over it? So far the few reviews I have seen on the box’s functionality and benefits are very good. Can anyone else speak to the MSA box? I have also seen the Blue Sea ST line of boxes that look very nice and are very affordable. If I went that route I know I would have to relocate the fuse box. I am thinking either making a custom glove box liner to mount the box or just putting it on the passenger side kick panel, much the like 280z’s had. This of course is not factory and this is where I am on the fence. I know I don't want it under the hood or to be easily seen. So these are my options, pony up at least $100 for a used fuse box but still use 40+ year old technology, pony up $200 and keep the original box location and have much more modern technology, or spend approx. $70 on a ST box and pieces needed to wire it up and relocate the box. No matter which way I go, the original box is outta here!

With the mornings being a little cooler in the Austin I decided to work on replacing the non-functioning Pioneer 8-track that came in my 240z. I already picked up a replacement heater control panel off of the Datsun Parts for Sale Facebook page. The one in the car was in very sad shape and probably not restore-able. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw pieces of wood holding up the 8-track unit. Based on the helpful how-to threads here on the site I got the panel pulled out to access the wiring. To do so I needed to get to all the control cables which mean getting around the blower motor housing. However with the ARA A/C box in the car this was impossible. Out came the glove box liner that was on its last leg and then the ARA box. It was strange to see a coat hanger snaked around the back of the dash as if it was helping hold up the ARA box. A wiring connections and things to fiddle with and she finally came out. It was at this point I was reminded of how sketchy the wiring is on this car and knew this was the time to address. My car has the typical parking light circuit burn hole which now serves as a routing point for an in-line fused wire that replaces it. In addition a blown fuse has been circumvented with a piece of wire wrapped around it. This entire cluster will be addressed but I am still trying to decide which direction to go. New fuse box from MSA for $200 or possibly put something together myself for less? With the heater panel components disassembled and cleaned using my Shop-Vac with a brush attachment I inspected the control lever assembly. As expected it was dry as a bone and one of the cables on the bottom was distorted while the other was missing entirely. I will be sourcing new cables as these are very rough. Setting the control levers aside and adding to the parts list I took some time to inspect the blower motor. A quick 12 volts to the primary wires proved the motor worked but being 40 years old it drew a lot of amps to run. With everything on the bench now is the time to do the Honda blower motor upgrade. I will be sourcing these parts over the next few days as well as cleaning up the box and giving it some fresh paint. For now, it was nice to get rid of all the nasty oily foam and the expanding foam. Within a few minutes it was much nicer to look at and handle. That is all for now. Time to do some more parts research and shopping!

Hey Bacarl. Thank you for the compliments! In regards to how the covers have held up, I believe they are still just as good as when they were installed. My old '72 is now for sale. If you look on the Datsun Classifieds it is now Mopar green and the seller is asking $27K for it. I bought the covers off Ebay because I liked the French double stitch on the edges. If I had to do it over I would have bought everything from Les at Classic Datsun since the covers fit very tight. From what I have heard and seen the covers and foam he sells is a perfect match from a look and fit standpoint.

Thank you for the compliment and heads up on the video you are making, I look forward to see it. The above statement is classic! I love it! Congrats on getting it printed.

Thank you for all the compliments guys! This is my first real jump in to journalistic writing and your feedback is inspiring & motivating. Gogriz91, based on your signature your Z will give the BRZ a run for its money. The BRZ can steer quicker and stop faster but in flat out acceleration you might have it beat. I look forward to your posting and pictures of you and your dad driving your cars and comparing them!

I posted this over on the FR-S/BRZ site I am a member of and thought you guys might like to see it too. As I shared a few months ago with my post about buying my 1971 240z a request was made to provide a comparison between it and my 2013 FR-S. Now, that might sound like Deja-vu since you probably know that several magazines and various media outlets did this same comparison around the launch time of the FR-S. So this will not be another rehash of how a 40+ year old Japanese sports car ranks against a modern Japanese sports car. What I am going to give you are my thoughts on owning and driving both of these machines that are great in their own right. The key word in the sentence above is “owning” as I believe there is something to be said for having months of time to drive both cars instead of a few hours or days. As with any comparison you need to know what you are comparing. Being a car enthusiast then you already know the specs on the FR-S. For those that don’t here are a few highlights, 200hp 2.0L boxer 4cyl engine, 6spd manual, power locks & windows, A/C, etc. Mine is not unique other than the fact I have owned it for over 6 months and still have less than 3000 miles on it. What most enthusiasts can agree on is that the concept is very good. The FR-S is everything you need and nothing you don’t. Granted, it could stand have a few more amenities like steering wheel controls for the radio or better yet a little more horsepower since my wife’s 2013 Ford Escape with the 2.0L Ecoboost could run away from it without breaking a sweat. In the end, it is what it is, an all-stock FR-S that still feels like a brand new car. In the other corner is my 1971 Datsun 240z Series-1. It has a 2.4L inline 6 cylinder engine rated at 150hp, 5spd transmission from a later ZX, stock R180 rear end with 3.36 gears, manual locks & windows, and no AC. The Series-1 part in the name is somewhat important as it indicates the car is one of the first 10,000 units to enter the US and has a small list of items that separate it from later cars. Of these differences the most important is the fact it is about 300 pounds lighter than later cars and has a quicker steering ratio. What makes it useful in a comparison against the FR-S is the fact it could be a daily driver as it sits with current tags and inspection. It has also been the recipient of some very good mechanical restoration work by the previous owner. This includes all the big items like an engine rebuilt to stock specs and fully detailed, refreshed 5spd, and fully rebuilt and detailed suspension with a mix of rubber and poly components. I have put around 200 miles on the Z so far since purchasing it. These miles include all types of driving from a 60 mile round trip to Cars and Coffee to sitting in traffic while driving it to work. First and foremost I believe both cars check all the boxes for what a sports car should be. A 2-door, rear wheel drive, manual transmission vehicle with sporty good looks and a very good power to weight ratio. From a money stand point, in September of 1970 when my 240z was purchased it stickered for around $3500 which comes to $21,084 in 2014 money. My FR-S with its few options stickered at $24,500 so the FR-S carries only a small premium over the 240z. Taking a step back and considering you are getting 40+ years of automotive technology and development, the additional $3,400 seems like a good deal. In reality, I paid around $9,500 for my 240z and currently have over $10,000 in it which includes a new radiator, new tires, state tax, title transfer, and a few other odds and ends. If you know your classic Z cars and or have watched classic Z values then you know that is a very fair number considering the work that has been done. Enough with the numbers, let’s get on to the fun stuff. Getting into each car is a standard affair requiring the same general effort for each. One thing that will be immediately noticed with the 240z is how lightweight the door is. In fact, it is scary light by today’s standards. Where the 240z door is very mechanical feeling and you can hear the mechanism inside the door work as you pull up on the handle, the FR-S is much quieter with only the window motor lowering the window as you pull the door open. Once in and the door closed the FR-S is a nice place to be with everything either at your fingertips or well within reach. The seats are firm and very supportive, the bolsters hugging the rear of your ribcage and shoulders. I have found that you really don’t fall in to the FR-S. Once in I kind of adjust myself a little before commencing with the ignition sequence. For their day the seats in the 240z were sporty too since just about everything else on the market regardless of what it was had 2x or even 3x more material and padding in the seats. The seats in my 240z had been recovered and re-strapped several years ago that have held up well and are reasonably comfortable to be in. From a seating and ergonomics stand point the FR-S wins hands down but the 240z feels like a more interesting place to be. A turn of the key reinforces this feeling. Speaking of keys, that is one thing these cars still have in common, the fact you must start them with a key. In a world of more “keyless/fob only” vehicles that now include the BRZ and other higher end FR-S models, my FR-S may already seem outdated to some but personally, I like keys. On the FR-S, the ignition and the lock cylinder under the trunk handle are the only opportunities to use the key. The 240z still retains its original 2 key configuration where one key starts the car and the other unlocks everything else including the glove box. As technology marches on I can envision a day in the near future when a kid will see a key and ask “what is that shiny thing for?” Much like how kids today have their minds blown when they learn what a cassette tape is and all the nuances that came along with using them. “Modern cars are turned on, vintage cars are awakened” Starting the FR-S is not so much starting it but turning it on. Yes the engine turns over and fires up as the gas gauge instantly registers and you are visually greeted with no less than a dozen red and yellow lights. This short lived light show takes place as the ECU performs a 3 second pre-flight check of all of the car’s systems before going out as an indicator that everything is okay. The idle quickly settles and you are left with the red BRAKE light telling you your parking brake is still on. Foot on the brake, parking brake down, BRAKE light out, clutch down, shift, clutch up/throttle down, and you’re off. The FR-S in the manual 6spd configuration is easy to drive with a light clutch and short pedal travel. The shifts are crisp and precise as you move down the road but feels a bit notchy when the transmission is still cold. With the transmission warmed up the shifts feel a little softer and are quieter through the gear box. Around town the FR-S cruises along with minimal effort. Moving along or sitting in traffic the ergonomics of the car start to become even more apparent. Changing the radio station is easy with the base radio system, the parking brake handle serves as a rest for your right arm, the thickness and diameter of the steering wheel is almost perfect, and the HVAC is easy to use with just 3 standard controls for fan speed, vent output, and temp. Being a new car the AC is ice cold and you will find your wrists and arms getting cold in a hurry since the vents are so close to the driver. Entering freeways or just flat out accelerating is easy in the FR-S as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear will get you to speed quick, 5th gear will take you further, and once at the speed you want to be 6th will let you stay there for as long as you like. Speaking of gearing, even around town I find myself in 5th and 6th gear a lot to help save fuel. Only when I am getting on the freeway do I let it the engine wind out good or the occasional quick jaunt from light to light. Even though the 6-speed is good it could almost benefit from another true highway gear that would bring the revs down from 3500 to around 2000. Also, when doing acceleration runs the 200 horses from the 2.0L 4 cylinder do a good job of propelling the car but also fall short in providing that seat planting G-force we all know and love. Where the FR-S really shines is in the steering and handling department. In my opinion the steering is perfect and the overall handling is excellent. The FR-S rides firm enough to inspire loads of confidence, provide plenty of feedback, and entice you to take a turn just a little quicker but at the same time being compliant enough to be a nice daily driver. Being a Scion you do get a fair amount of road noise but that comes with the territory and the affordable price tag. The brakes are very good and well suited to the car. However, I feel that if any power adders were installed or the car was tracked a better set of pads would certainly be in order. All in all the FR-S may not be the car that it was hyped up to be when it was released but it definitely is a great car given everything it can do. For those of us fortunate to have one, and there are a lot of us, the FR-S is a fun car that serves as a great platform for whatever direction you wish to take one. For owners like me I will continue to accelerate, shift, and accelerate some more, all the while with a smile on my face. As mentioned before, I believe the 240z offers a much more interesting place to be than the FR-S. You have more gauges to look at and the view is made even more quasi-exotic in the fact they are located in the upper middle of the dash. The view behind the steering wheel is uncluttered and straight to the point giving the driver a large speedometer on the left and a large tachometer on the right. Looking back on history this layout is both characteristic and legendary of almost all sports cars, from Jaguars, Ferraris to Lamborghinis, Corvettes, and the like. Even if the Z can’t do 200mph you feel like you have the proper instrumentation befitting of a true sports car. As you take stock of your surroundings you see black textured vinyl and plastic covering just about everything in sight with 70’s styled diamond molded vinyl covering the sides of the transmission tunnel and various portions of the cargo area. You certainly noticed the 16” walnut-like steering as you climbed in since your knees probably hit it upon entry. However, not until you are seated and comfortable do you really “notice” it. Your hands take a quick feel of the wheel and discover the finger grooves on the back as well as just how thin and nice the wheel is to the touch. A fine Italian Nardi wheel it is not but for a factory steering wheel it certainly beats its plastic and rubber counterparts found in other cars of the era. You reach down to pick up the seat belt, pull it over your shoulder and around your waist and take hold of the heavy metal buckle on the right. As you fasten it together one can’t help but think it as more of a surplus aircraft component than a standard automotive safety belt. It gets the job done as it is a 3-point unit, it is comfortable enough, and non-intrusive to the driver. The belts are also non-retractable units which require only a few small pulls to get adjusted, much like those on any commercial airliner. These seat belts are unique to the Series-1 Z’s as later cars received two and three point retractable belts. I personally find the seat belts to be another interesting part of the car. With the choke lever on the console pulled back a little, clutch down… all the way down, you turn the key hearing the relays under the dash click as the single red BRAKE light comes on with a soft glow, much like the car slowly opening one eye as you are about to ask it to wake up. Turning the key to Start turns the engine over several revolutions as you finesse the accelerator pedal and the engine fires up. As it comes to life the fuel and oil pressure gauge needles begin the journey to the right, slowly reaching their destination of indication. Still being in a state of slumber you work the accelerator and adjust the choke as the engine runs a bit rough before smoothing out around 2000 rpms, warming up while being fed by the dual SU style carbs on the inline 6. After almost 2 minutes you push the choke lever back to its original position, finesse the accelerator some more and the revs come down to a respectable 800 rpms. Clutch down again… all the way down. The 40 years that separate the Z and the FR-S instantly becomes apparent in case the light aroma of fuel surrounding the car didn’t do it for you. The clutch pedal travel in the Z is at least 2 times longer than that of FR-S. The take up point is not too high but it feels as if it is beyond the halfway point of travel. My Z has an older aftermarket walnut shift knob. At first I did not like it since it is obviously is not original to the car but after driving the car for a while I can see why it has stayed since it has a good feel in the hand. The shift in to first is met with a reaffirming click as you perform the usual dual foot action on the clutch pedal and accelerator, once in sync and you are off. Moving at slow speed and making the first turn reveals how accustom we have become to power steering since the Z does require some arm and shoulder effort at this low velocity. The 14” wheels and modest tires make the steering more of a task than hard work. Once your speed reaches 10mph the steering becomes light but still sharp, providing plenty of feedback to the driver. Making a sharp turn at any speed illustrates that even with the early Z’s quick ratio steering, the FR-S steering is much quicker by at least 2 fold. The ride is firm yet vintage and it is anything but cush but it is not harsh by any means. The Z gives you audible feedback in the form of a few creaks from the suspension and the rear hatch that could use a fresh seal to eliminate some occasional squeaks. Cruising in town with regular traffic is a simple and enjoyable experience. You will no doubt get plenty of stares and thumbs up from other drivers and pedestrians. One can easily leave the car in 4th for just about any speed in town. As with driving any vintage car you never let your guard down as the time and effort needed to bring it to an abrupt stop or dart out of the way of a driver not pay attention is much more than a modern car. This is not to say the Z cannot hold its own in modern traffic but the steering requires more input than the FR-S and the brakes certainly take more foot pressure to bring the Z to a stop in a panic situation. These are points kept in the back of your mind as you do a quick glance over the gauges to confirm everything is looking good. Enough putting around, lets jump on the highway. With the throttle down and letting the engine wind through 3rd and 4th the Z is propelled to 70 very quickly. Once at 75mph you gently slide it in to 5th making sure its locked, let go, drive, and enjoy. Even in 5th the engine makes plenty of power to bring you up to 80 and beyond in a casual manner. Passing someone in short order requires a downshift to 3rd or 4th before returning to 5th to cruise some more. At highway speed the ride is nice and could easily be taken on a long trip. At 75mph the steering gives you everything you need in the form of feedback and response but can feel a bit twitchy at times. The Z is always driven with the windows down so there is plenty of wind and road noise to take in. After a while the appreciation for a radio is made which is something my Z is missing as of this writing. Currently occupying the space where a functioning radio should be is a Pioneer 8-track stereo deck that only turns on but produces no sound. With both cars parked side by side it makes for an interesting styling comparison. The FR-S is of course modern and has no problem making the claim of being a Japanese sports car with its sharp headlights, open grill, and semi-aggressive side profile. The problem it does have is telling the world which Japanese sports car it is. More often than not when someone asks about the FR-S they think it is a 300zx or an Infiniti. When they hear it is a Scion they suddenly remember hearing about them and the conversation usually turns to what makes it different than the Subaru BRZ. It does score points in the fact the FR-S has a clean look that is not disrupted by a bunch of emblems, vents, or unnecessary styling creases. The fender arches, rear spoiler, and wide stance give it sort of a muscular and planted look without being ridiculous. For as good looking as the FR-S is it is by no means exotic and is only unique amongst enthusiasts that have followed it or are well aware of it. From a practicality stand point the FR-S gets a gold star since it is one of the few sports cars that have a real trunk. I can personally testify that it can haul a good number of groceries, pick up materials at the hardware store, and keep my laptop bag safe. When I show people the trunk they are almost amazed it even has one. A quick glance inside surprises them even more and usually gets them thinking about the idea of buying an FR-S for themselves. I should be on commission. Letting our eyes wander over to the Z one can’t help but immediately notice the sugar scoop headlight pockets, long hood, and short hatch back rear. Even for observers that know nothing about cars I believe anyone can recognize these design elements from other vintage sports car like Jaguars and Ferrari’s. If you know the Z story this was of course done on purpose. In the present the Z does not have to tell anyone who or what it is, they know it is a classic Z. Back in the early 70’s the story was exactly the same. Based on the many published reviews from the era and conversations with original owners, the 240z was the hot ticket when it was released. Enough history, let’s get back to those sexy sugar scoop headlights. The sugar scoops are probably my favorite part of the 240z design. They are a simple answer to the need of integrating the headlights in to the car while making a statement all on their own. Since it is the same answer that has been used on countless European sports cars and looks so good on those it makes one appreciate them even more on the Z. Taking a few steps back you see the Z is pretty narrow car by today’s standards and the FR-S is easily 10-15% wider. Another item now glistening in the sun are the thin wrap around chrome bumpers. Back in the day these bumpers would have served as mere trim pieces on most American cars. On the Z, the bumpers provide a great accent of style even if it feels like staring at them too hard will dent them. Walking around to the side it is easy to see the inspiration that 60’s Jaguars and Ferrari’s had on the overall shape. The long hood, flat roof, and swooping rear deck are nothing new but are well executed with the Z. From a design standpoint everything on the car is simple yet seems to be spot on how it left the factory, I would not change a thing. Yeah, the corner marker lights do look like a crude bolt-on item but you have to remember that even on the 1971 Jag XKE they were the same way and the Z was “affordable” back in its day. Making your way to the back and popping open the hatch reveals plenty of room for a few medium sized bags for a weekend trip. This had to be one of the biggest selling points of the Z in addition to everything else. For the early 70’s, it was very usable sports car. In conclusion, the FR-S and the 240z have kindred spirit in one another, even if they come from different manufacturers. Both cars work to attain the same goal in their own respective time, to provide owners with a fun, affordable, daily driver capable sports car. I truly believe both cars do this and more. No one knows what the next 40 years looks like or how history will remember the FR-S. The original classic Z lasted for an impressive 8 model years. We know the FR-S will probably look completely different in 5 years or less, if it exists at all. For now, I am grateful to have the opportunity to own both cars and enjoy their common characteristics while appreciating what makes each one unique.

If I remember correctly those are the same caps that were on the silver Comm. Edition 240z that was on Ebay. BTW, what size are the rims you have there? 14x6? Were they already polished up when you got them?

+1 on getting hog pliers and rings. I bought my pliers and a bag of rings on Amazon for around $10. They make life so much easier.

Congrats to the seller and the buyer of the Z. Sounds like everyone is happy on both sides of the table. I agree that as time goes on more and more very pristine examples of Japanese sports cars will show up and be accepted on the concours circuit. In the grand scheme of collector cars the classic Z's still have something to offer for everyone at just about any price point. At any given time there are plenty of examples for sale in all levels of condition around the country. Granted, finding one close to you may be a challenge but if you are willing to travel, ship, or drive it home from wherever, you can get one.