Carl Beck

Hi Randy: Looks like a beautiful example. How lucky can you be?? ;-) With only 24K miles I wouldn't seen any need to send them to Z Therapy - just pull the tops off and clean them out. Unless the Cad Plating on the hardware has gone bad - but even then, I believe that you can just replace the Cad Plated hardware with parts from ZP. The carb.'s certainly shouldn't need to be re-bushed at this point. Agreed - also while the tank is off - don't forget to clean the fuel lines out..you can pour some carb cleaner into the lines from the front of the car, and in a few minutes blow it out with a little compressed air. It should be a real pleasure working on a Z like the one you have... take your time and enjoy every minute... I thought the Inland Empire was in Washington State??? regards, Carl B.

Kats needs the very early Bridgestone 175SR14 Super Speed 20's. This car more than likely had the 175HR RD-150's. FWIW, Carl B.

Quite a significant difference between the Seller's description and your survey. Are you sure you were in the right Town? ;-) Just too typical.... regards, Carl B.

Hello: A question or two.. Did you have this car advertised For Sale - in Oxford, PA? Can you tell me the original engine serial number? thanks, Carl B.

That "C" might be the original Nissan marking.. and the cam you have more than likely is a regrind. According to Nissan: 13001-E4126 'A' Camshaft (L24/L28 to 8/81) 13001-N3636 'C' Camshaft (L26) 13001-P7980 'F' Camshaft (L28E from 9/81) 13001-P3026 'B' Camshaft (L28ET A/T to 7/82) 13001-P9580 'J' Camshaft (L28ET M/T to 7/82) 13001-P9980 'M' Camshaft (L28ET from 8/82) Unless you are the original (as in only) owner - you never know for sure what you will find in a Z 33+ years later... I haven't found any reference to the grind number... so far... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Phil (everyone) First - I want to make it clear that while I happen to be a very happy Hagerty customer - and I recommend them for that reason - there are several other insurance agencies that offer Classic Car insurance with Agreed Value Policies. I encourage everyone to shop around, make sure you are consistently comparing only companies that have true Agreed Value Policies... and make your own decisions as to who you do business with. (I'm not a Hagerty Stockholder.. have no financial interests at stake..) This thread is moving so fast I can't keep up... I see you have now already called someone at the Hagerty... but I will related the following reply -that I was writing - just FYI anyway. Many years ago, Bob DeKorne was my representative at Hagerty. As the Z's got older and as Collector Level Z's became more valuable.... getting them properly insured became more and more important to many of our Members (I serve as the current President of the Internet Z Car Club, and we have about 15,000+ members now). More and more often we were hearing from owners of Classic Datsun 240-Z's, that were near show quality or better - well worth over $12K at the time - who were in arguments with Insurance Claims Adjustors - that wanted to total their car for a $3K claim, stating that the market value or actual cash value of the 240-Z was less than that amount. (we all know the drill..). As the IZCC's list of Original Owners grew - we all agreed that the "value" of our Z's to us - far exceeded any market value of the cars. So we wanted to assure that in case of an accident, our Z's would be properly repaired and not get into a court case arguing with Insurance Adjustors over the market value or actual cash value of our cars. Most of us wouldn't sell them at any price - we just wanted to assure they would be repaired without hassle.. I talked this over with Bob, he checked the market for Classic Z Cars, talked to the underwriters at the insurance companies.. and Hagerty has provided realistic Agreed Values for Classic Z Cars ever since. While Bob is no longer a Customer Representative for Hagerty, he is still with them and he will be more than glad to hear from you related to your Z. Tell him I told you to call him personally.. or feel free to e-mail him as well Phone: 1-800-922-4050 (ask for Bob DeKorne) E-Mail:"Bob DeKorne" {bdekorne@hagerty.com} FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Doug (everyone): With all due respect, your Agent can "say" anything he/she wants, but that will not change the wording, nor the insurance companies definition of what that wording means, in the Policy you receive. Which is why I suggested that everyone read their policy very carefully and very critically, and if they have any questions about what it will or will not cover - they go over the policy with their lawyer. There is a very significant difference between "will pay up to your Agreed Value".... and "will pay the Agreed Value". (or "Will pay the value stated in the Declarations Page of the Policy) Helpful in making your case?... with a true Agreed Value Policy there is no case to plead. The fact that one has to have, or that one's agent suggests that one keep on hand - an appraisal from an outside source - should tell one that they and their insurance company really DO NOT HAVE AN AGREEMENT for anything other than farther negotiations if the time comes... When the Classic Car Insurers AGREE to the Value of your car, there is no need for outside appraisals to be kept on hand after the fact...because there is no Claims Adjustors to argue your case with. I would also recommend that if your State Farm Agent uses the term "Agreed Value" you ask her to put that in writting along with the definition of it's meaning. (she won't do it of course - she'll back pedel and say something like "well I meant to say Stated Value"... Do let us know what other alternatives she comes up with if any. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Paul (everyone) I have been a customer of the Hagerty for many many years, and I have recommended them to many many Z owners. Of the 150 or so Original Owners on our Z Car Original Owners Register, at least 100 of them are Hagerty policy holders. In no case have I, nor any of them that I know of. - ever been told they had to be going to a car show, or parade. Only that the car can not be used for daily transportation, and that its primary use must be for pleasure. Not true - if your normal daily driver was fully operational, sitting at home.. and you just wanted to take your Classic Car to work that day - to show off - or for the pleasure of the drive... it would be covered. It would not be covered IF it was being used "in place of" your daily driver, because your daily driver was for any reason not available for use. In the first case, your purpose is "pleasure"... in the second case your purpose is to get to work and your Classic now becomes a primary means of transportation. Again - not true. If you are on a pleasure drive, you can stop anywhere and buy anything. Again it goes back to your intended and actual use... If your normal daily driver was not available to you, and you were using your Classic to replace its use... your Classic's primary use would be for transportation.. and not covered. If you were actaully out on a pleasure drive - and decided to stop on the way and buy anything.. your primary use would not have changed.. it would still be the pleasure of driving your Classic.. and it would be covered. I tell you this from personal experience... Again - not the case at all. If your primary reason for being out in the Classic was for your pleasure - and your daily driver was sitting at home available for transportation use... you would have no problem telling the whole truth. I believe that whoever you talked to, has in an effort to caution you of the specified limits of the policy, left you with the wrong impression. I know that the potential hassles of dealing with a Full Line Insurer, on a claim for damages always leaves you dealing with an Insurance Adjustor.. and his job is to settle the claim in the lowest cost manor... That is almost always a real hassle, and we see threads on this forum about it quite often. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL http://ZHome.com

Hi Stephen: I don't believe I've ever seen a picture of them. There is a 5.5"x14" Road Wheel- Aluminium listed in the Parts Catalog as: 40300-N3225 with a drawing of an aluminium wheel, but that drawing shows cars up through 78... Maybe Chris can check an earlier copy of the parts catalog and see if it's the same.. FWIW Carl B.

Hi Arne: Yieks.. how did I forget that!! Road & Track July of 71. Now all we have to do is track that car down and see if the wheels are still on it! thanks, Carl B.

Bought my first 240-Z in March of 1970, drove it 19 months and put 68,000 miles on it. Sold it for more than I paid for it... then in Dec. of 71 I bought the Metallic Blue 72 240-Z that I have to this day. Bought another White 72 here in St. Petersburg about 10 years ago from it's original owner. It had about 60K miles when purchased by me - refreshed it - and for the most part it's the Z I drive most of the time, that I drive a Z. I was fearful that some moron would run into my original 72... so didn't want to expose it to too much in town traffic. Of course I have a few others as well... So far we have found about 155 people who bought their Datsun 240-Z's new - and who have kept them to this day. Over the years a few have been sold, or passed on to the next generation within the family.. See the IZCC's Z Car Original Owners Register (ZCOOR) at: <a href=http://zhome.com/IZCC/ZRegisters/original.htm TARGET=NEW>http://zhome.com/IZCC/ZRegisters/original.htm</a> FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi James: I'd put it this way... All regular production 240-Z's shipped to North America were equipped with steel wheels and hubcaps. The 70/71 Model Year Z's had 4.5" x 14" steel wheels with the "D" hubcaps and the 72/73 Model Year Z's had 5"x14" steel wheels with the "Z" hubcaps. See: The Z Car Home Page: <a href=http://zhome.com/Classic/Restore/HubCaps.htm TARGET=NEW>http://zhome.com/Classic/Restore/HubCaps.htm</a> So to answer your question - they (wheels and hubcaps) changed at the 72 Model Year. However as an interesting side note: - a 5.5"x14" Steel Road Wheel was FMVSS Approved prior to 2 June 1970 for sale by Nissan Motors USA, in the U.S. Part Number 40300-E4600. (priced at $16.20 each). So far, we haven't found anyone that did order them, and receive them. (but I'll bet there is at least one person out there somewhere that did..). There was also a 5.5"x14" aluminum Road Wheel listed in the early Parts Catalogs, but not FMVSS approved and if put on order - they would always be back-ordered...I tried every year for several years to order a set though our Parts Dept., ... but no luck. Cost?... depends on the level of perfection you are willing to pay for. In general - a NOS set of "D" hubcaps are now in the $1200.00 to $1400.00 price range. Excellent used... about $175.00 to $200.00 each. Well used - but restorable (not rusted to death and beat up) are usually at least $100.00 each. The "Z" hubcaps for the 72/73 Z's run about $150.00 each for a set of 4 ($600.00).. used but excellent condition they are around $95.00 to $115.00 each. Of course "restorable" examples are always far less... Steel wheels - depends on the condition and date stamps. Used 1969 production steel wheels can be $100.00 to $150.00 each (and sometimes you can buy them for ten bucks). The 5" wheels are in the $50.00 to $75.00 range if they are in excellent condition. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Gavin: First let's make it clear that in this specific case we are talking about "Collector Level" examples, not modified nor custom cars, nor daily drivers etc. A pure stock, 240-Z with only 28K miles - would fall into the category of "Collector Level" as long as it was of very high quality etc. Pure stock examples with less than 20K miles are now selling for above $25K if they have been maintained in, or restored to "as new" condition. As long as the color change is complete, the paint job and body work professionally done to high quality standards - you can change the color of almost any 240-Z, to any color offered that model year, in your country, without any loss of value. There is no permanent record on the car which would indicate what its original color was. The rare exception to that - might be the car that comes with complete documentation, pictures taken on deliver at the Dealership, and over it's lifetime... All of which would add desirability to the ownership by a Collector - and therefore additional value to keeping it its original color. A complete color change, would leave none of the original color showing anywhere. So the entire body would be repainted... inside and out. The problem with the car under discussion is that he picked a color that was NOT available for the model year of his car. The Seller attributed the current color selection to; "research done at the time indicated that Dark Green was available in 73".... it's a shame that whoever did the research - did a poor job for him. That "wrong" color in this case would knock the car out of the Collector Market... unless it can be priced low enough to justify disassembly and restoring it to it's original color (or any correct color), but most "Collectors" don't want projects.. they want finished examples. So as long as 110 Red and/or Silver were available for the model and year of your car - Red or Silver would assure it retained its appeal to the Classic or Collector car market..... if all other things were kept stock and of high quality. There may well be a buyer out there somewhere - that loves this color (even if it isn't correct for the model and year) - that will pay top dollar today for a solid, good running 240-Z without regard to the "correctness" of the car.... but he would be the extreme exception. Collector or not - most people know that incorrect refreshes/restores sell for far less.... so even if one was willing to pay more - there won't be many people bidding.. and driving the price up anyway. (this is not good news for the seller). I always say that one never knows what is going to happen in the future - people may "plan' to keep their 240-Z's forever - and really don't care about resale value at that point - but you never know what is going to happen in the future.... and to me it only makes good sense to cover as many of your bases as possible... pick a correct stock color and you can't lose (at least you won't lose as much). FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Marty: Take the intake manifold to a shop that does aluminum welding - have them notch the water jacket on the intake - where it's hitting the headers (mark it out for them) - no big problem. Just cut a bit of the corner off and turn it upside down and weld it back in place - grind smooth.. won't hurt a thing. A buldge "(" ... becomes an indentation ")" over the top of the header tube.. regards, Carl B.

Hi Steve: Car originally from Canada..Too bad he had it painted the wrong color green - the car could have brought $25K+ if it had been left in truly "original" condition. Making a color change, without changing the color of the engine compartment is another large mistake as well. He has most likely paid several thousand dollars, to reduce the value of the car by 25% to 50%. Any way you look at it - this car really needs a lot of work to be brought back into the condition that would be expected of a 28K mile car. Does anyone really want to be the person that's going to remove the undercoating from the places it shouldn't have been sprayed in the first place? Nonetheless, if it checks out OK underneath... should bring bids in the $15K to $18K range. Maybe higher given some of the other cars we've seen on e-bay lately. Mileage is important, but above 5K miles, mileage is only one thing of many to consider. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater,FL USA http://ZHome.com

Looks like a super bargain to me.... good find ! Now all it takes is a couple of years work and $20K and you'll be set. Enjoy the Process... regards, Carl Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Make sure you realize that there is a Right and Left side part..it's easy to get them in backwards... Roll the window up/down and observe how the roller would be in contact with the direction of travel of the window.. when the roller is put in place.. FWIW, Carl B. and don't ask how I know that..;-)

Hi James: IF - big "I", big "F"... if it were actually a pure stock 70, with 75k miles and next to no rust... If that was the original factory paint, not a repaint etc etc.. It would sell pretty quickly in Georgia for $6,500.00 to $7,500.00. If you did buy it - for that amount - you would find that in order to have your piece of mind on a weekend drive - you'd spend another $4K to $5K on it by the time you are done. Shocks, tires, brakes, re-core the radiator, replace the heater core, .... new clutch... new transmission and differential mounts, replace the gas vapor tank lines, new rear hatch seals to get the exhaust smell out of the car ... on and on it goes... Hey, you just bought a 36 year old car... mileage is important, but it isn't the only thing that destroys a car... By the time you've done all the above, you are so in love with the car - you are starting to wish that it's paint and engine compartment looked as good as the car drives.... Time to take it apart, and have a proper paint job done... a year later and $5K out of pocket - and the car is starting to fulfill your real desire... and you realize that you now have $20K hard money and a couple years of work in the car... All of us that have been though that process.. will advise you ... Go SPEND THE MONEY UP FRONT and buy one that has already been loved and made road worthy.. pay the $10K to $12K for it... it will save you a ton of money in the long run.. and yield far more pleasure in the shot term.. FWIW, Carl B.

Well, we looked at ash trays... how about Lighters. Which is the earliest pictured below? A, B or C (right to left) Carl B.

Or I suppose one could simply order the Reman. 280ZX distributor instead.. comes with electronic switching and has the added value of High Energy Ignition.. wider plug gaps, cleaner firing and even less maintenance.. If you can't find the Nissan module - you can always switch to the far less expensive GM or Chrysler modules.. Just a thought... Carl B.

Hi Guys: The 2002 could be better compared to the Datsun 510's. Of course the 510's ran the BMW's and Alpha's off the tracks in the Trans/Am series. To this day Datsun 510's are still winning races. John Morton, driving the 25 year old BRE 510 - just waxed the field at the Monterey Historic's a couple years ago... (2001?)... gee time flies... Secondly - before you jump into a BMW - go price the repair or replacement parts for the 2002's (or 1600's) and compare that with the 510's... No question in my mind that when new - the 2002's and 1600's were higher quality cars... felt more solid, was painted far better, stock handling was firmer... actually a very nice car - in many ways the model for the Datsun 510 to follow... but no way would I take a 2002 over a Datsun 510 then nor now. I worked for a Datsun/BMW Dealership in the early 70's (73/74)... and while the 2002's were in the shop over and over and over, for all manor of petty problems... the little rugged 510's were on the road .. running and running and running. We salesmen loved those BMW's... we always had shot after shot at selling the owners another BMW as they sat in the Service Customers Waiting Room... They were usually wonderful people, well educated, good incomes, fun to talk too - and while they were writing those huge checks for service - they would be telling you how happy they were with their BMW's (music to a salesman's ears;-). On the other hand, those darn Datsuns... people would buy them and leave - and you'd never see them again. If they didn't get a good 100,000 miles on the car before anything at all happened to it they'd be in there raising hell and demanding that the Dealer fix it for free... (and half the time the Dealer DID!!)... Let's not even get into the 510's and East African Safari Rally's... Bottom line is the BMW 2002's and 1600's.. are very nice cars indeed.... but there simply is NO comparison to the Z Car... and sorry to say they didn't really compare well to the Datsun 510 in performance nor reliability. The did have better paint jobs... FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA

Hi Mike: If Nissan wanted to run the 2.8L engine, anywhere in the world, or allow private teams to do so, they would have had to modify their FIA submissions to include the L28. BTW - The United States Grand Prix is an FIA event here in the US, as is the United States Rally Championships. Many U.S. Manufacturers have their models F.I.A. homologated for competition around the world. (LeMans comes to mind - Viper, Corvette etc.). So the F.I.A. does in its own events have jurisdiction here. True - International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) do have their own set of rules. As does the National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR). But they aren't the only sanctioning bodies here - the F.I.A is also one. Engine capacity might affect what class the car ran in. Getting the L28 homologated only means Nissan has filed the proper paperwork with the F.I.A to define the item and certified it as a regular production item - so it meets the F.I.A. requirements for the classes for which it is allowed to compete. That's true for both of us - regards, Carl B.

Hello snarty: It would help if we knew where you were located, you should add that info to your profile. First - grab that original engine - at some point in the future - you never know - you may want to resell the car - and the value of a 240-Z is usually cut in half without the original engine. That may not seem like a big deal today - but it will hurt if the difference is $20K vs $10K. Second - you may have gotten a deal based on parts alone. As for the car, it depends on how solid the body is... ie front frame rails and floorboards, rear quarters etc.... as to exactly HOW GOOD a deal you got. A good solid Series I body with matching engine is at least $4,500.00 here in the South East (that's with shot interior, no bumpers, and needing lots of work). For $2K with the original engine - I'd be buying cars like that all day long. Good luck with the project.. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hello snarty: It would help if we knew where you were located, you should add that info to your profile. First - grab that original engine - at some point in the future - you never know - you may want to resell the car - and the value of a 240-Z is usually cut in half without the original engine. That may not seem like a big deal today - but it will hurt if the difference is $20K vs $10K. Second - you may have gotten a deal based on parts alone. As for the car, it depends on how solid the body is... ie front frame rails and floorboards, rear quarters etc.... as to exactly HOW GOOD a deal you got. A good solid Series I body with matching engine is at least $4,500.00 here in the South East (that's with shot interior, no bumpers, and needing lots of work). For $2K with the original engine - I'd be buying cars like that all day long. Good luck with the project.. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi taikaki: As I recall a new distributor from Nissan is a bit pricey... but you can order one from your local Nissan Parts Dept. - or better call Courtesy Nissan (something like $365.00 but I could be wrong). 09/71 TO 06/72 22100-E4603 ASSY-DISTRIBUTOR HITACHI D612-52 Unless you are building a show car for the Pure Stock Class - in which case you won't drive the car much anyway - I'd consider a rebuilt unit, or having yours rebuilt by a speciality shop. or I'd upgrade to the 280ZX distributor - you get both electronic and high energy ignition, which is a huge improvement over the points type of earlier years. Or the Mallory Unilite with vacuum advance. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com