Carl Beck

Hi Gary: I believe Courtesy only had about 7 sets left. Actually - I worked with a Spring Manufacturer that Bryan had located, and who expressed an interest in working with us. Bryan was the one that initially drug me into this... We sat up a Group Buy for the Internet Z Car Club and the Classic Z Car Club, so that the cost of the springs could be held to something reasonable, considering the custom build order. Courtesy Nissan supported our effort, buy paying the manufacturer for the entire order. Then they collected the funds from the people that had agreed to buy sets in the Group Buy, and shipped the springs out to each individual involved. I talked an owner that had purchased an NOS set of Euro Spec. Springs on E-Bay - into reselling them to me, so we could be sure that the reproductions were accurate in every detail. Being a real Z Car Fan he was willing to sell the NOS set to me, and he purchased a set in the Group-Buy as well. (Z Car People Are the Best - Mark Graham). I provided the spring spec.'s to the manufacturer, as well as the correct paint codes, and I keep track of who was signed up for the Group Buy. As I recall, out of the original order for 40 sets (4 springs in a set), we had about 33 sets pre-sold, and Courtesy held the remaining sets in their inventory, for later retail sales. They didn't last long.... We did the same thing with US Spec. Stock springs. I mention all this because without the support of Courtesy Nissan's Parts Department - I doubt any of it would have happened. This represented a lot of time and effort on the part of the guys at Courtesy - and all for next to no real profit. One more reason to give them your Parts Business if your going to order parts on-line from anyone. http://www.courtesyparts.com FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Al: The Metallic Blue 240-Z that I bought new at the end of 1971 - first received some head work, a set of triple Webers, Nissan Cam Kit, Bilstein Gas Shocks, Nissan Comp. Headers with 2.25 exhaust system and turbo muffler. BRE Front/Rear anti-sway bars, BRE Front/Rear Spook/Spoiler and headlight covers.... that was followed by a Type-A 5spd. and 4.11 rear gear. Then around 77.... I pulled the L24 and replaced it with an L28. Bored, head work, Euro Pistons, Nissan Cam Kit, fully balanced, triple Webers... added a 77 5spd. and Torsen/Gleason Posi unit in a 4.11 R200 (by BSR). To say I love this car is an understatement. My son (now 35) and I have taken it on several longer road trips over the years. It's just a blast to drive and rock stable; the faster you go the better it holds the road. The problem was.... the longer I had the car, the greater my fear that some old lady in a Yellow 75 Caddy would take it out.... Either because she ran a red light, or because I was sitting still at a red light and she didn't stop... Happens here in Pinellas County all the time.... So I quite driving it much... I decided to simply buy another 72 240-Z to DRIVE. Around 1995 - I found a one owner car here in St. Petersburg, refreshed it and keep it basically STOCK. White/Red combination. Getting older now, I needed more support for my back and hips on longer road trips - so I took the stock seats out and replaced them with great seats from an Accura Integra. Because my main use of the car was going to be longer road trips - I added an 83 5spd. and left the stock rear end in. This gave me a highway cruise at 70/80 mph - with lower engine RPM and thus far less engine noise in the cabin. I added the BRE front Spook and headlight covers, new gas shocks, ARE Libra's and 195HR14 tires. AIR the car had just under 60K miles when I bought it... On our first road trip in the White Z - after about 5 hours into the trip - I ask my son if he noticed anything different about this trip.... He said; "YES, I was just about to ask you the same question." Both of us had noticed that on this trip, we could hear one another talk, we weren't traveling in the 90 to 100 mph range (which was all too often normal in the Blue Z), and we let people pass us if they wanted to go over 75/80 mph on the freeway... They would pass and give a thumbs up - and we would simply wave and let them go. (something we just couldn't do in the Blue Z - we just couldn't let anyone pass...;-). Where the Blue Z urges you to go just a little faster.. and faster.. and faster. Where it urges you to slow down to 70 mph, just so you can feel it rush up over 130mph... Where the Blue Z demands your total attention to driving... because your constantly at high velocities.... The White Z - allows you to enjoy the trip. The White Z allows you to enjoy the company of the person that is along with you because you can hear them and carry on a conversation .... because your total focus isn't on SPEED.. trying to catch that car ahead.. and blow by them.. Performance/Speed is addictive - just like any drug... the more you have, the more you use and then the more you want. L24 to L28 to Turbo L28 to Corvette Power... it never ends. Until one day you have some mind altering experience.... Like taking a basically stock Datsun 240-Z on a trip... and realizing just how wonderful a Sport/GT it was to begin with. Grand Touring.... a pure stock 240-Z will run all day and all night at 90+ mph if you want to... but it will give just as much driving pleasure at 70 mph. If you want performance - go buy a good body shell and drop a Corvette motor in - rework the entire suspension and brakes. Skip the half measures in between, in the end it will save you a lot of money. Not to mention preserving the value of your stock 240-Z. Planning on taking your wife on a longer road trip - leave the Z basically stock. Enjoy the trip with HER and you'll both want to do it again. It is really a pleasure to enjoy a Classic Car in it's original incarnation. Just my experience... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Gregg: Contact Inside Line Editor-in-Chief, Scott Oldham at: soldham@edmunds.com I do not have a phone number for him. FWIW, Carl B.

Sold at $37,100.00 About right for the condition of the car. Had it been properly stored and not been undercoated by the Dealer... it would most likely have been a $50K car. As it sits, it is going to need a lot of hours of detailing... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Sid: Looks like a very nice Z, that someone had taken care of. For parts - your best bet is to try your local Nissan Dealer's Parts Dept. first. Very few items in the aftermarket match the quality of OEM parts. Given your location, Motorsports Auto is close, and you should personally stop by there and meet the guys. See: http://zhome.com/PartsService/Vendor/Classifieds.htm Of course it is always good to find/join a local Z Car Club. You'll meet some great people and they are more than willing to help. http://www.zcciv.com/ You'll have to stop by the Datsun Heritage Museum, it's not too far from you - as I recall it's about due East from HB... See: http://DatsunHeritageMuseum.com You'll also want to have that Z insured on an Agreed Value Policy - with a Classic, Collectable and Special Interest speciality carrier. As long as you are not using it for daily transportation, and as long as you have a clean driving record... Many of us use the Hagerty Classic Car Insurance company.. listed in the Vendor List above, on the Z Car Home Page http://ZHome.com hope that helps get you started.. FWIW, Carl B.

Good luck... I think Marc intentionally dropped out of sight years ago. I'm surprised to see he has anything Z related left on the Net. FWIW, Carl B.

Details - Details - Give us Details!!! VIN? Engine Serial Number if known. Special Parts that were on the car - in case we see them advertised or at a flee market? Do you have better pictures of the Wheels/Tires? What specific CITY was the car in? They usually show up close to where they were. That's a real bummer... sorry to hear it. FWIW, Carl B.

What: Edmunds’ http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/ Inside Line and Nissan celebrate the all-new 370Z with a private coming-out party five days before its L.A. auto show world premiere. Bring a new or old Z if you have one, and come see and touch the new version with fellow enthusiasts. When: Saturday, November 15, 2008 4:00-8:00 P.M. PST Where: TBWA/Chiat Day 5353 Grosvenor Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066 Cost: Admission is free and Edmunds’ Inside Line will provide food and giveaways. Details: Edmunds’ Inside Line and Nissan are proud to announce a special roll-out of the all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z. This will be the first unveiling of the 370Z anywhere in the world. There will be three fully functioning 370Zs at the event, including two production vehicles and one test mule. And yes, you'll be able to sit in the car and poke around under the hood. Bring your new or old Z to display at the event, and spend the evening with other Z owners and enthusiasts. FWIW, Carl B.

Here is a picture of the BRE rear spoiler from late 71. As you can see it lacks the upright reinforcements on the front face, as shown on the Nissan part. There is also no provision for mounting the original deck lid emblems on the rear surface. I call it a "Nissan" rear spoiler because as I understand it - it was an optional accessory. Not standard on the 432Z's. The U.S. Parts Catalog lists about six different part numbers for the Nissan rear spoiler - but no notation is made for applied dates. Pictures of the 73 JDM models - show a rear spoiler that looks like the BRE spoiler, at least on the front face. The upright reinforcing ribs of the earlier style are no longer there, so Nissan must have also changed their original design. The Parts Catalog shows six studs mounted across the bottom, about equally spaced on the Nissan part. The BRE Spoiler uses two studs on each side, on the outer edges of the deck lid, plus to in the deck lid itself - which are reached via the two rubber drain plugs in the deck lid lower edge. Bryan - note that I did put rubber washers under the Studs. BRE ran their original design front spook in 1970 on the #46 C-Production car. Sometime in 1971 they changed to the MK-II design, put it on their #46 and #3 Z cars, and sold that model to the public. FWIW, Carl B.

Are you coming to the Fantasy Of Flight show Nov. 8 and 9? A few of us from the Tamba Bay area should be there. If the weather holds -I'll be there Sat. and Sunday. http://fantasyofflight.com FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL

Go ahead Bob... everything else will work out.... You can store it at the Datsun Heritage Museum for a while if need be... FWIW, Carl B.

The current owner has homes in both GA and Florida. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Mike: I'm not sure what Bob's VZ sold for... but two that changed hands recently via private sales, were well over $35K and one was over $40K... As these cars settle into private collections - it will be harder and harder to find one for sale - and when they do become available, they will more than likely find a willing buyer waiting... Wishing he'd bought it sooner rather than later.. At the same time - I think we all realize that with NOS parts, or period correct parts constantly going up in price, not to mention getting harder and harder to find - there will be fewer and fewer 240-Z's of any year that get properly restored. I could recommend this VZ at $39,500.00 to anyone that loves 240-Z's, and feel like I did them a favor if I talked them into buying it. Nissan did a great job on these cars and at least one has some idea of the extent and quality of the work done. FWIW, Carl B.

Yes.... The parts business of BRE became Interpart... and the guys that bought the BRE Parts business added other lines of performance equipment and accessories to expand the profit center. So for a time the BRE Parts business and Interpart were one and the same really. To my knowledge BRE never sold the Nissan Part, nor did they reproduce an exact copy. The BRE rear spoiler was built differently, and had a fully enclosed bottom. The only original Nissan spoilers I've seen pictures of - were open (not fully enclosed) on the bottom. I was looking for a picture of mine... but it looks like I'll have to take one on the car... The original BRE Spoiler Mounting instructions don't have any pictures either. The BRE Spoiler came with a foam rubber seal - that was supposed to go under the spoiler - I didn't put it on mine. I didn't want it holding moisture on the car - better to let the water run off. It also came with DATSUN and BRE decals... I didn't put either on. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Ron: I think it might be less confusing to say; "Peter Brock originally used the Nissan rear spoiler on his C-Production 240-Z's" Then later BRE produced their own version locally. The BRE version did not have the flat spot for mounting the rear deck lid emblems, nor did it have the two molded reinforcing ribs seen on the front of the Nissan spoiler. See image below. The Nissan spoiler had a steeper rake as well. Today, Les at Classic Motorsports has reproductions of the Nissan rear spoiler. He may also carry the original BRE style. FWIW, Carl B.

It creates a lower pressure area inside the car, "relative" to the higher pressure area outside the trunk lid/tail lights. You have to make sure your trunk lid seals are working, seal all area's around the tail lights and make sure the seam sealers in the body haven't dried out and cracked. Past that point you have to have the tail pipe extend at least 1.5 to 2 inches past the end of the bumper. Take a strip of cloth about 3" wide by 12" long. Place it over the trunk lid seals and close the trunk lid on it. Then see how much pressure it takes to pull it out. If it pulls out easily, either your seals are shot, or your trunk lid is adjusted incorrectly. Over the years trunk lids can also get warped, and fail to mate properly on top of the seal. Try that test at several places around the seal. It's pretty much the same on the Z's. On the Z's the rear spoiler moves the higher pressure area behind the car farther back, away from the tail lights. FWIW, Carl B.

Mine bolted to the tail gate - on the outside edges, where the decklid closes over the water drain area - and as I recall, two holes in the deck lid itself - just above the rubber plugs in the lower edge. Water runs in the areas anyway... With the BRE style Spook and Spoiler the Z is much more stable at highway speeds. The rear spoiler also seems to reduce the intrusion of exhaust gases into the cabin. I've had mine on since 72, and so far there hasn't been a problem with rust. I coated the studs in the spook with RTV before bolting the spoiler on... I also have another 72, with only the front Spook.. for the most part it is used to cruise longer highway trips at 75/80 mph. It is fine, but I do notice when passing large trucks, or driving in heavy cross winds, that it isn't quite as "locked down" as the Z with both. Adding the front Spook without the rear spoiler - actually increases lift at the rear, even though it greatly increases down force on the front. If you like the look, I'd say add them both. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi carrott: E-Bay is your advertising window to the world! One of the best "deals" the individual consumer or seller has ever had. Tens of millions of eyeballs at almost no cost. The numbers, size and scope of Classic Car Auctions have been growing for decades in the physical world, remote bidders can link in via the Internet and buy cars on-line. The natural progression is a movement toward virtual auctions on the net. If they can auction Ferraris on E-Bay, we shouldn't be surprised to see a Vintage Z there. It's only good sense. It is estimated that something close to 58,000 people in the US have a net worth over $20,000,000.00. I didn't see figures for people that have a net worth over $10,000,000.00.... but it's got to be double or triple the number that have $20M. I don't believe that a 1% or 2% increase in the unemployment rate, nor a 0.5% negative growth rate will slow many of them down. If anything, people with cash start putting it in hard assets during a resessionary period. Here's $40K you can keep at home and enjoy - rather than collecting 2% or less in a saving account. FWIW, Carl B.

At $39,500.00 its a bargain. There is nothing close in the Classic, Collectable and Special Interest market at anything near that price. 240-Z's have been going up in price steadly for the past 5 to 7 years. 10 years ago almost everyone here wouldn't believe that a 240-Z would sell for over $15K, let alone over $30K. Most here never see a 240-Z sell for over $40K, but several have. We are just now entering the period in the collector cycle, that you will see these cars begin to double in value every couple years. It happens to all cars of this type... Check the prices on 55 T-Birds, 280SL M/B's, mid 60's 911's in #1or 2 Condition. The buyer of this car will look back five years from now and laugh at how inexpensive it was. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Ross: From the pictures that looks like a pretty nice Z. I'm guessing that it may have been originally sold in Canada. That is if the Black interior is stock/original. 99% of the White 72's sold in the US had Red interiors. The Internet Z Car Club (IZCC) has its virtual home on the Web at: http://ZHome.com and I maintain a Classic Z Car Register there for the DATSUN 240-Z's. If you visit the site, in the Left Hand Frame - you will see a hyper-link to "Internet Z Car Club". Hit that and it will take you to a more detailed breakdown of that section. Within that more detailed breakdown you will see a hyper link that says "Z Car Registers". Hit that and in the Right Hand Frame you will find a hyper link to the Classic Z Car Register.. Check to see if your Z is already listed there and if not... ... just fill out the form completely and send it... If it is already listed - fill out the form completely - and in the "comments section" write - CHANGE OWNERS. Note - Fill out the Form Completely. If the original engine serial number isn't filled in - most likely nothing will happen. You can find the original engine serial number on the data tag that is screwed to the inner-fender well, on the passenger side of the car. It's located on the front strut tower. That data tag has both the VIN and Original Engine Serial Number. The engine serial number will begin with "L24-" I happen to have a White 72 myself - and it is a pure joy to drive. You may want to pick up an old beater to drive in the Winter in Washington State.... kind regards, Carl Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA - but I moved here from Spokane...

Hi Alan: Yes - the "current pictures" including the picture of the VMS article were sent by Rob and I added them to the page, mostly so that he wouldn't have to e-mail large files to interested parties. As a result of the original article on the Z Car Home Page - Bob Pinkowski, did hear from Ted Swanson. Ted was Lothar Stahlbergs mechanic and crewed for the races in 1971. Ted knew Jack Pray as well, and sent in some low resolution scan's, of Polaroid snapshots taken when Jack first brought the car back to the US. I'll add them as well. FWIW, Carl B.

That is true. With Mike's passing the car is For Sale. The current write up on the Z Car Home Page was originally done by Mike - and the current pictures were sent by a friend of Mike's that is trying to help Mike's widow sell the car. http://zhome.com/History/MacauZ/macau240Z.htm As Chris reports his conversation with Mike in 2004 -When it comes to Classic, Colletable and Special Interest Cars - - If it isn't documented -it's an interesting story. Mike never changed his written story - so it is as last submitted. Mike's story seems to be pretty much the same in an article by Vintage Motorsports Mar/Apr. 2008. As Alan has written the results of his research - potential buyers should be referred to them here as well. Any interested party can contact Rob Stewart via e-mail: Rob Stewart rs58a6@bellsouth.net FWIW, Carl B.

I guess it depends - - - - I put the 4.11 in my Z when I was running a slightly mod'ed L24, on racing slicks (A-SR in the old days of auto-x). Years later, as the Porsches increased displacement... I had to go to a slightly mod'ed L28... to have fun with them on the freeways;-) With either the 77/78 or 81/83 5spd. the 4.11 is way too much gear for street tires with my L28... it makes 1st. and 2nd. gear tire smokers... The L28 has so much more torque than the L24 did... if I had realized it before hand, I would have switched to a 3.9 at most. Otherwise you better plan to spend the money on far wider wheels/tires for the street, and be willing to give up decent mileage on the highway above 65mph. FWIW, Carl B.

So at this point - it sounds like NO ONE KNOWS WHERE TO GET A "neoprene valve cover gasket for L-series engines". I'll ask around and let you know if I find a source. FWIW, Carl B.

Wow.. that is a really cheap price. I guess it depends on what you really mean by "rebuilt". New rings and bearings, throw in a fresh valve job and reassemble... you might get away with $1,700.00 around here. On a more comprehensive basis.. pull the engine, strip the block and pickle it, then send it to the machine shop for fresh over-bore, check the deck, replace the oil plugs, freeze plugs etc. Then completely rebuild the head, with new valves and steel seats; most likely new cam kit, add a new timing chain and gear; new oversize pistons, rod bolts etc. etc. New oil pump, water pump, all new bolts etc etc In that case around here your talking $3,500.00 to $3,800.00 at least. As I recall, I spent more than $1,700.00 on parts alone on the last L24 I had overhauled. Personally - I would NOT buy an engine on E-Bay. Spend the money up front and order a stock rebuild from someone like Rebello. Or have someone like John Williams do the work in Atlanta. I'm sure that there are great places in Texas as well. Find someone that has done L series rebuilds for decads and has lots of happy customers driving them over 150K miles.. FWIW, Carl B.