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I'm in the Safari gold Club! I just need James as a first name to be a full member. Happy New Year to you and V!

Flashback to when the restoration program was in full swing: Source: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-1998-Datsun-240Z-Nissan-Brochure-mx583-14Y813-/290878018075?hash=item43b9ae521b:g:K0sAAOxyldpR-7w7

Does your 76 ignition system still use the stock ignition box or did you upgrade to the newer 280zx "matchbox" one? If you drive it again and it dies, quickly note the tach and see if it drops to 0 instantly. Also coast along with the gears engaged to see if the tach shows the engine rpm. If it stays at 0 it means no spark.

lots of pictures here of many tanks., You will have to look at each closely (for year, etc.). https://www.google.ca/search?q=site:classiczcars.com+tank+cut+open&newwindow=1&biw=2880&bih=1476&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm57mxsNHRAhXi6YMKHWVoB4EQ_AUICCgB#imgrc=3FBXpeQSpx_J-M%3A

You may consider this one: 3 days left in auction... at $40k now http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-nissan-skyline-2000-gt-r/

Will do! As you say it seems impossible for the Speakman car to do all those things claimed as the R&T Jan 1970 issue seems to have a silver car; the Nov. ARRC car was red; and the NYC car was green, so they can not all be the same car. Hear are pictures of HLS30-00008. I am trying to see the original paint but it was stripped and painted a lot. The good photos of the interior are all painted black (very well painted too) so it is difficult to see the colour inside the interior panels or where a clip or fastener was removed to expose the true base colour. Parts of White, Silver and Red paint job are hard to differentiate as there is even white on each side of the license plate where the red is. The other colours seem to be Nissan original primer and rust red primer. Maybe more eyes will do a better job: Nov 71, Original or painted? Drips of red paint. Two top heater mount tabs and steering column holding bracket looks silver (w some flat black over spray on the steering holding bracket)? No colour in seat brackets or in rockers. Firewall and rest looks flat black. Missing grommets and extra holes in firewall do not look red? White Silver and Red, Is that silver under the cracked filler on the quarter? Is that even an original quarter? White on each side of plate but whole back looks like it was all painted red at one time then some black for fun. The steering column holding bracket certainly looks silver for no reason other than being original? White door jambs and rust wheel well with 280z-like back bumper. Red rust primer and Nissan grey/white primer.

I guess Bob could be wrong but his reference to not having a car by the April 4-12 show in NYC (when he says he first saw the Z.... very memorable moment for all of us) and the late appearance of 240z's in race result records in Q3 of 1970 seem to both point to BSR/BRE procurement well into 1970. There was probably a car show(s) in May/June in Canada based on the unusual photo of the air shipment of a 510 in May, 1970. Hopefully my archive friend will find more for us! Another possibility is that the original green demo car (HLS30-00006) was crushed at the Boston show and Nissan squirrelled it away until Mr. Kawazoe formally asked for it (many months later). Mr Speakman did not receive his HLS30-00008 until fall of 1970 so Nissan was holding them/using for a long time after the production versions were available in the dealerships. Mr. Matsuo told me he wanted to buy an early Z when they first came out but was not permitted as the public came first. Nissan administration in Japan seemed to put Joe Public first ahead of Mr. Matsuo and proven racers like Sharp.

May, 1970 Vancouver Airport. Loading a Datsun 510 bound for Toronto. On the trail and getting warmer

From the horse's mouth: Sharp: "By 1969 I'd started a Datsun dealership and I saw my very first Z car-a green one-at the New York Coliseum auto show (April 4-12). I went up to Mr. Kawazoe, who had a very close personal relationship with his dealers and asked, "When am I going to get one to prepare for racing?" Mr. Kawazoe shook his head and said, "Maybe if we get a salt-damaged car you can get one, but right now I have nothing I can give you." Well the green car went to the Toronto auto show and a model sat on the roof and caved it in. I got a call from Mr. Usami who said excitedly, "Bob, come down here quick and get this car. It's no good as a show car and it can't be sold. Grab it before they change their mind." So I took that car, prepped it and raced it all year. We built up a second car for the Runoffs and Jim Fitzgerald, our Southern Division driver, ran it at Atlanta." So the show in Canada would have occurred after April 12, 1970..... now to find it. If Brock's car arrived after Sharp's, it would account for the late entry of these cars into racing in 1970 (~ September). Sharp: "A very significant change occurred with how we prepared race cars when BRE got into the game. Up till then we'd get a car in February, strip off the putty, make a few changes, add decals and numbers and two months later you'd be racing what had been your street car. The first time anyone had a contract to build a car and race it the following year, holy mackerel, that was a whole different breed of cat. The whole concept of stripping the car down to nothing and rebuilding it was a whole generation of expense above what anyone had previously done." A two month window would put the possession of cars as late as the first week of July, 1970. If Brock got his in the "first boat load" it would probably be "January to March". So the Canadian crushing would have happened between April 12 and ~July 6th, 1970.

That car would certainly be one of the world's most beautiful daily drivers! Being restored as a daily driver explains for the minor items we noted.

Hi Kats, For completeness, it seems the blue 240z was only on display for an early portion of the Tokyo Motor Show. It was eventually replaced in the beautiful banked racing display by a 432-R. I am not sure at what point the switch happened. As you allude to, in other posts in the thread, few in Japan would be interested in a LHD apart from curiosity, so using a RHD 432-R in the first place would make more business and regional sense (and keep the racing crowd happy). As well, it would be a much better fit with the racing theme of the banked display (as the other 3 cars were all race cars [including white circles with numbers]). Why the 240z was there in the first place begs the question: Were the 240z's further along in completed form in the factories and the 432-R needed last minute badges/items thus its delayed appearance? Was the 240z just a stop-gap "filler" until a 432-R was show worthy? Further to this theory: The licence plates on the three Z cars at the show are different. Both the 432 and 432-R have the same font and character size yet the 240z plate shares the same "Fairlady Z" top line but with a much smaller and thinner font "(EXPORT MODEL )". Could this 2nd line text be simply a last minute rework for the blue "filler car"? The small text "(EXPORT MODEL )" is also skewed to the left with a blank space after the "L" where as the other 2nd lines are centred nicely. In the end, it is ironic that the L24 seems to have been unintentionally placed in the race display as its L24 engine went on to become the favoured racing engine in the 432-R shell (and later in the 240zg). 3 RHD Racers and 1 LHD Anomaly in the Banked Racing Display Early in the Show. Blue 240z on the Banked Racing Display Early in the 1969 Tokyo Motor Show (Note the wooden ladder slats in front of/and behind the yellow R382. These are used for workers to access the various areas and place garnishes such as the laurel wreath. These garnishes are not in place in most photos with the Blue car). Eventually an engine also appears in the display. 432-R on Banked Racing Display (Replacing the Blue 240z) Orange 432-R with Black Hood and No Wind Shield Chrome (in right of photo) Last Minute 240z Plate with Odd Tiny 2nd Line Font and Spacing

Missing spark could cause unburned fuel to accumulate and carbon-up things.

Compelling evidence the roof was crushed in Canada in 1969:

FYI: Brake reservoir caps seem to be different.

Block blue colour seems to be a bit on the darker richer side of stock. Again it could be the camera. You will want pictures of the underside as well. It is very important to inspect.

Front grill and rear tail light finishers look nice but they seem blacker and shinier than normal. It could be the camera. Also you would want original wheels and hub caps.

Oui Oui Monsieur !

Everyone that I can see that has the worm gear. Correct Nissan hose clamps look like this:

On ebay now. http://www.ebay.com/sch/ericbauer/m.html?item=252725016995&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Nissan-Prince-Skyline-Race-Mechanic-Overalls-Hakosuka-GT-R-1970-1971/252725016995?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D21c8f6cf78db498ab3d1f3c00d5500db%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D141087691123

If plugs black then be sure to check efi system. Especially water temp sensor wiring.

I would request all new correct hose clamps for the Orange Z.

I wonder if the distributor or ignition system has a fault? Spark scatter at high Rpm, spark scatter causing pre-ignition under load, and intermittent cut out of ignition?

I like the duct taped windows. Canadian eh!

Anyone know anything about this early 240z racer in Canada? It raced at Mosport piloted by Peter Ferguson on June 14, 1970. Kovac Motors sponsored it. I just ordered a DVD with the magazine article to find more but all input is helpful. This may be one of the earliest Z's to race in North America.

I am doing the best I can. It seems to be of interest to others as well. There is very little Japanese racing content on this site so I am adding. You are most welcome to contribute information to improve accuracy, etc. I will amend as required. wrt the L24's first outing. I am basing it on the data from the JAF site.... just as I based a similar post on the 240z's first north American outings on published data on a site dedicated to racing results. It is all a first pass subject to revisions as new information and corrections come in.