SpeedRoo

Yes I need the headlight scoops, the ones on 03802 are metal for some reason and have tabs for perspex covers. Also after the Koito headlights, may fit the upgraded H4 Koitos. I like your idea for the Libres.

Thanks @Terrapin Z I will take you up on the radiator for sure, I think I only have 2 slot mags in my stash but will check. Next storm on the coast I will be heading out that way to windsurf and will try and drop by and see all your goodies! I have the plastic fan but just needed the metal fan for display purposes!

Glad I dove into the wiring, a few extra switches added and some other wires missing. The heavy gauge wires coming out of the fuse box were a bit hard and fried, so dug out a spare harness I had and salvaged some better wires. Sanded all the connectors back to bright metal and cleaned up the loom with lacquer thinners. The original radio was missing in action so searched around for a better period solution. Has anyone used one of these modern reincarnations of the original style. https://www.retrosoundusa.com.au/index.php?l=product_detail&p=363 has music streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and aux inputs as well as AM/FM. They have even made up a replica facia for it. Or do I go the other route and fit a radio delete cubby box? If I go with the updated radio I could add an extra speaker on the right rear across the trunk from the original.

Thanks @Mark Maras and @siteunseen I'm leaning towards the slots as well. "08802" has black Appliance "Mesh" wheels which would probably look cool with the yellow. May mount them up to see what they look like.

Big question is what wheels to put on it. I don't have any TOPY steel wheels and doubt I will be able to find any 02-70 or 03-70 ones with the correct early hubcaps. I have some slot mags and also a set of American Racing Libres. I'm leaning to the slot mags as they seem to be fairly popular in the period. Then again I really like the look of the Libres. I've also got some Appliance mags that look okay. Decisions!

Turning to the interior I've had Chester and Herod make up a set of new carpets for it from their original patterns. I had a spare set of seats that came with "08802" so they will be getting new foam and covers; unfortunately there seems to be a six month wait for interior items from Distinctive Industries who made all the reproduction trim for the Vintage 240Z program. In the meantime I've taken out the console and fuse box to check all the wiring/connections and renew where necessary. I think I'll take out the A/C system as it's no longer connected up. In the meantime I've made a list of all the other bits I need. The spare brake booster and master cylinder are off for sleeving and rebuild. On the lookout for a metal fan and original radiator (hopefully @Terrapin Z has some in his stash). Also need an early steering wheel and headlights. Trying to bring "Twisty" back as close as possible to original but I realise having been repainted and with a replacement engine it wont be perfect.

With "Twisty" safely tucked up in a warm garage I've started the process of bringing it back to original. First up was finding the correct engine. After scanning various 240Z registries and poring over any 1970 240Z sold in the last few years, I determined a number range for the correct one I needed to source. From cars finished in May of 1970 I determined the range was from chassis number 03598 to 04605. My car, 03802, was in the first third to half of these. Engine numbers ranged from around 06000 to 07400. So that's what I was aiming for. It would be a 4 screw carb setup with an early "Nissan 2400 OHC" cam cover. Scanning back through internet ads for early 240Z engines I found one listed a couple of years ago on "OfferUp". Even better it was only about 4 hours away from me. It was available and wasn't seized, it still turned over by hand! A quick day trip up to Carnation, WA and it was mine. First major obstacle overcome. It will need a full rebuild but I have a NOS Nissan full gasket set, Datsun pistons, new factory rings and bearings all ready to go into it. First up will be be stripping it down, boiling the block, checking all tolerances and painting it the correct blue colour. Luckily I have a spare "monkey change" gearbox and R180 diff; a R200 had been fitted when the engine was swapped to the Ford 289. The block casting shows "0211" which translates to a February 11 1970 build. The engine number is "06517" so right in the correct range for a May 1970 240Z. Luck is with me so far!

Another 240Z followed me home and I couldn't say no to it! It's a May 1970 car that was first sold by Datsun of Hawaii in July 1970, fitted with air conditioning. It then went to the mainland in the early 1980s and underwent an engine transplant. The original engine, 07174, was discarded and a 1965 Ford 289 fitted with an automatic transmission. Hydraulic power steering was also adapted and fitted. Non standard seats and tan trim also found their way into the car. Next stop was Texas where it was purchased by the last owner in 1990. He then brought it with him to Washington State and undertook a multi year rebuild. Mounted on a rotisserie he did a nut and bolt restoration, stripping the body back to bare metal and removing all the original blue paint. Grey rustproof primer was followed by Sunshine Yellow acrylic enamel before reassembly. All nuts and bolts were re-plated, all suspension components refurbished and painted, and all new Nissan sourced rubbers fitted. New Nissan door cards and center console installed, non standard race seats fitted and strut bars added in the engine bay and rear. The 289 was retained with 15" wheels added and the car completed by the mid 1990s. Only 18,000 miles have been added since. Must say the Ford V8 does not suit the car at all, the power steering is too light and the brakes too heavy (a later brake booster had been fitted when the engine was swapped). Driving it back to back with my BRE equipped August 1970 build 240Z was a revelation.......all the modifications have to go! So the plan is to refit the correct engine, rebuild the brakes back to standard and put an early 4-speed gearbox back into it. The paint is great considering it was done 30 years ago and garage kept ever since.

I think this is an indication of the level they restored it to, painting everything on the rear suspension black at once (including all the nuts and bolts) seems a cheap easy way out. Don't think the factory did it that way!

Scored new in box Interpart Mulholland shocks for the 240Z on EBay. Had been searching a few years for some fronts and up pops a set of front and rear. Will be great with the full BRE suspension setup I have.

Love all the exhaust headers on the wall!

He's still around, Satch edits Roundel magazine for the BMW club.

It may be the setup from a Saab V4 engine. The NW USA was a hotbed for them years ago with Satch Carlson leading the charge.

Corrected for accuracy.

Bit naughty not disclosing the engine was changed in the original listing. I think it's now dead in the water and the high bidder may want to withdraw their bid.

@Terrapin Zas I mentioned the badges on the outside of my 1970 and 1973 both say Datsun 240Z. The later cars have 260Z and 280Z badges on the outside. I made no mention of id plates, just badges on the outside!

I think you missed the point @Zed HeadI wasn't talking about value but the name of the car on the the actual car. My 1970 and 1973 cars both say Datsun 240Z. Neither has a Nissan or S30 badge at all. What they are worth is what someone is willing to pay if I put them up for sale.

Really...this has become laughable! Calling a car by the badge on the outside is a problem, the woke police taking over yet again. It says Datsun 240Z on the outside so that's what I have.

So Nissan provides the early 240Z to race teams in the USA expecting them to go racing with them. The engines are prepared for race use and high-rpm use and Nissan doesn't tell them the crankshaft is not fit for the purpose. The cars race, the crankshaft breaks yet you want us to think it's not Nissan's fault. Realising there is a problem they then change the crankshaft and fit it to all cars going forward rather than using the one you state has "fitness for expected use". Sorry not buying that explanation whatsoever. Wonder which crankshaft the rally 240Z were fitted with?

Let me get this right, Nissan in Japan builds the car in Japan with a faulty crankshaft and sends it to the USA. But it was the fault of Nissan USA who are owned by Nissan Japan that the cranks were fitted to the cars, not Nissan Japan's fault. Wow have I got some great water front real estate in Florida that would be perfect for you! The USA was Nissan's most important overseas market, how's that....happy now? So the USA is their most important overseas market yet you think they didn't consider it necessary to compete here; yet they thought it more important, according to you statements, to compete in rallies in Africa, Monaco and the UK where they sold very few cars (in relative terms) and a lot less than in the USA. I love your blinkered view of the world where Japan is so superior and the USA is a country of uneducated hicks.

THE USA was Nissan's biggest market for the 240Z, you would think they would have been interested in competing here so yes definitely "Planet USA" thinking. Maybe they weren't good enough to compete here, realised that and left it to the USA teams to make the car successful in racing in their most important market. Mind you the initial 240Zs weren't up to the task with the faulty crankshafts supplied from Japan for the first 3607 odd cars imported.

Not sure why the article's author thinks " Nissan’s rallying saga needs and deserves a lot more recognition in the US". Nissan never rallied a car in the USA and pretty much left any racing to the teams competing in the USA like BRE and Sharp. Would have been cool for Nissan to send a 240Z rally car to compete in the Baja race but BRE did that for them as well. https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/bres-baja-datsun-240z-kisses-asphalt-goodbye/

Had some spare time so went through and cataloged all the bits the first owner purchased from BRE. Lots of receipts/fitting instructions/BRE stickers in the stash of stuff that came with my car. I'm sure there's some other bits I haven't discovered yet! The 8/1970 build was sold new in Roseburg, Oregon and first registered October 1970, still has the original blue Oregon license plates. BRE Updates 2nd gen Front Spook Rear spoiler Interpart Mulholland front ARB Interpart Mulholland rear ARB Interpart Mulholland Springs Interpart Mulholland Shocks ARE Libre 14" x 5.5" Alloy wheels BRE Dellorto 40mmDHLA carbs/linkage and manifold BRE Exhaust header G Machine Compression Rod bearing G Machine front & rear adjustable camber bushings Competition steering coupler Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge

Any pictures of it when showroom new @jfa.series1

There's a chap down in the Bay area that has a trailer hitch on his 240Z (the Green Hornet), has a built up engine and flies around Laguna Seca.....albeit with the trailer unhitced! http://lescollinsracing.com/engine/projects-engine/3435cc-z-racer