26th-Z

This is probably the best picture I have. Remember that the battery had a plastic cover on it with a yellow instructional decal. Have fun with that model!

Have you caught the latest buzzword from the collector car / auction crowd? “resto-mod”. Flip over to Jerry Purcell’s thread; “Your Thoughts Wanted; Preservation / Restoration”. “Resto-mod” is a term that can be applied here as well. One of the reasons I took on this subject has something to do with a statement I made earlier in this thread having to do with Vintage Zs being a benchmark restoration. I’m sticking to that statement and find the “resto-mod” expression an interesting word in the context of Vintage Zs. But lets talk about the Vintage Z Launch Rally held at Nissan USA corporate headquarters in Carson, California, May 3, 1997. The Vintage Z Quality Control Launch Rally was the introduction party and publicity “kickoff” for the Z Restoration Program and introduced the Z-Store and the Vintage Zs. It was a picnic, an exhibition, a car show and a rally / parade through the streets of Los Angeles. Nissan had decided to approach their future with the past. The 300Zx had been discontinued in 1996 and Nissan was without a sports car flagship that they were so famous for. The Z car had come from an affordable sports car that delivered incredible performance to an expensive luxurious super car. It had transcended its original market niche and with buyer focus shifting to minivans and SUVs, the Z lost popular buying potential through both price and market niche. Yet there was a ground swell of Z enthusiast support and outcry of despair for the loss of the most popular and fastest selling sports car of all time. Nissan marketing reacted and saw an opportunity; “With the End of an Era Comes the Birth of a Legend”. The legendary 240Z was to return. The Z Store program was announced on November 20, 1996; “…an innovative marketing program…to demonstrate our heritage and prove our commitment to the consumer by offering reconditioned Z-cars – a model line that is legendary in the automotive world”. “We are really excited about this program because it allows us to offer consumers what they are requesting in an imaginative new way”. “With Z-car production for the United States recently drawing to a close, Nissan is answering the call from enthusiasts and Z-car aficionados. We are proud of our roots and are demonstrating this through our Z Store program.” “Throughout the lifetime of the Z car, we witnessed a strong commitment to the car from enthusiasts and ‘Z-Zealots’ because of its illustrious style and performance. We are proud that we can continue this commitment”.* Initially the event was anticipated for an earlier date (late 1996 or early 1997), but delays in completing Vintage Zs and orchestrating the event with local Z clubs pushed the activities to May. As the planning progressed the event schedule grew larger, causing further difficulties and coordination. One magazine article sites the large turnout at the Motorsport Auto event a few weeks earlier as influencing plans to be expanded. Finally, in early spring, the commitment was made and invitations were sent out. “This is your invitation to be part of automotive history and witness the rebirth of the Z”. A full day of activities was planned. Beginning with registration at 8:30 in the morning, the entertainment lasted until 6:00 in the afternoon. The registration form was comprehensive, tracking ownership, club participation, and model type. And Nissan had arranged for a grand party encompassing approximately three acres of car show and festivities! The event included a road rally / poker run, Vintage Z displays, a “Best Original” and “Best of Show car contest, merchandise displays, and food, beverages, and entertainment. The final Nissan 300Zx was on display as were several vintage Datsuns contributed by Nissan, Nissan employees, and Les Cannaday. Inside the corporate headquarters lobby, a number of “Dream Garage” vehicles were on display. A band played period ‘70s cover songs throughout the afternoon. It was a lovely sunny day and a slight breeze blew in from the West. The picnic area was set with a number of umbrella tables and colorful red and yellow balloons fluttered in the breeze. A little after 1:00, the awards presentations began. Although there were minor changes to the agenda when it was announced that Yutaka Katayama would attend, the schedule began with a car show and judging early in the morning. Bill Halsey of Z Owners Northern California took top honors for “Most Original 240Z”. The Rally / Poker Run lasted approximately two hours with over 150 cars in participation followed by an awards presentation, announcements and comments. The completed Vintage Zs were formally presented to the representing Z-Store dealers. The Z-Store program was discussed indicating that certified 1990 – 1996 300ZX cars were already on sale as phase 1 of the program. Phase 2 was the introduction of the Vintage Zs and they were offered for just under $25,000 that day. During the presentations hosted by Tom Orbe, Vice President of Nissan Marketing (NMC USA), Mr. K was introduced and given a gift of a photo album reflecting on his years with Nissan USA. Mr. K gave a short speech and discussed his feelings about his test drive in the Vintage Z; “smooth acceleration and comfortable ride”. He described the cars as “refurbished” and used a “VZ” abbreviation from his notes during his speech. Introductions of key people in the program were made including Pierre Perot. Dale Ishimoto, the “Hollywood Mr. K” was also introduced complete with the dog from the Dream Garage commercial. The first few Vintage Zs were just complete by the time of the Rally. The delay situation is reflected in the invitation with an explanation that the Quality Control Launch Rally was actually a component of the Nissan program of quality control. Announcing that Vintage Zs would be sold with a 12,000 mile / 12 month bumper-to-bumper warranty, the Rally was presented as the final step in the extensive inspection and quality process; an extended road test. Notable racing legends including John Morton and members of the automotive press were invited to participate and test drive the cars. To my best understanding, five Vintage Zs were available at the Rally. Two were automatics. Two were the typically seen silver cars. As the restoration process was in full progress, an extensive display was prepared including a chassis on a rotisserie and a chassis covered in protective foam padding exclusively made for the program. Engines were on display stands and component parts were on display. The program was a large success for Nissan USA Marketing. Within 24 days, Nissan marketing estimated an audience reach of over 84,000,000 people as a result of the publicity the Rally generated. Nissan figures estimate over 59 “news coverage” references including approximately 25 television news broadcasts and 6 major automotive publications. The Z Restoration Program was a major automotive news as well as corporate news topic for the moment. And if I may conclude with my own speculation….this is where I think the F word began!!!

Oh! I was just fool'in around. I love car guys. They all call each other when they get the bug as though we are some AA sponsor or something. "So...you're getting on an airplane to go look at a car?" "Gonna blow off work on Monday so you can get some photographs of it"? "Sounds like a good idea to me"! We are all very sick people.

Thanks Alfadog! What a great link! Printed the whole thing out! Keep your fingers crossed. The "serious man" is going after the fire truck. Couple of e-mails from him this morning. You gotta love car collectors.

A brief update before I post some more this weekend... The research is going well and several contributors have sent me great stuff. Thanks to MikeW, 240 in OZ, and HS30-H. The working bibliography has now grown to twelve Nissan documents and twenty-six independent magazine and newsletter articles including three from Japan and one from Australia. There are notes from several telephone conversations as well. Quite a bit of information to sort through! Stay tuned. I'll be writing more shortly.

Here are some more pictures for you. The peach colored one is a combined chassis and engine 1971. The yellow colored manual is a later 1970 publication and it is chassis only. The light green colored one is what a 1970 engine manual would look like. This one happens to be a 1969 publication. The 1969 manuals are the same color, they have a printing date on them, the covers are a pebble textured paper, and they are three-hole punched. To the best of my knowledge all the later manual coverss are printed on a smooth paper and are not punched. I will sell the '71 manual for $60 if anyone is interested. IT is in A+ shape. I also have a couple A- 1970 chassis manuals I would sell for $45 each.

Yea! I had just unpacked them and a friend said I should take a picture. You know....the car really IS as bad as it looks. Give me time. It's going to be a while.

Nawww Vicky, If James is opening up the hatch by bending the roof back, he's got me beat hands down. Princess 27 is holding up pretty well. Resting comfortably in a tent in my back yard. The spare parts sound very nice. Her Holyness

That was great thread, Alfadog!!! Gave me a big laugh. Thanks

I think there is the obvious and then there are all the rest. We might make a game of deciding who is best amongst all the rest. That's cool. Speed has the right idea. Who is best of all the rest!!!

Hey Rick Bolus, Are you "Bolus and Snopes" from the good old days? "Vintage Motorsport" arrived in the mail today. The Barrett-Jackson flyer "Sneak Preview" shows this Z to be auctioned at the Scottsdale auction January 25th- 30th.

TomoHawk, I'll bet the best information would come directly from the original NMC USA dealer. Nissan may be able to tell you what dealer your car went to. Then trace it that way. Best of luck.

Thanks DatsunZGuy! The article actually conveys some nice information for me. For instance, reference has been made to the first few cars completed dedicated as "press" cars - examples to be reviewed and test driven by the automotive press for publicity purposes. This article discusses a "gray" colored car (probably silver) and some of the other press photos I have depict a 920 gold car. Interesting. So I go back to mperdue's paint color site http://datsunprojects.org/zpaintcodes/ to confirm the color number and look what I find! Check out he Vintage Z sticker in the quarter window. This was taken in Richardson, Texas according to Mike. Thanks Mike. The article was completed later in the program (November 1997) and indicates a number of cars dedicated to the program at 150. This number may have been the number of cars Nissan actually bought. Interesting. The article is not the most complimentary description and it is a good example of the different thoughts we are going to see about the program. There were and are today many different conversations about the cars and the program. Many thanks for your contribution.

That's what I heard, Tomohawk. I hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I am. Special greetings to 240 in OZ! Here are some of the cars that are listed on the VZ car register Carl set up. Enjoy

Sorry about the picture quality, everyone. This is the best I can do with what I have. I anticipate improvement. Carl, Lets post the quotes so everyone knows what we are talking about. These are copyright "Fairlady Z Story" (translation, Brian Long) Miki Press. In terms of "roots", the first quote eludes to the importance of the 25th National Convention in Atlanta. The second quote eludes to the importance of what now probably was Mike Taylor's visit. I can easily understand how the event would be described by Katayama san as such. The importance of these two events cannot be overlooked, however interpreted. They represent the ground swell of enthusiast response to Nissan's announcement of terminating the Z. They represent the involvement of Yutaka Katayama after his retirement, suggesting his influence in what was then future planning of the Z car. Thanks for that l o n g post. I think we are on the same page. Thanks ( wow, serious thanks, WAY TO GO) for creating the VZCR. I'll help you fill in some spots.

I think this is the green automatic which would put it low on the 0 - some40 list. This is an ABC channel 7 interview with Pierre on May 3, 1997 at the Vintage Z Rally. The Z is an automatic. Another automatic at the Rally was this gold one. It sold on eBay about 9 months ago. Remember Carl? I sent you an e-mail saying we thought there was only one A/T car? Before you respond that it is Jim's, I don't think so. Jim's has a distinguishing mark that is not on this car as far as I can tell.

OMG, which one do I reply to first? How about your setting up the VZCR? Wow! Way cool! 'Bout time!!!! At-a-Boy!!! Saved me a whole bunch of work - thanks seriously thanks.

Thanks for the info, Carl. I'll post the entire "Greetings from the Z-Store at Nissan Corporate" so that everyone can see that I am not making things up. Thanks for the "Mad Mike" letter. Would you please highlight the passages that refer to a discussion about buying up old Zs, refurbishing them, and selling them back to the public again? I just can't find it. Sounds like he had a good time though. So let me get this straight. He "threatened to make house calls" and that constitutes representation? Yes I AM 25% sure Mike had something to do with it. Take a look at "Z-Store Update" from Z Car Magazine, Spring 1997; page 8. "The Z Store idea began when a handful of Nissan dealers got together with the president of Nissan Motor Corp. USA to discuss the the discontinuation of the 300ZX. All of these guys have been strong supporters (and sellers) of the Z-car over the years and all of them believe that the Z market is still alive". (typos included on purpose) And thanks for the letter from Pete Evanow. From now on, I will use the correct terminology, some 40, when discussing how many cars were actually produced. At least until I find the real documentation. Halz, the correct terminology is Z Restoration Program. Vintage Zs are the cars and they were sold through the Z-Store program. Katayama used the abbreviation "VZ" and I suggest it be adopted in place of the word factory. gnose, I'm pretty much up to what you are describing. Your past suggestions and comments well taken. And finally...Carl, if I am stepping on toes, just tell me and I'll sit down and shut up. Is Pete going to write a book, or was that just more talk? It has been six years. Otherwise, I am not into writing adversarial posts claiming my story is right and your story is wrong. I am into reporting without bias the facts as they can be reconstructed from written documentation and reflected with personal recollection. I really apprecaite your help. You have a wealth of information and I plan to spend more time with you sifting through your archives. For my plans, I anticipate conducting research for a certain period of time and then writing about what I found from whom. It will not be all-encompassing, but it will be a concerted effort capturing a moment in time as is typical of a research project.

Here is the ZCCA website link. http://www.zcca.org/index.htm Check it out. Nice site and there is a discussion forum.

Este, Buy a can of PB Blaster penetrating oil and be very carefull taking the bolts out. Bet you $1 you break one off.

At the moment, I am saying 40-odd because I really don't know how many were made! I hear rumors about uncompleted assembled cars and body shells in primer. I believe that body shells were sold off at the end of the program along with used parts and assembly equipment like these body dollie pictures. I think the red #33 car is coming to Florida and I hope to photograph it when it arrives. That will make three of them within an hours drive from me. I have seen Vintage Z decals on one quarter window, both quarter windows, and on the windshield. To the best of my knowledge, they all have a console plaque. It makes perfect sense. These cars were specially promoted and specially sold at special stores. The Z-Store program was ten dealers throughout the Southern United States. Yes zhead240! Send pictures! Hi Zrush! You bring up a good point. The guy who did Zrush probably would not have fit in the program. I'll get to discussing the economics of this program and the impact it had in the future. Carl brought up that he had heard eighteen different body shops were involved and I am not surprised. There is a lot of talk about what happened at the body shop level. Nissan envisioned producing 200 cars and focused their purchases in the Southern California area. Imagine the work load generated within a period of two years to Southern California body shops. The Nissan literature indicates that the chassis were completely stripped and the stuff I have from Pierre says bead blasted. This is demonstrating a lot of work in a short time frame. "Taxing the infrastructure" is how Zcar magazine put it in the Spring of 1997. Pierre indicates that he initially discussed doing one car a month with Nissan. Zcar reports Nissan anticipated 10 cars per month.

Jerry, Type "Rally Clock" in the search function. One of my favorite threads was http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14422&highlight=Rally+Clock I was rooting around a friend's shop a couple of days after Christmas and saw it. He said he had been meaning to tell me about it and asked me if I wanted it. It is an early rally clock option - the one with the oscillator. I listed the part numbers in one of those posts. So getting on with this subject, I have always liked an optioned out version of the home market S30. It was rather luxurious, sporting a passenger foot rest, headlight covers, and a other things I have managed to collect. As a tribute to the accuracy of such a presentation, I have collected a mesh grill, carburetor and ignition parts for the engine. I am considering filling in the rear marker light. And the 6" Watanabes would go on the car. In terms of bone stock HLS30s, I like the extra bumper bars and have a set of those. I'm looking for one of the AMCO chrome luggage bars for the interior. You are usually allowed 5 modifications. Then I have a bunch of other stuff that could contribute to a presentation. BRE spook and spoiler, 6" Slots, Momo mahagony steering wheel, later style Bosch fog lights with Datsun covers (probably 280Z), bra (every babe has to have a black bra). I have this Datsun 8-track, but it is for a 510 or something. Would love an 8-track that came with the S30. I used to joke about dressing up the car like a barbie doll in the period fashion. That was because I only had one car at the time. Now with two, I can have it both ways which was one of my considerations buying the second....ah....ragamuffin. I already had the parts. So you dress up your car any way you want! My problem is deciding who gets what outfit!

One of each? Then they wouldn't be twins? How about spiritual twins? Here is my latest modification for one of the babes.

If you go back through our archives and read the debates about the Vintage Zs, you will see (1. Me making an idiot of myself) many questions about "aftermarket" parts, wheels primarily. Then there are a few comments about stereo systems, incorrect parts, milage...all kinds of questions about the cars' build. I have several pieces of information sources that are NOT included in this writing, and this topic will grow. I think it will separate into a body conversation, an assembly conversation and a parts discussion. There is no intention or implication on my part to debate the merits or faults of the restoration technique; rather focus on the reasons why certain things were done the way they were and what is common between the cars' build. Later, as the story unfolds, scheduling and delivery will play a role in this process and you will see how these cars fit the Nissan plan. I think you will see, as this story develops, method to the madness. Here is a blurb on method. …talk about how the Vintage Z cars were prepared. How were they restored? What techniques were used? What finishes? What do we see when we view these cars which may differ from the way they left the factory in 1970, ’71 and ’72? Nissan makes strong statements about how these cars were “improved”, “upgraded”. Nissan was selling brand new cars with 12 month / 12,000 mile warranties. There were Federal laws and liability issues to contend with. Requirements for vehicle emissions and passenger safety had changed. Although they were previously owned, previously registered, they were sold representing new cars. This is where the concept of equating brand new to refurbished and restored plays into marketing the cars. They had to be portrayed as brand new eliminating the question of worn out or how they were simply “repaired”. They had to be portrayed as restored to avoid the different legislation. To this extend, “restoration” took on a meaning of part replacement. “New restoration”. “Restored new”. This article deals with the official Nissan description of how the cars were prepared. Pierre Perrot estimated Nissan was able to provide between 75% and 80% of the parts replaced in an interview he gave at the Vintage Z Rally, May 3, 1996. At the time, approximately five cars had been completed. Later in the Z Restoration Program, trends and techniques become more evident. In order to replace all the parts, the car had to be completely taken apart. Certainly the old body shell had to be cleaned and repaired. Everything had to come off for the shell to be thoroughly treated. There is indication that they were primarily bead blasted. “Now that all the car’s components have been removed, the 240Zs body is taken apart as well. The hood, fenders, doors and liftgate are removed, and all panels are carefully stripped down to bare metal. Rotating platforms allow the technicians to check every nook and cranny of the panels. Craftsmen then go to work on the sheet metal until every inch of it meets their high standards, free of ripples, blemishes or dents”. To the best of my knowledge, all the Pierre prepared cars were undercoated. This may have been common to all the cars as a Nissan specification. “Next, the body and panels are painted an original factory color. This time, however, the paint process gives the chassis a far more lustrous and durable finish than was possible all those years ago. Just one example of how the Z Restoration Program uses today’s advanced technology to compliment the classic features of the Z”. In a later publication, Nissan comments on paint colors. Evidently, we find that the buyer had some input “…and we feel it is important to be able to provide specific paint choices and model years, as desired by our buyers.” New sound deadening material was installed as well as insulation. There is evidence that this material was hand cut to fit each car. “…while improved sound-deadening material has been added to help deliver a quieter ride”. Nissan indicates that new interior parts were made. “Presently, we are only able to offer the black interior, but we are looking into the possibility….”. And; “We have found a company that has developed tooling to manufacture new interior components, from the carpeting to sun visors, and we are very pleased with their work”. “Their designs are exactly like those found in an original Z, right down to the stitching patterns, but they are made with higher quality materials”. A tremendous amount of hardware was replaced. “”When available, genuine Nissan parts are used…Many ancillary components including the alternator, starter motor and fuel pump are replaced with new units or ones that have been remanufactured to our stringent standards”. The engines, transmissions, braking and steering systems were completely overhauled and “some things are automatically replaced”. “As always, if there is any doubt about whether a part should be replaced, we simply replace it”. Nissan literature talks briefly about updating some aspects of the 240Z. A 3-row radiator was used and the tire specification was updated. In an effort to provide more durability to suspension components they were powder coated “to factory colors” so as to “ensure that you will enjoy your 240Z’s performance for years to come”. An air-conditioning kit using an “updated” rotary-style compressor with U.S.-legal R-134A refrigerant was made available through Courtesy Nissan in Texas. There is indication that the air-conditioning kits were installed during restoration as well as later by the specific Z-Store dealer. Most all the rubber was available new including the hoses. Very early in the production, cloth braided radiator hoses dissappeared as did the brake vacumn hose. Both of those are commonly rubber. The top radiator hose displays a white arrow indicating the fit of the hose. Hose clamps are commonly the hex head type - zinc plated - and seem to be consistantly used throughout the engine bay. OK for the moment. Sentences and long word phrases in quotes are from some of my sources. Words I put in my own quotes to denote a certin flexibility in meaning. Here are the pictures to accompany the text.