26th-Z

Zthing, I would be willing to bet that the reason everyone else charges more for Charlie's floor pans is because they ARE Charlie's floor pans! There is no better deal out there. My advice here would be that by the time you get through crapping around and spending time and money trying to make your own metal solution to your rust problems, you would be far better off buying the metal from Charlie. Believe me! There will still be plenty of bending and fitting to satisfy anyone! I just finished installing pans and rails in 26th. 27th will get the same and I am very satisfied. There is no question in my mind. This is the standard floor pan and frame rail repair solution. Chris

It is a little known legend that Dat's son ruled the Japanese sports car province with regal silver Z cars cast down from the silver cloud lining atop Mt. Fuji. Now, I would say that Japanese sports cars should be white with red accent, but the historical archives of Her Majesty the 26th show the final Z prototype cars painted silver. Perhaps silver was the designer's choice? You might say; "Chris! What about British Racing Green"? Well, BRG was a na-nana-boo-boo color chosen to snub the British car industry when the far superior Z car was introduced. There is no question that all Z car colors are beautiful, that the Z car looks great nude or painted, but silver is closest to nude metal and sexiest; conveying power and strength in the design.

Great job, Mark. If you get bitten by the show bug, think about bringing her to Florida in 2007!

Those are a different spoke design, Arne. Notice how the spoke comes into the rim on top of it rather than inside of it on the other set. Those center caps may be cast aluminum which would be nice. Typically new center caps like mine are chromed plastic.

I would like to point out that the intake and exhaust IS on the passenger side. These are right-hand drive cars and the American imports are backwards.

Yep! Frame rails and floor pans from Charlie Osborne at Zedd Findings.

Here is another picture I found of the same car - early 1970 with 23,000 original miles. Looks like painted hinges and black hinge torsion bars. There are a number of guys around with original, low mileage cars; especially the later models. Give Charlie Osborne a shout, or Mike McGinnis. They would know a lot more about the later models. Stock horns, by the way, are olive drab dark green, not black.

26th was not a good example as she has been painted a number of colors over the years. I should go out and check 27th but it has been so dark lately! I have to wait for the weekend. I have that same picture in my files, Ed. They were on a web site some years ago when I copied them for references. I think the hinges are supposed to be painted the color of the car. I have seen the plated ones and I don't know what the deal is there.

Sorry I missed your mention, Stephen. Looks interesting and I ordered one.

I sold two of them a year ago for $20 each and you should have heard the bitching! Wish I had not sold them.

Oh my! I didn't see this thread until now. All S30 chassis front radiator supports were brush painted flat / satin black. Now, I'm going out on a limb by saying that because I have come to learn that as soon as you establish something consistant about the S30, you find the exception. So except for the exceptions, the front of the radiator support is brush painted black. The picture you posted, Ed, is the car I associate with Harry Figg? - an exquisit over restoration. Here is a picture of the area from an early 1970 build with 23,000 original miles from the national convention.

Check out this web site. http://www.carcareonline.com/ I buy a lot of stuff from them. Highest regards. Chris

Thought I would pass this along from Dan Banks on the IZCC e-mail list. Hi everyone and Happy Holidays! During Nissan's earliest decades of the 1930s and 1940s, significant influence into design and engineering came from an American fellow named William Reagan Gorham. He is credited by David Halberstam, writing in his epic historical work on Ford and Nissan "The Reckoning," as the Technological Founder of Nissan and also responsible for leading the engineering on the very first Datsun automobiles circa 1932. William Gorham moved to Japan in 1918 with his wife and two sons and spent the rest of his life there. He took Japanese citizenship, changed his name to Katsundo Goahamu, and was reverentially buried in Japan upon his death in 1949. In 1950 a group of his closest associates wrote a book detailing his history in Japan. This book includes significant insights into the early automobile industry of Japan and also how Datsun and Nissan got their start. Only a limited number of Japanese language copies were ever produced, unfortunately making this important work inaccessible. Now, Gorham's surviving son, Don Cyril Gorham (who has his own amazing biography!) has completed a full translation of this book, entitled "William R. Gorham; An American Engineer in Japan." For those who would be interested in learning a bit more about Datsun and Nissan, the early Japanese automobile industry and this man's contribution to it, please go to www.lulu.com, a self-publishing website. Put "Gorham" in the search and you can use PAYPAL or your other chosen form of payment to obtain your 178-page copy to your door for about $15. I met with the 88 year old Don Gorham two weekends ago after his reunion trip to Japan. During that trip he met with an old colleague of his father's, Mr. K. and of course they talked about the book. There is considerable excitement now over this work finally becoming available to an English speaking audience and, again, all are encouraged to order a copy, which includes neat old pictures of early Datsun cars, engines, and engineering of the times. Best regards all, Dan Banks Historian, ZCCA Secretary, Z Car Club of Northern Virginia 1933 Datsun Fire Truck 33-27355 1971 Datsun 240Z HLS30-22155 (2/71) 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT (3/90) ZCCA Gold Medallion #15 2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab "Z Puller"

Pictures of center caps and lug nuts.

Hey Ben! Happy New Year! Those are of the design I like the best. Mine are painted centers and a polished rim. They look great and you are right; no one seems to know what they are. Ha! The real deal. If you want a knobbie when you drive, drive on Watanabe. The Buy-it-Now price is quite reasonable.

Exactly! Cut the old windshirled out and rope the new one in with soapy water. This is OLD technology. Get an old guy with experience to do it.

Thanks! I had not seen those videos before. That is so close to what I am doing it's pathetic! Her Majesty the 26th was (is) not anywhere near that bad but my little dancer Princess 27 is. I'm not using POR and I didn't have to do all that scraping and cleaning because I had the babe dipped. But if you want an idea about what cutting, welding and grinding is all about, this is it. What a great idea to make the videos. Love it!

I ordered a set of the Carl Beck / Bryan Pilati repro Euro Springs. I also bought two sets of the stock ones. I don't expect the Euro springs to lower the car any. I don't think they are a lowering spring.

I have been told to avoid oil-less compressors. Mine is a 5hp 60 gallon cart type and it does pretty well. I don't have the space for a larger unit and as much as I would like a bead blast cabinet, space keeps me from making that jump.

First link didn't work. The second link has only sound.

Here are a couple of pictures for you. The E46 balance tube like this one is what we deal with most commonly in America as the casting provides mounting for emissions hardware. The vacumn tube comes off the end of mine. It is the early type. Later models of the Z have the vacumn tube takeoff on the top of the balance tube. The hose for the brake booster is different. Plugs for the vacumn line fittings are pretty easy to find. These are brass plugs. The E41 balance tube is what came on cars without emissions hardware. Here are two variants. One fits the vacumn line off the end of the tube and the other has fittings on top of the tube. It should also be noted that the hose fitting that screws into the manifold is machined for a restricted oriface.

Yea! There ya go! That looks great!

Silver looks better in Florida than New York, Arne. I'll bet it would look great in the sunshine. No question in my mind, that's 105,000 miles - just by looking at the pictures. But no matter, it still looks pretty good. For all the work it may need I agree with Patrick that it is way ahead of restoring a rusted car.

These are all pictures of my radios, ZSaint. The AM goes in 27th. I'm hoping to restore the face plate for this 8-track to put in 26th. I'll get out to the shop and look at the silver finishes, Enrique. You are the second guy I've talked to who suggested JB Weld. See the two little silver triangles on the 8-track flapper door? The door is brushed metal painted (or anodized) black and masked for the Hitachi name. Those little triangles are wear marks from the 8-track cassette. How am I going to get that black again? Ink? The coating is not a thick mil paint. Its almost like anodizing.

Yes! I made repro seat belt labels. From this original. A photographer friend of mine had some material from a sample kit he got of papers and textile media that was printable. I scanned the label, photoshopped a 8-1/2x11 sheet of them and laser printed the file on to the one sample sheet I had. I tried to buy more material, but they wanted $300 for a roll of it big enough to wallpaper my shop. Thus endeth my million $ scheme to eBay repro seat belt labels. I probably have over $70 in that exercise! CW-