Bambikiller240

The law requiring VIN #'s has been around for at least as long as I've been into cars which dates back to the mid 1960's. I think it has been around much longer, but I'm not sure.

Yes, but not in a long time. I used to attend animation film festivals in my younger days. It is one of the classics. Carl

Yep!

If the seller really knew what he was doing, he'd have posted a picture of the VIN stamped into the firewall, instead of the plate that either has, or could have been moved from one dash/car to another. Seems to me he's looking for a buyer with his "head in the sand". Because he's sure not showing anything that "proves" that what he's got to sell is in fact #212 PS I'm not flaming you, Zedrally. I'm discussing this from my perspective as an eBay buyer who has seen many things offered that were not what they were claimed to be. Even with my "buyer beware" attitude, I've been burned a few times so I question everything that isn't perfectly proven.

In the US, I've never seen one that wasn't rivited in place, except when someone was doing a chop job (or front/rear clip). The real telltale will be the VIN stamped into the firewall, not the tags that can be moved with relative ease. Only for a "plate" collector. If the CHASSIS isn't what it should be, the plate is meaningless. 2ManyZs, the console can be changed in half an hour by you or me, so it won't prove anything. But I doubt the seller would bother, since he was too busy brushing on the primer!

1. Me thinks you read too much into the responses. "implied vehemence" ???????? 2. If it looks like a Duck, quacks like a Duck..........it's a Duck! Pintail, or Mallard, or Brown; they're still DUCKS! But the Mallards don't belong in the Pintail Duck Club! 3. 280 hp v.s. 272 hp. come on, a very minor tweek in the engine management system software likely accounts for that negligible difference. Probably only done to adjust fuel mileage to appeal to a different market segment, or to keep it from being classified in a higher insurance rate class. 4. Nothing wrong with owning a Luxo car, but don't call it something it isn't. IT AIN'T A Z!! Do you really think a "G35 Club" would welcome 240Z,260Z,280Z, Z31, Z32 owners just because the G shares a platform with the 350Z? Somehow I doubt it. 5. First you point out how it is necessary for all of these cars to share common platforms to save dollars for the manufacturer, then you complain because we point out that these are the same platforms, and how the only real differences are in creature comforts tacked on, (Oh, and a whole 6 hp too!), and the badges on them designed to appeal to a different market segment. In this case an upscale market. The badges ARE different, you cannot argue that point, and the platforms are the same, you admit to that. There are differences, to be sure, but those differences tend to SEPARATE the Infinitys from the Nissans. Let's keep it that way! I wonder how eager you would be to invite owners of a car that was built on the 350Z Platform, but had a 2.0L, 100 hp, 4 cylinder engine, a 3 on the tree transmisson, a spartan cloth interior and no radio into a 'Z club"??? PS In many areas of the country one would have to BLOW the salesman to get a 350Z for $26K.

The picture of the VIN plate on the dash shows the tag mounted to the dash with screws!! All three of the 240Z's that I've owned had that tag mounted with blind (pop) rivits. I'd be examining the car, and the locations of the other VIN plates VERY carefully. The clincher would be the VIN stamped into the firewall. I'd want to be very certain that this car hasn't been altered to appear to be something that it may not in fact be. Call me suspicious (of anything)!!! Carl (shoulda been born in Missouri:) )

probably not even close to the reserve price. JMO

You pays your money, and takes your chances. or as Forrest Gump says, "Life is like a box of Chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get! :stupid:

Here is the reply that I received from the seller of the brake kit mentioned in the start of this thread. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This set up was designed specifically for the early Z cars, it uses a Bendex 4 big piston caliper set up from a 4x4 truck, vented rotors that I had slotted by a machine shop and all the spacers and hardware needed. As you can see I have this same set up on my $30K show car with a 3.2 stroker and it stops on a dime! This is a direct blot on in less then a hour .Good luck with your bid, its well worth ever penny, believe me only a few people have this set up, will you be one? " Al Allen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wonder how fast (or often) a "show car" gets driven in anger.

The Ansen wheels in ZmeFly's post bear VERY LITTLE resemblance to the Ansen Sprints that came on my 1973 240Z. Is this picture depicting what is currently sold, or is this a "vintage" wheel that I've never seen?

Infinity is to Nissan, what Lexus is to Toyota. IMO a marketing ploy for them to squeeze cash out of people who like to *think* thay aren't buying a Nissan or Toyota. I guess I was the one to toss around the "Renault" name, and I did so as a dig at the owners of Nissan who I feel have sold the soul of the company. The G35 still isn't a Z!!!

Hi Burt: I can't get any picture of the "Ansen Sprint" Mags to come up from that website. Always get a "picture not currently available" message. I do own an old set of mag (aluminum) wheels that have plastic center caps that say "ANSEN SPRINT" on them. These wheels were dealer add-ons to the first Z ( a 73 240Z) that I bought back in 1975. They look just like the "standard slotted aluminum wheels" found on many first gen. Z cars. If the ones you are looking at are like mine, and in good condition, the price doesn't sound bad to me. The wheels I have on Bambikiller are Appliance brand slotted mags, that were also a dealer add-ons in the early 70's. I haven't looked at them side by side with the Ansens, but they are at least very similar. I think both sets of my wheels are 14" X 5.5". I'm not ready to part with either set, as I hope to have another Z some day, Lord knows when. Carl

Smokey: I wonder if he'd "bite" if you waved Five grand in front of his nose? "FINAL OFFER". I doubt he has that much into it, and it isn't like he's fighting off eager buyers at this time. I doubt the car would fetch anywhere near $5.8K in California, but as older Z cars are far more scarce back east, it may be a different story in your neck of the woods. In shopping for a Classic, Patience should be a priority and WILL be rewarded! Just my $.02 Carl

Hi Smokey: Sorry to hear that the car didn't turn out to be as good at it originally sounded. My feeling is that you are doing right by walking away from it. Putting the bad repair right would be a very expensive task. Also it sounds like that "protective" material used on Salt trucks wasn't such a good idea to put on the car. Keep shopping and you'll find the right car. It may take time, but this kind of time is IMHO far easier to deal with than the time and $ necessary to fix a car that is already in bad shape in one area or another. Patience Grasshopper! Regards, Carl

One person's garbage is another person's gold! :stupid: :stupid:

You do need to be sure that the top of the pistons that you use do not rise UP in the cylinders so far that they will come into contact with the valves that will protrude DOWN into the cylinders as the engine breathes. Some piston heads are taller than others. Dished vs Flat vs Domed designs and differing heights measured from the rod wrist pin I have no idea which pistons would be the appropriate ones to use for any given head.

In the US, some 510 track cars and autocross cars use the finned Z aluminium brake drums I'm told. I do not know what; or if any, modifications are required to do so.

They certainly are VERY similar. But that and the rear brake drums are about the only things similar between a 510 and a Z from my admittedly limited knowledge. Off to Walmart for me, now!

Agreed. But, it will no longer be a "Z Club". It will be a Nissan/Infinity/Renault/Datsun club.

Two very different cars, but both are very nice cars, indeed! Frankly, I cannot imagine why a G35 owner would want to join a Z club (unless he also owned a Z) But there are a lot things out there that I do not understand

This one claimed 250HP!! I'd try drag racing it, but there's no way I'd try a road course. Call me Chicken!

VERY nice car! Should fetch a good price. But that interior color has got to be the ugliest that Datsun/Nissan used on the 240Z's. Yech!

I'd rather tuck the "jewels" into a steel cup and run a cart! :stupid: It looks like something that you'd (OK, I'd) fly head first off of in about a lap and a half. Love to explore the limits, but not this much! Carl

Not to argue the point, but who says this clown knows anything about what he's selling? Does he have a reputation for being a "brake guru". That's a mighty big assumption to make, especially on eBay! There isn't anything wrong with profit, but I think there's room for interpretation as to what is fair and reasonable profit regarding a difference of $270 on a $700 sale. One would suspect that a vendor selling same or similar for $430 isn't doing it as a charity event and would make a profit at that price point. to me that makes the offer for $700 far less attractive. Of course, I'm not the "average" fool buying anything that is offered on eBay.