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Good to hear (ha! dumb joke)...maybe you could attach some pics? I think it might be cool to have some photo reference of multiple systems for consideration by future purchasers

link didn't work. Googled it and got http://www.racingshields.com/ Same company, I hope?

This car (if it is as advertised) should be preserved, not restored. Based on the pics it has a nice patina, and with original paint/interior/engine bay has intrinsic value different from that of a modern restoration by the above standards. It's not important if it's a#1 or #2 car. It is important that the car is AUTHENTIC in that the parts on it are the same ones when the owner took delivery 37 years ago. That is a very unique aspect to this car and should be appreciated. Folks (IMO) are too caught up in making cars look new on their restorations, which is fine, but not everything should be restored. I'm of the opinion that antique cars are beginning to be considered in a similar fashion to antique furniture, paintings, coins and other collectibles. Example: Restoring real 17th century furniture to "new" appearances would severely devalue it among collectors as its patina and aging are valuable. Similar with cars, those original cars that are "worn in, not worn out" should be treated in a like manner. Now, if your car is like mine (worn out) then by all means restore it, resto-mod it--whatever you like. One more on the road is better than one more at the crusher. But if it's a preserved original, focus on preservation... Steve

Sorry if this is picking nits... I would say that classifying this as a #1 or #2 etc. might miss the mark with some of the collectors who care more about preservation and patina over shiny finishes and new-looking restored vehicles. This car's value (IMO, naturally) lies in the fact it has so many remaining original authentic parts with it (from what has been shown in the available pictures). The preservation movement is gaining ground at concours events... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/automobiles/collectibles/19RESTO.html?pagewanted=print Granted, Zs in general and in particular this 260Z with AT are not particularly close to concours d'elegance consideration, and most certainly are not on the radar of a Pebble Beach/Amelia Island-type collector, but this movement may bring into play a parallel standard of judging antique cars different from our typical 1-5 scale. Perhaps this car fits more of that mold...

FTW! Nice one....

That's the best looking non-restored Z I've seen in a while (but my exposure is more limited than others)...I hope he gets it. If it was a late 1969 build date, he'd be pretty close, but ultimately I think his BIN is a bit aggressive. Maybe he meant the Cuda? Or the 442/Cutlass? The real question is "What is a muscle car dude doing with a Z?"

....sorry for dredging this back up, but I figure it's better than starting a new redundant thread. I wanted to give this a bump in case anyone in the last few months has had a good or bad experience with windshield installs...I 'm looking at having mine installed in the next few weeks by a professional (cracked mine on removal, thank you very much:tapemouth), and any other experiences would be great to know about. Any new sources of availability? Thanks, Steve

Hey---he did the heavy lifting already by actually doing the search for you and providing the link...try getting that at other Zcar sites!

Kinfish, The flanges match just about dead-on for thickness between intake and exhaust. I put on an N36 intake with the header and used the OEMwashers to secure it in place--no other shims needed. I'll try taking a closer pic of it...Of course, we'll have to see when the engine fires up to be sure if there are no leaks, but hey--a guy can have some optimism once in a while, right? Mike, The header was $320 (coated) and exhaust $240. Including shipping and a Z Club discount it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $520-$550. I'll know for sure when my AmEx statement comes...

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PEC27/15-6302 Don't know the exhaust diameter, I assume it is stock (duh), but may be worth calling about

Arne, You may want to give them a call. The 6-1 header comes with an adapter to mate it with the stock diameter exhaust. I didn't inquire about a smaller diameter "performance" alternative because I was shopping the 2.8. Since they offer such a performance item as the Stahl headers I would hazard a guess they have different exhaust diameters to match the appropriate configuration. Ditto on the oval muffler. But my 73Z I had years ago had Ansa glasspacks on it, and I pine for that sound....

Three nuts on three studs attach the bucket to the fender. Use penetrant--most are rusted. You don't have to remove the headlight housing, although it may help with overall access. Take your time. The studs are skinny and can easily shear from overheating/friction. Steve

Hi Walter, This exhaust clears the trans and diff mount by about 3/4", so hopefully the rattle will not be much of an issue. As for loudness, well....so long as it sounds anything close the I6 3.2 in the M roadster with which it shares garage space, then I'll be happy! Steve

Congratulations to Don Ahrens for his top-10 finish amidst a swarm of rotaries and Miatas...Greg Ira finished one lap down in 18th EP may not have been favorable for Zs, but GT3 and T2 had some success this year... http://scca.org/eventresults.aspx?event=5643&hub=1 I look forward to seeing the races on Speed in November!

Port match the header? Doubtful. I got the engine (remanufactured F54/P79) with about 30k on it, the last few thousand as a track car. It has a mild grind cam on it, and reportedly made 180 RWHP. Had compression in the 160s...Tough to portmatch the exhaust when there are liners in it... The P79 has a good combustion chamber design with an improved quench character. Some debate the disadvantage of the exhaust liners and suggest that shaving a P79 is better than prepping an E88, but not as good as the P90. So, I have been looking (not too hard) for a P90, and have considered prepping a spare E88 while the stock engine is rebuilt, but we'll see how this setup works out first. I am pleased with how easily the exhaust installed, and how nicely it is tucked into the space allocated. I would really dig having a premuffler with a pair of Ansa-like over/under glasspacks, but also that will wait until things have been sorted out. Steve

I hope this helps some folks who may be considering buying an exhaust package in the future. Car is still undergoing reassembly, and will be several weeks before I can report on sound, performance, drone/resonance etc. Steve

So I finally got around to buying/test fitting the exhaust on my 72 restoration...Seems like some folks in the past have had some issues with MSA's header flange not mating well at the cylinder head, not clearing the steering...exhaust stories are equally as prevalent. After talking with them and hearing about improved design I bought the 6-1 MSA header with ceramic coating along with their new "performance" 2.5" exhaust... As you can see from the pics, they seem to have cleared up a lot of issues. The header has a substantially thicker flange and comes with its own manifold gasket. Test fitting showed some slight warpage over the length of the flange (mine slightly bowed from the center about 3/32"), but this was easily overcome by tightening bolts in the proper order to allow the curvature to straighten out. All mounting holes lined up properly. The collector clears the steering and the trans bellhousing, and allows for the stock heat shield to be re-used (albeit with a little persuasion) The exhaust is 2.5" aluminized steel in two sections. All are flange-mounted and come with hardware and gaskets. The mid-pipe has a nice curve that follows the contour of the floor pan. The endpipe has a nice mandrel bend that 95% perfectly matches the stock mounting points. One mount on the exhaust is welded on and just barely misses perfect positioning by 1/2" or so, but easily is obscured by the rubber mount. Muffler is the standard Dynomax SuperTurbo, and it comes with a chrome tip that may be restrictive and will probably be replaced. Still working on proper fitment of the muffler--I think I may have to trim one of the mounts, so don't take the appearance in the pics for a final positioning. I'm no exhaust guru, but it looks like MSA did some good homework and re-engineered this exhaust to fit properly such that a DIY'er like myself can mount it in 2-3 hours by myself. Total cost around $550.

That really blows. Sorry to hear about it, and I hope it doesn't happen again. Sad when people don't mature past grade school, isn't it?

VINs aren't everything, particularly in this case....if it really has a 2.6 in it, then a lot of its value is lost in lacking matching numbers for the engine. Very true, though...one could get a MUCH better starting point for restoration with that kind of money. $0.02, Steve

Agreed...That's the main reason I gave MSA a shot. They (and others) have mentioned the redesign with improved fitment. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! Steve

Looks like November 7 is when they start airing, with Sports 2000 and GT Lite http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/index.php?timezone=0&d=&ts=&week=&wholeMonth=&usecal=yes I went with MSA's 6-1 header with ceramic coating. They have a new "premium" 2.5 inch aluminized steel exhaust that is specific to that header, so I ordered that too. Seems similar to what Classic/Grassroots recent build went with, so I figured it's a good starting point.

Hi Mark, Thanks for the live link...I knew Speed ran them tape-delayed, I think around November(?), but didn't see it listed on the SCCA or SpeedTV website. Can't wait to see the races again this year! Thanks for the kind words on the resto. It's slow going, but making progress. Waiting on the header/exhaust now, then a long list of "little things" to double check before firing it up. Steve

Tonight on BBC America here on Time-Warner Cable in NC the episode where Richard Hammond returns to Top Gear will be aired. If you'll remember he suffered an impressive wreck in a rocket-powered car about a year ago (sorry I don;t have the links--I'm at work), and made a remarkable recovery. I for one, am glad because I enjoy all his work on BBC. ...Set up your DVR, check your local listings for all those who are fans of the show! Steve

I like the simple, understated approach. I think having just "ClassicZCars.com" across the top would be just fine, too. It would be cool to modify the late 90s "Dogs love trucks" campaign...Or somehow work in Mr. K's famous "Love cars, love people, love life" slogan, but that may be a bit over the top. Hmm...I like the "Driven" concept. How about "Zs are Driven?". Just brainstorming, Steve

..and Donald Ahrens, too! 2007 SCCA runoffs begin in a couple days...Greg and Donald the only Zs in the EP field this year, amidst a slew of Mazdas....Greg's running some kinda new marque called a "Dodson":tapemouth (Maybe they'll correct the spelling soon) http://ams.scca.com/netforum/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=runoffsentrylist&evt_key=1BDE2BDE-33AB-4403-891B-A4B13AB71B4B&class=EP Is the link for the entry list...lotsa Zs in the Touring and GT categories this year...Good luck to all entrants! Anyone know when they will be televised? SpeedTV's site doesn't have a link yet (or am I missing it?) Steve