gnosez

Having just installed new "big" brakes myself I too was wondering how my spare tire would fit over them but then like an idiot I realized that I could rotate a rear tire/wheel up front and mount the spare on the rear. Problem solved, unless you don't count the fact my spare tire had no air in and I took it out to balance the car at 50% front-rear (51% crossweighted with me in it). I'll be looking into a spare Honda tire now too.

Yipes, all I'm trying to do is support my own Z habit. Thanks for the kind words. As to the fuse box, yes I have one with a cover and like all my parts (new, used, custom made) they are 100% refundable/returnable, no questions asked.

I think the real question is how much money you got? That in itself will determine how much HP you're going to get. An L28T transplant will give you a nice upgrade if you like that approach, or you could go (staying w/L-series engines) a built L24 or 28 w/diesel crank (stroker), cam, EFI, or triples or supercharger. Throttle response? Turbo - slight to moderate lag but when it spools and hits, it's great. Supercharger - not that I have noticed (in our race car), all the nice things about a turbo and the response of an NA motor. Triples - immediate.....I just drove my L28 (3.2L stroker w/44mm Mikunis with256hp@rwhs) back from having the clutch replaced. It is a joy, but doesn't have as much HP/Torque as a prepped turbo motor (320-400 +hp@rwhs).

Borrow, rent (autozone), or buy a pickle fork.....

As stated before there are only 2 types of drivers in this world. The ones who drive so slow I have to get right up on them and the other ones that tailgate me. Applying your brakes just because the guy in front of you or better yet a guy in a State near you applies his, is a sure sign you're not much of a driver. Foot off the gas, wait for it, and then apply as needed. Drive on a track inches off someone's rearend to get the real flavor of this approach.

Isn't one man's floor another man's ceiling? In that case why would you want to have the rain come through your ceiling?

Before the current Admin took over I was the lead for an EPA investigation team. West of Nashua puts you in some nice areas especially if you can work from home and not commute every day. Nashua is 20 miles from my house in MA and within 80 miles of Nashua there are over a dozen 240 and 280s.

Trannies fit into plastic, heavy duty drums or garbage cans with packing materials added so it doesn't move around inside. Any number of carriers including GrayHound will take it once it's packed.

Jim - where in NH are you relocating to? I can do a quick search and let you know. I'd say you could store one at my house but I just had my one open spot taken by the club president who bought his 4th Z! Don't be shy about contacting us once you get here......by the way been to Albany many times for work.

We look forward to having you and your Zs in New England. The local club (Z Car Club of New England - www.zccne.org) is active and welcomes you to particiate as much as you'd like. Post once you get here or PM me and I'll introduce you to a great group of Z owners. And we have a 1.3m road course nearby (NHIS), with Limerock and The Glen a few hours away as well. Unless it's real heavy or bulky you just might want to bring those parts with you. We could use them I'm sure.

This was the next post in that thread - "Great post. I especially agree with your first paragraph. Stock high quality components with the right linings and fluid is adaquate for most all applications. I used stock based components for years for hard core autocross and open track events. I've found the only negative is they require regular "attention" to keep them fresh. It's those fat sticky tires that make you stop, and I mean eyes popping out kind of stop. I now run the Arizona Wilwood kit on a GT prepared race car. They are almost overkill for a 140 mph track car. They last a long time. The stock setup could still get the job done, but I would need to freshen after 2-3 sessions and be generous with air ducting." One of the FTD cars at NHIS has been a 240 w/stock brakes. The driver not the brakes set the time.

The stock brakes are fine for racing (go over to the Hybridz FAQ thread on brakes) but I wonder what type this car did. I'm guessing 1/4m with the auto tranny and stock suspension set-up. The weight of the car would be nice to know given all the rear end body mods. Unusual is right.

From that car you would want the complete drivetrain (manual tranny) plus any and all wiring, gas tank, useable body parts (??), interior, glass, and wheels. Worth say $500. at a minimum, unless you own 3 of them already.

Charlie website is: www.datsunzparts.com

The old brakes would have worked just great and you won't have added more unsprung weight to the front suspension. However those vented rotors are nice as is the conversion from drum to disk in the rear. At the very least you got a completely redone brake system.

Not that I don't have opinions as to shinest car wins in the original class (must have over 100,000 miles and be driven to the show, I wanted to highjack this thread and ask the following question (somewhat related to our earlier posts regarding the value a 1st Series 240Z). Here goes: How long do you think owners of sports cars will be able (or allowed) to drive our vehicles in the wake of global climate change issues? Please do not post your opinions about whether or not climate change exists or not. That is not relevant to the question. So is it 5, 10, 15, 20 yrs out that we can no longer drive our cars. And perhaps a secondary question should be how long do you think you can keep driving your existing Z without a complete restoration?

"Original" was the word I was looking for to describe the class of stock vehicles that have not been restored but instead used. I see no reason not to propose it to the ZCCA and will do so this weekend. No judging, just a sort of people's choice/judges choice award. Given we drive vehicles over 30 yrs old, I'd hate to miss out on an award because my glove box light gave up the ghost 5 minutes before it was to be judged. But it does add another layer of detail to the whole process. At the 2003 ZCCA convention I added a new award, the "Show and Go" award for the best car show Z (total points) and the best AX times in their class. I see that the upcoming convention in Florida has taken that a step further and added in a 1/4 mile element as well. It's called the "ultimate challenge" and I like it.

Other car show events have a class for cars like the ones Kats is describing. They're called un-restored, stock. Later today, the other classification will come to me and I'll post it as well.

Carl - perhaps I need to expand my reasoning on this a bit more. I don't doubt that a 1st Series "collector" 240 will go for more than say $50,000. in the near future but I do doubt that this will become the "average" selling/buying prce for these cars. More likely the $50k mark and beyond will be reached by someone with a specific (and personal) desire to own one. I just don't see it as the kind of investment other euro cars now enjoy. If one was looking long-term (over the horizon in say 10 years), then a 1+ 240Z bought now would easily double over that time period. The question is what will a Healey do in that same time period. I'm using Healey's just because, no other reason. They are much loved by the collector community as a nice example of open top, British sports cars with classic lines. the reliable is fair to middling at best, however. A few years back a 56 T-Bird went for over $100k at auction (Sinatra's car went for $55,000.) and the only reason it got $100k was because two different trophy wives feel in love with the same car and had the husbands hated each other. The bidding war was a joy to behold as was the look on the sellers face when it topped out over $100k (about $65k more than he thought he'd get).

It's euro vs japanese, that's all. While a collector 1st Series will go for over $50k someday soon, a Mark IV, a Stag, or even a mini will undoubtably be priced above the sports GT from Japan. As to rusted, crushed, crashed, etc. I was trying to imply that no matter how few 240s end up un-modified and in 1+ condition the resale value will still be much less than a vehicle from Europe from the same era. Which, on the plus side makes these cars affordable to those of us who have come to love the little buggers.

Let me rephrase that statement. If you have a serious need to have your “collector” 1st Series 240Z validated then you first need to have it judged at a ZCCA event (the best being the national annual convention), before taking it to an accredited classic car show. You can bypass this approach but a gold medal award from the ZCCA gives you two things, 1) you know you car is pretty special, and 2) you now have the (street?) creds to show others. That said, where say, in the next 10 years will the 1st Series be placed in value? I’m not talking about historic race cars, JDM, or factory works cars, I talking US domestic import 1969-70 240s. For comparison purposes let’s use a car that lost it’s place here in the US once the 240 hit the roads in large enough numbers. That would be the Austin Healey MK IV 3000. The 240 crushed it on the race track and in the day in and day out daily driver competition with its’ reliability factor. A 1+ 1972 Healey now sells in the $40-60k range. In ten years in may double. In ten years, no matter how many 240s have been modified, crushed, crashed, or rusted out, their value won’t be half of what a Healey will sell for then. I’m not knocking the 1st Series I’m just trying to put some perspective into all this.

Wrote up reply last night and had laptop crash. I have limited access here at Ground Zero so please hold on and I'll reply in the next 24-48 hrs. Carl - I like your grouping as well and have an answer re: where to show your collector Z. More later.

There are already places where "collector" 240Zs can go to exhibit their cars and a ZCCA convention or sponosred event isn't one of them. There was a lot of talk back a few years ago about the time spend judging cars and the training and professionalism of the judges. Some thought we should hire professional judges and cull out the best of the best in each class first and do a complete inspection/judging of just those vehicles. But as Carl has observed, the ZCCA is not at this point in it's evolution as an organization, and we may never be. Individuals watching the judging at Amelia or Peeble can be fooled into thinking that 1) they spent hours and hours going over each car and checking all manner of paperwork or 2) they spend less than 10 minutes before deciding. These shows are nothing more than beauty contests with no open hood inspections. Custom hot-rod shows were cars are inspected for days at a time (and on a lift) by a group of experienced professionals are the ultimate in judged events. In has only been in the last 5-7 years IMHO that stock 240Zs have been "invited" to participate in either classic or collector shows. Owners like Carl, Charlie Osborne, Dan Banks and others now have vehicles worthy of the title "classic, collector car". These are no longer trailer queens but a (semi) rolling display of Japanese automaking circa 1969-70. As time progresses other models will obtain this status as well and we will see "classic 260 and 280s in the next 5-10 yrs. These however will never reach the same level as the Series 1 Zs.

The 240 and 280 frame rails we make and sell are made from 12 guage cold rolled sheet steel and are close to 3mm thick. www.baddogparts.com

Of course, People's Choice!! Trophies and awards subject to the whim of the attendees, so go with either bling, massive HP, or just plain classy.