gnosez

I have been there and I'm sorry to hear about your accident. The first thing you need to do is get organized. 1)Start by making copies of all the paper you have on the car (repairs, mods, invoices, etc.). 2)Then take lots of pics (after the accident) which you will add to the ones you have of the Z before it was damaged. 3)Next, go to NADA, zcar, collector auto, etc. and get a listing of the avg price for your car (print out any ads of people selling similar Zs and write down any mods you have they don't, etc.). 4) Call at least 2 local junkyards and ask for the salvage price on your Z (just say I have a 19XX 2X0Z and I need to know what it's worth). Write down yards' name, phone number and price. This is how much you will pay to buy your Z back if the insurance company decides it's a total. 5) Don't sign anything yet and hold off signing anything until you get what you want. Time is your friend. 6) Don't give the insurance company your car or let them take it to their holding yard. If possible have it stored at home or somewhere where you have control and can limit access. Don't let them ( the insurance) be concerned about daily storage charges. 7) Remove all personal items immediately. Take the key with you. 8) Read your insurance policy several times. 9) Research local/State laws and regulations regarding your rights. 10) The claims people are paid to give you the lowest amount they can, so remember that at all times so avoid the temptation of a settlement check 25% less than what you wanted just because they have it ready for you. Ask to speak to an internal company adjustment person (usually quality control or customer service rep) if things aren't moving in your direction. 11) Stay on good terms with your usual insurance agent. 12) Investigate the costs of hiring a lawyer even to just send a nasty letter (in the $300-400. range) that might get them to settle. 13) Try and stay calm and perhaps get someone else to help you with the interface stuff unless you can in fact stay calm during a possible heated discussion with a jerk of an insurance idiot. 14) Take notes, keep a log and be better prepared than them at all times (which means you may have to call them back - you set the agenda and the time). Good Luck..........

...when your Z gives you more pleasure than sex does you need to get a new partner (even if that person is you)....and I love my Z.

.....quite right re: 5-spds being "stock" trannies in 240s sold in markets other than North America, but since I was speaking in regards to the ZCCA (z car clubs of america) that might have clued you in to that of which I had spoken....a non-NA stock car would be judged under a different set of rules if it ever happened.

Great work, another win for those "old" cars! And speaking of knuckles, how do you like driving with those quick/shortened steering knuckles? I ask as I'll be redoing my front suspension and steering set-up and was thinking of going that route...

Late as usual, sorry. You put in a 5-spd in a 240, it fits, as does the R200 from a '89, then the L28 and the 280 radiator. It's no longer stock, period. Even if Nissan made all these parts. Or how about a little more nitpicky. You replace your heater hose and the replacement doesn't have the braided cover and it's your stock 240 up against another stock 240 with braided hoses. All other things being equal the Z with the original parts wins over the one with replacement ones. Or in thecase of a stock 240 in LA in '04, the car had a fiberglass fan shroud, clearly a replacement part since the original was metal. But to me this is the bottom line, only people who care about what stock is and people who want to invest in a stock car need be concerned. If you want to find out just how "stock" your Z is come show it at a national ZCCA convention. Starting in '03, I proposed and implemented a plan that in addition to the usual judges pre-show meeting, a separate owners meeting be held to go over the rules and car classification. We even did some informal pre-show classification audits. In '04 at the Long Beach ZCCA convention there was a formal pre-show audit process with over a half-dozen inspectors that went over about 30 cars. Nearly half had been registered in the wrong class (too many mods for the class they had registered in). Now you can enter any class you want, it's just that you'll lose a lot of points for doing so if you pick the wrong one. It's easier to get a better score if you enter a stock car in street modified than in stock since it's likely there are some non-stock items you missed or didn't realize you had (or didn't have but should have - smog pump, say). Okay I gotha go now and see if the rebuild I did on the dishwater (after the Pat's victory in the Superbowl!! and several alcoholic beverages) didn't make it worse.

Just finished stripping a '75 which had a great homemage rear bumper. Sorry now I didn't take a picture first, but I think you can all imagine in your mind what a 4X4 pressure treated looks like attached with lag bolts. I suppose you could paint it or wrap it in any material your wallet would allow. Say fabric or gold leaf.....

Well, if there isn't anything else wrong with the car you could buy it and complete the look by installing a gnose. That would solve the front bumper issue too. Just a thought....

Unless the PO cut the wheel wells you would only have to patch the holes made by the screws/bolts/fasteners. Painting extra. Good looking car.

Well, I was 22 when my 72s were being build. I have a street (3.2L) and a ITS style time trial 240 racer. Got my first Z and first new car in 74 from Bob Sharp. A guy down the street from me had a 71 w/327 complete with a chrome blower coming out of the hood. An early hybrid Z.

I've noticed that over the past few years, a new class in Europe has been established, "non-restored or untouched classics". Many are running examples of original cars and others are barn finds. In a limited internet viewing they appear to be nearly complete cars that have weathered the test of time and/or elements and show their proud and well earned patina for all to see. Except for routine upkeep these seem to be used as they were intended to be used (eg., driven and not as trailer queens). Some are viewed as a benchmark for restoration efforts. There seems to be a market for them too.

mainly because I was up to my ears in a 7-mth restoration effort (from car to bare frame rotiss job and back to running car again in a little over 5 months- complete in another 2 months) and of yeah, I had a job too. I was a tad busy.....sorry as I could have helped it seemed. You still got questions, I promise to be there this time.

Well, I'm glad you guys have found the judging rules used by the ZCCA. Developed by the ZCCA they represent the guidelines for both owners and judges to see what will be judged and what the right class a vehicle should be entered in. A vast majority of owners wishing to enter their "stocK" Zs find themselves with more deductions then they expected due to the number of dealer option and other mods added on over the years. Even non-stock owners are amazed when free car classification reviews are offered prior to a major convention show and they see the mods added up right in front of them. Owners have the option to place their cars in any class (daily driver is a separate issue and I won't go into that) but with the newly added classification reviews this has reduced the number of cars placed in the wrong class. Owners also have the final responsibilty to enter their cars in the correct class and can seek "help" if they are not sure which is the right one for them. Mind you we are talking about modded Zs now not whether they are "original", "factory", et al since they make up some 60-70% of the cars entered. The ZCCA has a separate set of judges to do the stock class since it's the hardest to do and do right. I have judged at five ZCCA conventions and about 6-8 other ZCCA/club shows and no way would I want (or feel qualified)to do stock judging.

I may be wrong but didn't I read in this, now 6 page thread, that buyers could request paint colors not available for the original 240s or have 5-spds installed? Point deductions, but finding a 5-spd with a 4-spd shift knob would require a change in the no-touch rule so that this tranny swaps could be found out. As to dealer options they are not considered to be stock items as per the ZCCA. For those showing in a ZCCA sponsored event, then those rules would apply. As to whether anyone would put these restored,"F" 240s in stock class against other orginial 240s, that I think might be moot, as I recall hearing about a Nissan restored 240 entered in a ZCCA judged event. I will contact the head of ZCCA stock judges committee and see if this has in fact occured. That being said, a very good point can be raised as to just who defines what "stock" is. An owner of a significant 240 will want the ultimate value of the car determined by the organization with the most standing. The ZCCA is not there yet, therefor it would default to the another group. Thanks Carl for pushing me to think about these and other Zs being judged in other than ZCCA events.

As an off-shoot for those wondering how a Nissan restored 240Z would fair in a judged car show where ZCCA rules apply, an inquiry has gone out to the individuals responsible for determining the rules for ZCCA's "stock" class to see what they say about "resto-mod" or whatever you want to call these 240s. I imagine it will take a few weeks to get a ruling from this group of people but I will post it as soon as I hear. In advance of this request for information, let me pre-guess the answer. I believe the reply will be that a car owner can place their car in any class as long as they realize that points will be deducted as per the ZCCA rules. As an example, a 240Z with more than 10 modifications would score very low against a similar car with fewer mods in stock class. The modded car would be better off in the "street mod" class. If you haven't been part of a ZCCA judged car show, a few points would help to understand the classes. There's daily driver (no engine bay inspection), stock, street mod, Nissan mod, and Ultra. Awards are given for each model (240, 260, 280, etc.) and classes progress as the mods increase. A mod is something a judge can see (wheels, seats, radio, etc.) as opposed to say forged pistons, a ported head, or different gears in the diff. There are 300 total points available which is broken down into three catagories- engine bay, interior and exterior (100 points each). More info can be found at www.zcca.org . The farther you go away from stock class, the more appearance (vs OEM correctness and appearance) plays a role in the judging since a mod is the product of the owner's imagination and budget. For the judge it's a matter of how well the mod was installed and the lack of dirt, dings, scratches, etc. Stock class is the hardest to get a high score mostly IMHO due to the number of mods POs might have made to their cars or in the use of incorrect replacement parts (ie., plastic where metal was used, etc.), dealer options that are not considered "stock", the wrong paint, or the removal of stock items (smog equipment). While of importance to those whos' interest is strictly stock Zs, it goes towards what the ZCCA defines as a bench-mark example of what really is a stock 240Z. I for one doubt that the resto-mods would do as well in a ZCCA judged event as some might think.

Funny, but the view out the windshield of my Z is all I need to be entertained. And with the way I drive you'd be hard pressed not to be looking where we were going. But nice install work....

I've looked through my parts manual and couldn't find any mention of it at all. Not in the body or the electrical sections. If it ends up the wrong one I might have one from a stripped out parts car. I'd need the diameter to match it up. There's a great hardware store a few miles from my house that carries all those little things like rubber grommets in sizes up to 3 inches in diameter. You might want to check in your area too. Look in the electrical section if you can't find it in the hardware area. Good luck.

ah, and where did the water come before it was in the exhaust system? And before it evaporates it will begin to eat the metal.....gotta run I think I hear someone's exhaust dieing prematurely.

So, are you telling me that if I store my car inside and then start it up and run it for say 5 minutes, that the water vapor in the air (at room temp) will not condense out in the soon to be cooling exhaust system? Ever see the water drops flying out of your exhaust?

Quart low? Is this a British Z? As to the monthly starting, why are/would you do this? If not run long enough and hot enough the moisture in the exhaust system will condense out and settle into all the low spots of the system (muffler is a given). The exhaust gases with the now available water form sulfuric and nitric acid. If you're driving it around (tranny/diff lube) this I can understand, or for me it would be that I couldn't resist the urge to drive my Z. But I see no reason to start it up at all. Maybe I'm wrong....its' happened.

They are likely 70's era post-it notes showing that the parts were torqued.

I would think it was more a matter of heat transfer (re: battary on concrete), as the electrolyic process would continue (at a reduced rate) and would generate heat, which would in turn be sucked up by the cold concrete floor. Of course after a bit of time went by the wood and concrete floor would reach equalibriumand if I could reach the process operation manual I would do the calcualtions but now my head hurts.... :stupid: I mean really, if you store it on wood, on an old ribbon bound package of love letters, or nothing at all, it's okay with me. I got no problem with how you do what you do with your Z. I doubt that radial tires flat spot after a few months with the correct air pressure in them either. I add more to ensure that the correct amount is still there 4 months later. If no leakage, it cost me a few cents running the compressor. As to all the other storage stuff, the only thing that costs "real" money is the car-jacket. Having old acidic oil sitting in my engine doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather spend a few dollars and change it before I put it away. Then change it again after a brief spring shake-down run. I've gotten a noticeable oil pressure reading after the second (10-15 second per) time I've turned the engine over w/o the coil wire.

My Z goes away before the first snow (read road salt) hits the ground and comes out after the 3rd rainy day after the last snow (read road salt) event. In between that the car is driven 4,000-8,000 a year. Much of it very hard in any type of weather (other than snow) condition. I like 60 degrees better because my engine does, forget 75. My Z sits in a temporary garage, unheated for the winter months. I do have friends however who only keep their custom rods in heated garages and in car-jacket bags even for a just few days or for a whole year. You want simple? Turn the engine off, lock the car and walk away. As to draining the battary, you should get noticeable oil pressure in a few cranks of the engine. A well maintained battary will not be affected by this. Taking spark plugs out will reduce the compression. I have, depending on the length of time the car will sit sprayed oil in each cylinder and put the old plugs back loosely. I write a note to myself and leave it in the cockpit to remember to tighten them up before really firing it up. Do whatever you want to do, it's your car. I got no problem with that. This is what I do.

I was wondering if someone would ask me about this item. The car-jacket or omni-bag is a breathable sleeping bag for your vehicle (car, bike, truck). It zips up along three sides and you open it up and drive your vehicle on it and after doing whatever you plan to do to the car for storage you put a dust cover on it, place the moisture packets around and in the car, and zip it up. One of the reasons for removing the battary. You will want to place a mat under the engine/drivetrain to catch any leaks and a tarp between the bag and the ground to protect it. You need to remember to wait a bit after you open it to let the gasoline vapors to disperse. Google under either car-jacket or omni-bag for the best places to get it at the cheapest costs. I've had mine for 5 yrs and it's great. friends who own numerous high end ciustom cars use them for everyday storage as they don't know which car will be used when. It keeps them clean, dust-free and moisture-free.

Nam: 69-71 (avg temps 85 degrees) Anchorage, AK: 71-72 (avg temps -25) been there/froze it off