Arne

Drove it to work yesterday, in fact. Yes, I have the original dated plug wires in storage for safekeeping. Right next to the original gray-green distributor cap, metal cooling fan/clutch, AM radio and antenna, Koito headlights, and 40 amp alternator. I've been known to reinstall some of this stuff for shows, but for normal use I have more modern replacements for all this stuff. But I wouldn't get rid of any of it, as it's all very hard to replace these days.

They'll fit just fine. No issues.

A quick note - larger versions of the above photos are in my Gallery.

Randy, the Z decals are not the correct size. The Eagle caps require a 1.75" decal, the only Z decals I have found are 1.5". So I have the smaller decals carefully centered on the cap. Not ideal, but it works for now. I have found 1.75" Datsun decals, but not Z. I have started looking for one or two more wheels. A couple of mine are in less-than-ideal condition. So if anyone has or knows of one or possibly two vintage Appliance brand Wire Mags like I already have in 14x6, feel free to contact me.

Something to bear in mind - it was my understanding that only the USA-spec S30s had the VIN attached to the dash. That was not required elsewhere, the rest of the world had no requirement for the VIN to be visible from the outside of the car, as we did here in the USA. So matching the dash pad up with the proper chassis would not have been an issue for any Zs other than the US-bound cars. In fact, considering how we've seen that the build date on the door jamb plate in the US cars does not always follow a sequential order, I'd almost bet that the dash VIN and the door jamb plate (with build date stamped) were the two very last parts to be installed, after all QA checks were completed. If, for example, a car were to be held up because the dash pad were faulty, you wouldn't want to have to remove the VIN from the bad dash and then reattach it to a replacement. Just wild guesses on my part, I've never been in the car building business and don't really know how it works. But it seems logical to me.

Yeah, I suppose so. But if past history is any indication, if I bought it I'd probably never get around to selling it. It'd just sit in my garage waiting, along with the spare Type A 4 speed, entire spare wiring harness, brake drums, halfshafts, etc., etc.

Well, neither one, not immediately. I don't want one for the car I have now, but who knows what the future might bring? I know where I can get my hands on one, and could either keep it for the future, or try to flip it to make a few bucks. Haven't decided which or whether, yet.

I've looked longer than that several times over the past year, without any luck. I've considered seeing about getting one made locally.

True, the part we are looking for is at the top of the windshield in this picture. http://classiczcars.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22201&d=1205430997

I haven't found them anywhere either. If you find a source, please share.

Any ideas? What's a fair price for a 4.11:1 R180?

Doc, welcome. Hope it works out for you. In answer to your question, there is no digit back then that identifies the model year. The VIN didn't start to contain that info until 1981 or so. Instead, in the USA you can use the build date, which should be on a data plate riveted tot he driver's door jamb. Or we can make an educated guess from the VIN itself. First, if it is an automatic, it is definitely a '71. If the build date is prior to 9/70, it is a '70. If the build date is 1/71 or later, it is a '71. If it is between 9/70 and 12/70 (inclusive) it is generally considered to be a '71, but may have been titled as a '70.

Same seller as this car: http://classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31271

Lucas electrics have gotten a bad rap. It generally wasn't the electrical component that failed, it was frequently the wiring itself. I drove a '67 MGB as my daily for over 6 years. In that time it only let me down once, and that was early in my ownership, prior to the restoration. Properly restored and maintained, an old English car is no more prone to electrical problems or leaks that is an old Datsun. In many ways, the English and the Japanese cars have a lot in common. They should, as the Japanese learned much about how to build automobiles from the Brits. The big difference was that the Japanese weren't averse to taking advantage of more modern design. British Leyland (later BLMC) labored under the impression that the American market was a bottomless pit - we Yanks would continue to buy anything that they sent us, no mater how old and quaint the design. By the time they figured out differently (and the 240Z featured prominently in their education), it was too late.

Epilogue - The car has been mostly complete for a little more than a month now. I've been busy with replacing the fence here at the house, so not much Z-related action. But yesterday, with the help of Escanlon and beandip, the original headliner that was salvaged from the yellow roof donor was installed. While that isn't really an exterior part, it was still a part of the exterior refresh, which is now officially complete. And the final verdict? It is very good, I'm well pleased. No, it's not perfect, nor will it be confused for showroom-new. But the flaws are small and minor, and it looks like what it truly is -- a very nicely maintained, relatively low miles, mostly original and period correct survivor. On the 1-5 scale as Carl has described, I'd humbly call it a very high #3. It'll never make #2 because I drive it too much. (It turned over 65k on the way home yesterday.) But that's exactly what I bought it for, and I'm thrilled with the result. The biggest downside? It attracts more attention than I expected...

Aftermarket cruise control.

And here's one on the West Coast:http://eugene.craigslist.org/car/751589769.html

I was with Gary yesterday when he picked up his car, and have seen in person the other 240Z they painted as well, and can second his recommendation. Both jobs turned out very nice.

Yup, the above responses cover it. I used to do so, but don't bother any longer. It's not that easy to get info from DMV these days.

Sure, it'd be much simpler to see stuff locally. But in most parts of the country there aren't enough local Z owners to find many buyers. Zs are still common here in Oregon, but even so, I shipped over 90% of the parts that I sold from my cars. Here's my advice for non-eBay sales - pick a fair price, maybe a bit less than what you see similar items sell for on eBay. Figure out what it's going to take to safely pack the item(s) for shipping first. Figure out what shipper is the most convenient for you to drop off packages, and use that shipper for your shipping quotes. For example, many medium sized post offices now have self-service shipping kiosks for Parcel Post and Priority Mail. For medium sized packages, these kiosks can be used 24x7. Try to have an accurate idea of the weight so that you can quickly give accurate shipping quotes. I normally shipped within a couple of days after receiving payment. Most buyers will realize that this isn't what you do for a living, and will be accepting of a short delay like that. Doing it this way, I didn't find it too much hassle to ship most parts. Big items are the largest pains to deal with. The most difficult part I shipped was a cylinder head. Took a bit more effort, but it went OK. Remember that there are two benefits to selling your surplus parts. Not only are you raising some extra cash to finance your hobby, but you are also helping other people enhance their cars, or often helping them get or keep them on the road. Very satisfying.