Mike B

Here's one that a guy in the Seattle area had for sale a couple of years ago. Not sure if he ever sold it. http://www.classiczcars.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1645&cat=1. I'll be curious to see what quality of car you can get for $15K all in. -Mike

Here is a set of used Ztherapy carbs on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120449870408&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT Seller says they have less than 1,000 miles on them. Currently at $375 with two hours to go. No core required. -Mike

I was just watching the Mecum auto auction from Des Moines, IA that I recorded Friday night and saw a silver 260Z automatic with 19K miles. It got bid up to $15,000, but didn't meet the reserve. My first time seeing a Z on a TV auction. They spent about 4 mins talking about it. One of the floor commentators is a guy named Stephen Cox, and he said he owns one that he races. He talked it up as being a very rare one year only model, a "follow up to the very successful 240Z" and that the 280Z came out the next year. They also said that since there are early and late model 260Zs that adds to the "rarity". They talked about some of the "innovative" features under the hood, like the inspection lids, and the OHC straight 6 engine that "doesn't make a ton of horsepower, but gets the job done". Also pointed out the plastic engine fan saying "it came from the factory that way to lighten the spinning mass on the engine". Then the other guy says "hey this care has an automatic" and the first guy says "I know, I wasn't going to mention that". It looked very clean and stock, as you would expect for a 19k mile car. I checked the Mecum site and it looks like the same car sold for $15K at the Indianapolis show in May, so I guess the buyer was trying to flip it for more at another auction? Here is a link to the Mecum auction page http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=IA0709-82364. It is also on the dupont registry site http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/search/DRauSearchDetails.aspx?itemid=676948. -Mike

I think it is probably a situation like Arne described. Someone bought a VZ and then modified it they way they wanted to, probably not too long after they got it. I saw a VZ in excellent shape resold at auction in 2001 for under $13k. I had no idea until a couple of years ago that Nissan only sold 38 of them, making them much more valuable and collectible then just another restored Z. The only problem I see with this car is the price. At almost $40k, the dealer seems to be pricing it based on what the prior owner had in it, or what it would cost to recreate it. The fact is, people that collect VZ cars want them to be as they were delivered, so the additional modifications either add no value, or reduce the value of the car to them. If the car still has the engine that it came with a collector might be willing to buy it, have the performance parts removed, and use them to fund the cost to return it to original VZ condition, but not at $40K. If it doesn't have the correct engine, it loses a lot of its VZ value to a collector. Non-collectors probably see it as just another modified Z in nice condition with an interesting history, but wouldn't pay a big premium for it. Either way, I think in today's market it is worth about $25k. The fact that is has been listed 4 or 5 times and hasn't gotten above $21K seems to indicate that the seller wants more for it than the market values it right now. -Mike

I got some a couple of months ago and they were still the braided ones. -Mike

Me too. I also scanned for the words ummer/winter together, but not the word winter by itself. I took some pictures of a few exhaust manifolds I have handy (ignore the plugs for the removed air injection tubes). The first manifold is from HLS30-00210 (a 11/69 production car). Notice that it has a casting number 1, and has the two raised circular areas where the air cleaner hose heat shield is mounted in later cars, but there are no bolt holes drilled. It also does not have the three raised circular areas on the left and right side connecting tubes of the manifold. The second manifold is from HLS30-00331 (also a 11/69 car). It also has the casting number 1, but the two bolt holes for the air cleaner heat shield have been drilled. The third manifold has the casting number 2. Not sure what the production date was on the car that came from. I don't have my two other 1969 production cars at the house right now, so not sure what they have. Its kind of difficult to see mounted on the car, but my 5/72 car has a casting number 6 on its manifold. -Mike

Yep, looks like I missed that last night. Looking at the other Owners Manuals I have, it looks like it was first added to the Nov 15 1970 edition (which may be the manual that came with the 3/71 parts car I had). I don't see it in the July 20 1970 edition. -Mike

Attached are scans of the relevant pages from the Emissions Control Service Manual for 1972 Year Models. -Mike

Attached are scans of the relevant pages from the original and revised Service Bulletin Vol 142. -Mike

I have been thinking about this some more, and I'm pretty sure that I have seen air cleaners with the summer/winter door on 1971 model cars. I parted out a 3/71 car and I'm pretty sure it had it. I have also noticed that even the 1969 production US cars have two raised circular areas on the bottom of the exhaust manifold. On later cars, this is where two bolts attach the metal shield for the hose that directs heated air to the air cleaner. It is interesting that they were planning to incorporate this additional emissions function at the beginning of 240Z production. -Mike

Yes, but it looks like the hoses through Banzai are more expensive. Banzai charges $120 for the long gas tank hose (GF-23), but you can get Nissan part #17236-E4601 from Nissanpartsnow.com for $84.05. -Mike

I also noticed the eBay ad says "FEATURED IN SPORT COMPACT CAR MAGAZINE". I assume that was after the car had been modified. It would be interesting to read the article. -Mike

Carl, There was a Revised Edition Service Bulletin Vol 142 issued in Oct 1971 titled "Improvement of Emission Control System (1972 Year Models)". One of the revisions from the previous version of SB Vol 142 issued in June 1971 was the addition of a "Hot-Air Type Air Cleaner". It describes the manual summer/winter switch and the hose from the exhaust manifold to the air cleaner. There was also a separate Service Manual "Emission Control System for 1972 Year Models - Revised Edition" issued on Oct 20, 1971 that has similar information. This was also incorporated into the combined version of the 1972 Engine, Chassis and Body Service manual, but not the separate versions of the 1972 Service Manuals. I don't see anything about the manual air cleaner temperature switch in the 1972 owners manual (at least the 3/72 edition), but the 1973 owners manual (3/73 edition) describes the operation of the Automatic Temperature Control Air Cleaner that was added that year. -Mike

Take a look at this thread that Arne did about the fuel hoses a couple of years ago http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25857. It looks like 17238-E4602 replaced 17238-E4601. I think 17243-E4601 is NLA, but Arne substituted 17236-E4601 for it. -Mike

We discussed this car before in another thread http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34222. It was first listed in April and the auction closed under $18k. It has been relisted continually since then, but I don't think it ever got above about $20k. Someone that has owned several of the VZ cars called and talked to the dealer that is trying to sell it. They were asking $39,900 for it, so I would guess the reserve is very close to that. Maybe at some point they will drop the reserve to a more realistic level. -Mike

Bruce, I thought Ztherapy sold restored air cleaners? Is this guy just looking for one to use as a core for one of yours? Also, you said "early" but the ebay ads were for the later style (1971-72) with the summer/winter flap and pre-heater hose. Is he looking for one of those, or the 1970 style without that? I have a couple of the 1971-72 versions if that is what you are looking for. -Mike

Thanks. I think you can get reproduction vinyl sets and plastic panels in any of the stock colors. Original style door panels are only available new in black. I think you can get door panels and sunvisiors recovered, but the panels won't have the chrome trim strip. Not sure about the headliner and other misc parts, but you may be able to dye them with SEM paint, but I'm not sure how that would turn out. -Mike

Looks like this 73 with 6k miles just sold with a BIN of $27.5K after being relisted a few times. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300326658421&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT -Mike

Is this the same wheel you are looking for? http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/1260439066.html -Mike

The Z32TT was available as a 2+2 in some other markets (such as Japan) so maybe it was an imported model they were driving. -Mike

Yes, I'm sure making the entire assembly is very difficult to do right. I wonder what they would charge for just the chrome strips though. Most people's lenses are usually pretty good, and there are no market color and wiring variations to deal with if they only reproduced the chrome strips. If they could make just the strips for a reasonable price, I'm sure they would be able to sell quite a few through major vendors. -Mike

They look very good. I wonder why they don't get MSA or someone to sell at least the chrome strips. I would think there would be enough demand for entire assemblies (red over red version) if they could make them in larger quantities and lower the price some. -Mike

Engine numbers weren't sequential with VIN numbers, but engines do generally fall within a certain range for each specific VIN. Car data, including VIN and engine number, are tracked in a couple of places. There is an online spreadsheet that MikeW put together and is linked in this thread http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27519&highlight=vin+spreadsheet. There are also Z car registers on Zhome.com -Mike

Wow, this 72 with the BRE paint scheme was relisted and is now bid up to $15,300 with the reserve not met and a BIN of $16,500. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=180372989158 Maybe I should paint my 72 BRE colors before I sell itLOL. -Mike