Mike B

There was a set of red door panels on ebay that just ended three days ago. They sold for $157.50 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-240z-260z-280z-ORIGINAL-Napa-Red-Door-Panels-RARE-/150956948854?fits=Model:240Z&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item2325bc3d76&nma=true&si=L38M1G2Kyz0GrjBlYk2hLYSCHKc%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I think I have one of the passenger foot rests. Are those the only two AMCO items you are looking for? Send me a PM. -Mike

Actually, the early JDM cars had a chrome hexagon for the center cap. It was a one piece hubcap, not a two piece unit with a separate center cap like the North American market cars used. -Mike

I agree there are variances in the carpet and jute patterns, but not that many. Fortunately I have several sets from my cars and cars I have parted out, so I have pieces to use as patterns. I'm not sure what piece you are referring to as 'behind the luggage riser trim". Which number is it in the attached pages from a Nov 69 US parts catalog? -Mike

I guess it is possible that the jute Nissan used was originally tan and then changed to a dark brown over time, but if that was the case I would think you would still see some of it that was a ligher tan color. I have a 40k mile 1972 with near perfect original jute and carpet and it is the same dark brown on both sides. Anyway, thanks again for the sources. I will give one a try. The person I mentioned earlier ended up getting some of the uncoated tan jute from a place called 'Re-Originals' http://reoriginals.com/jutepaddingoriginalitalianstyleabout12-13mm-u0083.aspx It's very nice, but is only 1/4", so he ended up doubling up on it to get similar to the original thickness. I'm not sure what happened to Zeddsaver, but like I said, the low quality jute that the person I know recently received was nothing like the English jute he advertises and was no where near the original jute patterns, as compared to the original pieces that I have from several cars. -Mike

Thanks the the photos and info; it looks great. All the original 240Z jute I have seen has been the same uniform dark brown color, so maybe what Nissan used originally was completely dipped and not just coated on one side? Regardless, you only see one side once it is in place, and only under the seats, or if you lift the carpet up, so what you have found would work fine. What is the thickness of the English jute? I just did an internet search, but only saw that type of jute listed by the place in Vancouver (Heritage trim) and by Zeddsaver. However, someone I know ordered jute from Zeddsaver and what he received was actually a couple of different types of material, none of which was the coated English jute that he describes on his site (same as your description) and none was cut to original patterns. -Mike

Redzedsled, Can you post some pictures of the 'English jute' that you have? I believe the company in Vancouver sells the light tan colored jute (similar to what Kats used), but as you said, they don't like to deal directly with the public. Other places online sell a similar tan jute and I was wondering if some type of coating could be applied to more closely match the original, but it sounds like the type you have found is a better match as is. I'm curious to see what it looks like. -Mike

Hi Kats, Is your website still active? I get an error when I try to visit now. -Mike

No, it mounts vertically, like an Ansa, although I like the look of the Ansa angled tips much better. Here is a photo from the ebay ad that shows the top mounting point on the right side of the picture. -Mike

That's not an entire repro rear muffler that Jay sells, it is just the exhaust tip. Not exactly cheap at $175 for just the tip either.... -Mike

If you use the search function on this site you can find your answer, but here is a page from an english version of a JDM owners manual that Kats posted a few years ago. It shows how the clock operates. -Mike

I was lucky that my Fairlady ZL had both quarter panel emblems in really good shape when I got it. The only two metal emblems I was missing were the hood and rear hatch 'Nissan' emblems. The car actually came with a NOS in the box plastic hood emblem that the prior owner bought in the 70's, but I really wanted a complete set of metal emblems. I was unbelievably lucky and able to find both missing metal emblems on ebay recently. Both were not described well, as the sellers didn't really know which cars they belonged to. The hood emblem is actually NOS and was picked up off the production line as a souvenir by a Nissan exec during a factory tour in the 1970's. The hatch emblem had "1970-73 Skyline" written on the back with a marker, but I don't think that is correct. As far as I can determine, the emblem seems to be unique to the Fairlady Z. -Mike

Jim, yes I am aware of what BRE sell now. I have their current key fob and pin. I was referring to what they offered in the early 70's, as 72 OJ and others (yourself included) seemed to think the 240Z badge he has is a vintage and rare item. It is neither, just a recent unauthorized 'tribute' piece, which is probably why it was only sold on ebay for a relatively short time. I doubt the Brocks were very happy with someone making unauthorized items with their logo. If you notice, the original 240Z logo used on the bra and car cover is slightly different from both the current BRE items and the 'tribute' medallion that OJ owns. Do you have a vintage BRE catalog that shows the original 240Z wreath logo used on other items? -Mike

Fred, unfortunately, I don't think original hood or 1970 quarter panel emblems are available new for the Fairlady Z. I saw a reproduction hood emblem on yahoo Japan a few months ago that was decent looking, but not exactly the same. Used ones come up for sale on yahoo Japan periodically, but they are expensive. A lot of people try to pass off 280ZX hood emblems as S30 emblems, but they are different. 1970 JDM quarter panel emblems are very hard to find, but I have seen a couple sold on yahoo Japan ($$$$). The hatch Fairlady Z emblem is the same as the fender Fairlady Z emblems and they are still available from the dealer and listed on ebay all the time. The Nissan hatch emblem is also pretty hard to find. Your Fairlady ZL would have had the hubcaps with no center emblems that you described (see attached photos). I'd love to see pictures of your car. Where and when did you get it? -Mike

Hi Kats, It will be great if you can bring your Z432 to San Diego in 2014. I would love to see it in person and I would like to bring one of my cars as well. Hopefully the timing will work out for both of us. My 1970 Fairlady ZL also has the 8 track stereo. It currently has pioneer speakers that a prior owner must have put in it before it was taken off the road in the late 70's. I'm not sure if the speaker brackets are original or not, but they are both the rounded version, like your right side. Your speaker brackets are painted black, but originally I think they would have been cad plated. My US market cars have the same type of bracket and speaker like you shown on the left side and they have the silk screen squares on the speaker cone like yours. Nice work on the floors and rear panel repairs. It looks like they did a good job matching the exterior paint to the rest of the car. Did you get that rear repair panel on yahoo Japan? I saw one sold on there several months ago (maybe late last year). I have one that I will use on my Fairlady Z when I get around to restoring it. -Mike

Search is your friend (or at least it should be).... http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread27736.html That is just a badge someone here in WA made up and sold a few years ago on ebay (and craigslist locally). It is not even a reproduction of an original BRE badge, just an interpretation of what they though BRE might have made, based on the actual BRE 510 badges that were sold through Interpart. As the thread above notes, there actually was a BRE 240Z wreath design, but it was only used on two items I believe (the case for a 'bra' and a car cover). No 240Z wreath badges were made by BRE. Like Chris mentioned the same seller also sold smaller versions of that medallion. I bought one and put it in a shift knob. -Mike

You took off the new VTO LeMans wheels and went back to your old Panasports? -Mike

So, do you get your same cores back, or do you just get a random set? Do you need to strip the original chrome off the cores before sending them in? How much is it for the pot metal Datsun and 240Z emblems shown above? -Mike

Contact Jim Frederick (jim240z@aol.com). He had some reproductions made up. -Mike

Will and John, pg 11 of the ZCCA Judging Manual (JUDGING REQUIREMENTS - INTERIOR AREA) says the following: "Glove Box / Lid - Inspect glove box area and door for fit and finish. Check glove box light where so equipped. Deduct for poor fit and excessive wear. The only item allowed in glove box is the owners manual for year of vehicle and if shown will be judged for condition. Zero (0) point deduction if the owner’s manual is not shown in the modified classes – five (5) point deduction if missing in the stock classes." Are you saying that 'check glove box light where so equipped' doesn't including checking that the light turns on? Are you just checking for the presence of the switch and bulb? I can see not having a judge manually operate a switch that needs to be turned on/off to see if it works, but since this switch is automatically activated when the glove box door is opened, wouldn't 'checking' the glove box light including seeing that the light is illuminated as it should, and not just the presence of a switch and bulb? You are required to open the doors according the the ZCCA judging manual (same page reference as noted above) "Sills - Inspect door sills with doors open to check latch and striker assemblies. Inspect threshold plates and interior door seals. Inspect threshold trim. Deduct for scratches, discoloration, poor fit and wear." Having been to a couple of conventions, and getting roped into judging at the last minute once, I have a much greater respect for the people that give their time to judge others cars instead of enjoying the show, or showing their own car. It's not cheap to attend a convention if it is not in your home town, so giving up a big chunk of their time for this thankless (and unpaid) job is quite a commitment and people should take that into consideration before complaining too much. From what I have seen, the judges do the best they can in the time they have, even if they are human and not always perfect. If the owners are familiar with what the judging manual says and are near the cars when they are being judged (as they should be) then there will be less issues and problems. -Mike

Can you not look up at the top of the screen, view the responses, and draw your own conclusions? :stupid:

Hey OJ, here is a Cor-Z to go with your "Z-Vette" LOL . http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/3233974474.html For sale to highest bidder, Saturday, September 15, 2012 at Stokes auction. Go on-line at ..www.stokesauctioninc.com for details, times. This is a Corvette Kit Car on a 1978 Datsun 280Z. It is fun, fast and attention-getting. receipts and pictures of the build are in the car to view. It runs and handles very well. We are selling only because we have 8 cars between us and the insurance is killing us:) She sold one so I have to sell one. It has a small hole in the whale-tail, took a branch in the windstorm. Come out to the auction and bid. You could get very lucky. 5 speed, custom wheels, B F Goodrich tires, fuel injection, many new parts. About 17,000.00 invested. It is red with black interior.

Yep, that is the FS5C71A 5-speed that was available from the factory in other markets, but not in North America, unless you bought one through Datsun Comp, or modified a roadster transmission (which is why some people refer to it as a roadster transmission). It is the only 5-speed that is a direct fit for the early cars (70 & 71) that doesn't require modifications to the transmission tunnel/shifter/console. -Mike

I went and looked at this car this weekend and I would say its overall condition was worse than I expected. According to the ad, the paint had just been touched up, but it's had some bad body work done and a horrible entire exterior repaint (over spray, tape mask marks everywhere, paint chips, and some bubbling rust starting to develop in a couple of places). There must have been front end damage; the rad core has been repaired and is still not totally right, replacement hood (no decals on the back), damaged rad fan guard, etc. All the plating in the engine bay is gone, some replacement fasteners (all the cowl screws for example) and there is a ton of over spray on everything in the engine compartment. There is a lot of battery area rust, due to leaking battery acid. Other than braided hoses in pretty good condition, the engine bay doesn't look like a car with 700 miles. It's also missing the engine bay data plate, which has the engine number. Looking at the registration data for other cars with near-by VINs, the engine in this car (067107) seems slightly lower than I would expect for the VIN (HLS30-056209). The seller also mentioned the car may have been damaged during shipping and bought as salvage from Nissan, and the dealer kept it and had it repaired on the cheap, but apparently it doesn't have a salvage title. Now I am wondering if that is the original engine in the car, or if it was replaced. No way to tell for certain now without the data plate. The rear panel looked like it had body repair also (non-factory welds and overspray on the tie-down hooks). The bumpers are scratched up with rust on the back sides. The car was apparently stored at a waterfront home most of the time and I wouldn't be surprised if it was kept outside at some point. The car has been undercoated, so most of the underside, including gas tank, suspension, wheel wells, etc is covered in black sprayed on undercoating. It did have all five of its original steel wheels and tires, and they looked in very good shape, which I was surprised to see. Not sure I have ever seen a car with all original tires, but who knows if they were actually on the car this whole time, it seems more likely they were just put back on. The interior does look clean and the only flaws I noticed was a split in the right door panel and the faded rear shock tower vinyl. The rest of the red interior didn't seem to have faded noticeably. The upper seat belts (chest straps) were still in factory plastic with rubber bands, like my 72 was when I got it. The lower seat belts looked to be in very good shape with very nice tags. Only minor wear to the driver's seat side booster. I didn't try to start it or drive it around at all. Supposedly the family of the original owner (Datsun dealer) turned down an offer of 14K for it and there are a couple of higher offers pending. Even if it does have 700 miles with the correct engine, you would have to do a complete restoration on the car (not much work to do to the interior at least), but then do you still really have an original 700 mile car? I don't think so. Here are the text and pictures from the latest craigslist ad for posterity: Price just reduced. Once in a lifetime opportunity to own such a low mile Z car. 1972 Datsun 240z with 714 original miles. White with a red interior, automatic. This car came from a West Seattle car dealer's estate and was stored inside the whole time. The brakes were just gone through and the car runs and drives. This car still has a new car smell. No rust and straight. The worst thing about this car is that the paint was touched up 30 plus years ago and not done very well. Perfect car for a collector. I can not find a comparable anywhere with this few miles. Call Jon @ 206-xxx-xxxx

No, the flags in the background are just one sided and viewed from the back. Look at the lettering on the car and the tires. It's not backwards. -Mike