bobc

Try this link: http://eastwood.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=windshield There's kind of a rule of thumb about removing windshield scratches. If you can rub your fingernail across the scratch and not catch on it, you should be able to buff it out. If your fingernail catches, it's probably too deep to remove without distorting the glass. When you buff the windshield be sure to keep the buffer moving, so you don't build up heat and also you don't distort a spot on the windshield. I've used the eastwood kit and it does a good job of removing scratches. Hint: When I mix up the powder, I use a lot less water than the instructions state. Good luck! Bob

Carl, I just sent you contact info via email. Please let me know if you received it and when's the best time to speak. Thanks, Bob

Well, pretty much as expected, the 1970 Yellow Z on ebay didn't meet the reserve. Did anybody physically take a look at it? It may have been worth the $8,000 the owner was looking for, but I sure wouldn't have paid that from his description and the pictures he posted. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-Datsun-240Z_W0QQitemZ160018976402QQihZ006QQcategoryZ6187QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Oh well, maybe he'll wise up :stupid: or sell it for less money to someone who was bidding during the auction. The silver one looks pretty nice. Wonder if it will sell? Owner says he has $25K in it. Bob

Hey Mike, that's great news! That is, unless you plan on bringing it to next years West Coast Nationals! Just kidding, I'm really glad to see your car coming together and I'm sure it will be fantastic when completed. Hope things are going well for you. Come down a day early or stay a day late and we'll hit the water out in Catalina. Please continue to post pictures. I'd really like to see how it's coming along. Hard to tell the actual yellow color. It changes with the light in each picture. Bob

Is it just me or does somebody need to teach people how to properly post their cars on ebay? Please pardon the frustration, but this latest 70 is a great example. Mike wants a decent price, $8,000, but he markets it like a $2000 beater. We all know the critical areas of Z's, but does Mike show us any. Nooooooo! No dog legs, rocker panels, rear hatch area close-ups, underneath shots, floor boards, etc. And he's billing this as an original car, so no shots of the data plate or engine stamping to show matching numbers. Any documentation for the 32,000 original miles, nope. Any paper work with the car, nope. Shots of the engine, barely. I'll take a risk here and predict the bidding will peter out before he gets to $8000 (that is unless he's sending pics privately) and then Mike will wonder why he didn't get his asking price. Poor marketing!!! This happens all the time on ebay and doesn't help the appreciation of our cars at all. We need to help these guys!! GEEEEEEEEEZZZZZ! Ok, I think I'm over my rant for now. Thanks for listening! Bob

Sorry, but I've got to say no too. From the pictures it looks like there's pretty intensive rust in the frame and body and that's just what you see from the outside. If you look inside the rocker panels, dog leg, inner fenders, etc. there's got to be more. If you're planning to do all the work yourself, and don't mind spending the time, then I'd say maybe. Either way, you could find a better starting point for a restoration and be in for a lot less time and effort. Sorry, that's just an opinion and worth what you paid for it! Good luck, Bob

I don't think the value is necessarily down for the right Z cars. 7 or 8 years ago there were probably more cars in better shape than there are now. No offense to anyone intended, but there are so few top end cars available on ebay, when a good one comes along it will go in the mid teens fairly easily. Often the reserve is higher than that and the owner ends up selling off line and we never see the final sale price. I think buyers are very skitish about older Z cars due to the "rust factor." Also, Z's just seem to be coming into the documentation other cars have already experiened. In the past and even somewhat today, no vehicle/ownership history, mismatched engine numbers, non-original parts, etc. didn't seem to have a major impact on the value of the vehicle. Try that on a 60"s Corvette and see how the value plumets! It does seem that this is changing today as more sellers are providing original ownership records, advertising originality, etc. At the same time, I think we all see some pretty ridiculous claims about originality in many of these ads too, which I think hurts the overall value as well. If you're thinking about buying a early Z, I'd be patient and buy the best one you can afford. Lower serial number and more original the better. It still a heck of a buy compared to some of the other cars that have surpassed what us mere mortals can afford and delivers a great ride. I can't stop smiling when I drive mine. As an investment car, there are probably better cars out there (American muscle cars for example), but I find as their value goes up their fun factor declines. There's more insurance, worry about accidents, theft, damage, wear, parts expense, etc. I've got two other play toys in the garage and the Z is my favorite. Best, Bob

Get the paint from Les! The Chrylser blue is close, but not close enough. Les wouldn't like me telling you this, but you can save yourself a lot of work by painting the engine with a foam brush in the car versus spraying it out of the car. The proper way is to take the block down to clean metal (sand blast, strip, etc) and then paint it with the spray. About the only way to do that is to take the engine out, strip off the manifolds, ancillary parts, etc. On the other hand, you can just spray the paint into a cup and use a foam brush with the engine still in the car. Use aluminum foil to cover hoses, etc, but you can get a fairly decent job without the work of pulling the engine. I just cleaned mine with engine cleaner and then washed it with some soap to remove deposits before I painted it. I'm sure it won't last forever and doesn't look as nice as if I had stripped it down, but I sure saved a heck of a lot of work and it looks about an 8 on a 10 scale. Good luck! Bob

Russ, I know the #110 color is an kind of orange/red, but this one looks pretty orange in the pictures. Don't know if you recall, but would you say the color is closer to red than orange? Thanks for the posting, Bob

I thought I would see if any club members recognize this car listed on ebay. The owner says it's been in Motor Trend, Z Car Mag.(twice),Z Register (England), and the Local Newspaper. It's located in Maryland. If you've seen it, what do you think? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-Datsun-240Z-Classic_W0QQitemZ260000805832QQihZ016QQcategoryZ6187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Thanks Bob

Hey, Alex if you do go see the car, give us an update! Thanks, Bob

When it comes to polishing, I'm a believer in trying the least abrasive first. I'd try some Mothers metal polish to see how that comes out before using the the more agressive methods. Also might use some 000 steel wool. Also suggest you get some latex gloves or you're going to have really black hands! Bob

Two questions on the originality of this car on ebay. 1. Where the air cleaners ever painted blue? I've seen this before, but didn't think it was accurate. 2. The driver's door has a pull handle. I thought only the passenger side had this? Again, original equipment? Thanks, Bob http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1971-Datsun-240Z-Absolutely-Mint_W0QQitemZ4651444232QQihZ002QQcategoryZ6187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Did a little more research on the 1980 10th Anniversary Z that's posted in the classified section. It apparently has never been titled and has less than 200 miles on it. The dealer in Alabama is asking $150,000 for this car! What do you think? Would you pay $150,000 for a perfect example of a 1980 limited production Z?

I think Kelly did a pretty good job of answering your questions. The biggest problem with Z's is rust. This is what keeps there value down in porportion to other cars of this era. Mechanically, they are very simple cars and fixing just about anything mechanical is not that difficult. You should know that there is no such thing as a "rust free" Z. Just my opinion, but no matter where the Z is from (Arizona or New York) they all have rust, just varying degrees. The problem with the early Z's is they rust from the inside out. What looks like a small bubble on the outside may be hiding a quarter inch or bigger rust spot on the inside. Dry State cars may have solid floor boards and frame rails, but there is probably some rust on the inside of the body panels. Maybe nothing serious, but then again maybe so. Cars in the rust belt may have rusted out floor boards, frame rails, etc, in addition to rusted body panels. Places to check just as a matter of course, 1. Dog legs and rocker panels 2. Around the gas cap filler area 3. Floor boards, all the way from behind the seat to the front of the floorboard 4. front fenders directly behind the front wheels, down low. 5. Frame rails If you can get a knowledgable Z person to go with you to look at the car or pay someone with knowledge to do it, you can save some big bucks. When you see a car advertised on e-bay that says "minor" rust you can bet you're looking at some serious work ahead in most cases. Z's are highly reliable mechanically, a blast to drive and if you keep them up will increase in value over time. The main concern I would have is your age and the safety features of the car. No offense intended, but younger drivers just have more accidents. Early Z's don't have many safety features (seat belts are about it). It's not a car you want to get into a high speed crash in. Hope this helps and good luck with your decision! Bob

Sorry, must have hit enter twice!

Hey Lance, You should post some pictures of your demo Z with the half paint job for everyone to see. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the work. I mean there was some overspray on the rubber, but what do you expect for that type of price? The shine and color were incredible. If you're in So Cal. I would give a lot of thought to having Lance do your paint work. He is a Z guy after all! Tell me you didn't pull the motor out of that beautiful blue Z!

Does anyone have an opinion on the best rust stopper out there? Seems POR15 has a good reputation, but I recently received a new Eastwood catalog and their stuff looks pretty good to. Thought I would see if anyones had success or experience with either. Thanks. Bob

Thanks Adam, just what I needed Bob

Does anyone have the web site or phone number for where to buy Tabco replacement panels direct? Thanks. Bob

Hey all, One of the highlights of my weekend was getting to know our founder, host, and all around great guy Mike Gholson. Mike spent his weekend taking pictures and participating in the West Coast Nationals events to make sure all this site's members and visitors could experience the event through his pictures and posts. Everytime I looked around Mike was off talking to another Z enthusiasts. He had time for everybody and listened intently to anyone that wanted to share a Z story with him (and there were a lot of them). Mike is a very busy guy professionally, so we are all very lucky that he takes time out of his life to maintain this site and put up with a lot of craziness. I enjoyed learning how he got involved with Z's and how he still has a passion for them and the people that own them. I thought we were going to have to pry him out of the interior of a Z or two at the autocross on Saturday. He didn't want to get out! Anyway, I hope you will support him and the site by buying a hat or t-shirt, make a contribution or just send him a thank you message. I was very fortunate this weekend to make a new friend in Mike and I also hope that if you haven't met him, find out when he's going to be at the next Z show and search him out. You'll find a smile, handshake, and a great guy on the other end. Thanks Mike. Enjoyed the weekend!!!

I'd be interested for sure.

Have you replaced the fuel filter? Have you checked the tank for rust? If it's been sitting a long time and you've just added fuel (approximately 6 gallons) you could have stirred up rust setiment in the bottom of the tank. If the previous fuel had been in the tank a long time it may have turned to varnish in the tank and lines? Have you tried to blow air back through either the feed or return line? Just some thoughts to get you started. You also didn't mention if the car has an electic fuel pump as well as a mechanical pump? Keep trying, the fuel system on your Z is fairly simple, so the diagnotics should show the problem. Good luck! Bob

Pierre Z Car Ctr 12579 Crenshaw Blvd, Hawthorne, CA (310) 644-3645 Pretty much the acknowledged expert in So Cal. Good luck with your electrical problem. Bob

Sorry to use the help forum, but I'm trying to get this done tomorrow. Does anyone know the correct diameter for the rubber gas lines on a 1970 240Z. I think it has 5/16th on it now, but it may also have some 3/8ths as well. I've ordered clamps twice and none seem to fit, but for right now I need the right hose diameter. Thanks. Bob