HLS3056539 1972 240Z {build date 11/71}

[Racer X]

I bought this car for Mrs. Racer 1.0 back in 1992 for $2,000. When we divorced she said she didn't want it, and demanded I pay her for it. I pointed out the car was bought with money out of my pocket, and the title was in my name, and I would not be giving her anything for the car, and that was that. I drove the car off and on until 1998, parking it because the oil consumption was excessive, and at the time I was trying to defend a championship in my race Z.

 

So the car sat in the back corner of the shop, collecting dust.

 

Fast forward to this past August. I'm at work, and my manager calls me, says I have to go home. Contact tracing had resulting in me being identified as being at risk to Covid19. Not wanting to waste a two week paid "vacation", I decided to clean up the shop a bit and see how the old Z was doing. I charged the battery overnight, and the car reluctantly came to life, 22 year old gas and all. 

 

Being all original, and numbers matching, I won't be making any changes that cannot be returned to the as new configuration. But in the interim I plan to replace the tired engine with one of the many others I have lying about, and rebuild the original as time and money allow.

 

The car as I bought it in 1992 (alongside my race car):

Double Datsuns by Racer, on Flickr

Brown Z Red Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

And after sitting in the corner of the shop after 22 years, dust, dirt, overspray (I painted a tractor and even though I had a makeshift spray booth, overspray went everywhere) and spider poop.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

Not easy to see through 22 years of dirt.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

I washed it. Notice the red haze of overspray.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

After the first pass around with rubbing compound and a buffer.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

And after about 20 passes around the car. I put some Panasport wheels on it that were on a 280Z parts car I had out back.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

And finally a coat of Zymol wax.

Sunlight On The Z by Racer, on Flickr

Sunlight On The Z by Racer, on Flickr

Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

 

Now for some mechanical work. I am going to change the car over to a manual tranny. These cars should never have had automatics. 

 

I also have new carpet, weatherstripping, and interior plastic panels to change out.

 

Stay tuned.

Racer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Racer X

[Pilgrim]

Very nice, and now it has actually gained considerable value!!

[Racer X]

1 hour ago, Pilgrim said:

Very nice, and now it has actually gained considerable value!!

Thanks Pilgrim.

 

And yes, it is interesting how these cars have appreciated in value. I named this car, my race car, and another 240 I have, as well as my 1972 Camaro and 1948 Ford 8N when applying for a mortgage 16 years ago, and again 14 years ago when I applied for a construction loan to build my house. I believe at the time I placed a value of around $14,000 for the Z's and the Camaro, and $8,000 for the tractor.

[Racer X]

So one of the engine options I have.

L28 With SU Carbs And 5 Speed by Racer, on Flickr

L28 With SU Carbs And 5 Speed by Racer, on Flickr

L28 With SU Carbs And 5 Speed by Racer, on Flickr

 

It is an L28, N47 head, and (I was told but don't know for sure) a Datsun Comp 5 speed. A guy gave it to me, and said it had been in a 240Z. Supposedly it has an aftermarket cam, and whatever else was done to hop it up, but without opening it up I have no idea. He also claimed the transmission was some special Datsun Comp unit, again, I cannot establish that to be true or not. I haven't seen any examples in any of the online resources for Datsun transmissions of the era. It did come with a custom built driveshaft to mate it with a Datsun differential, in a Z, and it is a 5 speed gearbox.

I'm going to rework the cart it is sitting on, and hook up a radiator and exhaust, and see if I can get it fired up to asses its condition.  If it is usable I'll likely drop it in the brown Z until I can budget the time to rebuild the original L24.

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by Racer X

[zeeboost]

It looks like the FS5C71A transmission, which I think the euro market used those transmissions in the 240Z as well (possibly different gearing...? Don’t know a lot about them). It may have also come from a Datsun 2000 roadster...

Edited September 19, 2020 by zeeboost

[Racer X]

48 minutes ago, zeeboost said:

It looks like the FS5C71A transmission, which I think the euro market used those transmissions in the 240Z as well (possibly different gearing...? Don’t know a lot about them). It may have also come from a Datsun 2000 roadster...

It has the same shifting mechanism of every 240 four speed and 280 five speed I have, but it is the only transmission I have with a companion flange, rather than an open spline.

[zeeboost]

Hah, you’re right. I just looked at the companion flange and guess for some reason my brain auto-filled a monkey motion shifter. Can’t say I’ve come across that style yet, but I’m sure someone else on here has.

[HS30-H]

1 hour ago, Racer X said:

It has the same shifting mechanism of every 240 four speed and 280 five speed I have, but it is the only transmission I have with a companion flange, rather than an open spline.

Its most likely the N3130 'Close-Ratio Overdrive' or N3030 'Wide-Ratio Overdrive' version of the FS5C71B transmission, with flanged output. It required a flanged propshaft. Sold by Datsun Competition in the USA, but not a 'competition' part per-se as they were factory stock equipment in other, non-USA, markets.   

[Captain Obvious]

Pics of the underside or it didn't happen.

[Racer X]

42 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

Pics of the underside or it didn't happen.

Soon.

[240ZBUILTBYME]

On 9/19/2020 at 11:08 PM, Racer X said:

I bought this car for Mrs. Racer 1.0 back in 1992 for $2,000. When we divorced she said she didn't want it, and demanded I pay her for it. I pointed out the car was bought with money out of my pocket, and the title was in my name, and I would not be giving here anything for the car, and that was that. I drove the car off and on until 1998, parking it because the oil consumption was excessive, and at the time I was trying to defend a championship in my race Z.

 

So the car sat in the back corner of the shop, collecting dust.

 

Fast forward to this past August. I'm at work, and my manager calls me, says I have to go home. Contact tracing had resulting in me being identified as being at risk to Covid19. Not wanting to waste a two week paid "vacation", I decided to clean up the shop a bit and see how the old Z was doing. I charged the battery overnight, and the car reluctantly came to life, 22 year old gas and all. 

 

Being all original, and numbers matching, I won't be making any changes that cannot be returned to the as new configuration. But in the interim I plan to replace the tired engine with one of the many others I have lying about, and rebuild the original as time and money allow.

And after sitting in the corner of the shop after 22 years, dust, dirt, overspray (I painted a tractor and even though I had a makeshift spray booth, overspray went everywhere) and spider poop.

1972 Datsun 240Z by Racer, on Flickr

On The Z by Racer, on Flickr

Now for some mechanical work. I am going to change the car over to a manual tranny. These cars should never have had automatics. 

 

I also have new carpet, weatherstripping, and interior plastic panels to change out.

Wow this came up so good after a bit of TLC! I was pleasantly surprised. 

[Racer X]

1 hour ago, 240ZBUILTBYME said:

Wow this came up so good after a bit of TLC! I was pleasantly surprised. 

Thanks Ryan!