Nissan Restoration Club To Restore The Legendary Safari Rally Z

[MyEnquiringMind]

Nissan Restoration Club To Restore The Legendary Safari Rally Z

 

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/releases/nissan-restoration-club-to-restore-the-legendary-safari-rally-z

[710sss]

The restoration is finished.  Ceremony held two nights ago in Tokyo to unveil the Z. 

Neil.

 

[dat2kman]

What about the Z that Mehta turned into a bowl of Miso soup, the one where Shekar is pictured standing next to it, grinning, and the car is upside down, and gone four rounds with Mike Tyson!

 

Interesting that Zama are allowing the original cars, in their as finished each event state, to be "restored"

They feel that it is better to show the true original cars in as is condition!

[gav240z]

The restoration is finished.  Ceremony held two nights ago in Tokyo to unveil the Z. 

Neil.

 

 

Post the images you must

 

[710sss]

Here is a picture of the Z at the ceremony. 

[PZG302]

What an ordinary resto.... The panel gaps are shocking and the front guard looks like a 5 year old has been let loose with a hammer

 

Good to see isn't actually restored, just "restored"

[710sss]

There are three in Zama, here is another shot of the car before work was done to it.  Some of the cars are being restored to mint condition.

Others are being repaired.

[Riceburner]

Are there any detailed pictures of the restoration, interior, engine bay, driveline?

[710sss]

Here is a web link dedicated to the works 240z cars that will show some of what you are looking for.

 

http://www.z-point.nl/

 

I have not been back to Zama since the restoration so until my next trip there I will not be able to provide additional photographs.

 

[Riceburner]

Thanks

[Mr Camouflage]

Looks like more of a fix up than a restoration. I'm glad they didn't make it look like a brand new 240Z. This still looks like a car that was put through a grueling rally experience. It still has its patina.

[Lynton]

Patina....it is a beautiful word, far better than fully restored .....original and mint that is what I like!

Lynton

[HS30-H]

I was shown around the car back in December. I was worried that they were going to throw out the baby with the bathwater, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

 

I would have preferred they hadn't touched it, but after talking to the guys from the Nissan Technical Centre who 'refreshed' it, I understood their position a little better. Nissan are under great pressure to make their Heritage Collection cars more of a living and breathing entity, and they want to have as many of the cars as possible in running and driving condition and in a fit state to survive for many years more. There are also the dreaded health and safety issues surrounding public display and use of these cars ( especially in these ridiculously litigious times we live in... ) and so they have to make them as safe as possible. In most cases that means new brake components and new fuel system components, as well as other stuff.

 

However, the NTC guys made a good effort to keep as much of the patina on '1223' as they could. There are a few things they did that I don't understand ( like re-trimming the seats, WHY?! ) but it'd be impossible to please people like me in all respects anyway. The car now runs and drives again, will keep the insurance people happy and consequently more people will be able to see it. Which can only be a good thing for the years to come.

 

Amazingly, the NTC guys managed to find an almost-correct set of NOS tyres for the car. They are period Japanese Dunlops, and a very similar type to those used on the car originally. Not exactly the same, but still an amazingly rare find and they even appear to be in decent condition for their age ( rubber not deteriorated ). They also made new 'carnet' number plates made for the car. The rear one that had been on the car since the end of the '71 Safari Rally was actually a fake ( made from 'Anchor' brand duct tape..! ) fabbed up by the Works mechanics to replace the original, which had been pinched ( allegedly ) by one of the original crew members as a souvenir. Would love to know where that is now. But the duct tape plate was part of the car's character for the last 40-odd years and it seems a bit odd to see a shiny new carnet plate in its place. Oh well....

 

 

   

[Riceburner]

Hi Alan, some really interesting info here.

 

Regarding your pictures, can you tell me the purpose of the kangaroo washer bag, the canister in front of the battery and also the clear poly tube looping upwards on the firewall behind the engine? I can't see any chassis plates either.

 

It appears similar to a moderately modified engine bay, but I guess the devil is in the detail. I'm sure I could look at this for hours and miss most of the important parts.

 

Thanks, Gareth.

[HS30-H]

Regarding your pictures, can you tell me the purpose of the kangaroo washer bag, the canister in front of the battery and also the clear poly tube looping upwards on the firewall behind the engine? I can't see any chassis plates either.

 

The Kangaroo bag is the ( supplementary ) windscreen washer fluid container, with integral pump. The canister thing in front of the battery is actually the Fiamm air horn pump and distribution unit. The clear poly tube is part of the windscreen washer system. Engine bay tag is safe, don't worry. 

 

It appears similar to a moderately modified engine bay, but I guess the devil is in the detail. I'm sure I could look at this for hours and miss most of the important parts.

 

Most of the trick parts of the engine are on the inside. But these ( early ) works cars have thousands of secrets that you only come to understand when you keep looking and looking and looking at the car in the flesh. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the cars are 'fairly standard', as they are far, far from it.

 

I could go on for hours about them, but even then every time I see one of them I learn something new.