Johnnys 1969 240z restoration

[MrKaos]

What would a 1969 Z be like new?

 

It's a question I asked myself when I started doing a restoration of my 1969 240z. I've had a few Z's. My first was a 1977 260Z with a GTR skyline L28 and triple 44mm solex's. What a beast. Nothing like the sound of induction noise of triples on a L series motor at full song. I can guarantee it turns heads better than a turbo charger, and the honest reaction of school kids piling over too one side of the bus to get a look at this hot car as you drive by reminds me of, well me, when I first saw a Zed.

 

My current<a href="http://www.viczcar.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10963"> Zed project </a> was first registered in 1969 and is well under the first 500 zeds released into Australia. It had encountered some neglect over the years and I actually owned it for about 7 years before I decided to strip it back and start again.

 

I would like it to be a stealth hot rod durable and drivable. I'm not fond of cars in glass cases.

 

It's been hard work on and off. Unfortunately for me I had a serious injury (snapped achillies) towards the end of the project and had to learn to walk again. I'm only just getting back to working on the car which suffered some damage while in storage :-(, parts went missing, rrrr.

 

Still I've put a good two months on it lately and finally will be getting it back home soon while I prep for the next stage of work. I'll take a few more piccys soon and post them then. In the mean time, I hope you get a feel for what I'm try to achieve.

 

Enjoy

[gav240z]

Welcome to the site and thanks for sharing your project with us. I've been approving your images every day of the last week or two. Been good to see your progress.

 

Like yourself I would eventually like to undergo a lengthy restoration of my Zcar, but I enjoy driving it too much to pull it off the road for an extended period at this stage. Although having said that I haven't driven it in a whole year as I've been working overseas.

 

Keep us updated and again welcome.

[RBZ 260]

hi and welcome to the forum.

 

Ive been monitoring as well closely the gallery pics for an update of your project. its looking real good. have you got any before pictures?

 

 

[NZeder]

What build number is it? I used to own chassis number HS30-00016 (here in NZ but the car is now in OZ) and it was not a 1969 model as it had 1970 seat belts, 1970 plug leads (assume close to original), and a date stamp/quality check/sticker in the glove box also 1970 - however this might have been when it came to NZ not when it was manufactured ie installed NZ belts etc. As I don't have this car anymore and have not owned for close to 10 years now I am only going by memory.

[mossy]

I thought my Z was a 69 too but according to this http://www2.zhome.com:81/History/history.html production for the HS30 began in Jan of 1970

[Hunter]

Just looked through your album. A lot of work has gone into this car.

 

Well done and can't wait to see the finished results

[Zedman240®]

I thought my Z was a 69 too but according to this http://www2.zhome.com:81/History/history.html production for the HS30 began in Jan of 1970

 

Same here; Apparently all 69ers had the chassis numbers starting with HLS30, then in 1970 they started the HS30. They started pumping them out for the US market first.

 

[MrKaos]

Hi all - thanks for your interest in my Z project and the info.  I have 2 zeds so maybe I was getting it confused with the other one which is earlier than this one, but I'm sure I saw the registration papers with it originally registered in 1969. The build number is HS30 00366 so I guess it can't possibly be a 1969 model.

 

My other 240Z was a rally car and it had some balls when I drove it. Ironically the head - now rebuilt - is in service in my Patrol and will be towing this Zed :-). I'll have to check for sure but I think it is HS30 0048.

 

Both cars have the vents on the hatch, rear brake balance block in the rear of the car, thinner diff mounts, upward mounting gearbox mounts - the voids behind the back seat didn't have a cavity for a tool kit, I 'damaged' 366 that way so I had room for 'accessories'. From what I learned from the previous owner of 048 it was bought directly from a production show of the cars by a Nissan exec - but of course it's anecdotal and requires validation.

 

I didn't know about the HLS series Zeds, I've never really paid that much attention to the front letters but when I'm at my dads place - (he is storing that car) I'll check it out - I haven't looked for many years.

 

While I was doing this car up I was comparing it to my previous experiences working on a 1976 260Z (the one with a GTR skyline motor) - I've attached a picture. You can tell the 260Zs were the pinnacle of development work that went into the Zs 2 seater's of that body shape. They are much more solid than the 240Z and it was *very* fast. I would love to get my hands on another late model 260Z and whack a current GTR skyline motor - but I digress.

 

But the 240Zs were the original concept and do seem lighter and I have retrofitted 260Z components into the vehicle. I just can't wait to drive it. I've often said to myself "I'm miss-in my Nissan'.

 

The current problem I have to solve is that *all* the new suspensions bushes and other new components like the new handbrake cable (and a rare 2400 rocker cover - and I doubt I will be able to get my hands on another one of those) have gone missing whilst I was incapacitated. The car was also damaged - so I'm not real happy with that. I've suffered enough delays in getting this car finished but to have my vision of what the car will be, tarnished, is really frustrating. I'll stop whinging now.

 

I'll try to find some pictures of the car before hand but I can tell you that the car was originally Yellow, then red and now it's blue. So it's actually made stops through the entire colour spectrum - little science joke there ;-)

 

So if anyone has suggestions where I can get my hands on new suspension bushes for a 240Z that would be great - but I'm also looking for a L32D crank if I can find one to go in a P90 L28.

 

But the engine build will be the next series of Photos...

 

Thanks all

 

Johnny

[NZeder]

I don't think you will find a LD32 crank - never head of one - LD28 crank, I have one and can get them easily here in NZ unlike OZ were they will cost you $800, I can get them from $50-300 with most around the $150 mark but the shipping is the killer.

 

Having owned the following zed

1976 RS30 aka 260z 2 seater (the one I still have the first zed I purchased)

1970 HS30-00016 240z early

1973 HS30-1xxxxx (can't recall) 240z

1971 HS30-012xx (can't recall the last 2 digits)

1976 S31-005360 aka Fairlady Z 2 seater with 2000cc EFI

 

I know the differences between the models and the early cars are different very different, some of the things you have pointed out, no tool boxes, vented hatch, different centre console, A type box, different diff location, different badging, different inspection flaps, different shape to the front guards around the inspection flaps, the 2400cc rocker cover on the HS30 models and the 2000cc rocker cover on the early S30 aka Fairlady Z, different SU carbs.....the list goes on and on

 

You can find the 2400cc rocker covers from time to time on ebay in the US and yahoo in Japan but expect to pay some big $$ these days. Also some parts you can still get from Nissan, however most of the time they don't like to check with Japan if the parts is still listed but sometimes you get lucky.

 

re the hand brake cable I am sure a number of brake/clutch places can make a new inner for you if you still have the outer. If not I recall seeing some for sale on a parts warehouse site in the USA - if you like I will see if I can find the link again.

 

Cheers

Mike

 

 

[MrKaos]

Thanks for the info NZedder. I guess the shipping will probably be more than $600 eh? I haven't really had the time to explore this forum as much as I'd like to yet because I've been so busy.

 

I checked out your site and the sand blasting to your car - looks awesome dood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Camouflage]

The 240Z didn't go on sale until September 1970 in Australia. So that would make all of them 1970 registered cars, or later.

[NZeder]

Thanks for the info NZedder. I guess the shipping will probably be more than $600 eh? I haven't really had the time to explore this forum as much as I'd like to yet because I've been so busy.

 

I checked out your site and the sand blasting to your car - looks awesome dood.

Yes shipping will kill it as they weigh 20kg and are large - 20kg is not so bad but with that size too I guess that is why they cost so much in Oz.

 

Keep up the good work - and maybe if I had my car home from the brothers workshop then I would be too busy to visit the forums too

[gav240z]

Thread revival - what happened to this project?

[dat240z]

Thread revival - what happened to this project?

 

Is someone a bit bored this weekend??? 

[d3c0y]

My first was a 1977 260Z with a GTR skyline L28 and triple 44mm solex's.

 

 

He's still looking for a GTR skyline L28?

[gav240z]

Is someone a bit bored this weekend??? 

 

A little, but it was actually an external Google Search that brought me to this thread again. I was hunting for low VIN # info and I noticed the OP only posted 4 times but mentioned he had a low VIN S30. So I was hoping they might still have the same email address and it might bring them back to the site. I'm trying to cross-reference early car differences to document them etc.. If for no other reason than my own interest, but also I suspect others are also intrigued.

 

 

[MyEnquiringMind]

consider me intrigued Gav...

 

Cheers, Jarrod.