gav240z

I realised they won't show up anyway here unless you're logged into zclub.net site (basically you need the logged in cookie set on your machine). Otherwise the images are broken. You can see lots of similar exhausts on Yahoo! Auctions here: http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?auccat=2084201980&tab_ex=commerce&ei=utf-8&p=s30&x=0&y=0 Example #1. http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n140855119 This system is a full system around $2,500 AU http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g137259715 Looks great. Reinhard makes a similar system. http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c499501639 http://www.reinhard.co.jp/en/shop/pdf02/02_nissan_20141115.pdf Fujitsubo also makes a similar muffler. http://www.rhdjapan.com/fujitsubo-legalis-r-exhaust-muffler-nissan-fairlady-z-s30-hs30.html

I see this style of exhaust on Yahoo! Auctions all the time.

I've seen this seller list them a few times. Think he is sourcing them from 240zrubberparts.com

Well done getting to that stage.

Rust and lots of it, and missing a lot of original parts. If looking for a restoration candidate that is, I bid on HS30 00150 because it looked mostly complete, albeit a bit rough body wise. The level of rust wasn't really disclosed in the eBay ad, but it wasn't my first rodeo so I kinda knew what to expect. Given the cost of many of the original parts these days especially for early cars I think I made the right decision going for something that was in my mind about 90% complete in terms of original shape. For example: - Early Steering Wheels are getting expensive. ($200 - $400) - Early Seats ($400 in rough shape). - Early Console's ($400 in good shape), finisher trims, ash trays (~$200 - $400 depending on condition). Choke and Throttle Knobs are $100 for reproductions etc.. - 240z tail lights in good shape are expensive. Ranging from $200 in poor shape to $2000 in OEM NOS shape. - A good restored early RHD S30z dashboard is worth maybe $800 + (although unlike the US market we didn't really have any changes between what they call 'series 1' and 'series 2'. Since those changes have to do with hazard switch positioning and our cars didn't come with hazard switches, so not sure we have an 'early' vs 'late' dash. - Early S30z type fender mirrors w/long stalks (JDM) are $600+ depending on condition. - A good early rear hatch is worth god knows what? I've not seen a good 1 for sale. Hence repairing mine, but the work involved I'd say a good rust free ready to paint hatch is worth at least $1000. - Try finding original badges (metal ones?) - Early 240z 1/4 pillar badges (in metal) are priced all over the place. From $60 - $300 USD. - Or try finding original AU market fender mirrors? That's been a challenge for me, although I think they were relatively generic ones fitted to many Japanese cars of the era. So think I got that sorted now or at least very very close. Basically because we got so few early cars in Australia and because what's left is generally being restored due to rarity nobody is parting them out - which I see more often in the US which means part supplies are much more limited and prices are higher. Therefore an early car that is complete and in need of restoration is worth far more than a car that is incomplete. To find an early S30z with minimal rust, complete and that's been in storage for many years etc.. is getting very rare these days. I'm pleasantly surprised when I find that many areas of my early car have never been taken apart. There's something to be said for a car that hasn't been messed about with too much by amateur mechanics. or repainted multiple times, or cut up for speakers and rewired for god knows what contraptions in the past. The bondo work I've found in my car though I'm less fond of...and it appears the car has at least had 1 repaint in the original Safari Gold. People like a car in it's original paint because it means it is less likely to be hiding nasty surprises. It must be said that what I enjoy half the time is the hunt for rare parts I get disappointed when I miss out on an auction at the last minute because someone else equally wants that part. The more parts you have to source the more expensive restoration becomes. An early car may be desired, but an early complete car is much more desirable. I guess the other thing that hasn't been directly mentioned is that low vin # seem to drive a bit more value. A few of us like to play low vin bingo and I totally understand if others feel that's a bit silly at the same time. But there is no denying this is driving bids up on sites like eBay.

What sold the 240K coupe or the LD28 crank?

Thanks Alan, I couldn't remember. Have you cut your guards to fit the Watanabe's on your car or have you left them alone? +1 documented rebuild is important.

Suddenly I like them even more now, in fairness years ago I wasn't a huge fan of the look (around 98 ish when I got my first 240z). I also hated Safari Gold as a colour but that's another story. If you're looking at the skinny wheels and the height it sits and critiquing the car on those merits you're looking at it wrong. It was a homologation special road car, built like that so that Nissan could use wider arches in competition. They had to produce X amount in that trim for it to be eligible. I think the Gnose really polarises people, but for the most part they have never seen it in the flesh to full appreciate what it does for the look of the car. In my opinion it looks great, but you have to see it in person to really get it and frankly most of the copies out there don't do the car justice. I've even warmed to GP Maroon over the years as a colour and don't mind the hubcaps on it. I think a big part of my change in flavour or opinion of these things over the years is learning to appreciate the car for what it is, what Nissan were trying to do and what they achieved. I could care less about how others view my cars in that I don't build them to show off or seek approval of others (not saying this is what others are doing mind you), and don't get my wrong it's nice when others recognise the hard work or approve of your build direction but for me it's not about appeasing others, the way I see it if you want to be different or stand out the best way to do that is go the opposite way of everyone else who is modifying their cars and keep it relatively standard looking . I've even gone to the effort of finding the early Fender Mirrors which won't be to everyone's taste but what I like about them most is the fact that everyone discarded them in the early 70s, what was once uncool I want to make cool again . Just like the sun rising in the morning each day, the longer a forum thread goes the more inevitable it becomes. I agree diversity is a good thing I'm not saying everyone should build their S30z's in the same way and tastefully modified is definitely subjective, but this is why I'm building a car the way I want as opposed to buying an already finished example, it gives you much more control over the build direction but obviously costs a lot more at the same time. So it's financial suicide but that's ok with me.

Thanks Alan, but that's utterly depressing. Always wanted a genuine Fairlady 240ZG and now it's just a bit more out of reach..I guess I should be happy to have 2 S30z's. It's nice to see their values go up and the cars finally getting recognised for what they are but there is a downside to interest in the marque also. Be careful what you wish for I guess.

I can't recall if the factory had the arches trimmed to accommodate larger wheels, I seem to recall discussions about it some time ago and I'm sure Alan would be able to confirm but I actually think it's possible they were cut. I tried to search through threads of archived discussions and found this interesting info on different flares used on 432-Rs vs say the HS30-H (ZG). http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/117331-oem-factory-240zg-overfenders-the-truth/ and here from 2002. http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/2774-240zg-flares/ So I'm not 100% sure if they were left to be modified later or were already cut on the HS30-H.

HS30-H A.K.A Fairlady 240ZG on Yahoo! Auctions. http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d165322713 Starting at 4.5M yen and asking 8.5M yen buy it out price. Current exchange rate at time of writing is ~92K AUD. It has some period mods like Triple Carbs and Exhaust header etc.. These seem to have gone up in value, a couple of years ago $50K AUD was about the money it would take to get 1, now they seem to have almost doubled. Not sure if that is market rate though?

HS30-H A.K.A Fairlady 240ZG on Yahoo! Auctions. http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d165322713 Starting at 4.5M yen and asking 8.5M yen buy it out price. Current exchange rate at time of writing is ~92K AUD. It has some period mods like Triple Carbs and Exhaust header etc.. I guess fender flares don't destroy the value of S30z's? Note to self, do want vertical defrost glass.

Did these sell in the end?

Pretty awesome build, story and guy!

I was having a bit of a joke but.. "You get a car, you get a car, you get a car, you get a car!" haha.

Looks like an Edward Lee's special, buy it, import it, give it a detail and call it a 260z. Put a price tag of $60k on it and deduct the tax loss. What more could you want?

Sold pending payment confirmation.

What did they charge to re-gas a strut?

Yep, times change and what was cool yesterday may be considered cliche or overdone tomorrow. That's the problem with the modified car scene in general. But build a car that reflects the period and it will always be in vogue or desirable. It is what it is and some would argue there is no point trying to change it (history that is). Social media has really made people more aware of these cars and shows like Jay Leno garage which has features his Mazda Cosmo and Honda S600 have helped shine a light on some of the intricate Japanese cars of the era. Petrolicious is another program that has featured a few unique and interesting cars particularly the Japanese makes. The internet and social media has also opened up the Classic Car market to the world in that it's now more accessible than ever to buy and sell on a global level. Which is important in the context of cars like the S30z that have worldwide appeal, where as Aussie muscle cars or even American Muscle cars may have a more narrow specific appeal depending on make and model. Games like Forza, Gran Turisomo, Need for Speed etc.. have all features cars like the S30z and that means an entire generation of young kids has grown up knowing what an S30z is, I so infrequently see an S30z on the road these days that if it were not for such exposure I don't think many kids would know what they are. I guess it depends on how you define 'beaten', a flat out drag race may prove the S30z is slow by today's standards. But why are you trying to prove yourself to a Corolla driver anyway? In terms of cool factor you've got him/her out-gunned anyway. Geez maybe I am old? But the race to have the fastest car is something I gave up on a long time ago. I mean there's always going to be someone with a faster car than you, bigger pockets, more HP etc.. It doesn't matter if it was a super car or not, cultural impact is far more important. Look at the DeLorean (not a super car) for example or the VW Combi Van (mass produced) etc.. They have had a positive cultural impact and that's what often drives their values. I don't think anyone has a problem with period relevant option parts, I certainly don't and in fact am looking for said parts myself. I also don't think the fact that we like the S30z left alone for the most part means we are a concourse crowd. You can still like original but not be so pedantic about the correct washers, or colours of engine blocks or correct part for that specific year. There are various levels of detail you can go to with this and I don't necessarily think that most owners here want to get their restorations to the highest of the high level. A good video that shows the difference between 2 restorations of Mercury's Cougar's, 1 has some small details missing and the other has been painfully restored to totally original shape. First car (CJ) = $44,000 - Overview of this car at 2:00 min mark. (15:03 is the auction) Second car (SCJ) = $140,000 (Auction at 22:51) - Details on this car are littered throughout.... Yes there is a specification difference in the 2 cars, but they look almost identical. Also the first car lacks some attention to detail, that most of us could probably live with and wouldn't worry too much about, yet the cars bring drastically different auction results. @Cracker I think that is what Theremm was getting at no? It's about Nostalgia more than anything else and nostalgia is a powerful force.

That's weak sauce.. No torque. An L engine makes umpteen more HP. In my opinion that sawp is going backwards. It is just a Mercedes copy anyway . I suspect you missed this post? http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,15742.msg166145.html#msg166145

Agreed, plus no capital gains tax. Pick the right classic car and you can make a lot of money. If you bought a Toyota 2000GT a few years ago, you'd be laughing right now, or if you bought and kept a genuine Phase III Falcon. Having value recognised in such cars means that cars that may have never been restored do get restored and people are happy to pump money into those restorations. *Slow day at Googles*

Manuals aren't listed on compliance plate if my 70 Z is anything to go by. The 72 doesn't have a compliance plate.

Call Rob at Z-Factory, he's restored many S30z's and can probably recommend a good blasters that won't destroy the car in the process.. Locky (a.k.a) Lurch, Mark (Scoota) or Rob at Zfactory are all good for rust repairs if they have the time capacity to take your project on. I'm using about 1mm thick mild steel in my tafe course, the rare spares door skin was considerably thicker than the stock skin. To be honest I'm not that fussed about those details, as the Z's were quite thin to begin with. The thinner the metal the harder it will be to weld also and open to more distortion. In terms of shipping patch panels, I've considered bringing some in, in bulk. Haven't investigated it fully yet as there is lots I can fabricate in my Tafe course. Can't help with this as I'm currently located in Sydney and most panel shops I've had experience with have been bad. Be prepared for more rust than you currently expect, some previous accident damage (possibly not major) and several botched repair jobs. It will be fun, if you can keep your sense of humour. PS: Go to the BBQ and ask questions there....

I think you're sort of agreeing with me though about originality aren't you? In that whatever you do (eg: engine swap) should be reversible to original or close to original specification? Retaining the original motor means your keeping the 'matching numbers' (which my early 240z won't have by the way and I don't think is a huge deal, although for top dollar yes, but for feel and overall enjoyability I don't think it matters that much personally). My 72 has the original block available so I think to some extent matching numbers is a good thing. We can agree to disagree that the L-banger is boring, I quite like em' for the period feel and look (aesthetics) in the engine bay. Are they an economical way to make power? Are they really fuel efficient? Are they the lightest option? Nope.. but they are simple to work on (I say this and I've not even finished a rebuild of 1) and easy to upgrade and fun to tinker with IMO. But then again I'm much more interested in say an LY engine head on an L-series block than I am to see a modern RB or SR or 1/2JZ under the hood. I'm much more interested in the history and development of the motor, but that is just me and my opinion. Who says you need to be an old guy to buy a mint and unmolested 240z? I'm 32 and I quite like the stock look and feel of these cars. Then again I listen to old music and my g/f says I've got an old soul so perhaps I'm just weird or should have been born in the 60's perhaps? I can live with that. I do agree there is a demographic shift in any collector car and certain cars rise in value and then value and interest can decline as that demographic *ahem (moves on) and perhaps the following generation is less interested in them. I'm sure it will happen with cars from the 50s and 60s (if it hasn't already) they hit a peak in values that slowly cools off. I think what we are seeing with S30z's is the beginning of the jump in prices, they will become unaffordable to many would be owners and they will move onto something else. It's just the cycle, although some cars will forever be cherished and highly valued. Sadly I think the Ferrari GTOs will always be out of my league no matter how old I get. I think a big difference between S30z's and say American Muscle cars is that there was relatively a lot fewer of them produced than there was of say Mustang's, Camaro's etc.. This means fewer have survived and may of today's survivors are not in great shape or in some cases potentially not worth the fiscal effort at current prices. This will erode current supplies and drive values up. So long as interest in the marque is sustained which thanks to video games, short features on Youtube and in other pop culture, music clips and movies and with continued interest in the Nissan brand (thanks to the GTR etc..) it seems there is no end of demand at this stage. At the end of the day build the car you want to own and enjoy. We've all said this before and we all end up agreeing on this. So none of my comments are to try and de-value other cars or builds. Rather they are the personal opinions based on how values of other cars have gone over the years when talking about high-end auctions and the collector car world.

In my opinion current asking price is fair, if the body rot hasn't returned since it was done, meaning it was more than likely repaired properly. Yes the paint colour may not be everyone's cup of tea but in a few years if the values of these cars has gone up even more the new owner may opt to repaint in an original hue and if the underlying bodywork is sound it shouldn't be too hard or expensive to do. If I were selling it though I'd probably be tempted to re-chrome the bumpers, change the wheels to something a bit more popular and period correct looking and switch the seats back to stock. Of course these additional expenses may negate any gains you get for going to that effort. This is of course just my opinion... by the way are you the same owner of the car in 2005 when we did that shoot down at the Docklands or has it changed hands since then?