C.A.R.

Oooooooooh, The fluid & seals in the Koni's turn to poo if they have been sitting for too long. Best get them rebuilt...

Yeah Ev, I seem to remember reading about the fender mirrors & which ones where the 'correct' ones & whatnot. I reckon I'd find the fender mirrors a PITA too see out of anyway - having them on the door is much more convenient I'm also now on the hunt for the correct rocker/tappet/valve cover. The one on it currently is the std "Nissan OHC" one. The one that 'should' be one there is: "Nissan 2400 - OHC". However, I feel this is going to be a time consuming & costly exercise to find one

Damn you Gav! Now I need a change of pants...

Eh? He's not me Pauly. Ease up or you'll get a paddlin...

I'd be checking for strut tops that are perished/compressed/collapsed. The check if the spring perches are welded in on the strut tubes at the same height both side. Failing that, I'd be checking for chassis twist...

Needs some work?! Kiss my bum, you heathen! You already have 5 Chong - I'm not going to be your enabler for any more! Thanks Ev. It's never had fender mirrors mate, But in time I'll try tracking down some correct chrome 240Z door mirrors. The chassis has done over 250,000 miles, so it's done some work. Milage like that doesn't really concern me though. Bwahaha, normally Italics are used to convey sarcasm Simon Thanks anyway, I know you mean well BTW you'r being a girly man about finding parts for your shell - theres more than one way to go about getting parts! Restart the sideline business? Hrmm... maybe. But it would only be on a job buy job basis... I really got a chuckle out of Suls joke I paid a LOT more then $2,250.00 for it. It's very much worth it though BTW last night I fitted up my new door Pinchweld/Doorseal, that I got courtesy of Simon (Thomo260). It fitted beautifully (it's top quality stuff), so hopefully less wind noise now & no cracked/broken pinchweld falling off...

Or Ben at Otomoto: http://www.otomoto.com.au/

Thanks Suls, but you didn't have to repeat the purchase price! Jeeze...

FWIW Steve it's a S2 Long Wheel Base (LWB) & a factory Manual to boot! Quite rare! Hopefully it wont be too hard to find...

Well... IMHO you should use the period correct MK63 4-spot calipers & suitable vented rotors on the front. And either the R31 rear disc brake conversion or the more period correct S1 280ZX disc brake conversion with a 1" M/C

Ha! Where on earth did you find that Loui?

Looking good!

Mine was just an on the spot thing with Shannons. Generally speaking, Shannons go off the purchase price for the agreed value. If you want a larger agreed value, they want to inspect it in person.

Old fella? Who you calling 'old', you young whipper snapper?!

Mike, send Gordon Dobie an email. He reply's quite quickly & is quite willing to give out information to interested people.

Thanks for the comments everyone! Mike, I think some 16’s will be on the cards – just not sure what width as yet :-\ I know a 9” wide rim will just squeeze under the rear with the right offset rim, lipped arches & coil-overs. Knowing my future power upgrade, I think a 9” rim might be prudent… Brakes - I don't know. Your last PM to me regarding that, has made me more undecided than ever In any case, I'm going to wait a few months before making any major upgrades/changes. Thanks Adam. I personally think it looks ‘over tired’ with the 65 profile rubber on it. It also needs lowering further too. The front ‘spook’ is something that Harry had made up out of 1.2mm steel back in the 70’s It’s an interesting ‘period’ addition that changes the look of the front of the Zed dramatically (IMHO). As for engine HP, I think the quoted HP is a little optimistic. Around 180-190hp at the treads is more accurate. Don’t be fooled though – it’s no slouch Yeah – hurry up & send me an invite already! I’ll have to pop down for breakfast again one Saturday

I have the PDF file here detailing my policy - I can email it if anyone wants?

No - full rego & driven twice a week

http://www.lsvinsurance.com.au/ I recently had the 240Z insured through LSV - as they blew the Shannons quote out of the water... I'm over 25yo, with a clean driving history. Shannons quoted me $270pa, car valued at $12,000 with all the options. LSV came back with agreed value of $23,000 (I wanted an agreed value over 20k) with all the options, for... $150pa(!) Highly recommended!

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,7104.msg65962.html#new

The Original L24 can stay put for the moment, as it's quite healthy... However I want to build up another L24+ for it, so I can remove the orig. L24 & store it Final wheel choice will depend on brake package :-\

Few more photos: (Pineapple added for extra awesomeness)

A few weeks before Easter this year (2010), a mate from the Gippsland Car Club lobs into my work for a quick yack & informs me he’s heard about a 240Z for sale, down near the G/Lakes. I said “yeah, get me some details” (thinking that nothing will come of it). Right before I’m due to go on holidays for Easter, said mate lobs back in on a Friday with a phone number for an older bloke called Harry… Hrmm… I get home that evening & mull over for a few minuets weather or not to call this ‘Harry’. I give in & make the call: (Summarizations of the call): “Hello?” “Hi Harry, my name is Locky & I’m enquiring as to weather you have a 240Z for sale?” “Umm… well… yes I guess I do” “OK well, umm, can you tell me some information about it? What year is it?” “Oh, well it’s a 1970 model” Bells start ringing in my head & I immediately ask” “Ahh ok – do you know what Chassis Number it is?” “Oh it’s 14something – I can’t remember atm” (At this stage I break out into a cold sweat). “Right. Is it still registed?” “Oh Yes – It’s been registed & insured since 1970 – still has the original plates on it.” (My heart starts racing) “Oh excellent” (me trying not to sound too excited) “So how long have you owned it Harry?” “I bought it new in December 1970 – it took aaaaaggges to arrive from Japan” (My hand starts shaking). “So is it in stock condition is it?” “Well it mostly is, but I had the orignal engine & gearbox rebuilt a few years ago buy a bloke called Gordon Dobie who used to run a workshop called ‘Datsun Performance Centre’. Have you heard of him?” (I nearly drop the phone) “Umm, yes the name rings a bell” “Right, well he rebuilt the engine with a ported head with big valves, cam, & he also fitted fuel injection with one of those ‘Wolf’ computers.” “Oh right” “Yes, but it doesn’t run very well – I don’t think it’s been tuned correctly.” “It’s also got a rebuilt close ratio gearbox in it – it’s magic to shift” (At this stage I’m nearly a drooling mess on the floor) “That all sounds excellent Harry – oh, is there much rust in the body?” “Nope, apart from the bottoms of the guards – they’ve blistered. Damn things, they’re the 2nd set I’ve had on it!” “Well… umm… (trying to sound composed), that sounds like a very nice 240Z Harry” “If your home tomorrow (Saturday) would it be possible to come down & have a look at it?” “Yes, I don’t see why not. But make it after 10am – I’m retired & I don’t get out of bed early anymore unless I have to! (laughs).” I hang up & sit on a chair in complete disbelief. So much for nothing coming of that… The next Day I head down there (2hr drive) & meet up with Harry & his lovely wife Dawn, to inspect the Zed. I think most of my Christmas’s came at one that morning. Not only is it an early Chassis number – HS30-00149, it’s also matching numbers! L24 015356 Harry was undeniably nervous about selling it (with good reason!), so a careful negotiation process took up most of the morning. However fate intervened when I went & started it: a high pressure fuel line burst in the engine bay, spraying fuel all over the garage floor. I quickly shut it down & this (sadly) was when it really hit home for Harry – the mighty 240Z was beyond him… Dad & myself shot down after Easter & collected the Zed with the trailer, & we spent most of the day there talking, eating, drinking & socializing - basically making it easier for Harry to separate from the Zed, which he so loved. He also gave me all the old parts he’s taken off it: the Hitachi carbs, steel wheels with early ‘D’ hubcaps, front under tray, front spook (which he had made in the 70’s for it!) etc etc. He even gave me the original sales receipt for it, from when he bought it!!! In the coming weeks after I took position of it, I repaired the rust in the guards, then the floor, chassis rails, foot-wells, inner guard (under the battery tray), firewall… It was a tad rustier than Harry thought…! Then the panic set in –I was so busy at work, and with only a few weeks to get a Roadworthy (in order to keep the original B&W plates) & transfer it into my name I decided to hand it over to Mike at Spyder Automobiles in Warragul to finish the mechanical repairs & organize the roadworthy. The roadworthy was achieved with a few days to spare – to say I was stressed during this time would be an understatement…! Mike is also a Wolf dealer, installer & tuner & had the 240Z running like a Swiss watch – as it always should have been. And that’s the story – perhaps the greatest find I’ll ever have! Future plans are to fit new door rubbers (thanks Simon!) then upgrade the brake/suspension/diff & maybe fit some triple throttle bodies (nice easy ‘bolt-on’ modifications)… then see what it does on the track  This is one Zed that’s never going to be cut up/butchered & is to remain one VERY special Z (at least to me!). Thanks for reading! Cheers, Lurch.

For the next 25 years Harry used the 240Z as daily transport, as well as numerous holiday trips to NSW & QLD with wife Dawn beside him. (Indeed, so potent was the 240Z, that during the 70’s with Harry behind the wheel, it did something quite extraordinary. Victorians will know that the distance from the Melbourne suburb of Croyden, to Bairnsdale down near the Gippsland Lakes. Well this particular 240Z did that trip from Croyden to Bairnsdale in 1 hour & 50 mins. Twice. At night). In approximately 1986, with the body showing its age, Harry finally did something he’d been wanting to do since he bought it. The body was repaired & resprayed in a bright Ferrari Red (the same colour it wares today). Fast forward a number of years later & Harry is finding the original L24’s performance has really dropped off, so Harry asks the man who had been servicing his Z since new to rebuild his trusty L24 & maybe give it a bit of a performance boost while it’s apart. That great man of Datsun tuning: Gordon Dobie. Harry’s brief to Gordon was simple: as much power as possible without sacrificing drivability. And Gordon delivered just that. Combined with the rebuild, the head was ported & L28 size valves fitted, a DPC spec camshaft, upped CR, performance headers, 280ZX injection manifold & controlled buy a WOLF V4 ECU, the new engine gave new life to the Z & made Harry grin even more so than when he first drove it in 1970… Years later Harry & Dawn retired to the Gippsland Lakes district & naturally the Zed went too. Sadly Harry’s health had started to deteriorate & the Zed was used less & less, in favor of a cheap hatchback to run around in. And THIS is where the story takes a turn…

Yes, I’m a big fat fibber - LOLZ! My apologies to those who contacted me to see if I was alright – but I was more than OK… Anyway, before I begin I need to go back to the year 1970… Early in 1970 accountant (& all round car nut) Harry Thorpe is perusing the auto magazines at his local news agent, when he spies a copy of US magazine “Road & Track” in which they have road tested the all new DARRRTSUN 240Zee. Harry was impressed but the flowing lines of the new ‘Zed car’, & was even more excited about the performance figures... Now Harry was no stranger to performance sports cars – be had previously owned a couple of very quick Austin Healey’s 100’s, even racing one in the 50’s at Albert Park against the likes of one ‘S. Moss’ in a Maserati 300S… Anyway, so impressed was Harry with the review’s of the 240Z, he wandered into his local Nissan/Datsun dealer at the time – Novadale Motors – a few months later to enquire about a test drive. He was rather taken aback when the salesman informed him that no 240Z’s were available for test driving! Harry then deciding to bite the bullet, then asked to BUY one. “Not a problem sir – as long as you can wait 6 months” (The US having similar supply issues, as Nissan Japan could not keep up with demand). 6 Months! Very annoyed, Harry left a securing deposit & then went home to inform his wife Dawn that the new car won’t be ready for “a little while”… December 1970 rolls around & Harry gets a phone call from Novadale: “Mr. Thorpe, your 240Z has arrived & is waiting for you to collect it.” Excited, Harry raced down to the dealer – only to be disappointed: “It’s light brown!” “It’s called Safari Gold actually, Mr Thorpe” “It’s horrible – do you have another 240Z in a different colour?” “I’m afraid not Mr. Thorpe – it’s either this car, or you can wait another 6 months” Begrudgingly Harry paid for the 240Z (he REALLY wanted it badly by this time) in full & drove it home. He was not disappointed…