boyblunda

Sensational shots. I hate to think what the previous owner spent to get the car to this stage and suspect that you have an exceptionable buy. Another possible example that supports the argument that it is better to buy someone else's project rather than embark on a project for yourself. I really like the outline of intentions you have prepared for your car. With regard to thoughts for the mirrors, I have just purchased and received a pair of BRE mirrors whichI hope to soon fit to my own project (along with a BRE front carbon fibre spoiler). My first impressions of these mirrors is that they are very well made and robust, and will suit the car nicely. My fall back position for this issue are the XB ford mirrors. You are off to a great start. Please post more pics or post a thread about your car, how you came to find it etc. Regards Dave

Hang on a bit. Is there not a Western Australian Dunsborough based blue Zed with a Chev V8 that I saw running at the Albany Wind Farm stage a few years back?

I became really excited when reading the comments on this thread as I thought of the potential to create a performance retro Z - retro look with the addition of modern technology. I really like what the Camaro has done with its later model where the lines are immediately recognizable as being those of the original, plus it has a lot of the modern components and safety features that one might look for in a "restomod". And then came the Motortrend article .......... Oh My .............. What a shame. Why does the phrase "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" come to mind? I was seriously getting my thoughts together about buying the second new car I have ever owned (the first being a 180B in 1977 which I sold, without the slightest regret, six months later for a 1600 rally car). I was seriously tossing up whether to reconsider if my next car was to be a 69 Mach 1 or the new Z. If the Motortrend article is anything to go by, the revised Z is no longer a consideration. I thought the reserved opinion expressed early on the Toyota / Subaru BRZ concisely expressed the reservations I had about these new vehicles. Good looks, good price but not quite the performance unless some performance extras are installed. Great thread and excellent comments. Let us all hope that Nissan make the best possible use of this opportunity. Regards Dave

Dat2kman, I think the degree of technical support you might be looking for is best summarised in Paulo's opening post in this thread. PM sent to you. Best regards Dave

Hi Paulo and thanks for your frank opinion of the book. I bought and read this book a few months ago and can see how you might have come to the conclusions stated above. Without going into the book word by word I always thought that it was going to describe some of the life of Spike Anderson, with a strong emphasis on his involvement with the modified s30 (Super Samuri) cars and a coverage of Win Percy's involvement with Big Sam. I agree that it was lacking in technical detail but I thought I got a good insight into the scene surrounding those topics and the frustrations that faced many very talented mechanics and drivers in the 70's. His life seemed to be a series of semi chaotic events punctuated by some notable achievements. He certainly expressed frustration at the lack of manufacturer support for his efforts and achievements and personally suspect that his own personality might have sometimes been an obstacle for achieving greater recognition and assistance. I did appreciate the description and listing of the cars involved in the program as I would think some of the current owners of those vehicles might do. For what its worth I was happy to have purchased and read the book and value its position in my Z library. Regards Dave

So Gareth, As I have previously said "fair comment" but as a Western Australian I am unaware of the specific requirements for a RWC when selling interstate. I can only presume that the responsibility then befalls the interstate purchaser to transport the vehicle and then have it inspected for RWC before it can be registered in other States requiring same. I would think that there seems to be little a WA based seller can do about this situation but is is fair warning for anybody based in your State to consider when buying from outside their State of residence? Am I reading your comment correctly here? Regards Dave

Fair comment but in WA there is no regulatory requirement for a "roadworthy" or RWC as exists in some other States. Earlier recommendations such as a personal inspection or a local "expert" inspection are well warranted in this case given the price being asked.

I do know of this car and it was the second car I referred to. Unfortunately I have not seen the car A couple of years ago Peter Harrold purchased this car as a genuine barn find from an elderly single owner who had looked after it fastidiously, always garaged, properly serviced. The original owner was eventually unable to drive the car due to failing eyesight and contacted Peter through the WAZ Register. Peter, also a fastidious Zed nut with a focus on detail and doing the job right, tidied up a few small items mainly with regard to tuning, fluids and the like. He said the original owner was in tears as it was trailered away. Peter later went back once he had gone over the car and took the original owner for a drive in it. Peter already had a couple of Zeds and later on reluctantly sold the car to another person in the Zed fraternity - most likely the person you are dealing with now. As I think I remember from conversations with Pete, the interior was absolutely immaculate. The round top carb switch is a common improvement and I would not count it as a negative consideration. It does sound like an honest description with a mistaken reference to the carbies.

Steve I got a bonnet, guards, bumpers and front spoiler from HSV001 (Warren) on ebay and found him great to deal with - good communication, everything as promised, well packaged, good product. He also has flares and scoops for sale. I think he is also willing to make lighter products for people who are competition oriented. FWIW Dave

Welcome to the Forum Just looked at this ad and immediately thought that it needs to be something pretty special to get what would be an exceptional price for a 2+2. The ad mentions twin webers when I only see round topped carbs (not original with the 1977 +2). This is not a bad thing on its own as I have this same "improvement" on my own 1977 2+2. However, it is an indication that the description might be lacking in accuracy. This is an extremely well presented and attractive vehicle from my just reading the advertisement. However, for this asking price you would have to pursue a degree of due diligence to verify the veracity of the description if the price was to be justified. Then you would have to consider the cost of transport etc. On the other hand Bozo has a well documented project very near completion at a comparable price and in a location where you might view the vehicle for yourself .................. I have heard of two WA cars that possibly meet this description - Ken Lyons restored a vehicle to a very high standard and Peter Harrold found a car that was an original one owner up until a few years ago when he bought it and then passed it on. Of these two possibilities it is more likely to be the latter. If this advertised car is either of the two vehicles I have just described then they would well warrant further investigation. Send me a PM if I you want to discuss further. FWIW Dave

Gav, this is one of the best and most timely posts I have ever seen on a Z Forum. Well said. Bozo, you obviously have put in a huge investment in to this car and you are on the cusp of reaping the rewards. I am personally impressed by the energy you have put into your Zed and the the positive posts you have made on your build. Put it aside for a while if you you need to do so but realise that this is NOT the personal moment, or the climate in the market, for you to think of selling the car. The light is beaming at the end of the tunnel. Best regards Dave

Hi Z, Not wanting to hijack this thread but ..... I am VERY interested in this item. Can you give me a price including freight to Perth Western Australia? I have just purchased a BRE rear CF spoiler and am wanting to mount a "matched pair". No rush. At your convenience please. Regards Dave

This book now available at Pitstop Bookshop. Samuri - Ultimate Evolution of the Datsun 240Z: Bio of Spike Anderson Code No: 25240 Price: $36.95 plus postage

This (I think 1998) book is a bargain - I have $69.90 on the price sticker attached to the copy I bought years ago. The author has tackled a challenging breadth of topics in this book going right back to the origin of the Datsun story in 1913, progressing through the decades to the development of the Fairlady SP310, the SP311 and the Fairlady 2000. the section on Goertz' involvement should be read in the context of broader comment that has come to light since but this section does reflect some of the controversy that has surrounded his time and quotes Mr Katayama describing Goertz as "had been a consultant prior to the original Z project but was not involved with the design". The book goes on to describe the development of the Z and has separate chapters for both racing and rallying, a section on restoration, and also describes the car in different markets. The Pitstop deal is outstanding value. If you are into Zed books then do grab this one. It is clearly better then most other Zed books I have seen and will possibly be the best thing on Zeds until HS30-H pens his own. Just to quote Alan Thomas (HS30-H) himself from a Classic Z post "DATSUN Z - Fairlady to 280Z" by Brian Long ( published by Veloce ) is probably the best English-language book out there on the S30 Z subject, but in my opinion the definitive book is still waiting to be written. There are a fair few publications in Japanese ( I collect them ) but these tend to skim over certain very interesting areas just to avoid rocking the boat. There are still a real lot of skeletons in Nissan's cupboards, and the Japanese journalists find it easier to keep them closed. This might sound a bit cryptic to you, but you have to bear in mind that there are lots professionally litigious people in the world who are also liars or at the very least gross exaggerators. In my mind its a crying shame that Nissan never really stood up for the team who actually designed the S30, and the Chief Designer in particular. In the months leading up to the inevitable hoo-ha about the "350Z" and with Nissan talking about its heritage, its ironic that Goertz is still getting the credit and namechecks for something that he had so little to do with................ ( so sue me, Albrecht! ). If I wrote a book about the Z I would just HAVE to confront the Goertz thing, and it would be difficult to be diplomatic about it." I would think that the above quote is a pretty fair recommendation as to the value of Brian Long's book.

Just to help other members with their translation of Mr Camouflage's reaction to the above post, the perpetuation of the Goertz myth is probably the single biggest bug in Datsun history. If you ever have a few hours of spare time go to ClassicZ and search "Goertz Myth" and you will find the matter fully dissected there. It is an interesting history if you are interested in that sort of thing. A sample thread http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread41766.html might give you an initial impression of where all this might end up. It is not hard to see why this keeps on cropping up given that articles and books on the development of the Zed car continue to refer to the original erroneous articles for the basis of their statements. The articles continue to surface despite efforts by true Zed historians to correct the matter. Bottom line is the Goertz designed NEITHER the 2000GT or our beloved Zed.

Thanks for the comments above. I was never much more than average driver but I really enjoyed my time rallying and the teamwork required in that sport. I scared the pants off a number of navigators and had a great time until they changed some rules in the mid 80's which lead me to sell my reshelled car to young guy who totaled it after a few months. It was a bit of a coincidence that the wreck was seen by one of my service crew members who swooped on the good parts and saw them off to a good home. My original shell was knackered by 1982 and I began I rebuild project which resulted in a car that was truly beautiful - one that a State Champion driver said he could another championship to his achievements if I was to lend it to him. The old rolling shell and cage was sold to a talented local identity as a wreck - he stuck a rotary motor in it and became the only Dazda to ever win a WA State Rally Championship. I currently have three licensed zeds - one a sporty two seater that I am overjoyed with. A 2+2 for touring and another 2+2 for chasing cows around the paddock. Will post in another thread with pics once I learn how ro reduce the size of photo files. Love the info and support I receive from this forum. Thankyou to those who contribute out there. Best regards Dave

1978 was my novice year when I began car rallying in a Datsun P510. My very first event was a full on 1500+ kilometre Australian Rally Championship event where we won our class due more to knowledge of the rules and late time limits than driving skill. In fact I drove that event on less than 24 hours notice after substituting my original entry as a co driver which was withdrawn due to the brand new car being totalled the day before the event (please do not ask for this long story). The sponsor of the original car was mildly impressed with what looked like a promising start to my rally career and was considering transferring his sponsorship from the totalled car to my car. As a sweetener I offered to drive him while he navigated for me in a clubman (introductory) event. We had a few lessons about navigation events etc and we started the event as car #1 – numbers having been drawn from a hat. I could not believe my luck when the route took us up to an area that I knew extremely well. We drove through stages that bordered my uncles’ farms, down realignments I had known about since I was a kid, down roads that I practiced on etc. I knew these roads so well that the navigator only had to work out where we had to go and I could drive the stage while he worked out the next stage on the map. Not only that, but I knew the roads so well that I could drive blind on the bends, through puddles and in a general at a pace that my normal level of bravery and skill did not allow for. My navigator and possible future sponsor was awesome and was totally on the ball. We were creaming the event and at the start of the last competitive stage we had not incurred a single time penalty and were ten minutes ahead of our nearest rival in a field of about 40 cars. Part way into the last stage we popped a fan belt but we elected to continue as a calculated risk thinking we had to protect our lead in the short distance to go, The short story is that we finished without penalty driving on a flashlight but cooked the motor but that was all worth it due to the fact that we thought we had won. Regrettably, in all the excitement I had made an error on booking in earlier in the event and incurred a penalty for early arrival which cost us the lead and relegated us to third place. In the space of a single clerical error I had gone from Boy Wonder to BOY BLUNDA. Fortunately my sponsor was sufficiently impressed to continue his sponsorship for 9 years. Boy Blunda was the moniker painted on my door by the sponsor and for the rest of my rallying I continued to amuse the Western Australian rallying fraternity with my disasters eg. not finishing an event for two seasons without an electrical problem, completely rewiring the car and replacing all of the gauges only to have an electrical short start a minor fire on the very first event after the rewire, navigating for other people who then had electrical problems and so the list goes on. Have used Boyblunda ever since and on this and ClassicZ sites.

Five Times Australian Rally Champion Ross Dunkerton and inaugural Australian Rally Champion Bob Watson have colluded in the writing of "Dunko" covering more than 40 years of Ross Dunkerton's participation in rallying in Australia and overseas. I thought it was excellent reading and, from my perspective, lots of very interesting and fair comment. A great read. Dunkerton won his first three National titles in a 240Z/260Z and was both a talented driver and an excellent bush mechanic - getting that Volvo to first privateer at the end of the 1979 Repco Around Australia was quite a feat. Anyone that has heard him speak will know that he can tell a good yarn and likes to have a good laugh. I would recommend the book to anyone who is into rallying and motor sport history. Available from Pitstop Bookshop. Regards Dave

Also very interested but a little concerned at the amount of work that might be involved by anyone coordinating such a purchase - as in how the books might be distributed to purchasers. If the total of 36 is not reached then I am happy to go through Pitstop who provide an excellent service on motoring books. Regards Dave

Rod I had a personal look at Tom's car while Will was working on it and I can only say that if Will accepts your project and can fit it in, then it would be a serious challenge to find anyone better in Perth to do your car. When the time comes that I have a serious project that needs an artisan with old school skills and a commitment to a quality outcome, Will would be the first person I would call upon to consider my project. He is a truly exceptional person who is very proud and particular with his work. If you have a comprehensive restoration project, Will is someone who is capable of matching and exceeding your expectations. Regards Dave

Your car RS30 000808 is an early model 260Z which may have some things to keep in mind with regard to ordering parts as some will be from a 240Z rather than a 260Z. The transition from the 240Z to the 260Z had a bit of a grey area which is not always covered accurately in the parts manuals due in part, I am told, by the "light bodied" early 260Z's using the old 240Z bodies for the first few months. Nothing to be concerned about, but something to keep in mind. All the best with your project. Best regards Dave

Not quite on topic but I remember days gone by (70's and 80's) where upset individuals objected to rallies by blocking roads with machinery, putting obstructions on roads - was not Greg Carr denied a possible win in a Southern Cross after he ran into an obstruction of rocks and sticks - threatening people with firearms etc. Of course none of these things are legal, but I suppose the bottom line is that motorsport always has to tread a very tenuous thin line with its public relations and getting onside with statutory authorities. It is easier for high profile events to get the support or to have the weight of influence that enables them to get most of what they want. However, the backlash of reactionary opinion can be quite limiting for those of us that want to organise or participate in lower level events. Motorsport will always have to fight a rearguard action to protect the position it has. It annoys me intensely to observe the patterns that have become apparent in WA where we once used to have several speedway circuits around the metropolitan area - none of those now exist as suburban infill and residents objections have forced these venues to close. Do West Australians remember Ellen Brook, Forrestfield, and Bibra Lake speedways. Everyone must remember Claremont speedway. Rallies have been forced further out into the country with all the Treechangers and hobby farmers not wanting the noise and disturbance in their environment. As a parallel situation look at the situation with airstrips around the metropolitan area. I suppose what I am saying is that we are always going to have to be careful and present ourselves in the best possible light. And yes, it is a pain particularly when you are often dealing with a small number of very loud objectors. Regards Dave

Hey Dan What month and year is your car? If the louvres on the bonnet and the alloy wheels are any indication it looks to be a late model (1977?) two seater - do not see many of those around. Just out of curiosity, is it still fairly original e.g. flat top carbs. You sound like you are checking out your options and are almost ready to go for it. Good to see you checking your car thoroughly, posting pics and asking questions before committing to any particular course of action. Good luck Dave

Welcome Dan. From the one photo, as best we can tell, it looks as though the car was straight and original with rust the #1 issue to deal with. When you get the time, post up some more details of your car, your history with the car, what you know of its previous history and what you intend to do with it. It looks as though you have exposed the known rust areas in the first step to restoring / refreshing the car - that will certainly get enthusiastic support from members on this forum. All the best. Look forward to seeing how you progress with this project. Regards Dave

I have used and recommend Robin Falconer who himself is a bit of a Zed nut. He has transported several Zeds for me in recent years and sold my two seater to me. 0430 322294