boyblunda

I do agree that it is quite a gamble but I do know three Western Australians who have done exactly that. There is a scarcity of 2 seaters available in WA and we are forced to look further afield. Case 1 : A very well known vehicle with a prominent history was purchased from Victoria. The purchase was made after verification of the information provided and communications with the seller. The purchaser is currently competing at Bathurst but has since sold the car to a West Australian Peter Hall, who is also at the event acting in a support capacity. Case 2 : An Ebay purchase was made at the last minute with a last minute bid following a few phone calls between the South Australian seller and the bidder. This car is currently competing at Bathurst as we speak. Case 3 : See the archives for a lime 2 seater sold by Timewell through this forum. A well presented ad supported by members comments invited a phone query and agreement for the sale. The purchaser flew across to NSW and drove the car to its new WA home. All of the above deals had their risks. The purchasers obviously had to "feel" their way through the sale process. All of the purchasers were reasonably mature and pragmatic people willing to acknowledge and accept the risks of such a sales process. All of the above sales would be labelled a "success". It must be kept in mind that the next such sale could be an unmitigated disaster - and one disaster probably anulls 20 successes. I often see people requesting and receiving assistance from members who can visit and view cars for sale. This service has thankfully averted a few possible disasters such as the rust riddled green 2 seater advertised in Adelaide last year. On a personal note, two of my three cars have been purchased sight unseen but on the recommendation of friends who have checked the cars for me. On the more expensive of these purchases, I also contracted a workshop to inspect the car and provide a formal report - money well invested that provided the final information I needed to make the deal. Our cars are old with potential problems that are not always visible - consequently there will always be a degree of gamble involved unless we are buying a car of exceptional documented or testimonial provenance. FWIW Dave

Good on you Kent for hanging on to them. I really thought that the responses to this thread would have resulted in a higher and more reasonable, good enough to not want to refuse type offer being made. I have an impression from what I think I remember from a ClassicZ thread, that the earlier webers were better made and more reliable than the newer webers that are now made in, I think, Spain? This could be absolute rubbish for all I know so take it with a grain of salt. EDIT : The following is taken from an ebay auction being run for a triple weber kit omn Ebay at the moment with starting bid $1900 : " Weber has long been acknowledged as the manufacturer of the best carburetors available....ANYWHERE. Legendary marquees like Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati have been closely linked with the products of the equally legendary Edorado Weber S.P.A. of more than 50 years. While various producers of racing and high performance induction systems have moved in and out of the limelight over many decades, Weber alone maintains its worldwide superiority. The foundation of Weber's supremacy is no mystery. It's nothing more than the traditional virtues of careful design, meticulous manufacturing standards and uncompromising quality control, coupled with that unique Italian attribute of elegance in design. Do not confuse this with WeberNorthAmerica - not the same company. Weber North America brands various carburetors as "WEBER's" under a licensing agreement but they are NOT the legendary Italian designed and European built WEBER. REDLINE uses exclusively the European WEBER carburetors in their conversions. The Original Italian Engineered and designed 40DCOE series WEBER carb is often copied, sometimes licensed - but there is only one original. The price of perfection is being admired to the point of being copied (EMPI branded carbs) or creating the illusion of being an DCOE when you are not. Get the perfect carb for your conversion - a 40 DCOE from Redline. " The MSA prices are very very good at the moment and I have always been happy with MSA in the past. However, the freight charges can be high and purchases of over $1000 can attract import / customs dutes and associated fees. Just something to be careful about if importing parts from the USA.

I do not know much about carbies and tuning etc but I consider myself lucky to have bought a sorted "matched set" from Peter Hall in South Australia in an ebay auction some six years or so ago - my winning bid was about $1750 from memory. At the time, with the exchange rate as it was, the best I could find elsewhere was at least $2000+. However, the current exchange rate would probably enable me to purchase a brand new set with linkages and manifold for close to that price. The set that I bought went straight into my project car and have worked like a dream since day one. My thought is that second hand webers that have been well sorted, transfer pretty easily to engines of a similar level of preparation. If the linkages and manifold are in good nick, then $1200 is a VERY fair price. Definitely do not go lower. While I would not use them immediately if I had them, I would certainly purchase and pay by Paypal within 48 hours if you cannot do better than $1200 from others on this forum. My offer is open for a month from today and I am not insulted if you want to try to sell somewhere else in the interim. I am sure that you will do better than $1200.

The early 260Z RS30 shared more parts with the 1973 240Z than the later models but there were differences in the bodies even within the RS30 designated shells, as there were between the early and later model 2+2 GRS30 models. There are additional differences between the 260Z and the 240Z other than in the body panels and glass eg in the Macpherson struts and some interior components. Even the parts manuals are not always correct in defining the cut off dates for the changes in some parts (eg seat brackets) but it is the parts manuals (ebay?) and the Microfiche CD's (from ClassicZ) that probably provide the best references for this information as well as having excellent diagrams showing the breakdown/assembly of component areas.

G'Day and welcome Ty There are a couple of things that might help us to help you out here. Do you want a complete single set of interior or would you be just as a happy to get it all in bits and pieces as it becomes available. Do you have any colour preferences? There are two different seat mounts in the 2+2 but I would imagine that you already have seats in your car and any other seats that come your way will be fitted to your current mounts. Just what is your end point with regards to the interior project? If you want to end up with a first class looking interior then you will likely have to spend some serious dollars on dash, console, carpet, relining the roof and refreshing the interior panels. Motorsport Auto and Black Dragon have a good catalogue of parts for all Datsuns and their prices are quite reasonable. However, freight costs can hurt and I prefer to use Aussie suppliers who can provide quality service and parts at a comparable price. If you just want to refresh the interior then it might be worthwhile gathering all the parts you need and attending to vinyl colouring, repairs etc so that you can make a solid weekend project of the swap in one push. If you going to remove the dash and console then you might at the same time consider rebuilding the heater radiator, cleaning up the hoses, replacing firewall rubbers, cleaning all of the gauges etc. Weatherstrip and seal replacements are a consideration at this point also as refurbishing door seals, window winders and the like might be best done if you are removing the door cards. My suggestiond would be to drive it for a while, draft a list of jobs to do, prioritise according to need and affordability, research your options and then make a plan. The WAZ Register is having a membership day in March and there will be quite a few people and cars at that event, Come along with your car and say hi. People there will be excellet ncontacts for your Zed future. I am away in the bush for another eight days or so before returning home to Albany. I have a parts 2+2 Zed and some interior parts but am unsure as to how good they might be for your situation. Will send you an email with my contact details. Regards Dave

I am not in the market myself but viewed your initial post with some interest. The vehicle seems well presented and should be one that arouses the interest of those that posted in the wanted to buy Perth thread of a few months ago although one of those potential buyers has since bought a car. I saw a well presented 2+2 recently sell on ebay in the eastern states for 7-8k from memory and that is possibly a price that is more likely to attract some interest that results in a sale. The WA market is a hard one to get a feel for. Some of the cars that have sold on the WAZ register listings are available to be viewed on the WAZ website - see cars for sale. I know of several Zeds that have been purchased by WA people buying ion the eastern states and driving or trucking the cars back here. These have all been two seaters. The whole desirability issue of 2+2 versus 2 seater seems to be at least as big an issue in WA as it is anywhere else. I suppose that if you are chasing top dollar for a car then it takes time to sell and that trying to sell a Zed at this time of the year is expected to be a little harder due to $$$$ being tied up in Xmas expenditures and holidays. I do feel for you here as the car looks to be an example that should arouse some interest. All the best with your listing. Sorry that my ramblings do not really contribute anything to your attempt to sell. Regards Dave

This is a similar thread to one that ran a few months ago ( http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,10053.0.html ) and reflects the short supply of quality cars in Western Australia. The WAZ register site sometimes has cars listed for sale. Best general advice that is often repeated in this forum is to purchase somebody else's completed project. Your budget looks to be realistic to enable the purchase of a reasonable quality car. The best looking recent purchases that I have seen in WA are cars that are sold between WAZ members or those purchased from interstate. Interstate trucking costs are pretty reasonable although I do know of one purchaser who drove his car here from Sydney. Good luck with your search. Regards Dave

Hi Bryn Nice looking car from what I can make out of your gallery shots. Is it a 240Z or a 260Z - from what I think I can glean from your previous posts it is a 240Z? Are the inspectors insisting on steel rims for your car or will they find the stock alloy 260Z rims or some other 14 inch alloy rims acceptable as well? Do they also want to see the original tyre sizes on the rims or will they accept the 195/70 14" of the later model Zeds? The other thought that crossed my mind is whether or not you have standard brakes and if not, will standard rims actually fit on your car without additional alterations? I am a little curious as to how the rim issue came to the fore in the first place and just exactly what they are expecting from you. Unfortunately I am located outside Albany and am of little use to you down here unless you become truly desperate. However, if we have a few more details I am sure that a solution will emerge. If you need a quick fix then contact Martin Falconer of Tuneright - Zeds are his specialty. Regards Dave

WAZ Register website has a few WA cars listed for sale. http://wazregister.com/zindex.php?action=classifieds Members of WAZ are also circulated with details of cars for sale that are notified to the club. Hope this helps.

Hi You might want to specify whether or not you are interested in: a 2 seater or whether a 2+2 will suit your needs manual or auto only a 260Z as stated in the original message title or will you also consider a 240Z It looks as though we now have three interested prospective purchasers. The Perth Z scene for sales is an interesting one. 2 seaters seem to get snapped up relatively quickly and good quality cars do not last long on he market. A few WA guys have gone east to purchase their two seater Zeds and then either driven or trucked hem back to WA. Anyway, if you are considering a 2+2 I am open to the possibility of selling my Gold Zed pictured here on the WAZ Register site http://www.wazcars.com/index.php?title=Members_Dave_Byers. It has some rust issues and would not be worth your while unless you have the ability to do the body repairs yourself. I can take more photos next week and email them to you if interested at $5500. The car is licensed and runs well. Has had recent suspension work and wheel alignment done, round tops with MSD ignition, near new tyres. Rust is the major issue, poor interior, and the temperature gauge does not work. Car is in Albany. I am only available by email or PM at the moment as I am away from home for the next week. My best advice however, is to save some more many and buy a car that has a better body. You will save money in the long run. Regards Dave

My first Zed is a 1977 gold, auto, almost totally original (now has round top carbs), 2+2 which has, and continues to, served me well as a daily driver from the time I bought her nearly 8 years ago. Has never let me down on the road and is a GREAT drive. She helps me commute between family (not my own) farming properties and enjoys an open road bitumen drive as much as a gravel road or a chase after cows in the paddock. My predominantly red cloud kelpie dog just loves the navigators seat. Despite the ravages of rust she continues to perform reliably and has just undergone a recent mechanical refresh which should see her through for the next 3+ years or so at which time I thought she might be retired to be a donor car for my other two zeds. However, she is such a great performer that she may well undergo a body refresh or be somewhat reluctantly sold to a suitably motivated enthusiast. This car is one of the best I have ever owned. Dave

Dave BTW I love the title of your post. I loved Z cars from the moment I saw them and doubt that there is a better value for money ride to be had anywhere from cars of that era - or even possibly from cars outside that era. There are not many cars where your bum tells you exactly just what the car is doing as well as the S30 does - and so little lost in the translation. From what I have read, the S30 has a bucket load of room under the bonnet for the insertion of "foreign" engines and associated gear. HybridZ could be a good venue of enquiry in this area. Please take anything I say with a grain of salt as I am no expert but I think, or have read elsewhere, that the 260Z has a modified floor plan that circumvents the problem of the angle of the tailshaft, has stronger rear strut towers, stronger tow hook attachments all round, a modified radiator support support panel, and a more "refined" interior. I think that the early 260Z's are sometimes called the light bodied 260Z because they used the older and lighter 240Z shells in the introduction of the 260Z - I cannot find any official supporting evidence of this but my two seater is RS30 000812 and I have to order 240Z bits to suit if I want a proper fit. I will post more details of the differences between a 240Z and 260Z, and the later 260Z (from Nissan technical bulletins) once I return home in a weeks time. However, as far as looks and handling are concerned, other than the increased body weight of the 260Z, the external appearance and the seating position are very very similar. I doubt that the value of a modified 240Z is any higher than an identically modified 260Z. This is just my personal opinion from a limited level of experience and knowledge and am happy to entertain alternative views on this point from the forum. Regards Dave

Welcome Dave. With regard to the vision you have outlined I am wondering why you specify a 240Z when a 260Z might do the job at least as well, if not possibly better. Many prefer the 240Z because it was the first of the S30's available in Australia, they seem to sell for a little more, but are more the preference of those wanting to keep their cars fairly original. The 260Z has some refinements that might be preferable for someone building a modified car and might be easier to locate and cheaper to buy than a 240Z. Just curious. Whatever you decide will be an interesting project and we look forward to seeing your progress posted as you go. Best Regards Dave

I cannot recommend Motorsport Auto too highly given their efficient service and quality of product. The only negative I have is the freight costs charged. My last order was one that I needed urgently - 2 seater interior vinyl kit - and it arrived within four days of the payment being made to confirm the order. I have purchased a weatherstrip kit for a two seater from them but unfortunately they were unable to supply a 2+2 kit as they are currently unhappy with the quality of the door seal rubbers from their suppliers. However, I am always willing to give Australian suppliers a try if they can supply at a comparable quality and price. Anyone? Regards Dave

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/50-5220 Motorsport Auto - The Z Store White Face Gauge Kit EDIT: Ooops Chartoo (see below) you are right. The speedo is in mph. I am one of those old farts that quickly converts mph to kph without giving it much thought.

FWIW the most noticeable positive improvements I have made to my cars came from the installation of : * Electronic distributor and MSD ignition kit * Urethane bush kit from MSA You really cannot help but realise the value of these two improvements. Sounds like you are into your car for the long haul. None of the money you have spent so far is wasted but suspension and brake improvements will help you make the best of them. All the best with your car. Look forward to hearing how things progress. Regards Dave

First of all I would reinforce the truly excellent comments made before this post. All too often people fall into the trap of spending money on what they can see and what makes you go fast rather than what really counts - steering, brakes, suspension, tyres. The other key factor in planning your project is the condition of the body. A few photos and a description of what you have could help forum members in the advice they might offer here. My first recommendation would be to summarize what you have, plan your priorities for what you want it to be, and plan the development of your project before you start. With regard to the matter of a 2+2 versus a 2 seater, I can only offer that I currently have both and that I prefer the 2+2 for touring and open roads. The longer wheelbase smooths out the bumps on minor roads and is more comfortable for longer trips. However, in loose or tighter conditions I find the steering heavier and the handling less responsive. I have put bushing kits into both cars and found the exercise and expense to be more than worthwhile from the immediate improvement in feel and response although the comparative feeling between the two is that 2+2 remains "heavy". I have also replaced the shocks and springs in both cars and fitted front and rear sway bars to both. If you have an old car then the original rubbers are inevitably likely to have suffered the fatigue and degradation of time that will make their replacement more than worthwhile. On shocks and springs, I think I would have to say that most Australians stick with Australian products because they tend to suit Australian conditions more. North American roads tend to be of a better quality than we drive on down under and I think I am correct in saying that the USA market Zeds always had softer suspensions than those in the rest of the world. I personally happily run Pedders springs with Koni adjustable shocks. I have no experience of the popular Tokico / Illumina suspension packages. All the best with your project. This is a great community of contributors - post more details of your car to give them the best opportunity to provide the best advice. Regards Dave

Always loved the Lancia Stratos. http://www.google.com.au/search?q=lancia+stratos&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=619&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=p Designed for competition with a Ferrari motor. Set the rallying world alight in the 1970's and continued to embarrass Fiat - who bought Lancia and discontinued support for the Stratos - when the car was campaigned successfully by privateers against the Fiat Arbarth works cars. A spectacular car with a note of its own.

PM sent. I have yet to own a 240Z but have always, for no special or logical reason, thought the later versions of the 240Z to be a little better sorted and more to my liking. Members love to see pics and are probably a little curious about the history of the car and about your history with the car - okay, I certainly am anyway. Sorry to see you have to part with your prospective chariot. Regards Dave

Mossy listed this in response to a previous recent discussion http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-Car-Body-Rotisserie-Auto-Twirler-900kg-Capacity-/260755604476?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb63ec3fc The seller has a good track record and I found him really easy to deal with - everything as promised and his freight costs were extremely reasonable. He has sold five during the last listing so he probably has a good recipe for success. I reckon $850 was a great price, particularly given the cost of raw materials and the time and skill required to make your own. Whittie has his Zed parked on it at the moment and should be able to provide you with a better opinion on exactly how well it works.

I welded in a flat steel sheet replacement after I removed the wheel well from a P510 rally car I owned years ago and it worked okay although the roll cage on that car extended through to the rear floor in the boot of that car and helped with the strength of the rear body area. In this instance the spare wheels were mounted in the rear passenger seat area and there was a weight distribution and body strength advantage to this strategy. However, in your case I am not sure about what makes you want to do this and I also immediately question what you might be thinking with regard to the mounting of a spare wheel. If I needed to consider removing the rear wheel well in my own car it would only likely be due to wanting to eradicate a rust problem and my own preferred plan would be to find a good wheel well from a donor car to be welded in as replacement. FWIW Dave

Sirpent, good on you for raising this discussion. The matter of what is a fair donation is not a question unique to this site. I think the idea of a pledge is a good one although it need not necessarily be one that is made for all to see as it leads to the inevitable comparisons that might be made without regard to the circumstances and variables of individual members. At this point in time I have a personal private pledge that reflects : * my personal circumstances and current economic status * my own thoughts about what a normal membership of any club might be * the benefits I personally receive from my membership * my appreciation of the donations of personal time and professional skills provided by the site administrators / moderators and * any specific needs the body might have eg upgrades to technical equipment or such I think it is a great thing that we are able to let people decide for themselves how much, if and when they might donate. It is also a great thing that so many people donate so much personal effort and expertise to this site - the value of which is inestimable. This site really runs on a shoestring thanks to the efforts of a few. I also believe that the quality of presentation and administration of the site is exemplary and maybe beyond that which might seem warranted given the activity levels it has. However, it is accessible, friendly, informative and expanding thanks to the contributions of ALL involved. If I win lotto or if the site has a need for a one off financial injection I will donate more but if I lose my job I may have to consider donating less. I do appreciate that, at the moment, the decision is left for me to decide. I hope that the current situation is working sufficiently well for the site to continue without any stresses on the administrators but would maybe suggest that the monthly targets are increased a little to create a "rainy day" surplus should it ever be needed. FWIW Dave

I use 98 in all of my cars or 95 if the higher octane fuel is not available. I also use 98 in my Subaru Outback and believe the extra expense per kilometre is easily justified by the improved fuel economy which has the effect of negating the higher price paid. I do 450 kilometres to work plus the same on the way back, and have always found the economy to be higher. In fact, with the higher fuel prices, and the price differential remaining pretty much the same in cents per litre, the 10% increase in economy more than compensates for the higher price per litre paid plus it extends the range of a full tank of fuel - a relevant factor when I drive from the city to my rural property and then have to drive additional kilometres to get to a bowser with 98 in it.

I do not mean to bang on about things to the point where people switch off but I really do not think the author, John Wright, has done such a bad job. John Wright, has been a motoring journalist, editor and author since 1981 and published a thesis on the history of Holden as a part of his PhD for the School of Historical Studies at the University of Melbourne in 2008. The topic of Zeds in Australia is a very broad one and the author has obviously read widely and acknowledged his sources when quoting other people's work. He does make interesting comments in putting the Australian scene into an international perspective and I was interested to read his comparisons between models and of the position of the models in their respective marketplaces. He also writes of his own first hand impressions at the wheel of of the 370Z. I do not have any trouble in seeing how the Goertz myth might be perpetuated given that other recent authors of books have made similar comments. I am, however, surprised to see that the book had a link to Nissan Corporate Communications and thought that there might have been some more written of the currently acknowledged design team responsible for the development of the S30. A good read, and very good value. The special is still on at Pitstop Bookshop.

Zedrally The book is still a good read and a value buy at the Pitstop reduced price. I suspect that the author did his own research and came across the same references that other recent authors have referred to in making similar reports. Wikipedia is often "modified / edited" on this very point as to who might be given credit for the design of the S30. It is probably only in relatively recent times that the overwhelming weight of informed comment and ongoing research has started to stem, and then turn the tide. I think the matter is somewhat like newspaper reports. An initial partially correct comment is made but the subsequent clarification of points, or even corrections, very often do not get the same prominence in a later publication, nor the same attention from readers. Even within the ranks of Z fanatics / fans there is varying cognisance of the fact that there is even a controversy or variation of opinion on this matter. Bottom line though, at the special price this is a good buy and I am, pleased to have made the purchase.