gilltech

Not easy to do. The reality is that fresh paint is going to show up everything else that's weathered to some degree, especially in the engine bay, and externally all the window trims, bumpers and badges. So best not aim for a mirror shine! Eventually fresh paint will dull off if you don't polish it too hard, and attain some patina with a few scratches and chips but that could take a while. It will be less obvious the paint is new if you don't paint over bolts, rubbers etc as the factory did, as they would otherwise draw the eye. Always hard to know when to stop with these sorts of projects, until one runs out of time, interest and/or money. Or all three.

Ditto AndBir: my early unrestored RS30 scuttle panel had been sat in place while the colour coat was applied; under the panel front lip and on the back and all inside the scuttle recess is just the greenish-grey primer. Same situation with the front guards, the colour coat doesn't extend under the inner lips of the guards, remove them and you see the greenish-grey primer along the frame. One can do much better than the original factory expediency, as C.A.R. and others advise. IMO painted over fasteners, hinges and rubbers even if strictly concours factory assembled correct just look like the painter or restorer was in a hurry and couldn't be bothered. On my car I eventually removed the colour coat from the bonnet springs, as I discovered they were already plated, and the colour coat rubs off in places over time and is hard to maintain and looks crap.

There was a thread on here some years back discussing those very same questions but I can't find it. Good questions for HS30-H and/or C.A.R.

Good to hear back. All the very best with taking whatever actions you determine are ultimately right for you and your future peace of mind. And great to have such a passionate Z enthusiast in the Z community. Onward and upward!

I suspect that pursuing your brother through the courts would end up costing you more than 240Z #48 was worth at the time he destroyed it. After all, to put it bluntly it wasn't as if #48 was even an assembled car, but rather a very battered looking shell and a big pile of unrestored parts. To a Z enthusiast they might have looked like gold but to the rest of the population probably just a pile of scrap metal. Not to mention all the effort and time you'd need to put into the process with no guarantee you'd be ultimately successful. And then there would be the problem of actually extracting $$$ compensation out of your brother if you were. So I agree with C.A.R. and 1600 Dave. Having had to deal with a toxic family member myself, my advice is to maintain the moral high ground and have nothing more to do with him - your brother will be the biggest loser in the long run as he's lost you. Best you put the loss of #48 down to one of life's drawbacks and move on, enjoying your other and complete usable 240Z. My 2c worth.

If I were you I'd reassemble as much as possible. Console, wiring, interior, headlamps, panels, wipers, bumpers etc. The more complete it looks the better. Take lots more photos from all sides, inside including hatch and spare wheel area, and underneath, and with all the plastic sheeting removed from the engine bay so people can actually see condition and where the project has stalled. Presentation is everything, first impressions really count. Better yet if you can finish off the motor with exhaust etc and get it running. What happened to the original L26 motor & gearbox? Is the project reversible back to originality? Not every Z fan would want a modified car. Best.

Good inventory. What I'm still not clear on is what happened to all those many parts, including those stored in the rafters above, ie. did they all accompany the body shell to the crusher or are some still at your late father's house? BTW sorry for splitting hairs but you mention taller strut towers, but i think you mean taller struts, whereas strut 'towers' are the housings built into the bodywork that the struts bolt up into and hang down from. But anyway..... hope some parts have escaped your brother's evil eye.

Your brother sounds like a nasty vindictive piece of work, a complete sociopath. Surely if a person has an item destroyed that doesn't belong to him then that's outright theft and the police would have to get involved? As your brother would surely have received a payment of some $$$ for the scrap value. If that's not malicious intent then what is. Was the car in rolling shell form when scrapped, as in mostly metal, mechanicals, engine & gearbox included? or basically the whole car with glass and interior? And how did he get it there anyway? That's great that you have photos as they will clearly show what has been stolen from you. Not to mention the loss of an important piece of automotive history given its early Z heritage. Z owners everywhere will surely be shaking their heads in dismay. Using the photos it's a matter of working out a market valuation as it stood when your brother took it. Rather subjective though I'd think as to its future value once restored. But no doubt both values can be estimated within a logical range using other cars as references.

I don't suppose you have any photos of the car, such as around the time it was left at your father's place for storage or during subsequent repair stages? Very hard to value something unseen, particularly a project car. Thinking laterally, have you evidence that HS30-00048 was fully destroyed, not just your brother's statement? So not hidden away, or perhaps it or at least parts of it not on-sold? He would surely have known that the car had a resale value of more than just scrap value.

I prefer to use 280ZX caps, for same alloy wheel design, they are metal and very firmly clip onto/into the wheel centre 'tube' rather than push friction fit over it like those clunky plastic ones you are inquiring about.

It was a Nissan tweak on the later round top carbs which was to do with the front to back incline of the motor I believe. Meaning if they need re-kitting then you need to order different kits - as opposed to the earlier carbs which used the same kit # for both - as the replacement fuel valve is taller for one than the other. IIRC there's about 4 or 5mm difference. You still set the float valve to close off level in the same manner as per the workshop manual instructions.

But under Type of Vehicle - date - it says 09/11/1978. Would a 351 even fit in a Z? Bit tall I'd have thought. If the story has some truth then maybe the motor was eventually used to re-power one of the larger Nissan sedans such as a 240/260/280C, to replace an I6 with the V8. There might be a clue there in the chassis code quoted, as in the '137' of the P 137308 ?

offer removed

Do you mean the alignment rollers? Best get new, available from USA suppliers.

Speaking from past experience, just get new bolts of correct size & enough thread length & cut the heads off, & tidy up the cut thread ends as required; note: make sure they are High Tensile steel as normal mild steel won't be adequate for the application. My 2c worth anyway.