gilltech

On my '74 there are in fact 4 holes in both the sugar scoops and the valance corners, only two of which are used with the captive nuts. I presume the extra holes are provided for panel alignment leverage, well that's what I found them useful for. Maybe the panel you first depicted is off a very early car and they didn't provide alignment holes if that's what they are there for? My spares have just the three just as per your other images.

Which 280ZX mag have you got? The one that was also fitted to 260Zs is 5.5" wide, but there were other designs used on the 280ZX that were 6". That will have some influence on what size you choose. If you go wide just make sure the front tyres don't hit the front valance panel on lock.

Probably cheapest option is to pick one up from someone in TAS or VIC parting out a rusty car.

Check out SuperCheap sale on this week - their catalogue in store not on line, crane plus tilt beam around $275-odd currently, tempted myself.

Understood, I meant the whole set-up is balanced and I don't know if late 260 bits will be near enough to just interchange or not, hopefully yes.

Hmm - best to compare springs too - different crank layouts across the cars could possibly mean different springs to provide the specified amount of leverage, and the 240Z spring is mounted on the opposite side compared to the 260Z. But hopefully will work and all will be well.

Yep, I wouldn't risk bringing in a 'driver' now but instead would strip it to a 'roller' with brake pads & shoes & clutch parts discarded, interior stripped and any product such as insulation to floor, firewall, headlining, wiring wrap, sound deadening, underseal etc removed/discarded. Gearbox etc sitting in the boot, & all cavities exposed to enable inspection without damage & destruction. At least then I suppose the 'landed value' would be reduced meaning that less tax would be payable. But the whole 'asbestos' awareness is steadily ramping up thanks to reported non-Aus-compliant building products imported from China where as I understand it asbestos is not illegal & small percentage quantities of asbestos contained within products are not required to be documented.

It does look reasonable. Way up Cairns way though or I'd go see it. Question (a bit off topic): that car has the orange indicators under the front bumper, for the Aus market if I understand it correctly; so what happened with the corner mounted light units, are they still the single bulb type, I see clear lenses, so were they altered to act as side lights only? Just curious, I presume an interim mod, as then the 260Z came out with twin bulb units.

Sorry, misunderstood you. Sounds like a mission to find any of those mirrors these days, of either type.

Not all RHD markets - AFAIK most of the NZ-new Zeds came with those fender mirrors; there were black ones on the 240Zs and bulkier chrome ones on the 260Zs. The Aus-new cars seemed to have been a model all of their own with several differences to other RHD cars.

Agree, flat-tops on same side whereas round-tops are LH & RH.

That's one awesome car RetroZed. I like the body-coloured flares in particular, more restrained than the usual black. It's a credit to you. Well we can only hope that Dynacorn start making panels and body shell components (and perhaps complete body shells) for S30s like they do for early Mustangs and others. However, the problem is supply and demand, there were far more Mustangs produced in the first place than S30s and the Mustang hobby in the USA and worldwide is huge. Movies like the 2000 re-make of 'Gone in 60 Seconds' with Cage and Jolie and its other star the '67 Shelby-like 'Eleanor' movie car creation did a lot to exacerbate demand for replicas and the re-manufacture of OEM parts not just for the '67/68 fastback but other early models. To complicate things for the S30 hobby there are numerous variations of the body shell, but if they did just the main loose panels it would help no end. Trouble is, a manufacturer would need an order for many hundreds of any one item just for it to be economic. PS. if you enjoy car chase movies then get hold of the original 1973 Halicki movie 'Gone in 60 Seconds', which used just one 'Eleanor', a '71 Mustang fastback. Old school movie filmed long before computer generated special effects, with a very long entertaining car chase, and car jump near the end shown in slow motion. Surprisingly, the car survives today with the film-maker's widow - he was killed while making another movie. Halicki had bought the car new, pulled it all apart and strengthened the body shell for the intended stunt work. The 2000 re-make has the same theme of 'boosting' (stealing to order) cars, but they used and abused some 11 cars during production of which only some survived.

Mine had the Hotwires fitted when I bought it in '84. They were 6" wide IIRC. Steel rim as a spare. On-sold to a Celica owner when I discovered they were the wrong offset for a Z. Absolute bitch to clean and keep clean - all those tight angles, corners and triangles. Looks to be just the same clamp as used on the 260Z/280ZX factory alloys. Different design due to the alloy wheel being taller (laying in the well) than the steel rim. The clamp for the steel rim is a two-piece design.

Don't go buying a 260Z winder mechanism without checking that it matches your 240Z one first. The early style 260 2-seat is certainly different in the bolt spacing and crank position. Later style 260 2-seat or 2+2 might work although the spring (relocated to reverse side) and configuration differs, I believe some modification is required. Best option IMO is to repair what you've got - after 40+ yrs most used winders are worn out or close to it. Usually the rack teeth are worn down but they can be built up with weld or braze and filed back to shape. And new rollers attached.

In other words the best two of the three have gone..... Really? Look like old '70's Cheviot Hotwires to me... A typo, I think he must have meant $1200... Living in the past. Most parts are now expensive or unavailable especially when compared to Mustangs, MGs etc.

Yep AndBir that's the same as mine #115.

Looks early 240 to me as no holes. Early 260 eg. mine, is much the same but with several large vent holes in the rear portion of it. Then there's a later 260 profile to suit the dished front rail of the later style radiator support.

I wouldn't be surprised if the South Island has more old Dattos preserved or stashed away than the North Island despite the much smaller population. It's been suggested that the low humidity may have a lot to do with it, given that the Jap cars, and Datsuns especially, of the '70s had a well earned reputation for rust problems.

In Invercargill, the far south end of the South Island, so bit of a distance from any of the main centres. Bert Munro territory (refer movie "The World's Fastest Indian"). Quite a number of Zeds and enthusiasts down that far south, according to an owner I sold some parts to some time back.

Great photos, much appreciated.

Conversely, IMO you shouldn't think negatively. By the sound of it you've spent money on your car in dribs and drabs - when you could have been spending it just to piss up against the wall - and by now after 15 years you now have accumulated something of real value. So it's been a sort of savings scheme if you like. Once your car is registered on the road it will have increased in value some more compared to an incomplete project car which isn't usable and just a pile of parts. So all good. One can own things of value other than houses. And the reality is that your Datsun Zed in recent years has most probably increased in value well in excess of any other 'investment'. And you've had 15 years of an enjoyable hobby project which you are determined to see through to completion. Plenty of people just get bogged down and give up, hence why there are always project cars popping up for sale. IMO you should be pleased with yourself! Enjoy!

Just make one, seeing as you have one to copy.

Looks like it's already had some rust repairs. And another one in the background! I like them.

Yep, got it, very good. Good luck whoever buys it.

Maybe look at a set of trims from a 2+2 hatch, easier to find currently as quite a number have been parted out in the past few months. I have a theory that the trims are the same curvature but just slightly longer for the 2+2, meaning as they tuck under the joiner pieces they can be trimmed back to suit a 2-seat. However, until my mate with a 2+2 gets back from overseas (his car is stripped for painting) I can't borrow and overlay his trims on to my 2-seat to verify, something I have been meaning to do. So don't take my word for it that it'll work, it's just a theory at this stage.