cracker

I've managed to secure an L28 that will eventually find it's way into my engine bay. It's 100+ km away and am wondering what would be the best way to transport it? I don't have any purpose made gear ie. engine stand, so am thinking the best method would be to use an old truck tyre (either in the back of the Prado or in the trailer) with tie downs and protection on all machined faces? Any ideas appreciated. Cheers, James

I was really looking forward to it - had already fuelled up and emptied the car of loose items! Pissed I missed out on the awesome weather/driving conditions...

Hey guys, I won't be able to make it - was just doing some checks on the car and discovered a not insignificant radiator leak. Really sorry for the late notice, car is not up to it James

Yes, yes, and more yes.

I suspect the car in Lithgow is the same one that sold for 38/45k on carsales - the original buyer flipped it after putting the hubcaps back on for originality's sake.

Sounds good - it's in the calendar.

Yep. Need to give it a blast too!

Agree with Gilltech on the point that the ignition key should be one sided (at least as far as I know). If you are happy with a two sided ignition key this is great because you'll be able to have one key to fit all locks on your car. If I were you I'd be removing the barrels on passenger door, hatch and fuel cap, and taking them, along with the key from the drivers door - take them to a good auto locksmith who should be able to match them up. I need to get a similar thing done with mine, except I have a single sided ignition key so will have 2 keys at a minimum.

Yep, 1968 DB6

What sort of road reg'd 2 seater would you be after? (I'm guessing not another zed?)

I'll take the spindle pins if you can post to SA? (at my expense of course) I'll pm you.

I think this was for sale in Tasmania for around $7k, maybe 12 months or so ago... Possibly bought it thinking they'd remove the fiberglass body etc and then discovered how difficult it was? Maybe found rust? Either way they're making a tidy profit at $14k. Someone else might remember the car/confirm price?

That's me rolling in at about the 5 second mark, with Ryan's pink 260z in the background... Paul's Hako (drool) at 24 seconds then Roberto's baby blue zed (which looks awesome!) at the front of a line of 5 or 6 of us. Pan at 1:05 includes Ryan's cutie, mine, Jason's white beast and Vorn's immaculate resto (which is extremely impressive by the way - first time I've seen it in the flesh!). The early zed with a datsun flag at 00:36 is Toby's (or his dad's? not sure), think he owns some other datsuns from a lifetime of racing them. I'm sure I missed a few but was a good day out. Biggest SA AJD yet with over 500 registrants (not sure if all 500 made it) and I think it was probably the most zeds also. Big thanks to Jamie for hosting the brekkie and cooking up a storm!

Still looking... (bump!)

Sorry, yes, your edit makes your point clear. I agree, of course And now that you've made your edit, my comment looks a little silly... ah well, maybe that's more representative of my ability to comprehend anyway!

Consensus so far? 1. Don't crash your car 2. Automatic transmissions are bad for you 3. Nobody can predict the future (including, but not limited to, car values and trends)

Not at all. I suspect the single reason that carries the most weight (but not exclusively) is nostalgia, which links directly to stock or period look and feel. Classic car prices worldwide back up this view (with some rare exceptions, of course).

SR20 FTW!!

Value is important for a variety of reasons - insurance mostly, but overall financial position with regard to other commitments ie. home loans, other debt etc. And while it was probably a flippant comment, the classic car market is a very legitimate and profitable place to play with money - and far more fun than the stock market!

Ah, bummer. However I agree with others that it should not affect value if changed. Probably no value in keeping the auto but it's only worth scrap value to get rid of. Keep it if you have the space.

Can anyone enlighten us as to whether there is anything on a zed that indicates it was an auto from the factory? If not, there is no reason to keep an car as an auto for originality's sake (unless you have dealer delivery paperwork or similar...). I think the gearbox crossmembers were the same for auto/manual, not sure if any bodywork was any different though.

The value proposition with these cars is fairly unique in that it is based on a cult following after the huge success of a movie. While the numbers might be accurate and real, it's not really a relevant comparison, imo. PS. I'm with Roberto - just don't ever sell the things!

Without actually listing sales, surely it is currently a reasonable widely accepted fact that the earlier cars are more valuable and more likely to grow in value, and in those cases originality is paramount to achieving a high price. I have heard of any early 240z (non-special edition) selling privately from Melbourne for $100k-ish and going to Japan, and recently saw an early 240z sell in Adelaide for $10k with rust and accident damage that apparently went straight to Japan also. The recent good prices for lightly modified zeds seen on this site are still some way from those dollars. Because the 260z's are viewed as slightly inferior on a collector level, the glass ceiling that currently applies itself to values allows for things like flares, because of the demographic of the buyer. I think a similar concept would apply to a late 240z also. There is a level of subjectivity in my post but I'm trying to remain unbiased as possible. I am a bit of a purist (now) but 5 years ago I wanted to buy a 2 seater and cut it up and put flares on it. I wouldn't dare do that to my late 240z now, even though my theory above suggests that I'd get away with it. The market will of course change and I suspect the collectability of late 240s and 260 2 seaters will increase, and as such the price. Eventually, flares on these cars will devalue them as they would an early 240z now. But now I'm speculating, which is very much subjective, but.. history is the best evidence of all. Ultimately it is the supply and demand and these forces are created by all of us that own and transact in these cars. So each opinion counts towards what is desirable and what is not at any given price level. To get back on the topic at hand - Mick, I think flares are fine at the moment, but personally I would remove them and weld in new guards if I were to ever sell. If that isn't a viable solution then I wouldn't install flares to begin with.

If its an early enough car to use the 240z suspension, I have a set of lovells and a set of king springs (both "low") that you are welcome to test fit.

Arizona Z Car coilover setup in QLD. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Datsun-240Z-Shocks-and-Struts-and-Springs-/261800226000?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3cf4826cd0