Lazy night shots

I had the front Rota RB-R's mounted on to 215/45/16 Falken Azenis RT-615K this weekend. Unfortunately these pictures were taken on Friday, the night before. Anyways, I thought the lighting effect was pretty cool so I took some quick snaps with my crappy Blackberry Torch Camera. I promise to get some Canon 40D pictures in soon!

Authentic Nissan Rear Wing & Fujitsubo Legalis R SS Exhaust

This weekend I spent some time installing an authentic Nissan rear wing to the Fairlady 240Z's hatch. It was definitely a challenge, as the installation required drilling and some rust prohibiting painting. I am very satisfied with the outcome:

Unlike the U.S. domestic BRE wing, this wing features the JDM embossed plate for OEM badges. I did my best after reviewing several pictures of Fairlady 240ZG models to identify the exact location of the factory badging. I had to wear a gas mask to prevent myself from inhaling fiberglass too! The wing was painted with Classic Datsun's (Les) rear tail light panel / hub cap gray paint. I really like this metallic paint since it is not too dark nor too light. You would be surprised how the repainting of the tail light panels and adding the wing have prettied up the rear of the car! :)

As you can also see from the rear, I installed a JDM Fujitsubo Legalis R Stainless Steel Exhaust and had the final tweaking done by Dandos Automotive. This exhaust is no doubt THE BEST sounding exhaust available for our Z cars. The small dual tubing through the rear leaves a very nice sounding tone, without sounding like a 70's truck. The exhaust tone is smooth through all RPM's, quiet at idle and loud when stepped on. It is quite a pricey exhaust I must say, and a PAIN to bring over from Japan.

Is your head working?

The Fairlady 240Z has been in the shop the last three weeks due to some head problems. One of the valves was almost pulled through the head, and a good amount of black gunk developed inside the cylinder head and block. My trusty mechanic at Dandos Automotive, Benjyee, concluded that it was probably from running bad gas at some point in its lifetime. The head was taken off and sent to a machine shop for regrinding. Unfortunately the machine shop, who quoted them 3 days, had spent over 3 weeks on it... and it had just finally arrived at Dandos a few days ago. The machine shop also failed to mention they were replacing the springs and rocker arms with new ones, which ends up being okay I guess...

Anyways here's my new spiffy toy :)

Datsun Competition Steering Wheel from Japan

These steering wheels were available only on special models of the Fairlady Z, Skyline, and other vehicles of the Nissan “Competition” production line. Nowadays you can see them ranging from 500-1000 US dollars for a used piece, depending on the condition. Often new and 10th anniversary editions reach denominations of 1500-2000 U.S. dollars! However, in the United States they are extremely rare… as they need to be shipped over from Japan.

I was lucky enough to pick one up here in the U.S. for a decent price, which is a rare treat (picture is not actual). I will update with the installed pictures once I receive this beauty. Unfortunately upon receiving the steering wheel, it had been rewrapped with leather at some point. The original steering wheels had some kind of urethane material as the handle, but this one was wrapped in a pretty good quality leather... so I can't say I am disappointed. The one thing that bothers me is that the leather goes too far down the spoke from the handle, leaving one spoke hole half covered. MEH!! I'll probably have it taken off at some point to check out the original material and see if it needs to be redone.

Here is also a few special items I will be putting on eBay. Please contact me if you are interested.

NOS Series I “240Z” Quarter Panel Emblems:

These were snatched off eBay a few months ago. Series I 240Zs (VIN < 10000) had these emblems placed on the quarter panels opposed to the vented “Z” emblems. Finding these emblems in metal is a real treat, not to mention NOS!!

NOS Series I Ignition and Door/Hatch/Glove box keys:

The one labeled “Z” is for the ignition switch, and the one labeled “NISSAN” is for the doors, hatch, and glove box. Series I cars have two separate keys whereas Series II cars have only 1 key for all locks. Super rare NOS; MSA sells Series II key replicas.

JDM Fairlady 240Z

I apologize for the lack of updates. I have been testing out different blog sites but have come back to this host site due to its ease of use. I have a few updates instore for you guys!

First comes first...

Lookie here… what do we have now, a barn find?

A 1971 Fairlady 240Z-L, VIN # HS30-10052. Nestled in the mountains of Santa Cruz, under a termite infested car port and half rotted car cover. This car has completely fresh floor boards, with minimal surface rust over the body. The worst area is the hatch balcony, which is rotted through… but with minor body work and a fresh engine, this beauty will be on the road once again!

In late 1971 Japan’s emission standards loosened up thus opening up the market for the L24 engine, the power plant for the Datsun 240Z. The Nissan Fairlady 240Z, 240Z-L (luxurious model), and 240ZG (G-nose model) received the sprinty 2.4L motor. The Nissan Fairlady 240Z series is probably one of the most forgotten of the first generation Z-series, because the standard Fairlady Z was available until the late 70’s. The Japanese Market Fairlady 240Z, 240Z-L, and 240ZG were tagged with VIN codes HS30-10000 through roughly HS30-15000, making them one of the rarest Fairlady Z’s available. This particular car was the 52nd Japanese Spec 2.4L powered car to be released from the factory grounds (HS30-10052); the production date is roughly 10/71 (Japanese Fairlady Z’s had no door VIN plates that normally stated the production date).

Enough said, here are some pictures :)

Santa Cruz Mountains, 15 years of sitting.

After: Drop off day :)
Pictured is Mr. Hale, NorCalUFO President and second owner of the Z.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, and there will be more to come :)

Rebello 3.0L Stroker

I recently sold my 1970 Z #5998 to a gentleman in Canada who is having it restored in Novato, CA in order to put the money towards a Rebello 3.0L Stroker for #11651.

#11651 was finished in November 2010.

Rebello Racing, in Antioch, CA, has been around for the better part of around 30 years. Dave Rebello, the owner, has invaluable experience with building L-series engines matched with his excellent customer service. He has spent what probably totals up to a few hours of time to explain his engines and the best pairings for my needs. His 2.7L, 3.0L, and 3.2L Stroker engines are known for their reliability, superb performance, and a solid life-time warranty.

The 3.0L Stroker has been paired up with a 1982 280ZX non-turbo 5 Speed Transmission and a Subaru WRX STi R180 3.9 CLSD.

Asthetic 240ZG

Recently a friend of mine was interested in purchasing a Nissan 240 ZG.

It is often the forgotten S30, as the 432 and 432R overshadowed it.

"The Japan-only HS30-H Nissan Fairlady ZG was released in Japan in October 1971 to homologate the 240Z for Group 4 racing. Differences between the Fairlady ZG and an export market Datsun 240Z include an extended fiberglass ‘aero-dyna’ nose, wider over-fenders riveted to the body, a rear spoiler, acrylic glass headlight covers and fender mounted rear view mirrors. The Fairlady ZG was available in three colours: Grande Prix Red, Grande Prix White and Grande Prix Maroon. The "G" in Fairlady ZG stands for "Grande." Although the ZG was not sold in the USA and was never sold outside Japan, in order for it to be eligible for competition in the U.S., Nissan sold the nose kit as a dealer's option which is known as the "G-nose". With the nose added, these 240Zs are often referred to as 240ZGs, outside of Japan." - Wikipedia

Here are few beautiful vintage shots a 240ZG in the late 70s.

This beauty awaits its turn on the track. Absolutely stunning.

Another 240ZG going head to head with a old school Mazda RX-3 Rotary.

Say "Hello!" to #11651

After searching for a pristine Z for about a year now, even before I purchased my first Z #5998, I have finally found my new baby. On April 20, 2010 I purchased my second Z, #11651. Similar to #5998, it is also a 1970 car with all Series I goodies.

A few people in the Bay Area may have seen it before, as it was worked on at Z Car Garage a lot a few years back. I am very happy to say that the whole history of the car has been documented; all the way back to the original bill of sale.

On a sad note, my first Z, HLS30-05998 will be up for sale soon.

This car was made to, and will be driven as a more modern Z.

A list of the modications:

L28 Nissan Factory Remanufactured Engine (turbo block/head) - Currently 600 miles
Triple Mikuni 44mm Carburetors w/ K&N Filters
Tokico HP Struts w/Eibach Springs
Pantronix Electronic Distributor
16x7 Panasport Wheels
MSD Ignition
MSA Front/Rear Strut Bar
MSA Front/Rear Sway Bar
ALCO Aluminum Radiator
Motorsport Coated header
Borla Resonator and Stainless Steel Muffler
All gauges were rewired
Energy Poly Urethane Bushings all-around

And I'm discovering more at the moment...

Complete Restoration - 90% All Original Interior/Exterior, with exception to the engine/suspension/brakes.

Without further adue, the pictures:

1970 Datsun 240Z - Series I - HLS30-11651 - 10/70





















Removing the license plate immediately to a CA Historical Vehicle License Plate.

Any comments appreciated!