Clive it makes me feel better to know you will keep the original L24 for future restoration. I EMailed you and would welcome the opportunity to sit down over coffee and discuss purchase and examine the car.

Sincere congratulations on a spectacular Find and I'm thrilled to death that this car is so original and so "unused". A true time capsule. I can just picture their faces when you pull back into their driveway in years to come.

Merry Christmas! And tell me when your schedule could allow us to sit and talk business.

Frank T

*(PS: Oh! What kind of Inspection hold-down clips does that car use?)

Let me add my 2 cents, to this discussion. I am the owner of HLS30-1651, a 1/70 240. I can appreciate all the view points expressed here. I didn't have the option of keeping my car stock, as the PO installed a L-28 engine in it. However, all the rest of the car is stock including the radio. I have invested over 2800 hours into the car, as i write this, and I'm still not finished.
The only things going into the car that aren't stock now are upgrades, like Dyna-mat, wiring upgrades, an alt. upgrade, and so far not the org. exterior paint color. I'm still not sure about the color. The car isn't going to be listed as stock, and even if i could have, it wouldn't be. I
would have put in the L-28 anyway.
As many of you know, i was a Datsun line mechanic in the early 70's, so maybe that gives me a unique perspective, about these cars. I pulled more original wiring out and upgraded it than i care to remember. I also got sent to Chicago, 4 times a year for factory updates, as well as the latest factory training.
In closing i say just go out and enjoy your cars!
Dan Linquist

Well I hope you upgraded my wiring harness, everything seems to work. I'd say that's the point of view to have, just enjoy the ride. I realy do respect something that is original, or originaly restored, but then you'll have the ones with upgrades, addons and different engine configurations. As long as it's a Z car and still looks like a Z car and the ride gives someone joy, it's OK in my book. I have my preferences, but any Z car is a Z car to me. It's like one big happy family. (by the way, my doors are crooked ) It would be cool if you had pics. of Z's being assembled.

The Z will be home tomorrow!!

1970 2/70 car is now home car #1905!

Just got the car home about an hour ago and I am very excited! Just as excited as when I bought my first Z. I have loaded a bunch of pics for you guys, later tonight I will post some more info.




#1905

Flatbed



Early Hood

Early Male Hood Lock

Early Inspection Lid

Nice find Clive!! Congratulations!!

Phil

So you're going to throw that in the free pile at the next annual Darien meet. So it begins, congradulations, good find, hope to see it next year.

Wow.
I can't believe what good shape that early car is in.
And you probably have the only other 1970 car left on the planet which still uses those neoprene clips to hold down the inspection lids (mine is the other one!). I notice yours are broken too ! ~ best of luck finding any. At least you have a picture of a broken one, which you can use to show people what you're talking about. Mine are simply missing.

You must be very very excited. That's an extremely early car, and now it has become the 2nd oldest Z car in our Club. Dave Russell owns #956. Danny Linquist has #1651, then there are two more before my #2807.

If I could only make room for it, Well I like your car at the show, and probably more if I was in it while laying down some rubber, I'm a big fan of the 350 myself, and for me it's just ones choice. Maybe they should of came with one, but then again, whats more impressive than a 350 with 300 HP, is a straight 6 with 300 HP. Just keep in mind I'm not very opinionated, I'm open minded, and if it's a good car and sounds good, well so be it. For me, I wouldn't mind doing the 2.8 turbo swap into my 240, but I have a 83 turbo already, so that's probably the only thing keeping her as original as I can. It's all good in the Z world. Shoot, I was impressed with the Z car modified for a swamp buggy, and man did it kick but.

Thanks everyone for the comments! Yes, Frank very excited about this car and glad it was pretty early. Lots of planning to do and hope you guys get to see it next fall! Now we need to talk about early cars!

Good luck with your new baby Clive, although it looks like luck has already shone on you... Enjoy it, Tom

_________________
Now on my 15th/update/16th Zcar, Z's4vr....

Thanks Tom!

Frank the pasn side clip is not broken! I have a line on some clips and maybe new ones

If you actually have an unbroken hold down clip, please photograph it and Post it on this Site. Dave Russell and Dan Linquist have each considered making some for those of us who need them, but they don't have models.

If you have any source at all for these clips, PLEASE let me know. They are simply unavailable from all common sources, NISSAN refuses to discuss them any more, and they break about two or three times a year during normal use.

You MIGHT have the last unbroken clip on the planet, for use as a model. Be careful with it! It slides out of the bracket to be photographed in detail. (I've been trying to describe these things to members for a year! Only two people have even understood what I was talking about. You put a smile on my face)!


Wow.

Frank

When did Datsun switch to the metal clips for the inspection lids. My 9/70 car has metal ones, as well as the later valve cover (NISSA OHC). But we have the early dash, side logos, steering wheel, speedo, AM only radio, jacking tools covers, and console. We also have the "D" wheel covers.

_________________
Currently Own - RED 70' 240Z, GREEN 72' 240Z

First Owned - New 72' GREEN 240Z
2nd Owned - Used BLUE 74' 260Z

Actual date is unknown to me, but I have seen June '70 cars with the metal clips and August '70 cars with the neoprene clips. The original owners swore they were original with the car, so there seems to be a period of blending involved.

This seems to have been a period of experimentation for Datsun. All the very earliest 1969 cars (about the first 500 numbers) and the first "few months" of 1970 used these silly neoprene clips to hold the inspection lids down. After customers began complaining that the clips broke every few months (I've actually broken new ones on the very first use), Datsun seems to have responded quickly by installing metal clips on all subsequent cars. I have seen very many Restored 1970 cars with metal clips, which means the entire inspection lid was replaced, since both types are welded onto very thin metal ("metal") and removal and re-welding probably would have caused noticable damage to the lid.

Even the lids themselves were a subject of experimentation in those days. The very earliest lids (Oct 1969) had no "lip" on the hood-side of them. Today we are accustomed to seeing a well-engineered, stamped "channel" along the hood-side of the inspection lid, which fits under the closed hood. The very earliest models had nothing there at all, apparently relying solely on the neoprene clip to hold the lid down. (Considering the underhood air pressure these cars develop at speed, I can imagine more than a few complaints of the fragile neoprene clips failing and letting the lid snap open. Ooops).

The "second attempt" invloved a flat lip, spotwelded alongside the inspection lid, which fit under the hood when everything was closed. These rattled and led to the "final attempt", the well-known pressed or stamped "channel" which fits nicely under the side of the hood. These were continued on every model until the 280ZX did away with the inspection lids altogether.

AND, a bit off the subject ~

One of the best modifications (IMHO) you could make to a Series-1 car was to replace the inspection lids with louvered lids. Most people feel this was to let heat out of the engine compartment. Not. It let underhood pressure out, which actually let the car go faster. I know it doesn't seem possible that such a tiny improvement could make a difference, but I once removed both my inspection lids while traveling across Kansas in Aug76. My intent was to help cool the engine by allowing freer airflow thru the radiator. That worked, but it also gave me 17mph more speed at the same 3,000 rpm than I made with the lids on. (I also popped the hood open to the safety latch).

Air can only escape from the engine bay at a given rate. If your speed tries to force air into the bay faster than it can flow out, the air pressure under the hood builds up and acts like a solid barrier to more air coming in. The front of the car gets "light", steering sort of goes away, and the aerodynamics suffer as the car becomes an aerodynamic "brick" because of the stalled air behind the radiator. Many hi-dollar cars (Ferrari, Mercedes, Jensen, Vipers, GT-40, later Corvettes, etc), provide(d) fender air release gates behind the front wheels to relieve this pressure. XKE had twin rows of louvers for this purpose ~ without them, the prototypes refused to reach even 130mph. Our ZX cars took the hint and opened two nice big vents in the top of the hood.

Getting my inspection lids louvered at MSA is on my list of things to do.
(BUT FINDING SOME OF THOSE DARNED NEOPRENE CLIPS COMES FIRST!)
Frank