Thanks! I feel as though I've just been knighted by king Frank of Z land.
How's that second hip coming along?

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John Kish
1971 240Z - original owner

100% agree with him John, your Z is beautiful.

Jay

Jay,
Most people think of Bob Sharp only as a race driver, but he was a Datsun/Nissan dealer much his life. He did really well in Roadsters and 510 sedan racing and sold many cars here in CT. Lime Rock became his home track and he had a distinct advantage over guests because he knew the track so well.

Datsun/Nissan knew him well and he was favored for bringing both fame and profit to the company. Of course he had to race what the company was making, so during the 18 months of 1974-'75 when the 260 was offered to the USA, Bob raced those. When the 2+2 was offered it was incumbent upon him to fly that flag in front of his adoring public too. He was surpriZed at how much better balanced and actually aerodynamically faster the car was than the 240 design. At a short, fast track like LRP (only a single left-hand turn) those slight advantages made a big difference.

True, the 260 outweighed the 240 but when cut-down to racing trim, the larger engine and better balance actually eliminated the disadvantages and magnified the advantages the 260 had over the 240. On the street a really good 240 might keep up with a new 260 until they hit 70-80mph (when the 260's engine advantage would simply take over), but racing eliminated the extra weight which hampered the street 260.

The 2+2 was ugly, and it marked a directional change in the S30 class from a pure sports car toward a family GT car. For that reason it was not as well received as the earlier cars, altho it was far better built, sported a nearly-square engine, and offered much more comfort and convenience. Purists likened it to an aging Elvis Presley and avoided it. Young men who gave up their 240 when their new wife had kids and a dog, clung to the image by compromising with the 2+2.
Now that momma was driving the kids to school in the family car, the 260 had to have an A/T and A/C as well. Now that the whole family was being carried in the car, the body had to be strengthened and insulated, and the interior had to be comfy and posh.

The 260 actually enjoyed two production phases; the first being a close cousin to the carbureted, skinny bumper 240 and the second being a close cousin of the fuel injected, park-bench bumper 280. So you can chooZe which style appeals to you more. All around, Datsun's 260Z had a lot going for it and deserved a better fate here in the USA.

PS: BTW: Bob said he began racing in an Austin Healey Bugeyed Sprite, which he sold (along with the trailer) to a young kid who wanted to learn to race. The kid became a world-class race driver (who remembers who bought it? Hobbs? Posey? Brooks?) and Bob went on to race Datsun Roadsters and Sedans. Bob owned a gas station at that time, and began selling new Datsuns out of it, if I remember the story correctly. Somewhere along in there, there was also a Lotus 7 involved somehow, but it's been years since I've heard Bob tell this story.

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1970 240Z

John, the second hip is doing great, thanks. I've had more pain after a good bar fight than I'm feeling now. I am required to lay-low for a day more, but I get around the house and up/down stairs ok.
I should be functional before the end of the month, and driving the Z is one of my priorities.
It really hurts to look outside and see a nice day from the vibrating recliner.

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1970 240Z

Glad to hear that your #2 hip replacement was successful, Frank. Just take it easy and enjoy your vibrator. I'm sure the Z will forgive you.

Howie

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1985 300ZX- GLL Dark Pewter Metallic - Survivor

Giddy up!

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71 240zx

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1970 240Z

Minor update this morning.

Suspension work is going on today, new springs were mentioned and I believe struts too. Not sure what brand yet but I believe it'll result in a 2" lower stance from stock (it was 1" lower on the springs I was running already so an additional 1").

Also going in today is a 5 speed transmission Vinny built for me years ago (I never got to install it) and I think he's planning to install the 3.90:1 geared R180 I sold him too. I had intended to install that whenever I got to the transmission swap.

Also, he said paint is scheduled for Friday!

Jay

We've just *GOT* to know his estimate of the car's value when he's finished.

BTW: If he's pulling the suspension apart anyway, polyurethane bushings all around make a tremendous improvement to the 240 cars. Maybe the later 260s need them, too?

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1970 240Z

Hopefully the value won't be TOO much.

I had already upgraded the bushings when I had it. It was a blend of stock rubber bushings in the control arms, and poly bushings elsewhere. I avoided all poly because I didn't want too much harshness. Not that I have any actual experience with this, just that I noticed some people complaining on various forums. It very well could have been fine going all poly.

In the end it had a good ride, firm but not punishing. No squeaks either, which some posts mentioned.

Jay

I'm sorry there haven't been any updates recently. I expected to have some finished photos to share by now but I haven't been able to get in touch for an update in the last month. I've reached out multiple times but so far have been unsuccessful. Hopefully at some point that will change and of course I will share whatever information or photos I get. My assumption is the paint and reassembly have been completed as there has been ample time to accomplish that.

In an attempt to keep this thread somewhat current I'll address the paint color that he selected, which I really wanted to reveal with a photo.

It is a Datsun code 052 - Sunset Orange.

I know 918 is the Z paint code, so I'm thinking this must have been from a different model. It is a nice looking shade of Orange from what I could tell based on the swatch and I really wanted to see it on the car.

Maybe someday....

Jay

If it's the same Sunset Orange they offered on the 2003-04-05 Zs, this could be a real show stopper.

https://fatlace.com/1973-sunset-orange-240z/

Most of those 350Zs were metallic sunset orange, but there's no law in using that code without the metal flakes.

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1970 240Z

I hope it will be a showstopper.

Thats a great looking Z in the link Frank.

Here's the swatch I referred to. This Sunset Orange was from the early 1970s, maybe they reused it on the 350z's with metal flake?

Jay

10-day update, please?

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1970 240Z

Geez has it been that long already?

Funny you should ask. I finally got back in touch with him yesterday. The car hasn't been painted yet, but is still at the body shop. He said they had gotten busy with collision work and have back burnered it for now.

But he did mention that I'm going to be the first to receive pictures once it's painted.

Jay