Here's the old advert from the Datsun Restoration program of the 1990s:


http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/18/busin ... uy-it.html

Frank

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1970 240Z

There is a guy in the ZCCNE that has one, I think # 170 of the restoration program.

Do you know if they re-numbered them? I mean, were they given new or modified VIN numbers or something?

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1970 240Z

No, that's just a seperate #, the vin is the same. So that would just be the 170th completed restor.

Not so. They only completed 42 cars in the program. It was costing Nissan more to restore them than they sold them for! The program was unceremoniously dropped after only the handful of cars were done. The completed cars VIN numbers remained the same.

From what I've read, several dozen more rust free chassis were left to rot when the program was terminated.

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John Taddonio
1970 240Z
1977 530Z
1984 300ZXT
zcarnut@hotmail.com
FB: Zccr zcarclubofrochester

Your right John, I'm not totaly sure what his # was, but I'll try and find out. I too heard it was not all that good of a program as well.

well that is very sad.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

I never knew that either. It's very sad if they started that program, didn't finish it and left rust free chassis' to rot. I think it was a good program and believe it really gave a new kind of status to these old Z's. if they expected it to be good financially that would seem like an obvious mistake. but you don't measure success of this kind of program in instant cash flow. but when you tie together the 240z restoration program with the introduction 350z you can start seeing some continuity which is followed by 370z both of which have been successful. I'm sure the initial restoration project helped Nissan to find the right focus to their modern sports car projects and may have inspired their design teams quite a bit too. would be nice to know what happened to the left over cars??

I had heard there was some government intervention involved in this program, as well.

Apparently the US govt notified Nissan that if they intended to rehab 30-year old cars and sell them as 'new', they would have to meet current safety standards of 'new' cars, including safety bumpers, airbags, side impact bars, etc. Nissan quickly realiZed that the cost of such changes would overwhelm their investments, as well as 'bulk' the old 240 up to Bloated Elvis proportions and kill the purpose of the car.

Anybody else hear this?

Frank

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1970 240Z

that makes sense Frank.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

It's my understanding that the cars were not to be sold as "NEW", rather as refurbished used cars with a limited warranty.

At the time of the program, Nissan was floundering and in serious financial trouble. The "Vintage Z" program was intended to keep Nissan's "vibrant" history in the public eye as at the time there was NO Z in their lineup. In a matter of dollars and sense, the program was successful as far as publicity goes, but a flop financially. It is unrealistic to think that Nissan was looking to make money on a relative handful of restored 240Zs, rather the program was for publicity purposes only. In that regard it was a success. Keep in mind that the famous "GI Joe and Barbie" TV ad was also released at this time and the Z32 was not even available (1997)!

The program also suffered from supplier problems, a rapidly drying up parts supply and very SLOW turnaround from the shops contracted to do the restorations. The cars were not refreshed by Nissan, the job was contracted out.

The full story is in book "Nissan 350Z, the legend returns".

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John Taddonio
1970 240Z
1977 530Z
1984 300ZXT
zcarnut@hotmail.com
FB: Zccr zcarclubofrochester

I agree with you John on that - being a bit of an insider in the industry, I don't think Nissan would've been so naive as to think they'd make any profit on restoring a few old cars. It seems more than clear that their ambitions were elsewhere and for this I have a lot of respect for them. Not only they did what I was dreaming of doing back in the day when I was a youngster - buy a bunch of some cool old cars and restore them to a new condition (my dream was to do that to the little Cherry I had at that time but of course I had no money to restore even one.. but when I heard of Nissan doing this to the Z, I was totally blown away, I thought it was so amazing a big company "had the same dream" as this simple country boy from Finland and that they actually DID IT!)
Every time I see old pictures from Nissan factories with brand new, even unpainted Datsun bodies being completed on the lines, I think to myself how amazingly cool it would be to get a body like that or even a completely new Datsun straight from the factory. and what Nissan did to the 240z made it possible for a handful of very lucky individuals to have exactly that in the present time: to buy and own a brand new Datsun! the day when i invent a time machine I'll make it big enough to accommodate a few datsuns, then I will take a time trip to the 70's and bring back a few of my favourite ones..

Well, when you go, please go another 5 years back and bring me home one of those '65 289 Cobras, would you?

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1970 240Z

yes I will. it would be a pleasure. I will need to make my time machine quite spacious. apart from all cool datsuns that I'll take 3 or 4 each, there will be your cobra, and for me a 1970 challenger, 68 GTO (1 for myself and 1 for my bro), 1st gen celica coupe and liftback (1 each for myself and 1 each for my bro), a couple of land cruisers.. and some crazy huge cadillac for my dad

i'll take a Hemi Cuda.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694