"He's" looking great Frank!!

Wow Frank!

Congratulations! Your car looks amaZing! Are you working on the interior now???

Marc

Every waking moment!

Today I pulled out the final remnants of the original vinyl (over the rear shock towers) and found YET ANOTHER old mouse nest! But what REALLY floored me was the handful of Hawaiian sand I found in there! I left Hawaii in 1976!!!

I only have until Thursday to get this beast ready for the trip to Rochester, so I'm gonna be a busy boy until then.

Thanks for the kind words!

Is the Z home yet Frank??

Frank the car is looking great! Can't wait to see how it turns out for the first drive. Guess what car I ran into while talking with strangers on the net...#2517...going to be for sale soon. Car located in Tx.


Anyway get it done! Show is this weekend!

_________________
Clive Bogle President - New York Z Car Club - NYZCC.COM
1971 240Z - LS1/T56
1974 260Z-L30
1976 Fairlady Z

Well Guyz, #02807 is technically roadworthy FINALLY!

DMV finally did the VIN check ystrdy and I took it for a 70 mile shake-down cruise. It behaved well and I am VERY satisfied with Vinny Bedini's work on the car. I have a very few personal preferences I want to sort out before I consider it "DONE", but basically the car is alive and doing well. It's rock-solid, dead-true at 65mph, hands-off. Stops straight and does not vibrate or wobble. Engine is responsive and strong. 5spd is crisp and the balk rings are working perfectly. Slight whine in g'box which is probably a bearing. I won't put up with that very long.

Among the stuff I consider still to be completed:
~ install remainder of the interior;
~ aim the headlamps;
~ decide what sound system to install and what speaker(s) to use;
~ locate/stop source of exhaust sneaking in thru rear hatch seal;
~ tighten squealing fan belt;
~ tweak brakes for preferred pedal feel;
~ realign doors so they latch fully closed on first try.

For those of you who were wondering about my MSA Twice Pipes, I have to tell you the car sounds WONDERFUL on the road. I got waves and thumbs-up from many folks along the highway, and even a CT state trooper waved to me as he passed, then briefly wagged his overheads in salute. Made me feel warm and toasty.

I plan to bring the car to the Bob Sharp Lime Rock event this month, and to drive it out to Washington State to show it to our distant member Dan Linquist probably in August, after Vinny installs an A/C unit in the car. A good 6,000 mile shakedown cruise should surface any problems I'm overlooking so far.

Everything on the car is new (EVERYTHING), so it still smells like it's burning while the gaskets and ceramic coated exhaust system break in. Like every Z owner, I still carry my tools and a fire extinguisher where ever I go.

I'm getting very close to the point where I will be comfortable letting y'all zee my car. I have maintained self-discipline for a year, focusing on getting the mechanicals safe first. Now they are (:D) and it will only take me a little more effort to get the cosmetics presentable, too.

These cars are never really 'done', but I don't care about that. My goal was to bring #02807 back to a safe, daily-driver level. If it happens to look presentable as well, so much the better.

Z Y'all very soon!
Frank T
Apr/70 240Z
HLS30-02807
90% restored

Sounds great Frank!

The "Retrosound" system is an option if you want to keep the car stock looking. Its a great little head unit that can be hooked up to a 6 disc CD changer or an iPod/MP3 player, but still looks like its old enough to belong in the car. Unfortunately I've heard mixed reviews on the sound quality from people claiming it wasn't powerful enough. I suspect though that this sort of opinion might come from people who need to have a sound system capable of blasting away at 1.21 gigawats with a subwoofer on each corner.... Black Dragon and Motorsport Auto both sell them.

For the exhaust leak I'd try replacing the tail light gaskets, or if the ones you have are in decent condition run a thin layer of RTV around the mating surfaces to make a better seal. That's of course assuming the weatherstripping on the hatch is good.

_________________


-Chris

Glad to hear that you're back in possession of 2807 and that you can once again put some miles on it. Under all the new parts, does it still feel like you remembered?? Are you both (Frank + Z) considering attending the car show Monday night??

Patiently waiting in line, ticket in hand, to finally meet #2807....
Phil

Next time you chat to Venny, ask him if he can come pick my Z up, tune the carbs, finish the monster transformation.....and if he will accept a visa card.....




And why haven't you drove this beauty to my house so I can drool on it?

_________________


Also Known As Clayton Pace

AJ, you're on my list of places to stop when it's presentable! I also want to hit NY to show Clive, Marc, Tom W and Mike E sometime soon, just to get some more miles on it. I'll let you know I'm coming in advance.

Phil, it feels like a brand-new, slightly hotter-than-stock 1970 240Z, except that it's a rattletrap with the interior out and my toolbox rattling about in the rear deck. It actually handles tighter today than I remember it in the 1970s. Polyeurathane is absolutely the way to go!

The bigger MSA header, the rebuilt engine, the 0.10" shaved E-31 and the bumpier cam (unkwn grind) all make it feel more robust than it did back in the day. But it's still very well behaved and docile in traffic. The temperature gauge stays down in the first 1/3 of the gauge, the oil pressure stays up in the top 1/2 of the gauge, and the dash clock even started working again (:shock:). I've got one plug breaking down above 5,000 rpm but then it catches again a few hundred rpm higher. Nothing major. I will want to Dyno the car before we put them away for the season. No chance to get it painted in time for the CTZCC car show this year, but probably over the winter.....? The most aggravating thing about the car right now is the stupid horn button keeps falling off the wheel and hitting me in the lap when I least expect it!

If I get enough of the interior replaced by Monday night, I'll probably drive it to the Cruise-In behind Dairy Queen Chill & Grille in North Haven. No promises.

Wow! Great news Frank. Congrats. Can't wait to see it. Hopefully Lime Rock next weekend? Maybe we can arrange a caravan up Route 7 (beautiful way to get up to Lime Rock).

Stereo system - aren't the exhaust notes from the new twice-pipes musical enough? (=

Cheers,
Colin

YES!!!

I couldn't be more happy for you, Frank!

From the outset, your enthusiasm for Z's and for our club has been unmatched - it is about time you are back behind the wheel where you belong...enjoy the ride, you deserve it.

- Jim

I had the great pleasure of meeting Frank's now famous Z tonight and I must say it was well worth the wait. The venue for the first public debut was the weekly Monday Dairy Queen car show in North Haven.

I can now officially dispel any rumors to the contrary, #2807 does exist!! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me to document the event. But if I had, there would be numerous pictures of Frank explaining the history of the Z and of HIS Z in particular to the many folks that stopped by over the course of the evening. In each and every picture taken, Frank would be seen with a grin from ear to ear. And if you looked real close, I'm willing to bet that you could catch a glimmer in #2807's headlights too.

#2807 drew much more attention then when we attended two weeks ago. People of all ages stopped and the new "father" was only too eager to share their story. To see Frank reunited with his Z after 23+ years has the makings for a movie script if I've ever heard one.

Thanks for a pleasant evening Frank and #2807, I couldn't have been in better company!! The Z looks great!! I hope you took the long way home tonight!!

Phil

I saw it tonight too, and I agree! Its great!

_________________


-Chris