1971 DATSUN 240Z SERIES I COUPE ~ 5-SPEED ~ 907 GREEN/BLACK ~ 9/1970 PRODUCTION

THE CAR THAT STARTED IT ALL:

1971 DATSUN 240Z ~ 1970 PRODUCTION S30 SERIES I ~ 5 SPEED ~ 907 RACING GREEN

I could literally write a book about this car, but if I did, by the end I wouldn't list the auction, so I'll keep it simple, and welcome questions, or appointments to meet the Z in person.

A little history: This Z was A CALIFORNIA CAR until April of 2007, then a summer PA car before coming home to NC. When I bought this Z in 2008 ~ for the first time… but that’s a story for another day ~ she was a generally well preserved survivor. Paint was original, and there was no history of body repair. There was plenty of patina, but rust has never been a problem for this car. I used the Z as a fair weather daily driver for 3 years, while working out the bugs and stockpiling many additional NOS and NICE parts for “someday”. In 2012 I sold the car and many of the parts that were waiting to be installed to another Z aficionado. While she was in his hands she had a glass out repaint. The only rust worthy of note was a spot roughly the size of a golf ball at the right dogleg. The car was put back together at that time with the improved parts. I repurchased the Z in 2013, and I’ve been consistently improving on details ever since. I have a scanned maintenance and “refreshing” spreadsheet totaling over $26k during my ownership(s) that I can forward to interested parties. Another estimated $10k was spent on the Z in 2012/13 by the interim owner on paint, exhaust, clutch/pressure plate/flywheel, carpet, etc. Few bolts were left unturned. I also have half a dozen photos of the underside of the floors available to email or text upon request.

A framed reproduction of the window sticker, a factory brochure from 1970, a vintage Gardena Datsun metal license plate frame, and an owner’s manual will all be included with the car as pictured. So will the mini-Z shown in the hatch and the vintage Bearfinder Radar Detector pictured on the dash and if the new owner wants them.

The intention throughout the progress of this Z has been to keep the car looking stock-ish, but to update the drivability to a comfortable standard for real world 21st century use. Modifications have for the most part been subtle and sensible. In no particular order... The car wears 16” Panasport wheels, has an am/fm radio from a 1973 model 240Z, and a euro carb balance tube. Power is nowtransferred through a later model ZX 5-Speed transmission, but a NOS correct 240Z 4-Speed wooden shift knob was sourced to keep the top-side more original in appearance. There’s been some suspension and exhaust updating, the headlights are HELLA H4, and the steering wheel is a replica of the Compe wheel that was offered through the Nissan parts department back in the day. Also, the clock has been updated to a battery powered version that appears exactly as stock, but actually works.

All this said, while this is one of the nicest early Z-Cars I’ve seen lately (like, since around 1975), the car is an eternal work in progress, and is NOT perfect. The engine bay presents rather well, but wasn’t repainted, and nor was the underside of the car. In areas underneath, the original undercoating is peeling down to green, and in others I’ve sprayed a LIGHT coat of fresh undercoat. There are alsosome bends and dents in the frame rails from improper jacking over the decades. The dash is wearing a full cover. There a few small imperfections in the paint, and elsewhere for that matter. The car was intended to be a very nice weekend driver, and a successful local car show entry. I believe it has reached that level. Functionally, the car is in superb working order save for the ventilation system which is set for heat/defrost when it’s turned on, and I’ve not messed with otherwise in years. Also, If you fill the fuel tank to the very top, it purges a little fuel. I never investigated this thoroughly, but I purchased a NOS OEM fuel filler tube that will be included with the car.

I would trust this car to drive cross country tomorrow. Oil is fresh, tires are a couple years old with almost full tread, and spark plugs are new. We logged over 400 miles on September 11th between Raleigh and Charlotte for the Occupy Modern Nissan Z/G show, and were awarded BEST IN SHOW from over 100 pretty impressive cars in the process!

THE DATSUN HAS A CLEAR NC TITLE IN MY NAME, WITH NO LIENS.

THE SMALL STUFF: Payment in full must be made within 7 days of the close of the auction, following a non-refundable $500 deposit through PayPal that must be received within 24 hours of the auction ending (or to use the buy it now option). Payment methods accepted for the balance will be cash, a cashier's check from a bank with local branches in central NC (7 business day hold), or a bank wire transfer directly to my credit union (preferred, and with a shorter hold time). If your plan is to come to Raleigh to pick up the car, I can arrange to pick you up at the airport (RDU), bus, or train station. If you would be planning to ship the Datsun we can make our schedule fairly flexible to arrange to meet a transport service of your choice. The 240Z can stay here after payment in full has been received for up to a month to accommodate YOUR schedule - garaged, and of course - not driven. The mileage today shows (1)45,129, and will change slightly in the duration of the auction. Mileage was documented as original and correct on the PA titles (copies included), but NC lists all cars over 10 years old as exempt. It’s actually slightly less than shown anyway, because the speedometer indicates fractionally higher than accurate. PLEASE ASK any and all questions... your bid is a binding contract to purchase - not to consider. Thanks for looking, and take care. Rob.

PS: The front and rear license plates stay with me. ;~}