1990 Stramann 300zx TT convertible

[sllynn]

I have a 300zx TT convertible that was one of the Stramann conversions. I recently acquired it from my 73 yo father who purchased it new in 1990.

The hydraulics stopped working on it more than 10 years ago. My father's solution was to disconnect the top from the hydraulics and throw out the connecting pieces. he had the cloth on the top replaced about 1 year ago. The engine and driveline are in good shape. He had the mechanicals overhauled about 2 years ago.

I'm attempting to restore the car. The guy I have working on the top, says the hydraulics are shot, and the mechanism on the top wasn't ever really correct (it was too heavy for the top motor, and wasn't symmetric left to right). This actually causes the top to not go down properly by hand unless you get out of the car, and push down on the top when it reaches 90 degrees.

I can replace all the hydraulics with new gear, and have him build new mechanics for the top, which means replacing most of Stramann's work. The cost is nearly $10k. Or he's suggesting, I get a 93-96 convertible top, motor and rear deck (trunk and tonneau), and toss the Stramann truck and side wings. The advantage of this is that if anything goes wrong in the future, I'll be able to go to Nissan or a junk yard for replacement parts, it will have a hard tonneau rather than an exposed top, and it should cost closer to $5K, but I'll need a paint job, which it needs anyway.

So, my question is, If I replace Stramann rear deck, top, hydraulics, etc. with Nissan convertible parts, does that make the car no longer one of the (rare) Stramann cars? Does it just make it a 300sz Convertible that happens to have a Twin Turbo Engine? Does it make it more or less valuable?

[Q451990]

to NICO! I know very little about the Z32, and even less about the convertibles. I'd be a bit cautious about making the decision to go factory with the advantage of parts availability from Nissan. For a car that hasn't been produced for 20+ years many parts that haven't gone non stock will soon enough. Should be a fun project though... I'm looking forward to hearing more about it!

[NolimitZ32]

You have a VERY rare car and if you have the (financial) ability I would keep it as is and have someone custom build the parts needed to make it work. The guy quoting you $10k for this work is out of his damn mind, $10k is what it would cost to custom fabricate the ENTIRE convertible system (with top). I'm always for keeping rare cars intact, and as mentioned already the parts for these cars (even the factory Nissan parts) are getting more rare, lots of things are being discontinued and with the price of these cars dropping over the recent decade many of them have been riced, beaten, and ended up in the crusher so finding even used parts is getting harder. But it is at the end of the day your car so you are the one that has to make the decision.

[sllynn]

@NolimitZ32
That’s exactly what he’s proposing...building a new custom top as the mechanics on this one don’t seem to be operating correctly. For example, there are 2 brackets that the frame that other moving parts pass through. These brackets seem to serve no purpose, but they scrape the rollbar as the top is raised and lowered.
I get your point about keeping it original. There are some things I can’t keep original. Like the switch for the top. It’s lost. My father had it torn out and thrown out. Sigh.
That’s a minor thing. I am going to do some modernization like replacing the console with a 2din for a nav and backup camera. This car is impossible to see out of without one. But these are minor things.
Yeah. I think I’ll go back and talk about making what’s there work correctly. Perhaps a more powerful hydraulic pump and some newly manufactured parts can make the top work again.
It’s too bad I haven’t been able to find it what happened to the schematics, etc after Straman closed his doors.

[NolimitZ32]

Ahh, I see, that actually really sucks, if it were me I would do my best to reproduce the top to the straman design and improve whatever needs to be improved like you suggest, maybe even retrofit electric components to replace anything hydraulic. I think the straman z32 looks soooo much better than the ones produced by Nissan.

[sllynn]

Got some good news today from the guy doing the convertible work. After they got the top off and the hydraulics out, it became clear that the only really ploblem with the top was one of the cross bars was bent (one side came up to the rollbar and the other side was about 3 inches shy or the rollbar). The problem with the framing hitting the rollbar was because the the hydraulic struts weren’t holding it in place any longer. When you applied about 10-20 lbs of force on the point where the struts attached to the frame, it lifted right off the rollbar by about 1 inch. So, the framing is good. It’s just it requires the hydraulics to remain in place properly.

So, he’s putting in new hydraulics, fixing the cross member that’s warped and properly sealing the top.
I’ve now got a carbon fiber center console for the new stereo/Nav with backup camera, some replacement parts from around the cockpit and replacing the grey tweed cloth with grey suede to make the interior nicer.
Then, sometime next year, I replace the nose because like all z32s, curbs destroyed it, and repaint in the original Aztec Red and she’ll look better than new.

[NolimitZ32]

That's awesome to hear, happy that you were able to get away without having to reinvent the wheel.

[Ace2cool]

I think the straman z32 looks soooo much better than the ones produced by Nissan.

x100000000

[DCaff300ZX]

Got some good news today from the guy doing the convertible work. After they got the top off and the hydraulics out, it became clear that the only really ploblem with the top was one of the cross bars was bent (one side came up to the rollbar and the other side was about 3 inches shy or the rollbar). The problem with the framing hitting the rollbar was because the the hydraulic struts weren’t holding it in place any longer. When you applied about 10-20 lbs of force on the point where the struts attached to the frame, it lifted right off the rollbar by about 1 inch. So, the framing is good. It’s just it requires the hydraulics to remain in place properly.

So, he’s putting in new hydraulics, fixing the cross member that’s warped and properly sealing the top.
I’ve now got a carbon fiber center console for the new stereo/Nav with backup camera, some replacement parts from around the cockpit and replacing the grey tweed cloth with grey suede to make the interior nicer.
Then, sometime next year, I replace the nose because like all z32s, curbs destroyed it, and repaint in the original Aztec Red and she’ll look better than new.

That's great news! Having to go to extreme lengths would have been expensive most likely and the results maybe not so great...a moot point now however.
Looking forward to your finished shots!

[sllynn]

Well, when they got the thing completely apart, it was a mess. When he had the framing disconnected from the electrical, they removed the limit switches. There were 4 of them. No one even builds a 4 switch mechanism. So, we had to rebuild the electrical from scratch. That means all the original mechanicals except for the framing itself is gone.
I insisted they keep as much of the original framing as possible so that it keeps the roofline intact.
I’ve also replace the classroom nails with carbon fiber, put in a 2 din stereo with nav and backup camera for safety. Replaced all the broken switches. All of the vinyl from Stramann (room bar cover and front pad on the top) are now leather. New steering wheel (carbon and leather), etc. Replaced the tweed material with light grey suede. Not too wild.

[DCaff300ZX]

Any pics yet? I'd love to see the guts of this, so hard to imagine since I've never seen a Stramann much less worked on one.

[DCaff300ZX]

I have a 300zx TT convertible that was one of the Stramann conversions.
So, my question is, If I replace Stramann rear deck, top, hydraulics, etc. with Nissan convertible parts, does that make the car no longer one of the (rare) Stramann cars? Does it just make it a 300sz Convertible that happens to have a Twin Turbo Engine? Does it make it more or less valuable?

I'd have to say that the less Stramann that exists after any repairs results in less value, since value is determined first from a complete, OEM/new working condition and value declines the less this is true (repairs needed/done, etc.) in a static value environment. So yes, you'd have a TT swapped vert in essence which has value, just not collectible, OEM car version value.
Seemingly you intend to keep the car so value may not be the most important thing while correct operation is, and may well drive your repair process since surely that extra $5K spent most likely wouldn't be recouped in a sale unless the car was mint condition in all other ways and selling for top dollar.

[evildky]

The only way to get a convertible Z31 was to get a straman. At last check that added very little to the value of the car. Not to say it's not worth keeping just don't expect that to add much in the way of value over it's non straman counterparts.