True Barn Find

[RobertLo]

I'm brand new to this forum and haven't owned a Z for over 20 yrs. My first Z was a 1973 240z auto and I always wanted a 4-sp and was fortunate (well...we will see) to find one and just brought home a true barn find from Ncal to Socal last Saturday. This one was sitting in a barn with mice for 22+ yrs so the fun is just beginning...and yes...it smells like it. I'm having trouble loading photos and will load a few as soon as I figure out how. Here are a few specifics...tires were completely flat, the ebrake was frozen, 2 mice nests were found in the car (glovebox and the behind passenger's seat) along with 4 dead mice which got a free ride to Socal. Ignition was completely frozen but mechanic got it started late last week so was very fortunate that the engine was not seized...whew!!

Would appreciate any tips, suggestions, links, etc from you experts in terms of suggestions, recommendations, and tips on saving $ as I go through this process to get it running. There are dents in the hood, left headlight, and rear tailight but rust appears to be minimal from what we can see.

It's an early 1971 Series 1 but appears the head is from a 280z.

That's all I know for now. Thank you for looking.

[djwarner]

Very few Series I z's were made in January 71. The actual month of manufacture is posted on a placard in the driver's door jamb. Mine was made in the last week of December 1970 but wasn't titled til June 1971. January 71 cars were sometimes a mix of Series I and Series II parts as Datsun used up their inventory. I believe the last Series I car was around SN 21000.

Series I heads were type E31 question is whether just the head was changed or whether someone swapped out the engine with an L28. The placard in the engine bay has the vin and engine serial number on it. A numbers matching car will be worth more to a restorer.

CLASSIC MOTORSPORTS magazine recently had an article about 19 classic cars that you can afford to buy now for future appreciation. The Series I Z was first on their list. They recommended preserving the car for the next 5 years and letting the next owner doing the full restoration. Basically they were saying make it drivable, don't hack it up into a racecar, but not to worry about the plating on each and every nut and bolt.

Most parts are available today but some are becoming rare and may be hard to get in five years. Rust free California cars are valuable to the rest of the country. Places to look for rust are under the battery tray, the sub-frame rails supporting the engine and front suspension, under the front fenders near the windshield, the dogleg areas in the doorwells, and the bottom of the front fenders.

While the NICO members are a great bunch of guys, there are other early Z sites that focus on these cars. A great site is

http://www.classiczcars.com/

Keep us informed on your progress, vin and date of manufacture.

[AZhitman]

Welcome aboard, Robert... Sounds like you got super-lucky!

You can check out this series, where we bring a '72 Z back from similar condition - I hope it helps you some:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/1972-d ... bella.html

Enjoy!

[evildky]

Series 2 chassis started at 21xxx, the last known series 1 chassis is 20xxx. Thanks to the shipping embargo and greedy dealers selling 70's as 71 models to fetch the higher sticker price a lot of 70 model cars were titles as 71, my 11176 chassis car being one of them.

Series 1 car will always be more desirable than series2, and they are worth far more in stock form than modified.

[RobertLo]

Thank you for the insight and comments however still can't figure out the photos yet but my vin# appears to be 19820. Car just got tuned and appears to be running better. Will know more on hydraulics tomorrow. valve cover says Nissan OHC so engine may have been swapped. My gas tank has the little turn knob, rear hatch has the vents, minimal rust except for a small hole in the battery tray but under rear hatch looks solid.

[djwarner]

SN 19820 is probably a Jan 71 manufacture but is still a Series I car. In Series II cars hatches were added to the floor pan between the seats and the shock columns. The hatch cavity holds the jack and tool kit. In the series I cars, the jack and tool kit are mounted on the floor behind the seats and covered with thin plastic shells.

The NISSAN OHC cam covers were introduced around SN 8900 around the time when A/T were first introduced. So this is not an indication of an engine swap. You need to confirm SNs on the block. The head design version is cast into the side of the head on the passenger side near the front. Like many pre-catalytic engines the valve seats had to be hardened for use with unleaded fuels so the head has probably been off and may have been swapped out.

Sounds like you struck gold.

[gmac708]

Hi Robert
Welcome to NICO.

I would go after the rubber bushings, wheel bearings, and brakes first. Rubber does not age well. Moisture in bearings and brake lines can cause failures too. Good luck with the restoration, and please keep us posted.

Gord

[AZhitman]

how-to-post-pictures-using-photobucket-t521110.html

[RobertLo]

It would appear that I have a Series 1 as I opened the two plastic covers behind the seats where the jack was located and found two mice nests. That would make 3 nests and 6 dead or disintegrated mice. Yesterday I spent an hour and ripped out the carpets and insulation in the trunk and seats and threw them out. Good news is the body has minimal rust and the spare tire wheel well looks brand new with the original spare it fully inflated. Will start with a 3 core radiator, hoses, brakes, clutch, and weatherstripping. Once I can drive it, then will begin working on the carpeting and seats. Greatly appreciate the guidance.

Oh...have the original wood steering wheel which is still in great shape and it has the indentations instead of the cut outs. Also have 2 hub caps with the Black D in the center.

[djwarner]

Great!

Keep the original equipment of whatever you upgrade. Preserve for the next guy who will want to restore it.

Many parts are still available or new upgrades on the market, but many are not. The secret is trying to figure out what someone has changed before.