The 240z was an interesting car. Nissans were still called Datsuns back then, and along with Toyotas and Hondas, the badges were making inroads into the American market. American cars had gotten elephantine. Little Japanese cars got good gas mileage, were more fun to drive (a floor shift beats three on the tree anyday), and were cheap to buy. But it took a lot for American buyers to get over their aversion to Japanese cars. Some of it was patriotism. But mostly, it was simply inertia. People need a big nudge to change their long-held opinions.
The 240z was just that kind of nudge. It came out in 1969, and it changed American attitudes towards Japanese cars overall. Lots of people started driving pokey B210s and Honda Civics because the 240z made Japanese cars finally seem cool. The car looked like an Asian Jag, or any number of other European long-hood roadsters.
It’s not surprising to see someone restoring a 240z. It’s basically always been the kind of car worth a makeover. Fifty years on, it still seems as cool as it ever was, or even moreso. What is surprising to me is to see how good this panel beater is at his job. He lives in a land beyond meticulous.
More or less the first job I ever had was doing the needful in a body shop. We did quick and dirty repairs, using much more bondo than ingenuity. We sprayed paint like vandals. The fellow that ran it, whose lungs are probably long since an exhibit in some Don’t Do That Museum, made most of his money by pinstriping cars. He left work to me he probably shouldn’t have. If you’re currently driving a Vista Cruiser and the rear fixed windows fall into the rotted fenders when you go over a speed bump, I apologize unreservedly. So I know bad well enough to know good when I see it.
I watched a bunch of related videos for this restoration. They’re delightfully free of sleeve tattoos and thrash metal soundtracks. There are lots of people banging on old cars on YouTube. This fellow stands out.
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Got a job in late 1965 driving new Datsun pick up trucks from the Long Beach CA terminal out to the various dealers. It was a brand new vehicle in the US. A tiny little four banger. I was 21 and had a four month old baby. Put her on the seat next to me and delivered tiny “Jap”trucks out to dealers. A lot of people were very unhappy about Japan selling cars in America. I didn’t think too much of it–just grateful for a job. It appears that a new “Jap Truck” today will set you back about $70,000. I bought a new Toyota pick up in 1985 and it is still going–240,000 miles no major repairs!
Purchased a brand new Pontiac Sunbird in 1977–a complete and total piece of garbage! Never have bought another American car since then. My mom left me a little Buick Regal from the 1990’s that was pretty nice until I took it in for an oil change. The repair man broke the driver’s side window. (HTH did he do that?)
My brother had a friend who owned a shop that specialized in Z’s. I got a summer job there one…er…summer, and my brother came around one day and asked the owner how I was working out. Guy said, “He don’t know shit about cars, but our bathroom’s never been cleaner.” Worked myself all the way up to lube, oil, and filter jobs.