Mazda RX-7s, RX-5s, RX-3s and Datsun Z-Cars | Barn Find Hunter - Ep. 74
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- In hopes of finding more youthful barn finds, Tom heads south to Atlanta, GA, to meet up with an old friend and co-inventor of the Hans Device, Jim Downing. Jim has been a staple of the Mazda racing scene since 1974, which naturally led to amassing more than a few interesting imports. Follow along as Tom walks you through Jim’s timeless collection of Mazda racecars and desirable streetcars. Tom then stumbles upon two young businessmen who live for Datsun Z-cars. Watch as Tom is blown away when he discovers they have a set of first-gen Datsun 240Zs.
#BarnFindHunter #NeverStopDriving #HagertyDriversClub
Subscribe to our CZcams Channel! | bit.ly/2iooBxJ
Hagerty supports, entertains, and informs the automotive enthusiast community across a variety of media and social platforms, including hagerty.com/media
LIKE us on FACEBOOK | / hagerty
FOLLOW us on TWITTER | / hagerty
FOLLOW us on INSTAGRAM | / hagerty
JOIN our COMMUNITY | community.hage...
Check out our most popular video series:
REDLINE REBUILDS - bit.ly/3bNdVmN
We spend hundreds of hours tearing apart old engines, machining and obsessively cleaning the parts, and reassembling it all. We exhaustively chronicle every step along the way with thousands of photos, then boil it down to a fast-paced but incredibly detailed time-lapse video. Share the satisfaction of the finish and the first fire-up!
BARN FIND HUNTER - bit.ly/2WgjGTg
Tom Cotter literally wrote the book(s) on barn finds, starting with The Cobra in the Barn. Tom travels North America in his 1939 Ford Woodie Wagon, searching for forgotten classics in barns, backyards, dusty garages, and scrapyards and meeting the fascinating characters who open the barn doors for him and tell him their stories.
WHY I DRIVE - bit.ly/2WhLPtv
Deep dive profiles of owners of interesting cars. Owners narrate, sharing their particular passion, with evocative on-the-road footage. We take you to their homes and garages, showing you firsthand the turn of the key, the first high-rpm upshift, and their favorite roads and destinations, whether it’s the local racetrack, ice cream parlor, or canyon road.
Find out more about Hagerty | www.hagerty.com
Hagerty Drivers Club ™ | Join today: www.hagerty.co...
Hagerty Drivers Club is the world’s largest community for automotive enthusiasts. Members enjoy valuable automotive discounts, exclusive events and experiences, roadside service created specifically for collector vehicles, subscription to the bimonthly Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, and much more.
Contact us:
Phone: 877-922-9701
Fax: 231-941-8227
Barn Find Hunter tips and inquiries: barnfindhunter@hagerty.com
Suggestions and/or complaints: Your2Cents@hagerty.com
Marketing & Event inquiries: marketing@hagerty.com
thanks for including Japanese cars in barn find hunter! more please!
du5t33 it’s about time they caught on
I agree
Great episode but Jim Downing really deserves a whole episode to himself.
Jim Downing was a friend and customer of my father. I remember Dad mentioning something about Mr Downing doing some racing, but I figured, that it was just a hobby, as it was an occasional passtime for many, when I was growing up in Atlanta in the '70's. They'd race at Road Atlanta, which was 40 miles or so north of Atlanta. To me, Mr Downing was "Just another guy. A regular fellow". I had no idea, how serious and how "Big Time" Mr Downing was as far as racing or even just cars were concerned, until just now!
Mr Downing was just one among many friends, that my Dad had made over the years in Atlanta, by having a retail shop, which was somewhat of a fixture and by having a genuine interest in his customers. It's probably been 35 or 40 years, since I last saw Jim Downing. Glad, that he seems to be doing well!
...Also great to see those guys with the Z cars. My cousin had a 1972 240z, which he'd always kept in a garage and took good care of. As a kid in the '70's, I always asked him, if I could have it, when he was through with it? He decided, that he was through with it in the early '90's, when he was retiring and moving to the mountains, so he called me. I have since regretted this, but at the time, I was on a minimalist kick and didn't want any extra stuff in my life. I had a company car, so didn't really need the 240z, so I thanked my cousin for remembering but turned down the car! It was in perfect shape inside and out and had a manual transmission. During my same "anti-hoarding" period, I was offered a mint condition white 1970 Lincoln Mark III with only 35,000 miles, for only $1500. Turned that down too! Man, what a time, for me to be paranoid about being a hoarder! I really missed out. ...Oh well, I digress.
If it's any consolation, I still drive my uncle's rusted out 1979 Datsun 620 King Cab. It's funny, since I just think about it as an old farm truck, but since I've been driving it in the last couple of years, 20 & 30 somethings constantly ask me about it, so I guess, Datsun's have a following, just like '57 Chevys had, when I was little?
@@sparky6086 the datsun trucks sure do since they are getting rare. That's cool that you had a chance to meet him and seems like you've also had some interesting automotive times 👍
I’m in awe! This is exactly the kind of thing I love! Rotaries! Race cars and just pure enjoyment from both parties! Thank you Hagerty!
That was so cool to see all the Datsun Z’s. Brought back a lot of memories for me. I was stationed in Hawaii during the early 70’s and while our squadron was on deployment to Okinawa a lot of sailors bought new Z’s in Okinawa and had them shipped for free, space available, back to Hawaii. During a typhoon they were allowed to store them in an empty aircraft hanger. There were so many it looked like a Datsun dealership. Even with having to do some updates to make them US compliant they still saved a lot of money instead of buying them in Hawaii.
Wait, so employees of the US could skirt taxes and shipping and stuff?
THRASH METAL & FUN RIFFS I don’t know about the taxes they most likely paid that when registering the vehicle for the first time. The vehicles were shipped free space available on ships going to Hawaii. Sometimes took months. That however was soon stopped. The government quit shipping private purchases for free.
@@paulstan9828 Oh yeah, ur probably right, taxes are paid in the state of registration, duh...
Dirtyd23 Yeah that’s true. These were not shipped with permanent PCS transfer orders. Just people buy a car on deployment.
I spent years in an import car parts store. We had an ex-sailor customer with a Fairlady Z from his deployment to Okinawa. RHD ( of course) , triple Mikuni Solex , but 2.0 L20 six cylinder and automatic.
High school students, and they have a big shop and a couple of dozen Z's ... holy cow!
College students, but yeah.
They are over priced and mostly rusted out cars. The Z group dont like these guys.
chris hauge yeah I looked into them. Completely off the grid on price. Plus they are all southern rust buckets
You don’t mind rust when you’re young. I used to get super excited seeing rust because it meant I was paying next to nothing.
@@701garage the man said everything is for sale,so wich means everything is for sale if its worth it for them,obviously they are overpriced when they really aint in a rush to sell anything,and pretty much every 40-50+ year old car is rusted out if not kept indoors whole time,i saw plenty of potential projects in these rusted out cars,some of these cars sitting outside aint in a bad shape at all considering the age,even the damn doors look cleaner than some of the 15 year old cars in traffic,look at the trunk of the blue one,it literally had no rust in trunk and u saying rusted out,these cars were not in bad shape at all as the owner said considering the age
I'm from France, and those "youngtimers" really started to shine in the past couple of years. Old GTi's from the 80's/90's, and coupés from the 70's (Manta, Capri, 2002, GTV6 etc...) more than tripled their value in ten years. Oh and same happened with the 2cv, to a point where it's more and more stored away and only used on the weekends. Seeing one daily used today is a bit of a rarity.
zoufmalade I was about to make more or less the same comment. Merci
Yes, I came here to say exactly this: 2CVs now are collector cars in France too. Kind of sad, since they are surprisingly good everyday cars too.
Nothing to add, all has been said
I own a 71 V4 Ford Capri and this is one of the best investments I ever made, perfect ride car, been using it weekends and on sunny days to go to work. Value is going up for sure, and its even better when the resto work is done right (or if its all original !). Cheers et vive les classiques européens !
I was in France November of 2018 for two weeks. Did not see a single 2CV on the road and only one air cooled VW Beetle.
In 1973, Olds dealers got two Datsun 240zs a month so they loaded them up and charged a fortune. I researched and found a country Datsun dealer who said he was getting 6 a month, stock price, and I could have my pick of color. Racing red, of course! So much cheaper than a Corvette, but twice the fun. Corvette was heavy, lumbered, cost a fortune to drive, and had a fixed, crowded seating position. The Z had plenty of adjustments for a 6' 4" guy, light, nimble. The weight was so balanced and the steering turned so much I never spun out on dirt, pavement, or snow. Bullet proof engine. So smooth after I took the smog controls off. A lot of racing parts available. My favorite car. Got a 1980 Mazda RX-7 that was so smooth and the engine got smoother at higher revs, but it wouldn't start after 70k miles from low compression. It had a reservoir with antifreeze to start in cold weather. 1st car I had that burned water.
had a 86' 300, 88'turbo and currently finishing timing belt service on my 94'na w98k,16 year owner. All manual shift. Keep the Zs alive fellas
I seriously never thought Hagerty would do an episode revolving around rotaries. This is literally a dream come true.
THE Jim Downing! What a collection!
Wow, I never knew, that Jim Downing was a "THE Jim Downing!" What a trip! ...Jim Downing was a friend and customer of my father. I remember Dad mentioning something about Mr Downing doing some racing, but I figured, that it was just a hobby, as it was an occasional pastime for many, when I was growing up in Atlanta in the '70's. They'd race at Road Atlanta, which was 40 miles or so north of Atlanta, so I had no idea, how serious and how "Big Time" Mr Downing was as far as racing or even just cars were concerned, until just now!
Mr Downing was just one among many, many friends, that my Dad had made over the years in Atlanta, by having a retail shop, which was somewhat of a fixture and by having a genuine interest in his customers. It's probably been 35 or 40 years, since I last saw Jim Downing. Glad, that he seems to be doing well!
...Also great to see those guys with the Z cars. My cousin had a 1972 240z, which he'd always kept in a garage and took good care of. As a kid in the '70's, I always asked him, if I could have it, when he was through with it? He decided, that he was through with it in the early '90's, when he was retiring and moving to the mountains, so he called me. I have since regretted this, but at the time, I was on a minimalist kick and didn't want any extra stuff in my life. I had a company car, so didn't really need the 240z, so I thanked my cousin for remembering but turned down the car! It was in perfect shape inside and out and had a manual transmission. During my same "anti-hoarding" period, I was offered a mint condition white 1970 Lincoln Mark III with only 35,000 miles, for only $1500. Turned that down too! Man, what a time, for me to be paranoid about being a hoarder! I really missed out. ...Oh well, I digress.
If it's any consolation, I still drive my uncle's rusted out 1979 Datsun 620 King Cab. It's funny, since I just think about it as an old farm truck, but since I've been driving it in the last couple of years, 20 & 30 somethings constantly ask me about it, so I guess, Datsun's have a following, just like '57 Chevys had, when I was little?
Wish them much success in their business, great to see these guys be a part of the classic car hobby.
I’m an American muscle type of guy but thumbs up to that guy he seems very approachable and really loves that engine platform, also what he’s done for safety with the HANS device he’s saved a lot of lives.
My older sister bought a new 1973 240-Z. It was silver with a black rocker panel stripe. I remember the cool faux wood steering wheel and the manual choke lever. It was really something special in that time, IMO. We once drove it from SEA to LA, drove it hard all the way down the 5 before todays traffic. Recently saw an early pristine example that sold for 300K on bring a trailer.
THAT is one of the nicest barns i have ever seen!
Thanks for having us Tom! It was an amazing experience and one we won't forget, if anyone is interested in seeing more of what we do, our instagram is @datsunhunters
Nice to see some love for the 70s-90s era Rotary Mazdas, also good to see someone who is working to restore some rather than letting them rot in a field
Man the Green Datsun is Amazing! (except the bumper) You ain't kidding there's a lot of room either, I knew a guy that put a Dodge 440 and 727 in a 280Z, had the exhaust manifolds mounted upside down & exisitng out the wheel wells to sidepipes, lol... scary sucker!
THRASH METAL & FUN RIFFS that’s fucking insane...
As a rotor head this has by far been my favorite episode
Rotary heaven. What a champion Jim is. My favorite segment on Hagerty.
I just want to jump in there and start restoring everything. I'll work for meals and sleep in the Datsun's trunk.
"She's a beaut, Clark!" I absolutely love that wagon and your 'National Lampoon's Vacation' reference!
14:00 *wangan midnight theme starts playing in the background*
man of culture
I knew I couldn't have been the only one.
@@seph95 not at all. long live the Devil Z
Akuma no Zetto
*Lights and anymore*
I'm 63 and an amateur road racer since 1979, I raced Datsun 510s and 240zeds
as well as several 71 Mazda RX2s, currently i race a 01 Integra. In my area the Vintage Honda people are active and you see lots of pre 90s and 00s Hondas' around on the street and at the track, Those people live and breathe those cars. They are just like the traditional muscle car and hot rod guys in their dedication and passion. (I still have a 71 RX2 with a cage and loads of spares that hasn't raced since the 90s)
My first project car I ever did was a 79 280z that i put a 350ci in. Man I’ll never forget that. That was back in 89/90 being a 16/17 year old that car was so fun. I drove it to Florida and back from Massachusetts too. I learned a lot about cars with that z.
My first ever car was my stepmoms Mazda RX7, first generation. It was a great car. I loved it, the girls loved it.
That I don't doubt.
Yeah, but no back seat to get busy in...
@@DamnedSilly that's what the hood is for 😏
Keeps her butt warm too.
All that remains of my 72 240Z are the emblems. My My nephew used it to practice how to properly write off a vehicle. I did enjoy driving with my legs horizontal.
I'm 6'4 and the only car (or truck) I've ever owned where I didn't put the seat all the way back was my '77 280Z. You didn't so much feel like you were driving the car as wearing it.
@@DamnedSilly Well put. I'm only 6'2" and when a friend lost his heart for toys I acquired his 81 280ZX Turbo. I still preferred the 240 hands down and would have been at home in a 77 280Z too. In fact my friend hauled me 90 minutes each way to have my wisdom teeth pulled. What a ride that was. He intentionally left late to add a little challenge and excitement to the mundane of playing Zambulance.
Peace.
I've binge-watched all 74 episodes of Barn Find Hunter over the last week or so. Awesome. Not just a fabulous exploration of old cars galore but, for someone from across the Pond, also an amazing insight into US history, culture, society, geography and even psychology. There are some genuinely lovely people over there, not least Tom Cotter himself. And Tom's knowledge of British and European cars is also excellent. Here's to the next 74 episodes!
It's good to see Mazda and Z's on your show.... My family has owned Z cars for years Actually i own a 2009 370 Z but i grew up with these cars..... 510, RX series and Datsun Z Supra etc....its always a treat to see the appreciation for these vehicles
Always loved those Datsun 240/260's--beautiful cars.
Prices on those 280ZXs are going up. I've owned a couple... they're fun.
Yea I had three 240 Z ..... back in the 80s. Sold the last one in 89 to build a house....... at lease I still have the house. Miss those cars.
I suppose someone who loved the 280ZX could look at what an S130 Fairlady and an engine swap would cost. Japan's version of the Datsun 280ZXT only had a 2.0L engine, so the USA got something better.
And the Zs begins here
240s 260s 280s... I think the z is a beautiful car every since I saw one when I was younger I’ve been obsessed, I’m looking forward to that in the future at least
I restored a ‘73 240Z back in ‘83/‘84. I loved that car. Thanks for posting.
I'm surprised that Hagerty stepped out of their box and away from the standard Muscle car forte. I applaud them because at the end of the day it is us younger generation that will inherit the future classics. I for one love the 70s/80s cars and trucks.
By far my favorite episode yet! Love the jdm cars
Thanks for the look back. I was involved with Joe Varble in Atlanta. He had a 300Z first year S/N 7 running ITA. Best racing fun I've been around!
Wow, I had a 280Z , bought it new and it just evaporated into a pile of rust. I got a letter from the manufacturer advising me that it had a 3 year rust warranty and about 2 months after the rust warranty expired perforation rust appeared.
Love seeing the young guys that still want to carry the torch. Can't let none of this die from Z's to American iron. Enjoyed the Mazda segment as well. Good show Tom.
Having raced RX-3SP back in the day, I enjoyed your visit to Downing's shop and the Z barn too. We tore up a bunch of the cars that were shown in IT racing which reduces the number available now. The one I let get away was 1991 RX-7 GTUs which was the factory race car and essentially a turbo car without the turbo engine. There were only 50 of those cars built by Mazda. I bought it for my ex-wife and she didnt like it because it didnt have a sunroof, radio or any power options. As they say, here's your sign
I raced a 70 Z serial # 7787 back in the 70's. We converted it to a 260 then to a 280 to stay in Datsuns prize money. Jim Fitzgerald took our car around Road Atlanta checking it out and beat our time by 3 seconds on the 3rd lap he did. Also owned a 78 280Z about 35 years ago.. Fun Cars!
Have always loved the 2CV, especially the Charleston!
Those early RX-7's are a blast to drive... but if l could get a 240Z-280ZX in good condition l'd be set for summer cruising for awhile...Thanks Tom for a great episode.l hope those teo young guys do really well for years to come.🖒🖒🖒
FINALLY. 70s and 80s cars!
Well, from '75 - '85 American cars were mostly junk and a lot of the imports suffered from body rot. There were definitely good cars around then but so many of them just didn't survive.
Michael Burgess the only really good American cars from that era where the pick up trucks and the Trans am (70-81) the rest was mediocre or absolute trash
Early Fairlady models might not be worth importing to the USA because they were limited to 2.0L. The Z432 is an exception, as it has a rare engine with 4 valves, 3 carbs, and 2 cams. However, a Z432 is extremely expensive.
However, those who loved the Nissan 300ZXTT and have a hard time finding a good one might benefit from getting a Fairlady TT imported. Also, it may be smart to wait until you can get one from 1997 or later. They had a few upgrades that the Nissan 300ZXTT never had.
My fathers attorney had a 240Z bought new. Lightweight but the metal was all so thin and rusted so fast. To open the truck, you'd depress a button in the center and could literally watch the whole trunk flex from it. If the floor has not rusted through, he probably would have kept it longer but it really was all design without much substance. Today however, I can definitely see how people would be attracted to the uniqueness of them.
In the early 70's I drove my friend's RX3. He asked me to bring it to the catering hall for his wedding. I noticed the vinyl top was kind of blown out. He told me it got loose at 135 MPH. While I was driving it, I punched it in 2nd gear. It pinned me back in the seat. I was stunned. What a car. Acceleration was instantaneous and vicious. I couldn't believe a little Japanese compact could do that.
As someone who owned a '77 280 Z and an '85 Rx-7 (GSL-SE) this was fun to watch.
I bet Mr Downing remembers Tom Gloy & Bill Fingerlow from the old Trans Am Series. I done lots of work for those guys in the Craftsman Truck Series (Ice House Beer) sponsorship. Bill was a great friend, any time he changed jobs, I got the new teams work. Google Bill Fingerlow to see what a guy he was. Once when he was between regular jobs, he came to me and ask if I had room for him to go through a race car, for sure I made room for Bill. Turned out to be a "Rolex Car" owned and driven by Paul Newman, the number on the car was # 80 - - because Paul was 80 years old. Bill tore the car down to the last screw, litterly he rebuilt everything the car was in a million pieces, We painted the parts while he had it apart. He finished the car by himself, loaded it & hauled it to Sebring Florida. THOSE TWO guys, Bill Fingerlow & Paul Newman were a force to be reckoned with. Paul qualified I think it was like 8th & started 8th, like 25 laps in, Paul got spun out, went to the pits for new tires, started on the tail, and this 80 year old man finished 5th. What a testament for him, and what a testament to my friend Bill, to put a race car together by yourself and race all day trouble free and finish 5th with an 80 year old driver. Bet there in heaven racing on gold streets. Rest in peace fellas. Miss you buddy.
great nostalgia piece. I was lucky enough to have driven a '79 RX7 & a '73 240Z. great cars!
Wish I had a dollar for every V-8 I pulled away from (from behind usually lol) in a tall port carbed-headered Rx 3. They'd be topping 3rd when I was topping 2nd. I always looked sideways to smile and take in their scowl as I grabbed 3rd and rolled by. Big fun with a "little" motor.
I used to have a 79 RX7 - I loved that car....
Good to see some Vintage JDM cars on Barn Find Hunter.
Mr Camel lights, i recognized mr Downing right away. Seeing the 78 rx3 sp reminds of the 77 i had. What a fun car that was. I couldn't believe the acceleration. Sold it for $500 back in 85.
I remember buying a Triumph Tr-10 RHD Station wagon from Downing Motors on Peachtree St in Atlanta in the 70's. Riding a freight elevator with the car from the 3RD floor down. A Multi story building full of rare cars. Those were fun days!
I'm not a Nissan/Datsun guy (I'm a Volvo guy) but I really appreciate an enthusiast like these Datsun guys who know their information. Lots of respect for them
Finally a Barn Find Hunter for us classic JDM lovers :D :D :D
Thank you!!! Loved this epdisode. The RX7 is my all time favorite EVER!!! I once owned an 1984 blue RX7. Ran away successfully from Miami police twice. This was a fantastic find and share. Then the Datsuns!!! Awesome!
Growing up, my neighbor had a blue '84 RX-7 like yours. I lusted after that car for years.
This is interesting, visiting, a place where 2 college students work on resurrecting the Datsun / Nissan 240,260,280 Z, the only one missing is the 300 Z, Turbo also the person ran RX3,4,RX7 first, second generation,plus he has some unique collector cars especially the Mazda Cosmo that was sold in Japan, plus looking at the70sLTD, country square station wagon.
Great episode. For a rotor head like me, more like these would be appreciated. Keep up the top work.
ive never subscribed to any show... on youtube.. but hagerty.. hes a must!
That was cool. I worked at Discount Z in Phoenix which was a Z junkyard. Worked on many of them in the late 80s. And owned several 240s and remember the differences in the emblems. Thanks for sharing
Now this is a trip down memory lane...I had a slightly used '71 240Z and a 260Z car I bought in 1982. I saw the black 240Z I owned 4 years ago and it is still in pristine condition! Wish I had the bucks to buy it back...what a sweetheart of a car it is! I also bought an '80 Datsun B210 station wagon for my oldest daughter for her graduation. She kept that until 1996. It had a 5 spd manual shift and she was in love with it! She told me that it got almost 40 mpg. It was still well-cared for and almost immaculate when she sold it. In my lifetime I guess I have owned over 100 cars but some of my fondest were the Datsuns. Thanks for the memories!
I grew up around these cars, dad was ol school American and my brothers and uncles into the rx series and z series, they used to race in a class, if memory is correct, called icarra? They had 240's, 260's and rx-7's that would fly!! Straight sixes with 3 -6 one barrel carbs while the 7's were rotary with turbos and intercoolers, racing seats, roll cages, these cars were some of the fastest I've ever ridden in or drove
Best barn find yet!! Plz more import stuff tom!
Do some Toyota/Supra stuff!
Jim Downing was a friend and customer of my father. I remember Dad mentioning something about Mr Downing doing some racing, but I figured, that it was just a hobby, as it was an occasional pastime for many, when I was growing up in Atlanta in the '70's. They'd race at Road Atlanta, which was 40 miles or so north of Atlanta, so I had no idea, how serious and how "Big Time" Mr Downing was as far as racing or even just cars were concerned, until just now!
Mr Downing was just one among many, many friends, that my Dad had made over the years in Atlanta, by having a retail shop, which was somewhat of a fixture and by having a genuine interest in his customers. It's probably been 35 or 40 years, since I last saw Jim Downing. Glad, that he seems to be doing well!
...Also great to see those guys with the Z cars. My cousin had a 1972 240z, which he'd always kept in a garage and took good care of. As a kid in the '70's, I always asked him, if I could have it, when he was through with it? He decided, that he was through with it in the early '90's, when he was retiring and moving to the mountains, so he called me. I have since regretted this, but at the time, I was on a minimalist kick and didn't want any extra stuff in my life. I had a company car, so didn't really need the 240z, so I thanked my cousin for remembering but turned down the car! It was in perfect shape inside and out and had a manual transmission. During my same "anti-hoarding" period, I was offered a mint condition white 1970 Lincoln Mark III with only 35,000 miles, for only $1500. Turned that down too! Man, what a time, for me to be paranoid about being a hoarder! I really missed out. ...Oh well, I digress.
If it's any consolation, I still drive my uncle's rusted out 1979 Datsun 620 King Cab. It's funny, since I just think about it as an old farm truck, but since I've been driving it in the last couple of years, 20 & 30 somethings constantly ask me about it, so I guess, Datsun's have a following, just like '57 Chevys had, when I was little?
S30/240Z's are my dreamcars, but they are so expensive (over here). I wish i could ever own and mod one to update it to make it more driveable for now.
That Mazda museum in the beginning was one of the most amazing places I've ever seen. What a collection!!!
....I seem to recall hearing several years ago that Nissan ( or some body associated with) was offering a service of taking in old 240,260,280s and doing a full "factory" refurbishment , warranty and all....that ever come to fruition?....great episode....cant wait for the next.
That was Nissan's Vintage Z restoration program in the late 90's before the 350z was released. About 37 cars were completed, all 240z's. Work was done by quality restoration shops, not Nissan.
There is a guy in Tampa who runs a small shop called Maztech. He is a certified Mazda mechanic and all of the rotary owners in the area value him as a resource. I had the engine in my '91 RX7 FC rebuilt by him, very reasonably. If you are ever in the area, you should stop by and see him.
its super cool to see younger guys into stuff like that and very knowledgeable. I would love to hangout around people like that
I knew a guy that had a 280 fairlady z twin turbo right hand drive illegal as hell it over heated on him and he pulled on the side of the road in some dead leaves and it started a fire and burned up I feel lucky I got to ride in it
Hello Hagerty I remember that there was a company in the mid 70s .That made a small block chevy conversion kit for the 240 . It was said to make the 240 a corvette eater . Marvin
That would be Scarab Engineering in California.
My favorite when I was young was the 280ZX and now it seems to be lease desirable seeing the old Z cars here and other videos brings back a lot of memories.
The zx was pretty, but unfortunately suffered from bloat. The older cars were much lighter and often quicker. The least loved was probably the 300 zx. Flashy style back in the day but lacked the competitive nature of the early models and the sophistication of the later ones.
I would consider the 300ZXT the least desirable, the styling was so bland that many people forgot about them. However, the 300ZXTT is still well known and loved.
@@skylinefever Don't get me wrong, being the worst of the Z cars is sort of like being the slowest Olympic sprinter or ugliest supermodel. It's not necessarily bad, of itself, but with that level of comparison it doesn't shine.
Im puertorrican and we love rotaries...2 bad im broke but we love em...greetings from PUERTO RICO
I'm in my 30's and those wankles were right up my alley.... Had a 91 turbo 2 and it was a blast. Would like to eventually get a FD.
Jim Downing, WOW! What collection.👍 Then Z’s tho.
Awesome video! And so true as a member of the younger generation I appreciate 1939 Ford's and old classics but the retro 80s and late 70s to me is my favorite! I daily drive my 1988 Supercharged MR2 while in college and it's a blast! Slowly putting it all back to it's former glory. So much fun working on these old cars I'd love to work in the automotive restoration business someday.
3rd gen rx7 (FDrx7) is one of the most beautiful modern plastic cars. Such a sexy car.
One of my favorite episodes . 👍 thank you
I had an 81 280zx, the silver and blue two tone, in and out. I really liked that little car
I wanted a 240 in 1971, but couldn't afford it until 1979 when I paid $10,000 for a brand new 280. Nice memories.
Ive got 4 240z's. One 280z with 350sbc. My very first car was a 66 galaxie 500 XL.
I have a Gen 1 Z and I love slowly watching the community grow
Living in New Zealand in the 70's we got exposed early to the Mazda Rotary and what a revelation ot us Chev and Ford V8 owners! . A mate worked in Dealer ship where he was employed replaced rotary mazda Clutches,on cars which were almost new. This went on until the dealers decided that owner abuse wasn't covered by any warrenty.
Rotary Heaven! More jdm episodes pls
Thanks Tom...love the Zs!
What a life that man has . Amazing
Those datsun guys are smart. If they keep doing what they're doing, they'll be the next big thing
After these last few episodes, you could change the name to Millionaire Museum Finds. Brilliant.
Max and Clay keep it up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really awesome those two young guys starting a car restoration business, very cool.
I liked seeing these cars. Rode around in a coupe of 260 and 280 in grade school. The last one got traded for the first-gen RX. That thing was tiny! My (taller than me) younger brother sat up front so I had to sit in the back sometimes.
The Ford wagon is still my favorite car in the episode. I rode around in some of those as well, but the RX was the most fun.
I wish I could find a Z that isn't completely rusted out. At one time, I had 5 RX-7's (1981 GSL, 1984 GSL-SE, 1989 GTU-S, 1990 Turbo II, 1994 touring) and none of them worked! I sold all but the GTU-S because I bought it 20 years ago. With the exception of the FD, I never paid more than a $1K for an RX-7. Finding RX7's with no rust is way easier than a Z.
Oh nice find. I have friends with a shop that has been doing Zs for years. I have an early 71. The vertical defrosters are original, the horizontal are later replacements on early S30s.
Its fantastic to see their work ethic and passion.. Our generation has a lot to learn from those who had a lot less
Having a Datsun Z is absolutely a goal of mine. It's crazy to see so many in one location
I love this series. Tom driving the classics from one location to the next keeps me driving my 72 rover V8 sedan as a daily drive. With a factory Buick V8 it's not the fastest car but I love it despite the challenges.
It would be great to see one of the limited release vehicles in the US
in 1971, I paid $3,000 plus, for Mazda R-100, from Oak Tree Mazda in San Jose, CA.
I fun car to drive but the seal went out.
I drove it to the junkyard in Roseville.
good memories-
this is the best episode of this production by an extremely long shot
I had a 1982 280ZX. Pretty weak on the power, but fun to drive.
Tom sure knows how to sniff out the good stuff. Goes straight for the hubcaps
Hi from South Africa. Toyota South Africa assembled the Mazda RX 2 at the Toyota plant in Durban, in the mid to late 1970's. I worked at the plant from 1982 to 2011.