Vehicle Description
Gateway Classic Cars Houston Showroom is excited to offer this
unique 1970 Datsun 240Z restomod. Originally a California car
before it was "imported" to Texas, this 240Z now sports a lustrous,
painstakingly executed medium gray metallic finish, with two very
subtle metallic gray stripes that are a shade or two lighter than
the main color. The stripes really add some pizazz to its look when
the light is just right - otherwise, they blend in unobtrusively
until just the right lighting is there, and then "bang, there they
are"! The real secret to this car is its drivetrain and suspension
- under the skin is where the real excitement begins...but before
we get to that, we'll build up the suspense a bit. Most of the work
done on this restomod was performed by the wizards at SZR Pro and
Awesome Z (both in the Houston, TX area). This 240 has been
stripped to bare metal, and nearly completely disassembled to begin
the restoration that happened prior to the modification. With
almost 30 pages of receipts, detailing new nuts, bolts, fasteners,
seals, weatherstrip, gaskets, jute, carpet, trim; well, you can
just about name it - this car now looks and feels "fresh from the
factory", but it's way better! If something wasn't right or didn't
work, it was fixed, replaced, or custom-fabricated. The sheet metal
on this 240 is what Z-lovers looking (but have a hard time
finding): the bodies of these cars weren't known for being able to
stand up to the invasion of rust once it started to get into their
nooks and crannies. However, this baby is solid, and was restored
to be a lasting tribute to the potential of the S30 platform. If it
seals something, it was replaced. If it holds something together,
it was replaced. If it was oxidized, it was cleaned, dressed, and
finished properly. This car is THAT good, and we haven't even
gotten to the fun parts yet...inside, virtually every piece has
been replaced, from the headliner all the way to the jute under the
new carpet. The dash is outfitted with a custom set of Speedhut
white-faced gauges, including a GPS Speedometer, tach, temp, oil
pressure, ammeter, fuel level, and (hint) a boost gauge! The seats
are covered in a nice grade of leather, which not only feels and
smells better than the original vinyl, it also breathes better
(which the vinyl didn't do at all). Even the original walnut gear
shift knob was replaced; but this one has a 5-speed gearshift
pattern emblazoned on it, which gives away one secret (the original
240Z's that came to the U.S. market were all 4-speeds). The custom
Vintage Air HVAC control knobs also hint at the thoughtfulness of
this car's design and functionality. The sound system has been
updated: a RetroSound Hermosa head unit and RetroSound Premium
Component Speaker system have been installed to provide an enhanced
audio environment, so you can pair a Bluetooth music device and
listen to whatever you want; or subscribe to SiriusXM satellite
radio (or both), for virtually unlimited audio entertainment
options. Most, however, may never turn on the radio: the song of
that amazing Nissan Skyline powerplant under the hood is what
they'll be enjoying!Yes, that's right - this vintage Fairlady is
hiding an R33 Skyline underneath its skin! A freshened RB25DET
(2.5L I-6) lurks under the hood, and it looks absolutely "factory",
except for the fact that its cam gear timing belt cover and cam
covers are paint-matched to the body. The RB25 is kept cool by a
massive aluminum radiator with twin electric fans, is fed by a
Walbro 255LPH fuel pump, and has been upgraded with a Greddy intake
manifold and a custom-fabbed 27"x7"x4" intercooler with wastegate,
among other enhancements. The custom 2.5-inch stainless steel
exhaust system is a near work of art in its execution, and when the
RB25 is at full song, it produces some "serious car music", both
inside and outside the car. Behind the RB25 is the ubiquitous ER34
5-speed manual transmission, which is built to take the extra
ponies that the intercooled RB25DET unleashes. A custom driveshaft
was also necessary to transfer the power to the 1985 Nissan 300ZX
Turbo Z31 rear end, which now sports stronger axles, a disc brake
upgrade, and Apex tubular lower control arms. This beautiful 240Z
is riding on some gorgeous Panasport wheels, which are shod with
some ultra-sticky Toyo Proxes R1R ultra performance radials. The
tires are so fresh that the vent spews (the little "hairs" on the
outside surfaces of the tires) are virtually completely intact, so
you'll get to drive nearly all the miles that these tires are
capable of before you need replacements. This is perhaps the finest
240Z you'll find anywhere - it has the performance that one could
have only dreamed about 50 years ago, and it achieves that without
having a had to take the V8 engine swap path to get there. Z Lovers
- don't let someone beat you to this one!
