I was the 2nd owner of HS30-02807 in early 1974 , while stationed in Hawaii. With fewer than 3,000 miles on it, it cost me $2200. I fell in love with the car and when I transferred Stateside in 1976, I shipped it home. It was my daily driver/sole transportation. In 12+ yrs I logged more than 120,000 thrilling miles in the car, including twice across the USA and once across Canada. I guess I changed every important part on the car during those years (all using a 10-12mm combination wrench!). While living in NC in late 1985, the car died beyond my mechanical/financial ability to revive it. I was moving to CT and couldn't bring it with me. I cried like a baby as I watched it flatbedded out of my yard. I've kicked myself ever since;. Over the years, I could have had other 240s but only ever wanted this one ~ it was "mine".
God is great, and I must have done something right in my life, because He let me find my car again after 23 lonely years ~ tucked under a barn shed in MD. It had gone thru at least 4 owners since I sold it. Most abused it and cannibalized the 5-slot mags, racing mirrors, ANSA exhaust system, etc. The last owner bought it as a parts car in 1990 for $100. He had three other Zs in his yard, all equally deteriorated. He decided to make one out of the four; fortunately, he chose mine. The bodywork, suspension, brakes, and exhaust were all repaired. The engine, head and SUs (all original) have fewer than 2,000 miles on them since total professional rebuild. The 5 spd and diff are reconditioned from a 280zx. He redid both seats and bought a complete interior kit, then health made him stop work. The car sat in the barn for the next 9yrs, getting started twice each month.
In March08 I drove to MD and trailered my old Z to it's new home in CT. There's no way for me to describe how great it is to have it back! All my old shop manuals, owner's manuals, garage notes (written by my own hand!) and receipts from 34yrs ago came back to me with the car! I even got the 280zx engine and another '70 head as spares! ALSO: when I sold the car I kept some of the toolkit, so today I have the weird experience of working on my old Z with the same tools I used on it 34yrs ago! The last owner was such a wonderful packrat, he kept nearly every part he took off the car, so today I'm pawing thru boxes and boxes of old (and new) parts, some of which I bought and personally installed on the car in the 1970s and 80s! It's like falling down the Rabbit Hole! Each box holds magic for me ~ there's just no way to describe the memories each box holds. After a pretty tough life, I feel God has rewarded me for 'something' by giving me back my old friend. Thanks, God! I acknowledge where this Blessing comes from!
I've spent the past 4 weeks scrubbing away 9yrs of barn-grit from every surface. HLS30-02807 still needs a ton of work before it meets my standards for safety and presentability, but it's all there, it's all sound, and it's all mine (AGAIN!). I'm recently retired and for the first time in my life, I have time to do this right. It's presently painted "Weird Blue" (WHAT was he thinking?!!) and has disgustingly radical Centerline wheels, but that will change ASAP. His 2.5" exhaust in no way compares with my over/under ANSAs and glasspacks, but it'll do for now. This is like having your old high school sweetheart come back to you after she's been married to someone else for 23yrs ~ she has a few new wrinkles and new habits, but LORD! It's just so great to have her home again! (And she still sings in the same, sweet tone!).
I fall deeper in love with this car each time I open the garage door. Sometimes at night I walk to the garage, turn on the light and just stare at it, shaking my head in disbelief and amazement.
If you consider the tiny numbers of 240s Datsun released in 1970 (18,000 +/-) and shipped all over the world, the numbers of them which got beaten and left for dead, those eaten alive by the insidious Tinworm, the numbers of them which fell victim to "Bob-Sharp-Wannabes" who over-drove their own abilities (drunk or sober) and stuffed their 1970s into immovable objects, the numbers of them destroyed by floods, fires, tornadoes, hailstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, mudslides and other natural disasters, the huge numbers lost to common traffic accidents, and those cut up for racing, hotrods and parts cars, the odds against me ever finding my ACTUAL old Z and getting it back in usable condition are STAGGERING!
Add the consideration of the previous owner's Einey-Meiney-Miney-Moe game to decide which Z to rebuild, and the HUGE numbers of tragic events which could have happened to ME during the past 23yrs, (any of which could have prevented this reunion), and the odds of me owning this car again are miniscule. You can only confess it was meant to be.
NON-BELIEVERS, TAKE HEED!
I really feel my license plate shall read, "REUNITED" or "2d CHANCE". Picture me giggling like a kid!
I'm really happy about being a member of CTZCC, and looking fwd to introducing each of you to my old Zcar.
FRANK T.

Uploaded by frank.thomas.