Mr. K's Yellow 240Z

[26th-Z]

There is a discussion going on the club's Facebook page about this picture. It is being identified as Mr. K's personal car and I wonder if this is true or not. I know the car. Have seen it many times. And even though I haven't talked to Johnnie since the Nashville convention, I was not aware that it has been, or ever was "restored". Especially to this level. The last time I saw Mr. K, I also saw the car. And I don't recall the car looking like this picture would lead me to believe; meaning looking restored and snappy!

Perhaps someone can help me out. When and where was this picture taken? Is this his car or a copy? No one on Facebook, even Carl Beck, can describe the picture with some sort of credible accuracy. (Go figure) And some smart-ass is giving me a hard time! (Go figure)

[26th-Z]

A few pictures from the last time I saw Mr. K. Nope! Sorry. The last time I saw Mr. K and the car together. That's Johnnie mooning me and Matsuo san in the foreground.

[Stanley]

It was at JCCS this year.
EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 ? Debuts and Historic Cars | Japanese Nostalgic Car

Reminded me of lemon cake.

[black gold man]

Looks like it is in japan to me.

[HS30-H]

Chris,
It's a replica / 'tribute' car being built in Japan. Covered by one of the magazines, too. I'll see if I can find it and give you a link.

[HS30-H]

OK, now I remember....

The car was/is a project build by a member of the 'J's Tipo' magazine staff in Japan, and the whole build was covered in the magazine in the late 1990s (!). They even took the car to the 2000 Z Car Convention in the USA.

Some scans from J's Tipo magazine. This was issue no.92, dated September 2000:

[HS30-H]

No one on Facebook, even Carl Beck, can describe the picture with some sort of credible accuracy. (Go figure) And some smart-ass is giving me a hard time! (Go figure)

Chris,
I'm not a member of that Facebook group so I can't do cavalry charge to come to your aid ( or even Medevac you out of there..... ) but the build of this ( replica ) car was covered comprehensively in J's Tipo magazine in the late 1990s. The fact that the car even appeared at the 2000 Convention in the USA should ring some bells with the nay-sayers.

The photo of Katayama san inspecting the car after it had been painted was also in J's Tipo magazine, included in one of the build reports. Proof positive that people ought to at least try to keep original source information with the photos that they right-click-and-save.....

[HS30-H]

A photo from one of the build-up reports ( issue no.84, dated January 2000 ) shows the same location as the original shot, and some of the build team:

[26th-Z]

Thank you Alan, and thank you Stanley for posting that link. Alan, we have touched on the subject of picture-posting without reference / context on the famed social media site. A massive wall-wash, I recall you referring to it as a shuffle of the deck of history cards. The great thing about this new phenomena is that many historic photographs are making it to the digital world providing a 'brain-teaser' exercise for those of us who care.

[gnosez]

Alan - what do you know about the yellow metal-flake 260 2+2 with the sliding sun roof that was given to Mr. K but seems to be the primary car for Mrs. K instead?

[HS30-H]

Alan - what do you know about the yellow metal-flake 260 2+2 with the sliding sun roof that was given to Mr. K but seems to be the primary car for Mrs. K instead?

The short answer to that is..... absolutely nothing. Never even heard of it!

Sorry!

[gnosez]

I saw it nearly 10 years ago or so at the old Nissan Headquarters after they dragged it out of the lower garage storage to put out in the parking lot for the ZCCA annual convention. The picture that 26th posted of Mr. K along side of the 240ZG was taken at the same event.

As explained to me the 260 2+2 came with a factory installed sliding sun roof (with the longer and flatter roof line it works and looks better than those put in coupes - if you like that sort of thing) and a factory yellow-white pearl (not metal-flake) paint job that was very impressive.

I was also told by Johnnie that Mr. K didn't like the 260 and gave it to Mrs. K to drive.

No idea were it is today....

[Blue]

I know of two Nissan guys mentioned in this thread who also had Miata's.

[Zulaytr]

[QUOTE=
I have no idea were it is today....[/QUOTE]

The yellow 2+2 resides in Nissan North America's Heritage collection in Nashville Tn. It can be seen if you visit the Lane Museum as that is where they display and store the cars.

[bartsscooterservice]

Here's another picture of Mr.K

[zKars]

Very cool picture Bart. Where did you find that?

and the $10,000 question, who are the other finely dressed gentlemen in the picture?

[26th-Z]

I'm guessing but the fourth guy from the left is Jack Nielson, National Fleet and Truck Manager for Datsun USA, I think.

[26th-Z]

Nope! Guessing again. Robert O. Link, National Sales Manager.

[bartsscooterservice]

Very cool picture Bart. Where did you find that?

and the $10,000 question, who are the other finely dressed gentlemen in the picture?

The website from Nissan.

[gnosez]

So the guy in the dark sun glasses wasn't in the Matrix?

[black gold man]

I think sun-glass man is Ray Lemke http://www.autonews.com/article/2008...0313/ray-lemke

[black gold man]

Fourth guy from the left is Bob Link. http://www.autonews.com/article/2008.../1382/nissan50

[26th-Z]

The guy on the far right is Gordon Whitby, Western Area Sales Manager.

[26th-Z]

Ok, sorry this took so long.

This was taken at the Long Beach Datsun Grand Opening in early 1970.

L to R are:
1. Charles (Chuck) Fawcett - L.A. Regional Service Manager
2. Lazlo Kovacs - Owner of Long Beach Datsun
3. George Altoff - Senior VP of Bank of America … He was Lazlo's Banker
4. Robert Link - Western Area Sales Manager
5. Bob Pritchard - L.A. District Sales Manager
6. Mr. Katayama - President, Nissan USA
7. Gordon Whitby - L.A. Regional Sales Manager

[Blue]

Great photo!

The front plate looks like it is from Japan "2177" so it must be very early. Hard to tell month of year from vegetation.

[bpilati]

Here's another picture of Mr.K

This is when Mr K was a young man.

Look at the 510 wagon with whitewall tires. My dad's 510 4 dr sedan had those bias ply tires. They really sucked. I think he got 10,000 out of them or something. Horrible tires. Sears Roadhandlers by Michelin went on after.....world of difference.

[26th-Z]

2177 is a California dealer license plate.

[Montezuma]

Anyone who whats to see Mr K's car(the real one) and Matsuo-san come to ZCON 2014 in San Diego 5-9 August 2014, both will be there.

[kats]

Hi Montezuma,
I have hard of big wild fire in Sandiego, hope everyone is OK
and it will not affect ZCON 2014.
I am now preparing bringing my Z432, needs lots of paper work done,
I wish everything goes fine.
I met Matsuo -San last holidy at Fuji speedway , we talked about Sandiego
and we are both excited to seeing Zcar fans in the US.
Fingers crossed,
Kats

[Bonzi Lon]

2177 is a California dealer license plate.

In my DATSUN Advertizing postcards, I have a 1300 4 dr sedan and a 4 dr 510 sedan, both have the black & gold license plate '1277'.

Bonzi Lon

[Montezuma]

Hi Montezuma,
I have hard of big wild fire in Sandiego, hope everyone is OK
and it will not affect ZCON 2014.
I am now preparing bringing my Z432, needs lots of paper work done,
I wish everything goes fine.
I met Matsuo -San last holidy at Fuji speedway , we talked about Sandiego
and we are both excited to seeing Zcar fans in the US.
Fingers crossed,
Kats

Kats

Everything in San Diego is fine; fires are out and the recovery underway. To be honest the main part of San Diego the city suffered no damage. These fires have no affect at all on the covention.
I know that with the help of Jay the transport of the Z432 will go well; everyone is so excited to see the car.
If you need anything don't hesitate to ask.
We have so great things planned, pictures of you car with Mr. K's car and some famous Z race cars like the Camel IMSA Pace car.
See you soon Kats.

[26th-Z]

I'm going to miss you, Kats! Oh frustration! I think you should enter your PS30 in the stock class and expect to win a gold medallion. The judges can't take any points off for non-stock items because they have never seen a PS30 and don't have clue what is stock original and what is not!

[Montezuma]

I'm going to miss you, Kats! Oh frustration! I think you should enter your PS30 in the stock class and expect to win a gold medallion. The judges can't take any points off for non-stock items because they have never seen a PS30 and don't have clue what is stock original and what is not!

Chris even if they have the PS30 figured out they still will not be able to not score that car lower than 95 points out of a 100....it might even be a 100 point car. Not coming Chris?

[26th-Z]

No, sorry, I'm not going to make it - again. Sounds like you are going to have a great convention though. The left-coast conventions are great fun.

[kats]

Kats

Everything in San Diego is fine; fires are out and the recovery underway. To be honest the main part of San Diego the city suffered no damage. These fires have no affect at all on the covention.
I know that with the help of Jay the transport of the Z432 will go well; everyone is so excited to see the car.
If you need anything don't hesitate to ask.
We have so great things planned, pictures of you car with Mr. K's car and some famous Z race cars like the Camel IMSA Pace car.
See you soon Kats.

That will be so fantastic moment for me displaying with those dream cars.
I have something to ask , let you know later,thanks.

Chris! I wished I could see you there, too bad.
About the replica yellow car, I was at the Las Vegas convention with my blue 240Z and the yellow car was also brought from Japan in June 2000.The yellow car was built by an journalist of the magazine and many people helped at the shop "Ultimate" where my blue 240Z was built too.My car was built by the owner Tetsu. Both cars were there almost at same time and so busy to be built not to miss the Nissan cargo ship to LA departed in Apr.

Kats

[kats]

I'm going to miss you, Kats! Oh frustration! I think you should enter your PS30 in the stock class and expect to win a gold medallion. The judges can't take any points off for non-stock items because they have never seen a PS30 and don't have clue what is stock original and what is not!

Chris, my Z432 is not that good, if I would enter, that would be daily driver class.
I drive my Z432 more than once a week even in the rain.
Yes almost the parts are stock Z432 but they are not clean , I wish I could tell you every details one by one.
I am thinking of replacing front windshield to the Nissan stamped NOS before shipping.Also door wether strips are later type . I need to hurry up if I change the ones too.

Kats

[RestorationLegend]

Here's another picture of Mr.K

Hope I am answering this at the correct place.
On this picture the 2nd. from left is Laszlo Kovacs, (not the ASC) then owner of Coast Datsun in Long Beach, California. He took a trip to Japan to the factory. That is positive.
The first gentlemen from the left might be Peter, who was previously at Circle V.W. doing overseas deliveries, when Laszlo hired him away to be his G.M.
But after Peter printed $5,000 letterheads with wrong phone numbers, Laszlo
let him go the first couple months the Dealership was open. By the way that
Dealership used to be the Hawaiian Restaurant when Laszlo purchased it and Tibor Babits, AIA ( relative of the famous Hungarian poet) converted it for him.
The Dealership was sold to the Hendrick Group later.
Just for the record, I hate to burst anybody's bubbles but Laszlo did not have a car collection or any favored car he kept. Just like any Dealer, drove them for 6 months, turn them over to used cars and get another car to drive!
Hope it help.
Ted

[RestorationLegend]

By the way, Laszlo Kovacs' banker at the beginning was Clive Kuykendall of Bank of America, at Cherry & Anaheim Branch in Long Beach. Later he changed over to Bank of San Pedro.