A movement that started from the muscle car community, "restomod" car enthusiasts work hard to preserve vintage classics and keep them on the road. By restoring an old Mustang and modifying a selection of functional systems (e.g., suspension, brakes, and drivetrain) with modern components, the result is a thorough build that takes the classic pony car to new heights of performance, reliability, comfort, and safety that meet or exceed the standards of a modern sports car.
Now, the wave has begun to travel to new circles as a growing demand for vintage Japanese cars has developed in the last couple of years. For the latest in the ever-evolving niche, Texas car-builder Jared Cullop shared his latest project 1972 Datsun 240Z on the TeamSpeed forums. According to Jared, the build started from a rusty Datsun bought from an old owner from San Francisco who can no longer drive the car.
Breathing some new life into the 240Z, Jared repaired every spot of rust by cutting it from the panels and welding the area with a new, and perfectly formed, piece sheet metal instead. Preserving its original appearance, Jared then refinished the car's lime exterior only with paint of the same exact color code and replaced the tired and worn original interior trims with new old-stock parts -- factory items that were manufactured the same year the car was, but had never been used.
As conservative as Jared approached the Datsun's appearance, he went completely bananas with the hardware underneath. Retiring the old stock engine block, Jared Cullop shoehorned a bored, but not stroked, 2006 Nissan SR20DET inline-4 powerplant with a custom turbo manifold. Good for 400-hp at the wheels, the engine is mated to a robust 5-speed manual transmission that could hold the extra power. What's more, Jared also found a 1972 NISMO limited slip differential to allow the chassis to better cope with the new performance.
In the handling department, Jaed upgraded to 5 count lug hubs and installed a set of 17-inch classic wheels custom made by CC Wheels. Next, control arms, coilovers, and camber plates are all custom components provided by Arizona Z Car. Finally, brakes have been swapped for grabby Wilwood disc brakes, with 6 piston calipers in the front, and 2 piston calipers in the rear.
The results are gorgeous and Jared has every right to proudly show off his four long years of sick love and labor. But here's the bombshell: rather than enjoy his masterpiece, Jared has placed the immaculate classic sports car up for sale. Unapologetically proud of his work, Jared set the asking price for the 240Z at $125,000.
What do you guys think? Is it worth it? Check out the build thread to view more on his complete build process. For inquiries, interested buyers can find Jared Cullop's email at the bottom of his forum post.
