During the extensive body work, I’d sent the engine and transmission out for inspection and necessary repairs soon after removal. The transmission was sent to Red’s Transmission in Buckeye. The news on the transmission was very good. The synchros, seals and bearings were the only items needing replacement. Heavier bearings were installed as well as torque sliders to help hold the transmission in gear during hard shifting. The gears were in good condition with little wear. The work on the transmission was completed toward the end of December.
Early word on the engine from the team at Anthem Automotive in north Phoenix was also good. A static compression test showed all cylinders between 150-160 lbs. with one at 170 lbs. There was some dampness at the exhaust ports after the test, indicating a possible valve or ring issue. A decision was made to remove the heads in order to examine the valves and cylinder walls.
It was also noted that the water passages had a lot of deposits, in some cases nearly blocking flow to cool the engine. A valve job was done, including a valve grind and new valve guide seals. With the heads off, the cylinder bores were examined and found to have extremely light wear so they were not honed or re-bored. The intake manifold was replaced with a correct Edelbrock manifold found on ebay and re-sealed. The oil pan was removed to examine the bottom end of the motor and provide a path for the passages to be cleaned out. The rod and crank bearings were deemed to be in good shape, with no replacement needed. The lack of slack in the timing chain indicated it was also in good condition. The clutch was removed to check the condition of the friction disc and flywheel face. The clutch was virtually new, as it had been replaced within the last couple years, however it appeared the flywheel had not been refaced at that time so it was sent out to be ground and balanced.

The above was accomplished by the end of 2016, approximately three months after purchase.

Part 11 – Here it is!

The next order of business in the restoration of Scarab #160 would be removing the fiberglass piece covering the passenger-side rear quarter, where it was apparent there had been damage sometime in the past. I was not prepared for what we found. The quarter panel had clearly been hit up high and a terrible repair done, from both a structural and cosmetic standpoint.

Rather than properly repairing or replacing the quarter panel, a small 12” piece of metal was scabbed onto the front portion of the quarter so the fiberglass panel had something to bond to. No attempt was made to bump the panel out, presumably because someone thought it would never be seen. The area of the quarter panel where the inner fiberglass wheel well liner would be adhered was simply relief cut with tin snips and bent up every 3-4” to create an arch to fasten the glass panel to. Without the benefit of any actual vehicle history we were left to guess what had happened and when.

The long-term outdoor storage would explain the moisture seeping between the metal and fiberglass panels, trapped until it evaporated. This meant the entire rear quarter panel would need to go away.
I later learned that all widebody Scarabs had relief cuts made in the fender lip and the individual pieces bent up, as mine did. Apparently “back in the day,” that was the way to add flares, providing room for larger wheels and tires. The left side quarter panel was equally ugly so reluctantly we decided to replace both rear quarters.

According to a trusted accident attorney in Orlando the damaged car probably had little value in those years (mid 1980’s?) so a quick and dirty repair may have been affected just to get the car back on the road. I’m guessing the owner may have left the car at the shop and never came back, or forfeited it to the shop owner when he couldn’t pay the repair bill.

Since she’ll be “under the knife” for quite some time, let’s get into the mechanical restoration of Scarab #160 in Part 10.

As with any restoration project, the first order of business is assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the car as it sits. Rather than dismantling everything in haste, this is the stage where it pays to be methodical and observant. The first time I saw the Scarab, back in 2008, it was being stored in the backyard of a home where the owner ran a small shop specializing in customizing and repairing older cars. It appeared the car had been outdoors beside a garage for many years. The paint was completely oxidized and the interior baked out, none of which is uncommon for an S30 in the southwest.

Fortunately, the Sonoran Desert climate is kind to sheet metal, and rust is rarely a huge concern unless the car is allowed to accrue rainwater (or, in the case of a fellow local Z car enthusiast, parked next to a sprinkler for a decade).

Up next, we’ll really dig in – Check out Part 8 and and see what lies beneath the skin.

On Labor Day I headed back down to look at the car again, taking my oldest son and a floor jack to allow me to check the car out more fully. By this point I knew what I was looking for, after providing photos and details to the two guys that maintain the Scarab Registry. Trevor and Craig are generally regarded as the foremost experts on factory Scarabs. This inspection revealed some positive and a few negative surprises. After taking quite a few more detailed photos we headed home. I asked for a week to decide if I would make an offer, after calibrating their expectations in terms of the car’s value and my interest in taking on a project of this scope.

After putting a pencil to what the car would need, and associating costs with each item, I decided I would offer no more than $6,000-7,000. For that price I would be thrilled to get the car, but also would happily let it pass if we couldn’t arrive at a mutually agreeable deal. I called Gerry to tell him where I was at, fully expecting him to decline my offer. He said we weren’t that far apart, as they had been thinking $7,500 after my first visit. We finally settled on a selling price of $7,000, which I felt was fair. Approximately 30 days later the deal was consummated, the car was loaded on a trailer and brought home to begin a challenging restoration.

Looking back, and considering all that has transpired, I can’t help but believe this was meant to be. The story of Scarab #160 has now come full circle and the dream is once again alive. To be part of such a small fraternity, for such an iconic car, is indeed an honor. I look forward to the journey, and the day Scarab #160 is returned to the streets to be shared proudly with the Z community at large.

During the course of the restoration, I’ll also be sharing more of the backstory as it comes available. For example, on January 5, 2017, while eating breakfast and watching the local morning news, there was a story indicating Alan Champagne now has a trial date set for March 2017 for the two murders. He has pleaded not guilty, and the prosecutor will be seeking the death penalty… but the car he once owned will be enjoying its freedom in due time.

Time to begin the restoration – Join us for Part 7!

Inside the shop, there were 8-10 fairly desirable classics in various states of repair: a 1957 Chevy convertible, an early 50’s Chevy and a highly customized Datsun 620 pickup among them. I learned the father had a body and repair business, working out of his backyard for many years before his passing. At this point Alan began to warm up a little, offering me a can of soda as we walked over to look at the Scarab. I’d schooled myself on what to look for to verify this was indeed a factory car.

The first thing I was looking for was an ID plate with the car’s number inscribed. I found that quickly, verifying this was Scarab #160, one of the later cars produced. The car was a 1975 280Z that had been converted to a factory Scarab in December of 1979. There were several Scarab-specific parts missing from the car, including the metal Scarab badges on the sail panel, the fender nameplates and the Scarab valve covers.

Though the car had clearly been stored outside for some time, the body looked mostly rust-free and appeared to still have the factory installed 350 V-8 in the car. Alan said the car had been in an accident and brought to his father’s shop for repair. The father eventually acquired the car but didn’t have a title. I didn’t see any obvious signs of damage or repair, but I didn’t have the opportunity to look underneath. I took a number of photos as we talked for a few more minutes.

At this point during our meeting, out of the blue, Alan confided having served 13 years in prison for second-degree murder before his release in 2005.

Before I left, I asked what he was asking for the car. He said $6,000. I was initially prepared to offer up to $4,000, calculating the cost of getting a title, finding or re-manufacturing the missing parts and restoring the car. I was heartbroken I wasn’t able to make a deal, but I simply couldn’t justify paying that much at the time for a car that needed so much. For some time after that I held out hope Alan might reconsider and call, but I never heard from him and eventually forgot about the car until June of 2016, seven years later, when the market for Japanese classic cars was on the upswing.

You’re probably thinking at this point there’s going to be a happy ending to this story: Finding, acquiring and restoring the car after all the time passing. This, however, is where the story takes a macabre turn. I kept the business card handed me when I met Alan and saw the Scarab for the first time. All I really had, though, was his name and a vague recollection of where the car had been located. The card had neither a phone number or an address. I Googled his name hoping for a lead; however, nothing could have prepared me for what I discovered next…

Join us for Part 4!

An avid Datsun enthusiast for more than 20 years, in 2009 I came across a Craigslist ad listing a Datsun Scarab for sale where I live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Owning a Scarab had been a dream of mine since reading of the car’s history and legendary performance.

During the mid-70’s and early 80’s, Scarab Engineering, founded by Brian Morrow in northern California, produced the “Scarab”, a V-8 powered Datsun Z car. Scarabs could be purchased as complete turn-key “factory cars”, as kits, or individual parts could be purchased from a catalog à la carte, allowing owners to upgrade their own Datsun Z cars.

Scarab Engineering started producing cars when the federal government began tightening emissions regulations, strangling horsepower and reducing performance. Auto manufacturers were forced to follow the government mandate preferencing economy over horsepower. As a result, Scarabs, which were equipped with old school Chevrolet V-8 engines (327 and 350 c.i., specifically), were able to outrun virtually anything on the road in their day, with 0 – 60 mph coming up in 5.6 seconds. Scarab #157 is pictured here:
Today, many people mistakenly refer to all V-8 Z cars as Scarabs. In truth, only the individually numbered, factory built cars can legitimately be called Scarabs. Though the exact number of factory cars is unknown, the best guess is less than 200 were produced, as car #189 is the highest sequentially numbered car located to date. Today, less than 20 of those original 200 cars are accounted for. A registry is maintained by Craig Sparkes (owner of Scarab #155) Trevor Bladon for all documented Scarabs known to exist.

So, back to my story…
Upon seeing the Craigslist ad, I immediately placed a call, reaching a gentleman who told me he didn’t own the car but was helping the owner sell some of the cars his recently deceased father had acquired in his auto repair business. After several calls expressing a desire to see the car, I was finally given a name and address. I could hardly contain my excitement, hoping this might be one of the factory built cars, not just another V-8 Z car. Upon arriving at the home in a sketchy part of town, I knocked on the door. After knocking several minutes without response and about ready to walk, the door was opened by an older lady who was extremely guarded, asking who I was and what I wanted. I introduced myself and she asked me to wait while she got her son. A couple minutes later, the son (Alan) came to the door, grilling me before inviting me inside, walking me through the house and out the back door where his father’s shop was.

These are the kinds of visits that make a car enthusiast swoon…
Click here for Part 3!