Blogs
Our community blogs
-
Latest Entry
73-240z Radio Replacements
Can anyone tell me where to find a am/fm-cd radio that will fit in a 1973 240z?
-
Latest Entry
Mechanic in San Francisco Bay Area for a 240Z
We are looking for a mechanic in the San Francisco Bay Area, preferable Marin County, that can work on a 1972 240Z. Our previous mechanic retired. Can you recommend anyone?
-
Latest Entry
fuel injector modeule (computer)
so i have a 1976 Datsun 280z that just doesn't want to start up....I work at a tire shop and my mechanic says its the fuel injector control module....if anyone knows, how do I know when my control module is no longer working properly.......
HELP ASAP
ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED
-
Latest Entry
My 260Z RLS30012230
Well, my entry into the Z world kind of came by lucky accident I guess you could say. Back in 2002 I started yearning to have a 'fun' car again. Something that I could play around with and not have to rely on as my daily driver.
A bit of history on the cars I've owned. In the past I have a few 'fun' cars. I've been the owner of such cars, to name just a few, as a pristine 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix with 23,000 miles in 1986, a 1976 Camaro LT (a 4-speed car sold in California), a 1976 Firebird Formula 350, a couple of Chevy Vegas (one of which had a Hooker V8 conversion. I rolled that one... bias ply tires up front and radials in the back on a front-heavy car ain't so good), and a trio of 1969 Firebirds. God as my witness one of my '69 Firebirds was TA. In 1977, still in High School, I traded my 1969 OHC L6 Firebird for the TA at Steve's Car Lot in Reno. I can still remember drooling over the artists drawings of the TA in the Firebird brochure in 1976 when my Mom bought her Firebird Formula. In fact, I bought the OHC L6 Firebird from the salesman that sold her her Firebird. Anyway, after a Clifford Research header install and a factory Quadra-Jet swap on the OHC Firebird, I saw the TA... Pearl white paint with blue stripes... 50s in the back, Gabriel High-Jackers, and a Chevy 350 under the hood.... and had to have it. So like a dork, I traded my OHC Firebird and started the life-long tradition of car payments.
OK, so those cars are long gone. I could still kick myself in the a$$ for getting rid of the Grand Prix, the TA and '69 Firebird 400 I had to restore the TA with. Oh well, life goes on. So back to 2002. I'm driving a VW Jetta, my wife has a Isuzu Rodeo.... and we have a perfectly good, pristine 1989 Toyota Turbo Supra in the garage to play with. And of course I get the itch to play around with another woman... of the 4-wheel variety. I start eyeing the Supra with dreams of coil-overs, bigger turbo, Lexus AFMs and bigger injectors dancing in my head. Suddenly my better judgment steps in, in the form of my wife, telling me I better not touch the Supra. OK, what to do? Look for another car! So....... I start searching for the obvious candidates... Firebirds and Camaros. OH MY GAWD!!! Look at those prices!!! Mind you, this was before BJ auctions were so popular, and had a hand in putting 'American muscle-cars' out of the reach of most of us. A rusted-out POS was going for at least 3 grand. So I remember the fun I had in the V8 Vega... so, I try and find a Vega that isn't half rust, already been converted to a V8 or a Cosworth. Hmmmmmm... dreams on hold.
One day in 2004 I was talking with a co-worker about cars and he mentioned this cool video of a guy named Darius and his V8 Z. So, he shows me this online video of this awesome car!! I was in a daze. I remembered the Scarabs back in the '70s. Right then I decided to search for a Z. Well, I pretty much forgot about looking with work and family being my priorities.
In early February, 2005, I'm sitting in the Sacramento airport, waiting for a flight to Denver. I pick up the Classified section of the Bee that someone has left on the seat next to me. Looking through the cars I spot a 1974 260Z for sale. Good condition. Engine seized. $500.
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
-
Latest Entry
Sleepyzzz and the '74 260 2+2
a club member found this car sitting,and stopped to check it out. talking with the previous owner,he learned that the car was going to be sold. taking pictures,getting the owner's name and number,he posted the info incase any club member might be interested.
the history of the car, if correct as told by the p o is that it was being driven by the Datsun owner's son, and two years old when he bought it. the car was driven for approximately ten years, showing 108 k miles on the odometer when i looked at it. the p o had a wreck, sliding on ice into the back of the car in front of him, and then had someone rear ended him as well. he claimed the damage was minor. the hood was rolled under and both bumpers missing from the car. with the clutch slipping at the time,he decided to just pull it into the garage and fix it back up one day. and it sat for around twenty years, untouched, until i found it and bought it. the p o had purchased new bumpers for both front and rear, and had never installed them. i got them still in the package, along with a over ride bumper for the rear,when i purchased the car.
we had to take the rear wheel off and bust the drum, as it was frozen and wouldn't roll, so that the car could be loaded on the trailer. i had an idea of throwing fresh gas in it, new plugs, and rebuilding the brakes, along with a new clutch, and driving it right away. how wrong i was in that i have now spent two years fixing and replacing parts, so that i could have a daily driver to depend on. i wanted to do everything as best i could, and pay for as i went, so that when i finished, i would have a nice car, and not owe any money on it. so that explains the time period of getting it driveable.
i was extremely lucky in finding a club member doing a v 8 conversion, who had a engine with round top carbs for free, all i had to do was drive two hours to pick it up. and he even loaned me his cherry picker to load it. we decided to go ahead and just rebuild his engine, since we were swapping the four speed tranny for a five speed, i saw no reason to worry with keeping the original engine. i know there are club members rolling their eyes, wondering why i have ruined an all original,numbers matching car, and all i can say in my defense, is that i wanted a good dependable car, which would easily cruise on the interstate, and handle these ozark hills and curves.
at the time, i was driving a '88 300 ZX SS, and loved it. it was a really nice car, but the wife didn't see it as something we needed since it only was a two seater. we still have one child at home. also, i had the wife driving a '92 Nissan Sentra at the time, one i had worked out of for the last ten years, and handed down to my daughter, who now drives a '93 300 ZX vert. a deal we made, the wife and i, buying a new home, making do with an old car, that lasted all of two years, and she was not happy with the Sentra. so i sold the SS on Ebay and purchased the wife a used Maxima SE, which worked out great so far. and now my older son is driving that Sentra with 400 k miles on it back and forth to college.
back to the 260Z, hope i didn't bore you too much with all of the history and such. now we took the donated engine, tore it down, and had it boiled. it cleaned up really nice, and everything looked good as far as a rebuild. new time kit installed, and all of the originall parts were put back in. we did have the head machined, and valve seats installed for unleaded fuel.
the suspension was tackled next. i had ordered a set of Tokico struts and springs off of Ebay. also a set of polyurethane bushings from Black Dragon. we dropped everything out from underneath and cleaned it up with a wire wheel brush on a grinder, and sprayed it all flat black.
the car being wrecked, we found more damage than i had been told about by the p o but after an extra day of beating, pulling, and such we had everything back straight and all was good on the frame.
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 290
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 723
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 692
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 1261
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 283
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 264
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 314
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 284
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 224
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 217
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
- 0
entries - 0
comments - 181
views
No blog entries yet
- 0
-
Who's Online (See full list)
-
Direct Club Sponsors
-
Blog Statistics
-
Total Blogs167
-
Total Entries251
-
-
Blog Entries
-
-
Blog Comments
-
I'm still waiting on a hoist to free up before I can start bolting the new brake parts on my Z, but I did make the drill jig today. I started with a 12mm thick Mustang wheel spacer with a pilot. I then made a drawing to layout the holes needed. I transfered the drawing onto the spacer and I drilled three new 1/8" holes through the jig (spacer) so I'd have the correct 4x114.3mm holes. One hole is shared from the original 5 lug rotor. I then bolted the jig onto the Mustang rotor and simply dr -
Local radiator repair shops used to be plentiful but getting harder to find. Some of them just specialize in big truck-heavy equipment radiators. I will be needing to do the same for my project. I have heard good reports on gas tank RENU but there are none of those franchises in my area. Good luck, John-Lugoff, SC -
Decided to go with the 240sx conversion. Main reason is it’s strictly for the street and the parts were easy to source. What I didn’t realize was the 14” wheels won’t clear the caliper. Now looking for a set of 4 lug 15” rims and tires I can use during the build process. Can anyone recommend a temporary solution as far as make and model preferably a steel wheel that I can use until I’m ready to buy the wheel and tire combination at the end of the project? Thanks again for all the help out there. -
There are several reasons to use the S197 rear brakes. The rotors are larger diameter than the SVO rotors and they are vented. The calipers have larger pistons to give them more power. The big beef with the Maxima rears is that they don't offer as much stopping power as the stock drums. The S197 rears allow the addition of an adjustable proportioning valve. The Maxima rears cannot utilize an adjustable prop since the prop needs to be all the way open to get close to enough rear bias.
-
By the_tool_man · Posted
Any particular reason to use S197 Mustang 5-lug brakes? The Fox body SVO Mustangs had rear discs with 4-lug. It's a popular swap to use SVO or T-bird Turbo Coupe rear brakes to retrofit discs to other Fox body Mustangs. These parts are still pretty common (probably available as a kit). Might be worth checking to see if they'll fit. -
I’m not sure yet. I’m waiting on a hoist to free up. Hopefully in the next few weeks.
-
-
Will do. I'll take lots of pics and post everything up. I might try to fit the E brake either way and then ditch it if I go that way. I do like having an E brake but for a race car, weight is always the enemy. My car is a pig and it really needs to go on a massive diet. I think I could lose close to 200 lbs. between the bumpers, mastic, old wiring, and other useless components. I also plan to weigh each component in the front and back to finally put to rest the speculation on the weigh
-
-
An instructional thread would be cool, when this happens
-
