i jus got a '71 240Z and there's a strong smell of gas inside the car...even if i roll down the windows and open the sunroof it still smells...when i test drove it before i bought it i never smelled this gas smell...i only smell a little exhaust fumes if i'm not moving....

anyone have any ideas on what might be causing this? my clothes smell like gas...it's bad enough to annoy me but i'm not really getting high....yet...any help would be appreciated...it's really hard to drive with the smell...

There are many postings on just as many Z-Car sites regarding this problem. This is a KNOWN problem with the Z's, especially the 240 body style cars.

Briefly and succinctly:

Check ALL hoses going to the fuel tank. Some of these go to the tank through the tail light access panel.

The recovery tank is also located behind the right rear plastic panel.

Be careful when removing the plastic panels, they are brittle and will break if abused.

Check your Tail Light gaskets, sometimes the smell is due to the exhaust smell creeping back in to the car, and you are running rich.

You probably did not notice the smell when you bought the car because they didn't fill up the gas tank; which was probably one of the FIRST things you did.

For an EXCELLENT article on how to replace all the hoses, order the Premier Issue of Sport Z magazine (www.sportzmagazine.com) They cover it there and even provide information on size, length and diameter of the hoses you will need. NAPA has these, you just got to ask for them as they aren't normally out in front.

Hope this helps.

EScanlon is spot on. The source for gasoline fumes are almost always the fuel tank vent lines. Most new Z owners don't realize that these lines are INSIDE the car with YOU. Most of us who have had a Z for long have either replaced the lines or have been breathing the fumes for so long our sense of smell is so bad we can't smell a dead jackass at twenty paces.:tapemouth . Just make sure you get FUEL hoses for replacements.

In addition to all this, I read an article on Zhome and on Zcar about extending the tailpipe out to the edge of the bumper, this is suppose to help keep it from coming back in.

I was on HybridZ earlier and ran across this idea, thanks 240Turbo!

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I pretty much solved it!<br /> <img src="http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~jthagard/3liter/pics/exhaust/exhaustside2.jpg" alt="" /> <br /> <img src="http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~jthagard/3liter/pics/exhaust/exhaustunderside1.jpg" alt="" /> <br /> <img src="http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~jthagard/3liter/pics/exhaust/exhaust.jpg" alt="" />

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Escanlon is right on the money with this one. I have the same problem on my 240 and have just replaced the breather from the top of the tank through the back near the RH Rear tailght to the fuel neck.($82 Aust). This has helped I found the orignal hose was brittle and leaking even though it looked fine.

The other thing you could try is putting a new hatch sealing rubber on the body of the car this will make the vehicle air tight and stop fuel smells coming from outside the car..

Just replaced my muffler last saturday with a turbo one and bought a nice 2 inches round pipe extending a little bit away from the rear bumper.

No fumes from the exhaust anymore, and my GF is now happier to run with me in the ZED!!!!

To get rid of my exhaust fumes, I duct-taped up the giant cutout in the rear hatch underneath the trim panel (someone mentioned sealing there's to get rid of their fumes after failing to get rid of them with new hatch seals etc.)

As a more correct and aesthetically pleasing solution, I removed the trim panel, then used weather strip adhesive and a slit-open garbage bag to seal it, then re-installed the trim panel. Looks much better, and I'll soon know how well it works (the factory plastic "seal", like the ones that go inside the doors, was long gone.

thanks for all the help guys...problem is solved now...

my manager checked out my car and found that the hose on the vent pipe on the fuel filler neck wasn't even connected...it was just hanging in the quarter panel venting all the fumes into the cabin..hahaha...that day i posted this thread i filled the gas half way up the filler neck too...hahahahaha...