Early 240Z wheels and hubcaps

[Arne]

No!! Then you'll bloody bend them!

A valid concern. As soon as I put them on the car and they get dirty the value will begin to drop. But they are mine, and if I want to have them on the car, I can do that.

Interesting to hear the demand too, but if I were you I would keep the original wheels too. I wouldn't start trying to repaint them as I think that would decrease the value since they are in pretty good nick now anyway. Maybe I'm weird, but I wouldn't want them to be perfect. Got to have a bit of patina!

I'm leaning toward keeping the rims now, although there's rust on a couple of them from something corrosive having been spilled on them in the past. So two of the rims at least will need to be sandblasted and refinished. I'll probably do them all just to make certain they match.

[Alfadog]

A valid concern. As soon as I put them on the car and they get dirty the value will begin to drop. But they are mine, and if I want to have them on the car, I can do that.

Nah Arne, I was joking, in reference to your "I think I'll just sit on them" comment!! You can do whatever you like with them - just make sure they are definitely secured before driving anywhere, and no hard cornering!!

[Arne]

Well, I'm not going to put them on the car (if I end up doing that) until it is done - probably a couple of years, if all goes well. So I'll "sit on them" until then. And luckily they are the later 'D' style with the better retaining clips, probably won't fall off in normal driving.

[ZSaint]

I am sorry guys but... A stock 240Z with 4.5" rims and radial tires really sucks. I drove my Z on the freeway for 20 hours after buying it and it was not pretty. I remember my wife telling me should would not drive my '70 Z with 4.5" rims and skinny tires over 50 mph back in 1975. It was a handfull. I guess if all you do is drive them to a show or two, it will be OK. Nothing helps a Z more than lowering it, putting on wider rims, and putting on a front spoiler. The Z is now stable. I take my hat off to you "numbers correct" Z's. I just do not have enough courage to drive one! Maybe after I turn 70?

[Arne]

Well, I see your point, Loren. But I too am old enough to have driven Z's when they were still fairly new, and add that to my 20+ years in tires, and it is my opinion that the narrow tires and wheels weren't the problem.

The problem was aerodynamics. Too much airflow under the car. You mentioned two of the fixes - a front spoiler and/or lowering the car. The euro springs I will be using when I rebuild the suspension are also reputed to address this problem because they slightly lower the front of the car, without lowering the rear. Similarly, the 260Z came with the same skinny tires on 5" wheels but contemporary magazine tests swore it was a massive improvement in stability due to the slightly nose-down attitude of the car compared to the 240Z.

But perhaps you are right. If I try it and hate it, what am I out? A set of tires. Because I can always pull them back off later.

[7T1240]

Hello Arne,

Two questions regarding this thread:

What did you use to clean up your hubcaps and wheels? Anything special, or especially mild?

Please tell me more about the Euro Springs you intend to use to lower ride height.

Thanks, Gary S.

[Arne]

What did you use to clean up your hubcaps and wheels? Anything special, or especially mild?

Soap and water on the hubcaps. Haven't done anything to the wheels yet.

Please tell me more about the Euro Springs you intend to use to lower ride height.

The "Euro Stage I" springs were a factory set available from the dealer parts department, and are what 240Zs in Europe came with standard. They are just a touch stiffer, and were designed to lower the car just a little - around 10-15 mm per end, as a best guess.

They have been unavailable for some time now, but Courtesy Nissan (with help from Carl Beck and others) is now offering precise reproductions. http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CP&Product_Code=55000-E4106US

But - early reports are that when used with today's gas pressure struts, they actually raise the car from stock. The current consensus is that they need to have 1.25-1.5 coils cut off to make the car sit where it should if you are using gas struts (which is almost all that is available these days). I haven't installed mine yet, but may get around to that soon.