How to get 260Z to daily driver status?

[porkbun]

Not only is this my first post in this forum, this is will also my first Datsun, and also my first car! It has a well documented 83k, starts right up, drives great, and has rust on the passenger side wheel arch and a bit on the driver door sill. It hasnt been driven much in the past few years and I would like to get it up to daily driver status. Ill have to travel at least 15 miles a day or 28 miles at most (round trip). What should I be checking/replacing to ensure reliability and healthy driving? Are there specific parts that commonly fail on these cars, or should I just bring it to Meineke to have it inspected? Cant wait to pick it up tomorrow!

[Zed Head]

Congrats on the new Z. Your screen name might have scared people away, it sounds unhealthy.

You said it starts right up and drives great. Is there some reason you think this won't last? The more detailed information you share the better. How much is "not much" in the past few years?

[SteveJ]

This could be a novel...

Flush the cooling system and put in new coolant.

Inspect the brakes and replace any worn components. Also replace the brake fluid.

Flush the brake fluid in the clutch hydraulics (manual) or replace automatic transmission fluid (automatic).

Inspect the tires to make sure they have adequate tread and are less than 6 years old.

Inspect the u-joints and driveshaft bolts. Tighten, lube or replace as necessary.

Inspect all suspension components and steering components. Be prepared to replace worn rubber bushings and boots. Replace the shocks if worn.

Look into adding relays to power your headlights and possibly H4 lights.

Replace running lights with LED bulbs. This reduces the chance of burning up wires.

Clean and lubricate the wiper arm mechanism.

Replace the old seatbelts or at least replace the webbing.

Inspect/replace coolant hoses and water pump.

Inspect the horn and replace the horn relay if the horn is weak or nonfunctional.

Replace the fuel filter.

Inspect/replace spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, & rotor.

Finally get a beater for the winter or your Z will rust to pieces.

[porkbun]

Theyre not that unhealthy!

I know that cars are meant to be driven and a low mileage garage queen may end up presenting a lot more problems in the future than a car that gets more action regularly. I got a ton of documentation with the car, so I have the window sticker from ACME Motors in NJ where it was serviced a bunch of times (anyone else?). I can see that in 04/13/02 it had 81,843 and had some hoses and the water pump changed. In 07/11/06 It got an oil change and had 83,389. In 08/11/08 it had all the hoses replaced, repaired the choke and cleaned out the carbs and had 83,520. I bought it with 83,760 on Friday.

I was shopping for C4 Corvettes before and generally the rule was mileage doesnt matter as much as the previous owner taking good care of the car and there were certain fluids to replace when you got it. There was also the preventing the optispark ignition system from getting wet in the later models by avoiding puddles, heavy rain, and making sure the water pump didnt break. Are there similar warnings for the S30 or 260 in particular?

Im going to the DMV to get temporary registration so I can drive it!

EDIT: Left this open in a tab and SteveJ posted before me. Procedures like those is what I was looking for

Edited August 20, 2012 by porkbun

[72 OJ]

Welcome to Z-Land and the addiction.................be prepare to spend that bacon on this baby

[SteveJ]

Oh, and download a copy of the FSM from xenonS30.com. Take pictures, especially of the engine bay. It will help us help you to figure out modifications done to it.

Also beware of the seatbelt interlock relay. Most likely it has been disabled, but you never know. This relay is a 260Z only issue (as well as any other 1974 model year car).

[LeonV]

Inspect/Replace/Repair:

- All fluids

- Entire braking system

- Cooling and oiling systems

- Clutch hydraulics

- Fuel filters

- Throttle return springs

- Valve adjustment

- Carb sync

- Ignition timing

- Headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals

etc...

Good luck and enjoy!

[porkbun]

Oh, and download a copy of the FSM from xenonS30.com. Take pictures, especially of the engine bay. It will help us help you to figure out modifications done to it.

Also beware of the seatbelt interlock relay. Most likely it has been disabled, but you never know. This relay is a 260Z only issue (as well as any other 1974 model year car).

Ill have to get pictures and a video tomorrow because its too dark here.

Also forgot to mention this is the second time I drove a manual car.Drove it 70 Miles back home today. Today I learned: My brakes could wake up the dead, other people really like the car, it doesnt have a casette player but it does have an 8 track player, one of my headlights stopped working, the wipers stink, theres a clicking sound at higher speeds and theres a bit of surface rust like everywhere. I already have the FSM, and the owners manual, going to get duplicate keys made tomorrow and do most of the stuff that LeonV listed.

[porkbun]

A picture I took earlier from inside my house through a dirty window

[SteveJ]

Okay, from that picture we can tell you have a "late" 260Z. The bumpers are a dead give-away. You'll find it has a lot of parts in common with the 75 280Z. You might find that there are components in the engine bay that are in different locations from the FSM, too. What is the build date on the door jamb plate?

Edit:

The clicking sounds at higher speeds could be u-joints or loose bolts in the driveline. It would be good to check that out sooner than later.

Check the fuses for your headlights. See if the bad headlight lights up when you switch it to bright.

Like I said before, you could write a novel on getting a 40 year old car of unknown pedigree up to being a reliable daily driver.

I tried to do that with my 73 about 20 years ago. That did not go well. I tried to do it on the cheap, and I didn't have near enough knowledge to get it in good shape. I'd actually have a better chance of getting the car in shape now.

Edited August 21, 2012 by SteveJ

[Captain Obvious]

Are there specific parts that commonly fail on these cars

A lot of people complain about the 260 carbs. They are commonly known as "flat tops" because of the shape, and most people don't like them.

Parts availability for the flat tops is difficult. You can get a "rebuild kit" easy, but if that doesn't fix the problem, then you're out of luck. The support structure just isn't there to supply other parts if necessary.

If it's running fine, then don't poke that nest. However, if you have carb problems, unless you find someone in your area that is willing to work on the "flat top" 260 carbs, then you may have to switch to the older "round top" 240 carbs used from 70 through 72.

[porkbun]

Its dark outside now and pretty late to be closing those doors, but I will have pictures and videos tomorrow. Clicking isnt really the right word to describe it. To me the noise sounds like if you stick the edge of a piece of paper into a house fan. I also hear it when I pop the hood and idle. The closest comparison I can make without sounding like a complete and total idiot is that it sounds sort of like a diesel engine. Im going to sound like an ridiculous if I try and describe it any further, so I hope the video will help reveal it tomorrow.

As for the carbs, since they arent broke, I wont go try and "fix" them. I was thinking about switching the, out for 240 carbs or other popular options that people go with, but after the maintenance and the new lights, I want to focus all my funds on rustproofing.

Edited August 21, 2012 by porkbun