1973 Rebuild

[inline6]

All of the locks on the car use wafers, but the wafers for the ignition are slightly different.   These are the kits I bought and their contents.  

 

The A-16-100 has both types of wafers.   The A-16-104 only has the wafers for the locks other than the ignition.

 

[Matthew Abate]

Fantastic! Thanks.

I had found a document that states 1970-83 Z cars use tumbler series P-16-151/154 for the ignition. I’m assuming from the photos and your description of the kits that the rest of the locks use P-16-141/144, right?

Where did you buy the kits?

Edited September 30 by Matthew Abate

[inline6]

Correct. 

The wafers for the ignition have a slightly convex edge on the bottom or top (can't recall which).  If you look closely, you can see that in my pictures.  If you start with two door locks that are keyed to the same key, you save yourself a fair amount of work when replacing the covers.  

The thought crossed my mind that I could sell you some of the wafers which might be a good option instead of waiting for the kits to show up for sale.  I could send you a few of each size and you could map out what you need.  Let me know what you think.  

[Matthew Abate]

I’m not sure what I would need yet. I’m looking into getting a key made from the code on the door cylinders. If that works I will know if the glove box and trunk are keyed alike. If they are then I only need to figure out the ignition. If I can’t find a code on it I’ll need new wafers. If none of this pans out I’ll need enough to do everything.

Edited September 30 by Matthew Abate

[Matthew Abate]

 

Got my LED dimmer figured out. This pulse width modulator was $16 on Amazon. The brass rod in the background is a rotary knob extension I will use to make the OEM Datsun knob reach this thing once it’s buried in the dashboard. I just need to figure out how I’m going to mount it.

Edited October 7 by Matthew Abate

[Matthew Abate]

I finished my LED pulse width modulator (dimmer) today. It’s pretty easy if you want to try it. Using a brass rod made it tough to work with hand files so I resorted to a bench grinder for some of it, but all you need to do is measure the length you want, grind the end into a tab to slide into the slot on the PWM control rod, and drill through them sideways so you can press in a retaining pin. It won’t stay otherwise. Sorry I forgot to photograph that part.

I fabbed up a bracket out of a strip of steel with some holes and bends in the right places and it fits exactly like the OEM rheostat.

Edited October 6 by Matthew Abate

[dmorales-bello]

Nice work. Can you post a link to the PWM?

[Matthew Abate]

4 hours ago, dmorales-bello said:

Nice work. Can you post a link to the PWM?

It’s this one, but there are many that are similar.

https://a.co/d/g0cCVne

[Matthew Abate]

You know what’s real damned annoying? The 1973 Vintage Dashes 240z dashboard is not a 1973.

It had gone onto the frame really nicely until I ran into this issue:

The light/hazard switch bracket definitely does not fit anymore. When I pointed it out to them they confirmed that they didn’t actually make a 73 dash. Instead they make 1972 without the indentation and call it a 73.

The 1973 cars used a pull knob for the hazard switch instead of a toggle switch, so try to make everything work and you’ll notice the switch is recessed too far.

The fix is easy enough: make a new bracket. I just had to make a series of prototypes by hand, draw up the schematic, and send it to SendCutSend to be made. I comped it up with cardboard and then thin steel I could bend with my fingers. It’s pretty straight forward. It’s really just a question of time.

The new bracket arrived this week and it’s almost prefect. The only change I would make would be to slope the bit that connects the top to the bottom so it isn’t near the wire on the lighter socket. It’s not touching now, but I put electrical tape over it just in case. Don’t want a short!

If you buy one of these dashboards and need one of these brackets, let me know and I’ll send you the file in a DM. Having it produced costs about $45.

[Zed Head]

12 hours ago, Matthew Abate said:

Vintage Dashes

 

12 hours ago, Matthew Abate said:

the file in a DM

You should sell the file to Vintage Dashes for $100.

[Matthew Abate]

16 hours ago, Zed Head said:

You should sell the file to Vintage Dashes for $100.

For each dash they sell.

Edited October 20 by Matthew Abate

[Matthew Abate]

I had purchased what was supposed to be a NOS Kanto Seiki 240z ignition because it has the original steering lock buzzer wires. Turns out it’s either for something else or they increased the diameter of the steering column somewhere along the line.

So since it won’t fit, and since it took the same key as my door locks, I scavenged it.

Adapting the cylinder and switch to the later style housing was easy. It didn’t just drop in, but it was close. I rekeyed the cylinder with wafers I got from @inline6 and put it, the wires, and the buzzer switch into the aftermarket housing that came with my car.

I was able to get a key made from the door lock code by a place in Australia called Keys4Classics. Super simple and not much money. I almost bought a rekeying kit off eBay, but I didn’t feel like spending the $80. FYI, the retailers that say they can sell them are just drop shipping them direct from ASP. I reached out to ASP directly and they said they can no longer make complete kits.

The aftermarket lock cylinder uses pins and the asymmetrical oval key.

The NOS lock cylinder uses wafers and the double sided VOSS key.

Once everything was in hand it was about two hours of work, most of which was figuring out how to do it. The housing had to be drilled so the pin that connects the cylinder to the switch could pass through. I tried to mix and match the internals but it was sloppy and didn’t feel good, so it ended up being all of the parts from the NOS ignition inside the aftermarket housing.

So now all my locks work off the same key… except for the glove box, but I have the wafers to fix that.

Edited November 12 by Matthew Abate