Restoration of "One-eighty-seven"

[drpchuynh]

21 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

Wow a real Hitachi.... most are non Hitachi these days. Can he get any more? I'll buy 2.

He was certain it was period-correct but not entirely 100%. Judging from your response, it seems he knows his parts. I will let him know that, and I'll ask if he has more on hand that he'll be willing to part with. I'll get back to you.

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Edited July 18, 2018 by drpchuynh

[motorman7]

1 hour ago, drpchuynh said:

....... The tubes and clamps are also specific to the 69 builds as well.

 

To be real specific, the wire clamps for the early cars like yours should have been silver zinc and not the yellow zinc .  @Carl Beck probably knows more about this, but the yellow zinc wire clamps came along a bit later, like on the '71 cars.  Personally, I think it's close enough.  Not many folks are up on that.

[240260280]

Thanks, I  bought a few through Ebay in that colour but they were not Hitachi.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-Cap-FOR-Nissan-240C-240K-240Z-260C-2400-Patrol-G60-MQ-Skyline-JP526/272876130159?hash=item3f88af4f6f%3Ag%3AuucAAOSw8V9bPyNs&_nkw=distributor+cap+240z&_sacat=0&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0

 

[drpchuynh]

To be real specific, the wire clamps for the early cars like yours should have been silver zinc and not the yellow zinc .  [mention=2845]Carl Beck[/mention] probably knows more about this, but the yellow zinc wire clamps came along a bit later, like on the '71 cars.  Personally, I think it's close enough.  Not many folks are up on that.

Thanks for the insight Rich! That's good to know. Were the silver zinc coating just as shiny as the yellow zinc when new? I ask because most clamps that I see are matted silver, most likely from oxidation over the years. If they are matted, then we can just rub off the yellow plating to expose the matted silver clamps. If not, then they'll require removal and nice buffing. Hopefully Carl can chime in too.

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[240260280]

Here is an unrestored engine compartment:

 

[26th-Z]

Silver zinc hose clamps and a black distributor cap for '69 build cars.  Also the contacts in the distributor cap are brass, not aluminum.

Edited July 18, 2018 by 26th-Z

[motorman7]

1 hour ago, drpchuynh said:

 If they are matted, then we can just rub off the yellow plating to expose the matted silver clamps. If not, then they'll require removal and nice buffing.

Actually, a quick dip (5 seconds maybe) in a warm, diluted Muriatic acid bath will remove the yellow.  Quick rinse with water and you are probably good to go. I do this at home when needed.  I do not know whether the finish was shiny or matte.  @26th-Z is probably a better source for this info than myself.

 

[26th-Z]

The zinc will get very dull with age.  The shine came from the brightness of the metal.  In the case of plating, the finish is going to reflect the smoothness of the base metal.  Plating only comes in one 'finish'.

So the color of the distributor cap has been discussed ad-nausium for years.  I say black but there is strong evidence for green.  What is important to me is the brass contacts.  They don't wear out as fast.

[drpchuynh]

Here is an unrestored engine compartment:
 

Wow! That's gorgeous! Thank you for the info. I'll forward the engine bay picture to Rod for reference.

One of the things that I have considered removing is the metal fan in favor of the plastic ones for daily driving. Rod informed me that those were recalled due to blades separating at high RPM, plus they are heavy. I can always switch it back if I placed her in a show. What are your thoughts?

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[drpchuynh]

Actually, a quick dip (5 seconds maybe) in a warm, diluted Muriatic acid bath will remove the yellow.  Quick rinse with water and you are probably good to go. I do this at home when needed.  I do not know whether the finish was shiny or matte.  [mention=3383]26th-Z[/mention] is probably a better source for this info than myself.
 

The Muriatic acid bath sounds like a simpler solution. Thanks!

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[drpchuynh]

The zinc will get very dull with age.  The shine came from the brightness of the metal.  In the case of plating, the finish is going to reflect the smoothness of the base metal.  Plating only comes in one 'finish'.
So the color of the distributor cap has been discussed ad-nausium for years.  I say black but there is strong evidence for green.  What is important to me is the brass contacts.  They don't wear out as fast.

Got it! I'll ask Rod about the contact surfaces to see if they are brass or aluminum.

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[motorman7]

Regarding the Diluted Muriatic Acid...It is just a 5% solution, so 20 parts water to 1 part Muriatic acid.