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I have just pulled my 1972 240Z, of which I am the original owner, back in the garage to re-assemble for transport to Les Cannaday for it's rebirth (restoration). This has caused me to lament on the life of a car, an oddessey if you like. A car which has been part of some of the fondest of memories and some of the saddest of memories. I have decided to start a thread sharing the restoration and telling the story of the life of my 1972 Datsun 240Z. It will be a story of 4 years of the original fast and furious and 30 years of good intentions without results. Come along for the ride, if you wish, let me know what you think of the idea be it, in your opinion, trite or intriguing.

Hey all, Would anyone miss the ability to leech images from other servers inside posts? Simply put, images can be loaded into the middle of forum messages by using a modified HTML code (or link). This gives the user the ability to load an image from a different server every time someone reads the message. The problem for the club is: - Some images are very large in size and screw up the layout of the page. - Some images take a long time to load. - Images can be moved or deleted (from the host server) and the message left on our club shows red X's and benefit nobody in the long run. Our alternate method to include an image in a message post is to use the ATTACHMENT feature. The attachment feature is nice because it resamples the image and displays it in a thumbnail. If a user wishes to view the image, they simply need to click on it. With that said, you might be thinking that it's a pain in the butt to upload your images directly into the forum. However, I have to let you know about a new feature.... If you open the attachment portion of a message post, you'll see a feature that allows you to literally pull an image from another website directly to the message you're writing. It's called "Upload Image from a URL." You can find it when you compose a message by clicking on the "Manage Attachments" button. Now all of this might sound too technical. So, I'm going to word it easier. I'm thinking about forcing everyone to use the image attachment feature rather than the image link ability. What do you think? -- Mike

Well, deciding how many to have could be difficult. Especially as the 'correct' answer may differ depending on when a particular 240Z was built. And I suspect lots of them are MIA by now. I looked through the gallery and found pictures that show no hooks, hooks on the one side or the other, and a few with hooks on both sides. Judging from my car - which is original all the way down to the 35 year-old spark plug wires, and unlikely to have had an second hook added - as well as a few pictures in the galley, I feel safe in saying that two rear hooks appears to be correct for late '71s, if not others as well. Early '71, Series 1 Late '71, Series 2 1972

Only 1.6 or 1.8 but an Sr20 would fit in there Mikey he he he Very very rare now, but still not worth too much really. I think they're very cool.

I gave you one reputation point for that post

A sway bar kit at MSA runs $229 for both front and rear bars.

Summir racing part number STQ-52095 $249.90 shipped.

I recently purchased a set of the ST sway bars. I finished installing the fronts a week ago and I am now working on the rear. As John Coffey pointed out, Summit Racing is the cheapest place to buy the ST bars. However, when I ordered mine at the beginning of August, they were on a 4 week back order that turned into 6 weeks. Edit: Wow, looks like they have more in stock as they are showing Ship Today. They say steel gray, but be forewarned that they do come in flourescent green as well.

I would love to know how I gained the reputation of having no knowledge of the material (POR-15). I have only used it to cover the interior of my wheel wells, cross-member, and frame rails. Using POR-15 requires careful surface preparation. You must start with a clean surface first and foremost. How you get there does not matter. As long as the surface is clean and free of grease, etc. that is all that matters. They recommend using their water-based Marine Clean and say that kerosene or solvent-based degreasers should not be used as they may leave an invisible film. However, they do NOT come out and say you MUST use Marine Clean. Do any of you disagree? Once the surface is clean, you must etch the metal. They do not say you MUST etch, but we all know that you should etch the metal, especially a new metal. You can use either Metal Ready or phosphoric acid. Do any of you disagree? After etching, you need to clean the surface again to remove the excess Metal Ready or phosphoric acid. You do this by wiping it down with a wet cloth. Once the excess is removed and the surface is dry you can then paint using POR. Now, where am I wrong in any of that? It is recommended that you use Marine Clean to remove any grease on the surface, but the intent is to make sure you have a clean surface. It does not matter HOW. Edit: I am trying to give back to this wonderful community by sharing the knowledge that I have gained. I am not the type to post something if I have any doubt, as I know that it will show up in a search.

Hi Luke: In stock form - the 240-Z will exhibit a significant amount of body roll in harder or higher speed turns. This can be a little unsettling if your not totally at peace with the car. Nonetheless, if you have taken any number of drivers training courses, with good instructors and in the process developed a good feel for the 240-Z... you'd be amazed at what it's capable of even in pure stock form. (I've taken a few hot laps around Portland International Raceway with John Morton driving, in both pure stock 510's and 240-Z's..simply unbelievable, and we didn't leave the track nor rollover even once!) IMHO - the first thing you want to spend money on is great tires. Adding a larger front anti-sway bar, along with better shocks would be my second expenditure. This will greatly reduce body roll without adding a significant amount of harshness to a street driven car. For the use you describe for your Z - I'd stop there. At that point the normal body roll in cornering would be greatly reduced, and you'd still have a bit of understeer combined with some complaining from the tires as they reach their limit of adhesion. This is an important feedback loop... tires screaching tell you that you are most likely approaching your limit.... Adding a large rear anti-sway bar in addition to the above - will make the Z handle more in the neutral zone. The car will feel flatter in the corners, and you won't get so much complaining from the tires as you approach their limit. While this may seem like a good thing at first blush... I don't believe it is a good thing for the average driver on the highway. (I feel I'm an average driver). Pushed just a little harder with the front/rear anti-sway bars and stiffer shocks .. the handling will transition from neutral to over-steer somewhat unexpectedly, and you'll find yourself spinning off the corner. (As will lifting off the throttle suddenly when you enter a corner too hot ). Believe me when I say - you won't believe how suddenly nor unexpectedly this will happen as you pass the limits of tire adhesion to the road. (been there done that - a few times). The bottom line for me is - a little body roll and tire screeching are a good thing for most of us. As is a little understeer. If your going Road Racing.. and you are a competent driver...that's a whole different world. I'd recommend only upgrading the front anti-sway bar for street use and combine that with better shocks. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Bo: Amen... I was driving a 67 911S when I bought my first 240-Z in 1970. After you quit shaking and looking back on it - it was kind of funny the first time it happened to you... I'm pretty sure that the phrase; "keep the pedal to the metal" - originated with Porsche... Just too funny.... regards, Carl B.