jcdozier

I can't help with a mechanic in the Sacramento area, but I can offer a list of parts sources for you. In addition to the "classic" MSA in Orange, CA, you may want to check these out: Victoria British - www.vistoriabritish.com - midwest, lots of new parts Z Barn - www.zbarn.com - Tennessee, some new, lots of used parts Courtesy Nissan - www.courtesypart.com - Texas, new parts Z Parts - www.zparts.com - CA Bay Area, mostly used parts Strictly Z Parts - www.strictlyz.com - Southern CA? new parts There are other sources, such as Z Therapy for SU carbs, which will surface as you dig into the fun of owning a Z car. Since you are in CA, you shouldn't have much problem gettin help - lots of Z owners out there. Good luck.

Just to confirm Royce's post, I have a '71 Type-1 (built 12/70) that has the E88 head, E46 intake manifold and 4-screw round-top SUs. Don't have a comparison for the warm-up speed, but can tell you mine takes awhile to get up to temperature and really doesn't like to "go" until warm - cold start REQUIRES choking.

DAN: Found the info below on the IZCC site, but since it's in Goose Creek it may be the club you have found defunked. The only other SC listings are in the upstate (Greer, Greenville). LOWCOUNTRY Z CLUB 117 Single Tree Court Goose Creek SC 29445 Phone: (843) 824-9441 Web Site: http://members.xoom.com/stumpzcar/LZCC.html Club E-Mail: mjeffcoat1@home.com President: Mark Jeffcoat Vice President: Vacant Secretary/Treasurer: Melanie Jeffcoat Technical/Competition: Chuck Pianowsky Activities/Events: Charlie Battle Dues: Single: $30 Family: $35 Assoc: $15 Club Founded: 1998 Current Membership: 27

Don't know if your submarine comment was tongue in cheek or not. If not - the red lights in a submarine (or any other military ship/aircraft/etc.) are a night-vision "thing". It takes about thirty minutes for your eyes to adjust from white light to "full" night vision. The oncoming topside lookouts typically don red goggles when they roll out of their bunks. When driving, you are exposed to too much white light (oncoming headlights, streetlights/etc.) to have really good night vision anyway. A word of warning - the red lines on your map will disappear under red light!

While I agree with CARGUYINOK about the flame paint job, I can admire the workmanship. I think we all see cars that have been modified to fit someone elses idea of beauty and wonder what kind of beer they drink, or if they have been smoking those funny cigarettes again. However, when the mods have obviously been done with a lot of time and effort (and money) and when the craftsmanship shows through like it does on this one, it somehow feels okay. And, even if we don't agree with the look, at least we know another Z was saved from the boneyard.

Been there - done that. It's also a quick and good way to remove weight from your Z. At the time the 240Z was introduced the only air bags here in he USA were in Washington - that's why the 260Z came with boat anchors for carburators. 240znz's post is spot on. Brake upgrades, (I favor 4WD calipers) polyurethane bushings throughout, (not just up front) and a front air dam are all good "improvements in lieu of an air bag.

Being in California is a plus for you. There are probably more "good' - as in relatively rust-free - Z's in CA than in the rest of the USA, (except for possibly Florida). My personal favorite is the early ('70/'71) Type-1 240Z, but not everyone agrees with my choice. Fortunately, you have lots of options - the 240, 260 and 280 are very similar. You may want to take some time to browse through the forums here to get a feel for what to look for, what kinds of problems you can expect and some of the possibilities for "improving" your Z. Please keep in mind that many of us only post when we have a problem - just don't be mislead into thinking that Z's are "problematic" cars, (I guess we should also log on to report how well our Z's are running, too). They are possibly the best older cars around, and they also tend to be easy to work on when something does go wrong. You may also want to log onto the Internet Z Car Club's site - www.zhome.com - and browse there for awhile. Somewhere on that site (I just can't remember where) there is a page that shows all of the Z's with general specs - a great "look" at the various Z's, 240/260/280/etc.

Don't know about the '74, but on my '71 what you've described sounds like the fresh-air vent controls.

Short answer - yes, you can put a V-8 into a '71 Z. Longer, better answer found by re-reading previous posts - a '72 or later Z is better because they are "beefier" compared to the Type-1s. Less welding, less work, less trouble.:classic:

My 59-yr-old back (and butt) have a less-than-wonderful ride in the original seats. I will be replacing with Miata seats soon.:classic:

I'm with EScanlon - the only red I see is on the inner surfaces of the sign support posts. So far as I'm concerned, the logo is a big HO-HUM.:dead:

My personal answer to Keith's question is that life is too short to dance with fat chicks (or drive ugly cars, no matter how fast they may be).

I've communicated with Carl at beck@becksystems.com, you might give that a try.

That isn't just a Z or old car problem. The only thing I can suggest is hook up your ammeter and start pulling fuses one-by-one. It's time consuming, but it usually helps pinpoint the fault. Note I said 'usually' - there aren't any guarantees with automotive electrical.:tapemouth

I note no one mentioned Dollars (forget about sense) as a factor. I haven't investigated the cost of a V-10 (nor do I intend to), but it seems to me it would be much more expensive than the usual small-block Chevy engine I've seen in most VZs. Moreover, the V-10 conversion would likely be a "custom-fit" job, as opposed to using the V-8 adapter kits already availabe. There is also a 'reliability factor' that may be a consideration - with the V-8 you know someone has been there before you and has spent his/her money on the 'bug' spray.

If you're thinking V-8, you will have to be concerned with body strength (although you will still need to do some strengthening work). I suggest you stay away from the early Type-I 240s and look for a '72 or later - Datsun added some "beef" the the later models. I'm not sure about the 280ZX's, but the engine bay in the 240/260/280 is the same size. Others here can corrrect me it that's wrong. There are several V-8 Z sites with useful information - just takes a little looking.

"...the purple (yech) one getting the ticket...". Think the color had anything to do with the ticket??

As HMSPORTS says, it takes a surprisingly short time to drain a battery with even small current drains. (Moreover, we shouldn't assume the battery is fully charged just because we ran to the post office and back.) Using your alternator is an expensive, and very inefficient, way to charge a battery. If your Z is a hard-starter like mine is, you will have to drive quite a few miles for the alternator to just "replace" the charge you used when starting it up. IMHO, a small, cheap battery charger should be Basic Tools for anyone with an old car. You don't need an expensive one with all the bells and whistles. In addition to old cars, I also have boats (with electric motors) - my no-frills charger paid for itself years ago.

EScanlon is spot on. The source for gasoline fumes are almost always the fuel tank vent lines. Most new Z owners don't realize that these lines are INSIDE the car with YOU. Most of us who have had a Z for long have either replaced the lines or have been breathing the fumes for so long our sense of smell is so bad we can't smell a dead jackass at twenty paces.:tapemouth . Just make sure you get FUEL hoses for replacements.

STEVE: I'm not a tire expert, but I have a theory. If one makes the assumptions that two tires, one with 6-inch tread width and one with an 8-inch tread width are "equal" in all other respects, and that the fore-aft measurement of the "footprint" is, say 5 inches for both, the the "footprint" area of the 6-inch tire is 30 square inches and the area of the wide tire is 40 square inches. If one further assumes "grip" roughly equates to "friction", then 40 square inches will provide more "friction surface area" than 30 square inches. Good for dry, okay for damp, bad for standing water... OBTW, I like your picture. Is that you on the right or the left??

Is there a case here for a triple-A card and a cellular 'phone?? I've had a couple of occasions over the past several years to call AAA Emergency Road Service and get my car towed - once home and once to a shop. Do you have American Automoble Association (AAA) equivalent in Australia? Here in the US, for ZmeFly's US$150 you can pay for 2+ years of an "unlimited mileage towing" membership in AAA (the tow is"free").

"....is there someone who will pay that for a Zed?" Oh, sure. There's likely to be some "non-Z" type around with more money than smarts who will be really impressed by the write-up. I like the "street rod" designationROFL ........... "Burnt Yellow" is also a nice touch for the Datsun Gold (aka Mustard) color - that's the one that looks like something found in a baby's diaper. I'm going to start calling mine Burnt Yellow

A $13,000 charitable deduction, huh? Wonder how many times one could do that before the Infernal Revenue Service got curious and checked? You may have come up with a great new incentive for rescuing old, rusted out Z's.

Very nice ride - and only 61,000 miles, too. I didn't see it mentioned, but assume you will put in polyurethane suspension and steering bushings (if you haven't already). Have you also considered installing stainless steel brake hoses when you go to the 4-caliper brakes?

I love this site! Where else could you find than an answer to a question about whether or not a car has an electric fuel pump might be to count the fan blades???. Keith, I'm not needling you - I'm truly impressed with the knowledge that you and other members have and share here.