jcdozier

Zvoiture: I agree with all you said except the "Give it another 5 years for the 240's......." As long as there are a substantial number of folks like the ones in this forum, there will continue to be too many Z-cars out there to drive the values up. (We may be our own worst enemies.) The early Z is just too much fun to drive, too easy to keep running well, and too easy to modify into a "personal statement" to fade away quickly. How many 25-30 year-old cars have such an active "industry" supplying things like frame rails to recover rusted out diamonds in the rough? Most rust-buckets go to the junk yard, rusty Z's inspire delusions of grandure. Once you get past the Mustang crowd, (one of my son's has a '67, so I know something of their enthusiasm) it's difficult to find another group as dedicated to parts swapping, greasy hands and skinned knuckles as the Z-nuts. I think we're going to keep them way too numerous for the high-end of the collector car bracket for much longer than five years.

Nigel: The Toyota 4WD caliper conversion can be found at several Z-related web-sites - here's just a couple: The IZCC site at www.zhome.com . Scroll down the left side almost to the bottom and click on "Index of Technical Articles", which will then show the index on the right portion of the screen. Scroll down the Index to the "Suspension/Brakes/etc...." heading and click on "Toyota Brake Calipers for Your 240Z or 280Z". The Z-Car Club of Washington's Technical section at www.zccw.org/tech/ . There are several articles under "Brake System". The conversion is relatively simple, even for those of us who are mechanically challenged like I am.

MATT: MSA's Urethane Bushing Kit is a good start. (They are actually POLYurethane, I think - much sturdier than the OEM rubber.) You'll want not only the suspension "kit" but also the bushings for the steering rack and also the steering coupler (pop he hood and look at the steering shaft under the brake master cylinder - you'll see the coupler). I have three books I use as reference manuals: -the DATSUN 249Z, 260Z & 280Z (1970 thru 1978) HAYNES Automotive Repair Manual -How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car by Wick Humble (Fisher Books) -How to Modify Your Nissan & Datsun OHC Engine by Frank Honsoweitz (Fisher Books) The Haynes manual can be found at many parts stores - I got the other two on the internet. I'm neither restoring nor engine modifying, but find the two Fisher Books are handy in that they provide supplemental info not in the Haynes book, and lots of pictures. Others here may have additional references for you. By "drop everything" I mean pretty much take everything from under the car - if you can't throw a cat from one end to the other you haven't taken enough off. The only thing left under my '71 240 when we did the "refresh" was the transmission and the fuel tank. (In addition to bushings, we installed new springs, strut inserts, Toyota 4WD front calipers, stainless brake lines and cleaned/painted anything that didn't fight back.) Don't be concerned about asking questions. You've found the best 240Z forum known to man. Folks here thrive on Z-car questions.

MATT: You're getting good advice here. And don't get too worried about being able to work on the car. As pointed out, the Z is a good car to learn on - proof that fast and fun don't have to be complex and difficult. I echo the advice to look for a 240 - 71, 72 or 73 - if your objective is eating rice for lunch. These years provide a little more structural "beef" than the 70 and early 71 Type-I cars and don't have the smog/emission "stuff" that started with the 260 and later. Finding the "right" Z may turn out to be the easy part. Now for the hard part - patience:( . (I didn't have any patience when I was 18, and delayed gratification isn't very staisfying now either.) Your first items of interest should be brakes and suspension - Go-Fast is only good if you can stay out of the ditches and trees. Deferring the speed/muscle upgrades until after you get the handling right will pay off in the long run. The upgrade to Toyota 4WD front calipers is easy and relatively inexpensive. Replacing all of the old rubber suspension and steering bushings will give you MUCH better handling, as well as great learning experience. Just put it up on jack stands and remove all of the running gear - should take you and a friend about one weekend to drop everything, (the friend is needed so you don't REALLY drop things, like the differential) and clean the parts. This is also a good time for the 3.90/4.11 differential swap. Don't forget to check the strut inserts - this is a good time to replace them as well if they need it. You may not have a rice burner when you finish the brakes and suspension upgrade, but you will have a car that is ready to "accept" the bigger and better things - one that will make cooking rice a really satisying experience.

If MSA doesn't have the bushings you might try: The ZBarn (www.zbarn.com 1-800-247-2895) Victoria British (www.victoriabritish.com 1-800-255-0088) Courtesy Nissan (www.courtesyparts.com) I'm sure there are others out there who have poly bushings.

ROSS: Wasn't it P. T. Barnum that said, "There's a sucker born every minute"? You could probably make lots of money with the RB20 engine covers. My personal favorite "driving style enhancement" is the lighting system underneath the car to illuminate all of the "stuff" that has been painted with day-glo colors.

Before you spend the big bucks to replace the steering rack, spend fewer and replace the old rubber steering bushings (preferably with polyurethane). I would be surprized if the steering rack on an '83 ZX is in such bad shape it needs replacing, but think it is highly likely that the bushings are shot. My '71 240 with LOTS of miles still has a good steering rack, but it was hard to believe the condition of the old bushings. With the polyurethane replacements, it steers like new (well, almost). When replacing steering components, don't forget about the flexible steering coupler - I'm assuming the ZX's have them.

Interesting statistics. Is there any truth to the rumor that the reason Jeeps are second and third is because folks are trying to finish their trips in the same kind of car they started with?

Si|v3r72 Ditto 2ManyZs - you only have to remove two bolts and the dist. is easy to pull out. From the posts it appears you may not have a Haynes manual yet. If I may make a suggestion, IMHO spending a modest amount on some books is a pretty good Z-car investment. I have three that I use: - the "basic" Haynes manual - How to Modify Your Nissan & Datsun OHC Engine (Frank Honsowetz-Fisher Books) -How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car (Wick Humble-Fisher Books) I'm not juicing up my engine, nor am I doing a restore on my 240, but I find the two "extra" books helpful. There is often additional information and/or pictures that "supplement" the Haynes manual information in one of the other two. OBTW, I am NOT trying to discourage you or anyone else from posting. I, and I am sure others, learn a lot from the posts here and hope all will continue sharing their Z knowledge.

WishN4DaZ Unless you just enjoy the challenge or working on old engines, why don't you look around and get an L28 Turbo engine? I would think there are quite a few available in Florida. That way you could save your time and money for other "improvements" to your already factory "turboized" Z-car.

Since I didn't see it posted, I assume this was so obvious everyone just ignored it - replace the spare tire and jack "stuff" with a AAA card and a cellular telephone.

STEVE: I suspect you were observing one end of the broad "spectrum" at the car show. The other end of the spectrum - the "racing crowd" - typically doesn't bring it's cars to the show (the cars that tend toward both running like hell and looking like hell?). It's probably a matter of personal preference and where one wants to begin spending their time and money - do you start with glitter or with guts? I also suspect most of us are somewhere in the middle of that spectrum - never showed or raced our Zs but just love to drive them. My 240 needs more work (and probably always will) but has the polyethelene bushings, upgraded brakes, rebuilt SUs, etc. that make it a "driver", while patiently awaiting replacement of ragged seats, worn out hood and door rubber, and moderate body/paint work. Looks pretty good, runs pretty good, but doesn't fit at either end of the "spectrum", which is just fine with me. To each his own.................

I think you'll be looking for an engine from a 280ZX Turbo - this is the engine that has the front 3 and rear 3 cylinders "siamesed", (webs cast between the cylinders to improve block rigidity). Since this is an L28 engine(2753 CC), it is "bigger" than the L24 in your 240Z (2391 CC). Bigger bore (3.386 in/3.268 in) and longer stroke (3.110 in/2.902 in). I haven't done the swap, but it does seem reasonable that it will be cheaper to buy a complete L28 turbo from a junk yard/auto wrecker's than to modify an L24 for turbo operation. The work involved would be much, much less as well. I suggest you pick up a copy of Frank Honsowetz' "How to Modify Your Nissan & Datsun OHC Engine" (check Barnes and Nobles or Amazon on-line).

I didn't change out rotors, so I can't address the larger rotor question. I didn't need a spacer - just trimmed the splash plate and CAREFULLY re-bent the S-shaped brake line. I think there may be some information on the brake caliper swap on the IZCC site - www.zhome.com - you'd have to look for it in one of the categories far down the page on the left.

The outside diameter of the "wooden" wheel is 15 inches - I just measured it on my 1971 240.

I second Zvoiture's feelings about the "punk factor" on the other Z car sites. Another great plus for this site is it's concentration on the 240-Z (and the 260/280 since there are so many similarities). One can get downright weary the other sites just weeding through the 300 posts to find something worthwhile. I don't share the opinion that there are too many forums. since I try to log on daily, I get most of the posts by going to the "View New Posts" option. Keep up the good work.

I admire your "project enthusiasm". I'm one of those old curmudgens who consider anything other than a 240-Z just another car, so I see a 2+2 as butt-ugly, but I suppose even a 2+2 deserves a new life. Enjoy your project.

Screwdrivers seem to be the tool of choice for idiot car thieves. My 240 was stolen from my driveway in California several years ago - found it abandoned about five miles away. Thieves had used a screwdriver on the ignition and also to gouge the paint on the hood and rip up the driver's seat. In addition, they had slashed all four tires and had stolen the battery and radio (demolishing the dash for good measure). Makes it kinda difficult to love your fellow man, doesn't it?

Auto parts stores can be good sources for where to find junker Zs, (and perhaps some in good condition). The folks at my local NAPA store volunteered info on a 260 "stored" in a field when I was in getting parts for my 240. They often know who has a Z because he/she has been buying parts from them. MPERDUE - I can identify with the Dallas "Z scene". Here in sparsely-populated SC one rarely sees any early Z - I've only seen two 240s in as many years.

Go to the IZCC site (www.zhome.com) and scroll down on the left to the "Index of Technical Articles" - it's almost at the bottom of the page. You will find info on the Toyota 4WD caliper swap under the "Suspension/Brakes/....." heading, including info on the years for trucks and 4-Runners. The Washington Z car club site (www.zccw.com) also has some info under their BRAKES heading. Their site says '86-'88, but there are other years, as noted in the IZCC site. Some folks go "whole hog" and buy vented rotors to go with their upgrade. IMHO they are NOT needed for street driving. Unless you are into racing or spend a lot of time in heavy braking situations, your money would be better spent on other suspension items, (e.g., polyethelene bushings, replacing those tired 30-year old springs, strut inserts).

Ditto Daniel's comments about not using WD40 - you should be able to find the Marvel Mystery Oil at NAPA or some other parts store. Haynes publishes a pretty good repair manual - look for the "DATSUN 240Z, 260Z & 280Z - 1970 thru 1978" book at most any auto parts chain store. With the car sitting for so long, you may find that the parking brake has rusted "shut" and won't let the rear wheels move - had that problem with my 240 after almost a year under a shed. Our fix for that was to wrap a chain around the half shafts and drag it out from under the shed - the back wheels "broke loose" after about three feet. Good luck with your new toy.

Sometimes the "first then reverse" dosn't work with the 5-speed on my 4-Runner. Another "trick" is to double-clutch when going into reverse - that usually gets mine there with a minimum of grinding.

KMack: Have you tried brake fluid? It did a great job of removing the paint I put on my "new" calipers:( .

I once heard that particular color refered to as "Hello Officer Red":D - sure looks good.

There was a long string posted within the past few weeks on this subject - you might be able to find it with a search. Summarized, it said ATF or 20 weight are good, multi-grade or Brake Fluid are bad. Without a poll, I suspect most of the SU's out there have ATF in them, because it's more readily available than 20 weight oil. As to fill level, overfilling isn't a problem since any "overflow" will seep down the side of the piston and mix with the fuel coming in through the carbs. Don't underfill.