Alan Pugh

Dave, I just happen to have mine handy. It measures 1.4mm thick in the compressed area and 1.7mm where it hasn't been in between the flange and the firewall. Hope this helps. Alan.

I never met James in person, a little bit hard to do from Aus, but his presence on this site will be missed tremendously. It was not very often that you came to the main page and did not see Zmefly on the list of latest posts in the forums. I was very shocked at the news, His love for our Z cars was amazing and he truly did love them. Delta I feel for your loss and wish you and your family all the best. Alan P.

I've just come back from the shed, S**T it's cold in Melbourne. My seat belts are dated OCT 76, five months earlier than the car being stamped FEB 77. This proves nothing, but does give a somewhat muddy time line. The patch with the date on it also says that the belts meet ADR 4c, does this mean that the seat belts were made for each market or were these also fitted in Aust. Mr C, just out of interest do you know the date on the ADR plate for # 00003? This discussion raises many questions in itself. Alan P.

Hello all, Well never being too shy to jump in boots and all here we go. My car as an example, because I don't have an early 240 to use as an example, is GRS30-015866. The only place a date ( month and year ) appears on the car is on the ADR plate affixed to the fire wall by Nissan Motor Company (Aust) P/L. The date stamped into this plate is 2/77. Was this plate fitted in Aust or fitted in Japan and stamped here? I believe the plate is stamped and fitted in Aust. So, when did my car come off the line in Japan? As Alan T. asks when does a car become a car. Is it when it rolls off the line and gets allocated to a market or when it gets the ADR plate fitted in Aust and goes on general sale? You could order a car through your Nissan dealer if you wanted to wait months for it, do these become cars straight away because they have been given a market country and an identity straight away. Does anyone know when the fire wall is stamped with the vin #? What would happen if a car got delivered to Aust, came off the boat and somehow got lost on the docks for four months, then found and sent to Nissan, would this cars ADR plate be stamped with the current date or be back dated four months? I know these are questions that are very hard to answer and are very hyperthetical, or are they? I look forward to the answers. Alan P.

You would have to think that the rear three cylinders wouldn't be getting their share of air. Worst design i've ever seen. panchovisa, who told you brass wasn't a metal.

Ok here's my take on it. If it is a lead acid battery with screw in type top caps there is a small breather hole in each cap. It sounds like the buzzing noise you are hearing is the battery breathing, it is after all filled with acid that is bubbling away and this has to get out somewhere, hence the breather. The buzzing sound is due to moisture in the cap and the air is bubbling past it to get out. Just some general info for everyone, The average life for a lead acid battery is 39 months. A lead acid battery should be charged between 14.5 - 14.7 volts set by the voltage regulator. Never charge a lead acid battery with the caps on. My father worked for Dunlop batteries for 27 years so I guess if you hear things often enough you don't forget.

Hi Stephen, I think this is either the same thing or something very similar http://www.hydrocoolonline.com/tech_info.htm but I can't find anywhere in Aus that uses it. Retrofitting is not as straight forward as I thought it would be. Alan P.

Hi everyone, I'm still a fair way off finishing my car but I am always trying to think ahead. I am trying to decide what to do about the factory aircon fitted to the car. To get it up and running by law the R-12 refrigerant must be changed to R-134a. This in itself is not a problem as it is the law in this large round green house we all live on. My main concern is the COST of getting it done, as opposed to how cool (temperature, not me) I want to be while driving. As the car is only going to be driven during the late spring, summer, early autumn months and a lot of those days are going to be hot days. How many of you have converted to R-134a and how effective is the conversion? Or should I just wind the window down and spend the money on something else? Alan P.

Hi Joseph, I really built up a head of steam didn't I. As I said later I do apologize if I offended, that wasn't my intention. Those figures have been posted on this site numerous times before and no doubt will be again. Everyone is correct about them being very rubbery, but as a guide to Aus figures, MY belief is they would probably be within a few hundred of being close to the mark. The thing that gets me going on this site sometimes, are the people who jump in on the 2+2 bandwagon, and bag the sh*t out of these cars because it is sometimes seen, I THINK, to be the right thing to do. It's only small comments a lot of the time like"Yeah it looks great shame it's a 2+2 though" I have driven both 2 seaters and obviously 2+2's, how many of the baggers of these cars have actually even driven a 2+2. Someone not so long ago was telling us how awfull the flat top carbs were and then in the next sentence tells us that he's never even seen a set in person, only ever seen one photo of them fitted to a car. What an informed opinion for us all. Having driven both and they do drive differently, both cars have in my opinion for's and against's. I like how the longer wheel base of the 2+2 corners as opposed to the 2 seater as an example, this may come down to the way I drive a car through a given corner, who knows. I would love to have a bone stock 240 out in my shed, but for different reasons than probably a lot of others. My comment that Zedrally and myself would have the only two 2+2 cars left was VERY tounge-in-cheek. My car will not be completely stock when it is finished, but that also is a choice for me to make. Regards, Alan P.

Hi Alan, Yes I made the connection to the Carl Beck figures and yes the figures are sketchy at best, and no there is no mention of the local market cars and yes, I knew you would answer this one as it is one of your pet hates, for want of a better term. Having said that, I don't see that the AUSTRALIAN figures can be 100's or 1000's out, and I was on this occasion only talking about Aus delivered cars. Yes we were a dumping ground (after the 240Z) for a mixed up car that should have been a 2468Z by the time our 260Z model run ended in 1977. This being said I believe our 260Z was probably one of the better mixes of car, and that is only MY opinion. Compared to the 2+2 and 2 seaters sold in the US our cars look about a foot shorter anyway without the 5MPH rule bumpers. I haven't meant to offend anyone and if I have I do apologize. I am also sorry for hijacking this thread. I am a Proud and PASSIONATE 260Z 2+2 owner. Alan P.

Hi Chris, I too have often disagreed with the first 500 cars to the USA. The point of the exercise was to show Joseph, using figures that he posted, that he either didn't read my post and or didn't bother to add up the figures he was using from Cybersanford. I don't know that any of those figures are correct, but the same figures seem to come up quite often and as that is all we have to go off, what else do you use. I also didn't like the tone of Joseph's reply!!!!!!!!!!

Joseph, I did say in my post JUST ABOUT EQUAL NUMBERS, and I did say that the 2+2 once released out sold the 260 2 seater. Lets use your figures from Cybersanford. 240Z 1970-319 240Z 1971-894 240Z 1972-362 240Z 1973-783 240Z Total-2358 260Z 1974-422 260Z 1975-198 260Z 1976-385 260Z Total-1005 260Z 2+2 1974-599 260Z 2+2 1975-742 260Z 2+2 1976-1615 260Z 2+2 Total-2956 2 seater total = 3363 2+2 total = 2956 As you can see there is only 407 more 2 seaters ( JUST ABOUT ) 2+2 sales against 2 seater sales FOR THE 260Z are nearly 2 to 1, I believe that means it out sold the 2 seater. I have left out the 1977 figure because it is not divided into the 2 body types. I think it's great that there are so many of these cars being restored, modified and just generally being kept on the road, and by that I mean S30 cars. 2+2 OWNERS HAVE FEELINGS TOO, THEY LOVE THEIR CARS JUST AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS LOVE YOUR 2 SEATERS. Alan P.

2+2's in Aus as far as I can find out were delivered in just about equal numbers to 2 seaters. There is no denying that the 240 will and should be the most collectable and revered of all the Z's. When the 2+2 was introduced into Aus it out sold the 260 2 seater, why who really knows. Me, Well at the rate 2+2's are being broken up for parts and whatever else, I figure in 5 to 10 years i'll have the only one left in Aus. Oh sorry, Zedrally and myself will have the only 2. How rare is that!!! I'll post again in 5 years and let's see how my prediction goes.

I don't believe it would be possible as the front and rear planetary gears would be of a larger diameter and not fit into the 3N71B case.

What sort of carb is it. You said you had it rebuilt last year but the problem sounds like it could be accelerator pump related.

Is the 4N71B an electronic trans. If not why not just fit that. I know a lot of the early overdrive auto trans just locked up the torque converter for fourth gear.

I've gone with racing seats only because of the comfort side of things and I got a bargain. The originals are in the shed though just in case.

I just finished rebuilding my distributor and ended up making a new breaker plate out of 3mm alluminium plate. Works great and won't crack apart again. Guess I should have taken a photo.

mellow, you can get the covers from www.allzparts.com.au in Sydney. I think they are $125.

Gidday Justin, I've got a mate restoring a Fiat 130 at the moment and I thought I had some rust, There's always someone worse off some where. Buy the best shell/car you can afford to start on. I'm sure that's advise you don't need after restoring a Lancia Beta. You do realise that once you've driven a Z there is no going back. Good luck, Alan P.

Who will ever forget where they were when they heard about this day. I know I never will. Every time I watch one of these videos it never fails to bring a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. Lets hope that the upcoming Olympics, where all our different country men and women are assembled in one place remain safe and trouble free. Alan P.

As Zedrally said it is part of the anti backfire system on our Australian delivered 260's with flat tops. It is actually an amplifier conected to the speed switch inside the speedo, which operates the throttle opener solenoid on manual transmission cars only. The throttle opener is there to reduce HC emissions during coasting situations ( high manifold vacuum ), by opening the throttle slightly to let more fuel in to the combustion chamber. The switch/amplifier in question on the back of the speedo operates the solenoid above 10 KPH. I have no idea what it does on a fuel injected car. Hope this helps. Alan P.

I'll second what Alan said. Quite often i'll be looking for a certain item that gets listed every once in a while only to find "ship to United States only". If you email and ask will you ship to Australia, the response is usually, what will you pay for my time at the post office. This is obviously their choice and i'm not complaining, BUT with the exchange rate as it is at the moment I can buy a lot of parts cheaper on US ebay than I can get them here in Aus. Just thought i'd add my frustrating 2c. Alan P.

Steve, You must be at either 2OCU or 77. I was a sumpie at OCU from Jan 86 to Sep 88 and then went to 75 at Tindal for five years. When we were up at Townsville we used to go to Magnetic Island and stay over the back of the island at Jeff's Place, don't know if it's still there. Alan.