geezer

I found the underbody treatment to be the same as typically found on most vehicles of this era. It wasn't until the late '70s that E-coat systems came into widespread use. With an E-coat process, the vehicle would be submerged or partially submerged into the coating and the positively charged current would force coverage inside and out, including any voids or unseen areas. As Chris noted, these cars "show no evidence of paint inside the constructed body sections". I have taken an interest in the processes used in the production of these cars. I have noted the need to transfer the shells from the metal line carts/carriers to the carts used specifically in the paint shop. This was the opportune time for the coating to be applied, after being lifted off the metal shop cart, but before being set down on the cart that would travel through paint. Separate carts had to be used for many reasons, contamination prevention of the paint being the foremost concern. Even the wheel grease used on a cart could be ruinous to the paint finish when exposed & dispersed by the high temp ovens. It does appear to be different than the exterior finish paint. When I was stripping this material off the bottom of my car I asked myself several times, "why take it all off?" It was still well adhered and still protecting the surface. My cars color being silver, had a distinct metalic finish but not so on the underbody. Another thing that is a mystery to me is the composition of the undercoat & paint. I have not been able to determine if what appears to be a heavier black base coat under the silver paint is actually the same coat. Many paint formulations had the characteristic of the color rising to the surface after being sprayed, not like an acrylic that would be color consistant throughout the thickness of the layer. I just couldn't find any evidence of the heavy black undercoat and the silver top coat being sprayed seperately. Here's a pic of the original coating I found while cleaning off the years of accumulated crud under my Z. This second pic shows the rear valance reinforcing strip that is void of paint on every S30, that Chris mentioned. I originally thought that was caused by the grounding clamp being attached at this point while in the paint system. I now think it was simply from the placement of a temporary upright support, used to hold the rear hatch open during the painting process.

Thanks Carl. I suppose RL Polk & Co. has been doing this long enough and knows how to access the available data and present it in a form that suits their clients needs, but looking through the eyes of an enthusiast, it appears "hit & miss" at best, with a margin of error that I believe could be well into the double digits. It has been mentioned before that the collectability factor of these cars, will have a direct bearing on how many of them have been stored away. Considered too valuable to crush, maybe for the time being, considered too expensive to restore; countless numbers could be under the radar of RL Polk & Co. That's OK by me. It adds a little more mystery and interest to the hobby. We all love it when one of them suddenly returns from the unknown. NissanMaster: Looks like you were thrown a curve?

I have the complete 19 piece kit on the shelf here. Over the last few years I have also bought several other NOS rubber pieces and placed them in the same box, in an attempt to keep things organized. I know there are well over 30 pieces in the box now and it would be confusing to anyone else opening the box. I've even temporarily lost track of what is there. Was your kit purchased from someone who may have done the same as me? No matter, if you do get stumped, Enrique's suggestion of posting pics here should net a few answers.

All this information only gives you the stock configuration which was too high for your taste anyhow. Hopefully it will help you decide what combination of springs & struts to use to achieve the ride quality and height you are looking for. Tire selection, air pressure, bushing material, spring and strut combinations can be best evaluated by asking questions here. Every possible configuration has been looked at I think. Looking at the pictures in the gallery will help too. Good Luck!

I don't know if this will help or not Randy. It is the 19 pcs Precision Parts List with the part numbers. The individual packages in the kit have these part numbers on them don't they? Looks like you won't be using the Upper Door Weatherstrips for your car.

The FSMs can be downloaded here. http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html Here is the relevant information: '73 240Z.......................................................................'74 260Z (early) 11.4mm (0.449in)...............Spring Wire Diameter...................11.5 (0.453in) 100mm (3.94in)..................Spring Coil Diameter....................100mm (3.94in) 10.65................................Number of Coils.........................9.25 369mm (14.5in)...................Free Height...............394mm (15.51in) 215mm (8.4in).....................Installed Height...........221mm (8.70in) 288kg (635lb)......................Normal load.............................705lb 1.85kg/mm (103.6lb/in).........Spring Constant...1.85kg/mm (104lb/in)

I found this chart & the insulator illustration in the 1975 Design Specifications manual. It is a good manual, showing the differences between early and late 260Zs and the transition to the 280Z in 1975. The spring specs can be found in the FSMs for each individual year of the 240Z. If no one beats me to it tomorrow, I can dig up this info.

Different springs were used on the '74.5 & '75 models. Here is a comparison of dimension specification chart covering '74, '74.5 & '75. The insulator design changed with the '74.5 model, with an increased height of .79". Can the dimensional specs for the 240Zs be found to make a comparison?

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=trunk+monkey&docid=1058045952358&FORM=VIRE7# Sorry Sarah, couldn't resist. A simple RF reciever such as used for keyless entry can be hidden anywhere and be used to trigger and turn off any device controlled by a relay. Today, one of the oldtime sirens would garner more attention than horns, which are so common people don't take notice. I have one of those here somewhere. They are rather large though and may be a little more difficult to conceal. Whatever components you use, they should be kept out of sight, so they are not easily disarmed by the perp. The system you point out from Ebay looks good to me. Cheap too. You can customize it to your liking easy enough.

Sorry to hear of this Bonzi. There are a lot of us in the same boat. Mine has not cracked yet, but if you look closely you can see where it will in the future. I think it is just a matter of time for all of us. I am just thankful that we have options, even if it is not original, as well as costly. Get well and take care of your back. Hobbies are just that, and can wait.

I have one here that was in with a parts lot I bought years ago. It looks to be the same as the one in Dan's pic. There are 4 wires pinned in the connector, but the two white wires are actually 1 wire that makes a loop and runs back to the connector. Other than that I know nothing about the reason for that. I took 1 pic and the camera died on me.

Is it soupt yet? Ah yes, I've done all manner of inappropriate build activity all over the house when I was younger also. I once spray painted my Harley frame in the bath tub enclosure. By the time my wife got home, all evidence, other than the lingering smell of fresh paint was gone. I've lost track of how many carburators have been rebuilt at the kitchen table. I used to rebuild V8s on a heavy duty wooden table covered in linoleum. It wasn't much more difficult than using an engine stand. At the time, I just did what I could with what I had. We all survived.

My curiosity got the best of me so I looked for an example of a motorized appliance cart. I had never seen one before. Great idea! Bet you could find a delivery guy willing to bring an engine up or down the stairs for you for a reasonable fee. http://www.directindustry.com/prod/lecq-equipement/motorized-cart-37742-358603.html

Great shots Mike and what a beautiful subject! So you weren't satisfied with just shaking the gifts under the tree huh?

If you were able to add a gallon of coolant that means you did purge some air from the system. I think you misunderstood which hose to remove though. By removing the outlet hose coming from the heater core you would allow all air to escape from the core. You would also be able to tell if there was a blockage. I think the problem you have now is with the controls, no matter if they are cable or vacuum actuated. Another thing to remember; you should allow the coolant to cool before adding any, in order to take advantage of thermal expansion. Glad to hear it has warmed up in your area some.

A wiring diagram and a multimeter will serve you well now, alowing you to easily track down this problem, as well as in the future, when other problems arise. I actually find trouble shooting electrical problems fun when the car is in front of me, but it can be difficult online, when the information and feedback isn't spontanious. The clicking you hear when you press the horn button is the horn relay. That is normal and is only the control side of the relay doing it's job.

Yeah, pulling an Arne is a good thing!

I don't know if this is considered hoarding but I am constantly on the lookout for any parts that are NOS or in a much better condition than what I have. This has resulted in a sizable stash of extras, but not new parts. Every single part on my Z that is not new is subject to be replaced when something better comes along. Other than that, I dont really hoard parts. If I did, and wanted to remain stock, I suppose it would be the parts that are not easily replaced by an aftermarket supplier, such as early wheel cylinders or brake drums. The original mechanical parts supply has held up well and also has been covered by aftermarket replacements, but original Nissan parts are still considered to be the best. Cam followers immediately come to mind here as well when it comes to unmatched Nissan quality & durability. I think I would put them on my hoard list if I had one. There are many parts that could be put on such a list, but I am more of a go get it when needed guy than a hoarder.

Ahh! Maybe that's how they built those pyramids! Another thought. Keep your eye out for an old couch cushion and set it aside for when needed, to put down on a cart or dolly, so as to not scratch up a newly rebuilt & painted engine. A few specialized tools are another thing you need to consider, either buying, renting or borrowing. The book recommended should cover this, but a few things that come to mind are: Cylinder hone (unless done by the machine shop) Ring installation expand tool Rubber caps to cover rod studs when installing into cylinders Ring compressor Plasti-gauge (for checking bearing clearances) Torque wrench Good files for correcting ring end gaps This list could be expanded quite a bit, but these are the basics I have on hand along with a set of inside & outside micrometers that you will not need if the machine shop is going to evaluate what you bring them. I would recommend having them measure it up and order the needed parts. Sometimes, paying up front for some professional services will save you a lot of grief and money in the long run, until you are comfortable doing it yourself.

First off, you should get a good "how to" book on rebuilding the Nissan L6. Since you will have to disassemble and inspect the engine to determine if it needs to be sent to the machine shop, it would be preferable to do this before slugging it down a flight of stairs. Many engines I disassemble right in the box of my pickup. Then I just drive over to the machine shop and drop off the block, crank, pistons, rods and whatever else requires their services. It wont be too difficult for two guys to get the block into your basement for assembly; getting it out shouldn't be too bad either if you can strap it to a fridge cart.

Here is what clouds the question for me. What exactly is the criteria used to classify a car as being "registered" by Polk. "On the road" and "registered" have different meanings here in Ontario and maybe in several states of the US also. Although my Z is registered in the province of Ontario in my name, it is registered as "unplated" because it is a project not yet deemed fit to drive on the road. Does Polk count these "registered" but "unplated" cars?

Need more cowbell. http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/snl-more-cowbell.html

I have never heard of an air lock in the system occurring in one of these cars, but it is a common problem with some other cars when the coolant in the system has been run down too low or changed, especially vehicles with rear auxillary heat. To check for an air lock, disconnect the water outlet hose so it can vent to the atmosphere.To keep things clean it is best to put the hose ends into a empty jug or bucket. You may have to rig up an extended hose to do this. Make sure the rad cap is on, the heat controls are on and let the vehicle run, watching what happens. This will rule in or out the heater core being the problem and if there is an air lock, it will be purged. Just a thought I had reading this thread.

Very nice indeed. That is a beautiful engine compartment! I can see how it would be difficult to use relays without them being seen or obtrusive. More of a creative effort will have to be taken to keep them hidden if you use them.

These are commonly used for adding accessories to vehicles that were not originally designed to power them. Police cars, ambulances, etc. need additional isolated power feeds with built in circuit protection for radios, lights, sirens or other accessories. Leer Corporation used to supply a nice unit that accommodated 10 extra circuits for this purpose. They come in a variety of configurations, from simple, such as the one in my pic to complex specialized units. Simple ones are sometimes sold along with electric rad fans. Do a web search and you can find one to suit your particular needs.