psdenno

Scoping all the air vents probably isn't a bad idea on a 40+ year old car. No telling what's growing in there or what the mice have hauled in. Dennis

I think you'll find a few other uses for it, too. Could be handy for scoping out the backside of the dash wiring and connections without having to bend your body to fit in the space in front of the seats, looking in an empty gas tank, or finding dropped screws in hard to see spaces. And, if you ever decide to open a colonoscopy clinic, you're good to go. Dennis

Looks like all you need to complete your darkroom is a "safe light" and some clips to hang prints to dry. That appears to be a nice set up for anyone looking to get into developing their own film. Dennis

But, now with your newfound color photo lab, you can process the film yourself, Cliff. It was meant to be! Dennis

There must be millions of once loved film cameras and expensive lenses stashed away in closets, attics, and garages just waiting to be thrown away or displayed on a shelf as a curious object from a long gone era. There still is one local camera shop that sells 35mm film and developing chemicals along with photo paper. No more Fotomat One Hour Photo stands, however. The days of dropping off a roll of film and wondering how the prints would turn out are long gone. Dennis

I learned to deve!op film and print B&W photos in 1970 when I was in the Air Force. Eventually got all the darkroom equipment with the thought that it would be a great hobby when I retired. When we bought our current house in the late 1980s part of the appeal was that the garage had a sink and counter space that would be percfect for my eventual retirement darkroom hobby Then, somebody invented the digital camera. All the equipment sits unused in a cabinet in the garage. Dennis

Sounds like you got some good stuff. The 6700 is a color enlarger that's well regarded. I have a B&W darkroom setup. Prices on eBay run around $400 for the enlarger. You probably have a few hundred bucks more in other items unless you decide to take on a new hobby. Dennis

Stop waffling, settle on the 544, you'll sleep better at night, Also, the 544 has a better resale value when it comes time to move on. Dennis

Automobile safety has come a long way in the 47 years since the early Zs appeared. When I got mine in 1971 there were no Mom Vans, SUVs, Hummers, F150 pick ups, or other daily driver land barges. I only had to avoid semi trucks on the freeway and delivery trucks in town to stand a chance in an accident. Easy. Now, a Z is considered to be a fairly small lightweight car that won't do well in an accident, unless it hits another Z. Your Miata without airbags is in the same boat. An acquaintance and his Miata were in an accident with a truck and the truck ended up on the Miata driver's lap. He never thought about buying another small car. By the time you buy a nice Z and upgrade and modify it the way you described, you'll be very close to the same money that would buy a fun to drive, relatively safe, FRS/BRZ. It's one of those "pay your money and take your chances" choices. My daily driver is a 4 wheel drive truck and my '71 240Z, '70 Porsche 914-6, and '63 Studebaker Avanti are for occasional use. Dennis

You're OK until Nissan finds out, which may never happen but don't bet on it, and then you will get a letter from their attorney that will scare the snot out of you. I framed my letter from Porsche's legal team many years ago. The basic rule is that if you're reproducing anything owned by someone else, you are doing something illegal. Try asking Nissan for permission, you may be pleasantly surprised. They own the intellectual rights to what you want to create and sell and if they think what you're doing will dilute their hold/control, they will tell you to stop. Dennis

What a cool thread with a life of its own......started in 2002, went dormant in 2003, revived after seven years in 2010, went dormant again in 2010, and just revived in 2017. I look forward to seeing it brought back in 2024. Dennis

I don't feel duped. It's more like tuning in on the last 20 seconds of a professional wrestling match on TV. You're there for all the cheering and happiness, but find out later you missed some good stuff that you might have enjoyed had you seen the whole match. Duped by my Datsun 240z? Never in the last 46 years. Dennis

I think that when I bought my Z, the Showroom Hostesses must have had the day off - just a snarky old salesman working hard to get as much over sticker price as he could. Dennis

Other than comfort and support, the big consideration with non Datsun seats is fit. Width is limited in the Z so take careful measurements. I got BMW seats for my '71 Z and like them. You're on your own for mating the seat fore/aft sliders with aftermarket seats. Dennis

Do you ever use voice to text feature on your tablet or computer? Usually it's pretty good at picking the right words out of context. In fact, I'm dictating this response to you. Dennis

Nice start! As for feedback, the "48 years as a credentialed teacher" part of me recommends having someone proofread your text before uploading to the site. While I can spot the errors in the writing of others, I usually miss my own. Watch subject/verb agreement and use of the words their/there as seen above and on the site. Have fun with the site. Dennis

Interesting that the front and rear spoilers are listed as standard equipment and also that they are black and not painted body color. There have been a few discussions in the past on whether they should be body color or not. Dennis

I needed a replacement mirror for a relatively rare door mirror on my Studebaker Avanti many years ago and had one cut to size and shape by a local glass & mirror shop that did bathroom shower doors and other home glass replacement. Didn't cost too much and just needed to be sealed in place. Dennis

Author: Randy Rundle His Site: www.http://fifthaveinternetgarage.com/ Tech tip appeared in Turning Wheels, June 2015. Dennis

I was going over back issues of a car club magazine pertaining to another old car I own and came upon this piece of vapor lock advice for cars built in the last century. "Adding a pint of diesel fuel per 10 gallons of gasoline will raise the boiling point of modern gasoline, helping to prevent vapor lock." The article went on to say, "In addition, the diesel fuel will help keep the gaskets soft in the carburetor and fuel system. The engine will not smoke and the diesel will not cause any problems as an additive. Modern fuel is formulated to vaporize at a lower temperature to help with emissions." I had never seen that advice before and have no idea if it's valid, urban legend, or voodoo magic. Anyone have experience or opinions? Dennis

Yes, it would. But if my daily driver was a $70,000 car, what would my "fun" car be? Dennis

Keep in mind that when someone restores a car and later sells it, they're lucky if they recoup 50 cents of every dollar spent. If you look at the other cars listed by the company selling the Z, you'll see they carry fairly inflated price tags as well as enormously inflated wordy descriptions. The Porsche 944 and the Volvo 1800 are priced almost double the going rate for equally nice cars on the open market. Dennis

Aftermarket shifter knob, leather wrapped with Datsun logo, instead of factory wooden knob with shift pattern. My work here is done. Dennis

As if it's not funny enough in print, read it aloud with an English accent for full impact. I may have to subscribe to this thread just for giggles. Dennis

If it shifts fine through all gears without the lever contacting the metal around the cutout area, you should be good to go. Does it hit the center console when that's installed? Some of the 5 speed conversions hit the console along the forward vertical face of the console shifter opening. Looks like you may have to "massage" the trans tunnel cutout a bit (where it was hacked) in order to securely fit the proper style rubber shifter boot in place. Should all be easy. Dennis