psdenno

It was quite a trip. I had just gotten off active duty with the Air Force and the Z was totally packed with clothes, books, a TV, a tent, tools, all the necessities. In fact, it sat so low that I had to put spacers in the rear spring coils to keep the tires from rubbing sheet metal. Oh, to be young and foolish, again. I hope you have as much fun as I did when you make your trip. Dennis

Not sure what the hourly labor rate is in Panama, but the $600 doesn't sound out of line with what I paid to have my AC installed a few years ago. As for it taking four weeks, I suppose it all depends on the shop's workload and how much time they can allot to your Z. If your mechanic is working only on your car, he's dazed and confused. What time estimate were you given when you brought the car in for the AC install? Dennis

Interesting reading. Especially the part about how during and after the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the newly independent United States to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada, such as the turkey, pumpkin, squash, but no tights. Dennis

Especially if you see a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford. I've been on that corner....no girl, no flatbed Ford. Just hot and quiet. Take it easy, Dennis

When I moved west to California about 40 years ago, I drove Route 66 in my '71 Z. At that time, Interstate 40 was still under construction in many places and hadn't replaced 66 as the main route from OK to CA. I got to see the funky motels, gas stations and diners while they were in their final years. If you ever make the Route 66 drive west, be sure to get a picture of yourself "standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona". Dennis

Happy Thanksgiving! Obviously, I'm familiar with the USA version of Thanksgiving, but I know nothing of the traditions and history of Canadian Thanksgiving. For my benefit and in an effort to raise the cultural awareness of your Datsun owning neighbors living south of the border, fill us in on how Thanksgiving came to be in Canada. Dennis

Sounds like a great drive. I live near the other end of the Mother Road and occasionally drive a stretch of Route 66 in Southern California. Although it has the "Historic Route 66" logo painted on the pavement, there's no sign of the old gas stations or hotels - just shopping malls and office buildings. Dennis

Jay, do you have an approximate price point set for your headlight covers? Thanks for what you do to make the NLA available. Dennis

Photos of what you have and where you plan to attach it would be helpful. There are a couple threads active in the last couple weeks about rigging aftermarket AC controls to existing vent controls. See if either of these help. http://tinyurl.com/nsvc2kl http://tinyurl.com/o4z9uc8 Dennis

Like your friend, I also have a Porsche and have K&N filters on the carbs. However, on my Z, I have the stock air filter element and blue wires like you use. I think that your idea of adjusting the carbs to resolve the issues is best. Dennis

I don't have either on my '71 and it idles fine and has no noticeable hesitation. Was that advice given by someone selling K&N filters and race car spark plug wires or by someone who has them on their car. I think I'd look for other causes of the issues you mention. Dennis

That's what I've done several times. Use a metric machine screw of the proper thread (I found mine at Ace Hardware) and grind the round head flat on two sides so it looks like a "T" Stick the head end into the hole where the previous stud was and add epoxy - or fill the hole with epoxy and then inset the new screw/stud. The "T" end embedded in epoxy will keep it from spinning when you put the nut on and also from pulling out. Dennis

Not sure why you don't want to use a light coat of paint as a "guidecoat" to detect imperfections in the Bondo layer. Maybe I've been doing it all wrong for the last 50 years Check this site: http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/paint-body/hrdp-0805-how-to-use-body-filler/ Dennis

I can see the threaded insert working on the later style metal headlight scoops, but how about the earlier cars with fiberglass headlight scoops? Epoxy them in instead of using the rivet tool on the thicker fiberglass scoops? Dennis

Well, the car that sparked this conversation has been unveiled. It's called the Gripz. Lots of styling cues that may show up on future Nissans, but unlikely on a future Z. Four doors, hatchback, SUV. However, it does tease the name ending in Z. http://tinyurl.com/p6mxxyr Dennis

Yup. If an LLC rents its physical location, keeps office equipment to a bare minimum, and keeps very little inventory by drop shipping, there are few, or no, assets to go after in a legal settlement. While an LLC serves a good purpose for many businesses, it also offers a trap door for an easy escape if needed. Dennis

The situation with this vendor is similar to one in the Porsche 914 community. A large supplier of new and used 914 parts operates on the business model of, "You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time". He's been doing it successfully for decades as there are always new enthusiasts looking for parts for their cars. When a customer gets a bad part, the wrong part, or a damaged part, it's the customer's problem or fault. No service after the sale. Customers who haven't been "stung" love him and those who have, hate him. Like Al, the vendor is quick to point out all the satisfied customers who sing his praises. He talks a good story and dismisses unhappy customers as malcontents. Sooooo, would a poll thread be useful? Maybe. Or, it could just become a place to vent. I've scratched Datsun Parts, LLC from my list of parts sources (remember that LLC means Limited Liability Company and protects the owner's personal assets during legal conflicts). I'll stick with MSA and some of the other suppliers who have built unquestionable reputations over the years. Dennis

Why yes, yes there are. And here are the steps I followed to find them. You may find them useful in the future. 1. Find the little "Search" box in the upper right hand corner of this page. 2. Click on "This Topic" and select "Forums" from the drop down menu. 3. This is where it gets tricky....type a word or words related to what you're looking for into the "Search" box. Since you're looking for pictures of the REPRODUCTION heater control panel, type the word "reproduction" in the "Search" box. 4. Scroll down through the list of messages until you find the one that contains pictures of the repro panels. They're offered by forum member esprist. I think you can also find them on eBay. To paraphrase something I read in the Bible, "Do an Internet search for a man and you remove his lack of knowledge but once. Teach a man to search and and you keep him from bugging you with search questions forever." Dennis

Nice save! The pictures tell a great story. Enjoy your Z! Dennis

You might consider buying a reproduction heater control panel to use in place of your original. I know they sell "blemished" repros at a steep discount. You could get one, paint it, and install the AC control as other have mentioned doing. Just a suggestion. Dennis

One would think there wouldn't be too many ways to manufacture an 1157 socket housing and they'd all be the same. But, your experience proved that wrong. Thanks for the tip many of us will eventually need. Dennis

Here's a perfect opportunity for Al to address a problem and make it right as he stated he does in post #16 above. The positive PR will be well worth the effort. I look forward to reading about the results. Dennis

Post pictures when it's installed. Sounds like a good addition to the Z. Dennis

Probably pass through holes for wiring an aftermarket ARA air conditioning control switch panel. That's about where the one on my '71 was located. When I updated to a newer style A/C set up a few years ago, I filled the holes and refinished the console. My new control panel attaches at the lower edge of the dash. Dennis

I like the "period correct wheels and caps" way of passing off the 1972 or later hubcaps on a 1970 Z. Dennis