TomoHawk

All my tubes went in the trash with my sewups.

Ah, but there's never an old inner tube around these days. Does the DIY store have 1cm thick sheets of rubber?

I was checkin out the MSA website (Z Car Parts.com -- Motorsport Auto -- Home) for fire extinguisher stuff, and I saw a mention of something called a "Battery Frame Insulator." It's supposed to go between the frame and the firewall, where the frame bolts to the firewall. Apparently, its job is to eliminate the frame from rubbing or scratching the firewall. Would this be a useful part? Would you pay $20 for a rubber spacer? It's just a chunk pf rubber with a slit for the battery frame handle and a slot for the bolt, you'd also need a longer bolt. Couldn't you just substitute a rubber spacer you make yourself? Motorsport! Battery Frame Insulator, 70-78 240Z-260Z-280Z - The Z Store! Nissan-Datsun 240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-300ZX(Z31/Z32)-350Z-370Z Parts

That's right. Any fire extinguisher that's bigger than a 1 LB. unit ( a 5AB) will probably not fit under the seat, and you should have a minimum of a 2LB (or 10 AB) unit. If anyone can post a picture of how they store or mount the fire extinguisher in the vehicle, such as mounted to the shock tower, that would be appreciated and meaningful.

I can relate to what George says, because the few things I keep under my seat (an umbrella with the strap hooked on the adjust lever) stays there, but some stuff on the passenger side has slipped out, on a certain bumpy road. Maybe you could add additional safety with a small velcro strap.

That little thing doesn't look all that bad, though I prefer fire extinguishers which don't use any powder at all. FireAide has one, but it is small- the kind you'd use for a cooking fire. Tundra is another, but isn't UL approved (which some event promoters require.) Most automotive fire extinguishers currently available use a powder agent, which I really don't care to use in or on a car or inside the car with passengers onboard. Also, if a fire extinguisher is required, such as for a car show, some just recommend a working unit, others specify a working 5 B:C unit. This one looks fine, but in an emergency "just enough" usually isn't, so a 5A, 10 B:C is better. The best fire extinguisher I've seen for automotive use is the new Halotron one. It's a liquid, biodegradable, UL approved and all the rest, and it won't hurt your vehicle's interior. The only problem with Halotron fire extinguisher is that it's expensive; a 2LB one costs over $100. In that case, you'd need to ask yourself what matters; just putting out a fire or putting out a fire and saving all you can of your vehicle. I agree with what Pop'sZ says about the mounts you get. They are fine for household use,where you store it in a cabinet or closet, but in a car, it gets bumped and vibrated a lot, so you want something that you know will avoid the headache of replacement or some embarrassment if it falls off at the wrong time. Look at what aircraft use for a fire extinguisher mount, and you will see one that does stay in place. Most quality fire extinguisher have a mount available, so you can buy one made just for your unit. Also, I'd rather not put anything under the driver's seat. if you can slide it in, it could certainly slide right out and under your feet or behind the control pedals.

the paint scheme looks like one from a familiar Italian brand; it only needs a little horse badge on the fender. We have a similar endurance race at Nelson Ledges called the 24 hours of Lemons, where you are allowed to spend only about $500.

An odd thing I noticed doing a little research, is that John Morton is listed as winning at Laguna Seca in 1972 with a Datsun 510 (the 240Z isn't mentioned at all in the article, though the commercial was probably filmed privately, with staged racing action.) At about the same time, (the current) turn 2 went to turn 5, with turns 3 and 4 being added about 1985. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don't forget that the commercial was made about 40 years ago, so the track that was used may have changed or even closed. It's even possible that the car(s) was not going the usual direction, because it looked better. Is there a map of the Laguna Seca track from about 1970?

Where was that commercial made- the racing part?

I was expecting to see a Z in the chase, or maybe even Roger Moore. But those two blokes with the British accent made it work well enough to me. I think the Caviar was a nice touch

Where is the Z ?

Powered by used oil from McDonald's? It gives a new meaning to "fast food."

What'ya think... If you put a chrome strip, like a really wide rub-strip, across the front, bridging that big gap, and painting those two vertical orange things black, and maybe a similar chrome trip across the back? Maybe you could even wrap it around the side some? I really don't care for those big open holes in the front of today's cars; it looks like a big source of a massive amount of air resistance or drag. I'll bet it's got a large video screen in it, and one of those computerized, voice-assisted "data assistants."

this is the closest thing to the real 240Z that I have noticed anywhere. It's not just a 350Z painted with a BRE "theme." Except for the front& rear view, it's got the right lines, although the wheels are a bit large. The bumpers are missing too.

Oh No... here come the ricers!I'm just kidding. I"m sure they wouldn't let just any car into a contours show. I wouldn't mind a nicely-restored classic marque from Japan- even a Toyota.

Are those Cusco bars adjustable?

You should keep in mind that the manufacturer designed the 240Z as a lightweight car, with only the essential equipment for driving,and a simple interior, to keep it light/performing well and less expensive. With that in mind, you'll find little you can do without going to the extreme. To decrease weight in the body, you'll need to cut holes (a very bad idea) or go without parts like hood, door, or glass, (still a bad idea) or replace the body parts with lighter weight body parts like carbon or carbon fiber, or lighter parts like the exhaust or wheels (really expensive, or just unavailable.) You'll be able to save some weight by removing the bumpers and spare wheel, but ask yourself if you are willing to accept the risk of losing the car in a collision, or walking miles after a flat, or just possibly losing your insurance (for a car without the bumpers/safety equipment.) Even though the 280Z is generally based on the 240Z design, it is slightly different, as it is the "luxury" model, with air conditioning, heavier sheetmetal, comfy seats, etc. there are a few things you could remove to reduce the weight, but not much, IF you want a car that doesn't look like a 50s hotrod, without any interior installed. I think you'll find that the 280Z is a lot like a domestic model, with the usual 12V electrical system, but the big difference is that the fasteners are metric, so you'll be the odd-guy-out with a funny-looking set of tools that other people can't use on their Chevies. The 280Z was built when electronics were getting popular, so there are relays in the mix, but those are there to get around using a bunch of heavy-duty switches, and for some safety, like modern cars have. In any case, please let us know if you come up with any ideas that haven't been mentioned. ,

the new razor blade was able to get under the sticker so I could pull it off. Be careful not to dig into the paint, and watch out for those sharp corners. One sticker came off in strips, and the other in one piece. Only the adhesive residue is left, and brake cleaner didn't do much to it, so I will have to try something stronger.

We have something called the 2Bad Challenge at MidOhio sportscar course. It involves Datsuns, BMWs, and Alphas. Last year the Datsuns won overall, and this year the BMWs want to even the score. The event will be in late June.

Not the Special interest class, the 1982 280Z.

That would definitely be of "special interest." Can you give some details?

Mine is just some kind of shiny foil thing. A sharp knife blade could hardly get under the corner, but I will look for a razor and try that.

I wonder about using heat.... It's a Florida car and the sticker has been on there for all those years in the hot sun and the heat from the engine. It may now be welded or fused on there!

I stripped all the undercoating from the underside of the bonnet, and found the two stickers. They don't seem to want to come off, so maybe someone has some tips to persuade a 40 year-old foil sticker to come off? Solvents aren't having any effect, and a metal blade will probably scratch what's underneath.