Oiluj

I have a set of bullet mirrors I may be willing to part with, but it won't be for a few months. Have to go through my parts boxes once my new work shop is complete in April.

Even easier solution!

Nice! Very similar to my original idea, but lost my access to a lathe when I retired, so I had to come-up with a simpler solution... How did you get the ball out of the base without damage?

Don't know what happened, but pics are out of order. Still, you get the idea.

I have the “dealer option” Racing mirrors on my 240Z. The ball joint on the 44 year old driver side mirror body was getting loose and would not hold position while driving. It finally got so loose I was worried it might fall off if I hit a pot-hole. I removed the mirror, and discovered the hole in the mirror body had worn / enlarged to the point that I could easily pull the ball out of the mirror body! I tried a few “easy” fixes, but none really worked, and decided a better solution was required. So I fabricated a plate that fits over the posts inside the mirror, having a central hole smaller than the ball joint diameter. To get it over the ball, I cut one side of the center hole so I could twist / bend the plate to install it after inserting the ball into the mirror. My thinking was that the holes in the plate that go onto the posts prevents the plate from deforming / spreading, so the ball joint hole won’t enlarge. I assembled a “rough” prototype from 1/16” galvanized sheet-steel and it works great! Mirror body is nice and tight with no movement when jarred. The hole in the plate may deform a little over time, but it can only deform so far. If required, tightening the ball joint screws in a month or so should create a truly permanent fix. Let me know what you think!

I have the “dealer option” Racing mirrors on my 240Z. The ball joint on the 44 year old driver side mirror body was getting loose and would not hold position while driving. It finally got so loose I was worried it might fall off if I hit a pot-hole. I removed the mirror, and discovered the hole in the mirror body had worn / enlarged to the point that I could easily pull the ball out of the mirror body! I tried a few “easy” fixes, but none really worked, and decided a better solution was required. So I fabricated a plate that fits over the posts inside the mirror, having a central hole smaller than the ball joint diameter. To get it over the ball, I cut one side of the center hole so I could twist / bend the plate to install it after inserting the ball into the mirror. Pictures Below My thinking was that the holes in the plate that go onto the posts prevents the plate from deforming / spreading, so the ball joint hole won’t enlarge. I assembled a “rough” prototype from 1/16” galvanized sheet-steel and it works great! Mirror body is nice and tight with no movement when jarred. The hole in the plate may deform a little over time, but it can only deform so far. If required, tightening the ball joint screws in a month or so should create a truly permanent fix. Let me know what you think!

Hi all, Thought I'd pass this craigslist ad along. Two vintage bullet mirrors for $50. Add says one is loose. Some restoration / painting required. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/pts/5760336410.html For the price, it's probably worth getting, especially if you just need one... Saw "new" ones on JDM parts website for $850, (but none available). I've got spares, or I'd buy them. Julio

Yes, retiring was my idea. I'm doing some part-time work till they find my replacement, but it under my terms. So nice not to fight the commute traffic every day... I'm really looking to spend more time driving the Datsun, as well as finally installing the 5-speed. Before that can happen, we need to finish moving into the new place. The house is on a 1/2 acre lot, and my 1st big project is to design & manage installation of hardscape in the large back yard. Part of the project is to also build a 16' x 22' workshop to house my wood, metal and automotive tools. I've always wanted a dedicated workshop! Next year I'm thinking of restoring another Datsun, perhaps a roadster.

So I'm now retired. Big changes. We also relocated from the SF peninsula to the far East Bay, (Brentwood), about 70 miles. Drove the Z to it's new garage today in a light rain. It wasn't an easy start though, (literally). My battery was dead and wouldn't accept a charge. Had to buy and install a new one before I could drive her to her new home. She ran great and I declined a street race with a brand new Maserati coupe. Really? The guy wanted to race, "in heavy traffic", in the rain! We did both rev our engines inside the Caldecott tunnel. His engine sounded cooler, but my car got a lot more thumbs-up from people in other cars, (especially those who saw I wouldn't go along and do anything stupid. After about 10 miles he finally got bored and zoomed-off, zigging & zaggiing through traffic. Good riddance!. I'll need to wash her when the weather clears. Don't like the idea of salt and wet grit from the road coating everything... Pics of the Z in it's new garage to follow. Julio

A lot of work but well worth the effort. Nice Job!

Absolutely. That would be torture!

Mine has a fiber gasket with a LIGHT coating of RTV on both sides. No leaks.

The pics I posted are the only pics I have. Like I said, it was just sort of "cobbled together"....

Too "tatoo-ish" for my taste, but incredible artwork.

Evolution in action...

I just got the stock 3-knob style controls and cobbled-it together from there...

Very sorry to hear what happened, but you ar both OK which is what really matters...

Just watched the show today. Got a chuckle hearing them talking about how the "240 zed" upstaged the MGB. Yes, there were some "questionable" items, but as has been pointed-out, it's a TV show... The driving shots at the end were very nice.

I added the RT mount with top down urethane snubber and installed it with the stock front diff mount. Diff is sandwiched top and bottom. Seems to work fine, I push it sometimes, but I'm not tracking my car, so probably a lot less stress on the system.

Pictures of my car from the local car show have been posted to Classic Car Pictures Almanac! Three pictures total. Check them out at: http://classiccarpicturesalmanac.com/archives/cars/1972_datsun_240zcoupe_2393cc_151hp_6cylinder_ofjf The green car is my mine is my next door neighbor's Z. They would look nicer without my in one wiping tree needles off the hood... Julio

Based on what I've seen, it's more of a "satin" black, but then my parts are 43 years old. They may have been gloss from the factory...

Displayed my car, along with my neighbor's green 240Z at the annual Lyon's Club "Cars in the Park". My wife made me a new poster for the show, which was much better than my previous attempt. We both had a nice time. Show is mostly classic Americana and hot rods. There was a red 1974 Ferrari Dino that I thought should have won the best "fur-in" car award, but it was awarded for a second time to a BRG XKE show queen. Our little 240Z's received lots of appreciation from people at the show, especially my neighbor's green car. One car collector came by several times to chat, telling me he was very impressed with Z. He has an 83' Z and a 2000 roadster. We chatted awhile about how Datsun's are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve. There were many photos were taken of our little Z's, including some for a newish classic car web site: http://classiccarpicturesalmanac.com/ It will be a little while before they are uploaded. All-in-all, a pretty nice day.

Might try using a hot clothes iron on it. Place a very lightly damp cloth between the iron and the particle board so it doesn't leave residue on your wife's steam iron!

If you think about it, those are actually "period correct" modifications! Now where are my green and light-yellow striped bell bottoms... (yes, I had a pair like that).

I agree. Get the electrics sorted out first. Upgrade the ignition, then maybe AC and the wiper motor upgrade.