conedodger

I have never found there to be too much pressure in the line. I think after all these years they just leak down their pressure...

I used to have a site called PlanetZ that outlined this and other modifications. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being so easy, your 10 year old could do it while you sip a beverage and watch to 10 you need a degree in mechanical engineering and a budget similar to NASA I would say this is about a 4-5. You need a good set of 260 bumpers. I imagine the carbon fiber or fiberglass replacements would work as long as the fit is good. You need all the rubber associated parts. Remove your existing bumpers and find several friends to help you lift them into the dumpster. Remove the screw in the leading edge of your impact absorbers. With a drill bit you puncture a membrane and let out the Co2 and as you push back, the mineral oil in the absorber. Now, mount the 260 bumpers and test fit. You will have to push them back until you get the fit you want to the body. Mark the location the strut is at and remove the bumper. Tack weld the strut in the location you marked. Reinstall the bumper. The front one will bolt right on. The rear one will mount to the struts but you will have to drill holes and insert bolts to mount the sides. I would say this was one of the most satisfying modifications I ever did to my 280Z. Obviously, you lose protection. The biggest hassle and expense of this modification is finding straight or straightening 260Z bumpers. Good luck...

I think I have an old AC compressor from a ZX or 280Z around... Would that work?

I agree... Lots of great Z car history. Mine is like new. I love it. Rob

Carl, I was reading on ZHome the other night. I saw your paragraph on the Datsun 280ZX book that Nissan put out to introduce the ZX. Is what you said there current? Is that book really worth that much now? I got the book too... I had mine on the bookshelf for years and didn't look at it at all. I remember thinking what they did to the car sucked. It has grown on me though...:squareeye

I picked up my cousin who is a NASCAR VIP at the Napa Airport after an Infinion NASCAR event. He was a bit tipsy after a day in the VIP suite and the helicopter ride from Infinion and as he got into my Datsun he said "Whoa! This thing is SICK!!!" Given the ten year difference in our ages it took me about five minutes to realize that he didn't mean my car sucked... Over the next week as he stayed at my house he drove every one of my cars. I thought for sure he would like the Porsche's better but in the end he said that he loved the way the Z revved so easily and was "so light and tossable". To which I said, "huh?" He said "Just kidding".

No... Sorry.

Interesting that at $40K his European "price of entry to the interview" has dropped to $25,280 at current exchange rate Dollar:Euro = $1:.632. Now if he was the original Z store buyer he is just trying to bail with what he paid for it. They are very nice cars. not original certainly but very nicely done by a couple of very good restoration shops. Pierre's and Classic Datsun Motorsports. The original plan was to do 100 I think to build excitement for and introduce the 350Z. My guess is he is fishing in a European pond.

DeesZ, Sorry you don't get to meet her... She is my wife. The joke is that on occasion she turns from Yopu (her nickname) to Pu her angry, irrational, unreasonable evil twin. You don't want to be around her when that happens. It will ruin your day. Obviously, she is well worth the trouble for me though... She has a couple sisters though... :knockedou

Carl, Are you predicting the outcome of the auction or doing a valuation?

I remember seeing several of the Z store cars when they were newly finished and in the showroom. They sold for half of this price. They are nice and anything of a limited number can but doesn't always command a higher price. I do not think this one will sell at this price unless some European takes advantage of the .632:1 exchange rate. I just sold a 914-6 conversion to a guy in Norway and he didn't make an attempt to bargain. He just said, "I'll take it". This may be an attempt to sell to that market.

We car hobbiest spend so much effort trying to outsmart trained engineers. If you don't race, you probably don't need anything 'better' than the stock Nissan replacement. A smart Z owner who happened to be an aerospace engineer once told me "argueing with an engineer is like mudwrestling with a pig. After half an hour or so you realize your covered in mud and the pig loves it".

It was 80 here today... I used to live in Robbinsdale. Now, I am all thawed out. I thought you should know. Sorry...

I have a set of Libre's sitting in my garage. They came with the car. If you period correct guys are interested hit me up... I would let them go. I am going with Panasports.

The 944 was ill-fated because the CEO of Porsche at the time thought it was the wave of the future and would replace the 911, front engine, watercooled etc... Along came a new CEO and when he looked at sales he went to the design office and extended the time-line for the 911 all the way around the room on the planning board. That was 1983. We then got the Carrera in 1984. I have always heard the 912, 914, 924, 944 refered to as the poor mans Porsche. I have owned a 944S2 and have a 914 and a 911 presently...

You want to visit HybridZ if you are thinking of going V8 with the car. I wouldn't. The value will be higher if you do the work and restore the car. It looks like it might be a good restification candidate.

The drivers armrest appears to be held on with a nylon zip tie. There are a number of dings. With the taillight region being the toughest one to repair. $3000 might be reaching. But still, it isn't a parts car either. It is early as evidenced by the 240Z b pillar emblems. It is otherwise clean. It appears to have suffured the old defered maintainance solution. In the right hands the car could be a gem. In the wrong hands it will be a daily driver that becomes a parts car as soon as the first break down comes along. Too bad you cannot keep the car. Your responses seem reasonable and you have this site as a resourse. No chance?

Bulldog, I have seen more than you would imagine but then I live in California where they run for ever and people keep driving them...

Carl, How many wives do you have? I thought you were in Florida not Utah??? :cheeky: My daily driver is an '84 911 Carrera Sunroof Coupe with 65K miles. I bought it from the original owner in absolute stock condition at 50K miles about 5 years ago. He gave me a box and in it was every part that he had taken off and replaced in the Porsche parts department box the new part came in. I have every burned out bulb from new... Thank God he didn't save oil filters and oil! Rob

My dash will not be going in and out like that unless I send a core to be refurbished. It looks like rivers running into a canyon with all of those cracks. I am a former ZONC board member. Back in the Carolyn Dudley days. Mr. K even took a ride in my old Z before it got totalled.

I have a number of projects going on my '73 and wonder if there are Z guys who know restoration in the area... If you are around sound off! Lets get together and work on our cars. There used to be a guy named Chris Moore but he got married and had a couple of kids so his priorities have changed a bit... I am currently trying to sort out the interior a bit. I have the carpet and vinyl kits along with the plastic panels. I will be getting the seat kits soon. I will do an exchange with Classic Datsun Motorsports for the door panels. Biggest project will be pulling the dash and sending it out to have it restored.

Arne, you are absolutely correct in that Porsche has abandoned everyman. But I think their marketing strategy is to buy VW and drop a little "Porsche" into the VW line and thereby pump the sales to everyman. I had a student tell me the other day that his Jetta has Porsche brakes from the factory. This is an interesting discussion. I originally was talking about the dynamics that killed the 914 and we only touched on a couple. Lets not forget the OPEC thing and people feeling economically "shakey" just as we are now here in the US. I think Mitsubishi and Subaru are marketing to everyman as far as sporty handling and such. The WRX sti even appeals to me! But like you, I am not much of a new car buyer these days. I don't think of cars as status any more. I laugh at the people who think because I own two Porsches I must be rich. The newest vehicle that I have is my 4Runner and I have 145K miles and it is 9 years old! I intended to drive it into the ground but it is my wife's DD and she is concerned with status so I am going to have to buy something newer.

I have to agree with Steve on this one... Porsche had the project and went to Nordhoff with it. They agreed with a handshake and a plan on a paper napkin that Porsche that Karmann would build the bodies and Porsche would trim the six cylinders while VW-Porsche a new joint venture would build the four cylinders. Porsche was the original designer of the VW flat four motor as well as many other projects. Currently Porsche owns a controlling interest in VW... Sadly, I think you are partly right though in one regard. But I think Porsche has a misguided idea that the Boxster and Cayman are affordable... The Cayman is an INCREDIBLE handling car. But not for everyman.

Carl mentioned something in a PM to me. Carl and I have known each other in the cyber sense for the better part of 10-15 years. Perhaps 5 years ago, I went as Carl puts it "to the dark side" and got into Porsches. I now own a 914 and a 911. I am quite active in the 914 forums. The 914 was a car that didn't really make it. Just over 100K were made in 6 cylinder (3200) and 4 cylinder models. It was a great car without a doubt and all you have to do is drive one to know that. When asked by 914 people why I think the car died out I tell them the Z beat it. Not just because it is a great car, they are both great cars. The Z beat it because of price and just plain sexy looks. In the end, the economics just wouldn't work for Porsche any more and they pulled the plug. Now of course, with the Boxster, Cayman and, Carrera GT they have gone back to the great middle motor platform.

Yes... Scott Brunning. I wonder if he is still into Z cars. He did a video to make a convertable too...