conedodger

That's it! I can't believe it has been a year and a half. What a journey too! I had my friend Jon pick it up and pay for it and he held it in his spare bedroom for a while. Then my friend Jamie was going to Seattle from Medford OR and he picked it up and kept it at his house for a while. Finally, another friend - Todd was coming down to California and made a side trip off of Hwy 5 to my house to drop it off. Big thanks to Mike B. This thing is beautiful!!! Pictures later I have to work on the 914 today. (shhh... Don't tell it. It's getting a new 2.4 liter stroker motor.)

No, it was definitely at least a year back. But, clearly you have been helpful to someone with that post.

I owe a thank you to someone... I just did a search to see if I could figure out who. A year or more back, someone gave a head-up on a Craigslist like new dashboard in the Seattle area. The price was dirt cheap considering it was like new, has all the gauges installed and wiring harness in place. $300 as I recall. I had a friend local to the guy make the deal in person and pay cash. He held the dash until spring in his spare bedroom and then brought it down to me in the back of his SUV. Anyway, today my '73 240Z got treated to a like new dashboard and a Mr. K autographed glove-box door. Not quite ready for pictures yet but soon. I have to pick up the newly powdercoated dash finisher that goes in front of the windshield forward of the dash and install that then reinstall the windshield tomorrow. So whoever it was that gave the head-up on the Craigslist dashboard - THANKS!!!

Bumpity Bump! If you are going on the Dog Days Drive it is time to register. See post #17 for details.

The registrations are rolling in! Are you ready to run with the Dogs? The Dog Days Drive is coming... Follow the instructions in post #17 and paypal to the address but get rid of the spaces and change the AT and Dot to @ and . ok?

I agree, the story smells like 4 day old cod but the Black Pearl is apparently real... If you believe in Black Pearls being special.

Alright! Time to register up! If you want to run with the Dogs - a drive through the Napa and Sonoma County hills and wine country, the enjoy a meal and beverages while taking a tour of a restoration shop and a hands-on brake bleeding clinic it is time to register! Details on where to meet and the time will follow... Registration is $12 sent to robsime AT att DOT net (I assume you know how to put that all together?) Put Dog Days Drive in the comments. Registration money is to cover the cost of your meal and beverages.

I saw this listing on ebay listed a couple hours ago for a 78 black 280Z with pretty heavy Black Pearl evidence. Story is it was found in a house the seller was demolishing and has sat for 21 years as evidenced by inspection stickers and license tabs. If you're interested in a Black Pearl... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-1978-DATSUN-280Z-/110564492569?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19be284519

Guess I better pull my Nissan Comp headers and ceramic coat them...

Nissan Competition did... Not sure if it is still available. Rebello has a good one as well...

Yup! Support your member vendors. Click on the linky!!!

I think I got mine at Napa... But mine is inline with the cable.

Imagine the cat's feelings... Just got a new place. First month is going fine then boom! Some dude rips the roof off!!!

I am using a custom made set of battery cables (welding cable) and I did use the cover on both the positive and negative cable ends. Who was the Martin Marietta engineer who was on the old IZCC email list? John Thomas? He used to say that arguing with an engineer is like mudwrestling with a pig. After half an hour or so, you realize you're covered in mud and the pig loves it! Datsun engineers spent a lot more time and study than I have the the resources for to determine what is needed in this spot. I try to stick as close to factory as possible because of that... Those rubber cable end covers are a couple bucks at most autoparts stores. My 914 uses a gel cell battery lying on its side. Now that one, I do worry about. The battery is very small and the posts only about 4 inches apart. Easy enough to contact both posts inadvertently with a tool... I may use a variant of this solution and make an apron of rubber to hang over the post/cable ends. I just checked Trackmasters and they have the supp you are talking about for batteries in non-stock mounting locations.

Cool find!

The implication here seems to be that this was some kind of Datsun design flaw. My battery is mounted in the factory tray with the factory hold down and hardware. It is very firmly held in place and the positive terminal is at least an inch from the bodywork. I can see where there is a potential for an accident causing the body to contact the positive terminal, but that presents other problems that are bigger, like the car is undriveable due to the fender hitting the wheel? My feeling is that if you are using a factory sized battery in the factory mount and position this is not a problem. If the original poster isn't, then this is an elegant solution. All I am saying is that if you don't try to outsmart the Datsun engineers, this isn't a problem. A couple others have alluded to that as well. In fact, the best solution presented is the more modern side-post batteries. As for not being allowed on an autocross course, that isn't true in my experience at all either. Over the last 10 years my car has more competition miles than street miles. Not one single tech inspector has ever questioned the proximity of my positive cable to the bodywork or the fact that the post was exposed. I have to stick with my feeling that this is not needed in a car that retains the factory mount in good repair.

I just installed a new Optima Red Top an hour ago. I cannot imagine this being a problem as the factory hold down has the battery pretty secure plus as has already been said, you always disconnect the negative cable first... Are you having the battery come loose? Is your body work smashed down enough to contact the terminal? I don't see the problem...

I wouldn't know. I'm not in England. But the value of a 914 such as mine is now triple what it cost to buy new in the '70's so that will drive what people are willing to take on.

No problem... We will see you next time.

The Performance Balancer that MSA lists is the same design as the one that was available through Nissan Competition years back. I have one and the bolt/washer set up on the shelf in the garage.

That is a beautiful picture... There is a guy in England going after a Porsche 914 that is in at least that bad shape.

Perfect! Thx. Don't know how I missed that in my search.

I could use an assist from one of you guys with pristine original cars. Mine is a '73 that my goal is to have look fairly original though the suspension and engine are rather 'developed'. I have all but finished the installation of the interior, I have to put the new dash in but other than that it is new front to rear. Now, I want to install the new emblems. My fenders were drilled and those emblems are on. The hood is new and was drilled and that emblem is on. Now, I need to drill the holes for the "Datsun" and the "240Z" emblem on the rear hatch. Here is the request - Can I get one of you guys to uninstall your hatch emblems and measure from the two constants so I can get a location to drill the holes for these? Also the diameter of the hole would be nice. Or, alternatively, a source for the dimensions?

That's all my pics... See you all at the next Sacramento Z-Car Reunion!!! Thanks for coming!:classic:

From the Deli, a few of us moved on to the SCCA Solo II event at Mather Field. This is a two day event so if you are feeling frisky tomorrow, go on out and show them what an old Z can do... I was particularly impressed by the Ferrari 360. All numbered up and ready to do battle...