Rich1

Point well made! I think I will just trust my painter on this one.... Thanks to everyone for the input. Rich

Very nice! Any motor specs? Did you rebuild it? The blue paint does look fantastic (both the factory engine blue and the 903 you recently sprayed)!

Mike--you make a good point. I do not want to ask anyone do anything illegal. What would be the 'good stuff' considering the available options for a base coat/clear paint job? (918 orange) PPG OMNI Sherwin William Dimension Matrix OMNI and Sherwin Williams both have paint codes for 918 Mexican Orange. The concern with OMNI is that the black tint that is used is more grey that true black--and surprisingly, there is quite a bit of black needed to make 918. Has anyone used Sherwin Williams, Matrix, or other brands? How were the results?

Yeah, I've heard that one! Another thought...what about online vendors?

Thanks to Preston and everyone else who send advice on PPG products and color codes. Any suggestions on how to get good paint in California? My body shop uses PPG Omni, but they can't acquire the other PPG products. Are there any back alley specialty/ DIY shops in southern California that still peddle the 'good stuff'?

Nice work! Your car is an inspiration for those of us who have a long way to go...

Your engine bay is looking great. What did you do/use to get the fuel and brake lines to look like that?!! Where did you find new clamps?

PPG lists this color as "Mexican Orange"--I've also seen it labled 'New Sight'--but can't recall where. How consistent are PPG colors across their product lines? Is there a color difference whether you use Deltron or Omni?

I didn't think you could get the 'leaded' version. Aren't all paints now lead free?

Has anyone painted their 240Z the 918 Orange using PPG paint? I believe the PPG color code is 60636. Was it close to the original color right out of the can?..or did you modify it to match?

Thanks for the info...and thanks for developing these products Dave and Arne! I will be ordering them. One final thought--any suggestions on upgrading headlights? How are the H-4s sold by MSA?

Thanks Dave for the heads up on the bulbs. I figured since my dash was out of the car it would be easy to upgrade them, but after reading that thread, it looks like it may be easier to stick with the old 3.4 watt bulbs. Do the wiring upgrades you mentioned above make the dashlights appear brighter without the switch to the brighter bulb?

Thanks for the feedback, guess I will get them all. The fusebox upgrade also makes sense. I assume it's also a good idea to replace the dash bulbs with the higher wattage ones...and upgrade to the higher output alternator?

What are the best wiring upgrades for a 240Z? MSA currently has these upgrades as part of their sale: Headlight Relay Upgrade Harness, Side Maker Conversion, and Parking Light Upgrade Harness. Which is the most essential of these 3? Or is it just best to get them all? Thanks

Absolutely stunning! Your car is one of my favorites on this site. How did those new Z Therapy carbs feel at 6700?

I agree--Lee your POR-ed suspension does look good. I had not considered this option. I'm glad you chimed in, Guy. What did you use on the stunning suspension pieces in your Z gallery? Thanks to everyone for their feeback/suggestions!

Good point. I will look into this--and print out some photos. Thanks!

Does have a source they recommend for the rubber grommets? Specifically, I am looking for the large grommet that the cowl drain hose slides through-- Thanks

My 240 is nearly painted, and the body shop is begining to work on the car's suspension components. What do most of you prefer-- powdercoating or painting for the supension pieces? Are there pros/cons to each approach? I had originally opted for paint--but after looking at some of the shop's undercoating work, I may go that route instead. On a similar note: Has anyone tried powdercoating the grille and tail light panel? If so, how close is it to the original gray color? Thanks!

Good to hear this. Let us know how your dash turns out. Make sure you ask Pete about how to care for it. He will recommend a product from Griot's Garage.

Carl...that is a fair question to ask... however, it is hard to give an exact answer as the "roof" was included as part of the body work. Here's how it reads on the invoice: "remove and replace roof panel" (part supplied by customer) "remove and replace rear hatch panel" (part supplied by customer)--via Banzai Motorworks! "cutout any cancered metal and replace (parts supplied by customer or fabricated by shop)"--this included replacing partial floor panels, repairing rocker panel rust, and fixing hole beneath the battery The total bill for the body work portion came to $1,500 Rich

Hello everyone, thanks for your responses. I meant to expand on this last night--but I had difficulty loading some pictures. Yes, this was a complete roof replacement. Arne proved to me that it could be done. Thanks so much, Arne for the helpful pictures and advice!! My suggestion to those who wish to attempt this is to make sure the donor roof is in good condition. The roof shown in my original post--did not work out, as it had too many 'waves' in it. The donor roof I used was acquired from Mike's Z Shop in Whittier--they do have more available. Below is the donor roof--only the panel portion was actually needed (as can be seen in Arne's posts). In the other picture the panel is being tried for proper fitment. More photos to come....

Now you see it, now you don't! No more leaky sunroof! The first picture was taken a year ago... the others were taken today. Things are coming together....

Charles, Let me ease some of your concern...I just received my dash from Dashboard Restorations last month. It took longer than I expected--but the workmanship was excellent! I had the center console redone at the same time and it also looks great. I am very pleased that I used this company. I just spoke with Pete a few weeks ago--keep trying him. I know his company does all the dashes for Z Car Garage (San Jose). I know Classic Datsun has used his company, too.

Mike.. My sunroof always leaked--and that led to water soaking the interior...getting under the tarmat--rust,rust, rust. I'm not sure that an old sunroof can be kept from leaking--as a sunroof makes the roof considerably less rigid. My roof panel was replaced this summer (thanks to Arne for the inspiration). I will post some before and after shots of the car later this week.