ConchZ

I stripped out my interior this weekend, prepping the car for some floor board and quarter panel patches and then a new paint job. I didn't take the dash out, but I took it mostly apart. The main reason I took apart the dash was to figure out why the AC didn't blow much air. The PO had put in the Honda blower, yet didn't get any more flow. Attached are pics of what I found. Basically, its a 4x4 inch piece of foam that is smooth on one side, and only a quarter inch thick. The smooth side did not have any glue on it, so it wasn't previously attached to something. It was stuck in the center of the main duct, right where it splits to come out the center and the two sides. Does anyone know what it came from? Could it have been sucked in from outside the car somehow? Matt

sweet. That's what I needed. I'll see if SEM has something that matches for the door panels and other odds and end vinyl. Thanks.

Has anyone tried to spray the vinyl and plastic parts in an off-white interior? My interior is perfect, except its a little yellowed by the sun. It'd sure save a lot of money if I could re-dye it. I'll be replacing the transmission tunnel and headliner vinyl with stuff from MSA because I figure I'll ruin it when I take it out, but the rest of it can be reused. This means I need to dye it to match the MSA stuff, but MSA doesn't sell off-white dye. Any suggestions of what color and brand to use?

This makes me wonder if I can order interior parts, like vinyl, directly from the same manufacturer that BD and MSA buy them from...

Thanks guys. From looking at your suggested sites, I think Tabco makes the parts for all the retailers except Wolf Steel, whose parts are sold by the alpha parts website. Wolf Steel is the only supplier to sell a full rear quarter, from the door to the tail lights, which sets them apart. Wolf also claims they make their parts by copying parts sent to them by Datsun owners, and they are asking for more parts to copy. Maybe I'll try an experiment and order a part from Wolf and a part from Tabco. My car goes into the body shop next week for stripping, then we'll see what we need to order. Thanks again.

That car has been up for sale off and on via ebay for the last 6 months or so. So far, no takers. I'd be interested if it was a soft top, but the hard top is not convenient for a semi-daily driver, which is what I'd use it for.

I finally settled on a body shop to do the refresh on the '73. The body man and I are wondering if there's any difference in quality between the replacement panels available from Black Dragon and MSA. I'll be buying the rear quarter on the drivers side, from the dog leg back. Does anyone have any thoughts on these? Thanks.

Thanks Dave. I'll try the rear bar. I'm a little worried about upgrading the front, as I've read other threads where they say putting too big of sway bars on these old cars can cause the frame to separate, unless you reinforce it. Matt

My 73 has a stock suspension, with recent struts. I only drive it on the street, but I'm not happy with the way it leans when cornering. Since I have the mountings, I'm now considering putting on a rear sway bar. Any thoughts on whether it'll make much difference? It seems like an easier and cheaper option than upgrading the springs and struts, and I'm only looking for a little improvement anyway...

Mine just snap in, but if yours don't, I like 7277's foil idea.

I think the bulb holders need to be turned slightly to lock them into place, after you push them into the back of the instrument.

I can't get the wing nuts off my tach and speedo in my 73, so I couldn't get the instruments out. I need to find someone with small hands, but really strong fingers to break those wingnuts free. Maybe they make a wing nut tool that would fit on your socket wrench?

My hands are normal sized. I changed my speedo and tach bulbs without removing the instruments or the dash. It was not easy. While changing the bulbs, you will knock loose the turn signal bulbs, bright light bulb, and the brake indicator bulb. You will then reinstall these in the wrong place, resulting in your brake indicator blinking instead of a turn signal, or some other silly mix up. You will then cuss, or whatever you do when upset. Take some time off, and get yourself relaxed before going back in, as you don't want to rush it and break something. Eventually, you'll get all the bulbs back where they go. It does help to remove the steering wheel, so you can lay down with you head by the pedals. If you decide to do that, treat the horn button gently, as it can break. Best to turn it counterclockwise as you pull it straight off. Turn it clockwise as you push it back on. You will likely nick your hands on some sharp stuff that you can't see. Keep some towels handy, so you won't bleed on your interior if that happens. The good news is that I found a lose wire and found its socket. I plugged it back in, and the clock started working. Its been working ever sense.

I love a nautical story. I have been hiding my Z from hurricanes all season. I've been on cutters patrolling the Florida Straits, while the Z awaits my return. Its been hidden under a blanket on the highest floor of the city parking garage. I get back to port and take it for a spin, winding it around the open roads on the Navy base, as the highest speed limit on the island is only 35 mph. What a stupid place to have a sports car. Should have bought a boat, but always loved the Zs. The fun thing is trading rides. My friends take me fishing. I take them on rides on hidden roads on the base. I know the roads so well that its a thrill to them...scary corners that I've done multiple times, but they've never seen them. Did you know you could troll from a 110ft cutter? Turns out the patrol speed is the same as the best trolling speed for dolphin. Dolphin fish are commonly called mahi-mahi in other places. We eat them like steak. They fight like bulls. You should see the water clarity. You can spot a lobster on the bottom in 90 feet of water. Nothing like radioing to the bridge.....fish on!!! Nothing like being on the bridge and backing down a ship on a 25-45lb fish. Dinner is served! Get the gaff.

I am so glad to know that a club member is supplying those. I am getting ready to purchase them, and was going to support the local club guy, as compared to the almost as worthy MSA folks. Now I can do both. Thank you Mr. Dave.

Jon, that is one neat calculator. Good programming work, if you did it yourself!

You know, I had 77 Celica GT that did the same thing, although that car didn't have a manual choke. It ran fine cold, then would hesitate and buck when warmed up, especially when accelerating up a hill. I went through all the electrical stuff, only to solve the problem by changing the fuel filter. I think it had a dirty fuel tank, as it clogged the filter every once in a while. I just kept a spare filter in the glove box. That little yellow mini-Mach I was a cool little car. I miss it. A trash truck backed over it while it was parked roughly in line of sight of a dumpster. This was after I had just got it repainted. What a terrible, terrible thing. I also used to have a 64 1/2 Mustang that a tree fell on while it was parked. In college, I had a Dodge Charger that got whacked while parked in a mall parking lot. I am so afraid of parking my Z. I digress...

what the heck is all that white stuff around your car? What planet is that picture from? ...Chuckles from Key West....

Actually, I get a database error when I try to send up the attachment. Its a 3.9MB pdf file. Any ideas?

Attached is an article I scanned in from a May 1974 Car and Driver. They measured the drag and downforce of different spoilers and air dams on a 240Z, and even provide performance and fuel economy improvement numbers. Very good stuff for those who are wondering whether they should add aerodynamic aids to their Zs. For example, a non-ducted Spook is a pretty good add on, as others have noted from their own experience.

Thanks. I'll contact him!

Hello All, My 1973 240z has some barely noticable rust starting in the dog legs and around the rear wheels, otherwise the body and paint are in good shape, including the floors and rails, which were redone a few years back. However, those of us who live in S. FL know that the salt air means you have to attack any and all rust immediately. The last time this car was refreshed was in 1985, so the paint is getting a little dinged up. I'm considering getting it completely repainted when I get the rusty dog legs and wheel wells repaired. Yesterday, I took it to the South Florida Z Place/Collision and Custom Paint, in Ft. Lauderdale. They seem to specialize in Zs, but also are restoring and repairing seveal other collectable cars. It seemed like a good enough shop. I was wondering if anyone else had used this shop, or if anyone had a recommendation. In any case, the shop did give me an estimate. Stripping everything off the car, except the interior and engine, then sanding and priming would cost $2500. Repairing rust, repainting and putting it all back together would cost another $3500, for a total of $6000. They would R&I the engine and repaint the bay for another $1200, meaning the entire body and paint would be refreshed for a total of $7200, including the engine bay. A much cheaper option would be to redo the rockers and rear quarters with new metal, then repaint those areas to match the existing paint....for only $1500. I'd rather get the entire car done. I live in Key West, and have limited access to quality shops to get estimates. Given a car in very nice shape, with only the above mentioned rust, do the above prices seem in the ball park at all? What have other people paid for similar work? Any tips on what I should make sure is included in the above work? Thanks all!

Mine did this until I replaced all the bushings in the front suspension and steering. I have the stock bumper and no spoiler. It doesn't have any rattle or vibration at any speed anymore. I used poly bushings. The old ones were shrunken, squished and cracked. Couldn't say if the ride is rougher because of the poly, as it seems the same as it was with the worn out stock bushings. Maybe it'd be softer with new rubber bushings, but the poly seems just fine to me. Before the bushings, I could feel the vibration in the steering wheel. The one bushing I didn't replace was actually the steering coupler. Its rubber and in pretty good shape. I was going to replace it if the vibrations continued, but since they stopped, I kinda like the cushier rubber coupler. I think you should check for play in your wheel bearings, and make sure your tires are balanced and your front end aligned before digging into those bushings, though. Good luck.