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Brian, I had the same battery drain problem when I did alternator upgrade a few years ago, which appears to be unique to the 73 model year. You may know that the electric fuel pump was added as part of a recall to alleviate vapor lock, but is not needed otherwise on a stock engine. I simply unplugged the wiring harness at the relay and my engine runs fine with the mechanical pump. I agree with others that if you want/need to use an electric pump you should incorporate an oil pressure switch for safety. Search for posts by Dave Irwin for more on this topic. Peter

Rob, Can you provide more info on why Dave Rebello will use your E31 on an L28? Has your head been modified already, and if so what did you do? Peter

Yes, for my needs the Toyota four piston is an improvement but it's far from ideal and not up to modern standards. If it wasn't for my beloved 14" wheels I'd seek another solution.

Bill, Are you referring to the close ratio 5-speed and 3.90 diff? If so, then yes it's a great combination. Peter

Bill, Last year Eiji installed the Toyota four piston, non-vented, calipers on my 73 along with Stoptech slotted rotors and Posi-Quiet ceramic pads. All new rears too, with OEM shoes and a 15/16ths master. As others have written, this combo upsets the front/rear brake balance and the rears don't do much at all. Switching to rears discs with an adjustable proportioning valve is the theoretical solution but tricky to achieve in practice. I really like my 14" wheels, and rear discs won't fit so I'm stuck at this point. Under normal driving the car brakes well, but spirited driving overheats the fronts and the rear drums are still cool. I suggest that you stay with stock until you decide on a comprehensive (expensive) upgrade. Peter

I'm running the Centric Posi-Quiet pads in Toyota 4x4 calipers on my 73. Absolutely no noise or dust. Since my dd is an Audi the dust issue is important. Peter

Steve, I have a 73 with the RT mount and the GM mount. I had this installed a few years ago as part of a major (suspension, bushings, bearings, brakes, etc) refurb and really didn't drive the car at highway speeds until last year. I found that at speeds over 65 the car felt "uncomfortable" with a subtle vibration. I had the front end rebuilt/reviewed last winter (including tire balance and alignment) by Eiji at Datsun Spirit and then I had him install an 82 5 speed with corresponding 3.90 R180. Guess what? Even though the engine was now turning fewer revs at 65 the same "uneasiness" was still there! The next step was new tires, but when I had them installed last week the shop told me that all six u-joints had play. What? I had all replaced less than 1,000 miles ago by a very reputable shop. Could this be related to change in pinion angle caused by the RT/GM mount? Then I read this thread about the Ron Tyler Mount, which I'm sure you've seen too. Right now I'm waiting for a new driveshaft and heavy duty half-shaft u-joints from MSA. I going to replace the GM mount with the Energy Suspension 9.9101G bump stop ($11 from Amazon) to see if this makes a difference. TechnoVersions, which now sells a similar diff mount has some interesting comments about driveshaft angle, which has sent me in this direction. Of course, this is all guess work on my part. Peter

To return to the original question, has anyone tried the MSA aluminum driveshaft? The only reason that I'm even considering this is because of cost, not performance. I've been trying to track down some drive train vibration for some time, and when my new Michelin tires were being installed I asked the shop to inspect the entire drive train (again). They say that I need new driveshaft u-joints, which are $35 each from MSA for the heavy duty (assume Spicer) model, plus labor to install them (unknown tonight), plus balancing the assembly (also unknown at this point). Given shop prices in Northern VA, there might not be a huge gap. Bearings, bushings and all suspension components have been replaced, as I mentioned in other posts. Thoughts? Peter

I have this exhaust on my 73 with the stock manifold, but that year uses a different "y" pipe than the earlier models. MSA no longer carries that part because it is unique to 1973. I'm still using the original, but it's near the end of its service life. I, and others on this forum, have found that this exhaust is very loud. A common remedy is install a "bullet" style resonator in the transmission tunnel. I used a stainless 12" unit from Summit Racing and it made a huge difference. Hope this helps. Peter

My 73 used to read this high until a local Z specialist did a 24 hr pressure test. He found a very small leak in the heater valve and replaced it. He also insisted on a Nissan thermostat. Now my car NEVER reads above half way, even on brutal 100 degree days in Virginia. Hope this helps. Peter

Eiji at Datsun Spirit has re-plated originals. I thought that I wanted these too, but found that they didn't have the clamping force that I thought was sufficient. Ultimately went with band style clamps from McMaster.

Bill, Did you ever remove the baffle? How did you reinstall? Peter

Two years ago I removed the transmission tunnel vinyl, and then used adhesive remover to get rid of the tar. Next was Dynamat which I covered with 1/4" Dynaliner. Both are stick-on and the Dynaliner provides cushioning and a perfect surface for the vinyl. A tremendous amount of heat and noise comes from the tunnel and this mod dramatically reduced both. Undetectable too if you take your time and do it right. While you're at it, do the floors too. Peter

Mike, I have Hagerty too. About $240 per year, zero deductible with an agreed upon value of $17,500. Policy also covers loss of spare parts but I can't recall the max value of them. Peter

I have the MSA exhaust system too. Much too loud by itself, so I installed a 12" stainless resonator in the transmission tunnel. Much quieter and the drone is (almost) gone. Peter

Craig, I have a 73 too, which I've had since new. My only regret is that I didn't get the dealer installed air. At the time I a) couldn't afford it, and didn't want to hurt performance. Almost 40 years later, I'm seriously considering installing a modern A/C unit. If I was looking for another old Z I would certainly consider a working A/C system a plus. If you opt to not re-install the system, I suggest that you keep it and not weld the holes. Leave this option up to a future owner. Peter

There is an old post that mentions that "modern" group 24 batteries may not fit perfectly under the OEM top battery frame. That's certainly true for my four year old Interstate (600 CCA). Best to bring the frame with you when shopping. Peter

Grannyknot, Could you provide more detail on exactly what process you used on the original manifold? Did you do it yourself, or have a specialist do it. Any more pictures available? Thanks. Peter

Hi Bill, Looks great. Can you tell us how you removed the powercoat from the lettering/trim? Peter

Bill, Why not just buy a 1" BMC, anticipating future upgrades, and sell the 15/16"? Probably about even on cost. Peter

I put the same Cusco front strut bar on my 73, and it makes a difference even at moderate speeds. Looks great too and I got mine from Amazon for under $200 with free shipping. Cusco Strut Bar OS Front S30/31 240Z 260Z 280Z : Amazon.com : Automotive Peter

Try Mike McGinnis at Banzai Motorworks. I recently bought rack bushings from him that he described as NOS Datsun Competition. They were just installed, so the verdict is pending. Prior to this I had OEM rubber, but they only lasted three years.

I have a new (repro) cable, and carefully rebuilt rear brakes with new drums. Even so, I doubt that I could break the rear wheels loose.

I was just told by my local Nissan dealer that the syncros for the FS5W71B are NLA. Any ideas?

Thanks all. My spirited driving days are far behind for both me and my 73, so this will just be a weekend cruiser. The original clutch lasted for 38 years and 92k miles. For the price that Z Specialties wants for the syncros, I'll probably be better off at my local Nissan dealer. I should probably get the bearings and seals there too unless someone knows for sure that aftermarket are of the same quality at a lower price. If the fiber 5th gear baulk ring (syncro) is NLA, what have others done for a replacement? Peter