TBone028

Does anybody know about this event being hosted by the Z car club of Northern Virginia? I would like to attend and join at the same time, but have no idea where or what it is. Anybody have some additional details?

My first car was a 1986 Honda Civic DX that I bought from my parents for $800. It got me to and from school, and to work. It had 140K miles when I got it, and it was usually unreliable. Lots of little rituals I had to perform every morning to make sure it didnt stall at a light (those tiny 1.5L were carb'd back then and finicky). So youre in highschool and you want your first car as a Z...I sold my 260Z to a kid in highschool about 2 years ago. His father wanted to do a father-son build so I was ok with selling it to him. It ran reliably and was mechanically sound...but it had serious rust issues but they assured me they could weld and had the ability and know-how to fix its body issues. I also confirmed that the kid had a job, and that he was committed to investing in my 260Z. I was not willing to sell it to just anyone, it had to go to a good home. Take John Coffey's advice. Sit in on a couple of local Z club meetings. Find a member that is willing to help you with picking out a solid car, or you might even find a member that has one for sale for the right price. Although I think a lot of people on this forum are truly passionate about Z's, not every Z owner is on this forum. Not everyone that has a Z for sale is going to disclose everything when trying to sell or make sure that the buyer and the car is a good match. Trying to restore a Z is NOT cheap. Trying to fix a Z is usually not cheap (unless you get really creative and are a good junkyard hunter). If you really want it as your first car, then go for it. Just be prepared that with your budget of 2-3K, in Georgia you will most likely find either: A) A decent running Z with considerable rust or body damage A relatively clean Z that doesnt run. C) A cosmetically decent Z that runs rough, but has more issues than you realize (both mechanical and body) If you want to learn how to work on cars, the S30 is one of the easiest cars to learn on. Everything is relatively straight forward, but sometimes trying to diagnose a sick Z is a collective community effort (hence this forum). If you dont really want to learn how to work on a car, and are unwilling to do work yourself, I dont think the Z is for you. Good luck with your hunt, I hope you find a car that calls your name.

I have miata seats in my 240Z without the headrest speakers. They fit perfectly and look perfectly in place in my Z. The only thing I would change is possibly re-covering them in leather. Only real modifications required are drilling new holes into the existing miata rails.

POR15 should be all you need on the interior. As long as the prep work is done correctly before the POR15 is applied, you shouldnt have to worry about it again. Also, there is no need for anything else since it wont be exposed to UV after the carpets/vinyl/sound deadening is put in. (I believe it dis-colors after long exposure to sunlight) And I dont understand the drilling holes under the tail lights? Is that to minimize gas/exhaust fumes? Expandable foam might be an option near the rear tail light seals.

Free is always good...the car you see in my avatar was free. Long story but sometimes karma works in mysterious ways And I second the notion of a SBC. Just tell your wife you're building it for her!

Do any of you have a part number for a generic speedo cable that worked?

Looking at the interior photos, and just speculating, the passenger side floor looks like there might have been a repair made at some point, hence, the black spray/sealant. Another thing to consider is, if you were to ever try and prepare those floors for some additional protection with a product like POR-15 or equivalent, once you start chipping away at the +30 year old sound deadening you will most likely find some rust hiding underneath. Its just the way it is. I've seen much worse examples with floors so rusted you could pull a fred flintstone. Like another member mentioned, the rear end looks like it has had a collision at one point or another that was never really repaired or repaired poorly. You can see it clearly based on the bumper deformation, rear tow-hooks, hatch alignment, and lower valance deformation. And whats up with the interior? Where are the door panels? Whats going on with the electrical wiring on steering column? Those can be fixed cheaply and in stages....its the body work and rust that will haunt you in your sleep. I personally would be concerned with what that paint is hiding. It looks pretty bush-league to me. Lots of overspray like someone else mentioned. HOWEVER, like I said earlier, thats a pretty good looking Z for the east coast and its a fair price for what it is (based on pictures). I would haggle for $4500.

I suggest you buy the V8 conversion manual for Datsun's from JTR. For a minimal price, you can learn all about whats involved and what performance can be expected from a V8 converted Z. In the meantime, there are plenty of free online calculators that can estimate a 1/4 mile time based on weight and horsepower.

Really? I hate my Spec V about 80% of the time. But, it gets me from point A to B reliably and has only left me stranded about 4-5 times since I bought it new in 2002. Fixes have been cheap, so at least I have that going for me. Back to topic, for $5K, I think you're looking at a good example of a Z on the east coast...my only real suggestion is, if you decide to take that Z home, do yourself a favor and coat your floor's and undercarriage with some POR-15. Cant be too cautious over here on the East Coast...especially with that sunroof. The mechanical and running condition would really not be that important if I were looking...I just named off some things that are a pain to repair sometimes due to availability of replacements. Good luck with your hunt.

Well, rust is always the number 1 thing to look for...all the buying guides linked above will give you great advice. Aside from universal general used car buying tips, some things specific to the Z might be: 1) Electrical system. Do all the lights/controls work? Does the windshield wiper motor work? Gauges? (other than the clock) 2) Doors. Do the doors open/close smoothly? Do the windows roll up/down freely? 3) Locks. Do all the locks work correctly? 4) Cables/mechanisms. Does the choke, hood, parking brake cables/levers all work smoothly? 5) RUST. If there is some visible rust...there is most likely 10 times that amount hidden elsewhere. Inspect carefully. Look for the tell-tale signs. Sunroofs leak, and despite how good it looks, I bet there is more lurking. 5) Bodywork. check your gaps, look for subtle imperfections. Some questionable areas can be discerned with a strong refrigerator magnet, with a clean terry cloth towel to protect the areas you are checking. (place the towel in between the magnet and body to protect the paint). Changes in the magnetic pull can help you determine areas with significant bondo. Otherwise though, for 5K on the east coast, I would say you have a really good looking candidate from the pictures. BTW, I also own a 2002 Spec V. Its my daily beater and it can still give me a smile every once in a while.

Here are my thoughts: $3000 can buy a couple of different scenarios: 1) A decent running Z with a couple of things that need to be addressed mechanically/electrically but it still runs. It will have some rust and probably some bodywork. Paint is a "10-footer" 2) A "rust free" shell in primer without glass, interior, or powertrain. Basically a rolling shell. Great foundation if you have a complete parts car, or are resourceful and patient in acquiring parts. 3) A "backyard special" Z with an engine transplant (poorly executed V8 swap or something similar) and a whole bunch of rust (floors, rails, battery box, hatch, etc). A basket case that the owner is tired of dealing with and is trying to break-even on their investment. Essentially a project car gone wrong. Not for the feint-hearted. Personally, I would opt for holding out until you find the cleanest, rust free example possible. If its just a shell, then I would buy it and find a running parts car. My first Z was an impulse buy. $1500 for what looked like scenario 1. Upon further investigation, I realized that the amount of money needed for rust repair and body work made the car a poor foundation for my weekend driver. Be patient, these cars have traded hands for +30 years. They will continue to pop-up for sale and go to new homes. It took me 10 years to get the perfect weekend driver. Good luck!

I dont post on this board much, but I would also agree. A $1500 budget isnt impossible, but you should go ahead and multiply that by 3.14. These projects add up! I think you got yourself a great find, but rust repair will most likely set you back the $1500 you already have budgeted. Unless of course you already own a welder and have free sources of sheet metal. For $160, you might have yourself a GREAT parts car. I would hold off on buying any parts to restore, and start looking for a rust-free shell. Just a thought. Good luck with your project!

So, after really thinking about it and taking the advice of starting with the thing I last "fixed", I was able to find the culprit. It was my own mistake when soldering. Part of the wire, on the top left of the combo switch that I had THOUGHT I had properly re-soldered, was partially touching the metal combo-switch housing, causing the short. I ended up re-positioning the exposed wire, so it was only touching the correct terminal, and wrapping the wire with electrical tape to make sure no bare wire was exposed for future mishaps. Sometimes the easiest things are the most often overlooked. Thank you for everyone's input, it has helped me gain a better understanding of how relays and general electrical wiring works, and has helped me familiarize myself with both the painless wiring harness in my car and the stock datsun switches.

Sorry Geezer, it is a 1972 240Z. I guess my question is, what else can cause a wire to short, or a fuse to blow? I've been trying to wrap my head around this, and figure out what is causing it. I've checked every connection from the console to the fuse box and forward. I cannot find any thing that is not well connected and securely wrapped and contained. The way it looks like the PO set up power to the parking lights and dash lights, was by tapping into the headlight power supply. I know the headlights on my car are set up on a relay, but I'm unsure about the parking lights. 1) Can a bad solder job cause a wire to short? 2) When soldering, if the wire gets heated up too much by the soldering gun, can that cause the short? 3) If the parking lights power supply is run off of the headlight power supply, and the power supply wire for the parking lights is using a much thinner gauge then the power supply for the headlights, can that cause a short? 3) If a relay is added to the parking lights, that should decrease the amount of power going through the switch correct? I understand that I am an infant when it comes to electrical systems. Just trying to learn so I can understand, fix, and know what to do in the future.

Well, unfortunately I dont have a multimeter or test light...I'll get one shortly. It doesnt seem to be my headlights that is causing the short or fuse to blow, but instead my parking lights / dash lights. What I found was on the top of the combo switch (ignore the red writing, I took this image from another forum), if I removed the wire on the top left (which I believe is the power for the parking lights and dash lights) then my headlights come on when in the correct switch position. The fuse does not blow. I had originally re-soldered the wire on the top left, so maybe I fudged it up. I've tried tracing all the wires and the connections look good. I took apart the combo switch 2 nights ago, and cleaned it really well and removed all the corrosion and traded contact sides for fresh metal like in the instructions found in this forum. I'm somewhat hesitant to buy a new combo switch, because I'm unsure if it is the problem. How do you test that? Side note: does anyone know if the combo switch for the 280Z works in the 240Z?

Ok so after manually checking the fuse box for a faulty fuse, I found one. Unfortunately, the PO switched to a aftermarket fuse box and it is not labeled but thats besides the point. Switched the blown fuse (30 amp) with a good 30 amp fuse, tried to turn on the lights and the new fuse blew. Can a faulty relay(s) cause a fuse to blow? Or would it mean that I have a short or bad ground somewhere in my wiring under the dash? Just trying to pinpoint where to look.

Thank you all, I think the switch is ok, I ended up taking apart the combo switch last night and cleaned it per the instructions MikeW posted. There was corrosion and pitting, but I switched the two plates/tabs so that there was fresh metal for the contacts and cleaned everything up. The switch operates mechanically as it should...its just not getting power. I think the culprit is somewhere in the relays...perhaps one is stuck open/closed? I am honestly a complete idiot when it becomes to electrical issues. I will post back when I test the coils on the relays for power.

So, after fixing my intermittent dash and parking lights issue by re-soldering a loose connection, I have come across something even more frustrating. My parking lights, headlights, and dash lights ARE NOT working. They were working perfectly 3 days ago after I thought I fixed everything. Brake lights, turn signals, hazards, and high beams work. The previous owner installed a painless wiring harness, and at the same time installed relays for the headlights. The relays should fail before the switch fails correct? The switch was confirmed as good three days ago. Could I have accidentally overheated the top of the combination switch when soldering causing my current problem? I would think that if that did happen, then it wouldnt have worked Saturday afternoon after I finished soldering. Does the relay(s) control power for both the parking lights and headlights? The only thing I can think of that I did that could cause this to fail, was I pulled out my the mechanical speedometer from my dash to see why it wasnt working, which was just a result of it not being hooked up to the speedo cable. Perhaps I knocked a wire loose? I cant think that knocking any wire loose is the cause because all the wiring to the switch in the column is contained in a well wrapped and taped harness, separate from the electrical wires to the speedo. Any ideas as to where to start looking? I pulled fuses to see if any of them were burned out and they all looked good/clean. Would love any feedback or suggestions that anyone can provide. looking towards Z-onthebrain