Montana Z

I do have the idle set a little higher as the FSM calls for. Regarding the transmission swap, I do plan to change the diff at the same time. One small hurdle is finding someone to rebuild it in my area. It feels smooth in all gears and doesn't appear to have any metal in the fluid, but prior to putting it in I would like someone to go through it. Transmission work is beyond my scope of mechanical confidence.

It's hard to explain... What I think I'm feeling is an intermittent hesitation, but it's barely perceptible. It pulls fine under throttle.

Unfortunately it's nothing too exciting. I got the SRT stage 1 engine which is an L28 block with P79 head. I also went with MSA 6 to two headers. The car had an automatic transmission in it when I purchased it 26 years ago. I promised that as soon as it failed I would put a manual in it, but that little slush box just refuses to die. I have a close ratio 5 speed and period correct 4 speed so when the day comes there will be some options. Aside from that she's pretty much stock.

Thanks, I'll look elsewhere for the source of the inconsistencies while cruising with steady throttle. Cheers, Scot

Hello all, I believe my oil pump is one or two teeth off due to the alignment of the distributor pin when #1 cylinder is at TDC. My question is whether or not it actually needs to be corrected. Can simply adjusting the orientation of the distributor correct this? My car is a 72 with SU carbs and I'm running a MSD unilite distributor on a Datsun Spirit 2.7 liter engine. It runs pretty well, but is difficult to start and seems to pull/ let off at light throttle while cruising. Thanks for any input. Cheers, Scot

You're welcome. Honestly it has been an honor and a pretty darn good time. I'll be retiring pretty soon so this is my final trip across the pond (in uniform). I suppose that is one of the reasons letting the Z go is so tough. I drove it to High school graduation, my first duty station, my wedding, the kids first days of school and so on and so forth. However, I'm not really a car collector and it seems the more I get it fixed up the less I drive it. I suppose I'll get that 5 speed in and see where it goes from there. Cheers, Scot

Thanks, that's probably a good idea. I plan to install the 5-speed when I get back from deployment. I'm really not too excited about messing with that dash again. I'm still a little traumatized about pulling and reinstalling it for the heater core. Who would have guessed an engine swap would be easier than the dashboard😧 Thanks again everyone for the thoughts/advice. Cheers, Scot

Thanks for that. I've really enjoyed you input on this site over the years. Cheers, Scot

Thank you for the feed back everyone. I have kept an eye on BAT and looked at the Hagerty valuation tool. As you folks likely know it is a little difficult to set aside emotional value. Additionally, if/when I sell it I want to make sure the buyer truly knows the car they are getting so I will likely attempt to find a person to person sale platform vs BAT. Regarding the interior, like the rest of the car it has been updated and is not original. When I redid the seats I went with leather, I refinished the steering wheel, it has new carpets, I replaced the heater core due to a leak, the dash has 3 cracks but I have an uncracked (though not perfect) dash in a box... you get the idea. Basically a nice driver that isn't heavily modified.

Hello folks, After 23 years of ownership I am considering parting with my Z car. However, I'm a little stumped on how to determine a price point. I know original cars can bring good money on BAT and know basket cases can be had relatively cheaply but mine is neither. It has some rust and some repairs that I'm not happy with, but I don't believe any are detrimental. I have the original engine but have it pulled due to low compression on one cylinder and there's a Datsun Spirit SRT stage 1 engine currently in the car. The car has an auto transmission, but I have a 4 speed as well as a close ratio ZX 5 speed waiting installation. And so on and so forth. Thanks in advance for any constructive input on how to value. Cheers, Scot

Don, Thank you so much for that very generous offer. Unfortunately I'm heading overseas fairly soon and at the moment don't have spare time to work the issue. My plan is to get it sorted when I get back (putting in a new to me 82 zx 5-speed is also on the list). Would it be alright if I reached out to you down the road when I have a little more spare time? Cheers, Scot

Update: I took my switch apart and it did show corrosion on one of the contacts. I sanded all contact points with 1200 grit paper reassembled and reinstalled. Unfortunately there was no change in the issue. I did remember that I have a spare dash with an emergency switch so I'll try swapping that in to see if there is ant change... thanks again! Cheers, Scot

Hello folks, I have a 72 240 (build date 11/71). My turn signals work, but when I turn the flashers on the left front does not illuminate. If I turn the flashers on and the left turn signal all four flash as they should. Any ideas on where to look/ how to fix? Thanks in advance for any input. Cheers, Scot

I have had good luck with the super siphon, just a few shakes and you have the gas flowing. https://www.amazon.com/Safety-Siphon-Safe-Multi-Purpose-Priming/dp/B000BG1X54/ref=pd_lpo_263_t_2/138-8540619-7869844?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000BG1X54&pd_rd_r=a9934f55-dff8-4208-9adb-6dad173d8582&pd_rd_w=sNOzJ&pd_rd_wg=KweD3&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=NNZESE92S9J85TBXHZV3&psc=1&refRID=NNZESE92S9J85TBXHZV3

I run SU and they are fine here. The elevation isn't too bad on the planned route. If you opt to run the car over going to the sun highway I would recommend leaning them out 1/4 turn. They'll be fine even if you don't, but mine do get a bit rich at 7000+ feet when the going is slow. Also there will be no fee this year due to Covid stuff. We just want to keep it simple for everyone. Cheers, Scot

Back in 2000 I drove from Great Falls to Reno in a day. It's a fun drive, but if I recall it took about 12 hours. Cheers, Scot

It's open to anyone who wants to join. We plan to cap it at 50 cars, but I'm not sure thats going to be an issue. There a pretty active roadster club up in Calgary that has shown quite a bit of interest.

Hello all, I'm in the process of planning a Rally for us Datsun owners in Northwestern Montana. Of course until everything with this Covid is settled I can't nail anything down. The plan is to have something similar to the Snowball Rally. We've set-up a Facebook page with some details https://www.facebook.com/Rising-Sun-Rally-101325171530438/?modal=admin_todo_tour . If any of you would be interested or have suggestions please let me know. Cheers, Scot

Check to make sure one of the A-arm bolts isn't loose. I had one loosen up and my car pulled to one side when braking.

Well a coworker of mine said the issue might be that my wheel cylinders are too loss allowing the shoes to tilt and drag until some pressure is applied. I took everything apart tonight and that was intact the issue. Just incase anyone else has a similar problem. Cheers, Scot

Update: Well I have no real progress on the leak. I bled the rear brakes and there hasn't been any further leaking so it remains a mystery. HOWEVER, I noticed more rear brake drag then I wanted so I had the drums turned. The shoes are relatively new because I installed them when I did the wheel cylinders about 4K miles ago so I just kept them and reinstalled the newly turned drums. I noticed the rear brakes drag until I pull the parking brake about 4 clicks. Then there is no drag. Then they engage as they should. My question is who has experienced this, and is adjusting the parking brake the right thing to do? Again thanks to all of you who have helped me out with this. Cheers, Scot

Alright everyone, thank you so much for the feed back. I'm finally back home and have some additional info... please bear with me. Two years ago I installed new OEM wheel cylinders (not cheap) from zcar depot. Last year I only drove the car twice because something bad happened inside my engine. I talked the wife into letting be buy a 2.7 stroker from Datsun spirit. Now I have an auto trans so I rarely set the e-brake. The first night of the engine install the car was on jack stands so I left the e-brake applied. The next morning I discovered a puddle of brake fluid under the rear drives tire. It appeared to be leaking from the hard/ soft line junction. So I tightened that up and cleaned everything up. Sadly the next night I discover it was still leaking. I cleaned everything up and decided to check once I got home. The strange thing is that it has not leaked since. I have about 450 miles on the engine and the rear wheel has no fluid leaking. I'm home this weekend so I plan to bleed it, but I'm still confused about what happened and why. Sorry if this ran a little long.Heres a picture of the new engine because picture make threads better. Cheers, Scot

My drivers wheel cylinder leaks when I apply the e-brake. Does anyone have an idea why this might be happening? It doesn't seem to leak during normal driving. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Cheers, Scot

Agreed, for now I'm going to install the Datsun Spirit engine and keep the auto. That will give me time to get the extra cash for quality parts for the manual swap.

I do have the pedal box, it's just the other $1000+ worth of stuff.