Limitless

Alright, you have all convinced me to not get a fiberglass dash. I found someone who is selling a like new conditioned dash for $800, shipping not included. Is that market price? Again, I am trying to take the most cost efficient approach to my dash problems. My current dash is pretty much just a frame, as everything else is torn and missing, so I don't know if restoring it would be the best thing to do, as I would need to source a bunch of parts. Thank you all again for your input.

I was searching the forums about fiberglass dash info, but the last thread was over 5 years ago. I figured I would start a new thread about this topic as hopefully there are advancements in this. I wanted to know if anyone could tell me about their experience (Costs, sacrifices, pros/cons, etc.) with a fiberglass dash, such as the one PDK provides (http://www.pdkfabrication.com/). I am wanting to take this route as finding a new dash has been a royal pain, and my dash is too bad to restore. I am looking for the most cost efficient way to fix my cars dash problem. My logic behind implementing a fiberglass dash is because it seems to be a cheaper alternative, but then again I do not know how much it would be to implement it to my needs. I am not building a race car. Instead I am trying to restore my 71 240z to a fairly classic state but with modern amenities. Kind of like the cars on Barrett-Jackson. This means I would like to have a defroster, new gauges, etc, which seems like I could run into complications with the fiberglass dash. Any advice in this area of knowledge would be great, and I think it would be good for everyone trying to fix their dashes. Thanks.

Thank you for your input Dave. I will be sure to contact you the next time I head to Marysville. Hopefully there will be some local z/Datsun meets once I finish making my Z a reliable daily driver(Might take a while). I would be privileged to discuss about cars/life with you as I am sure you have a great wealth of knowledge in z cars. This is my first car project.

I've been searching for whether or not the l28 wiring harness is identical to that of the l24. Does anyone know? I was unable to obtain this information on any of the z forums, but I apologize in advanced if this question has been addressed already. I am going to be replacing most of the electrical wiring once I finish working on the mechanical aspects of my 71 240z(numbers matching block). In the future I may wish to drop an l28/l28et in my zed, and that is why I ask whether or not I would need to redo all of the electrical from my existing l24 engine to do such a swap. I would like to prepare my self for the future by saving costs. I am also still puzzled why the potential of the l24 engine is so much less than the l28. Is this due to the lack of parts or the fact that no one has put in the time researching how to build an l24? I understand displacement is a big issue, but are there any other big reasons for why I see l28's reaching up to 600 hp but no l24's in that range? If anyone knows if the l28 swap is literally a drop in swap, no modifications necessary, please let me know. I would be really satisfied if I am able to achieve around 300hp with my l24 block without a legendary OS Giken head.

I am assuming the carburetor debate has ended but just in case, I use a synchrometer like LeonV. Then I put the tool in one of the carbs intakes and get a measurement, etc... Concerning my rear brakes I would still like to know peoples experiences with a rear brake swap. For now I guess the best thing to do is just replace my rear wheel cylinder. Again what I am afraid of is that all of the other parts will be either hard to get or just really expensive like the rear wheel cylinders. My objective by doing a rear brake swap would be to not have to deal with the headache of trying to find rare replacement parts such as a new drum. From my sources the rear drums are no longer produced? Again any advice regarding rear brakes(stock/swap) both pro's and con's is greatly appreciated. Also I would like to thank all of you for your responses.

Thank you all for the responses, Carbs: Regarding the carbs I will just make sure they are matching as you all stated. Brakes: I am still baffled that the wheel cylinders are so expensive, so I am pretty much set on swapping the brake system out towards the performance route. Some of you suggested rebuilding the wheel cylinder, but that just doesn't seem attractive to me. Also all of the other components seem to be rare as well. I just think that swapping out the brakes will be a cure to the problem and not a band-aid. Would you guys agree that the Toyota 4x4 brake swap is one of the more cost-efficient? In terms of installation and product availability (For replacing parts in the future). Also, does anyone have an estimate on how much I will be spending to do the swap?(Just the rear for now). Thank you all.

After reading past threads relative to my question on this site and others for information I am not quite satisfied. I apologize for improper forum etiquette if I should have resurrected an old thread instead of starting a new one. My car: I have a 71 240z. Everything is stock, l24 motor, dual hitachi sidedraft carbs, etc. Carb Question: I am in the process of syncing my carbs with a Synchrometer. After talking to those knowledgeable in the field they stated that as long as the airflow readings are the same for both carbs, I would be fine. I wanted to know if there is an optimal reading in which I should achieve for each individual carb in kg/hr. By evaluation using my ears, my engine sounded the best at around 12 kg/hr for each carb. Brake question: My right rear wheel locked up due to the wheel cylinder seizing. After conversing with the gentleman at Z-specialties I was informed a new wheel cylinder would cost $110. I was also informed most of the rear brake parts are either discontinued or extremely rare. Thus I have become tempted to change my rear breaks into disc brakes (as many already have). My main concern comes from which other cars are the most compatible to do the swap with. Other threads state things such as the 280zx or Toyota 4x4. Out of all my options which would be the easiest, cheapest, or have the best performance? Currently I found a complete rear axle from a 300zx. Would this be a compatible swap? Lastly, Is the front brake system in the 71 240z's commonly swapped out due to the same reasons as the rear brake system? Again I want to apologize for creating a new thread based on topics discussed numerous times before. I would just like my specific issues to be covered before making any purchases. Thank you.

Thanks for the advice Terrapin Z. Fortunately the brakes and steering were all good when I bought the car, but I definitely need to work on the suspension as suggested.

That sounds good inmoceon. I think it will be about a month until I can get my z on the streets. I am having problems with the fuel system, so I probably need to rebuild the carburetors. Then I need to get all of my lights working. Before that, if some of you do happen to plan a meet I would at least like to meet some of you in person and perhaps get some ideas. I will definitely keep all of you posted though on my progress.

Wonderful, thank you for the link and the information Travel'n Man.

It is cool to see that many of you are nearby where I live. Please keep me updated whenever there are any 240z meets in Washington. Right now I have ordered a copy of the "Repair and Tune-up Guide for Datsun 240Z/260Z 1970-74" by Chilton from amazon, but after reading up on some other threads I am now trying to cancel my order and just get a copy of the FSM.

I just bought a 71 240z. It will be my first project car and I am very excited. It is pretty much stock except for new headers and a 2.5 inch exhaust system that the previous owner installed. The motor is an L24 and numbers matching. My aim is to mostly keep it looking stock and classic. The car has very little rust so I do not have to deal with that as a major issue. Right now I am trying to get all of the mechanical work done. So far I have replaced the fuel pump and filter. Next I am going to flush and clean the engine. I will continue to do research online and on these forums. Perhaps if any of you have the time, advice is greatly appreciated. I look forward to getting to know all of you and am privileged to be a member of these forums and an owner of a 240z.