jfa.series1

VERY pretty car!!! Striking color and wheels you don't see everyday. Have fun. Jim

I took my car to its first Cars & Coffee meet, have a nice new showboard to explain its history and the work done on it. Jim

Here is a pic of the "stud" i.e. tapered shaft so you have a feel for what you are dealing with. The nut draws it tight against the spindle - if you tap on it, be sure to have the nut in place to not foul the threads. Jim

The stud you mention is a small tapered shaft with a flat on it. The flat matches a similar flat on the spindle and is intended to keep the spindle from rotating. It usually takes a liberal application of rust blaster allowed to soak in at least overnight to get the stud/shaft to release. A little heat may help, as might a very light tap with a small hammer to un-sieze the shaft. Hope this helps. Jim

Hi Chase - I just get the car back from 7 months in paint jail to fix a few things from the original visit. He did a very concientious job of warranty work. I expect to have the car ready for Cars & Coffee this Saturday, 06/02. Perhaps I will see you there. Dan - what a wonderful coincidence of age and purchase details. Looks like the stars were aligned for us. Congrats right back at you. Jim

I guess all of you realize this is a 14-month old thread. My car hit its 41st anniversary two months ago. It recently received some recognition from my club and a friend surprised me with his post of a pic from a local dealership's internal TV system. But - thanks for all the nice comments (even if you insist on calling a Safari Gold car "yellow"). Jim

My two daughters are no longer kids, now grown adults with their own families. They constantly remind me of when they were little how they enjoyed laying on their backs in the luggage area, feet forward between the seats. At night they would watch the lights and stars thru the hatch glass. Memories!!! Jim

Mike - the conventional wisdom for removing and installing the fuel filler tube is to gently heat it with a hair dryer or heat gun. You want to use enough heat to make the tube flexible, not so much as to deform it. A little heat goes a long way! After you get the new tube installed and are ready to get the tank back in, a little heat at the bottom of the tube will help with sliding the tank tube into place. A little heat on the tank tube might also help. Even a little bit of bearing grease on the inside of the filler tube will help with the insertion. Hope this helps. Jim

FYI... this is what eveything looks like under the dash. I find it always helps me to have a picture in my head of what I am dealing with. You can see the short curved hose mentioned above. If I recall correctly, MSA sells the genuine Nissan part (pre-bent). Hope this helps. Jim

Kevin, Yep, I'm in ZCoT. The monthly meeting is this Thursday in Addison and would enjoy meeting you if you can make it over there. Jim

Agreed - pull the heater core and have it checked at a radiator shop. You stand a decent chance it can be repaired, if not re-cored. Also, replace the water valve with a new one while you are in there - cheap insurance against more leaks. Jim

Hey Kevin, Welcome to the group. A lot of really good folks on this site, help for any project no matter how small or large is just a post away. If you are in the North Texas area, give a shout - lots of local club activities, shows, and other opportunities to meet and talk Z cars. Looking forward to your pics. Jim

Hi Tom, Welcome to the club. No need to remove the heater controls face plate unless you are into self-abuse! This is one of the more complex pieces and removal won't fix your problem. In fact - it has to be in place to attach the control cables to their various levers. As Chuck said, there are four wire cables attached to the three levers. The OFF-VENT-HEAT lever has a single cable running to a lever on the top right side of the plenum box behind the blower motor. It controls the outside air into the car. The TEMP lever also has a cable to this same general area - it attaches to the water valve near the firewall. The cable you are having trouble with may be difficult to reattach with the blower motor and A/C components all in place. Get into the passenger side footwell with a bright flashlight and trace the two wire cables. Removal of the passenger seat may give you extra room to maneuver. Jim Good luck with your new find and Enjoy The Ride!

The excellent reproductions are available from MSA.

Don't give up on Courtesy unless you have talked to the guys at the parts counter. David House knows the early Z's inside and out, is very resourceful at locating stuff if it is available. If on "b/o" at the warehouse, he will likely know the reality of it coming in. Have your p/n's ready if you call, he can get thru your needs list very quickly. If no p/n's, he is still very good with the fiche images but you might have to wait a bit until he has time to work with you on the lookups. These guys really provide excellent service. Jim

Faux braid... I like that! Jim

First, the obligatory "Hello"!!! What a beauty, you have done very well in locating this awesome car. 721 would be most proud of this worthy successor. Interesting to note your build date is two months prior to mine, yet a slightly higher VIN. We all know cars were pulled out of the line for various reasons, looks like mine is one of those situations. Enjoy the ride!!! Jim

The floorboards of a Z typically have drain hole closed with rubber plugs. If your repairs have eliminated the drain holes, you may be limited to sponging out any water used to neutralize the Metal Ready or similar acid wash prep. Be sure to get everything VERY dry (as in heat gun, hair dryer) before painting with POR-15. The inside of the fenders are best totally cleaned of undercoating or other stuff before painting with POR-15. Scrape all the big stuff off, use a wire brush on a drill motor for the leftovers. You are already making a significant investment of time, don't rush or shortcut something as easy as the inside of the fender. Jim

Here the link to the online parts manual. The folks at Courtesy Nissan Parts dept. are very resourceful at locating this stuff if it is available. You may be able to request shipping directly to your local dealer to reduce/avoid freight charges. You can also plug your p/n's directly into their search box (courtesyparts.com) to check availability. Anything you order directly from their site is generally discounted as deep as they will go. Hope this helps. Jim http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunFairladyZIndex/tabid/1543/Default.aspx

Texas is pretty cheap for antique vehicles (more than 25 years old): $50 for 5 years, bridge fee $10, automation fee $1. There are limitations for usage - parades, exhibitions, club events (obviously a potentially broad interpretation), to/from repairs. Cannot be used for a daily driver or running errands. Even then - it would be up to your local police to decide on enforcement. Also - no safety inspection required, another savings (that is why no DD usage). Jim

Have you or the mechanic tried Nissan? All the hoses for a 240Z are still available, it might be logical that they are also available for the 280Z - perhaps even the same hoses. Check the online parts manual to get your part #'s then check Courtesy Parts online. They are not especially cheap but will absolutely fit - especially important for the ones with significant bends. Don't overlook the seals/grommets where the hoses enter the interior from the tank, available from Mike at Banzai. Jim

This is my 1st generation BRE Spook as it progressed from a basket-case back to a usable part. Years ago I ran thru some water and ripped it off the car. I went back and recovered the pieces and stored them until the resto project got underway. The right side brake duct was missing so I removed the left side duct and used it to build a form for a new one. With everything glassed back together and painted, it makes for a very presentable and unique piece. Jim

Take the easy one first: yes, bump stops will slip onto the strut shafts prior to re-assembling the springs and the retainer caps. Strut cartridges can be replaced without removing the uprights from the LCA's. The front LCA does have to be removed from the upright to replace the outer bushings. The rear LCA has to be removed from the upright ONLY IF you are replacing the outer bushings. This involves pulling the spindles and can be a BFD. Search the forum on what is involved and some of the problems that might be encountered before attempting this changeout. Hope this helps. Jim

Nice slideshow, thanks for posting the link. Jim

+1 on the stud welder option. This is a basic tool at body shops, one in your area might weld the studs at a modest price for you to do the slide hammer work. Jim