Walter Moore

Are you changing the fluid in the transmission or the differential? First because they take different fluids. Second because there are drain and fill plugs in both units. On the early cars with universal joints on the half shafts they bolt into the differential. I would be a royal pain to pull them out just to change the fluid.

Hey, he fixed the listing! He doesn't know what it is, but he will be happy to pack it up and ship it to you!

That is where I was in 2002. I found my car sitting along the side of the road with "$125 OBO" on the windshield. I had never personally owned a Nissan or any other Japanese car. Five years and several thousand dollars later I got it running. I am still working on it but at least I can enjoy driving it. Hopefully your car is in better shape than mine. It took me so long because I did all the work myself, on a shoe string budget. Good luck! Glad to see an new face in the game.

I believe that the single row pulley is a racing/after-market part. All years of the 240Z came with an air reactor pump, and the later years started adding true factory air conditioning and various power accessories. Edit: I am talking here about U.S. specification cars... other markets will differ.

So the problem then becomes that it is nearly impossible to prove that a 77 280Z that had paint code 411 was NOT originally a "ZZZAP" Z. Looks like a golden opportunity for certain less than scrupulous Ebay sellers to me...

So, any advice on the best quality and sound available in speakers today? That is meant to be a serious question by the way. The speakers in my car right now are old used parts that I bought cheap in the 80's, pulled out of my Volvo after my better half drove it through a stone wall, and were stored sitting on a steel shelf for 20 years. You could say they have seen better days.When I have to crank the stereo up on the interstate they sound really bad. (By the way, my wife walked away from the crash without a scratch. By golly those cars are safe!)

Yep, I saw that.

I searched the various FSMs until I found references to a neutral switch on a manual transmission. There is no switch shown on the 71 FSM, which is why I didn't think the transmission had such a thing. The earliest reference that I could find was in the 73 manual, so I assume that is the year transmission you have. If you want to hook this switch up I would just make up some extension wires to get it to the neutral interlock connection in your automatic wiring harness. The switch may just be out of adjustment. On the other hand I suspect that most people just jumper the two interlock wires from the automatic harness and live without the neutral interlock. You would just have to remember not to start the car without pressing the clutch pedal down. I personally don't think I ever owned a car with a manual transmission that wouldn't start in gear. Just one of those things you have to get used to doing.

It isn't a neutral switch. The later 280Z had a high gear switch that ran to the distributor to increase the spark advance at highway speeds. At least that is what I read somewhere on this site. (I can't find the other thread now...) The 4 speed that was in my 240Z when I bought it also had that same switch up at the top of the housing near the shifter. It is useless on any car except the 280Z. It seems like someone said even those cars ran better with the switch disconnected.

Since he is in Arizona the 20W50 might be acceptable. In Indiana using oil that heavy in any month other than July or August is suicidal. I have been running 0w40 in mine since the rebuild with no oil consumption. But then what passes for a cold day in TX or AZ most of the year would be considered normal here.

Have you checked with these people: http://www.zbarn.com/index.html I think they are sort of local to you. (At least closer to you than to me...)

I have a black rubber antenna on my 240Z and the reception is horrible. Just thought I would chime in here.

Arne, Where did you get the Cibie headlights? I had a set of those back "in the day" for my 82 Charger 2.2 and I would love to get my hands on a set of 7" round Z beams for the Z. (I found some site that will order them but they seemed pricey....)

That is a late 70's Datsun 280Z. The year will be listed on the tag in the engine compartment visible in your second picture. You can download the appropriate factory service manual here: http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html

Did you have the flywheel resurfaced when the clutch was replaced? Just like brake rotors, the flywheel can get surface irregularities from an old clutch disk, and after replacing the clutch it can take some time for the two to wear into each other if the flywheel isn't resurfaced. (clutch chatter...)

But it should exceed 12V. The normal range is around 13-14VDC. Anything less than 12.5V indicates that the alternator or regulator is dead. When you say the amp meter reads 15, do you mean +15 or -15?

The defroster lines are horizontal on my 71, as it is an early "series 2" (Not official designation I know, don't slap me...) so that may not be different than his car.

Apparently the state of confusion. :classic: Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Oh, somehow I mixed that up. In retrospect I should have known better. A company that I worked for back in the 1980's made some equipment for Zama, and it was a truck line at that time. I had never heard of Shantal or Hiratsuka before. I am glad I asked the question. Thanks,

Now Alan, it isn't polite to gloat. (At least not publicly...) Yet another lovely flame war started by someone dropping the F-bomb. I guess if it didn't come from Zama it isn't safe to use the word Factory, is that the point? By the way, now that Zama is just a museum, where do they build the 370Z? I know at one time Nissan had plants in Kyushu and Tochigi, does it come from one of them, or somewhere else? (I know it isn't made in Smyrna Tennessee.)

Hey Carl, Did you bring your V8-240Z to the Midwest show last year? If so, that is a very nice car. Anyway, if you really want a 370Z I guess pick the other car that you like least and sell it. (I have no spare cash right now, so I am not making an offer.) But remember that the value of the other cars is likely to hold fairly steady or increase over the next 10 years, while the new car's value (any new car) is going fall like a rock during that same time period. The other thought is, are you planning on using the 370Z as a replacement for one of the other cars, or as a daily driver? If it is doing to be a daily driver, then the depreciation in value is less of an issue as you will see that with any car. (But I also don't currently know anyone who drives their 350/370 in the winter.) Anyway, you ask for opinions, so that is mine. Either way, stay safe!

As for the reference to the over-rider bars being mostly decorative, the same statement applies to the bumpers. That was true of nearly all cars sold in the U.S. from the mid 1960's until 1974. (When the dreaded 5 MPH bumpers were required by law.) I never liked the mandated "bullet proof" bumpers, but at least they cut down or eliminated the costs associated with minor collisions. The early bumpers offered no real protection from anything.

These are L24s correct? Richmond Indiana isn't very far away, but I already have one "spare" engine...

Good luck with the car, and the new job. It looks like you are off to a good start.

Carl may be able to control the list on Zhome.com, but the spread sheet, the second link that Steve objected to, is pretty much open to anyone that signs in.