Hardway

MIND BLOWN!!! Thank you Kats for adding the detail to the pictures. The nut spring 08961-43210 looks like a fairly common piece. In fact, I think I have some that came with a body hardware kit for something. I will have to look tomorrow after work. I should hopefully have the quote for the clips from the fab shop tomorrow. I will keep everyone posted.

Your Miata is a Miata. It is and always will be a roadster. That said, it comes down to what you want to deal with on a daily basis. If your girlfriend gets upgraded to wife then it will also become a question of what she will be willing to deal with on a regular basis while still supporting your love of cars. No matter your age, there is something to be said for having something comfortable, reliable, and safe as a daily driver. As Psdenno said, back when the classic Z's were common, SUV's and everyone texting did not exist. It sounds like you really want a classic Z so I say save your money and get one. Use it as a daily and see what happens. There is a guy named Robert Jackson that has been posting up on the various Datsun and Z Facebook pages. He just bought five 240z's this week. Yes, FIVE! They are all 4's and 5's on a scale of 1-10 but he is planning to resell or auction some and build one or two. Try dropping him a line on FB. Since you are in Houston, he is in Oklahoma, it would not be an impossible trip to make. Or, just keep watching the Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio CL and all the other Datsun and Z classified pages. Not sure what your fab skills are like but the best advice, buy the cleaned body you can find. Everything else is pretty easy to acquire and since you want a bare bones car, interior condition may be a non-issue. Going back to your original question, 240z, 260z, 280z. Buy the one in best condition regardless of what it is. If you really REALLY want a 240z, better save and keep your cash on you because when they pop up for any kind of reasonable price they go quick. Be willing to travel and if possible, have access to a truck and trailer. Some of the best deals on 240z's are on the ones that do not run, ask Robert Jackson. 260z's and 280z's offer more value just for the fact they are not as expensive while delivering 95% of the fun factor of a 240z. Keep us posted on your hunt and if you find one of interest.

Since no one is going to be able to talk you out of the idea of getting a classic Z as a daily driver, I will add this. If you are going to get one, get a 280z. You can always make it look like a 240z with skinny bumpers, 240z lower valance, and if you really want to go to the trouble you can do some fab work and fit 240z tail lights. That said, the 280z is heavier so it rides a little better, interior is trimmed a little nicer, 5spd's were optional and easy to find, they are plentiful and they are usually half the price of a 240z in the same condition. I will add this, if you are looking for a classic Z driving experience in a modern day car, buy a used Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. I have a 2013 FR-S 6-spd manual and a 1971 240z with a 5-speed and the FR-S is really a modern day classic Z. Its light, handles super well, not the fastest thing in the world but it is rev-happy and can get to 90mph in short order (ask me how I know). Plus you have all the modern amenities and safety of a newer car. You say you have not been in any accidents in 3 years, good for you. Unfortunately and you know this all too well living in Houston, your number will come up and you don't want to be in a vehicle that you may not walk away from. Add bonuses like not smelling like gas/oil, very supportive seats, and a real trunk, the FR-S is a super fun DD. As others have said, you need to marry that girl your with. So few tolerate the smell of nostalgia (gas & oil) that vintage and high performance cars bring.

What finish if any did the original clips have on them? Zup's pictures look like either raw spring steel or possible old black paint. I have revised the request for quote to the fab shop, asking for spring steel instead of stainless. Additionally, they offer on-site powder coating but that is not an original finish. I have asked what the cost would be to have them clear zinc plated. They offer yellow zinc too which I know a lot of guys like but I believe it would be best to offer them in an original finish. What do you think?

Is this it? http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-datsun-240z-7/

Thanks for the update Zup. I have sent request for a quote to a local sheet metal fab shop and used your picture and drawing as reference. I have asked for an initial quote of 100 clips in stainless steel and they said that would not be a problem. Since a car takes 4 clips that would be 25 sets. I will keep everyone posted as I get more info from them.

Steve informed me he does not make or have the clips at this time. I went ahead and order my seals from him so those are on the way. Looks like we are on our own for clips. I found Blue's post below. He observed that there were two different width clips on his car. I am unsure if this is isolated to his car or if all cars were this way and it has not been obvious to those who have encountered them. http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/41029-hatch-vent-trim-installation/

Thanks Sweaty. I ended up buying Jim's set so that will take care of one item on the list.

You are the best Zup! Thank you so much for posting all of this. I checked with Steve and he confirmed he does not have the clips at this time. I am not sure what the demand is for them either but making a set of scratch with your detailed drawings should be do-able. The air diverter seals do not have any foam on top from Steve but I can tell there was a thin layer of foam on mine (at least what is left of it) I can see the pros and cons of this. Do you think I should add a layer of foam to the air diverter seals or just install them as-is new?

Good to know guys. I PM'd you Jim on the set you have.

What all did the come on? I don't recall any US Z cars having them.

Thank you Zup. I look forward to the pics of the clips. I see the gaskets on Steve's site. $75/pair. Looks like I will be purchasing a set. I will also ask him if he makes the clips or plans to as it would be good to know.

Just as the title states, what is your experience with the aftermarket gaskets vs. Nissan parts? The price different is measurable, $60 vs. $100. I know many will say just pony up for the Nissan parts but would love to hear any feedback on the aftermarket gaskets. Thank you!

In an effort to rid my car of exhaust fumes coming in I disassembled just about everything related to the hatch vent system and removed the taillight trim panel to see what the taillight gaskets looked like. The TL gaskets are shot so I will be ordering new gaskets for them. The hatch vents were removed at some point in the car's history and re-installed using rivets which has bugged be ever since I bought it. With everything apart I realize I am missing the U-shaped clips that hold they hatch ducts against the body and the barrel clips the actually hold the chrome vent grilles. I have a good idea what the U-shape clips look like but need some measurements if anyone has one sitting around. Additionally, can someone confirm the order in which everything goes together? I think the ducts are installed in the hatch with their proper seals, the U-clip goes over the inside edge to hold it in place. Does barrel clip go through the U-clip and in to the hatch sheet metal or some other way? On the hatch duct work, my semi-rigid seals are salvageable but the foam gaskets are pretty much gone. I was planning to use some 3/8 self adhesive foam weather stripping to make a new seal. Are new ones available? If not, do you have a better idea than I have? Need to look at the rubber flaps on the inner hatch panel, I don't think they are thick enough. I will also seal the edge of the panel before I re-install it. The offending rivets holding the hatch vents in place. I already have new ones but debating on re-using some old ones I have since I plan to paint the car and would like to save my new ones for that. Pictures from Jim Arnett on the CT Z Car forums. Taillight panel off. Looks like it has never been off the car. Luckily there appears to be zero damage from contact or rust.

I had some to work on the Z today and sure enough, just about every seal and gasket related to the hatch vents and taillights are shot. I am unsure if the rubber flaps might have been replaced at some point. They look thin and are still soft. Additionally, the ducts for the hatch vents were not even secured to the top sheet metal of the hatch. I am going to start another thread in the body and paint section the relates to restoring all of the hatch vent system components. Here are a few shots of today's progress.

What car is this? The taillights look like the are from a 1969 Camaro RS given the chrome bar running in the middle.

Thanks for all the info guys. I cannot find the series-1 hatch flap panel restoration article at the moment but I will keep looking as I remember seeing it awhile back. Also, based on all the pictures of original exhaust systems mine just needs to be pulled out an inch or two. I think the sealing of everything will go a long way to helping resolve my issue. Additionally, I am going to confirm the tail light gaskets were replaced as I am basically taking the previous owner's word for it at this point. I will also look at my fuel mixture again as well. I leaned it out some last weekend and it still smelled like gas but I felt the performance suffered. I will let everyone know how the weekend goes.

My panel is made of plastic as it is a series-1 and has the flaps. I plan on resealing it and inspecting the flaps and possibly just seal everything up. I never thought about the hatch latch but that makes sense. Looks like this will be a bigger job than expected. Back to my original question, what about the exhaust tip length?

Thanks for sharing! I just finished your post about Rust is not Patina. I agree on all levels!

I have all the little grommets and stuff but not all the hoses are correct. Many of them are supposed to be cloth wrapped but availability for those types of hoses is very limited and they are easily 5X - 10X would regular non-wrapped hoses cost. All of the vendors you mentioned above are good but I will also add Banzai Motorworks http://zzxdatsun.com/ Mike's website does not support online shopping but his products are top notch. He carries a lot of the misc. parts and pieces that are usually missing from our cars. They really help to "complete" things.

Atleast it has the option to Make Offer. Seeing that it includes the series-1 air cleaner and everything appears to be in good shape, an offer of $500 seems reasonable. Have nothing to lose by trying.

Good tips on what to do with the rubber flaps. Definitely a DIY project. What about the exhaust tip length? Any ideas?

I think your question of how far to take the engine appearance is a personal preference. I think a clean and well detailed engine is the way to go. Too much bling = time spent polishing and cleaning all the time. If your engine is stock then getting the details right go a long way. Mine is stock and has received a fair amount of yellow zinc plating on parts along with the correct rubber bits and clamps. The previous owner polished the front timing cover and alternator so I keep up with it as best I can. The aluminum radiator top is due for a round of polishing as well. If I had to do it over again I would have gone with a black 280z radiator.

$375 is not bad if it truly includes everything and it is all pretty and functions properly. A pair of SU's alone usually go for about $200 - $300 depending on condition and proof of rebuild.

Congrats FunkytownZ on your latest acquisition! Kudos to you for flying out and inspecting the car in person before buying it. Too many people (me included) have just trusted the seller, sent the money, only to have a load of disappointment dropped off by the shipping company. I think the color of your car is so different and the is so smooth that I would not put any fender flares on it. Just my .02 but I think you have a great looking car as is. We look forward to your updates!