MikeW

Were console lids/covers standard equipment? I thought that was an after-market accessory ...

See my earlier post. This car is on the showroom floor at a Nissan dealer in Conyers, Georgia with a price sticker in the window that says "Ask for price". I was there and asked for the price and I believe the answer was 14K.

There are actually a couple of places that have been discussed here recently: http://www.justdashes.com http://www.dashboardrestorations.com.au/index.htm If you don't mind not being able to drive for a while these might be reasonable options

Wow, that seems like it's worth a try compared to the cost of a new dash. Have you tried it yourself?

There are a few odds and ends that my 72 240Z is missing that don't seem to be listed in catalogs. If anyone has any of the following available for sale or knows where to get them cheap I'd appreciate it. I have seen some of this stuff on EBay but am not yet comfortable with getting stuff that way. I would trust people here more. Engine compartment inspection lamp Luggage straps Fuse box cover plate (mine is damaged; a previous owner snipped all of the wires; I'm guessing there's a choke warning lamp, seatbelt lamp, and defroster switch) Things I have seen in catalogs but seem quite expensive: Dome lamp assembly Glove box interior (fell apart on me years ago trying to fix clock)

Thanks. I went with some H-Rated 195/60-14 Sumitomo tires. So far there isn't any rubbing, even on a big speed bump. As far as the speedometer error introduced by a slightly smaller diameter goes it looks like a visit to the local radar speed limit sign in front of the elementary school is in order.:devious:

I actually looked at that car recently. I was cruising along I-20 just outside of Atlanta and glanced over at the Nissan dealership next to the highway to see if there were any 350Z's on the showroom floor. I couldn't tell from that vantage point doing 70mph, but I could also see the opened hood of a 1st generation Z car. It even appeared to be the same color green as my 240Z was originally. When I came back by later I stopped to take a look. Sure enough, there was a red 350Z with this particular 260Z sitting next to it. Quite a few people were looking at the 260 and ignoring the 350. The price sticker in the window said "ask" so I asked. The answer was somewhere around $14,000, I don't recall exactly. Partially because I wasn't interested in a 260Z and partially because the priced seemed so ridiculously high there was no point in remembering it. I does look very nice. The paint appears to be the original color but resprayed on the outside. The engine compartment paint wasn't as fresh. It does appear to be a quite nice restoration, but I'm no expert so don't go blowing $14,000 just because I said it looked nice.

Once the valves are closed, the fuel-air mixture is compressed, the spark fires, all hell breaks loose, and the piston is pushed back down do you think the air actually remembers which direction it came from? It's probably so confused it doesn't know which way is up ... On a more serious note, I suspect modern engines are cross flow because many have 4 valves per cylinder. It would be kind of hard to have all 4 on the same side of the combustion chamber. At the time Nissan (or Prince) got the original design from Mercedes (as a 4 cylinder) they probably didn't have the ability or desire to make major changes and later on probably decided if it ain't broke don't fix it ...

14 years ago when I put 195/70-14's on my 14x7 slotted mags the rear tires rubbed the fenders whenever hitting a big bump or dip in the road. At the time I attributed this to sagging springs. I now have Tokico lowering springs and they still seem to rub (the car appears to ride at about the same height as before) although I haven't driven the car much seeing as how I need new tires. What size should I consider? Should I revert to 185/70 or even 185/60?

I joined this club at the end of December just after deciding to do something about the 240Z in my garage collecting spider webs and dust. I had always told myself that I'd eventually do something about it and figured if I didn't proceed with it there was no point keeping it. Being beyond the point of wanting to do much work myself I got the engine started (first time in about 4 years) and drove it to my regular mechanic for a little bit of work. Part of the deal was that they could work on it as time permitted; I was obviously in no hurry. I got it back today after waiting 5 months. Here's a brief list of the parts replaced: Engine rebuilt by <a HREF=http://www.jasperengines.com/gasengines.html>Jasper Engines</a> Clutch kit (bearing, pressure plate, clutch disc) Transmission seal front Transmission seal rear Water pump Thermostat Oil sender unit Coolant temperature sensor Thermostat housing Thermostat cover Carb floats Carb rebuild kits Engine mounts Exhaust straps Upper radiator hose Lower radiator hose Heater hoses Battery Drive belt Spark plugs Poly bushing kit Tokico struts Tokico springs Front brake rotors Front brake calipers Front brake flex lines Front brake pads Real wheel cylinders Rear brake flex lines Rear linings Front wheel bearing kits Rear axle seals Half shaft U Joints Drive shaft U joints Front tie rod ends Lower ball joints Spindle pins Rear strut assembly That last bit was because the left spindle pin popped right out. The right wouldn't even come out in a 2 stage hydraulic press. I'll post a shot of the clean engine compartment as well as a picture of the car after being washed for the first time in about 15 years. I had planned on body work and paint next but after a wash and a little wax it doesn't look as bad as I was expecting. I might even go for one of those fancy detail jobs. A urethane airdam is on the way from MSA and I'll be ordering seat covers, carpet, plastic panels soon. I'll plan on posting more pictures as things progress. I did polish the valve cover and original slotted mags and I think they came out fairly good.

Are you talking about the rubber hoses that go to and from the fuel pump? If so I would just take a small section of the hose you want to replace to your local auto parts place and get something close. I don't think it's critical as long as it's close enough for the clamps to work.

It's possible to get to the center gauges by going in through the glove compartment. This is much easier than trying to remove the dash or heater control panel.

If you're talking about securing the car to a flatbed all Japanese cars should have hooks or loops specifically for that purpose attached near the bumpers. The reason? Because they came to the US on a ship.

The catalog lists a '72 dash for $705.89. '70, '71, and '73 are listed as limited availability. I haven't called to verify and I suspect the price of these is subject to change given the availability.

Where'd you get the dash? I noticed that MSA lists the '72 as being available in their current catalog and I might consider doing the same.

There's a plate attached to the inside of the engine compartment on the right hand side that has both the VIN and the engine number. That's what verifies that the engine is original to the car. Here's a picture from one of the members here showing all of the numbers: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3223&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998 The 1st image is where the VIN is stamped on the firewall. It's also visible through the windsheld on the driver side. Ignore the 2nd image in this picture; it's apparently an Australian thing. The 3rd image is the plate you're looking for and the 4th is the number from the engine block that you already have.

While it's a great idea preserving all of that work I would suggest trying to get permission from the author before making edits and posting it all here. I can't imagine that he'd have a problem with all of his hard work being appreciated but it would still be a good idea. He may even come on board and provide some updates ...

It's going to all depend on how bad it is. I could be surface rust that just sands off or a 5 inch hole or something in between. You'll need to show us the pictures. That part of the car is very important structurally. If it's bad it has to be repaired properly. You can get new frame rails from here: http://www.datsunzparts.com/Summary.htm You might want to search old discussions here for "frame rail"

How about a nice straight driver's side door? Ok, I admit, that was completely uncalled for. You should, however, get some money out of the parts. I'm not saying you should rip people off but anyone who needs anything is more than happy to pay a little bit for it. If members here can help one another out by exhanging parts or providing good deals then that's great.

I'm sure you're still a bit shaken up but I wouldn't go and just give everything away. You deserve to get some compensation out of the parts.

What is your goal here? If you're going for high quality, a new front bumper, guards, overrider bar, rubber strips, and other hardware would probably run $750. I believe MSA has everything (not sure about the overrider bar). Alternatively, you can get a used bumper and get it rechromed but still pay for the rubber parts.