MikeW

See all of the recent posts from those of us getting our dashboards repaired. It's not too hard to pull the dash. The only tedious part is remembering how everything connected. I was in a hurry when I did mine and it took a little work to get it back in and everything connected up properly.

The first 14 part numbers on that fiche appear to be as follows: 86700-E4100 86700-E4155 86700-E8800 86700-E8750 86700-E4700 86700-E4750 86700-E8801 86700-E8751 86720-E4600 86720-E8800 86720-E8700 86720-E8859 86720-E8858 86720-E8850 Unfortunately part number 1, the console, appears to have changed quite a few times so it might be harder to track down your specific model.

How did you get the dimensions? It appears to me that the drawing is too wide at the front of the doors. This might happen if the measurements came from a wide angle photo taken from just above the car. It seems like the doors should be almost parallel.

Are you suggesting that bigger tax cuts were needed? Surely you don't think that smaller tax cuts would help the economy ...

Assuming you're talking about standard SU carbs there's really not much to it. As I recall the only tricky part is if you have the water line attached. In that case you may want to drain the coolant some first. As always just remember how (or take pictures) to get it back together properly.

Be careful, there are lots of orders that would still fit that saying: 1 6 3 5 2 4 1 2 6 5 3 4 etc.

I think that's just a crash test thing. It probably allows a precise measurement of deformation.

The slot for the rear bumper appears different. Mine is almost parallel whereas the one pictured seems quite a bit wider near the rear.

How much does the Griffin cost? Unless you're really looking to save a little weight you might consider a 4-row radiator from MSA for $260: http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PCLC01 They also now offer an Aluminum radiator for $459: http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=ansf13 I think I'd rather go with something that's made to fit rather than something that requires a bit of farbrication.

Check your clutch fluid level

It really is 14mm. I've heard others claim that some tool vendors make wrenches than aren't quite right but I've never seen that myself. It sound like perhaps a previous owner used an adjustable wrench and that's why it seems off. I suppose you could try a pair of vise grips but those kind of also fall into the category of tools to use only in an emergency.

Sorry, I didn't mean to provide misleading information. I visit the UK somewhat frequently but never in private homes. The statement comparing luxury items between our two countries comes from conversations I've had with residents of the UK. I'll be happy to take back what I said.

FYI, I just ordered a set of seat covers and carpets in the "Silver Gray" color from here: http://www.toointenserestoration.0catch.com/ The "blue" that they offer looks very similar to the photos posted earlier. I would think that getting material that's already the proper color would be preferable to re-coloring.

Perhaps someone out there is listening to you: http://money.cnn.com/2003/09/21/markets/nyse_reed/index.htm?cnn=yes

Part of the problem these days is the desire to live beyond your means. While it may be true that in your location that the only affordable housing is many miles out, where I live it's common for people to commute long distances because of the perceived value of those homes further out. If you've just got to have a 3,000 sq. ft. house in a swimming pool community with more bedrooms than you need and two new SUV's then you're liable to get yourself in trouble. People run up tremendous credit card debt while still trying to pay off huge student loans. Homes are getting bigger and bigger in the U.S. while families are typically smaller. Previous generations managed to get by with less. Eating out was an occasional treat. Today we all have the highest standard of living ever but we still want more and we want it to be easy and we don't think it's fair when it's easy for others but not us. Visit a typical home in the UK or elsewhere in Europe and you'll find that an automatic dishwasher is considered somewhat of a luxury.

Let's see, who's at the top of the list? Oh yeah, Bill Gates. I develop software for a living and I'm not a big fan of Microsoft. On the other hand, the revolution they created made many, many people rich. More than one thousand lowly Microsoft employees became millionaires by taking advantage of stock options. That doesn't come close to including the wealth generated by other services and industries going along for the ride of the PC revolution. Contrary to popular opinion, most businesses are barely getting by. Entrepreneurs start companies, hire people, and often end up bankrupt - not rolling in money. It's nice to see that some are successful; that's a good way to create more jobs. Doing something to penalize those who are successful is a sure fire way to lose even more available jobs.

Wow, I hope they didn't damage the rear body trying to get this picture: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2433426259&indexURL=6&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

After pulling the driveshaft be sure to put it back on properly. Years ago when I first got my 240 I was driving along and started having some horrible vibrations. Not being very smart I nursed it home only to discover that a couple of the bolts at the front U joint had fallen out and the others were loose. I hate to think of what damage could have occured had the front end of the drive shaft dropped to the pavement while the car was moving. Even worse would be hitting a pothole. Anyhow, I put it back together with new self-locking nuts and bolts and made sure it was very secure. You'll want to mark the shaft and joints to make sure it goes back on the same way it came off - this will help keep things balanced.

As I said it just glues to your existing dash.

That's a full cover. All caps cover the top because that what's always cracked. A cheaper half cap doesn't go all the way down the front. Here's a place to buy new caps that shows you the differences in price. Keep in mind that this is a thin black plastic player that glues to your existing dash. http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=DC

Yeah, well, I don't know anyone who can weld so I guess I'll be paying someone. Just so you'll know I pulled out all of the plugs to avoid damaging them while scraping up the tar and sanding on the surface rust.

I agree about the turn signals; that's just dumb. Someone obviously bought a 280 airdam instead of one for a 240/early 260.

I hate to break it to you but chances are just about any old worn out Datsun key will work. I'm actually kind of surprised that your copy doesn't.

My driver's side is about the same but with the worst rust right beneath where your left heel rests when you're not on the clutch. I suppose wet shoes and the constant pressure in a relatively small area contributed to that. So, the consensus seems to be to weld in small patch panels. Having never welded before is this something I should even bother attempting to do myself, i.e, go out and buy the smallest welder that will work and practice on scraps of metal? Or, should I try to find someone who can do it for me? From reading other messages here I gather that most "body" shops want to just slap on a repair panel and paint it as quickly as possible. How would I go about finding someone who could do this sort of job?

Sounds more like a problem in the stalk switch itself.