Carl Beck

How much do you think a good solid driver should sell for? What are you willing to pay for one today? Carl B.

Hi Matt: I don't know why you would think it "has to be" factory. You could be right, but I've never seen the factory mount the anti-sway bar to the rear of the differential in a 240-Z. Even if it was purchased in and shipped from Okinawa in 1970 - it is a Left Hand Drive model - right? Most of the guys in the Air Force did purchase US Spec. 240-Z's in Okinawa, so that they could be legally shipped home after their tour of duty there. The VIN is HLS30 xxxxx isn't it? If the anti-sway bar goes around the rear of the diff. and mounts to the transverse link mounts... it is more than likely the BRE after-market type. You can use just the Suspension Techniques sway bar bushing kit - to replace the originals. If you need new hardware as well - Suspension Techniques has one with the same length bolts, but a center spacer that is just about 1/2" longer than the original BRE kit - but it's easy to cut the center spacer down to the correct size... FWIW, Carl B. USAF 1969-1973 Clearwater, FL USA

Hi Matt: I don't know why you would think it "has to be" factory. You could be right, but I've never seen the factory mount the anti-sway bar to the rear of the differential in a 240-Z. Even if it was purchased in and shipped from Okinawa in 1970 - it is a Left Hand Drive model - right? Most of the guys in the Air Force did purchase US Spec. 240-Z's in Okinawa, so that they could be legally shipped home after their tour of duty there. The VIN is HLS30 xxxxx isn't it? If the anti-sway bar goes around the rear of the diff. and mounts to the transverse link mounts... it is more than likely the BRE after-market type. You can use just the Suspension Techniques sway bar bushing kit - to replace the originals. If you need new hardware as well - Suspension Techniques has a kit with the same length bolts, but a center spacer that is just about 1/2" longer than the original BRE kit - but it's easy to cut the center spacer down to the correct size... FWIW, Carl B. USAF 1969-1973 Clearwater, FL USA

Is it actually a "wiring diagram" or a "wiring schematic" ? A wiring diagram would show where the individual wires are routed in the car - a schematic shows electrical logic (not physical position) Could you provide a peek of the one you purchased for us? thanks, Carl B.

TSO72-102 From 8mm to 9mm rod bolts: Starting at Engine Serial Number: L24-096181 Found in 240-Z's produced from 04/72 around HLS30 77xxx The rod bolt distance - measurement center to center - changed from 62mm to 63mm. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL http://ZHome.com

I sent the following note to the seller.. be interesting to see what response I get if any. - - - - Hello: This is just an FYI - so that you don't look like your BS's and so that you look like you know what your talking about... Almost everyone in the Z Car community has seen several 10th AE's with less than one thousand miles on them. While 8.5K is certainly on the low end of what is typically on these cars.. it's far from exceptional as far as mileage goes. Many of them can be found at Z Car Shows with 8 to 15K miles across the country. I'd expect to get bids in the $15K to $18K range on this one..but I'm afraid that Private Listings of bidders will hold serious buyers out of this auction....I wish you good luck with the auction. Carl Beck, President Internet Z Car Club Clearwater, FL beck at becksystems.com - - - - - - - - -

Hi Neil: For the most part, natural nor synthetic lubricants don't really "wear out" when used in your engine (that's one reason they can be reprocesses and reused). What mainly happens is they become "saturated" with containments. Dust particles from the atmosphere drawn in through the intake, gasoline washed off cylinder walls, carbon particles from the combustion process, as well as other caustic chemicals etc. So which oil is best and how often you change it and the filter - depends a lot on your use of the car, how clean you keep the intake air, having your carb.'s properly tuned and feeding the correct A/F mix to the engine, the condition and performance of the ignition system etc. etc. etc. Mike mentioned the fact that todays oils are most likely better than when the Z's were new... and I don't think there is much doubt of that. The question is "better in what regard"?. They are far better in their ability to suspend, and surround the above mentioned particles of the containments. This keeps these containments from attaching themselves to the internal parts of your engine (ie varnish, sludge etc), as well as providing greater capacity to suspend them, without diluting the lubricant to the point of ineffectiveness. For examle: Lets say that I keep my stock 72 240-Z in tip-top shape... the air here in Florida is among the cleanest in America. The car is used 99% for freeway and highway driving with very little in town use. I use OEM Oil Filters... with Mobile 1 - so 6,000 mile oil & Filter changes are all that's needed. I peeked inside the engine at 70K miles... everything is as brand new. Dropped the oil pan, and not a hint of sludge build up. NONE AT ALL. Back in the 80's I ran Castol Oil in my other 72 and changed it every 3K miles.. dropped the pan at 35K miles and the sludge buildup was unbelievable.. 1/4 inch of crud hardened in the bottom of the pan! Then I switched to running Valvolene Racing Oil... far less sludge in the pan at 80K miles... but still a bit... Mobile 1 leaves the pan and entire engine clean as a pin. The main reason I now run Mobil 1 is that it drops normal engine operating temperatures by 10-15 degrees F. Heat is always a major factor here in sunny Florida... As these L series engines age.. and they are now at least 33 years old (the L24's anyway)... the cooling passages inside the cast iron blocks build up calcium/rust etc.. this makes heat transfer from the block to the coolant less efficient.. and changing to Mobil 1 simply allows less friction to begin with which helps off-set the effects of the aging block... So the bottom line is - what's best for you depends on a lot of factors that you'll have to consider ... If you don't have an over heating problem, and you have clean air and air filters... your Z in in Fine Tune... you are most likely wasting some money on Mobil 1 changes at 2,500 miles. If your car is always running rich mixtures, the choke is on 50% of the time to warm the car up, your car needs tuning.... maybe 2,500 mile natural oil changes are what's needed... BTW - since 1970 I've seen what must be over a hundred L series engines torn down. Almost regardless of the amount of sludge and varnish in these engines - the rings and bearings seem to last way past 250K miles before they actually wear out. On high mileage engines, which have not had the best of care - it's the cam and rockers that go south first.. So keeping the lubricant passages that feed oil to the valve train is most likely the key to long engine life... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Walter (everyone) Check it again.. the link was bringing up an older file... I think you'll see three or four names you'll recognize.. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Jim: I can see how you might get that impression from that picture today. However in 1970 there were no cartridges for the US 240-Z's. If you look at the caption it say's "Removing piston rod and cylinder assembly". It is significant to note that it does not say "Removing Shock Absorber Cartridge". If the man in that picture slid his hand upwards.. he could remove the collar shown above his hand - and thus separate the piston rod from the cylinder (not recommended). If you were to see the bottom of that assembly, you would see that it is "open". That is because the damper oil enters there. The oil surrounding the cylinder in the strut, is the the same as the oil in the cylinder (one continual pool of damping oil). That is why the type and exact amount of oil you put back in after service, has a direct effect on the damping power (Note at instruction #3 on FA14). Please note instruction #9 on page FA13. "Drain damping oil from the cylinder and strut outer casing into a clean container". I point this out to indicate that this assembly (piston and cylinder) could be rebuilt... rather than replaced, via the use of a rebuild seal kit. I had the shocks on my 70 rebuilt several times by my Datsun Dealer - under warranty. (HLS30 01777). Later - and I'm not sure just went - Nissan did supply a "cartridge" to replace the original assembly. The cartridge type could not be disassembled nor rebuilt - as the original assembly was. The cartridge is a sealed unit, which does not share the same oil pool - as the oil surrounding it in the strut. Maybe someone still has an original shock assembly, that they can provide some clear pictures of - disassembled. FWIW, Carl B.

Nick - now that you have made yourself look like a complete idiot... perhaps you could redeem yourself somewhat - with a proper and sincere apology to our guest from Bahrain. (unless you can communicate in perfect Arabic yourself). I'm sure you just didn't notice his location... kind regards, Carl B.

Hi Marty: The rear end was set back 35mm or 1.37 inch for the Series III cars (1972 Model Year). If you set your rear end back, or if you install an R200 you'll need the longer drive shaft. You may be getting a clunk where you had none before - because that L28 is a huge increase in low end torque... Check the torque on the bolts, that are on the studs that mount the rear end to the mustache bar. The re-torque the nuts that mount the mustache bar to the subframe. If either of these are slightly loose.. you'll hear the rear end move... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Mark: I am "older" and I still can't relate much to it!! I look in the mirror and wonder "what the hell happened?" "Where did all this loose skin on my face and neck come from?".... then I look at lower parts of my body and I have an idea of where it came from ;-) It's a small world.... Way off topic, but this seems to be an underlying decision driver.... so I'll add some more personal data - that will most likely be of interest only to you... My father died when I was 11 and he was 48, his brother had passed away at 38... his mother was 49... Actually no one in my family lived past the age of 55 (going back to 1303).... until my older brother made it to 60!! (and died from a heart attack the following month) A new record in the "Beck" family!! All died of coronary or cardiovascular problems... I am now the Record Holder... 61!! So I understand your thinking and feelings on this matter... I retired at 55 thinking that I would be lucky to make it to 60. I can only say that life has a way of working out almost always - at odds with the best of our plans... I'm still here only because of the miracles of modern medicine. Just take good care of your health - or make sure you get good health care. Actually the best advice is to do both. As someone else said; "if I knew I would live this long, I'd have taken better care of this body!" As Mr. K say's at age 96... "Enjoy The Ride" You and I know he isn't referring to the car... regards, Carl B.

For 70/71 240-Z KONI Adjustable Front Shock Absorbers #35-1410 (BRE Part Number)....$43.00 ea KONI Adjustable Rear Shock Absorbers #35-1411 As of 2-1-72 no KONI's were yet available for the 72 Model Year. FACTORY 240-Z Racing Suspension Kit #35-1510 Special struts, springs shocks, front and rear anti-roll bars combine to turn your 240-Z into a real handler. Factory designed for minimum installation effort. $552.10 for the kit FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Mark: I hate to tell you, but you'll be saying the same thing at 50 and 60.... Mentally, you don't grow old, you mature and retain the solid values your life's experiences have forged. For the most part you'll still lust after the same things you did when you were 35 or 40.... The sad part is that many of those "things" won't go out with men that look like their Grandfather (unless a great deal of money changes hands:-). If you had told me when I was 45 - that I'd be re-married and having kids again at 50 - I'd have told you that you were nuts!!... Thank God we don't get what we ask for... Now in addition to a son 36, a second son 33, I have a daughter 12 years old and the most wonderful wife any man could ask for. You will find that the time between 40 and 50 years of age - shoots by before you know it. That however is nothing compared to the time flying by at hyper-speed, between 50 and 60 years of age. Ah to be a kid at 40 again.... and know what I know now.... BTW - cdavid is right - it sounds like Burt - cdavid's advice is solid... ignore Burt. If anything, pity him, he must have a very sad existence. Also, just FYI - his car with 14K miles was a Series II example not a Series I. kind regards, Carl B.

I installed a 4.11 in the early 70's when I was running an L24... and auto-crossing on the weekends. Around 1980 I swapped in an L28 with the 5spd.... Given the far greater torque of the L28... I'd rather have the 3.9 or even the 3.7... the L28 has the torque to easily pull the taller gears... Your better option for a "daily ride" would be the 3.9... For performance it depends on how strong your engine is at lower RPM's... Carl B.

Hi Bob/ mmagnus: My unsolicited comments: Bob: 1. The difference between 50 and 60 is the fact that some of your most beloved toys don't work like they used to..<vbg>. mmagnus: 2. I like the process of rebuilding, refreshing and/or restoring 240-Z's. I can understand why one would sell a car once it's completed... It's time to get something else to work on. 3. In the picture below.. of the V12 Jag, the V12 Ferrari and the 240-Z - which one stayed while the others were sold...? I had my Ferrari and I hope you get to have yours... but I'd respectfully suggest that you hang on to your Z for at least a year after your 911 or Ferrari.... then decide which to keep. From personal experience, I know that I can rationalize almost anything I want - I'd suggest that you finance the 911 or Ferrari fully, for at least the first year, so you can keep your Z. Then at the end of that year - decide which to resell. You'll have 12 payments at a higher rate... and if you decide to sell the Z it will be worth more next year anyway - and you can pay down the loan on the 911/Ferrari at that point if you decide to keep the new car... I'm betting you'll keep the Z at the end of that first year. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Dean: Clearwater is just South of Tarpon Springs.. a few miles.. give me a call and I'll tell you how to get here...I know a little bit about the 240-Z's.. be glad to help if I can. Carl B. 727-535-0384

Hi Dean: As mentioned - Radiator Hoses and Heater Hoses that will hold up on short trips around town,and which "appear to be fine"... will blow out on longer, higher speed runs. (this is the most common highway failure on less than well cared for 240-Z's in my experience). If a heater hose blows, you can usually cut it and loop the outlet back to the inlet at the block; but it's a good idea to carry a few feet of new hose with you. .... and most important some spare water (take a couple of gallons of fresh drinking water, and if you don't need it for the car you can drink it later.) The hose always blow out 20 miles from the next freeway exit.. I'd change the upper and lower radiator hoses before leaving on the trip..they are cheap and easy to change in the driveway... far easier than risking your life on the side of the road. Check all the rubber fuel lines for splits/cracks.. and change them if you have any question about them. Twist and turn them, check them carefully and completely. Matter of fact, I'd change them all anyway before leaving. (there are only about four of them under the hood)... The one's under the rear at the tank - don't get the heat from the engine and seem to last longer - but if you can get under the rear - I'd check the fuel line between the tank and the hard lines - feed and return side. Carry a couple new fuel filters... running tanks full of fresh gas through the system can dislodge junk in the tank, that wouldn't be bothered on short trips around town.. and it doesn't take much to clog up a fuel filter..(again cheap, small and easy to carry - and always useful later) As mentioned... drive the car with the headlights on for 20 to 30 minutes.. feel the headlight fuses to see if they are heating up... If they get hot to the touch, you may need to drive during daylight hours and address that problem later.. Check the wiper motor and wiper blades... and change the blades before the trip. Pull the spare tire OUT and check it over carefully, then inflate to 36Lbs. If the car has "mag" wheels make sure you have OEM stock lug nuts for the spare and the right size socket for the mag wheel lugs... make sure you have the jack for the car where it's supposed to be. Needless to say - check the tires for tread separation and sidewall cracking etc. Make sure the car runs smoothly at 65-70 mph... you don't want to fight a shaking steering wheel for 1200 miles... Some 72 240-Z's have been equipped with electric fuel pumps - by previous owners.. on longer trips old one's can fail... if you have only the mechanical fuel pump - I'd buy and carry a spare. (you can always use it later and it's easy to change on the road if necessary). Normally, if a 240-Z runs well on short trips around town - mechanically it will run back and forth across the country... so major engine or driveline problems are few and far between. It's the normal wear items that have been neglected that fail when subjected to the stress of prolonged higher speed trips... good luck, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

See: <a href=http://zhome.com/History/BlackP.htm TARGET=NEW> Black Pearl on the Z Car Home Page </a> FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

How about a nice set of HAYASHI RACING wheels? Now here is something you don't see every day. FWIW, Carl B.

#65049 here

Well... there is "rebuild" and then there is "rebuilt"... As suggested, if you simply need to take them apart, clean and adjust them.. then replace the seals and fuel line between the carb and float bowl... ie "rebuild" them... then yes.. get the video and the kit... On the other hand - if the throttle shafts are worn, and leaking - as well as being sloppy, . . . thus all but impossible to tune them out... You may have to buy a REBUILT set from Z-Therapy. In that case you also get re-plated Cad parts along with the new throttle shaft bushings etc... There is a primary reason that Z Therapy exists.. and that is because by now most sets of the Z SU's need new throttle shafts and bushings.. Nonetheless, get their video... and start there... FWIW, Carl B.

and Hi webdawg1 (everyone): Based on the fact that Dan S - specified the threaded end of his lock pin as being the "top"... and because he ask of the pin was removed from bottom up and out - - - or top (threaded end) down... I get the distinct impression that his lock pin was installed with the threaded end - up - toward the car body. In that case he would NOT drive the pin "...upwards from the bottom up" as you suggest. From your follow-on replies.. I get the impression that you have it fixed in your mind that all lock pins are always installed with the treaded end down.. toward the road. That has most certainly not been my experience - and based on Dan S's question it would seem to not be the case on his car. If the treaded end is considered to be the top of the lock pin: 1. The pin - is wider at the bottom than the top 2. You would drive it out by applying pressure to the top of the pin 3. If you leave the nut even with the top of the treads - you can safely smack the nut with a brass hammer to dislodge the pin. That is simply a little easier than trying to align a drift with only the threaded end. I'm pretty sure that Dan S understood what I was saying, so I'm sure the pin will come out. I didn't feel that I was contradicting your input - so much as trying to make it clear to Dan S in his terms... and based on his input...... I did say "based on how you (Dan S) ask the question". Sorry for any confusion.. Carl B.

Hi Gary: I purchased the puller from the source here on the forum and as I understand it - everything is high strength/hardened steel .. and yes that included the thrust bearing. FWIW, Carl B.

Most of the time.... Hi Gary: I had tightened the large nut on the spindle pin puller down... pretty tight.. and the pin didn't move. A friend with more arm power than me... cranked the nut down on the spindle pin puller - until the nut stripped!!.. Spindle pin didn't move... Took the assembly (strut still connected to the lower transverse link)... to the shop and subjected it to 25 Ton's of pressing force... Spindle pin didn't move.... Applied HEAT... to the entire length of the spindle pin... LOTS OF HEAT... put it back in the Press.. and it finally pressed out... Lesson Learned... if the spindle pin puller won't pull it out with "reasonable force" applied to the nut... stop.. apply LOTS OF HEAT... Others that I have done, simply pulled out with no problems... FWIW, Carl B.