Mark Maras

The hesitation and sputtering is lack of fuel. Now that both carbs appear too lean, given that the mixture screws are at 2 1/2 turns and assuming the needles are installed correctly, I'd suspect the float heights are too low. IF, you're double dog sure sure that everything is correct, you might try using a heavier wt. oil in the carbs. I always ran ATF but Datsun recommended 20wt. if I recall correctly. I"m not an expert on the effects of different wt. oils but everyone has a favorite that seems to work best in their carbs.

Hmmm. Interesting method for verifying the pump is working. Most likely the needle and seat in the rear carb. float chamber is stuck open or the float level is way too high. Pull the float chamber top, inspect the needle and seat and check the float level. If you don't have a spare gasket, sandwich the gasket in wax paper or foil and put it in a book to keep it from curling as it dries. Also it would be a good idea to check the banjo fuel filters on each carb. They're on top of the float bowl covers where the fuel line enters. They often get overlooked. Pull the spark plugs. Numbers 4-6 will be black due to the excess fuel. What color are 1-3? If they're tan in color, the front carb. is set reasonably close.

If I were doing it, wiring would be the major hurdle. For example, compare the wiring diagrams for a 1970 vs a 1973. I think all of the hard parts should be a plug and play. Datsun did change the half-shaft angles in the very early 240s. What is the build date of your shell?

Wow, like a dream come true. I wonder if it would remove rust from thin sheet metal without warping it.

I wish I could remember one classic example. Sorry to disappoint you. After thirty five years of marriage we've learned that participating in the others potentially frustrating project, and having differing opinions how it should be done, is not a good example of Peace on Earth.

How many turns down are the mixture screws? It's possible the float levels are too low. It definitely is a lean condition.

Does it have the original electric and mechanical fuel pumps? My first thought is the elec. pump in front of the tank isn't working. If the mechanical pump is there, you could pull the fuel line between the mechanical pump and the filter, put it in a container of gas and try to start it. One way or another the fuel pumps will need to be checked for pressure and volume flow. This is assuming that crud in the tank isn't blocking a line.

Caution is advised here.

I've used both and worn out both. They both worked fine and lasted about the same length of time. Given the option of cast or stamped, I would go with the cast. It looks like a better part even if it's not. It's a perception thing, IMO.

No, you shouldn't need to modify the quarter panels. I believe the body shop said all was well before the weatherstrip went in. If that's true, the problem is the weatherstrip. As I stated previously, if you search using the term weatherstrip, you'll find plenty of folks who have had this same problem and have some creative methods to solve it. It's possible the body shop had to adjust the door latches to allow the doors to close and latch.

A couple of months ago there was some discussion about Maxima diesel crankshafts and their rarity and high price. There's one on Portland Craigslist $700.00, along with a fresh, running L24 w-4 speed $1500.00, BW 5 speed $700.00 and some other NICE looking goodies. Post ID# 5779676531. He was gathering goodies to build a stroker but is going another direction now.

I don't remember who it was either but it seems it would be easy to design one that bolts to the tie down (tow hook) bolt holes. I'm assuming that would be a good attachment point for a light weight trailer hitch.

Use the term "Weatherstrip" in your SEARCH for information. This is a common problem with aftermarket WS. The reason some folks are using KIA weatherstrip is because some WS manufacturers use a stiffer foam or a different cross section configuration. There are plenty of opinions and ideas for a solution on the first few pages. Good luck.

My son used one on his 81 RX7 after the fire, caused by a shorted map light hot wire. It's use at that time was to prevent another fire while it was sitting after repairs. After a few months of both fretting and confidence building, we took it off. It worked very well. I did notice that if it wasn't screwed down very tight there was a loss of voltage. As far as theft prevention, it's cheap and effective. Just take the green knob off. It can be defeated with a jumper cable though. To correct the memory loss in his stereo, we disconnected the radio power wire from the harness and ran a fused wire with a ring connector from the battery terminal to the radio hot wire. Pretty basic and quite ugly until it was secured and hidden with flexible loom covers. A new battery cable with an extra wire would have been a better option.

I don't have any advice as to which head to run but keep an eye out on Craigslist, Seattle and Portland. There are still some bargains to be found.

I've used rifle barrel cleaning brushes mounted in a drill motor to clean those bolt holes. Many sizes to choose from and they're cheap.

If it overheated when you were moving, it has nothing to do with the fan. The fan isn't needed when the car is moving fast enough to push air through the rad. A complete inspection of the cooling system and a compression test would be where I would start. I had this problem years ago and corrected it with a cooling system flush, re-cored the radiator (3 rows) and added a shroud for good measure. The compression was good. No problems after that.

To each his own.

Thanks, I stand corrected. I didn't think that there were that many differences. I thought most of those changes came mid model year like most of the others Datsun did. I did know about the carb change. Not many late 240s or 260s with flat tops on the road any more, except maybe the Cap'n.

Hypothetically, if one put late 73 240 emblems on an early 74 260, I think a vin search would be the only way to tell. IMO, as the supply of 240s continues to decline, the 260s will be the next to go up in value. The last year of Su's along with one year of production (if you go by model numbers) will become desirable. If you don't NEED the money right away, hang on to it any way possible. You won't be sorry.

The voices return. Sheesh, I wish I was in a position to jump on it. Keep it or flip it, (against my nature) either way you couldn't lose. That one appears to be a real gem. It's possible it's an automatic (Oh, Boo Hoo) and that's why the asking price is reasonable. If someone wants me to take a look at it with the intention of buying it, I'll do it but the temptation to look at it for myself is too great and I'm too weak. It appears to be in Salem, about an hour South of me. Let me know. Could be one that @Blue would want to look at.

The current patina looks good with the butterscotch interior. No carbs isn't an issue. Someone saved the new owner the time it takes to remove the flat tops that were probably on it.

Impressive. Did the strut bracket do that? I'm sure many of us have tales of woe due to a lapses in reasoning for any number of reasons. Might be an interesting theme for a new thread. "Z injuries. AKA Don't do this." A picture is worth a thousand words.

I agree with the Captain's observation about the early SUs having little to no problem. My early 71, for example. 20+ years driven daily, year round, never had VL, even once. Stock set up. No elec. f. pump, just the mechanical one on the engine. Pressure was slightly more than 3 psi as I recall. (BTW, we used to run a 327 in a dragster that had plenty of fuel at 3 psi.) Clear filter on the firewall was never full. It ran at 1/4 full or less. No vents in the hood. Seemingly everything that should have caused VL didn't. So, we know the later round tops and flat tops were plumbed for hot water and that can contribute to VL. It seems that the addition of an elec. pump did little to nothing to eliminate VL, if that was it's purpose. Nor did the hood vents seem to help much. They did change the fuel rail from two lines to three later on. Could that play into this? I don't know the reason for that change. What was the third line for? Drilling the restriction in the line is an interesting idea. It would be interesting to put a f.p. gauge on it before and after. You're not going to hurt anything until the pressure drops well below 3 psi. It doesn't take much pressure to fill the float bowls. There's no restriction until the needle and seat close. Usually running low on gas in the bowls is from lack of fuel volume not poor pressure.

That product looks way cool and you don't have to worry about contamination from the oil. Are you going to cut a shallow v in the crack for better penetration?