Old Hat

Thanks Zed Head for your response. After I posted I made a real effort to get under there and found that the rubber cover is still on the bolt. I am going to try what you suggest and just remove the rubber. I suspect what has happened is that over the years the rubber has solidified and is so hard that it has lost all of its cushioning effect. I was able to buy a new bolt setup from the local Nissan dealer. As an aside, the parts guy has been with them for over thirty years and when I complimented him for being able to find what I needed he said his mission in life is to keep the old Zs running. In the past he has found parts for me from out of state dealers. The kind of guy us old Z owners need. Thanks again.

Thanks Dave for the heads up.

When I slip my foot off the brake pedal and there is still some play before the pedal reaches its maximum extension there is a metal to metal sound which I believe is due to the rubber padding on the end of the bolt that stops the pedal being worn out. I dont think the brake system is compromised in anyway, but the sound is annoying. I am 87 years young and getting under the dash is a challenge, to say the least, so I was wondering if anyone out there has replaced the bolt in question. From what I could see from my pretzel position there appears to be 3 different bolts in close proximity to one another. Appreciate any guidance that can be offerred re: technique to replace the bolt and of course which is the bolt to be replaced. I have owned my Z for over 40 years and this is only the second time something mechanical had to be replaced. Last time was a water pump over 35 years ago. Best car I ever owned.

I just received my May issue of Sport & Exotic Car magazine (which incidentally is the last issue as Hemmings is discontinuing publication of this magazine). There is an interesting article regarding the original owner of a 1973 Datsun 240Z and his history with his Z which he describes as still basically original.

You mentioned your concern about snapping a retaining bolt during the process of removing the water pump. As I remember those bolts are pretty small and buried in the block. I've had my Z 40 plus years and over thirty years ago had to replace the water pump. Yeah, one of the bolts snapped off! There was no way I was going to be able to extract the bolt so I thought what the hell I'll give it a shot and replace the pump minus one bolt. Well guess what? All these years and she has never leaked. Another one of the reasons I love my Z!

Wilder was a Classic in the true sense of the word.

chiefmd, I have a 72 Z which has the same knob you described and in the same location. Mine operates as a dimmer switch for the dashlights. Presumably, yours has the same function. Hope this answered your question. Old Hat

Dear Redwing, My moniker is Old Hat for a reason and I have owned my 240Z for almost 40 years. I noted one of the replies you got opined that after 40 years Z's were basically toast. Don't you believe it. My Z has approximately 175,000 miiles and the only mechanical repair was a water pump about 30 years ago. Have owned a number of automobiles in my lifetime and the Z is by far the most reliable, good looking, and fun to drive Of course a lot depends on how the vehicle is maintained and location. I live in California in an inland community so rust is not a problem ,which Z's are susceiptible to.. If you intend to keep the car I believe any money you put into either mechanical or cosmetic issues (within reason) will return you dividends in the form of enjoyment and a good chance a return of your money if down the road you decide to sell. as Z's appear to be steadily appreciating in value. Enjoy your Z!

I replaced the radio because the factory unit only spoke mono and I prefer stereo. Your second question appears inane, but thanks for commenting.

My first comment since joining last April. I would like to share some of my experiences owning my Z if I may. I have owned Christine (her nickname) since 1978 and she currently has 176,898 miles under her hood. She is in better health than I am, however I'm pushing 85 1/2 years so she does have an advantage. During the 38 years I have owned her the only mechanical failure has been a water pump which I replaced about 25 years ago. In the process of removing the old pump one of the bolts snapped off inside the head. I installed the new pump minus that one bolt and the pump has never leaked. Within the last two years I had the brake system rebuilt as well as the A/C which still uses R=12 and works great. She still wears her original white paint job and red interior. I replaced the orighinal radio for a stereo/CD unit and recovered the seats. Everything else is original including the dashcover. She has never slept outside except on a trip to Canada. I have owned many automobiles in my lifetime, but never an automobile as reliable, beautiful and fun to drive as Christine. How she got her name? About 15 years ago (yeah its been that long) I took her in for a tuneup and valve adjustment. I was so impressed how she was running I couldn;t wait to get home so I could have my late wife drive her. I backed her in the garage and asked Shirley to come out for a test drive. She was never enamored of the car because she felt the Z was pretty fragile in the event of an accident. I finally got her to come out and the last thing she said before she got in the car was "i really don't want to drive your stupid car!" I half kiddingly told her to be careful with her language because car's have feelings too. Well, she proceeds to turn on the ignition and the car gives off the loudest backfire which just reverberated throughout the garage. Shirley had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel. She finally let go and bolted out of the car. I got into no small amount of hot water laughing at what had just occurred. She never drove the car after that day and we never spoke of the incident after that day. Christine had never backfired before that day nor has she since. God's truth. From that day on we referred to her as Christine after Stephen King's novel of the same name. Like i am sure all of you, I love my Z. Not only for the precious memories but also because I think they are special automobiles from both a design and well as a mechanical aspect. Thanks for listening. John Petkovich

My first comment since joining last April. I would like to share some of my experiences owning my Z if I may. I have owned Christine (her nickname) since 1978 and she currently has 176,898 miles under her hood. She is in better health than I am, however I'm pushing 85 1/2 years so she does have an advantage. During the 38 years I have owned her the only mechanical failure has been a water pump which I replaced about 25 years ago. In the process of removing the old pump one of the bolts snapped off inside the head. I installed the new pump minus that one bolt and the pump has never leaked. Within the last two years I had the brake system rebuilt as well as the A/C which still uses R=12 and works great. She still wears her original white paint job and red interior. I replaced the orighinal radio for a stereo/CD unit and recovered the seats. Everything else is original including the dashcover. She has never slept outside except on a trip to Canada. I have owned many automobiles in my lifetime, but never an automobile as reliable, beautiful and fun to drive as Christine. How she got her name? About 15 years ago (yeah its been that long) I took her in for a tuneup and valve adjustment. I was so impressed how she was running I couldn;t wait to get home so I could have my late wife drive her. I backed her in the garage and asked Shirley to come out for a test drive. She was never enamored of the car because she felt the Z was pretty fragile in the event of an accident. I finally got her to come out and the last thing she said before she got in the car was "i really don't want to drive your stupid car!" I half kiddingly told her to be careful with her language because car's have feelings too. Well, she proceeds to turn on the ignition and the car gives off the loudest backfire which just reverberated throughout the garage. Shirley had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel. She finally let go and bolted out of the car. I got into no small amount of hot water laughing at what had just occurred. She never drove the car after that day and we never spoke of the incident after that day. Christine had never backfired before that day nor has she since. God's truth. From that day on we referred to her as Christine after Stephen King's novel of the same name. Like i am sure all of you, I love my Z. Not only for the precious memories but also because I think they are special automobiles from both a design and well as a mechanical aspect. Thanks for listening. John Petkovich