Matthew Abate

Are all 240z front struts the same? NO! Those two struts have different sized bolt holes. On the left you see m12x1.25 holes, and on the right you see m11x1.5 holes. I think this was done by a previous owner. Either the bigger holes were retapped or one of the struts came from a different year car. There was suspicious overspray of body color on these parts when I pulled them, so something definitely happened here. BUT! The bolts I got with my bump steer spacer kit are m12x1.25, which means the manufacturer of those probably match them to a bigger size, so maybe m12x1.25 is right on some cars. *** Regardless, I have a drill and a tap coming in the mail. Now I’m going to find some grade 8 or higher bolts to replace the stainless ones that came with my spacers.

They ended up pulling the tire well Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

I just asked the shop about drilling out the spot welds on the spare tire well. Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

Some people call it the rear valance or apron: https://zcardepot.com/rear-valance-apron-roll-pan-sheet-metal-240z-260z-280z

I’m looking at the roll pan on Z Car Depot and wondering if this is the best option for replacing the caved in one on my car. The spare tire well makes beating this thing back into shape way more expensive than just welding in a new one, so I was just about to pull the trigger on this, and then I started wondering if it would be better to try to find one someone has on a dead car. ZCD wants $253 after shipping, which is QUITE a lot. If I can finagle free shipping it would be $189, which still feels high. Thoughts?

I’m missing something. The Z Home site doesn’t have anything that tells him how to mix the paint.

So this is all I need then? Why did I think that would be so hard? I feel like we should make a sticky thread that has this for all the years.

So my painter was supposed to scan the paint before they finished the sandblasting, but they didn’t do it, so now he’s asking me to find out what formula he should use while he tries to figure it out on his end. The car was 918 originally, but the several threads I’ve found about that paint are inconclusive. I remember seeing someone say they figured out the right formula so it doesn’t end up dark sludgy orange brown and comes out the right spicy orange that it’s supposed to be. If anyone can point me to the right threads or just tell me what I should tell the painter I would appreciate it. So far the only advice I have found is "get the leaded PPG formula," get "Dupont Chromo-based paints," and the code is "PPG 60636," but I don't know if that is adequate. I also found this on a site called Paintref.com: Year: 1972 Make: Datsun Color Name: Mexican Orange Code: 918 Ditzler PPG: 60636 Dupont: 8715 Sherwin Williams: 4334 Is that all he needs? Any help would be much appreciated!

Problem solved:

Okay, all of this was valuable feedback, so thanks. I've decided to not risk jumping on wheels right now and to wait until I have the whole thing back together. There was a sale on the Group4 wheels I've been looking at, but it won't be their last one. In other news…

That’s a great deal Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

Man that looks nice. I’m not normally a fan of that style of wheel for S30s when I see them on a website or off the car, but these look soooooo good mounted. Thanks for the comment on rolling the fender, too. I'm glad to hear someone successfully runs 8.5" rear wheels, although I wasn't clear what you ended up using in the front. I’m going to the body shop today, so I’ll discuss it with them. Is the rubbing issue always on the outer lip or is there an issue on the inside as well?

Still not clear on that 8” wheel in the back question. Is that too wide for my setup? Can anyone say definitively? I’ve seen people say yes definitely and I’ve seen people say it’s no issue.

Interesting. I didn’t know that. I’m seeing that 8” is too big for my damper/spring combo in the back. If I go square it’s probably got to be 7” so steering isn’t heavy but I’m maxing out my contact patches. Makes finding wheels easier, I guess. Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

Last time I did this was a corvair, which has the same kind of needs of maximum contact patch in the back and narrower front tires to lighten steering weight. I’ve been told that works in general for cars that don’t have power steering. So if I go square I would go with 15x7s +0 all around with 205/60-15s, right?

I am looking at getting some custom wheels made and was looking at 15x6.5 in the front and 15x8.5 in the back. Does anyone have any experience with that width in the back? Are 15” wheels hard to get good tires for? Is that too narrow in the front? I’ve read a bunch of threads on these issues on this forum as well as others and there’s too much noise to draw a consensus. Hayashi Racing told me to get 15x7.5 with +6 offset all the way around. I think 16” wheels look wrong, but I also want to be able to get tires. Also, I have the eibach springs and Tokico Illuminas to take into account.

My old bolt vs the eBay 210/310 bolt. Problem solved.

Found some from a 210/310 on eBay. I have a feeling they aren’t the same, but they were $15 for 4 so I too the gamble. We shall see. Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

Yeah, that’s a problem too. I’ve read and been told not to use a regular washer with a split lock washer, so I’m trying to source some more correct bolts or a m10 split lock washer that is at least 4mm thick. Tall order. These might work: http://www.dli-teknik.se/index.php?section=products&subsection=7&cat=83&s1cat=578&s2cat=1056&showprod=10154&lang=en I called ARP and they said these were probably custom manufactured by them for this distributor. Looking into the details. Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

I just got off the phone with them. They had only checked them on 260/280Zs so that’s part of the problem. My options are find some OEM ones (just emailed Jim), find thicker lock washers, or grind these down. I don’t like the grinding option because I would be reducing the thread contact area from the intended design. For reference: Bolt = 40209-22000 (NLA) m10x1.25, 27mm long, 10mm grip length Lock washer = 08915-14010 m10x3mm thick

Yep. Z Car Depot said they get these from Nissan, so they are looking into it to see if they can figure out something better. Note that the thread count is fine and it is the unthreaded shank that is way to long by at least 1.5 millimeters.

What did you torque yours to? I couldn’t find the torque spec in the FSM so I went with what is in the Chilton, which is 43-54 pounds. I’m thinking that might be part of it. As soon as I can I’ll pull a bolt and check the measurements to verify that.

Got the hubs and rotors together... ... but... ... notice anything? The hub bolts are protruding. They will hit the wheel if I leave them like that and prevent a solid mating surface between the hub and wheel. This could mean one of, or a combination of, three things: the new bolts are longer than the OEM bolts, the new lock washers are thinner than the OEM lock washers, or the new rotors are thinner at the mounting point than the OEM rotors. I’m going to pull a bolt and double check the length as soon as I have time, but I suspect that it’s the rotor. They have a recess where the bolt hole is and I think it’s too deep. If the new bolts and washers are the same measurements as the OEM bolts I’ll have two options: grind the bolts shorter or find thicker lock washers.

I got about half way and ran out of vacation days and sand, so Blast Lab finished it. Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

It’s been a while since I posted progress, so I thought I would throw some photos up: Note the helicoil that came out with this bolt: Time-sert installation: Finishing: New bearing cups in: Body status: Carbs back from Z Therapy: Hoping to have the rotors and hubs on the struts by the end of the weekend. The weather has been hot and humid so I’m not certain the paint will be cured on my dust shields by then, though. After that is scrounging up the hardware that holds the suspension on the car, getting some cheep tires on the old mags, and getting the suspension out to the painter after the undercoat is on.