sblake01

Well mine is 462153 made in 5/78. That's some 28000+ later than yours and I have seen later.

The rattling under the shift boot is more than likely worn shift lever bushings. Easy to replace. As far as a catalytic converter goes, I thought they were only on California cars. And for originality, I don't think it's as important on a 280Z since they are looked upon differently than the 70-73 cars IMO. 280Zs make better daily drivers and if that will be your use for the car, you'll want to have the things in it that make the daily drive more enjoyable. I've owned a 78 280Z for 8 years and if the price is right, I would recommend it.

Oh, I wasn't really trying to start an argument. All I was saying is what I like is not necessarily what every one else likes. I just think it's a moot point to say that what one likes is better than what I like or vice versa. It all comes down to personal opinion/taste.

Okay, okay. And your point is? Not everyone shares your tastes or mine for that matter. If you like it and think it's the best Z ever to come down the pike, then cool!

Same color and same wheels as my 78 280Z. Power steering was not an option on any S30 as far as I know, but A/C was. The manual trans swap is fairly straightforward. You just need to acquire all of the attending parts and pieces. Trans, clutch (disc, t/o bearing, pressure plate), flywheel, pedal set, slave and master cylinder and lines for them, and the clips, fasteners, nuts and bolts that go with it all. I don't know if the manual driveshaft is different from the a/t driveshaft. Look, Will(hls30.com), he's got your mirror!

Wang Chung was the name of the group, the album, and the song!

VB has them listed as a heater valve (part 54-234) for $119.95 and Motorsport has them listed as a heater control valve (part 16-7643) for $81.56. I recall paying about $75 for mine in 2003.

That's the heater ****. They were still available when I replaced mine in 2003. A Z mechanic friend of mine got it for me but I'll have to ask him where he got it from.

I replaced mine without removing anything. It's kind of a contortionist thing but it can be done.

A volt meter is just + and -. You don't really want to bridge that. . . .

I'm sitting here with an ignition switch and assembly in hand. The only way you could install it backwards would be to force it and that would probably break the housing because it's slotted. 280zs have voltmeters not amp guages. All they do is read current rather than pass it through so if it was bad, the car would still run.

On a 75 there's one right below the voltage regulator. Sounds like you need a service manual.

Well put. I always thought that Datsun did a pretty good job building these cars and as I am not an automotive engineer, I'll stick to keeping mine running the way they intended for them to run.

And have you checked your ignition relay?

Have you checked the electrical part that screws on to the back of your ignition switch? I seem to remember some symptoms very similar to what you are describing being caused by one of these going bad on a 510 I once owned.

The US 280z (no such thing as a 280z turbo, not factory anyway) vents the vapors through the foam filter in the bottom of the charcoal cannister.

Everything is extenal to the tank. The 'vapor-liquid seperator' is inside the cabin. It's in the hatch area above the right wheel well. There is also a charcoal cannister under the hood that ties in with this system. Don't know about the Aussie 260z's.

It's part of the evaporative emissions control. Datsun actually refers to it as 'vapor-liquid separtor' in the FSM.

I may have one. I still have a box of stuff I haven't opened since we moved. It might be for the 810 but if it's a Z panel, it's yours if you want it.

I see four in my car. One over the ECU on the drivers side, one directly below the dash from the door to the console (the hood release lever and vent knob go through that one), the one you mention on the right side below the glove compartment, and the one over the fuse box (made from fibreboard not plastic like the ohters). There are also two plastic panels where the carpet meets the firewall in either footwell.

So let's see if I've got it. You rotate and Australian mirror and put it on the left side and you rotate a USA mirror and put it on the right side. . . . . . . . . . .

IIRC, at least on my 78, if the fuse blows that controls the dash lights, you also lose the tail lights, running lights, and dome light.

Take a look at the silver 383 stroker Z that is in my gallery. That has got to be one of the best engineered hybrids I've ever seen. Talk about a '350'/240. Well actually I guess that would be a '383'/240. And it still looks like a Z. 6 speed Cobra trans, sub framed, quaife differential, coil overs, vintage air, and of course, that 383 stroker that is set back in the chassis so that the car actually handles. It's only an underhood shot but this car is so well done. I'm more impressed with it than the one in this thread and I'm not a real fan of hybrids. I'd like to see more info on that car. (The V8).