Av8ferg

Jeff, I want to revive this discussion. I’m sitting in a hotel and the TV only has French channels and it’s cold and wet outside tonight, so I’m on the forum going through old posts that are revenant to me. I need side mirrors. I like the stock 240z ones but there is not option it appears for the passenger side. My car doesn’t have holes drilled for a passenger side mirror either. I can’t believe people drove around like that. All the classic looking chrome mirrors I’ve seen are crap. They’re partial chromed plastic with a metal base. I think that’s so cheap. I don’t like cheapo stuff that looks like you got it at the dollar store. The bullet ones I’m not sure about but I’ve read they’re 100% non functional especially on the passenger side due to lack of mirror movement, so that ends that option. I guess I could just get one 240z mirror and be done. I’ll have to stretch my neck to move safely over the the right lane then. Jeff, what have you decided since you posted this? Here’s my current mirror. It’s not great.. Heres one I like on the green 280z but can’t find ones exactly the same that’s aren’t plastic garbage. Anyone know what it is?

The only reason this is true is because it is a niche market. Again we have to look at profitability vs effort. What do you think the total market value is of all Datsun parts in one year globally is?. This number is tiny, tiny. I bet paperclips have a larger market value globally than vintage Datsun parts. Its market size/value that drives investors. A larger pie attracts more entrepreneurs. We want resources going to where there are large markets. It’s just the reality to the laws of economics. Let’s keep the folks we have incentivized to keep the parts flowing. There is one website that had tried to do what you are talking about. https://www.datsunpartz.com

Good to hear, I need new hoses and condenser anyway but I agree that it’s BS. It there anyway to test a compressor and it is worth to have it rebuilt? I’d rather use my Hitachi and roll like you and DaveWM…he lives in FL I think and you can’t live without AC there either. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don’t think it’s unethical to allow vendors to charge whatever they want, this is capitalism. Competition drives prices down and incentivize vendors to become more efficient. People can choose not to buy from them and a free market will usually drive prices down unless you have the market locked up buy one or two vendors. What is unethical and when vendors coordinate together to run prices up. This is what OPEC and other organizations do to manipulate prices. We want Z parts vendors to be profitable, if they aren’t then you have less choices or no clouded and less choice = higher prices. We face this in the aviation industry, people complain about the cost of aviation parts. I used to be responsible for getting parts from manufactures to the operational units. We paid crazy amounts for parts. An example is a small APU (auxiliary power unit). These are small turbine engines to start aircraft motors or provide electrical power to an aircraft. We paid $465,000 each to refurbish them by Boeing. They were really worth maybe $50,000 but nobody makes them anymore and how do incentivize Boeing to rebuild 100 a year? You have to pay and make it worth their while or they’ll say “no thank you”. Then you have no aircraft to fly. So for example i need new window scrappers for my Z (ones that touche the glass when you roll up the window). A vendor like MSA might sell 120 a year? Maybe only 40 a year. How do you make it worth their while to find a company that will make these for them . They have to offer that supplier a profitable motive. When this happens I can get a nice replacement parts. Otherwise, I’m stuck with the hard broken ones I have. You see this is things like remanufactured starters or brake masters etc. Why do some many of these parts suck! Well, because we consumers tend to buy the cheaper of the options available, to compete companies have to find ways to do it cheaper and then you end up with crap! I remember from Econ 101 “The consumer sets the prices of good and services when the free market is working”. If it cost too much…don’t buy it. If you want it and feel the value to cost ratio is there then buy it.

That’s pretty bold to cut that open yourself. There are somethings I just leave to people who do it everyday but I applaud you for doing it yourself. You need to take a bunch of pic and show how it goes.

Good info here. I could forgo the heat but that’s not in my nature. I have an desire for thing to be done right ( both a curse and blessing). This is a journey not a destination and part of the journey is educational and testing and challenging yourself to doing it right. If I had a deadline or this was my main transportation then maybe I’d skip the heat too for awhile. Why take the journey if you plan to skip steps. When it’s done…it will be done the best I can personally do. I’ve never been a half arse type of guy so why start. now. To the R-134 issue. I’ve been educating myself on this. I’m getting conflicting information. Some says R-134 molecules are smaller and require changes in the fittings and condenser or you will be recharging your system, every 24 months or so….I’m kind of calling BS on this, This sounds whacky to me with my basic understanding of Physics (I did major in Physics for 2 years at UMASS). I don’t claim to be an expert by any means. I do understand that there are different pressures required between the two systems to reach similar efficiencies so that my be the issue that the R-12 fittings can’t handle the R-134 systems pressures and the stock hitachi compressor can’t handle it either well. Again, fact or fiction? Either way I need a new condenser because mine is beat up. So an R-134 designed one from Vintage Air is probably better and WAY cheaper that an OE type R-12 one. Do I just got Sanden or have my compressor rebuilt? Seems like if going R-134 then Sanden might be the right way to go.

Dan, you are clearing the trail for me. My turn signals don’t work either, I haven’t tried to diagnose the problem yet. I have bigger fish frying right now and the back burner is smoking. I have too many Z task I’m working on….I’m trying to focus 🧘 . I look forward to seeing how your repair work out. I actually get a lot of satisfaction on wiring repair. As a former USAF avionics mechanic they trained me pretty well in the menial task of building and repairing wire bundles. Put on a good podcast and get the soldering iron, multi-meter and shrink wrap ready.

Sorry, I did put his contact above but here it is again. http://heatervalves.net Spoke to him on Saturday he’s going to rebuild and test both AC and Heater Valves. Said he’s done hundreds. Got my fuel tank in this AM, never a fun job. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good advice above. Modern cars (not yours) have gaskets between electrical connectors. If you get water inside your connections like to the AFM etc you could create a short across a terminal. If the voltage is enough you could damage something like the ECU. Disconnect the battery before you do anything. You can power wash with care to avoid these connections. I power washed the heck out of my engine but it wasn’t running at the time and I let it sit in the sun and dry before connecting the battery. You can also pull connectors post wash use compressed air to blow out the water on the connections. You have to avoid the distributor for sure. Water will pool in the bottom and you won’t be able to start it. I like brake cleaner and simple green. Brake cleaner disperses water and has chlorine and evaporates quickly. I go Simple Green. Let is soak for 15 mins the lightly spray off with water. Get a bag of rags and wipe everywhere you can and follow it up with the brake cleaner. Cleaning the engine bay is a process. Get the big stuff and then over time focus one one areas and progress. Will take days or weeks to get it really clean but you need to get the caked off grime to get headed in the right direction and power washing with care in those areas (like oil pan and lower block areas) will help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dave thanks for all that info. I don’t have plans to modify the system unless parts availability come into play. I have a Hitachi compressor. I don’t know it’s status, could be junk….or not. I guess the issue with a Sanden is getting the lines to fit properly. I usually try and avoid aftermarket stuff but in some cases technology had progressed making it better but most of the time there are fitment and quality issues. It’s not a hard and fast rule but something I’ve seen in my previous car repairs. Buy OE once or aftermarket 2x or more. Good news, got a hold of the guy rebuilding my heater and ac valves. Nice guy and price is reasonable. He said he’s done hundreds of these rebuilds and will have mine working like new. Sent them off yesterday and they’ll be ready when my new dash arrives from Vintage Dashes next week. (Thanks for putting your 6 part video series up on the dash replacement).

Jim, late to this post but this AC dragon is beginning to poke its head out of its lair for me. Only because I’m replacing heater core and having the heater and AC valve rebuilt. Summer come fast where I live and I don’t won’t to waste half of it unraveling my AC issues, I have a stock system. My bracket is a ZX one, my compressor came off my car and is Hitachi. I have no idea if it works. I do know that the system was charged when I removed the AC lines. I had quite a surprise when I made a bad assumption that the system was depleted and removed a AC line. Made a mess and scared the crap out of me when it discharged. What a dummy! I saw these Sanden compressors for sale ~$200. Seems reasonable but is it worth having my rebuilt or tested first? Getting those fitting set up sounds a bit difficult and I don’t have access to a hydraulic crimper. Is the Sanden lighter than the stock one. I couldn’t believe the weight of that thing. I also could use a replacement condenser. Mine appears to have had several battles with blunt objects smashing up the fins pretty good not to mention it looks rough, I never see the logic of putting old crap back into service like this condenser when it probably on its final leg anyway. You did a sweet job on this, nice work and thanks for posting it up.

Your diff is painted blue. Was it replaced by you or did you get the car with it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wanted to start a discussion about the 280z HVAC. It’s a bit confusing to me and I need some education to make the proper decisions to move forward. My car is a stock AC car so it has two HVAC control valves. One is a vacuum valve for the AC and the other a mechanical valve with a thermostatic sensor for the heater. This sensor has a coiled copper wire that sits under the heater core and the other end goes to the heater valve. I’m not sure how all these devices work together. My reading leads me to believe this system is all that great, not to mention stock components are in the unobtainable category. First are there modern valve alternatives? Second, there are Nissan heater valves for a non-ac ZX that would probably work, the question is what do you lose with removal of the thermostatic sensor that’s on an AC car? Not sure why an AC car has this additional sensor and why it is coiled below the heater core? If I went with a ZX valve and kept the Vacuum AC valve would I not be able to control temperature? I really don’t know so I can’t make a decision on the proper way forward. My contact in WI that rebuilds heater valves has gone silent on me so I’m looking at alternatives until he responds. i have a new Dash that arrived from Vintage Dashes next week and when I return from my 10 day work trip I want all my stuff ready to go. I’m not doing this job twice. I needed the heater stuff squared away before installing the dash! I can’t imagine I’m the only person that has had to deal with this, so I’m hoping there is corporate knowledge out there on suitable alternatives. I live in the South and heat isn’t a must have but it get cold here. Got done to 28 last night. Summers are brutal….AC is a must. Mid to high 90’s during peak summer with humidity 95+ %. No AC = No Go. I’d like to have both work. There is heater valve off a 70’s Volvo looks promising. For sale on Amazon for $99 with free returns, only difference is the cable connection is on the opposite side. Could be an easy mod? Last pics are of this Volvo valve. Here are pics of the above discussed components.

Glad you’re better Cliff. The library was getting out of sorts with you gone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don’t forget to take 2 Advil afterwards Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve done this 3x. Make sure you match the length of the shaft off your old one. You want the throw length to be the same. It’s hard because you have to compress the masters rod, push the spring loaded clutch pedal in a confined space. Plus you need to light. It’s a really tight area to slide the clevis pin in. So I found a much easy technique because what I explained above is almost impossible unless you have hands of a 3 yrs old and weigh 58lbs and are good at Yoga. Here’s the way to do it . Once you match the shaft lengths by adjustment of the screw, then observe the threads sticking out the U-Joint. (Count them). Then remove the U-joint from the masters shaft . Go and attach the U-joint to the pedal. You won’t be dealing with all the pressures . Once the clevis pin is in and c clip on the go and install the master from the engine side. Lightly screw it in so it won’t fall out. Go back in the car and grab the threaded shaft and screw it into the u-joint you just attached to the pedal until the threads are are the right length from your previous measurement. Now go and tighten down the master in the engine bay. If you enjoy cussing and getting passed off try the first way first.

You’ll enjoy putting in the clutch master.

Mine are 205/55 R16 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got the exact same wheels from MSA. Same size and color. They look great in my opinion on these cars. Have you decided one tire size yet?

The past few weeks I thought the site went totally down intermittently. I think last week I couldn’t even open the homepage. I thought it was solar flares [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dan this is an awesome post. If my wife walked in and saw what you did to the dinning room table…..oh boy would it be a bad day for me. I once’s used the oven to back some high temp painted engine parts and she about shot me for that, never saw it the act but smelled it upon coming home BTW. I have a couple extra stock wire harnesses that connect from the harness behind the dash to the center counsel. If you need one let me know. Got them incase I had issues with the connectors on mine. Any chance you’d be willing to print up a set of rear bumper plates. Something I thought about but don’t have a printer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Side bar…my fuel tank arrived yesterday. Looks good…it looks like it has a thick rubber coating on it. Clean inside, and it is guaranteed for life. Guy cut it in half, addressed any issues and removed all the rust and then welded it back, It was baked 3x during the process and then sealed on the outside. The exterior has paint streaks but I knew that going it. The material they use cannot be sprayed he said. As long as it trouble free I don’t care.

Here’s a pic of the before and after of a guy that sent his to him. Different car but looks about as bad as mine.

Persistence once again prevails. I’ve been searching for a heater valve replacement and it not been going well. My style valve is no longer obtainable and alternates have fitment concerns. But I found a guy in WI that rebuilds them. I’m sending him both the vacuum AC valve and heater valve where is will inspect and recondition. Price is reasonable considering the cost of replacements. $100 plus shipping and he has a 24 hr turnaround time. Here’s what mine look like right now. http://heatervalves.net/

So I did some research on the interwebs last night and have come to a couple conclusions. - and aftermarket or OEM heater cores that were meant for the S30 are not available. - rebuilding an old one is cost prohibitive. My quote came in at $415 plus shipping. 🤮 -stock heater control valves….none available for the 280z. You can find 240Z and 280zx , not sure if they’re compatible or what you lose if you do use them. 240Z probably more compatible than the ZX due to mounting point. So here is some good news….the dimensions of the 280z heater core is 7”x 6.75”x 3”. There is ones for cars that are almost the same size, most are 2” thick. I found several and price ranges between $40 and $120 depending on brand and copper vs aluminum. Like Captain Obvious did, you’d have to make a 1” shelf for the core to sit on or it would be banging around in there on the Pot holes all over Philly 😂. Now the heater control valve. I think I found a possible candidate for replacement with the temp control feature as in the later 280z ( ones with copper wires). A 1971-1974 Jaguar Hester control is almost identical except the spring Cntrl is on the opposite side. See pics below. I’d like someone who is more familiar look at the photo of the Jaguar one and see what you think about compatibility. The vacuum section looks similar too for the other half but the mount I’d on the wrong side. It looks like Nissan may have copied the Jaguar one or vise versa. Also the Jaguars ones are available from several retailers. Thoughts?