z3beemer

Thanks Steve. I'll check out the items you mentioned on my next go around. I need to walk away from it for a day or so. I'll let you know what I find.

You may be right RacerX. In the past I found many times when you're having light problems it ends up being the grounds. Been thru it again today everything seems to be correct, but I could have mis marked something on disassembly, but I was pretty careful and only disconnected one wire/plug at a time and marked both sides of each wire. Does anyone know where I can get a large print color wiring schematic? The one in the FSM is next to impossible to follow. Thanks for all your input guys, I really appreciate it. I'll keep fightiing it.

Went another round with the instrument lights and lost again. To respond to a few of the suggestions / questions above: I unplugged the 9 pin connector on the combo switch....No affect. Instrument lights stayed lite. The car is not in finished mode. I'm trying to verify as many circuits as possible now, so I don't have to tear everything apart after it is all back to together. I checked all my connections they all seem ok. I marked each wire on both ends as I took it apart. On the right kick pad where all the plugs and relays are there are two large blue male/female plugs. They are interchangeable (physically but maybe not electrically) I noticed the wires colors on the male side did not match the female side, so I switched them. Now the wires match. I thought " yes, that was the problem"...it wasn't. I looked at FSM BE section and for the meters (gauges) there is a simplified electrical drawing for illumination. It shows the lamps in parallel connected to a 12v source (battery) then thru the rheostat. No other switches are in the circuit. Could it be that there is power to the instrument lights any time the key is on and they are turn off via the rheostat???? As for the original wiring, the car originally had an ARA dealer installed A/C system and an aftermarket alarm. Several tie ins were made but only to bring power to the units. All that has been removed. I don't believe any of that is causing my problem. As usual you input is greatly appreciated. z3beemer

Been searching the forum for answers to my problems but have been unable to find one. 73 240Z complete tear down and rebuild. Working on reinstalling the dash and electrical. Trying to check out as much as possible before moving on. I've connected a motorcycle battery to the main electrical cable in the engine bay (that normally connects to the battery cable) for testing purposes. I did a pretty good job of marking all wires and plugs to facilitate reconnecting. Also I installed a new ac/heater system that had its own wire harness. I only had to use one 12V switched wire from the original harness and the blower motor control switch. So now I have two current problems. Most all the instrument lights work but they come on as soon as the ignition is turned on. The switch on the multipurpose switch has no effect on the instrument lights. The rheostat does control the intensity. The second problem is that the 3 instrument lights on the heater control panel do not work at all (bulbs are good). I'm wondering if the multifunction switch is bad. I bought this as a project car that ran but never paid any attention to the instrument lights. All other electrical devices worked. If it's the multifunction switch, I'll replace it, but I know they are pricey, so I don't want to spend the money and have the same problem. I suppose I could splice into one of the other instrument wires and run power to the heater control panel lights, but I will still have the problem with the instrument lights not being controlled by the light switch. This originally was an automatic trans being converted to manual shift (not sure that has anything to do with it but I'm stumped). Thanks in advance for your assistance. Paul (z3beemer)

Great. Thanks for the help. I have the FSM but was looking in the body section not the steering section. I'll check it out.

So it's been a while since I removed the dash on my 73 240Z restoration. Since I'm getting old I don't remember things as well. I'm getting ready to re install the dash and could use some help jogging my memory. On the bottom of the dash on the left side there is a bare piece of metal with 4 holes in it. I can't remember if this part of the dash just rests on top of the steering column bracket or if I have to remove the steering column mounting bracket bolts and sandwich the dash plate between the upper and lower halves of the column, then reinstall the bolts. I've included a few pics to illustrate what I'm talking about. Any help greatly appreciated. Paul (zebeemer)

Thanks. Great stuff!

I have a 73 240Z restoration project underway. I'm currently trying to install a dash overlay. To do so I have to remove the hazard warning switch knob. It's one of the green pull switches. This may sound stupid, but I can't figure out how to get the knob off. I tried pulling, unscrewing, looking for a set screw, looking for a release button on the back. Nothing. It can't come out the back with the knob on. I'm afraid it I pull any harder I'll break it. Any suggestions?

I'll most likely be sending mine in for the upgrade in a few weeks. Last time I spoke with them they were quoting 3 weeks turn around. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I've been looking into radio options for my 73 240Z and found a company that will take your radio and update all the internals but maintain the original face plate, housing, etc. It will even maintain full function of the pushbutton presets. It's not cheap, but provides a lot of options that you can pick and choose. Options include, bluetooth, hands free phone, usb, flashdrive, mp3, etc. You will end up with a 180 watt 4 channel unit. I priced it for mine with all the options and the price was $550. The web site is: www.tech-retro.com. They have a good video on the site that demonstrates the unit and all the features. The actual work is performed through authorized dealers throughout the US. The one closest to me is in Chicago area. I've spoke to him several times and he's been very helpful, plus he's a car guy. Paul (z3beemer)

I'm currently in the process of rebuilding the seats in my 73 240z. I'm using new foam from MSA. Upon disassembly of the seat back I noticed a layer of brown straw like material about an inch thick that was between the foam and the seat upholstery. Any idea why this is there, and should I reuse it? It smells kind of musty so I don't want to use it if I don't have to. If I do need it, is there some other material available I can use or should I just leave it out all together. Thanks, Paul (z3beemer)

Just wanted everyone to know the great experience I had dealing with Jim (S30Driver). I finally got my fender, one in great shape, and Jim put a lot of work into making it happen. I you ever have the chance to work with him on parts, you can be sure he is reliable and honest. You will never have to worry about his legitimacy. THANKE JIM.

I'm in the process of a 73 240Z restoration project, currently working on an auto to manual trans swap. When I bought the car I got an engine & manual trans with it from a 72 240Z. First: Ther is no netural safety switch on the 72 trans, only a back up light switch. Is there anyway to add one? I thought one way may be to use the existing wires that went to the inhibitor switch on the auto and run them to a stop light type switch, and fabricate a bracket the would activate when the clutch pedal is depressed. The only drawback is that the clutch pedal would always have to be depressed, even when the car is in netural, in order to start it. Second: I know the 73 autos had dual point distributors with the second set of points activated via a relay mounted on the lower left fender when the accelerator kickdown switch is depressed. Since I'll be using the single points distributor out of the 72, what's the best way to connect the wires from the relay to the distributor points? I thought I'd just connect the two wires that went to the two sets of points together, then run one wire to the single point set. Will this work or is there a better way? I guess another alternative would be to determine which wire goes to the main set of point on the auto distributor, run just that wire to the single points distributor, then tape up the unused wire for the second set of points. The unused wire will never get power since the kickdown switch will be remove. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Paul (z3beemer)

Dave The location of the filter drier should not be a problem. It's in the exact location as the old dealer installed ARA system. In addition, the filter drier is on the High side of the system. At the pressures R134 systems operate at , there will not be any problem with flow.

Here are a few pics of this unit and what I've done so far. 1st pic, unit installed. The unit is 11" wide. I have it set 6" in on the trans hump so it extends into the passenger area about 5" leaving plenty of leg room. 2nd pic shows the bottom AC hose(High Press) connected to the evaporator, then routed thru the firewall (under the battery tray) then into the engine bay. 3rd pic shows that same hose routed under the battery tray and connecting to the filter/drier mounted on the right inner fender. With the trail fit of the dash it looks like I may need to cut a small section out of the glove box in the upper left hand corner. I'll post more as I progress.

I bought this kit and so far, I'm very happy with it, although I cannot confirm or deny the efficiency, as of yet, because it's not fully installed (complete restoration). I bought the kit specifically for a 240z with integral controls (this allows you to use the existing dash controls). My car originally had a dealer installed ARA system. I had originally planned on converting it from R12 system to R134a but when i looked into it, it was going to be more money and work than just buying a different system. Plus, I think my heater core was shot since the previously had the heater hoses bypassed. I spent a lot of time both before and after purchasing this system discussing the particulars with the owner. JW is the owner and has been in business 40+ years. I like the fact that you can call them and a real person answers the phone and is willing to spend time with you to answer any concerns and questions. You won't find better customer service anywhere. JW is very patient and friendly. I've talked to him so many times I told him he was probably sorry he sold me the system. He's a great guy. Just a few things to consider: This is going to take you more than a few hours! Don't even start it without removing the seats, dash and steering wheel. The instruction are not great but JW has always been available to clarify things. I varied from the instructions quit a bit so don't feel that the instructions are cast in stone. If your considering this system I'd be happy to talk to you and pass on my expierences and suggestions. But let's do it by phone, I talk much better than I type. I'll keep you all posted as I proceed with the installation. As I said this is a complete restoration so I can only do so much until the engine, radiator, condensor, etc. are back in. Here's the company info: Auto AC Solutions. www.autoacsolutions.com (out of Texas) 1-877-542-8192 Owner: JW Regards, Paul (z3beemer)

Ok I know this should be in the classifieds, but I tried it there and the I only got responses from every foreign and domestic scammer. Some who have been members for only 2 or 4 hours. Anyway...I've been looking for a left front fender for a 73 240Z for about the last year and a half. I wasn't really too worried about it because I had plenty of other things to do on the car and was sure something would turn up by the time I needed it. It hasn't. I'm approaching the point where it's going to bring my entire restoration project to a halt. If anyone has a usable left front fender they can part with please contact me. I'm not looking for one in pristine condition, just something I can work with. I do need the front portion that connects to the headlight and fender extension to be in good condition. Even if I can find one that is good from the front of the fender to about 18" back towards the door I could probably section my existing fender and weld them together. Fender with dings, dents and light to moderate rust OK, Thanks Paul (z3beemer)

SteveJ, I read your write up on replacing the internals in your clock and had a few questions. Did you use the original glass from the old clock or the glass from the new on? Likewise, did you use the reset knob from the old clock or the new one? I think I'm going to attempt to do this and I'm trying to get as much info as possible before tackling it.

I started a discussion earlier regarding the felt washers needed when rebuilding the wiper assemble. One of you suggested McMaster Carr industrial felt. That's what I ended up doing. They came out good. Not sure how long they will hold up but they're a lot better than the worn ones that were in there. Unfortunately, I had to buy a 10' strip of it. I ended up using about 6". It's 1-1/2" wide and 1/16" thick. If anyone needs a piece, let me know and I'll mail it to you (no charge as long as it can fit in a business size 9" envelope. Oh, BTW I soaked mine in oil before installing them.

I wrote the above procedure for testing spring tensions a few months ago. I finally got around to taking a few pics of the set up in case the written procedure wasn't clear.

Steve J Thanks for the input. Looks like a good alternative. Haven't taken mine apart yet. After I do, I'll try oiling it as suggested in other post. If that doesn't work. I'll go with your method. The clock you suggested sell new on ebay for $65. I'll let you all know what I find and how it goes. Thanks again.

Had planned to use Zclocks to repair my 73 240z clock based on comments here. Thought the $149 would be a fair price. Just checked his site. The price is now $320. A bit pricey. Any other suggestions "reasonably" priced?

Nothing brings out the scammers like posting an ad in in the "parts wanted" section of the forum. I posted an ad a few days ago looking for a left front fender for my 73 Z project. Within hours I started getting bombarded with replies stating they had one in excellent condition. Just a few clues to be aware of so you don't get burned. See how long they've been a member. One reply I got the person had been a member for 4 hours, another one was a member for 6 days....red flag! Another clue is the stated condition is always excellent...we all know that if you can find one of these it's not going to be in perfect condition. Look at where the message is sent from...it's usually from some oddball source like tap a talk . Some offer to send pictures, but the pictures are usually ones copied from some other source. I had one that sent me pictures from a legitimate ad where I had spoke to the seller who informed me the part had been sold. If you call the number and connect with a real live person who speaks broken English it's more than likely a scam. I replied to one that left an email address. I replied a few days after I got his message...guess what? It came back as an invalid email address. Another red flag is the price is usually very reasonable and includes shipping. The last fender I bought, the shipping was more than the cost of the part. One way to help determine if its a scam (but not perfect) is to ask for specific pictures of the part. I usually ask for a close ups of the front and back of the area where the headlight bucket attaches. It's a shame we have to deal with these low life's. Too bad there's not a way we could screen them out. Maybe we can help each other out by posting detailed info any time we encounter a scammer. Remember the old saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Paul

Had planned to use Zclocks to repair my 73 240z clock based on comments here. Thought the $149 would be a fair price. Just checked his site. The price is now $320. A bit pricey. Any other suggestions "reasonably" priced?