26th-Z

I heard 47 from Carl Beck, but I could have it wrong. I'm sure Carl would be interested in any accounting of them. Supposedly, the one and only automatic resto is in Tampa. This is a lousy image of the restoration data sheet. I think this is for a 71.

There is a thread in the technical articles forum called "Old Car Price Guide" that discusses what one might expect for $20,000. There are some Z's out there that would command such a price. I hope to hit that level with my restoration some day. But with that respect, originality is the primary concern. I see cars on this site I just drool over and suspect should demand equal attention. I don't think Ebay is the proper venue for such a sale; at least not for me. I would hate to think I spent all the time and effort sticking to a regime as discussed in the article just to find a lesser example reach the same price plateau.

I don't know, Mark. Cracked windshield? All my experience with windshield cracks is that tiny little crack will grow over time. The crack weakens the whole unit too. I would toss it. I replaced mine when I painted the car years ago and the thing broke putting it back in. I was told the glass gets brittle over time.

Yes, here we go. I know some people who bought several of those gear shift knobs waiting for this very day. You will probably see them on Ebay soon.

Any bolt-in roll bar or cage installation must consider the points of attachment. These areas spread the load back into the unibody and must not be rust damaged or in bad repair. Reinforce the underside of the bolt area with a big - 3" - washer or backing plate larger than the cage base plate. Round off the edges so the plates don't act like can openers on the unibody metal. Make sure the bolts aren't too long that they catch on something underneath. The front of the rocker makes a good front hoop mounting point. The main hoop was (I think) designed to mount on top of the wheel arch. There is a forum about the Nissan sport bar floating around here. Bracing goes back to the shock towers and can be crossed if you like, depending on the main hoop diagonal brace. I'm not a big fan of full cages, although they do offer better side impact protection. This all depends on what you are going to do with the roll bar. The bar MSA shows is a street bar and is not SCCA legal. I don't know what they mean by their SCCA bar. I think SCCA requires a six point cage, now. Check the GCR before you buy a bar or have one fabbed up.

I know many of you discuss floor work and floor replacement. I am restoring from bare metal and one of my issues was to find the thick tar-like insulation material bonded to the interior floors. Nissan still has it and I ordered plain sheets of it as the original part number (precut) is NLA. G5930-89902 replaces the original 74913-E4125 Now I found the same material for half the price at Auto Carpet Direct in North Carolina. Their material is called MASEL and it comes in 72"x48" sheets for $60. www.automotivecarpet.com They also have jute padding, foil faced padding, and carpet kits for the Zed.

I will try to get out to the car today and get a photo of my brackets to you. Let me see if I can find you some brackets too. I know of a couple of donor cars in Clearwater.

I would like to ramble on this subject and share some of the experiences I have had in the last few months. I have this lovely old 240Z. She is very dear to my heart, but she is old and tired and worn out. I quit driving her three or four years ago and put her away with plans to restore her some day. That day came to me last January and I began looking for parts and making plans and working on the car. Years ago, I used to go down to the Datsun dealer on Saturday mornings and shoot the bull with Jim, look through the parts fische, and order parts. In those days, you could buy a series one dash for around $400. They were still available. D hubcaps finally became unavailable after reaching the outrageous price of $25 each and you had to buy one every now and then because they kept falling off. Then Datsun became Nissan, Jim retired, and Nissan did one of the most incredible things; they bought old Zeds, restored them with their parts inventory, and sold them again. A story of automotive history in itself! I have spent countless hours over the last six months tracking down parts and searching for sources. I joined this club for that very reason. I know it is still possible to go down to Nissan and order parts, but not only does the guy behind the parts counter shrug his shoulders, he laughs as well! Of course, the computer and the internet has made the parts hunting process a dream. Do any of you remember magazine want adds? My old-guy buddies with 1920's Franklins or Rolls Royces chuckle at my workings and tell me how fortunate I am to be able to buy substitute parts at all. When Brad was cutting a new frame out of ash timber for his Franklin, he decided to carve a spare just in case anyone ever needed one. I don't believe the Datsun 240 Z is the inexpensive driving sensation any more. Even though I will swear by their reliability, I think they are becoming as expensive to maintain as my BMW. Several things are happening with respect to parts. I know people paying big bucks for choice Zeds. I saw a 72 go for $20K at auction several months ago. I know people with collections of Zeds and collections of parts. I know people who go to Nissan and buy all the parts they have left, or, buy all of one certain part they think is in high demand. Look at what is happening on Ebay. In short, I am firmly convinced that people are buying up and hoarding parts for their inflation value. I admit I am guilty of this habit myself. I bought an E31 head not long ago just because I found it at a reasonable price. I have a brand new hatch glass with vertical de-mister lines I probably won't ever use. I also collect silver coins and gem stones! Please don't blast me for joining in the game - I passed on a set of ZG headlight covers for $125 last week. They were gone within 2 hours of the posting. Zed parts are going to get more expensive and more difficult to find. It is just happening. The one common source for Zed parts is unloading them to us collectors. BTW, what happened to "nissanautoparts.com"? It's been down for a couple of weeks, now. The internet is the greatest source of parts I can possibly imagine. Not only can I buy the American parts, but I can find and buy domestic market parts as well. Do I dare post the fifty-odd websites I have found and purchased from? I'm sending my dash from Florida to Australia to be recovered after interviewing three different companies I found on the net. Hell, I almost feel like putting on my lace bonnet and Sunday dress to go "shopping" on Ebay! Actually, it's been a lot of fun. I have made a lot of friends here and a lot of friends in the parts world. I met Carl Beck at Sebring last March, and he has been a real inspiration. Carl believes the price of Zeds is going up, up, up. Zeds really are great cars and there is a great history behind them. It all makes them desireable, collectable, and inflationary. Once, there WAS one "list". Datsun had it. Then, there was Aftermarket and the "list" became a little diffuse. Now, the "list" is called Internet and I believe Ebay is the Goddess Of Parts Exchange. Other parts exchanges exist - this one is my favorite. The original "list" still remains. It is now called Cd Parts Fische and this site has it. I love reading the want adds and make it a part of my daily routine. It took me a while to find the routine, but I am having fun. It's all part of the game called "surfing". I can't imagine one "list" any more. Most of the parts are in private hands now, and places like this will become the future where one can reach out for hope of finding the part they seek. I am very fortunate to have a way cool Z with a way low serial number. Some of the members on this site have cars I drool over. Many thanks to eveyone who has helped. I'll be around surfing this game for quite a few years while I restore my precious Zed and then go to shows with her.

Great help available from this clan, Rosbud. We need more info. VIN number and date of manufacture (on the ID plate driver's door). Photos would help too!

Take a look at this sway bar on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33592&item=2422617497

Those are the glass felts to fit inside the window frames on the doors. They are a pretty common automotive trim item. I think MidwestZ has OEM Datsun ones.

Mark, I found this company that provides seam sealers and coatings for your metal work. They have similar stuff to POR and vinyl dye as well. http://www.semproducts.com/

Looks like you're doing a nice job, Mark.

Three listings on Ebay selling ZG fender flares, rear duck tail, and headlight covers. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2422549988&category=36475

There are some ZG headlight covers on Ebay right now - buy it now $125. See my post from the headlight cover opinion thread. Same seller has these ZG flares and duck tail. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2422549988&category=36475

Heads up to anyone lucky out there. ZG covers on E-bay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2422549569&category=36475

Too bad no one makes up the battery tray. I'll bet they could sell a bunch of them. I was confused about your mention of screw attachment and comment that screw and rivet repair of the sheet metal is not a good idea. It's a chassis rigidity thing. The floor pans are integral to the "frame" of the car. This is unibody engineering stuff. For the pieces not available from Zedd or VB or MSA, a donor car is the way to go.

My 2 cents: Sounds exactly like a worn out engine. The low cylinder may indicate a broken ring and may cause further damage to the cylinder wall. Usually, an engine rebuild would require new rings and honing of the cylinder wall, but if it is scored from the broken ring, you may need to bore the cylinders to a larger size and replace the pistons. Of course, a valve job is always recommended simply because you have the head off. Make sure to replace the valve stems and seats with steel for unleaded gas. Early Z engines are relatively inexpensive and easy to rebuild. You may have an E31 head casting and that makes your engine most desireable as it potentially develops a higher horsepower rating than later types (stock). If it is blowing out enough oil to gunk up your filter, it is time to do something about it. Good luck and let me know what you do with the engine should you decide to replace it.

Thanks, Carl. Best advice I've had all day.

After a little research, I find that these cam towers will fit and I can't find new ones. I'm told the cam towers fit the head and that new ones must be line bored for proper alignment of the cam. I'm concerned about proper clearance between the cam and bearing surface. Any advice?

Will these towers fit on a E31 head? Can anyone give me a little advice on the technical info about these? Is this a good deal? And where can I find new ones? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2420029459&category=33614

That's zactly what I have, TEXASZ. Series one cars had the dual lock setup and your door / hatch key relates to the original (part number) lock. The part numbers change with no application date to the later dual lock setup, but with a double sided key. This occurs with the door locks as well as the hatch locks. And great news! With only two hours remaining in the competition, the Ebay key blanks are up to $82. Way to go! If you ever want to sell those locks and key, TEXASZ.....

Thanks for the rotisserie plans KMACK. I'm going to strip some of the undercoating before I haul it off to the dippers.

My 11/69 car has keys like the ones being sold. The small painted one fits the doors and hatch. The other is ignition although my original ignition broke many years ago and the replacement ignition has a double sided key.

Glove boxes for the series one dash came in two varieties and list up to July 73 as part number 68600-E4600 and 68600-E4102. The difference seems to be one is folded cardboard and one is molded plastic. The locks and striker plates changed during that period three times with no referenced application dates. They should all interchange. All the rest of the glove bax parts listed in the Micro-Fiche appear only once for that period.