Zs-ondabrain

hello? Is this thing on? Anyone?

I won't use anything But an Interstate battery Every one I've owned has been under rated. The last 60 month battery I bought from Interstate lasted over 9 years before it started showing any signs of weakness. Also keep in mind that, 1) I ran a big stereo in every car that this battery was in. 2) I also run 90/100 H4's, and 60 watt fog lights. 3) I also listen to the radio with the engine off, A LOT, and for long periods of time. If you buy a Red top or Yellow top battery, keep in mind that the first time you run the battery dead, it'll never recover like a regular battery. Dave.

Well, it's about that time again. The Golden Gardens All Nissan Meet is on March 30th, 2008. The calender on the front page has most of the info needed to get there. The old directions from I-5 to 85th are once again correct. There was a mud slide earlier this year but that has been repaired. The event starts at 10 AM? till about 4pm. There is a picnic area with the usual BBQ (members eat free, all others pay a small fee for burgers and soda) That fee also gets you a ticket for the drawing of donated parts) All Nissan Meet means you'll see eveything from OLD datsuns, Roadsters, Z's, ZX's, SX's all the way up to 350Z's. Alot of racers, drifters, show cars and "Under Construction" cars will be there. So wether you own a classic or POS ruster, there'll be something there for you. I'M WRITING THIS FORUM TO HOPEFULLY SET UP A MEETING PLACE for anyone who reads this to meet up with fellow members, and we'll all drive in together. Nothing more beautiful than a "Big 'Ol line of Z's" pulling into a car show. I'm thinking Jack In the Box on 85th and Aurora. It's 1/3rd of the way between I-5 and the park. Here's a map with Kack in the Box indicated by a star. We'll meet there at a time that I'll anounce later in this thread. Anyone who would like to join the proposed "Convoy" is welcome to contact me and when we figure the best time and place to meet before driving in together, I'l contact everyone or post here a few days before the event. Dave. wolfin32z@yahoo.com

I ran the 205/45 R16's but the ride was too harsh. I ended up with the 225/50ZR16's on 16 X 7.5's and the ride is nice, quiet, softer yet tight enough for hard cornering. I just picked up the 225/50ZR16's from Discount Tire Co for $75 each. They are Riken Raptor ZR's and I'm liking them so for, and you CAN'T beat the $300 for all 4 pricetag. http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rc=WASINT&cf=false&c=2&sw=false&cs=225&pc=19012&rd=16&ar=50&tc=MPBHZ2&rf=true Now you just need wheels. Dave.

You did'nt say if you replaced the (VR) Voltage Regulator or not. What year Z is it? 1) replace the battery cables and double check all the grounds (one on the firewall near the battery and one below the battery but above the frame. Remove and clean all the grounding areas and terminals then replace and tighten down. 2) never replace a bad alternator in a 240Z without replacing the Voltage regulator. (Rule of thumb) 3) have you installed any 12 volt items lately that might be drainning the battery? ( lights, radio, upgrades? anything) Any recent work on the car that may have interupted a ground or shorted something out. 4) with Nothing on, doors closed, key off, pull the (+) battery terminal, wait for 10 seconds, then slowly bring the battery cable back to the battery post and watch for a spark. If there is a spark, there is an obvious short somewhere. Disconnect the VR and try it again, if the same spark apears, reconnect the VR then disconnect the alternators power wire and 2 terminal "T" plug then try the battery post again. Repeat the process with the starter wire that goes to the engine harness, different fuses in the fusebox, etc, etc. This should help you eliminate one thing at a time. Process of elimination. You'll learn more about your Z and save money at the same time. Dave.

I'll second this one from earlier.

God Rest his "pain in the butt, bickering, picky, world Class car Building" Soul. Great guy, met him once, who's gonna yell at those guys in the shop now? Sad News indeed. Dave.:surprised

Oh Boy. I know what I'll be doing soon. Give me call tomorrow and we'll set up a date. Dave.

OR.............. The answer you're looking for is this, STop abusing your Z, sell it to someone who'll love it more than you, and last but certainly NOT least. LSD means Limited Slip Diff. Your Z OBVIOUSLY does'nt have one. This is a chunk of gears that allow BOTH tires to spin under hi preasures like "dropping the clutch at Hi RPM's. See my video below... Here's another one for your viewing pleasure. Dave.

Hey guys and gals, Just letting everyone know that the upgrade harness's are still available for the 240Z's. Nothing has changed (except for my suppliers prices) the HLH is still $125 and the PLH is $45. ZXP's and SCP's are still $15 and $25. I still do the LED taillight conversion for the 240Z's for $250. But this is not an advertizement, but more of a reminder for those who keep asking if the upgrades are still available. YES they are. I've even added LED sidemarkers to the list for only $85 for all four. But mostly I wanted to say thank you to every one who has ever added my upgrades to their Z's. I just wanted to help some people with the same problems I had with my Z but thanks to Mike, Arne, Will, Enrique, and countless others, I've added more upgrades to the list to help with the biggest problem these cars face on a daily basis, The electrical and lighting systems. Thanks again everyone. You're helping me get the word out and helping get me and Leah to the MSA Z Nationals this year to do more of the same, HELP 240Z owners. Much love, Dave (& Leah)

But in my defense, It technically is a Vacation, I only get one every few years. So we try and make th most of it. But the best part is getting away from the house and meeting people who love the same things we do. Dave.

I totally under stand the question and comment. I was pointing out to Bob what went where on all the Z's I've worked on or seen. You are correct about the solid hex head bolts on the flat sided washers that go on the fenders, they prevent the washer from digging into the paint on the lip of the fender when you raise or adjust the fender height. Just please remember to use the anti seize on those bolts. I've never seen one come out easily. They usually break off from rust because of the wheels throwing water up there, or water coming off the hood. Stainless is a god-send on that location. Have fun, Dave. By the way, mine is an 8/70.

Perfect example would be the MSA Z car Nationals coming up this April. Trying to find a babysitter or responsible adult to keep an eye on 3 boys (8, 15, and 16) and 2 girls (10 and 12). Who does'nt want a small fortune to keep the house up, watch the kids and get them off to school and get them in bed for the 5+ days that we'll be gone. We'll spend almost $1000 for Gas, Food, Hotel, Gifts for the kids and the possible "Gotta have it" part for the car found at the show. I work my butt off from December to April to make sure we're able to save enough to do all that and also make sure the Z is well taken care of before and during the trip, cause if it breaks anywhere between leaving the driveway and pulling back in 5 days later, I'd better have cash or a good back up plan. The 2400 mile round trip takes its toll on the car so we pack alot of metal polish, cleaners, towels and spare parts for the "just in case" things. 2 Chairs clearly identifiable as ours, small cooler for drinks in the possible hot sun, sun lotions and blockers, books to read to, from and while we're there, tools (tool bag) All of the cloths for both of us, pillows, jackets, munchies, smokes, cell phone with chargers for the hotel and car and Last but not least, As many upgrade harness's and parts to sell while we're there (to make money for the trip back.) Oh ya, business cards for those who find me and want more details on the things I do. Good questions though, hard to pick just one. Dave.

I've NEVER seen a 240Z that DID'NT have the 6 flat edge 18mm washers. Occasionally I'll see them with lock washers but they are very close to hitting the edge of the hood. As for the 4 black hood bumpers (on the fenders) I also haven't seen them without the philips head screws, not hex head bolts. Unless an 8mm head is used, you can't fit a 10mm hexhead bolt into the black hood bumpers. Dave

5 bolts (hex head) per side. 10 in total 4 philips head screws for the hood stoppers (black rubber centering guide blocks) 6 flat side washers and 4 regular washers 18mm You're always better off using Stainless but ALWAYS use anti-seize in that area (and almost every area on the Z's.) I also like chrome or zinc coated and I like allen head screws on the rubber hood guides (on the fender)

Or..... Just remove the manifold and get yourself a good flowing 6 into 1 header. Better air flow, looks better, allows for a new, bigger diameter exhaust pipe and all around better performance. They start at about $150. Dave.

Hey Jon, hmm hmm, guess who's 5'6" Hello!!! My birthday IS coming up fast. Think of me.

I promise that there are more pictures of the back of my head then the front. Actually, I was tearing out the kick panel and removing the old wiring in that picture. but I like the idea that I was doing something constructive, rather than desctructive. hehehe. I had fun working on your Z Jon, it's in pretty damn nice shape and definately has some of the "odd" early Z items. Gotta fix that roof before summer though, you'll want it working on the hot days. See ya on Friday, can't wait to finally hear everything working. Dave.

OK Jon, It's been (according to my watch) 24 hours. Where's the pictures? Just kidden, but really, where's the pics? Dave.

OK So I just read the whole damn thing and here's what I got. As pointed out. You have Hi beam but no Low beam. This tells me that the combo switch works fine. As long as the headlight switch is on, there is power to the headlights for both HI and LO beam. The HI/LO switch is the determining factor here. If you've torn it apart many times with the same results, the contacts could be bad and the solder could need to be reflowed. If it is at all possible, use your OHMs meter to check between the switch and the pin 16. you may have a short or break in the lowbeam wire. If posible and it calls for it, replace it with a 14 gauge or 12 gauge (even better) wire. Dave.

Great diagram but it's wrong. The red/white is the hi beam and the red/black is the low beam. Just an FYI. Great example though. Dave.

Not having read the whole thread, here's what I would do. Make sure there is power from the fusebox to the combo switch. Then check for power from the switch to the fusebox L+R headlight fuses. The right headlight is solid red and the left headlght is red/yellow all the way to each headlight. Check the T/S switches Hi/Lo switch for ground. Each headlights Hi beam wire is red/white and the lo beam wire on each light is red/black. If there is no ground signal at the headlight plugs, on either hi or lo, trace them back to the hi lo switch on the steering column. The headlight system is usually a stand alone system, powered from the fuse box, distributed by the fusebox. The ground system comes from a decent ground, to the hi/lo switch, and out to the headlights. Unfortunately for the 280Z's, I think the grounds make a few stops on the way. I could be wrong though. Best bet is to get FSM and start tracing, the initial wiring colors are correct and their paths are correct. Start checking the plugs for power and ground with the switch on, flip it to hi beam and do it again. I just can't understand why your Z is giving you so much trouble on such a simple system. Tell me what you've done and what you came up with so far. We'll get this figured out. Dave.

I got mine used, at a place called "Z-Sport" in Everett, Washington. You'll find them on ebay, craigslist, online and many other places like redline. http://www.redlineweber.com/html/kits/K659_Z_Car.htm