moyest

I found a mint condition Z432, one lady owner, 28,000kms on the clock. I'm gonna rip the original engine out and plop in a Hemi! Just jokes. Actually, I have secret "transplant" desires of my own, not that I'd ever do it. A supercharged 4.0litre straight 6 out of a Jaguar XJR - I'd use the wheels too (from the earlier XJR model, 1995 to 1998 I believe?). Problem is, the XJR transmission is too wide, so I'd have to widen my Z by about a foot! :stupid:

The story I heard was that the "DATSUN" brand was more or less invented for (or at least used in) America because the "NISSAN" brand wasn't too well favoured in USA. Ironically, these days I think we'd all be happier if it was a "Nissan 240Z" because the brand is strong, and they're making fantastic cars! 200sx/Sylvia (or 240sx in USA), Skyline GTR, 350Z, even the new Maxima (which probably has a "Q" model designation in USA??). I don't think Datsun quite has the "street cred" of Nissan?

A guy leaned out a pub window while I was parking, and said "Nice E-type!!" until his female companion said "I don't think it's an E-type?" and he was like "yeah it is, isn't it mate!?" - I had to tell the girl that her car recognition chip was operating better than her boyfriend's. :stupid: Another time a gas station attendant (you'd think they'd learn by osmosis with a job like that!) asked me how my "Alfa" went on fuel consumption! I had to tell him "my Alfa doesn't cost me a bean" (my Z however, that's a different story!). But the most common reaction is when I'm stopped at a pedestrian crossing and someone crosses infront of my car. Generally they see the side profile to start with, and it's all smiles and admiration. Then as they draw dead-centre on the bonnet, they see the "DATSUN" badge and suddenly look confused, slightly annoyed that they've been admiring it, then some even turn their nose up! :mad:

Well, me-hearties :pirate: I've been busy over the weekend and so I can now share the following info with you: The chrome trim pieces come off, as MikeW said, but beware about forcing or pulling them off. The trims are held onto the lenses with little securing thingies at the back (on the inside of the lenses). To remove the securing "thingies", DON'T pull them! Simply CRUSH them with pliers. That is the best way to get rid of them without breaking the plastic pin (very brittle) that secures the chrome trims through the lenses. Make sense? I understand from one of those 240Z restoration books that you can buy the metal securing "thingies" at most hardware stores - so don't worry about crushing them beyond repair (however you may want to look for new ones before you actually do anything!?!??!). Once the chrome trims are off, you can do whatever you like with them - send them off for re-chroming, paint them with chrome-look paint (not very shiny though), customise them somehow... you name it! (Jeeeze I hope all the little bits go back together) :nervous:

Thanks Rick! That might just be the ticket!!! Fortunately my bumper is fine, so it'll just be small items by post or courier to Rockhampton. Thanks again for the tip!

But how'd you go getting around the curved ends? Tricky business those curved ends - when I tried "chrome-look" tape it got all bunched up as I tried to turn the corner :stupid:

Yeah, but this thread is about the CHROME! The CHROME!!! :ogre: The plastic lense is easy to clean up, even just with warm water and dish liquid!!! The CHROME is the difficulty, especially if your starting point is not too flash (e.g pitted, scratched, peeling...).

Well, that was the best description I could think of! With prices of *NEW* 240Z tail lights so prohibitively expensive, I wonder whether anyone out there has tried restoring their existing tail lights? I recently tore mine apart to find that you can easily soak the entire light in hot water, then pull the lense away from the backing. That allows you to get in there with cleaning products and really brighten up the lenses. But, the chrome thingies that run across the lenses are the problem. Unless you're lucky enough to have the plastic chrome in good condition (I'm not), then you're left with a problem standing between you and a set of completely mint tail lights! I phoned the one and ONLY plastic-chromer in my area, and he said it was difficult because they have to be "electro-formed" with layers of copper, etc, or alternatively vacuum-formed (in which case there's no U.V protection). Then he quoted $90 EACH (so $180 total) for the job! I thought I could probably have them fabricated out of stainless steel for that money!!! If only I could get the cost down, I'd be tempted to chrome those thingies, as well as my interior dash vents! Anyone got any *bright* ideas?

In New Zealand that plate cost NZ $567.00 (so about US $450). My search revealed that you can buy the single letter "Z" for NZ$250,000.00!!! (for a car worth NZ$20,000.00!) Now THAT'S overkill!!

Talk about "impulse buy"!!! Having read this thread, I bought a plate for my Zed (hey, that rhymes!!!) - ZEDHOT.doc

I know DAT.240 - he's in my Z club. Problem with "international" advice on plates is that people pronounce the letter "Z" differently - "zee" vs "zed". But here are a few I really like: "Z YA" or "ZEE YA" "ZEDHOT" (especially if your Zed is red, as in "red hot"). "REDZED" "EARLY Z" "Z FIRST" (i.e. the first) "ZED SLED" (if you can fit that many letters - can't in Australia) "ZED HEAD" or "ZEDHED" "ZED NUT" "Z 1 Z"

Worse yet, where's the link to my website??

Yeah! Where's my photo gallery?? :stupid:

Another possibility - If you can PUSH the bonnet all the way closed but it simply won't *catch*, you should have a look at the bracket on your firewall where the latch is supposed to catch - sometimes there are cables or tubes (e.g. battery, wiring etc) running THROUGH the back of that bracket and it's those WIRES which prevent the catch working. My bonnet jammed shut for that reason, and the pull-release wouldn't work. Then I noticed the bonnet would not stay closed, and would pop up onto the safety catch (about 1") when I was driving. Worth a look!?