KEINsm

I got my 240Z as my 3rd car after a '87 325i and a '96 240SX. I really wish I had gotten a 240Z as my first. HOWEVER, I know I would have been overwhelmed by how much you actually have to know in order to own one. They say, all 240Z owners are required to be able to work on their own cars when a problem arises. There aren't too many mechanics that still know carbs. They rely too much on that plug & diagnose OBD system now. They can't do anything without a computer telling them what to fix. I cannot strongly recommend getting anything less than a 240Z that comes with strong running mechanics. You're getting yourself into a lot of time and money invested to just keep it on the road everyday. Trust me, until you're done working out all the bugs in your car YOU WILL SUFFER. If you're young enough to not have a first car yet, it means you can still feed of your parents right? At least I was lucky enough to do that with a PITA '87 325i. Just be sure you have a source of money. You also don't necessarily NEED a car everyday since you're living fine car-less right? If you can hitch a ride from somebody else while your Z is experiencing its usual down time, a 240Z won't be bad. At the end, you'll know MUCH more about the 240Z and cars in general when compared to your friends with newer cars that are overloaded with electronics. I've almost owned my 240Z for about a year now and I still haven't worked out all the small bugs yet. But then again, I'm only a college student working off a parttime job with only enough money to buy one part at a time. It's a long and frustrating journey, but I've never had so much fun with ANY car before.

Earlier today, I bought a wire brush, some fine sandpaper, and electrical parts cleaner and did some cleaning under the hood. As you guys recommended, I removed the distributor cap and sanded and sprayed all contact points. Next, I unbolted the ignition coil and all wires and removed all the rust and other crud from them. I got a little impatient so I decided to give it a try to start the car. To my suprise, it ran perfectly!! I don't know if this is a temporary fix since I only did this a couple hours ago. I drove it around town without a problem too. I'll update anything that happens in the future regarding reoccurrences. Again, I would like to thank each one of you for your invaluable input and for helping me out. I am planning on meeting some local Z "doctors" and learning more about this car so I can start helping others as well.

Sorry about the confusion. I did those things after the problem showed up. I'll check all the things you guys pointed out and update tomorrow.

I've tried searching for an answer to my problem but came with no clear answer. It seems like FI cars have the same problem. My car is an early 1970 240Z with all stock components (except an alternator from a newer car, electric cooling fan, stereo, and alarm) Almost a week ago, my car ran perfectly with no problems. Now, it is difficult to start and seems to misfire. The engine revs roughly up to 3000-4000rpm when cold then it hits a "rev limiter" and refuses to go any higher. I figured it would be driveable, but it lacks too much power and I must slip the clutch to get the car moved out of the way. (I need to do this at "full throttle" doing 3000rpm) When the engine warms up, the idle gets very unstable and stalls only after a few seconds. It also gets more difficult to rev past 2000rpm. What is wrong!?!?! When cold I can hear the timing belt slip with a high pitched screech. The car does not seem to be running rich. The exhaust is clear with a familiar gasoline scent. Here is what I have done. I replaced the fuel filter under the hood because I figured it was clogged. This changed nothing. Next, I pulled the sparkplugs for an inspection. I found the plugs from cylinder 4, 5, 6 were in good condition with a nice amber color. However, the plugs from 1, 2, 3 had a dark brown/black color. The front carb may be running richer but it still didn't explain the bogging. Next, I pulled the oil filler cap while it was running. The engine hesitated and quickly stalled. From what I read on this forum, this indicated that there should be no vacuum leaks. Next, I tried pulling the sparkplug wires one at a time while the car was reving at 2000rpm to see if the cables and distributor were working. Funny thing is...there seemed to be no change in the rough revving with or without any single spark plug. This confirmed (to me at least) that it was a misfiring problem caused by a timing error. Before I spend money to check and reset the timing, would there be any other causes of this problem or anything else I should check out? I know my little diagnostic and theory may be completely wrong so please don't hesitate to poke fun and correct me!

That part is permanently attached!? What do you guys do when you upgrade to aftermarket struts? I took the advice to look for a complete strut assembly w/ control arm attached. It took me 10 minutes to find one in San Bernardino. Hopefully, this one is from a '70-74 early model. Does $100 sound like a good price? (it sure does to me) I am planning on waking up my roommate early tomorrow morning and go pick it up. Now the biggest problem I have is removing my Tokico spring and putting it on the new strut. I am assuming that this will be a pretty straightforward (but tedious) job if I rent out a spring compressor. Now I need a new wheel/tire replacement. Thanks everybody ! ! I owe each one of you big!

! ! ! 4 1/2 hours to separate from the strut!? I know you're exaggerating, but what is the problem with doing that? I found the name (or the lack thereof) of the part that broke in half. It was actually a nameless part connected to the bottom of the strut. This part is connected by the spindle pin to the control arm.

I am in Riverside, CA. I got a really good look at the car today. Looks like I'll need both the spindle pin for the left rear (driver's side) and the A-arm. I really want to get these parts by Tuesday if possible. If you have both or either in SoCal, please contact me. I can also use the 6-spoke wheel too. I told Chloe that if I cannot get the parts locally by then I would have to get it from her. Thanks again for all your help!

Thanks again for all the info. I am new to Z's in general so please excuse my ignorance. I am sure that was broken in half was the spindle pin. It was dark so I was not able to get a clear picture burned in my head. (And the vagueness of the repair manuals didn't help as well) Now I am sure that what I need is the transverse link and the spindle pin. (Also the 6-spoke wheel w/ or w/o tire) I contacted a local 280Z owner who was parting out his car. Until I can 100% confirm the parts compatibility, I'll have to ask the rest of you Z owners for help.

Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks for that invaluable info. Would anybody know what the part which connects between the link and the axle is called? I searched everywhere in a couple repair manuals without an answer. Thanks. I almost forgot to ask. Does anybody know if the '77 280ZX transverse link fits my car?

As you saw in the subject line, I am in immediate need of a left rear transverse link (A-arm) and a snowflake wheel with any tire. I have a '71 240Z so I will take whatever fits my car. Thanks for the help!!!

I was driving my '71 240Z from Costa Mesa to Riverside. I ran over a large rock (???) or something very big and heavy on the 60 freeway right by my exit ramp. I immediately stopped the car and found my wheel to be heavily damaged with a "large negative toe." I figured it was just a damaged wheel so I slowly made it back home and changed the tire. When I jacked it down and decided to drive it to see if it was safe, the entire left rear drops. After a simple inspection, I found that the transverse link (A-arm) was slightly deformed and the part that connects the link to the axel was broken in half ! ! I would like to ask any Z owner in SoCal who can help me look for parts or offer any aid. This is my primary car so I am stuck here in Riverside. Here is my contact info: keinsm@hotmail.com 626.589.7923

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I am having the exact same problem with the brakelights. All electronic components work perfectly except for the brakelights and hazard lights. I suspect a connection on the hazard light switch to the brakelight is broken. Would anybody know how to access the switch? Is it right behind the hazard switch? My car is an early '71 with the harzard switch on the dashboard.

Actually, the Skyline engines never exceeded 2000cc of engine displacement until the 90's. This was due to Japanese GT race class regulations which restricted the engine size. Also a good idea for saving the Japanese driver a few yen for car registration fees. The Skyline 2000GT series had an L20 with twin SU's. The 2000GT-R had the legendary S20 with triple Solex's. Oh yea, another cool fact. The '65-69 2000GT had a Prince G7 engine with 3 Webers! ! Nissan is so rich in racing heritage!