CrashNBurn

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I have a 1973 240Z with a vin of HLS30-163077. It has a five speed transmission in it, but I am not sure which type it is, an original five-speed or a later version. I found a serial number stamped on the top of the bell housing, 7730292. Can the type of transmission in the car be identified by this, or do I have to pull it from the car to find out? I checked my microfiche CD and can’t find this number anywhere. Are than any other numbers stamped on the transmission that can be used for identification? If it helps, the shift lever is the bent type. Jason

I'm in Marietta. Right now, the car is blue (you can go see it in my gallery). However, I want to change the color to black.

Hello all, I'm in search of some advice. My '73 Z is in need of a new paint job, replacement of the floor pans, some new sheet metal in place of the sunroof, patching of the battery box area, and some body work on the front end of the car where the hood attatches to the body. Basically, I need to find a decent shop that can do a repaint and all the other mentioned work, at a fair price. I'm not looking for a showcar finish, since this will eventually be a daily driver...someday...and I don't want a Maaco paint job either. I'd like to do all the work myself, but don't have the knowledge, tools, or facilities to properly do so. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good body/paint shop in the Atlanta area? Also, should I strip the car to bare metal before taking it in, to maybe save a little bit of money? Should I get it running first? Jason

Will, I know what you mean about the LED spot effect on the exterior lights. I see new cars with LED's on the taillights, and they just don't have that glow that incandescent bulbs do. Maybe I'm like a bug (don't look into the blue light....zap!), but I love the glow of Z taillights at night. Let me know when you've got something figured out. Jason

Ed, Yeah, I have the front air damn with the integrated fiberglass bumper. It was on the car when I bought it. Something I'm doing, after a low-speed rear-ender broke my air dam, is bolting some steel tubing behind the fiberglass bumper portion. Oh yeah, I fixed the broken fiberglass part too. Jason

I too like the blacked-out trim. If you're looking for a supplier, there is a company called Caswell Plating. They have all sorts of DIY kits for plating small parts, such as trim pieces. I haven't done any business with them, so I can't vouch for their service. Either way, check them out at Caswell Plating Jason

Like 26th Z said, here in Oakwood, Georgia (Hall County), they have some nice cars. The Hall County police have a 300ZX twin turbo car in their motor pool. It's painted all black though, nice and stealthy. I don't recall a light bar on top though. Be careful with modifying your car to look like a police cruiser. In Georgia, a few months back, some guy did just that with a Crown Vic. Needless to say, he was soon busted. Jason

This is slightly related... Has anyone sat down and thought about modernizing the ac/heat controls? I've been brainstorming a bit and would like to replace the lever/cable controls with modern switches running little actuators. I'd also like to find some modern knobs for blower speed and maybe temperature controls, like what you find in cars today. What about rebuilding the system with a more compact fan and distribution box? Just a thought or two... Jason

More planned mods: -Turbo oil pump -Dry sump oil system -Sparco/momo steering wheel -Seats -Roll bar -5 point harnesses -Custom built, solid differential mounts -Lightened flywheel -High performance clutch and pressure plate

Oh yeah, and a Pertronix Ignitor kit for the distributor already installed.

I'm not a chemist, but I believe the shattering tennis balls of which you are thinking were dipped in liquid nitrogen. Thanks for the write-up by the way. I've been having some difficulty getting all that tar mat off the interior.

Hmm, to answer Will's questions as to my modifications thus far and my planned upgrades...Really, it's a work in progress. However, the intention of my car is to end up as powerful, fun street car. Mods so far: -Halogen headlights -Front and rear air dam -Custom front turn signals -5 speed manual tansmission (was already on the car when purchased) Mods in progress: -Overhaul of electrical system -GM 1-wire alternator conversion -MSD 6AL ignition and MSD Blaster Coil -Stripping interior for paint and repairs Future mods: -Coilovers -Urethane bushings -Sway bars -Tubular front and rear a-arms -Rear disc conversion -Front disc upgrade -Wheels and tires (not sure which, maybe BBS and Yokohamas?) -R200 LSD with Quaife differential -Short shifter -LED tail/turn/brake lights, third brakelight -Electric fan -Autometer gauges -Replumb everything with SS braided hose and Aeroquip hose fittings -Bore and stroke? (MSA kit possibly) -Upgrade entire valvetrain and camshaft -Cylinder head port and polish -Blueprint and balance engine -Fuel injection conversion (Megasquirt) -Fuel cell? -Custom intake -Turbo conversion (twin turbo?) with the whole gamut of b.o.v., intercooler, electronic boost controller, etc etc -Custom exhaust -Redo interior with new insulation, carpet, leather, and other pieces -Fiberglass dash -Tint windows a bit -Overhaul A/C and heat -New radio with decent speakers and possibly a small sub -Paint black -Wide body? -Carbon fiber hood? I think that covers most of it. I'm sure I've left some stuff off my list, but this will keep me busy for a very long time. Needless to say, I've got my work cut out for me. Jason