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

If dipping the Zed weren't an option, what process would you be using? Beadblasting? Would powdercoating be a possible alternative to painting the insides of the rocker panels and other hard-to-reach places? I'm not sure exactly how you would go about "cookin" the powder-coated part, unless you have a garage-sized oven. Is it at all possible to remove the rocker panels to cure them in an oven? Just some thoughts... Jason

I almost forgot... Z Car Creations apparently sells a bracket that fits the GM-style alternator. I believe it sells for $90.00. Also, I've heard that you'll need a smaller alternator pulley to excite the alternator at idle/really low RPM's. Jason

Dean, In my quest to customize/rebuild the electrical system, I've decided to go with a GM/Delco, 100 amp, one wire alternator. It's currently being shipped to me, so I don't have it on hand to do any measuring or whatnot. But my point is that I'm planning on fabricating a mount myself...and with the help of a knowledgable friend. I'll let you know when I figure something out. Jason

Has this idea died? Is someone actually working on this? Any developments or is it on the "back burner" ? I'm rather curious because I need to rewire my '73 Z. And trust me, it needs rewiring. Jason

Thanks for the advice. And yes, I will be going with new wiring and connectors. But now that I've figured out the headlight wiring, it seems that my ignition is not working, argh. As far as I can tell, continuity is great and everything "seems" to be wired correctly. But with some genious's wire hacking and such, in addition to an indecipherable wiring diagram in my Haynes manual, I'm rather stuck and confused. Bumming rides off friends gets old rather quickly, as this is supposed to be my daily driver. :dead: Thomas, if you want a headlight alarm, the two J.C. Whitney parts that seem best suited for the job are: SJ734756N $7.99 "beeps until you turn off lights" SJ475974W $23.99 turn-signal-on reminder "beeps 3 or 4 times every 40 seconds & LED flashes to warn you that turn signal has been left on." A company called Ron Francis Wiring makes replacement wiring harnesses for classic domestic cars, but also sells individuals components, such as switches, dimmers, flashers, relays, lights, etc... Some of their prices are a bit high, but the products seem rather useful, even on an old Datsun. One of their products is a turnsignal warning buzzer, part number BA-12. It sells for $29.95. You can check out the website at http://www.ronfrancis.com If anyone reads this and would care to help with my ignition issues, please feel free to chime in. I can provide more details of what has already been replaced and the condition of the car, if needed. Jason

Thomas....Wayne....thanks for you advice! Hopefully, the the updated wiring diagram I posted is correct. Is it alright to switch from the power wires and use the third wire of each headlamp as a ground? It makes sense in my head, but then again, I'm not the expert... I'll be using 10 amp fuses, just like the factory setup. However, I'm upgrading to ATO/ATC-type fuses with a revamped fuseblock. The relays are five-pin, Bosch automotive relays with a normally-open rating of 50 amps and a normally-closed rating of 20 amps. While the now single fuse for each relay should blow first in the event of a meltdown or short, things can happen...like you said Wayne. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=12208&size=big&sort=1&cat=500 Well, here's the link for the updated wiring diagram. I took the liberty of adding in the high and low beam headlight elements for the sake of clarity. If there are still errors, please let me know. Unfortunately, I must get my Zed running before I can upgrade the headlights. Once again, much thanks to both of you for your help. If there is any way that I can ever help, feel free to ask, although it is doubtful since I have so much to learn... Jason

This question is intended more for those who have plenty of experience and knowledge in the black magic of electrical theory and wiring stuff. But really, anyone feel free to answer. The attached wiring diagram is my attempt to figure out this entire headlight relay-wiring thing. Please keep in mind, that wiring is not my forte, so I most likely put some component in the wrong place. However, that is why I'm asking you guys. Which parts are correct, and which parts need fixing...on the wiring diagram. Now to be more specific...Are the fuses in the right position? I mean, should they be wired in before the switches, between the switches and the relays, or after the relays? Do I need that many fuses? Should each light have its own relay? I'm not aiming for absolute redundancy, but rather, a blend of simplicity and precaution for those instances that "Murphy's Law" takes effect. Is using the main headlight switch to power the high beam/low beam switch the best setup, or are there more ideal alternatives? I know the red wire with a black stripe powers the high beams and the red wire with white stripe powers the low beams, but what about the red wire with yellow stripe and the plain red wire? In my Haynes manual, it simply has them going to the fuse block, receiving power from the positive battery terminal (or alternator when the car is running). I really cannot figure out the function of those two wires. Are they ground wires for each headlight, because as I've drawn, the headlights have no ground? Although, are the headlights self-grounded through their case? Anyways, in this circuit, what would be the function of the two wires? Thanks in advance for any help! Jason Tripp Headlight Wiring Diagram