SteveJ

Excellent choice, Mark.

It's less than 2 months until the Mitty. Please let me know if you're planning on attending, so we can count you among the throngs of Datsun lovers in our group. I'm working with GRM to get the group treatment including parade lap(s), etc. Also, one of the Georgia Z Club members reminded me that HSR & SVRA are parting ways, so this could be the last time pre 1980 cars are running at the Mitty. That's sad news for all of us who love to see classic cars racing.

FYI, I drew most of my knowledge of the system straight from the FSM. The description starts on page BE-90. The switch was on the right side of the engine bay. I don't know if you'll find many unmolested examples out there since the whole system was a miserable failure.

This one is a few hours away, but it might merit looking at. http://macon.craigslist.org/cto/1618834051.html

That's even more reason to go with the belts I put into my 74. One end mounts to the floor, and the end with the retractor mounts at the shoulder position. The belts pull out more easily than the ones sold by MSA. (I have that type in my 73.)

Cool. That is different (provided the belts were stored well). Unfortunately, I think you'll find that the retractor mechanisms for the 280Z belts won't work for the anchor points in the 70. (I'm assuming you're talking about your 70.) While the aftermarket belts won't have the Nissan logos, they are a drop-in replacement. If you don't need the belts for your 280Z, you might try to sell them here or on E-bay to finance some aftermarket belts.

Okay, I'll bite. Why do you want to put 30+ year old seatbelts into your car? The webbing suffers over the years and can't stretch like it could when new. You can find aftermarket belts with new webbing and retractors that will fit better than seatbelts from a 280Z. These seatbelts require absolutely NO drilling, tapping, cutting, slicing, dicing, etc. It doesn't take long to replace the belts, either. Just search this site. I've replace the belts in both of my Z cars, the last time was only a couple of months ago. Steve

Actually, if you're having a wiring problem that you don't think you've seen a solution for, post a description of your problem here. There are several of us here who can help. Also, be sure to download the FSM. It does have some good troubleshooting information. When describing the problem be sure to include when possible: 1. Was the engine running or stopped? 2. What position was the key in? 3. Measurements of voltage, current, continuity, or resistance. Also, you'll need at least a noid light. A decent multimeter will provide more useful information. You can get one that will do most of what you need at Walmart for about $20. If you don't know how to use a multimeter, there are guides online. All you have to do is Google. Sometimes you'll find a wire has broken or corroded at a connector. I find that typical solderless terminals for male/female connections will work. I like crimping terminals onto wires with a crimping tool like this. There are also kits for terminals available online. Here is one of the better ones: Vintage Connections. If you're having problems with headlights or turn signals, you'll want to look into Dave's (Zs-ondabrain) relay systems. I believe they are available through MSA, too. If you have trouble maintaining the electrical system in your car, you might find that putting in a new one introduces a brand new set of headaches, and since the wiring won't be common to the rest of our cars, you'll be decreasing the amount of support you have.

Why do you need a new wiring harness? IMHO, the 240Z wiring is not that complicated.

It depends. I bought a 260Z two years ago for $2500. I've put close to $1500 parts and labor into it since, and that's a car with a solid body and not too bad of paint. I'm expecting at least a few hundred more for parts more, and that's without much in the way of customization. I met someone else who lives near Atlanta and uses this board. He bought a 73 240Z for $5000, and I know he's put a pretty good chunk of change into it. However, I would say that he car is worth over $10,000, and my car is worth significantly less.

Here are a couple from my 73.

Thanks, Jan. It does help. I have the defroster indicator light. It wasn't mounted because it needed repair. It looks like I'm just missing a couple of blanking plates. I can handle that.

I purchased a 280Z console from Courtesy Nissan not too long ago to replace the mangled piece of plastic that was in my 260Z. There are two holes in the console that I assume would be filled on a 280Z. Could I get some feedback on what goes in them? The first is the hole between the defrost and choke lights. The second is a big square hole to the right of the defrost and hazard switches. Thanks in advance, Steve

I would have to look through some of the old FSMs to be sure, but I seem to recall posts saying that the 240Z was wired for an electric fuel pump. The 240Z in America did not come with an electric fuel pump, but you might find 73s with them as that was one of the measures taken to reduce vapor lock.

Nope, they were stock on the 73 240Z.

It entails a lot of frustration. Here is a picture from the FSM (along with my suggestion on how to jumper it out once it's disconnected). The neutral switch completes a circuit to the ignition interlock unit if the transmission is in neutral, a seat is occupied without the seatbelt in use, and the key is in the run position. This will light the seatbelt warning light and sound the buzzer. (Note: the drawing shows a normally open switch, and that's how I described the operation. However, it doesn't make sense to me. I would think it should be a normally closed switch, so if the car is in gear, the buzzer & light would be present.) The interlock was the idea of the brilliant bureaucrats in the federal government. (Disclaimer: At one time I was a bureaucrat, but I was disgusted by the thought of wasting the taxpayers' money, so I got a real job.) If someone set a bag of groceries down in the passenger seat, the car would not start unless the bag was securely buckled in. Of course, I do not advocate utilizing the passenger seat (or driver seat) for grocery storage during transit, but the system just didn't work that well. Many people just left their seatbelts buckled all of the time to reduce the headaches.

The 260Z had a neutral switch in the manual transmission to go with the horrid interlock relay system in the car. I don't have a picture of the switch, though.

Well, I found the box for the remote system. The receipt was in it, too. The PO bought it from (now) Black Dragon Automotive. It's the system pictured on the Door/Door Lock Kits page. The part number is 94-403, and the current price is $49.95.

Do you have a factory service manual? You can find one online at the link in my signature.

Well, do you want to count the systems that require us to disengage the clutch before starting the car or press the brake to shift out of park? Those are great for the mindless masses. What about all of the airbag sensors throughout the cars? How about airbags themselves? There's nothing like having an explosive device mounted near your head.

With the brand/model that the PO installed, there was no cutting of the door structures. There was one hole drilled for stabilizing the motor to raise/lower the arm attached to the door lock. It might be more what you're looking for.

I'm not sure how you could do that without cutting the door panels or drilling holes in the doors. The PO of my 260Z installed a remote door lock kit because of issues with a failing door lock. I worked on the door lock and yanked the wiring out for the remote kit. The PO didn't cut the panels. He just snaked the wires in a small loom out of the door, warping the panels slightly. The PO gave me the original box for the kit, and I think I still have it. I can give you the brand tonight maybe.

What do you want to reconnect? The seatbelt interlock was about the most inane government safety idea foisted upon the automotive industry in the 70s. IIRC, it didn't even last the full 1974 model year when it was implemented. From looking at pages EE-13 and BE-91 in the FSM, I think the red lines in the attached picture show what should be jumpered out to bypass the interlocks. Dave, feel free to correct me. Steve

Okay, the next thing I can think of is a possible dead cell in the battery. It will show voltage until you try to use it under a significant load. It's easy to check. Put a voltmeter on the battery and try to start the car (or turn on the headlights). If voltage goes down significantly, try a different battery. Also, have you checked the fusible links? How about the grounds?

Did you try just jumpstarting the car? You could have had a weak battery.