ChrisA

Hey Mike, I've been thinking about your wiring question. I'm not sure about the ignition wiring on a ZX. I dont know if it goes thru the brain or not. Hopefully someone out there in Z land can answer that. I would think it would be easy enough to bypass things to get the car running on carbs. Google the "Datsun Garage" and look thru his site. I thought he had some basic ignition wiring diagrams posted. You might just go to your parts store and get a cheap Haynes or Chilton manual for a 240 or 260Z to get the wiring diagrams. Good luck dude!!

Hi Guys, Bought a 71 240Z when I was 16 in 1983. Parted it out when underside was just to rusty. Bought a great 73 in 1995 and a beater 72 in 1996. Have also had: 1977 200sx with built L20B and dual carbs. Man that car was ugly!! 1979 310GX 2 door hatch 1979 280ZX 1979 810 (miss that car) Wife drives a 240SX. She used to have a 1975 280Z. Guess were truly Nissan Nutz!!

Hey Kevin, that picture is downright disturbing. Makes me wonder how long the car was being driven like that. In my 20 years of being into Z's I've never seen rust like that. Not even here in Nebraska, the Rust State.

Hi Guys, from what I have been reading on various Googled sites, dimming lights at idle is not easy to correct. I read one site that said the alternator cannot supply enough power at idle with several loads on. My own car is exactly the same as Xargon's. It's rainy and cold here today so I had on the heater/wipers/headlites/stereo/electric fuel pump/rear defroster. Since my car has the original 40 amp alternator, I am putting a tremendous load on the alt at idle. The unit must spin at a certain rpm to excite the charging side enough to counteract the load. So naturally when you rev her up everything brightens/speeds up. I suppose you could add up the amp draw of everything that's running but what difference would it make. The alternator is not doing its job. BUT--another site said to clean every ground connection in the engine bay and add some 4 gauge ground wires between the engine and the body. Since we have cars that are 30 or more years old there is corrosion between wire connectors and their mating connection. When its bright and dry out with just my fuel pump drawing power it still slows down at idle. Every Z car I have ever owned (4) does this with the stock 40-45 amp allternator. Much luck all!!

I dont think you'll get a measurable gain. But low end torque improved on my setup. I have ztherapy carbs though.

Hey Mike, Tom is 100% correct. My state doesnt test so I am free to do as I like. But it would be easier to just change the pump on your car. Assuming everything else is o.k. Nebraska, where the smog drifts into Iowa.

Hey Matt, I did buy some green LED's that were already rated for 12 volts. I got them at a Heavy Truck dealership. They werent very bright though. I suppose you could fabricate a mounting device but I figured the clear silicone to be easiest because you can just peel it off if needed. Its worked well for me thus far. Chris

P.S. --If you buy loose LED's from like Radio Shack, you'll have to install resistors to lower the voltage incoming to around 2.5 to 3 volts. 12 volts will fry a lone LED in a microsecond.

Hey Matt, I put LED's in all my gauges. Bought the newer "Bright White" ones and set them into the little green bulb housings with clear silicone. What a difference. Yes you will have to find a ground for one neg wire but that's no biggie. I also disconnected the dimmer control and that sends full voltage to the LED's all the time. Project all started because of the dimmer control going bad. I also used some mini Packard connectors on the tach and speedo LED's to ease removal of gauges. Hope this helps.

Hey Fever, I'm no expert on injected cars but if you switch to carbs you cant use your stock regulator since you will remove it to go to carbs. When you buy the holley pump or whatever kind just get a remote regulator at the same time. The stock regulator works with way more pressure than carbed cars. And I thought the stock regulator is plumbed into the injector rail and it wouldnt be suitable anyway. Keep us informed on your project.

Morning Guys, My 6AL is mounted on the right strut tower so I didnt have to lenthen the power wire to the battery. I was wondering if Steve could tell us what the small silver box above his 6AL is? I havent seen that piece on anyone else's car.

Hi Vicky, I bought a 72 and it had been hit in the front so bad that the seam you described on my car's right side had split and had a quarter inch gap under the previous owners crappy repair job. When the hatch was closed you could see through the gap from the body being sprung. I suspect that is where the factory welded the roof on.

Hey Fever, I run a Holley electric pump at the tank to a regulator on the inner fender by the inspection light. I think you can plumb a remote pump into a ZX fairly easily. Get a 260Z intake manifold, it flows a little better. My L28E seems stronger on the low end with carbs versus injection. ztherapy.com has a great web site for pictures of carbs if you're confused about which ones to get. Just remember what the other post said, flat tops carbs blow chunks. They were found on late 73 240Z's and all 260Z's. Much luck to you.

Hey Ed!! Great looking boxer. I have a male and a female both brindle.

My favorite is the Gene Hackman French Connection scene. I also admit to like the wacky Blues Brothers stuff with the Pinto Wagon flying off the road and sailing thru the air for what seemed like 10 minutes with Ride of the Valkyries music playing. Illinois Nazi's !!

My father in-law told me the day after I married his daughter this memorable quote " if its got t_ts or wheels it'll cost you". I think he was right although I've spent more for her than either of my two Z's. House, her own car, college tuition etc, etc. , oh well its worth it right guys!

hls30 is exactly right. I bought a beautiful looking 73 in 1995, it had no rust that you could see and was undercoated. But under the carpet and under the tar paper stuff Nissan stuck down was rust like crazy. The undercoating held together enough to look solid until you took a screwdriver and poked around. The undercoating was in some places almost a quarter inch thick. Look carefully!! And much luck to you.

Hey Steve, Is the BRE spoiler painted? Does it have the flat spot on the right side to put the emblems on?

Can you turn the engine over by hand with the dampner bolt? If so you might check the fusible link at the starter solenoid. Might be loose or burnt up. If a stick shift, have someone give you a push start. If engine wont turn over by hand I suggest pulling spark plugs, squirt in some light oil and let sit for a moment. Let the oil work into the top rings to break any bond to the cylinder wall. I bought a 72 once that had hydro locked due to bad head gasket. Took the plugs out and when I turned her over, water shot out 3 of the plugs holes. Keep us informed on your progress. Much luck.

What about taking the CSI electric water pump and reversing the direction of the motor. Still have to reverse the impeller though. Might be better than changing belts and adding idlers and such. Here is a link to that page: http://www.csiperformance.com/water_pump3.html

In my area we have a shop called Soda Blasters. They use high pressure and baking soda for blasting. It doesnt harm the metal at all. Check your yellow pages, my shop will come to your car and do the job on the driveway. They did the engine bay in my dad's Olds Cutlass and it was awesome. Even if they hit non metal parts it didnt hurt. Or you could take smaller items to them as I did on suspension pieces and wheels.

I met my wife in 1987, she was driving a 75 280Z. Her dad made her trade the car in for something "more reliable". I still hold a grudge on him for that. He talked her into buying a 79 Plymouth Horizon TC3. What a dumbass. The Z ended up being stolen off the car lot and trashed out in the country in a ditch.