kenz240z

'73 240Z with a LT-1/T-56 from a '95 Firebird. JTR motor mounts, home made transmission mount. Wiring underway, but it does start and the engine idles great!

Black Dragon sells bolts just like that. I purchased some a few months ago from them. But, they are silver in color, not the yellow/gold zinc chromate color.

Nice Z!

Welcome to the club! That is one sharpe looking 260Z!

Wow, the 240Z was a great find! I look forward to seeing your progress with both of your Z's.

I am wrestling with that myself right now. There are a couple of threads on the site here that address it. Looks like one option is to get a shift lever from a Datsun truck, cut the upper part from the pivot point, weld it on at about 90 degrees and then bend the lever so it sticks up in the middle of the shifter hole. Then you can use the original inner boot and early outer boot.

Hi Art, the '71 fuse box has a long wiring harness compared to the '72/'73. There are 4 single connectors and 2 6-way connectors. You should be able to get to 5 of the connections behind the center of the dash on the passenger side. The blue/white wire connects to the lighter, so you may be able to get to that one from under the ash tray after the other 5 have been disconnected. Another option may be to remove the radio to gain access to these connectors. Be sure to disconnect the negative battery cable before attempting to disconnect the fuse box connectors...

Oops, some how posted prematurely...the rest of the list: ball joints - 75 tie rod ends - 70 front wheel bearings - 50 rear wheel bearings - 130 alternator - 85 paint -500 misc - 500 Total for all this would be $3500. Granted, the car may need additional parts/materials that would add to this. Major engine work, for instance. On the other hand, the car may not need all of the parts I listed.

The hood, doors & fenders all look salvagable to me. A little welding work to patch the rusted areas. A little hammer & dolly work to bump out the dents. A stud welder tool would be handy for some of the dents. To my DIY way of thinking, you could end up with a real nice car for under 3500 if you do the work yourself. A few rough numbers: seat covers - 250 carpet kit - 250 bushing set - 250 struts - 400 brakes - 300 weatherstrip kit - 300 clutch - 200 battery - 60 starter - 80 ball joints

Hi Art, the fuse box won't fit between that metal bar and the console, neither will the lighter. I'm still in the process of putting the dash/console together in my car and have pretty good access to the wiring behind the dash, as the radio and glove box haven't been installed yet. I test fit the console and slipped the fuse box pigtail through the gap and back into the dash area and then screwed it down. Same with the lighter.

Hi Art, here is a photo showing both the early Z inner shift boot, on the right, and the later shift boot & retainer ring, on the left. I just got an early Z inner shift boot from Black Dragon. Part Number 62-420 for $19.95. It is a reproduction part, but seems to be good quality. The real test will come when I install it...I need to deal with a shifter issue first, though. My '71 has a type B 4-speed in it and the shifter hits the edge of the shifter hole & the console. Nothing a little welding won't fix!

If you have the storage/work space, time and the skills, I think the car would be a suitable project. Granted, it will take a lot of work, but you will learn a lot in the process. The one caveat is the rust monster. While I am not averse to tackling metal repairs, even with my limited welding skilz, I think there is definitely a point where a car is beyond salvage. But, even that depends on your ability and your determination. For instance, consider the rust repair done on this car: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17399 Most people would walk away from a car with rust issues like this. I truly admire Mull's spirit and determination and fabrication skilz! If this car is not outside your comfort zone, then I say go for it.

A couple more... www.zzxdatsun.com www.datsunparts.com Plus a few threads you may find helpful... http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40558 http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34894 http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23919

Rich, the bumpers were ready about 2 weeks after I dropped them off.

If I'm not mistaken, the hose in the picture would connect to the smog pump, if it is still on the engine...if the smog pump has been removed, simply remove that hose & cap off the nipple on the back of the air filter housing. Check your local auto parts stores, you should be able to find a cap that will fit.

I'm going to spray the back sides with silver enamel paint, as described in Wick Humble's book, before I permanently mount them on the car.

Here are the two types of front struts I have. The bottom strut is from a '77 28Z 2+2, the top is from a 260Z. I couldn't make out the part numbers on the strut tubes, what is the number on your strut tube? With a little cleaning and better light I should be able to read the numbers from the struts I have. The main difference appears to be the mounting tab where the hard line to the caliper connects to the flexible brake hose. The mounting tab is parallel with the strut tube on the 260Z strut. On the '77 2+2 strut it is rotated about 90 degrees, and would be parallel with the ground when the strut is in the car. Not sure if this is a good description, but take a look at the pics and you can see the difference I'm trying to describe...

The upholsterer used rivets to attach new fuzzy strips to the re-skinned door panels. Here's a shot of the drivers side panel on the door, plus several of the rivets. Not sure if they were counter sunk or not, but they are definitely somewhat recessed and do not make contact with the glass. They are not that noticeable unless you get up real close for a look.

I recently had the bumpers for my '71 project rechromed at Denver Bumper. Cost was $275 each and that included welding up the holes for the over riders and rubber strips and also straightening them out. The front bumper had been "bumped" somewhere along the line and was nearly flat across the front. Darn near looked like a rear bumper! Both bumpers turned out pretty nice!

Have you measured the actual voltage at the battery? Might just be enough to turn on the lights, but not enough to turn the starter. If the car won't start even with a fully charged battery, you might want to pull the starter and have it tested at an auto parts store.

Perhaps a case by case basis? In this instance, I found it interesting that Gary posted his position for why he cut up the car 8 years ago. Kind of brings closure to the whole thing. And as 26th-Z points out, the various cross sections where the body was cut do provide a good insight into the construction of the car.

Let me know if you still need the spindle, send me a PM. I think I might have a couple of front struts around here somewhere...I'm not too far from Denver, up in Berthoud.

Like a lot of restoration parts for the early Z's, the new door panel skins are on the pricey side. But, they are a cheaper option than replacement door panels. And in the scheme of things, the price really isn't too bad. I did buy a pair of replacement door panels from MSA about 7 years ago, the price then was about $155 each...wish I'd bought more, but I didn't know I would have more Z projects back then!

I've used Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator and Chassis Black for the suspension parts on 3 cars now. All turned out excellent.

Welcome to the club! Here are a couple more: http://www.zzxdatsun.com/ http://www.datsunparts.com/ (mostly roadster stuff, but some Z items, too)