Bambikiller240

I don't see why the Pertronix wouldn't work with the European Dist. Never tried it myself, but it should work. The Pertronix will work with any coil. But depending on which coil you get, you may or may not be able eliminate the ballast resistor. For street applications, I feel that it is best to retain the ballast resistor. I've been very happy with the Pertronix "Flame Thrower" coil that I bought with their Ignitor ignition.

Not sure if they are still available new, but if they are, you might be surprised at how much it will cost you. Last time I saw them listed in the MSA catalog they were quoting over $100 for a unit.

The store-bought tool is great to have, but if you don't have one the putty knive will work just fine as it actually spreads the "load" out over an even larger area of the pressboard. Just pry immediately next to the clips. Or, if you are like most of us, and have an old putty knife around, you can make your own tool by cutting a V shaped notch in the middle of the blade. Then you slip the knife under the panel, placing the clip in the "V" and pry up.

Sedan de Ville??? :tapemouth :cheeky:

I don't know what it is either. The website didn't identify it (for obvious reasons?) The wheel covers have me thinking Caddy, but that's just a guess. IF the driver survived, he's probably saying, "Hmmmm, This dashboard tastes funny."

If sitting in a rusty 280Z 2+2 does THAT for you, Just imagine how you'd feel in a REAL Z (a 240Z!) "Superman on Steroids!"

Eeeeek! Glad I wasn't in this car. Does anyone know what it is (or was)?

That would be a plastic one. BTW, the VR in that picture is not an OEM one, it's one of those crappy "modern" replacement ones that cannot be adjusted, and often fails.

BINGO! I knew it had to be something simple like that. I found a bad connector (terminal cracked and wiring frayed) in that area on my car when installing the Pertronix. Oh, the joys of 30 year old wiring! :stupid:

I don't know about the unit that MSA sells unless you are talking about the Crane XR700, (which I will NEVER use again!), but I can tell you from personal experience that the Pertronix Ignitor system (see the Ignitor HERE) does work, and works GREAT. owenk's suggestion is correct. Likely the plastic fitting from the filler tube to the vent system is cracked, AND / OR the vent hoses themselves are cracked. If you are removing the gas tank and doing repairs, check out the plastic fitting and replace it if necessary, and also replace the vent hoses. DO NOT ELIMINATE THEM. Without the vent hoses your gas tank will not fill completely. You'll get about an 11 to 12 gallon fill instead of 15.9 gallons. Air will be trapped in the tank due to the shape of the tank. You can replace all but one of the the vent hoses with generic "FUEL / OIL" (the hose MUST be rated for "FUEL / OIL" DO NOT use heater hose!) hoses. The one with the 180 bend in it should be replaced with an OEM hose. Hose without the pre-formed bend will "kink" in that location and thus will not allow air to vent.

Yes, it is. However, you can find it locally in "most" parts stores, perhaps cheaper that ordering and paying shipping on it. Just be sure that it says"Black Weatherstrip Sealant" on the tube.

They will beat the price on "exact same" items from "same" manufacturer. The rubber kit being discussed IS the same kit manufactured by Precision Replacement Parts Co. and sold by many parts sales companies. You can also buy it from the manufacturer, but you'd probably get a better price elsewhere, as they won't undercut the prices of their distributors. BTW, some people don't like the kit. They say that they have problems closing the doors with the Precision door seals installed. Evidently the rubber is stiffer (not as soft and pliable as OEM) so they end up having to slam the door to get it to close. I can't vouch for that, as I have always used OEM seals on my 240Z.

Hi Mick: I had problems keeping the Crane unit adjusted properly. There is a little arm with a slot in it to adjust the location of the optical unit in relation to the #1 contact on the Distributor cap. It didn't want to stay locked into place. Every month or so, I'd have to adjust it. Then after about 13-14 months, my car started displaying a very scary tendency to just die while driving. I'd be on the freeway, or in town and suddenly the engine would die, like someone had turned the ignition off. No Power. It would happen about every 20 to 40 minutes of driving time. After pulling over to the side of the road, the car would not start unless I waited about 10 minutes or so, then it would start right up and I could drive for another 20 to 40 minutes befor the engine would die again. The problem turned out to be the Power Transistor built into the Crane "Black box". It was thermal sensitive, and would work until it got too warm, then would stop supplying power to the distributor. When it cooled down, it would work again. The mechanic (a Z expert) that finally tracked down the problem told me that it was a fairly common problem with the XR700. That was enough for me and I junked the Crane and bought a Pertronix. Much simpler installation, it stays aligned properly, and seems to put out stronger performance (engine pulls harder, & to higher RPM) than I had with the Crane. I've had the Pertronix for over two years now and NO problems at all. BTW, it cost slightly less than what I paid for the Crane too! Just my opinion, but I'd never go back to a Crane XR700.

I've been told that Harley or other motorcycle shops have 20w oil. Motorsport Auto in Los Angeles also sells it in small bottles. Kinda expensive per ounce, though.

Yeah, it's tough to mess up the installation of the Pertronix unit. like you say two screws. Just make sure all of the wires are installed on the correct places at the coil and resistor. I don't have my Pertronix instructions with me, but I know that I did use the ballast resistor and haven't had a problem. I believe that it is needed with the Flame-Thrower coil. PS I love the Pertronix. Much better performance than with the Crane XR700 that I replaced.

All of the 240Z's had two seals. One is in the bodty opening all the way around it. 360 degrees. The inner seal is horseshoe shaped asnd does not go around the bottom of the opening. It is mounted on a small raised "lip" in the body opening. A little hard for me to explain. OK, here's a pic I stole off of eBay. Excuse my poor drawing of the arrows showing the bottom ends of the outer seal.

Are you sure that you got all wires at the coil and the ballast resister installed in the correct locations? Double / Triple check them. Is the ballast resistor cracked? or a wire broken at the connector? I found one of those when I installed mine. It is possible that when you installed the voltage regulator that one or more of the wires going into the plug (connector) broke inside the insulation. I'v seen that happen more than once. I cannnot tell you how to trobleshoot that area as I'm an electrical idiot, but look everything over very carefully. The Pertronix unit and installation is so simple that if the problem lies there it should be fairly easy to spot. Good Luck

The 71, 72, 73 240Z's that I've owned all had plastic ones. Thankfully Bambikiller still has her's. (not for sale)

De Nada!

There is a review of the product HERE. There is also a link to the manufacturer's website there also.

I don't think any of those parts are available from Nissan or MSA, or Vic Brit. Your best bet is to hook up with someone with a parts car. If you can find them in semi reasonable shape, you can treat the rubber pieces with "Back to Black" and they will look marvelous. The metal parts will need re-plating for an OEM look or you can paint them.

There are not enough Z's left for there to be a "place to look at various Z's for sale" anywhere. Your best bet is to look on the internet on various collector car sales websites. Attend a Z show sponsored by a club in your area, you'll see cars for sale there. Check the news papers, and when you see a Z for sale, call and make an appointment to view the car. Make notes of what you find as you examine each car you look at. Comapre your notes on several cars that you've looked at and you'll get an idea of common problems with older Z's. You can also find a wealth of information on this site if you use the SEARCH function. Good Luck

Well, the high bid is down to $2800.00 as of now. Looks like the bidders are dropping out like FLIES in a "RAID" commercial! 3 bidders say they retracted bids due to the seller changing the description of the vehicle, and one cancelled because he couldn't contact the seller! Strangely, the auction page doesn't show any "revisons" to the auction. The seller must be reporting changes directly to the bidders, or the bidders are just getting cold feet after some shopping around! (I don't see a "rust thru" near the brake booster, but I do see paint damaged by brake fluid in that area. Most older Z's have that from previous owners.)

I use a stiff putty knife inserted carefully between the panel and the door to pry the panel away from the door. Start at one end and work your way around the panel. Use only enough force to pop the clips out of the receiver cups that are mounted into the door. Don't rush, and be careful and you should be OK if the panels are not already busted up from previous owner attempts to remove them.