Bambikiller240

Mandatory Z content: No Z's in this kind of racing, but............ Has anyone seen the Australian V8 Super Car, and British Touring Car racing on Speed TV this winter? Wow, I have seen some great racing in these two series in the past few weeks. I'm not sure how old the races are (2002 season for sure, but what month(s) they actually raced, I don't know) but they have some great close racing going on in these series. If you'all have a spare hour or so to kill what with NASCAR, CART, and IRL hibernating, do yourself a favor and check it out. Carl

Hi Guys: One thing to keep in mind is that there are several places to buy many of these items. Nissan (if not NLA), MSA, and Victoria British to name a few. DO YOUR RESEARCH!! Especially on prices! I have bought some used items from Cybersanford (Bob Zola) and he's a nice guy to deal with, and seems honest enough, and I'd buy USED items from him again. But if you compare the prices for the rubber and other Z related nicknacks he puts up on eBay, well; the prices are higher that the same items at either MSA or Victoria British. The photo's of the items that he labels as "replacement" parts appear to be identical to what you get from Vic Brit. albeit at a higher price. This post SHOULD NOT be construed as a knock on Bob Zola! He is a businessman and like all businessmen, his job is to buy at one price and sell at a higher price. How else can one run a business? (US GOVERNMENT EXCEPTED! :disappoin :cross-eye ) So just be knowledgable about the options that you have to purchase these types of items from several different sources. Just an FYI

Check with : Scott Performance 2555 Lafayette St # 104, Santa Clara, CA 95050 Phone: (408) 988-2233 and see who they reccommend. Might also try to find a fellow named Potter (I think it's Dan Potter, but could be wrong) who is a famous Z guru from the South Bay area. He may do head work himself or can point you to the shop he uses. Sorry, but I've lost my contact info on him. Maybe someone else in the club keeps better records than I. Oh, and Dando's in Fleamont may be able to point you to someone also. www.dandos.com Good Luck

If you are going to do any repairing of the wiring, solder your connections! Do not, repeat DO NOT just use the crimp-on type things. Crimp them, then solder them so you have a perfect connection. Insulate well with shrink tube or good quality electrical tape if you can't get shrink tubing.

On my car the flasher still "clicked" also, but the rear turn bulb, and later, the left front turn bulb did not respond to the "clicking" of the flasher. The switch is only available as a complete assembly which includes the lever, all of the mechanical gizmo's and the little switch box. The whole thing is mounted to the steering collumn with two screws which kind of clamp the headlight switch assembly on one side of the steering collumn, and the turn signal assembly to the other side. But, yes, that little "curved box" is where the switch contacts reside. That is what some people try to dis-assemble, clean, and re-assemble. I'm not familiar with alarm systems at all, so I can't help you there. I actually know very little about electric systems. Only what has been passed on to me in specific situations, and a little basic logic regarding troubleshooting. i.e. start and one end of a circuit and check each and every "thing" as you move through the circuit. Don't skip anything or you are wasting your time! You may want to join the IZCC mail list at www.zhome.com and post your symptoms there. Lots more brains to pick, just be sure to specify what year and model of Z you have, since they cover ALL Datsun/Nissan Z's from 1970 through 2003.

Though I have not used one, I know several people who have used them and I can say that if proper care is used to install the FULL FACE dash cap, they are a great alternative. Only real close inspection around the edges of the guages, or heater control panel, or the bottom edge of the dash will give a clue that they are not the real dash. Now the grain pattern embossed on the cap may not be an EXACT match to stock, it is very close. My friends needed to do a bit of custom trimming and several trial fits of the cap before it was installed permanently. If you go this route, take your time and "measure twice, cut once! Trial fit the cap until you are satisfied that you can't get it to fit any better, then glue down. Get some extra adhesive also, because you don't want to run out in mid-installation. PS: My friends did not buy on eBay, they got theirs from MSA in Los Angeles. Good Luck!

Alansz: Double check the bulb holders for any corrosion on the ends or on the bulbs themselves. Clean as necessary. Swap bulbs around Right side to left side to see if the symptom moves with a bulb. If not and you haven't done any creative wiring around the time that the symptom appeared, I'd tihink it might be the switch. Try spraying contact cleaner into the little boxy section of the switch that holds the contacts. If the situation improves when you do this. You've found the problem. If not, well it could still be the problem, but you won't know for sure unless you can swap in another switch from a known working Z just to confirm the point. Do you have a Bud nearby that would let you borrow the switch from his car for a hour or two? They are relatively easy to swap in and out. I'd try that before buying a switch since they cost so much. My car's first turn signal switch lasted 30 years, if I get 30 years out of the $100 one that I bought, I'll be happy. Good Luck

ALL quotes are from ionman Correct! Intentionally!:classic: :beard: Some of us put airdams in this catagory. I for one (and I'm not the only one) do notice a significant positive difference in handling at freeway speeds (60-80 MPH) with an airdam My point exactly!:classic: :classic: DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS! As you can see from my avatar, my car decided to modify itself with a bit of dearskin imbedded in the left headlight bucket, and a bent hood and a bent bumper!:stupid: Not a mod I'm particularly fond of, but I'm stuck with it

Humm, not sure about that one. Since you couldn't hear the flasher before, but do hear the new one now. Maybe something is damaging your flasher unit? Did / Do the right side signals still work normally? I don't know how your alarm would affect this situation. My limited experience is on unmodified electrical systems. Sorry I can't be much help.

they also weren't equipped with mag wheels and wide tires, so I guess we're all stuck with 5" steel wheels and hubcaps too! no electronic ignition either. no cassette players (or CD players), or A/C, or armrests, or passenger side mirrors, or halogen headlamps. Headers are out too, and L28's, and R200 diffs and Round Top SU's? What the hell are THEY doing on a 73? Guess we all just have to get back to the basics....No improvements allowed! NOT!! Let the Modifications begin! DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!!!!:stupid: ROFL :stupid: :classic: :stupid: :classic:

The bleeder screws on my 72 Z are smaller for the rear cylinders than for the front calipers, so you may need a different size wrench, but you do want it to still be a flarenut wrench. Just may need an 8mm wrench in addition to the 10mm.

morfirst: No, unfortunately, this only means that currently (no pun intended) that only the contact for current to the rear right tail light is affected by 30 years of carbon and other crap fouling the inside of the switch. More will likely build-up as time goes by and will affect more of the other contacts inside the switch. Now, before leaping to the assumption that the switch is indeed the problem, you must eliminate the other common causes. A burned out bulb, recent work that could have caused a broken wire, etc. Swap bulbs around to see if the symptom moves with a bulb. If not ...then you can use an ohm meter to check the continuity of the wires in the circuit from the switch to the bulbs. If all checks out good, then you are left with the switch as the culprit. The only way to fix the switch is to disassemble and throughly clean and reassemble the switch, if can do so without breaking anything. Since what I'm describing is not a "broken" part, but simply a dirty and carbon-fouled item, you cannot see anything broken, when you open the switch (if you do). What you will see is the junk and carbon-tracking on the contacts that causes the problem which must be removed. then you reassemble the switch exactly as it was, only much cleaner inside. It is tedious and nerve-racking for me to do this, so I bit the bullet and simply bought a new switch which cured the problem instantly. But at a cost of about $100. PS I tried for a year to avoid buying the switch by tracing the wires, and then repeatedly spraying electrical contact cleaner into the switch. When I used the cleaner things would get a bit better for a while, but the symptoms always returned and progressivly got worse. Eventually the front left turn signal would not work either. If any of you guys remember Scott Bruning from ZTherapy, he's the one who put me onto the cause and two possible cures for this problem. From my experience, he was right.

...........you can remove the bolts from the motor mounts to the cross-member and then jack up the ENGINE to get more clearance to raise the steering rack enough to replace the bushings. That is what I did and it worked well. Just be sure to have a piece of wood between the oil-pan and the floor jack, so you don't bugger up the oil pan. You only need about 2 or 3 more inches of clearance to do the job, and separating the tie-rods from the steering knuckles to remove the whole rack from the car usually destroys the tie rod boots if not the whole outer tie-rod ends. Not worth the $$ to me! Just my opinion

On my 72 240Z, this symptom was just the beginning. Soon other turn signal lights failed to operate. Cleaning the turn signal switch inside the steering collumn helped temporarily, but soon the symptoms returned. Finally, I had to bite the bullet and buy a new turn signal switch.....at a cost of about $100. Allof the current for the turn signals is channeled throught the switch and carbon build-up and age takes it's toll. There have been several threads about this on the IZCC list over the years. You MAY be able to dis-assemble the switch to thoroughly clean the innerds, but it must be done with care, or the tabs that hold the switch together will break and then you are truely screwed and will have to buy a replacement switch. Good Luck Carl

After pulling the head, I think you should be able to shine a flashlight down inside the front cover and see if the tensioner has popped back into it's correct position, or is out of place. If you've been able to get your screwdriver handle all the way down past the tensioner, you should be OK. Keep your fingers crossed! :classic: & Good Luck! PS: Did the Cam Gar bolt loosen by itself or was the engine opened up by a shop when you had the poor performance issue from the bad gas resolved? Bad Luck? or Bad Work?

Are you possibly talking about the Anti-Backfire Valve fitted for emissions reasons? If so, it came on most 240Z's. It's purpose is to momentarily (VERY momentarily, nowhere near 5 seconds!) keep the throttle open to minimize the dumping of excess raw fuel into the engine when shifting gears, etc. On the other hand, maybe it is a 260Z emissions deal, and was left in place when someone replaced the 240Z intake manifold with an N36 (or is it N33) 260Z Intake. The 240Z should have and E88 intake unless it is a VERY early (70 or early 71 model) mfg car. Can you upload a picture of what you have? That would help folks to identify it for you.

The hoses that MSA sells are manufactured by Earl's Performance http://www.earlsperformance.com/html/index.htm and though the hoses are not D.O.T. approved, they are high quality units. I've used these MSA sold lines on several 240Z's and have never had a failure. They just do not have the "whip dampner" feature of their "HYPERFIRM" Line of products refered to in the quote below. "The Teflon / stainless steel brake hoses have not been available for legal use on street driven vehicles until recently. All safety- related components on street vehicle must meet stringent requirements and tests set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The most demanding test for brake hoses is the "whip test", designed to simulate the continuous flexing of the hoses during suspension and steering movement. Until Earl's developed and patented their exclusive "whip dampener", Teflon / stainless steel hoses were not able to pass this extremely rigorous test. The D.O.T. does not "approve" any products. It calls out specifications and tests procedures that the components must meet. The manufacturers then self-certify that they are in compliance. The D.O.T. mat randomly require that components be tested by an independent certified laboratory selected by the D.O.T. If D.O.T. approval is something you need to have for peace of mind, take those back and buy custom manufactured hoses from an Earl's distributor, or AeroQuip, or Russell's, or Goodridge. They will cost more because they've had to pay the significant costs for testing to meet D.O.T. requirements.

Amen! Drain the Tank First! There is a drain plug at the bottom, center of the stock gas tank. Drain the gas into a bucket, then drop the tank. You'll be glad you did!

just make sure that your projects, are HER projects; or at least that your projects come first! :stupid:

A cracked block would be very unlikely. If the motor got HOT, the aluminium head would probably crack long before the cast iron block would crack. Still, if you have reason to believe that the motor got very hot or suspect a bottom-end problem, it is better to do all of your checking before spending major money on the engine. 2ManyZs has given you good advice on what and how to check the engine.:classic:

A guy in Canada is selling a fibreglass G-nose "kit" on eBay. Actually it is a one piece deal. I'm not connected with the seller in any way, just mentioning it in case anyone is looking for something like this piece. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6766&item=1876130223 PS: I like Airdams

Gavin: In the USA they cost about $20 USD for an OEM hose, or for a few dollars more (around $25 USD total) you can get an stainless steel braided Replacement hose. They are available at Motorsport Auto. The OEM hose can also be bought at any Nissan dealer here. Both the OEM and Stainless hoses have metal fittings on each end, so you can't buy plain hose and trim to fit. You need to buy the correct part. :beard: Get a proper wrench or one day soon you'll bugger up a flarenut completely, and then you'll find out how difficult it is to get brake or clutch metal lines!:disappoin

If you've noticed that much rust without a thorough inspection of the car, I'd be concerned. If at all possible, I'd have one of your buddies from the body shop inspect it COMPLETELY. Also, open the rear hatch and look for rust there, and in the bottom of the spare tire well. Both are notorious places for MAJOR RUST to hide. Rust repair is a VERY good way to spend a TON of time and money. Just my $.02, but a seller who is not co-operative or forthcoming with information is someone I'd RUN AWAY from in a heartbeat. There is no crime in not knowing the answer to a question, but it sounds fishy that he doesn't know much about the car, but someone else at the shop tells you that "Eva place supposedly did that to all their cars". Can't have it both ways, either they know about the car or NOT. Just remember, whatever they tell you is from the standpoint of a seller (salesman talk = BullShit!); not from the standpoint of the guy who will be paying for any and all repairs once the title is in YOUR NAME. Caviat Emptor!! (Buyer Beware!!!!) As you said, You may not have much else to spend your money on, but most guys in the Army don't make so much money that they can afford to throw Thousands down the drain! It's best to go into this possible purchase with your eyes wide open, knowing exactly what you'll be faced with. PS: Sounds like you've been bitten by the "Z" bug. and want one in the worst way. BUY WITH YOUR MIND, NOT YOUR HEART, or you'll end up with the WORST CAR!!

I don't know who makes the Urethane airdams, but they replace all 3 pieces of the factory valance. An airdam will at least minimize the lift or "float" that is inherent (at speed) in the stock front end. Check the "Links" Section of this site for Z car Businesses that offer body panels.

Alan is one of, if not THE the most knowledgable person on the list, especially regarding non-USA models of Z-cars. Give him all the info. that you can find and listen to what he tells you. It is gospel! Thanks for jumping in Alan. Since I don't really know you, I hesitated to refer Phoenix_400 directly to you, but you are the person I had in mind in my earlier post. Happy New Year! :classic: