bartman

I upgraded my '73 240Z's non-retractable shoulder belts to a set of retractable shoulder belts from a 260Z. I just wanted to let anyone know that is thinking of getting retractable shoulder belts, that this is a good solution. I got the initial information about this conversion from this link: http://www.automedic.org/smzcc/tech_tips.htm#seatbelts Here's a couple pics of how it looks in my car:

The 72 is a parts car, so who knows what pieces have been mixed around. So some years have metal piano type hinges and some years have these plastic one's I'm referring to? Maybe the fix is for me to just purchase a metal hinge. Do I need a Nissan specific hinge, or can I use something from a local hardware store?

I have a 73 240Z and the glovebox door is broken at the hinges. It appears that the "hinges" are just plastic that is able to bend to enough for the glovebox door to be opened and closed. My 72 parts car looks the same, and the hinges on it are broken as well. Is there some way to fix these hinges, or where can I get a replacement for them?

Thanks Classic Zcar! I switched the operating arms, and now it works correctly.

Luckily, I haven't painted my exterior yet; because it removed some of the paint on the cowling. Could someone be more specific on how to rotate the mounting arm 180 degrees? Do I need to physically remove or loosen my mounted wiper motor to do this or can it be done in place? Getting the wiper motor and arms in and out of its installation location is quite a PITA.

No, not yet. I probably won't be ready to paint the exterior for a few months :disappoin .

As you can see in the pic I posted earlier in this thread, I removed everything from my engine compartment before painting (engine/trans, steering, brake master, clutch master, front suspension, etc.). If your car is anywhere close to the condition that mine was, you will need to do the same in order to have the job done right.

Check out my web site listed in my signature, and feel free to email or PM me with any questions you have (I'm hard to reach by phone).

I'm a member here as well as at HybridZ. I know that this site is geared more for the purists, so I post stuff about V8's there and search here for general Z information such as brake upgrades, interior stuff, etc. It looks like everyone has their own ideas of what you should or should not do to a Z, but most of us want to make at least some improvements (like electronic ignition, triple webers, etc). I just happen to have taken it one step further and put a V8 with a 6-speed manual in my car. I didn't turn it into a dragster, didn't destroy the handling, and I didn't cut the car up to make it fit. I just made it a little faster, and in my opinion more enjoyable and reliable. I enjoy all Z's and think that everyone could be a little more tolerant of what others are doing with their cars. Just my 2 cents. :nervous:

Subaru World Rally Blue Pearl

Has anyone tried installing Miata seats with the speakers built into the headrests? I'm thinking about installing them in my 73 240Z, and I'm not sure how good the sound will be.

Normal springs are linear, which means the spring rate is constant throughout its useable range. This type of spring has all the coils spaced the same distance from each other. A progressive spring rate is one that increases it's rate as the spring is compressed. For example the first inch of compression may take only 100 lbs, but the next inch will take 200 lbs. Progressive springs have a spacing that is closer together on or both ends than the rest of the spring.

I got mine from Modern Motorsports, and they work great. Perfect thickness for Honda offset wheels. I used 17x7 wheels with 225/45-17's and they fit perfect. I don't think Modern Motorsports likes to give out their thickness, so I won't post it here.

The HPK251 kit is $359 including shipping using 'Buy it Now' on eBay. The ILK 252 is $519 including shipping from the same guy. I purchased the HPK251 kit from him a couple of months ago and they arrived quickly. The problem was that the front springs are progressive, and I didn't want that.

Reading through this post it looks like maybe I should put the RED wire from my Crane XR700 back to the Ballast Resistor. It seems to work either way. Any thoughts?

I was able to find an ignition wiring diagram at http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/ZXPertronix.htm. There are stock diagrams as well as diagrams for a Pertronix Ignition, and a ZX electronic ignition. I also used the diagram in the XR700 documentation I found at the crane website. One of the differences was that my electron ignition was wired to the ballast resistor instead of the coil. I changed this and the tach still didn’t work. Another thing I noticed was that the tach seemed to work while my engine was cranking but not after it started. According to the information I found and these diagrams, the difference is that while the engine is starting the ballast resistor is bypassed. After the engine starts the ballast resistor is used. I finally discovered that the person that installed this unit added a wire from the ballast resistor to the positive side of the coil. As soon as I removed this wire everything worked, including my tach. I am still using the old positive loop tach, and now it works great. I can only assume that the flow was going through the ballast resistor straight to the coil instead of flowing through the tach.

I tried the website and downloaded their instructions with diagrams, but they don't have one specific for the Z. One of the things different on mine is that the positive coil wire for the ignition system is connected to the ballast resistor instead of the coil. Is this correct? Also why doesn't my tach work?

Does anyone have the correct wiring diagram for a Crane XR700 Wiring Diagram for my 1973 240Z? My car came with one installed, and it seems to be working alright, but I can't get my tachometer to work. I don't know if the tach is fried, or it's just hooked up wrong.

I’m thinking of getting a rear skirt for my 1973 240Z, but I haven’t been able to find a good picture of one to see how it looks. I’m specifically looking at getting the classic rear skirt from Motorsport. The picture in the catalog isn’t very good. Is anyone using this skirt and has a picture that you can share? I would be interested in other rear skirts as well. I’m not interested in the combined rear bumper and skirt as I’m using a European chrome rear bumper.

Hey everyone! My 1973 240z came with a Crane electronic ignition. It seems to work fine, but the person I bought it from says now the tachometer can't be hooked up. Motorsports says I can use the tachometer if I use the balast resistor, which I guess I'm not. Do I need to use the stock ballast resistor to be able to use my tachometer? Will it affect my electronic ignition performance if I reconnect the ballast resistor?