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I have an email in to Zedd Findings, so I'll post back when I hear something. Here's the reply I got from Datsun Spirit: "Steve You would cut out the strap cutouts. There will be snaps to be attach to the floor mats. Carpets come with under jute paddings. We go through our own manufacturer. Datsun Spirit, Inc ----- Original Message ----- Dear Sir, I am writing to ask about your five-piece sectional 240Z carpet set. Is it a more accurate replication with cutouts for luggage straps? does it have the snaps on the front seat sections? Is it from the same supplier that MSA and Too Intense Restorations get their carpet set? What is the type and appearance of the underpadding? Thanks, Steve"

Jim, I'd participate in a group buy. Maybe there's a good upholstery shop near you where you can take the carpet pattern for replication...There's a shop here, but I don't have a reasonable carpet set to take with me. Let me know if i can help.

Obewon, Thanks for the link. Searching can be a tedious, laborious, monotonous exercise in sifting through irrelevant threads/posts that just happen to contain your search terms--and when you find a relevant thread the discussion often sputters out without in sort of conclusion or kernel of wisdom. Given the lack of stickies, FAQs and the limited number of tech articles, links like this can be very helpful for the novice restorer.

Hmm. When I bought a set 10 or so months ago it was cut pile, which is definitely not OEM. Have they begun selling loop pile now? BTW, I contacted DatsunSpirit via email about their carpet set ($230). They state they use a different supplier than VB/MSA/TIR. No cutouts for luggage straps, and comes with a jute underpadding (which I presume to be similar to all the other underpadding and not a horsehair-type jute.) The pattern is not correct (based on the pics), so I'm not sure I'd spend the extra $$$ for it. FWIW

Carl, Pics? Hard evidence? It would be nice for these to be made public to help bolster claims of increasing value.....Can't raise my agreed value with insurers based on "well, I heard of a couple that sold for over 30k..." Mags have been calling the Z "One to watch" since at least 2005. WSJ, Hemming's Sports and Exotic, Classic Motorsports etc all seem to take turns with it, but there's little empirical evidence to support the claim...$30,000 would be nice, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Just because it costs more to restore a car doesn't directly cause its value to increase, so I don't buy that as a legitimate singular cause of supporting the value of a particular collector car. Ultimately, it could tip the supply of restored cars toward a lower number since fewer and fewer people are willing to absorb the restoration cost, but there needs to be strong inherent interest in the car to support it's value, not simply the cost to restore. Will the GenXers (my generation) support it? Who knows. Most of the time, people value the "Cars of Their Youth" when shopping for collector cars...for most of us, those were the Miami Vice cars, the 308, the 930, the Testarossa, the Buick GN, the Fox body Mustang, Firebird, BMW 6-series and E30 M3, MB 560SL etc.....60s and 70s muscle cars were an interest for many of us (Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky and Hutch etc)

Late to the party, I know.... Carl, my question about valuing an older restoration was more a hypothetical than actually applied to this car. There's no other metric available for valuing modified cars, so NADA (regardless of personal opinion) has to do as an initial jumping off point. I think well-done modified cars can have strong support in the Import side of collecting, just as we see regularly on the domestic muscle car side... After seeing this car though, "well done" may not apply. No need to rehash what's already been well-described but this car is an old driver-level refreshification. It's not a 5k car, but it's certainly not 10-12k. I have to revise my early estimate downward, and depending on workmanship I think it's on the low side of average, around 7-8k (still assuming bodywork is good). To revert to stock would be tough, but not impossible (expensive, yes)...but it wouldn't take much to make it into a well-sorted modified Z (assuming minimal metalwork.) New seats, better interior, a nice dash, new weatherstripping (looks to have overspray)---hey, it's only money, right? If bought for 7500, and 10k wisely spent I bet you'd pretty be pretty close to breaking even if you had to sell it...

This brings up an interesting point that may be off-topic... How does one depreciate a previously restored car? NADA suggests that an "amateur or older restoration" would be put in the "average" condition category, but if it was a topnotch 100-point resto 15 years ago, stored and maintained in an appropriate garaged environment, why would it depreciate at all if its condition was identical to when the resto was completed? Now, if it were an OK restoration 15 years ago, and paint was dulled or some rust was showing, that'd be easy to determine. IMO, the quality of the restoration shouldn't devalue over time if the car is well-maintained...Is there any other corroborating source for gauging this kind of value? AACA or simlar organization have a standard? To the original post...Based on the few pics supplied, the car looks in average to high retail condition. You'd have to gauge quality of restoration in person (don't rely on pics), and assess what needs going over (again.) He should have receipts. The improper engine bay color would be costly to redo if you wanted to revert to stock, but selling the triples would go part of the way to that cost (minus refurbed SUs)....I wouldn't low-ball him, but based on those pics 9k would be a well-bought car. (NADA avg=9950 hi=18,300)

I'm not an expert on 280s...the carpet appears faded, or did it come in that color?

...just trying to add a useful post when/if new people search for SU problems. Nice to see the diagrams! Seems people don't want to read Hammill's book, so posting a link may be more helpful

http://www.zparts.com/zptech/articles/mal_land/ml_sucarb2/SUcarb_111601b.htm Don't think this has been posted, but it's a nice summary. Covers many of Hammill's points in his "Powertuning" book FWIW

.....

I'm on the medical staff for our local club, which may or may not count...But, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night....

Now wait a minute here. Where do you get the idea that I support someone MISREPRESENTING a car for sale in an effort to maintain my financial interest in my own car!?!?! Holy cow. I think you read something into my post which is not correct, as there was no implication. Please re-read my prior post, particularly the section about other forums. Here we have a car that looks good in pictures, and instead of saying the usual "needs better pics of floors, rockers, battery tray etc." or actually (heaven forbid) ASK THE SELLER what's up with the chrome, we immediately assign it as suspicious. And then we AGAIN presume it potentially fraudulent by somehow assigning cars in Pennsylvania as being suspicious--As if PA ZCar owners can't have a well-cared for car! What the heck!?!? That auction has been BRANDED as a potential scam, and if someone cruises here to look if there's discussion about it, will likely be scared away. Or try to pay less than what it's actually worth. That's not fair to the seller. We should strive to be critical and NEUTRAL when discussing cars, unless we KNOW something for a fact that is being "hidden," with the basic understanding that caveat emptor is the correct approach in all potential sales. Of COURSE I have an interest in seeing cars sell for better prices. But more to the point, I think some of our discussions have been holding DOWN prices, subsequently preventing some great cars from reaching a fair value. It is certainly fair to point out problems with a car, but presuming nefarious intent can be bad, especially without evidence, and keeps the resale value of otherwise good cars down. Caveat emptor? of course! But don't belittle a car (and by extension someone's efforts to make it presentable) just because you can. Maybe I assign too much value to our commentary on this forum, but I think the tone of our posts vis-a-vis cars for sale on public sites can influence the final outcome. Just be fair to buyers and sellers. What's hard to understand about that? PS....Use of the term "tear down," as I used it here primarily implies intent to denigrate the motives or character of someone or something. One can certainly be critical while not engaging in character-based discussions.

Enrique, Firstly, your opinions are always more valuable than the credit you give them. You raise many good points, and I've also grown tired of the hobby of picking apart every car offered for sale. The interesting thing is that despite all it's flaws, the car nearly garnered $10,000 in bids. Even though it didn't meet reserve, I think that's potentially significant. IMO, from what I saw of that car 10k is not too far from what it's worth. Now, if we'd just quit the sniping and be more supportive of folks trying to EBay or sell their Z, we may see (or stop preventing) an increase in interest and/or value to our cars. You think people looking for another project don't browse this site looking for info on restoration, value etc? And when they do, and see people posting about why this or the other car is not worth $2 or some such nonsense, that forms an impression on them that gets carried forward to other potential Z purchases. I think it perpetuates the notion that this car is "bargain basement" or "entry level" value, in the face of all the positive press in the collector car mags about how the Z is the One to Watch. I am a perfect example of this. I'm looking for my next project, and am considering an Alfa, a 914/6 an early 911 or something similar. I immediately cruised their respective forums (where I could find them) to see what people are thinking in regards to buy/sell values and the commensurate condition of the car, and have had to revise upward what I'm willing to pay for a good restorable example of each of those marques. Why? Because very few folks tear down each other's cars that are for sale, regardless whether they are a forum member or not. They know that there's intrinsic value, even if the car's in need of serious TLC. I am certainly not an outlier in this process, so I think it reasonable to assume others do the same when looking for a Z as a potential restoration candidate. So, when times get tough, or your interests change, and you go to sell your Z you should remember that the reason you don't get what you think it should be worth may have something to do with statements made on forums like those above. Folks may enjoy ripping into the condition of one car or the other, but I think in the end it may do more harm than good. E, I'll see your $0.005 and raise you $0.02...

Slightly off-topic....Sorry for the noob question, but how do you convert the auction page to a .pdf? I like that idea! Thanks.

The car in question: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D130199188931%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1&item=130199188931 Sleepyzzz, I'm sorry but I can't in good conscience evaluate a car with salvage/reconstructed title for a stranger to purchase for his son, let alone someone I know. It's too risky, despite all the statements made by the seller. Even if it wasn't a salvage/recon car, If you bought it on my recommendation after I say "Looks good" and something happens I'd feel awful, and you'd probably be tempted to find recourse (I know I would)! Not worth it. In this particular case, he even states he doesn't have pics of the car before the damage. Have you run a Carfax check? My recommendation is: Run, don't walk away from this car. I just checked cars.com, carmax.com and Raleigh Craigslist and there are several Sentras for sale of varying price/year/condition. I'd check one of those first. Sorry, Steve

I agree that it "should" bring more money, but where is the empirical data to support that for Z cars? Not many low-Vin Zs are being sold! Can't make a trend off one or two private sales. The ones that have been offered for sale recently have been basket cases and the car's condition has as much or more to do with the sale price than the VIN. I certainly hope there develops some stratification in value of Zs. IMO, that is an indicator of a maturing collector market and some sustained interest in the Z which will have a positive impact on all restored/well-cared for cars. But let's see some RESULTS!

Carl, One sale does not make a trend. The person who bought that one might have had a case of "gottahavit-itis" and overpaid. BTW, didn't someone recently pay close to $20k for a low mile 280ZX that was not a special edition? (could be wrong, as I don't follow S130 sales trends) As I said earlier, the sales of these cars are so few, so sporadic, that trends are difficult to establish with statistical clarity. The only viable exception currently are the Vintage Z program cars. Low Vin Series I cars are establishing themselves as well. Certainly, one would hypothesize that low VIN, special edition versions of Zs would be more valuable. Works for most European and US muscle cars, so why not? Well, I think the answer so far is that Japanes cars are still barely gaining a foothold of interest in the collector car market. They are still regarded as "entry-level" "Bargain classics" so to distinguish particular versions as special is probably accurate in the long-term. In the near-term it is probably overspent money to pay a premium for a "special" Z of any kind, unless it's nearly flawless in all other aspects. Of course, it's all conjecture until some true bona fide auction trends establish themselves. Or, perhaps we could maintain an open log of these sales to self-establish market trends....

yep..."they" keep saying the low-VIN cars will be more valuable, but there's no published evidence to support that as of yet. Anecdotally, some claim they see a trend but the data is not made available, and auction results currently are too few to support that claim. There is NADA opinion that 1970 models are more valuable, but low Vins and "special models" have not yet fully emerged--except for the Vintage Z program cars, the early race cars, etc. I hope they (low VIN and special ed models) will, as it will likely raise the value of other "unspecial" cars (like mine). Since the 280ZX and 300ZX are not considered by many to be collectible, the Anniversary editions, Shiro edition and final run 1996 300ZXs will most likely not emerge as valuable in the near term.

I would advise nixing the idea of the crank keyway, as TDC has been positively ID'd if it is as you described. But, as pointed out earlier, once you have TDC manually identified you should mark it with new ink/paint opposite the 0 degree mark on one of the pointers (at this point it doesn't matter which, just be sure you stick with one of them consistently) and disregard whether it matches with markings on the crank pulley. All that matters is that #1 rotor position matches TDC on #1 as stated by Arne above. This is your "zero" position, and you should align the crank angle indicator on the distributor accordingly. Once your distributor crank angle indicator is zeroed, advance it 10 degrees (2 marks) as stated in the FSM. If you have good spark and reasonable fuel delivery, it should fire up. "Should" being the operative phrase, because the engine remains a variable, regardless how friendly your buddy is. I still wonder about your ignition, since you stated the spark "looked weak." Frustrating, I know. Hang in there!

Hmmm.... That looks right to me. Did you check to see if the piston is at TDC using the methods above? I suppose it's possible you could be at the bottom on your power stroke, but that would mean the cam timing is off and you've got bigger issues to deal with. You still haven't answered whether the engine/head have been separated, or whether a replacement camshaft has been installed. I'd be a little suspicious that some "work" has been done given the red paint on the block. Was that engine known to run well before you bought it? Did you hear it run? You definitely should buy a compression tester--it probably has little to do with your current situation, but knowing those numbers could be helpful later. Based on the FSM, the spark should jump about 6mm when you hold the spark plug wire (with a metal probe inserted) close to the engine block and the engine is cranked. If the spark is weak, the fuel mix could possibly extinguish it and cause it not to fire. Are you getting good voltage to your coil? Are your coil's primary and secondary resistance correct?

Chris, I like that chalkboard...particularly the question from "Mom"--Will it be easy? If we actually took the time to answer that question thoughtfully and honestly I wager we'd never get involved in the project! It's the optimism of "Sure, it can't be THAT bad" that gets us into it and powers us exactly to the Point of No Return. Then, we realize "oh, I guess it's pretty bad....so what? It's only money!" and we keep on going. The real question for me is "Why do we do it again?" Steve (on the hunt for the next project)

....too bad dry wit doesn't come across well on the quick reply box... Randy, if you're driving that car around, I'd replace it until you sell the car. Mr K's signature is a meaningful piece of automotive history, and I'd hate it to be marred by Armor-All or other well intentioned cleaning agents. Steve

Looks restored to me...except that signature on the glove box!

...oops--thought I had updated. I think it may be in another thread. Running much better now. I had the Pertronix coil running through a ballast resistor thinking it was required. Turns out the coil had an internal resistance of 3A which precluded the use of the BR, and when I jumped it the car ran much better. I fixed that and reworked a slightly sticky choke mechanism and that improved it a little more. After all the fouling and cleaning it's due for a new set of plugs, which I anticipate will let it run even better. Glad everyone's getting their cars running well! Hopefully folks will see this thread when searching for info on cars that "stumble, won't rev" or other similar type symptoms. I think there's a good deal of useful troubleshooting info in this thread... Steve