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Well done modding, Austin. I especially like the modified console, the "engine start" button on the dash...How painless was the Painless Wiring kit? Oh, yeah....Can I be #1 on the list should you decide to sell? Thanks, Steve

(golf clap) Nicely played. Who's poking fun at Arne? Enrique--is that your car?

Two thoughts: 1) Hook up with a local car club, and ask them where they get their body work done. Z Association of New York is probably a good start. Or, any hot rod, classic/vintage or even tuner car club will have some advice. 2) Wolf Creek Racing is from up that way, and they race Datsuns....maybe they have some leads? Do some legwork, call some folks, ask questions and check references. Good luck, Steve

Dooood...PLEASE post your pics and your experiences with this! It can easily be made into a tech article by one of the mods, and will do the whole Z community a HUGE favor since so many of us have issues that can be traced to the degradation of the combo switch. I'm excited to see what you've been doing with it. Steve PS: It isn't blowing your horn, it's sharing. Keep it up!

The Hamster appears to be back on the move...Let's hope his recovery continues to progress this well... http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006440317,00.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5392296.stm Steve

That's great---I know Randy Chase from the Elisetalk.com forum I visit...He's been big on his Elise at the Nationals...I'm getting a kick seeing the Z dominate!

#63427 here. The Hamster would want it this way....

Speaking of Zs in the SCCA, I Just checked both speedtv.com and scca.org and couldn't see when the runoffs were scheduled to air...anyone know? Thanks, Steve Edit: Found it mentioned in an article---telecast for runoffs will be in November and December.

PPG/Ditzler 81908, from the color swatch right next to the pic you copied. Confirmed by going to the ppg website and searching for the paint code. Good luck, Steve

Mike: Are your seats original vinyl? If repros, where'd you get them? Car looks great! Mine's still getting paint and bodywork, but this is making me excited to get it back and begin reassembly! Do we get a discount for mentioning CZC.com if ordering from Les? Mmm? Mmm? (Kidding--well, sorta...) Steve

Mike, Are those your original brake/fuel/clutch lines? If not, where did you source them? Steve

I agree on this being a #3 car as well. From what I can see, it's mainly engine compartment details, mismatched hoses, etc. Interior-wise, all I see from the pics is the console armrest that's wrong. I'm sure the undercarriage reveals some #3-ness as well. Remember, strictly speaking #3 cars are excellent to very good driving examples. They will win local, and even some state-wide car shows, but they are not perfect restorations. #1s are NEVER driven. I think of #2s as #1s who drive their cars. #3s are like this one (if I can extrapolate from the pics) and #4s are pretty much what a lot of us own. If I could do it over again, I'd take a solid #3 or 3+ car to do a restoration on if I wanted to try making it into a #1 car. Or, it could be enjoyed as is, with limited depreciation (vs the hit one takes by driving a #1 car, for example). Steve

Will, I thought the heat gun was used to help stretch the material for better/easier installation, then when cooling it would contract and be tighter. How would heat help the "sagging" effect?" Thanks, Steve

Saw these with the following EBay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-DATSUN-240Z-RESTORATION_W0QQitemZ300024643413QQihZ020QQcategoryZ6187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Those seat reproductions look real similar to all the ones I've seen floating around on EBay, MSA, CDM etc...Are they supposed to look like that? Looks to me like maybe they didn't replace the foam, or if they did, it's a bad home-done job... Recovered seats should look a little---tidier--shouldn't they? Not at all trying to be overly critical, just want to know what I'm getting into as I eye my own set in my garage.... Any advice for those who've redone seats to avoid the wrinkly-look? Thanks, Steve

I second Enrique. Wow. You actually tried to hold a bodyman to his word on a completion date? Wow. It's either ballsy or uninformed. Please don't be offended, because I (like you) expect to be held to my deadlines and so therefore expect the same of others. Sad to say, but it's just not true with body repair, and in general automotive repair industry.. If someone gives me an estimate of a due date, I usually double it and get upset when it goes a couple weeks past that. I just dropped off my car at a bodyshop two weeks ago. I stop by weekly or so just to chat, say "Hi," drop off some doughnuts in a not-so-subtle way to say that I'm expecting to see some progress on the car. When there isn't, I politely ask if there's anything I can do to help (parts, etc.), and then listen to an update on all the current bodyshop projects. While I'm paying (in my mind) big $$$ for the work (around 10k), it's clear that he has a client base of steady cars (usually pre-owned car dealers) that he depends on for steady income. When there's down time he gets to mine. I understand that I am a "once in a while" customer, and his dealers are "repeat cutomers," so I know that I am not his #1 priority when it comes to keeping his business afloat. BUT, because he knows I got his shop referred to me through my local car club (Triangle Z Club, Tarheel Sports Car Club, etc.) and that if he treats me well, I will be a source of referrals...or so I hope it goes. I am sorry that your car didn't get done in time. But, one shouldn't rush bodywork. Expect a quality job done right and at a fair price, but it's futile to expect it to be done o a certain time schedule. Unlike Enrique, I would encourage you to find a shop that does only ONE of the characteristics (fast, cheap or correct) well: CORRECT I'd pay a premium for correct and fast Good luck, Steve

I'm looking for the brackets (and rubber insulators) which hold the brake and fuel lines secure to the framerail and firewall...anything salvageable? Steve

Oooooh...yeah...replaceable scented filter packs!

What I'm looking for is to create a way to remove the hot humid air that develops in the seat foam, just under the upholstery, after sitting/reclining against a seat. If you use a DC tubeaxial fan with enough CFM, it should pull that moist warm air out, allowing ambient/cooler cabin air to take its place, effectively cooling off the passenger's backside... Most DC fans I've looked into are 30-50dB, which is pretty quiet. My initial idea is to use a central fan mounted under the seat, presumably direected to the driver's feet. It would receive air via two separate routes--one from the seat and one from the back--figuring that fans mounted IN the seat itself would be noisier and less comfortable...I was also thinking that creating channels in the seat and back foam would aid in directing air into the collectors. The collectors would have to be relatively thin and pliable, so as not to be too noticeable, yet able to resist collapse when exposed to the vacuum of the fan.... Wiring would theoretically be easy. Tap into the accessory circuit. Separate fuse, switch, maybe a rheostat to control fan speed. Easy to hide under the front of the seat... While it won't keep up with 90+ degree days in cars w/o AC, I bet it would help keep cool into the 80s, especially with how sticky those vinyl seats get...

After sitting in my friend's Expedition with Seat ventilation system, I got hooked! Those things were great and made me almost not need AC! I got to thinking about whether this can be retrofitted into the Z seats, especially since I'm redoing the upholstery and foam in the next couple of months. This example I googled for appears a bit pricey, so I thought the great Z minds might be able to develop a cheaper alternative.... http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/seatvenheats.html Any thoughts? Steve

How much $$$ do you want to spend? I'd suggest boring out 0.120 (86mm) and using 280 pistons, rod and crank. That turns your 2.4 to a 2.8, but looks numbers matching on the outside. I think that's what Rebello does with his motors--see this thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18641&highlight=rebello+dyno And, http://rebelloracing.com/eng_info.htm End result is a CR of around 10 (premium fuel only), with HP varying on degree of headwork and tuning you do. Cam selection depends on headwork and airflow characteristics... Forged? Probably not necessary unless you turbo with high boost. Steve

Yeah, looking at my estimate it's about a 90/10 split. 7k for labor, $700 for materials. Of course, an estimate is only an estimate, so it will probably be higher when it's all said and done... JMark, I'll happily point as many people as possible to this shop if I feel like I'm satisfied! SRC

Gogriz: Not a nosy question at all. I had to replace my floorpans after some hard analysis and considering multiple additional expert opinions. Bought them from Charlie Osborne at Zedd Findings, installed by a welder friend who cut me a break on labor, but still ended up being around $900. Did not need the rockers replaced yet, although that might change...Frame rails were fine. I initially budgeted 10k for body and paint. Estimates are for 6.5-8k, and this guy is a little higher than the average. I'll end up about 15% over budget, which is not too bad when restoring cars. The car is to be stripped, dents/creases fixed, then layer of epoxy primer. Waves/irregualrities are to be filled with standard filler for smaller areas, a fiberglass-based filler (Fiber tech by Evercoat, I think) for larger areas as the regular fillers may crack if applied in too thick a coat. Then (as I'm told) primer, sand, smooth and paint as I mentioned above. Biggest problem for my vehicle (aside from the understood hidden rust monsters) is the roof. Lots of waves and irregularities. All body shops asked if I could get a new roof--I had no idea it was that bad! After discussion, icluding risks of malalignment of doors, windows etc. it was decided to go with as much metal bumping as possible, then smooth out with filler. I'm OK with that--I've found more problems with poor application of fillers than bad quality product--and I think the end result will be satisfying. After all, the shop's been around for 20 years and the dude offers a lifetime guarantee against cracking/fading/peeling etc. I'll take the risk that he may go out of business the day after he finishes my project..... So I guess body and paint are kind of like the speakers in your home theater. Don't skimp on quality, or else your system will sound/look crappy. Steve

I actually just got in from my garage, there's a strange feeling of emptiness there....:disappoin

Jackhammer, Thanks for the well wishes. I'm a bit too picky also, but know that rushing a good paint job is a pretty quick way to mess it up (no offense intended, I just know I'm impatient with that kind of stuff. "Cure for 3 days? Mmm, I think 36 hours should be fine..."). I've saved a bunch of smaller projects for while the chassis is at body/paint (seats, engine, transmission, U-joints, wipers, etc.) which should occupy my attention and distract me from the time it takes to do the job right. Now that the garage is empty, I might even get the floor coated... Steve

It's going back to the original 112 lime yellow. It'll be a single stage paint on the interior, undercarriage and engine bay, with a basecoat/clearcoat applied to the exterior. (fingers crossed) If it turns out well, I'll be pimping the shop mercilessly! I may even put a sticker in the quarter window..... I'm nervous about it turning into a horror show like some other folks have experienced. Delays, body guy loses interest and the project gets neglected and left in the corner for weeks on end...He seems pretty enthusiastic, as he's an import car guy exclusively, and since I am a referral from other satisfied clients I hope he'll treat me well. Only time will tell, of course! Getting my good luck mojo in gear, Steve