EScanlon

Maria: If you're hoping to get the "original" finish, you might be better off finding an NOS set from Chloe or Nissan. The original finish has been called "Match Box Striker Gray" due to it's scratchy non shiny finish. Unfortunately, you need to have it specially mixed and the only known formula is at best an approximation. Datsun never released the paint code information. On the other hand, you CAN get a very good approximation to that gray using standard aerosol paints. If you are paintng on BARE plastic, then I would recommend you use SEM paint. If the plastic has been treated with any kind of "protectant" then you should use some of the Plastic Preparer they sell as it will remove the oils left behind and allow the paint to stick. If the plastic has been painted previously, then just use some standard Wax and Grease remover and then scuff up the plastic and spray away. One thing to note, although a FLAT finish is what was originally on those parts, the problem with that is that the slightest amount of Wax or other substance will mar the finish and be almost impossible to remove. Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon

The third method of attaching that door ding strip was never used by Datsun on the Z. That method is where the manufacturer actually welds a T button onto the sheetmetal. Then a plastic or metal clip is slid onto the T and the Trim attaches to the clip. Other cars like the Roadster used bolt on clips that had to be attached from the back. Again, neither of these methods were used onthe Z. If your Vinyl Strip is actually an Aluminum or other pot metal C-channel with decorative trim ends, with a vinyl insert, then undoubtedly it was pop riveted on. To remove and repair this: Remove the vinyl insert. If one of the decorative ends has come off, or if the vinyl has shrunk over time, you might be able to see one of the rivets holding one of the ends in place. Drill that rivet out, remove the decorative trim end and slide out the vinyl insert. This is the easiest and least problematic method. If on the other hand the vinyl has not shrunk enough to show an end rivet, then see if you can push / slide the vinyl off to one side and then remove the rivet. Although some people say it can be done, in my experience trying to yank out the vinyl from the aluminum channel causes more aggravation and damage than it's worth. Once you've removed the vinyl insert, drill out the pop rivets. A 1/8" drill bit will work, or you can use a 9'64" which will ensure you also ream out the hole just a bit and eliminate whatever electrolysis corrosion may be there. Once you've drilled the rivets off, if you're going to repaint the car, then just grind the edges smooth, and use a large soldering iron and acid core solder and solder the holes. Neutralize the acid and paint. If you're trying to save the paint, then very carefully solder, neutralize and then use touch up paint to try to blend in the damaged / blistered paint. (I only saw this attempted once and in my opinion didn't work too well.) FWIW Enrique Scanlon

I thought I had posted this to the Technical Forum before, but apparently not. Here's the link to the new post. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12484 Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon

Here's a primer on how to adjust the doors on your Z so that they fit properly and seal well. ADJUSTING THE Z DOORS: Unless the car has been in an accident and the door opening or door itself have been tweaked out of shape, most problems with the doors are due to misaligned latches, hinges, or worn components. Presuming that it is adjustment or bad parts and not bent items check the following. First perform a visual check of the door. Check to make sure that the door is aligned properly within the door opening. Check the spacing along the top part of the window frame, the spacing between the window frame and the quarter window, also the spacing between the door skin and the rear quarter panel. I also check the spacing on the front of the door, above the hinges and the front fender. All of these should be even, and consistent in width. The gap should not appear to be excessive one edge with it's opposite component, i.e. front of door to back of door; top edge by windshield cowl and lower edge, etc. If all these appear in order then you have an adjustment problem with the latch mechanism. If however, there is a problem with the alignment, before you go and loosen the hinge bolts behind the kick panels, first do the following: 1. Check if there is any vertical play to the door, that is, with the door open lift the door gently. If there is a noticeable movement up and down, then you may have a worn pin or pins that are causing the alignment problem. Check to make sure that the hinges are solidly affixed and if so, then you definitely have a worn hinge. Although it is difficult to find new hinges, you might need to replace one or both. On Chevy's it is a known problem and parts stores sell new hinge pin inserts to fix this. This is an often overlooked problem, so check this first before you dismount the door or start adjusting the latch etc. 2. If the hinges are in good condition and there is no vertical play, check your weatherstripping. I know of a case where a guy filled the cavity in his weatherstripping with silicone in order to get a "tight" seal. Unfortunately, it also increased the thickness of the gasket and made it almost impossible to close the door without a hydraulic ram. He finally replace the weatherstrip. Check to make sure that the weatherstripping is mounted properly on the lip of the door opening, also the rubber splash guard on the front part of the door just above the hinges. Check the lower weatherstrip on the under lip of the door. Any one of these could cause the door to shut hard. 3. If both the above are ok, check to see where the latch is striking the striker plate. The striker plate is on the door frame and the latch is on the door. Both must line up in order to catch. The latch on the door has countersunk screws and hence is fixed in position. The striker plate on the door is the major adjustment item. It can be positioned along the 4 axis on each of the screws. Close the door, if the door exterior is not flush with the rear quarter panel skin, then you need to move the striker plate in (towards the seat for a protruding door edge) and out (for a sunken door skin). If the door is difficult to close AND the handle is hard to operate, check the bottom of the striker plate to make sure that it isn't inclined too far inward in relation to the top of the plate. That is, the door latches, and the skin lines up, but it feels as you are forcing the door to close and forcing the handle to open, then the bottom part of the latch is stressing the latch, Loosen the screws, and WITHOUT moving the top part of the plate, adjust the lower portion of the plate outwards. Align and retry. If the door latches but springs back when slammed the bottom of the striker plate is probably out too far. This appears to be a half-way latch, and only the safety position has been achieved. If when closing the door, there is a noticeable thunk, and when opening the door the door seems to "DROP", then the striker plate is set too high. The reverse occurs when the plate is too low, although in this instance the door usually will not latch. If you find that you have to move the door within it's opening, then it gets a little more complicated. In a nutshell; you need to remove the electrical components attached to the kick panels, remove the kick panels, and preferably with a jack supporting the door, or a friend, loosen the hinge bolts located behind the kick panels and adjust the door to fit. It makes it easier to remove the striker plate mechanism in order to ensure a good fit. DO NOT remove the hinges from the door, or loosen these bolts unless there is a problem with the hinge. The hinge pins must be PARALLEL and IN LINE to work properly, and it is too easy to get these out of line and introduce serious stress to the door. Sorry for the length, but hope it covered your question and options. Enrique Scanlon This post has been promoted to an article

WAIT!!! BEFORE you go changing and modifying and everything else just to check a slowing flasher, do the most basic thing you can. (That's Occam's Razor in use.) HAVE THE BATTERY CHECKED!! You may find that it's a battery that has lost it's charge due to failure of the battery and NOT the VR or Alternator. Remember, an ALTERNATOR will not charge a battery, at least not fully. It will top it off, but if the battery is already discharged, even though it may have enough juice to start the car, and it will restore THAT amount of juice, it can't INCREASE the voltage it receives from the battery. Then if the battery checks out completely, THEN have a test on the V//R and Alt. Many battery shops will do all three of these tests for free in the hopes of selling you a battery. 2¢ Enrique Scanlon

Have you checked the hatch? It may be that that one was left unlocked, if so stuff lil bro into the car and have him unlock it. Aside from that, unless you know how to use a jimmy bar and are familiar with the location of the lock rods inside the door, then you're better off contacting a locksmith and sticking lil bro with the cost. Either he pays up with his allowance or you take a pound of flesh have him choose. Enrique Scanlon

The map lamp should be on a Red wire with a Blue Stripe and a Black one. Unfortunately I couldn't find any location other than the combination switch where they even come close to the wiring for the hazard lights. Try this to see if we can id where the problem is. Turn on one of the turn signals, then actuate the hazard switch. The light should stop working and if working properly begin the hazrd light function. Also check the Stop Light switch function, it should also be disconnected when the hazard is actuated. Let me know. Enrique

Wild Shot in the Dark. Check the Vacuum Advance Mechanism INSIDE the Distributor. If you see a few small ball bearings rolling around the dizzy underneath the point plate, then your vacuum slide plate has gone blooey. When you accelerate, the initial amount of gas allows the engine to begin revving and therefore generating more vacuum. The vacuum advance on the dizzy changes the timing in order to cause the engine to continue accelerating. If the timing isn't being affected, the only way to get the engine to rev is to very slowly increase the amount of fuel the pistons receive. Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon

Sorry I hadn't posted to this yet, been extremely busy. Avatars like yours cause my computer to act goofy so I don't normally peruse them thoroughly ( I have to page down as the mouse doesn't work.). I think you inadvertently connected the map lamp power lead (the lamp is the one above the vent blower, and not connected to the room lamp above your head) to the circuit that feeds the hazard switch. Since you state that only the hazards and the map lamp, I take it to mean that your normal turn signals and stop lights work satisfactorily. The Haz Light Circuit takes over those lights if actuated since it shunts the power to the lights away from the combination switch. Change the Haz Flasher and see if that returns the hazards to operation, if that still doesn't do it, see if a different hazard switch corrects it. The map lamp may simply be a burnt out bulb. That's it off the top of my head. Enrique

Real fast answer to a subject that is so full of variables and everything else as to make it impossible to answer in a nutshell. Having done a LOT of painting, from Z's, Spitfires all the way to 18 wheeler Garbage Trucks (including the box), I'll give you my preferences. Personally I feel that airbrushes are EXCELLENT tools for the right application. Shooting models, airbrush painting, detailing items etc, you can't beat a good airbrush. However, for a model larger than 1/18 scale, I wouldn't use one for the body. There's simply too much area to cover, that must be covered QUICKLY in order to avoid a dry line. If you're strictly repairng scratches, chips, etc. you'll be fine. A door panel? No way. Heck, I wouldn't tackle one of our hood access doors with an airbrush unless it was the ONLY way and there was a strong and urgent need. You can get a "Touch Up Gun". These are the next step up from the larger airbrushes and below the "Full" spray gun. Typically a Touch Up gun will allow you to do most small jobs on a car and a few of the larger ones, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Again, I wouldn't try to paint a complete car with a touch up gun. They're great for jambs, tight areas, hard to reach areas and small jobs. Probably a bit too strong for models, but that's what airbrushes are for. Touch up guns will handle both primer and paints with little problem. The Full Spray Gun is for doing the whole car and other large jobs. Hope this helps, and don't take this the wrong way, but deciding to paint pieces of your car with an air brush is like saying you were going to paint your house with a trimmer brush. You COULD do it, but the results would surely NOT be what you wanted. Enrique Scanlon

Are you specifically looking for aftermarket gauges, or are you looking for a replacement to the one you have? If aftermarket, check with MotorSports (MSA) and Victoria British (V/B) I recall seeing some nice AFM gauges in one of their catalogs. Don't recall what brand or which catalog. If going for original replacements check with Chloe at Midwet Z (Club Sponsor) and you'll get a good price. HTH Enrique

If the ranges you mentioned are for an aftermarket tach, then go with the 0-90 OHMS. When I checked mine it was about 88OHMs at one end of the scale and 6-8 on the other. Hope this helps Enrique Scanlon

Check the feed wire from the coil. If that doesn't do it, then it probably is a burnt out tach. There's a small resistor between the lower circuit board and the upper circuit board, if this starts going you'll get that kind of result. Sorry. 2¢ Enrique

For the turn signal switch, take the current unit off, then find out how to make or weld on a longer stalk that has been bent to the angle you are talking about. Since you are only looking for a rod at the 2:00 position you could see about getting a good stiff piece of rod, check your local welding supply or a hobby shop, and then bend to shape, then tap the end and screw it into the switch. Barring that, have you checked in the J.C. Whitney catalog? They have replacement turn signal switches for cheap! 2¢ Enrique

The new 350Z Metallic Orange! One of the members here, and I apologize for not remembering whom, has it on his avatar. Exceptionately deep color and lustre. Enrique Scanlon

Thanks for the comments guys. If I can save any one of you a bit of heartache in restoring your car, I will be repayed in full. Enrique Scanlon

Hagerty is excellent insurance, but check the fine print. They require the car to be garaged in an attached garage and for there to be another vehicle other than the insured one which is the primary driver. Rental stalls aren't eligible nor are unattached garages, to the best of my knowledge. I have 4 cars insured with the same company. Two have full coverage / $500 deductible; one has full use the other has secondary car use (I work from home.). The third and fourth are the Z and the Roadster. The Z has Pleasure Car use (i.e. only fairweather use) no limitation on mileage. The Roadster is under Storage (it's being restored.). Total is approx. $800, which boils down to $67 a month. 2¢ Enrique

There was a poll just a few days ago regarding this exact subject. I voted ALL OF THE ABOVE. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7832 Each paint job has it's particular background and therefore a "one-size-fits-all" approach to all of them is hard to define. Many times the base paint / primer / bodywork is not garbage, and just needs to be worked to accept another coat of paint. Now I know that there are folks that immediately got turned off at that idea. They're of the "strip it clean" mindset. That also has it's benefits, and it's drawbacks. Then there are the intermediate jobs. Ok, if you don't want to read something long, back out now. Grind: ONLY to remove BULK product such as bad bondo, rust, fibreglass or other THICK coatings. If using on rust care must be taken to ensure that you don't thin the metal out too much and / or warp it because of heat. Sand: D/A Sander; this is one of the best method to reveal problems while still maintaining an easy to restore surface. I use this as my primary method of initially working a car when I have not detected any major problems and we're doing a complete repaint. A D/A will very quickly cut through various layers of paints and do it gradually enough that you can actually SMOOTH the panel with some of the old material. This works best when you're only going to smooth, prime / fill and sand for final color. Hand Sanding: If the car has come in virtually damage free, or the amount of damage is very slight, and we're going for a full repaint, then depending on the top coat color, either sand for primer base or sand for color reshoot. Granted any repairs should be done first. Chemical Stripper: When there is a LOT of paint, Bondo, High Fill primer, etc. this stuff is the best. It will eat right through several layers of paint and bodywork QUICKLY. When you are looking to completely strip the panel and effect repairs REGARDLESS of what may have been done before (because you'll be redoing it). Although this can seem like a boon, sometimes it just ADDS work that needn't be done. Biggest disadvantage of the stripper is that it will seep into any small crevace / seam / hole and lie in wait there for you to apply paint. Then it will eventually cause a bubble up. Only way to avoid this is to neutralize the stripper once you're finished. This may be a lacquer thinner wash (very dangerous) or copious amounts of water followed by air nozzle pressure drying. If you're worried about the seams, tape them up and stay away from them. Torch and Scrape: If the panel has some lousy work that needs just that TORCHING. NOTE: Bondo makes nasty fumes when burning, be careful. And make sure you protect other cars in the shop, it makes these fluffy charcoal fumes that solidify in the air, then they land on stuff and really REALLY make a mess. Be aware that it WILL scorch your throat, you've been warned. For that matter, I use a respirator and fan ventilation when the bondo needs to be "torched" and I try my damndest to NOT ignite the bondo. It will loosen it so you can scrape it off, just take care and don't try to take off too much in one scrape. Sandblasting: Whether with sand, bead, or oxides is an EXCELLENT method. Biggest problem is trying to use more air or more aggressive media and causing damage. Remember, as you remove the paint, those areas that got cleared first are now being ... sandblasted! That can thin metal and the heat can warp it easier now. Again, sometimes it's the fastest and cleanest method. Interiors are a good place to NOT use stripper and instead sandblast. Biggest problem with that is to then have to vacuum every nook and cranny to remove the media. Dipping: Probably the BEST method of removing EVERYTHING not welded or bolted to the car. This includes seam sealer, undercoating, bondo, plastic, rubber, unwanted neighborhood pets etc. Although this may seem desireable it is only if you're planning on removing factory panel welds and get into really REALLY inaccessible areas. (Think: How do I replace the seam sealer around the rear fender? That's how thoroughly it cleans stuff.) There are various other processes that can also be done to a car after dipping. Electrozinc, phosphate, galvanized etc. All have their uses and advantages / problems. BEST CASE SCENARIO: Car arrives, showing obviously faded paint, a few rust bubbles in the lower rear of the front fenders, also on the rear fender lips; there are your typical bondo lillies in the hood, doors and roof. We're going for a complete repaint. I'm not going to go into detail on whether or not to remove parts or the prepping the car for the work. Faded paint indicates that it's been in the sun a LOT, and hasn't been properly waxed or cleaned regularly. If this were the only problem, then a simple wet sand to ensure smoothness and to properly feather out the bondo lillies and you're ready for either primer/sealer or another shot of paint. The rust bubbles indicate rust coming up from below. Once you see bubbles it is a good chance that you will find holes. Holes means BIG rust spot on the other side. That must be addressed before you can do anything else. In the front fenders, since they're relatively easy to remove, I would address the problem from the backside or inside of the fender. Once off the car, remove any undercoating and loose debris with a wire-wheel. Then if necessary use a light sandblast to determine how much rust is therel. If even before this you're encountered a lot of holes, even if tiny, you should cut and replace the section with new metal. That's the tried and true old school method. Nowdays, with the difficulty of brazing / welding on repair patches, sometimes it's easier and more cost effective to use some of the super hardening compounds out there. We're not referring to bondo, but rather to fibreglass or POR/Power Mesh, or JB Weld with mesh screen. This does not replace the metal, nor does it strengthen it to what it was, but sometimes due to circumstances, most usually cost, it's the quickest and easiest method to repair those holes. Other really cheap methods are the famous Bondo till you push it out the back; Speed tape (aluminum "scotch" tape or duct tape); newspaper, cardboard; and the famous rivet a piece of metal over the rust and bondo the outside till it's smooth again over the rivets. The rear fender lips are a big problem. Depending on how deep and severe the rust is, it may be impossible to save without cutting and re-welding. That's the worst case scenario. The best case scenario is that they're only paint chips that have rusted and bubbled the paint around it. Unfortunately, if the seam sealer inside the fender failed or didn't stick properly, then you more than likely have rust between the various sets of sheetmetal that join up in there. If that's the case then you need to ascertain just how deep and pervasive the damage is. A small grinder bit on a Dremel tool will make it easy to "dentist drill" the rust. You won't find all of it, but you're going to do something else for that. Only you can determine if you need a bigger drill grinder to eradicate what you can of the rust. This is why many times you'll see body men push in on the fenders with a metal probe. This area on just about ALL cars is a problem. Once you've done the Dentist Drill routine, you will have opened up many holes and possibly a seam. At this time you either figure out how to effect repairs or how to replace the fender lip. I judge it by the amount of true lip left. If the lip is generally sound, but with some small holes / pits but no real tears, I'll heat the fender up with a torch and flow solid solder into the seams. You need to properly prep and "tin" the metal and neutralize it afterwards but the result is that you'll "cap" or seal the rust that has crept in between the metal layers. This method works when you can remove any old sealer (typically will burn off, but makes NASTY fumes) before you torch. When you torch you need to be careful to NOT heat the metal red-hot. Solder won't stick then. You need to heat it enough to allow the solder to flow and seep into the metal. Just like if you were "sweating" a copper pipe. Another method of doing this is to seal it from the back-side with POR or another rust encapsulating product. Once sealed, then finish off the outside normally. The bondo lillies are shrunk bondo on the surface of a panel that is now deeper than the paint around it. Also noticeable when someone has oversanded the blend area so that it's only the edge of the bondo that's lower than the center of the repair and the metal. When seen from the side they look just like water lillies just underwater, hence the name. These are best taken care of by carefully D/A'ing the panel to reveal the low, then glaze and primer/sealer. In this scenario I wouldn't remove the prior bondo unless there were some good indications that it needed to be removed. That old bondo has now shrunk to it's final shape and will actually work better than new bondo that has yet to shrink. That's why you don't bondo on Friday to paint on Sunday. The rest of the car would more than likely be wet-sanded only. Hope this helps someone. Sorry for the length. Enrique Scanlon

Check with your regular insurance company, ask them about an agreed value policy on your car. An agreed value policy is where you insure an item for AN amount and they asses the risk and determine how much to charge you. This is not as expensive as it sounds. Many times they'll just discount the extra car charge and give you the same coverage on ALL your vehicles. If you are trying to insure a daily driver, get what you can afford, but don't go without it. 2¢ Enrique

Send Beandip a PM and he can help you out. Enrique

Ahmed: That's hard to say, you need to play with the door on the panel. Ideally, you should be able to look from the back of the car forward and not really note the rise / drop for the gas door. But that is probably not going to be the case now, so the best thing to do is to get it to sit as uniformly all the way around as possible. If it ends up sitting high, then you can either use some sort of trim to "hide" it, or ... you tear into the panel and do it right. Rarely is the problem that it's too low, you can just adjust that out. Granted you might have to use larger rubber bumpers, but still not a major problem. Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon