EScanlon

HEY! How'd I get involved here? I'm just an innocent by stander (and beandip you stay out of this one). I suppose that due to M. B. Anderson's name showing up that I recommended him at one time. I concur, the guy is a genius with them. Around Clark County, when I was driving around with my Z looking for odds and ends, just about every car part store, or gasoline service station would recommend M.B. Anderson for the work on my car. Now let's keep him busy enough to stay in business, but not so busy that I don't have access to him. Cheers, and glad he got you running well. Enrique

Many NOS parts, repros and now access to a boneyard in ARIZONA. Andy Russell z@datsundude.com Z Cars of Arizona emailus@zcarsofarizona.com Phone: 480-816-8668 or 480-980-6512 I can personally vouch for him and he earns a 5 star rating in my book.

Dero: I agree with you, that dark grey primer does look good on it. Not that I care for primer paint jobs, but on your car it does give it a nice no nonsense look to it. Again, when you read the above posts, remember that the main piece of advice is to make sure there is something below the primer to seal the metal. Enrique

Gray Primer with a Clear Coat? Sorry, in my opinion that would be a waste of money. Why not get shiny grey? That's what you'll end up with. If it's the matte finish of the primer you like, the clearcoat will make it shiny. If you try to get "flat" clearcoat, then you'll be paying more money for something that the paint guys will be laughing about for weeks to come. Again if it's the matte finish you like, paint the car with primer, top coat it with a grey paint to seal the primer then top coat it with another coat of primer. You'll have the matte finish, metal protection in the paint, and proper adhesion from the original primer coat. As far as paint guys not wanting to paint on primer that's been exposed to the elements, I can vouch for that. There's hundreds of different contaminants out there that will literally screw up ANY kind of paint you put on top of it. Tree sap, bird poop, bug guts, cat foot prints, gasoline, tar, road grime, oil etc. I could go on and on and not even scratch the surface of the list. If however, you are talking a paint base below the primer, then the guy will just wet sand down to the paint and then either use sealer or primer sealer to build the base up. He'll still have to work the car down to this base, but at least you'll have protected the metal in the meantime. 2¢

Just remember that Primer is NOT waterproof and will allow moisture to get to your metal which CAN cause rust. Voice of experience here.

!!! Sell the WIFE! (j/k.......?)

I'll give you a better answer after you describe HOW the rust is "coming through." This is critical as there are two possibilities for the source of the rust. From the top because of : Paint : Faded / missing / sanded off Previous Paint Job leaving car in primer. OR From the underneath because of: CANCER This type of rust through is the most critical to address immediately. Suffice it to say, if it's already rusted THROUGH the metal, can you imagine how LARGE the area is in back? My personal policy regarding this type is to immediately examine both sides of the metal. Sometimes you can remove the fenders and look behind, other times you can remove interior panels and see. In either case it does involve some disassembly and may or may not be quick and easy. I started addressing a fuel leak from the gas tank a year ago after having lost the right rear wheel @ 60+ mph. (long story; and ask Zvoiture if you want ME to tell a long story). A year and 6 weeks later, I am finally getting close to getting the car back on the road. I'll be posting a bunch of pictures and will write several pieces on it. To give you a general answer to your questions: Yes, and No. Depending on the type and amount of rust you MIGHT be able to POR-15 the back of it and put everything on PAUSE or actually; really SLOWING it down. Notice this wouldn't STOP it. BUT Sadly; rust through on the panels from the back may or may not spell the end for a car. It just depends on how much you are willing to chase it. This means $, and not just $, but $$$$$$$$. Rust from the top, as long as the underneath is sound can usually have a quick shot of Sealer sprayed on, whether Rattle Can Paint or Primer SEALER. But note that regardless of how "good" it looks it IS RUST! So you need to come back to it soon and FIX IT. Enough, let me know what type of rust you have.

Steve: Not Neither!

Ahhh, that's easy then. Sell the family car and buy TWO toy cars.

This is one of the prior posts: http://www.240z.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2006 I couldn't find another one I had mentioning various products. Let me state my displeasure with Armor All in this manner: Armor All is HEROIN for your Vinyl, Rubber and Plastic trim pieces. As long as you maintain a periodic schedule of ALWAYS putting it on and never exposing your car to sunlight, air or shade, you'll be fine. The problem with Armor All is that when you STOP using it, in very VERY short order, lots of problems surface. I myself used to use the stuff, and I ruined an otherwise pristine dash on a 76 Mercury Capri II, simply because I couldn't maintain the weekly fix that I had gotten the car used to. In a period of 3 months, while in the Air Force's Basic Training and Technical School, my dash went from soft and bright colored to chalky haze, cracked, pitted and HARD! I researched the stuff and asked several people about it, but the best education I got on the subject came when the company I worked for began extruding clear PVC plastic in rolls. The active ingredient in Armor All is Silicone Oil. This binds to the various PVC Polymer Molecular Chains present in Vinyl. These are also (loosely) called the elastomeric component of the vinyl, i.e. the key stuff to maintain vinyl soft and elastic. Another name for these elastomeric components is Plasticizers. i.e. the component that makes the material PLASTIC. Silicone Oil is very susceptible to UV radiation and evaporation. When it does dissipate, leaving behind Silicone which makes it next to impossible to paint the part, it also takes with it the elastomer from the vinyl. The loss of this elastomer causes the vinyl to decompose, and be even more susceptible to UV Radiation, as well as become slightly "harder". It isn't ONE application that causes the problem, it's the continued applications over time that eventually cause the problem, which becomes noticeable WHEN YOU STOP USING THE STUFF! Like I said, like Heroin, as long as you maintain the supply of the drug, and you are careful not to overdose, you can go on for years, but stop ONCE, and .......... My favorite product, Clear Guard by Turtle Wax, is unfortunately, no longer available. In fact, it's strength lay in the fact that you did NOT need to apply it once a week. And unfortunately, therein lay it's demise, it didn't sell like Armor All. In my 89 Acura Legend, the last time I applied Clear Guard was June of LAST year, when I took the car to DEQ and new plates. The dash looks clean and feels soft and smooth to this day. The only product that I've encountered so far with which I feel has the same feel, ease, and longevity of Clear Guard is the one by the POR 15 folks. It's called Boss Gloss and it really does an excellent job. The bottle DOES carry a warning, it says: "Not for use on ..."(omitted) "...surfaces where a slippery finish could be hazardous. Do not use on or near clear plastic or plexiglass surfaces, glass (may cause smearing), fabric, woven materials or paint." The omitted text deals with the specific surfaces it advises AGAINST being used on. Pedals, grips, steering wheels, beach or cycle seats, tires, brake drums are mentioned. Obviously, it does leave a smooth slippery finish and the manufacturers do not want to be sued because you lost control of your vehicle due to the slippery finish. (Like that one idiot who put armor all on his TIRES!) The front of the bottle does state: "Boss Gloss does not contain alcohols or other solvents that remove plasticizers from Vinyl and Rubber" Which is exactly the problem with Armor All. There, I'll get off my soap box, BUT just a note on the following. Baby Oil, Vaseline, and those otherwise "cheap" products will work, if all you want is shine and slippery. However, they are very prone to collecting DUST and DIRT and leaving residue on anything that touches that surface, as well as the smell. However, the main problem with these products is that they do NOT include any UV Ray protection. UV Rays are by far the biggest cause of cracked vinyl and plastic parts there is, PERIOD! This is due to the chemical formulation for plastic and vinyl, and not anything else. The C in PVC, stands for Chloride which is a permutation of Chlorine. (PVC=PolyVinylChloride) Chlorine is one of those elements which can readily bond with many substances, and sometimes all it takes for the chlorine to lose it's "bond" with whatever substance it's currently mixed with, is for it to come into contact with another substance that it likes better. The Sodium in Sodium Chloride (salt) loses to Aluminum very readily. That's why they don't use salt to de-ice planes or runways or anything near Aluminum skinned aircraft. Chlorine can also get "excited" by the UV rays which hit it. When Chlorine gets excited in this manner it very readily bonds with the Hydrogen in the air. The ensuing compound is called H-Cl, or Hydrochloric Acid. How about a nice Hydrochloric Acid wash for your dash? The key thing for protecting your dash, isn't slipperiness, or non-greasy, it's UV protection. That's why owenk is correct about dashes cracking long before Armor All. That dashes crack is due to their being made from plastic and vinyl and not because of Armor All. The problem with Armor All is that it purports to protect your dash, while making it MORE susceptible to the problem! Sorry for the length, hope this makes it clear.

Ok Steve, take a deep breath, sit down, put your head between your knees and count to ten. This feeling will go away in just a few minutes. Don't be ashamed to admit it, with the thousands of minutes of television and radio waves coursing through our atmosphere proclaiming the need to change your vehicle once a year whether you or it needs it or not, it is very understandable that you would eventually become susceptible to the brainwashing. You can and MUST resist the impulse to chuck it all and join the collective masses driving their SUV's and Modernized Antiques. DARE to say NO! Yes, as a member of the collective you wouldn't have to worry about much, but your individuality would suffer, and finding your car in a crowded parking lot would be but the beginning of your new problems. While your neighbors and ersatz friends may proclaim to be worry and trouble free with their new vehicles, they are in fact lonely and feel part of a hive, that's why they're recruiting you to join them, so you can be miserable together. Stand tall with your Z. Yes, it takes a bit of commitment on your part, you must be willing to forgo the convenience of instant gratification available with the newer vehicles. It isn't easy, but it IS worthwhile. Just remember this, when you pull up to a stop light, or park in a parking lot, or just generally driving around, how good do you feel when someone comes up to you and says: "WOW! Is that an Old Jaguar?"

Not sure on the 78's, definitely there in the 240's. Don't know why they wouldn't include it in the wiring harness. To verify, look at the wiring harness that goes between the headlights and horns in the lower front of the car. You should see a pair of bullet plug pairs (1 male / 1 female) coming out of the wiring harness and then taped to the body of the harness. Usually a light blue vinyl tape holds it to the harness. There should be one to the right of the right hand horn and one to the left of the left hand horn. The corresponding connector for it, is inside the cabin, by the heater console / fuse box area. At that point neither wire is energized and requires a switch to power them. If I recall properly, they are slaved to the parking lamps. That is they draw their power from the Tail / Side / Parking lamp circuit and via the Fog Lamp Switch feed it to the fog lamps and then to ground. Hope this helps.

I hope that tip helps you. When I discovered this I realized that many Z's out there are suffering from front fender rust out just because of the water and dirt getting trapped back there. My "fix" is something that anyone who uses their car on a regular basis, i.e. in the rain, should look into. Here are a few other tips that I have done to my vehicle in order to alleviate or avoid future problems with rusting. When you remove the front fenders you will note that there is a rubber gasket that is attached to the top of the "arm" which is actually the fresh air duct as well as the main top support for the "frame". This gasket is supposed to prevent the splash / spray from the front wheels from seeping up and into the drain channel which is underneath the fender but in towards the engine from the wheel. If you examine this channel you will note that any water and debris from in front of the cowl, the inspection doors and splash from the road will eventually be washed down to the small exit hole. If your car was treated at the factory like mine was, chances are that the drain hole was plugged with body sealant. This plug will cause the water to stagnate in there and in very short order become filled with debris which retains water etc. Take a minute and clear the drain hole. The exit for this should be just behind and above the fresh air vent tube plastic pieces. Another place that is notorious for catching dirt and other debris is your rocker panel. Believe it or not, the vents on the sides of the roof channel actually draw in dust and other dirt. Typically this ends up being sucked into the "bowels" of the car. The "bowels" actually end up being your rocker panels and the space in front of the rear wheel. With the plastic panels removed, get a 4-6 foot length of 5/8" or larger hose which you will duct tape to the inlet of your shop vac. If you don't care what's in there, then just thread the hose into the space behind and in front of the wheel from the hatch and vacuum up all sorts of dirt. If you'd like to know what you're picking up put a nylon knee-high on the end of your shop vac hose and then feed the 5/8" or so hose into the knee high. This becomes a "net" that will catch whatever you vacuum up. This method is excellent in retrieving those little pins for the plastic rivets which are notorious for disappearing into the nether regions of the car. If you have the complete interior out, put the hose into the rocker panel area from the panel in front of the rear wheel, as well as the access / vent holes in the interior side panel. You'll be surprised as to how much dirt is in there. That dirt is like a sponge and will hold water for days even weeks. When I did mine I vacuumed up about 100 cigarette filters, talk about a nasty sponge! Clean this area out as much as possible to avoid the collection of rust causing dust / dirt. Another spot to check is the vent holes in your doors. You can check these without disassembling the door panels if you get down on the ground and look at the bottom seam. You should spot a couple of oval holes that are there for water to seep out of the car. Make sure these are clear of debris. If there's a bunch in there, you'll want to remove the interior panel so you can vacuum the stuff out. That's all for now. Hope these tips help someone.

To be honest, I don't recall. I was surfing the net and came accross someone elses Z site and they had this at the bottom of a page if I recall right, or I swiped it off of someone else's post at another forum. Feel free to swipe it from me, just right click on the icon and "Save As" and save to disk.

The old steering wheels are very easy to find and very easy to restore. Although some owners have changed the steering wheel, it is rare that I see a vehicle offered for sale without the original "wood" steering wheel. If by chance you should buy a car without the original one, post here as I'm sure there are literally dozens lying around. By the way, the original wheel was not true blue wood, it was a special kind of fibrous plastic that resembles wood not only in appearance but also in texture etc. In fact, with care you can even stain it. Good Luck.

The drains for the windshield wiper cowl bucket empty out behind the splash guard in the front fender area. Unfortunately, there is little room for the water to escape without leaving debris behind which in turn causes the fenders to begin rusting. Take a look, and you'll note the rubber hose about even with the top hinge of the door. I added a section of 1" ID tubing and have it directed out below the splash panel. In this manner any debris coming down from the cowl bucket will go to the ground and not get caught behind the splash guard. This is a simple 10 minute mod which will help down the line.

I have to admit that I've looked at your cars and found them both to be pleasing and sharp. Sorry if I didn't post any superlatives that first time I saw them, but I have to admit that another post with just "Nice Cars!" would not suffice and you weren't looking for a dissertation on your modifications. They look good, they obviously work for you, the cars look well maintained and obviously polished so Good Job! Sometimes a lack of posts does not imply that people didn't like them, just that they didn't post. If anything they may have taken heed of that adage that says "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." 2¢

Leeroy: Good advice so far, but FIRST check the fuse box. In reading your post, I must point out something that is very much a Z CHARACTERISTIC FLAW. The Fuse Box! Followed by the Wiring. That said, I suggest that as a NEW owner, you FIRST replace, not remove and replace with the SAME fuse, I mean NEW fuses. Then if the problem persists address removing and disassembling a switch that you aren't yet sure is the culprit. There are way WAY too many insidents where the simplest repair was all the car needed. Just because YOU haven't done anything to either the fuse box or the wiring does not mean that due to the change in owner that something has now gone wrong. You drive differently than the prior owner. I'll bet on it. Mayhaps you CLEANED where the other guy had only spilled, get the picture? Any one of those might / could / probably have effected some movement. A fuse might have been jarred a tiny bit, but that broke the metal to metal contact through which it WAS conducting and now it's mostly corrosion that it's on, that increases resistance, that causes HEAT, HEAT will and has melted many a fuse box. So start there. If the problem persists at least you will have done a LOT in defusing the self-destruct mechanism that some Klingon's wired into it. Disconnect the battery, this is done by disconnecting the fuse wire from the battery to the starter motor. The smaller wire, this effectively neutralizes the ignition and wiring harnesses. You can go ahead and disconnect the battery, but that's a much bigger pain and this does the same thing. Remove the old fuses, run a small piece of steel wool through the contacts, (this is why you disconnect the battery from the system). Next, tighten up the contact clips, BEFORE you re-insert the fuses. This will now give you a clean contact area, a NEW fuse and solid mount. Many times this clears many current problems and sometimes prevents new ones from cropping up. The other advice you've received is excellent, but it is a bit more invasive into the car. If you wait till you get your factory manual or an Early Clymer's (my two pics), then how to disassemble some of the things you'll HAVE to, in order to get the combo switch out and reconnected properly won't be such a major pain. Hope this helps.

In your shoes if it's only been a short while since you lost the hubcap, I would try to backtrack and try to find it. Especially if it was in good condition. Welcome to the club, use the Search function for many of your questions, as it helps to cut down on repeats. If you find something by Searching, but it still is missing something, post a reply to THAT thread. The software will then make it an ACTIVE post and people will re-read not only your reply but also the information you've already received. This method will make the search function that much more valuable, as new posts to old threads will then "revive" them and make them viable in an on-going manner. As new posts Add to that original post, the search will remember this post and make it easier to find, as well as provide an easy link in an "articles" section. By the way, ditto on Andy Russell, heck DOUBLE DITTO. I've located some very hard parts through him many in New Old Stock condition, some in NEW condition. 2¢

I voted for XP because I like the color scheme even though it takes a bit to load. Second choice would have to be To The Max. Again, takes a while but the final is a very pleasing color scheme. Also gives a dynamic feel to the page. Generally this could easily have been #1 for me, except that the ORIGINAL XP look for this website was so b!tching! Third, TabMenu or VbpRed Both very similar except for background. Fourth: VbpRed or TabMenu (ibid) Fifth Tabby. Not because this is our current, but rather cause it just strikes me as bland. Just my 2¢

Contact Z Cars of Arizona at: 480-816-8668 You can also talk to Andy Russell there, he's the Datsun Dude and he might be able to get you NOS items. You can e-mail Andy at z@datsundude.com 2¢

I've used these and although the bulb glass is a bit bigger, they DO work in the speedo and tach in ALL the holes. 2¢

The Spring on the window regulator is there to counterbalance the weight of the glass through the mechanism. Without it you would have a heck of a time rolling up the window, and it might get away from you when rolling down. With the regulator out of the car, and the gear cranked out of the crank handle gear, the mechanism should open up by 60-90 degrees from the last stop with the gears engaged. At this point the spring should be fairly easy to just slip out of the slot on the shaft. If your spring is broken or sprung, it's a good idea to replace it as it will take the stress from cranking the window off the window crank handle gear.

Whoa! 1.25mm for a diameter would be .0049" and NOT what you are looking for. The 1.25 refers to the PITCH of the thread, or if I recall right that it will move out 1.25mm for every full turn of the Nut. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) The Lug Nut Dimensions are as follows: Diameter: 12mm (or 1.2cm or .4724") Thread Pitch: 1.25RH Not sure on the measurement for center to center, (can't find in my books yet) or diagonal. Hope this helps.