EScanlon

Check the connection at the headlights and also the connectors. This sounds like the same old piece of advice you've heard probably 3 gazillion times, but with the Z it's usually dead on target. The connectors for the individual headlights is in front of the radiator. Guess what it gets hit with when you are driving in the rain? The acorn pot that protects the back of the headlight is in the front wheel well, guess what hits it ALL the time? I just recently disassembled my front end to replace the headlight bulbs. I discovered that both the headlight and the turn signal assemblies had so much dirt and crud inside the plastic sleeve that "protects" the wiring that it felt like they were solid. As I removed them from the car, the plastic broke into hundreds of pieces. The connector to the headlight lamp itself could be corroded also. My bet with 2MZ's car is that he needs just a dash of contact cleaner in the switch. This will remove the surface oxidation on the contacts for the switch. D76, I would check your connections again, and do a good continuity on the fuse. Heck, replace the fuse(s), they're cheap and could be the source of the problem. 2¢

70 to 72 pretty much had the same bumpers, 73 did have a minor change in that now the car had different bolt hole arrangements for the rubber. I believe it was due to the shock absorber in the front / back. The overriders on the back DO require a hole in each of the end pieces as well as the pair of holes right below the license plate. The front overrider, depending on the style (there are 2 that I know of) will either require holes through the rubber and bumperette or holes through the bumper. Don't despair, sell them separately on e-bay and you should make your money back. Alternatively, post an ad here and see if one of the other members will buy them from you. 2¢ Why not at least post pictures so you can get better advice than the generic advice I've given here.

Not familiar with that term. Splash Guards? Those flaps that go behind the wheels? Found mine at MSA, and they fit exactly. Car Cover? Went to the local car parts (Schuck's) and ordered from them. Weatherstripping? DatsunDude, Too Intense Restoration, MSA, Victoria British (with care), e-Bay. So hopefully one of the above answers you, otherwise, please explain what Weathershields are. E Scanlon

I had a conversation recently with another Z owner, and we bantered back and forth over the Hazard Switch. I have seen pictures of early Z's (70&71) with the PULL type switch, but he informed me that the early ones had the TOGGLE switch and not the pull. So I apologize for the inaccuracy. So, in reading my above post, the switches are reversed. The EARLY Z's had the TOGGLE. The LATER Z's had the Pull-Button switch. The other information about the Fog Lamp, Cigar Lighter is accurate. By the way, if your dash does not have the hole made in the fog lamp position, that is a TRUE BLUE 70/71 Dash. Don't know about the Fog Lamp Switch Alfa, but if you're willing to ship it over to me, (hehehe), I'm sure I can let you know about it.

Rick has a good point regarding Harbor Freight. If you are NOT a professional mechanic, not into Racing, not into disassembling your engine on the weekends just for practice, then the majority of the items at Harbor Freight are more than sufficient. They are truly inexpensive, and yes, sometimes Cheap. The difference is that an inexpensive item is one that doesn't cost you a lot of money and is worth multiples of what you paid for it. A cheap item is one that doesn't cost you a lot of money, but it is worth exactly or less than what you paid for it. So, my advice is if you are looking for a tool kit for your JOB, then definitely spend the extra bucks for the lifetime warranties, the assurances of steel content, plating etc etc.; from folks such as Craftsman, Snap-On, Matco, MAC, S-W, etc.. The difference in the price will be more than made up for in years of service and reliability. Then again, if you have the money, buy the KEY tools for your tool kit from the same companies. By key, I mean, the sockets, the wrenches, screwdrivers, ratchets etc. Remember, these are the ones you will be using the MOST for the majority of the jobs you do under the shade of the tree. For "Use Once, and Stash" Tools, (and don't tell me you don't have at least a tool box worth of these) go to Harbor Freight. You'll be surprised at how much you can save, and STILL do the job right. Can you get burned? That depends on the expectations you put into the tool.

The very early Z's had the D hubcaps. Not sure when they went to other styles. As far as the wheel info, sorry, don't know.

All Z in Gresham Oregon. They MIGHT have one. They have a ton of Z's from all years, but the gas tank is a known part that is either crushed, rusted, or it's sold. All Z East Auto Recycling Inc. 1271 B N.W. Eleven Mile Ave. Gresham, OR 97030 (503) 666-5659 (800) 533-5659 Talk to MIKE. He's the Z guru there. He'll give you the best pricing and will know pretty much right off the top of his head whether he has the part or not. Doug is the owner, and he's ok, but he does charge top dollar. 2¢

The 70 and early 71 240Z's had the cigar lighter mounted on the console just below the radio. Additionally the ash tray / fuse box cover had a hole for the cigar lighter. The indent above the hazard switch ORIGINALLY was intended for the FOG LAMP switch, which is an extremely rare option on US cars. (In fact, if you have the switch for it, I'm willing to buy it from you). The late 71 and so on models had the cigar lighter mounted above the hazard switch. The 70 / e71's had a pull button switch for the 4 way flashers. This was a pretty obvious design in that you pulled it and the flashers worked, pushed it in and they stopped. Later models went to a toggle style switch which for some reason was felt to be confusing and that people would not know how to operate it. So they made an indent in the dash for a DECAL that says: Hazard Switch: ON (in the up position); OFF (in the down position) Since the decal would not stick on the dash properly, they indented the plastic skin so it would not peel off. By the way, I believe the pictures posted are from Zhome.com and they have an excellent article that goes WITH those pictures that explains what I have posted here. Enrique Scanlon

Also contact: Andy Russell The Datsun Dude z@datsundude.com or 480-980-6512 He has some excellent pieces (new door panels!) as well as some excellent prices. Enrique Scanlon

Depending on when in 71 your car was built, the dash may NOT have an indent to the left of the hazard switch. After 71, the dash had an indent put into it to accept a label for the toggle style hazard switch. Additionally, the 73 will likely have the wiring harness that has the wiring for the seat belt and choke warning lights, something the earlier 71's did NOT have. The buzzer that sounds when you open the door with the key still in the ignition is now incorporated into the seat belt buzzer system where in 71 it was a stand alone item. Another item would be the light for the cigar lighter that was placed above the hazard switch. Early 71's had a fiber optic transfer system where the 73's had a light bulb attached to the body of the lighter. The 71's also had reinforcement plates on the mounting areas where the lower side mounting bolts go on. The 72 and later did not have this "step" or reinforcement. In order to fit a 72 and later into a 71, you will have to bend those arms down. I have a Jan 72 dash and a Sep 71 dash out of the cars right now and I am about to do a swap myself. If you need I can take some pictures and post. Let me know.

Your hatch may have been replaced with a later year hatch. The hatch cover plate was later attached with screws that could either go straight into the metal or go into those square plastic receivers for the screws. For a while there they were also using a smaller diameter push pin rivet. I found a quick way of retrieving the rivet pins. I attached an "appropriated" (i.e. stolen) nylon knee high stocking to the end of my shop-vac's hose with duct tape, then the vac is turned on and the knee high is sucked into the hose. Then I duct tape a 5/8" inside diameter rubber hose, about 2 feet long, to the end of the vac hose. This in effect gives me a filter screen midway up the shop vac hose. The 5/8" hose gives me a flexible smaller diameter vacuum nozzle. Then insert the rubber hose into the nooks and crannies behind the panel after I've pushed the pins through. Rarely do I loose pins. By the way, the first time you do this, be prepared to find all sorts of crud behind your plastic panels. This is an area that will collect all sorts of BS, and should probably be vacuumed more than once every 30 years. 2¢

Harbor Freight has the dollies on sale, just received the e-mail this morning. Here's the URL for the dollies, they're selling for $39.99 If you don't have a Harbor Freight near you, you CAN order from the website, and as far as I know the price will be honored. If you need, let me know and I'll forward you the e-mail notice I got. http://www.harborfreightusa.com/displayitem_retail.taf?Itemnumber=32052

The bumperettes, overriders, lumps on the bumper or whatever you want to call them, what condition are they in? Mine have unfortunately serious pitting on the chrome and although I've bought new rubber for them, the pitting is in need of work / replacement. Thanks in advance: Enrique Scanlon

That "rust" looking tinge on the rear tail light surrounds may be PRIMER! I've seen many of these surrounds with the primer showing through because of the nature of the original paint. Remember the ORIGINAL paint on the tail light surround was a very different finish from what we are used to in the US. Wick Humble describes it as "Silver-Gray 'match scratcher' finish which retains contaminants, especially paste wax.", i.e. like the side of a matchbox where you strike the match. The finish is impossible to clean properly, and typically if people got wax on it it would show. Trying to clean it, no doubt people have used strong pads that in turn "sandpapered" the finish off, thus thinning the paint. Eventually you would "sand" down to the primer which for these pieces was Reddish Brown. That is what I think you are seeing "bleed" through the black finish. Wick also gives his formula for the "best" match to the original finish: 1 pint DDL Ditzler Duracryl 2862 Argent 200 units DX265 300 units DX264 Then thin 100-150% and spray on "dry", using air pressure on the "high" side and keeping the paint swirled to avoid uneven spray. Whether you restore the finish to the original or do like most people and get either Semi-Gloss or Satin Black is up to you. But before you go stripping, check and I'll bet that it is primer that's bleeding through. 2¢

It is hard to evaluate something based on someone else's pocketbook and budget especially when the common denominators may be so far out of alignment with each other. For $8k I would expect the car to literally be COMPLETELY restored and in #1 condition. Then again, I am referring to US dollars and not Australian dollars. The rules of thumb on restoring or buying apply regardless of currency. Buy the BEST condition car you can afford, this will minimize the amount of money you spend on fixing it up to "perfect" condition. If you've already gotten into the other one, you're not going to get half of what you would like out of it, but it might be a good way to cut your loses. However, if you've already stripped it, and have examined it everywhere and have the time and money with which to do the metal replacement well, then go for it. You will at least have the assurance that the car has been correctly rebuilt. As to whether or not it is cheaper.......??? 2¢

If you can find an early Clymer's manual, specifically the one with the blue cover (It's actually a picture, but it is mostly sky behind it.), this one will cover to 74 if I recall right. This is one of the best aftermarket manuals in my opinion. Like the FSM it has a lot of detailed drawings. Like the FSM it also gives specific how to instructions. Unlike the FSM it doesn't have some of the more specific procedures but it generally does have everything in the FSM. Careful about the RED cover Clymer's. Although the engine and GENERAL car information is there, there is no electrical section or body working section. i.e. no wiring and no interior or exterior part removal. In my opinion, this one is about in between the Haynes and Chilton's. Haynes, in my opinion is a very generalized and boiled down version of the FSM. Chilton's? I have it, rarely use it, keep it only in case of wanting a 3rd reference. The few times that I've used it, it might have as well have said, Part Broke? Fix it. Just my 2¢

Obviously there will be some differences between the years, however, the biggest differences will be along safety and emission and other changes that had to be made to the car as time went on. For example, the 70 & 71 do not have retractable lap belts, yet the 72 does. The pocket on the floor pan for the retractable lap belt is just not there on a 70/71. The Choke "ON" light indicator, the Fasten Seat Belts and associated seat sensors. The later years also had variable wipers. These are items that will really throw you off if you are looking at a schematic and FSM's are year specific. i.e. no other schematics in there. I won't comment on the engine portion as I don't work on the engine (body, electrical and paint are my strengths).

BRIEFLY AND SUCCINCTLY: Don't go tearing it up and replacing everything just because it's old. Many times all they need is a little TLC and a little lubrication to get them up. Then address any problems that come up and check the whole system out. I would do all SAFETY items first. i.e. tires, brakes, steering, lights. Then get into the engine. Reasoning is that you KNOW you can fix the engine, the other items are what you need to go CHECK how the car runs. In the interior, carefully lift all the carpeting and examine the floorboards. Hold off on removing door panels and plastic panels. Check later if floor shows some problems. 2¢

I've obtained seals, and emblems from both of these guys: Contact: Andy Russell @ 480-980-6512 That's his cell number and he does his business there. He's also known as the DatsunDude on e-Bay. His e-mail is z@datsundude.com I promote him due to the price and availability of the items. He does have NEW OLD STOCK and NEW original parts. He also can obtain some excellent after market replacement parts which in some cases are BETTER than the original, sometimes from the same guys that did the Datsun Restore project. Contact: Too Intense Restoration amodem04@aol.com Troy is very much aware that the parts he has are difficult to find in the condition he has them in. If you want RARE and hard to find parts in NEW condition, Troy has it. However, his prices do reflect it. If money is not critical, but authentic NEW then he is the one to go to. The emblems for the back are actually 2. There is a difference between the early year "Datsun" in Script emblem and later years. Look at the 't' in Datsun, and determine if the crossbar to the T is rounded or squared off. The squared off one is getting harder to find. The 240Z is the same. Weatherstripping: Be careful, some folks have posted disatisfaction with the ones from Victoria British, although the price is very attractive. Motorsport also has them, but some people have said that they've also had problems. (Having to adjust the door to close properly after the new seal.) Hope this helps.

Replacement Dashes in good condition are rare. When you do find one, even from a bone yard, you are talking some serious dollars. New and in the box? Even higher dollars. Most people opt for the Dash Cap. This is a layer of ABS plastic or the like that will fit on top of your dash like a second skin. Cost? About 80-100 depending on who you get it from.

Basic Supply and Demand facts. There are a LOT of people that want these lights, there aren't that many lights to go around, let alone NEW and in the box. If you want them you'll have to put up the money, too rich for you, then don't bid. That's why the old expression: "If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it." In Sales: The value of an item is the price that that item will bring when offered for sale. And the final item, think of it this way: The 240Z sold for about $3700 back in the early 70's. Nowdays, a 240Z in EXCELLENT condition may fetch as much as $15,000 while an Average condition car will fetch about $5000. (prices are not necessarily exact)

There is some difference between the 71 and 73, but you can take your dash apart and transplant the whole thing. If you already have it out of the car, then just follow the items and you can replace them. It's not hard.

= DITTO = DITTO = DITTO = DITTO = DITTO = For me, the KEY thing in that ad: 100% Rust Free I would check under the passenger compartment at the floor pans both sides. Look for the obvious rust through, but also check to see if new undercoating is there. If too new, is it protecting a repair, or hiding a cheap repair. Check under the floor mats and ASK about what was done. Check the back part of the front fenders, look at the rear fenders, check the hatch edges. LOOK AT THE ROCKER PANELS. If all those are good, you have a good base to work from. But the BIGGEST red flag is: restoration project, needs cosmetics That means: NEEDS WORK!! If you are conning yourself into believing you HAVE the time, then it won't get done. It takes hours of looking for some of the parts, let alone removing the bad, repairing what needs to be repaired (and trust me there will be) and then replacing with new. Needs cosmetics: no emblems / needs trim pieces / dash is cracked / seat upholstery / carpeting / plastic panels are shot It may be that not all or any of what I've mentioned will be there. The less the better. Just trying to give you a short list to check, and believe me as long as this post is, there are hundreds of posts about these problems. If you've been hanging around for a while, then you know. Lastly, if you are leaving the house WITH THE INTENT TO BUY, then you have lost and may find yourself in trouble. Don't kid yourself about how much money (and I mean BIG MONEY) you can throw at these cars. It is 10000% better to wait for a better car than to try to fix one up if you are on a tight budget. Henry Ford was once heard to mention that he would gladly give every American a free car, as long as they bought the replacement parts ONLY from him. Think about that, then toss in a healthy 30 year age to the parts you are trying to find and you get a good idea how HARD & expensive it can be to find them in good condition. Look at this car as if you were going to adopt it. You want a good kid and not a budding Jeffrey Dahmer. 2¢

I would be MORE concerned about the wiring's ability to carry the current than about the fuse. The Z has a notoriously ~weak~ electrical system, the wires are KNOWN to overheat due to minor resistances in parts of the system. After all that's why everybody has input into this problem you posted. But shunting BOTH headlights into ONE set of wires? I don't think that's a good idea. Now if both headlights are shunted up by the switch, or fuse box, then probably you're ok. I've heard too many stories about people melting their wiring harnesses due to overloads in the system to ignore this. Just my 2¢

Did you intentionally re-wire your headlights together? Normal wiring on the Z has them independent of one another. That's why everyone is referring to independent grounds and independent fuses. But since you mention that they are wired together, I would say that you definitely have a connection problem at the headlight lamp itself. I'm still in doubt over that "connection".