EScanlon

The original distributor on the early 240's used points, these were basically carbon metal contacts that would be separated by a hex head cog on the base of the distributor which in turn would cause a spark to travel to the spark plug. Over time the dwell or the angle of separation for the points would change due to the wear and errosion of the points, this would change the timing and intensity of the spark. You then needed to get a tune-up. Since the parts were basically being "shorted" in order to create the spark, they would also wear out. Distributor caps, rotors, points, capacitors, all would require periodic replacement in order to maintain the engine in tune. Electronic ignition replaces the points, and capacitor with an electronic sensing unit which tellls the "brain" the electronic module that it is ok to release a spark through the coil /distributor to the spark plugs. Since the sensing unit isn't being shorted or subjected to constant mechanical impact it lasts pretty much indefinitely. This results in accurate timing and spark hence a properly running engine. I've generalized concepts and ideas but you should get the concept. At least understand that it is a GOOD idea to replace your original points distributor with an electronic unit. Besides, it is getting harder and harder to find tune up kits for those point dizzys. Enjoy and Z-Ya later.

I have a 71 240 AT with the original 240 tach and the 79 electronic distributor and it works.

If you end up going with the lenses from the boneyard, you may be able to clean / revitalize them mixing and matching parts from your current lenses. The lens assemblies CAN be disassembled if you proceed with caution. I'm describing a 240 lens, but the proceedure should be similar for the other models as far as disassembly, and universal on the plastic polishing. You can wash the lights now or later. You first need to remove the flat round speed nut holding the chrome in the center of the back (note this is not the ONLY fastener for the chrome). Then very carefully and gently but firmly start at the bottom and begin separating the colored lens from the housing. At the bottom you should find a couple of drain holes. Insert a popsicle stick or something soft and non-scratchy in there and using an X-Acto blade or similar, cut the strands of the glue holding the lens to the back. Work your way around the lens. Once you've succeeded in removing the lens from the back, then you can remove the chrome from the lens. There are two more pins holding the chrome on, but you'll find that ALL 3 have flat speed nuts holding them in place. (the center gets two, one outside one inside) To remove these, I found it easiest to gently pry one edge up and using a pair of angle dykes cut them off while holding them with a pair of angle needle nose. You now have the assembly in it's pieces. Acrylic Lacquer thinner can be used to remove the last of the glue, just don't let the rag stay on the lens for a long period of time, keep that rag moving. I then immerse the lens in warm soapy water and using a sponge only, and a soft toothbrush, scrub everywhere to get rid of the dust, dirt, mold, etc. Using Meguiars Clear Plastic Cleaner No. 17 and a clean cloth, buff the exterior face of the lens. No. 17 is a dijon mustard looking stuff, but it has really fine grit which will help get rid of fine scratches. For real heavy scratches, get your Dremel tool and a CLEAN felt circle or cone, and you can use it with that. (Note: a Dremel will ruin a lens in faster time than it takes to THINK about it, so be EXTREMELY careful) If using the Dremel remember this, keep it moving, keep it moist with the cleaner, and DON'T RUSH. I've removed some really hiddeous scratches, but it may take many many minutes. Once you're done with No. 17, you'll already begin to notice a nice sheen. Follow with Meguiars Clear Plastic Polish No. 10, (Don't ask me why the numbers go backwards, I don't know). This will REALLY make it smooth and shiny. Same procedure here, but you won't be rubbing anywhere near as hard or as long. This stuff is milky white. Finish with Meguiars Clear Plastic Detailer No. 18. (Again with the numbers?). At this point you should notice that the lens literally glows. This stuff is clear. E-mail if you want pictures. Gotta go, my owner is calling.

45 yrs, Married no kids (We're DINK's). I'm International Sales Director for my company, my wife is Manager of a Liquor Store (Sorry guys, no discounts for us either). Bought my 71 240Z AT last summer for my mid-life crisis. Figured everyone else claims one, so what the heck, I'd start now and see what else I can think of. Born in Mexico, have lived in Mexico, Venezuela, Chicago, Spain, back to Mexico, Iowa, Michigan and now Washington State. Studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa, 7 years enlisted in the US Air Force. Fluent in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese (Brazilian), (Well actually more like Portunish or Spanguese if you know what I mean). Worked as a Body man for two years before entering the service which is where I learned how to fix and paint cars. Maintained skills in the AF by helping friends do their cars real cheap. Do some computer programming in Access and a dash of Visual Basic (learning). Type about 120 wpm and I like to talk, which means I sometimes have long posts :sleep: ) and I have a real crazy warped sense of humor ! Fell in love originally with the Jaguar XKE when I was 12 yrs old, then I found out how much they cost :eek: ! Several years later, saw my first Datsun 240 and at first I thought it was a smaller Jag (Lived in Mexico at the time and the car wasn't imported there.). Then I found out what it was and wanted one. Then I found out how much it cost, and although better than the Jag, still too much for me :sick: . So many years later, I almost begged this Colonel to let me restore his, and was rewarded with at least being able to drive one while I worked on it. But I promised myself to get one as soon as I could... and I did... bout a dozen years later! So, my apologies up front to all for the length of my posts, my bizarre sense of humor, and rambling ways, but I will try to answer your questions on subjects that I know about, if I don't know I'll either NOT answer or tell you what I've heard. Please feel free to correct, scold or boo. Personal insults accepted after payment received through PayPal, note it is a sliding scale and Eat Sh*t! is currently going for $50 and it goes up from there. Bulk discounts available. Anyhow, I use escanlon which is short for Enrique Scanlon, and I live in Vancouver, Washington. (Yes the AMERICAN Vancouver, and No, not D.C.)

I'm not sure if you are referring to the dash cover that basically recovers the whole dash, or if you are referring to the carpet dash cover that protects from the sun. The ABS Plastic Dash Cover that basically gives you a "new" skin on your dash can be obtained from several places. I would recommend Troy at Too Intense Restorations email amodem04@aol.com Don't know about the carpet cover. Check with a Auto Parts store, Schuck's here in the Northwest can special order for you.

Just be aware that you would be ordering from a BONEYARD, and hence the parts aren't new. You might save a chunk of change, but you also may find yourself spending extra money to get them right. That $156 price was for the COMPLETE tail light assembly. Lenses, Chrome AND Housing WITH light harness. Not saying it was cheap, just that having to get all those parts individually from a boneyard or trusting that they'll get them together and they'll look right, not have cracks, chips, and that they work may be good money after bad. If you could get a PAIR of the lights with harness etc for HALF the price of a single light here in the US, then after shipping it here you'd probably be money ahead. But don't think that just cause they're in England or Europe they don't know the value of the items. Good Luck, let us know what you find.

They are sharp and also spendy. Definitely give Troy Thacker at Too Intense Restorations, his e-mail is: amodem04@aol.com or you can call him at: Ph: (714) 293-5552 or Fx: (714) 544-0361 He's also got a website at: www.datsunrestore.com I've bought several items from him and he has excellent quality stuff. I know he has a set of both the front and rear lenses, don't be surprised at the price. They are spendy but Troy has brand new stuff, and with their being rare now, the price show it. Feel free to use my name, I doubt if it will get you or me a better price, but heck give it a try. Enrique Scanlon

Another source is the Datsun Dude at: z@datsundude.com I've bought many parts from him and they are all Original Nissan parts. His prices are excellent! There are but a few parts that he's had to get from after market suppliers, but trust me the quality and performance is equal to or BETTER than the original parts. You're welcome to use my name Enrique Scanlon, but doubt that it will get you or me a better price. And no, I don't get anything for it, just passing on the name of an honest Z part supplier who is ALSO a Z enthusiast. (Get him to send you a picture of his baby and get ready to drool) I've found that some of the hardest to find replacement parts he HAS, and ORIGINAL NEW STOCK, not OLD stock. Don't know how he does it, but you would do yourself a disservice not to check with him. I also found that the rivets can be obtained at the Lowe's hardware stores, in the specialty fastener section, and I went there to buy some. The cost is about 79¢ for two, but there is a hitch, the hole size is just a tad bigger than the Nissan rivet. Yes you may get them in, but they will be a bear to get out once you spread the rivet. I don't recall what he sold me the rivets for, but let me just say that I bought 50 of them. So the price must have been equivalent to Lowe's but I got the ORIGINAL part. My two cents. Enrique Scanlon

As long as your car won't require emissions testing you should be able to without a problem. My 71 240 had any and all of the emissions stuff removed, and it has definitely cleaned up the engine compartment. Thankfully in Washington State, cars from 1971 are not required to undergo the bi-annual smog check.

Ok, I'm not fully sure on some of this, but I'll relay what I know. Not all countries received the cars imported there directly from the manufacturer. In some countries, they would actually receive vehicles that had originally been shipped to another country first. Don't have the specifics for the Nissan / Datsun Z cars but it sounds as though Portugal didn't receive a direct shipment from Japan. Hence, it is highly likely that they got 73 vehicles late enough in the year that they were then imported as 74's. Case in point, the 1970 Chevrolet NOVA as sold in the United States was sold as a 1974 Chevrolet (NOT NOVA, don't know the name) in Chile. That's because GM shipped the molds for the sheet metal etc to it's plant in Chile and had the production continue there. By the way, the reason the NOVA name wasn't used is because the 2 words NO VA mean "Does NOT Go" in Spanish. Unfortunately GM didn't learn it's lesson and it reused the name when it came out with the compact NOVA for Mexico in the Early 90's. This time however, they pushed the "Exploding Star" theme to try to get people to ignore the Doesn't Go monicker. So Rui, in order to best help you, you need to find out the VIN # of the vehicle if you are going to buy the car. Can those of us in the USA help you get parts? I'm sure we can. But the biggest problem will be finding out just how difficult it will be for you to receive the parts. I work in International Sales, some countries will allow free export / import of certain items while taxing or applying tariffs to other items. Here in the US we can pretty much find what you need, the problem is one of shipping it to you, and your being able to receive it, as well as the exchange of monies to do it with. Contact either your Customs office (Aduana), or the offices of DHL, UPS, Fed-Ex. One of those should be able to inform you as to the duties, taxes and / or tariffs due on used vehicle parts. Find out how they are assesed. Some countries go by Notarized Invoice, others, by Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) as presented by Bill of Lading, others by their own table of estimated worth. This is critical, since a $20.00 part here, may cost $30.00 to ship to you with Insurance and you would then be paying taxes / duties CIF on $50.00 worth. You might also look on the Internet and see if you can find one of the owners of the 12 cars you mention. It may turn out to be that this is an endeavour suited only for really REALLY rich people, or it may be that any one can do it, it just takes time and perseverance but some money as well. For those of us in the US, imagine finding a Lamborghini or a Mercedez Benz Gull-Wing in your local boneyard. You can get it cheap, but getting the parts is where it gets close to impossible to do economically. Anyhow, just my 2¢ worth. Boa Suerte

I ordered and received my copy from MotorSports. This was just a week or two ago, so they definitely had some then.

I give! Could you not use the invisible font? It really makes it hard to see!

>I still don't know exactly what the "Tool Storage- moved to rear deck pockets" should look like. The tool storage compartments in the Series I were not compartments in the true sense of the word. They were Plastic Covers that hinged from a floor bracket to the vertical steel that comprises the rear axle "step". The tools, handle, rod and the wrench were put in a bag and the jack was mounted below. The cover just hinged up and hid it from view. Think of the tray table in an airplane and you get the general idea. The covers had 3 sides as well as the face of the cover. The fourth side was where the hinge went. One side was bigger than the other, but don't recall which. When they did away with the Series I Tool Storage, what they did was cut two holes on the floor of the rear deck, closest to the seats, and put a pair of hinged covers with a latch that you turned to open it. The space directly behind the seats was no longer used for tool storage at all, the tool storage was now hidden underneath the floor carpeting on the rear deck. To determine if your car is a Series I or II, just look at the rear deck floor, underneat the rug, closest to the seats. If you have a pair of openings with lids in there, then you have a Series II, if no openings, then a Series I. From what you posted earlier, I would say that you had a Series I based on the Tool Storage being mounted on brackets behind the seats. (Another Tell-Tale Sign.) However, we have to remember this. No car manufacturer as far as I know, would have a clear cut THIS serial number is the last one and THIS NEXT serial number is the first one, when it comes to a complete set of changes as the Series I and II were. More than likely, as your car indicates and so does mine, they change through attrition of old stock. My console has the fuse cover / ash tray combination ONLY found in the 70 and EARLY 71's. That's the console with the defog switch and coin box back behind the shifter. I also have the Tool Compartments in the floor of the rear deck. My wiring harness has the fuel pump wiring but no fuel pump, (indicative of a late 71, 72 model). Yet the dash does NOT have the indent for the decal to the left of the hazard switch, yet my cigar lighter is mounted above the hazard switch (indicating an early 71). My seats are the KNOB style and not the LEVER style. My doors do have the two stage open mechanism. My vents are on the roof pillar and I don't have any vents on the hatch. Yet, I still have the 3 piece hatch seal, which is shortly going to be replaced with a one piece. The bottom line on this is that you won't be able to determine a DEFINITIVE demarcation on Series I VIN # and Series II VIN #. You are going to find that close to that "change over" VIN and Production Month, you will have "hybrids". Those vehicles are the trickiest to find parts for, as YOU have to keep track of what you have. Wish I could give you a good set of "Rules of Thumb" to go by, but I don't. Probably the best thing to do is to order one of the Microfiche CD's from here and spend some time identifying what parts you have and which ones do and don't apply to your vehicle. Bottom line, since your vehicle has already been set up with the vents in the hatch, go with that setup. Get the "240Z" emblem for your roof pillars and get the vents for the hatch. Remember, what YOU do for your car is what is half the fun of owning it. Just my 2¢

Here's another important tid-bit on the issue: ================================================== 1971 HLS30 018000 thru 051583 (I added a "0" to 1800 to correct what's at zhome) Notable VIN Month Highlights HLS30 019889 01 Last of Series One Body Style (rear hatch vents). HLS30 21001 First of Series II Body Style = omitted = HLS30 48863 10 Last 1971 Model Year Car Build (HLS30 51583 latest reported so far). 1972 Model Year - HLS30 48863 (earliest reported so far). Flip Forward Seats, New Hub Caps, Center Console Redesigned, gas tank door latch eliminated, 5 inch wide wheels made standard, new 4sp. trans. design, rear end moved rearward 35mm (about 1.5 inches). 11 Pockets added to floor pan for Auto Seat Belt Retractors ================================================== This is also from Zhome.com Specifically the Production Changes from 69 to 73. I only selected a couple items due to relevance to this posting. My 71 Datsun 240Z AT was manufactured 9/71 and it is indeed a Series II 1971. My car has the center console with the ash tray / fuse cover combination up front under the radio. The coin box behind the defrost switch and the knobs for the seats. Yet, when you go to the wiring some of it is from the 72 run. What I'm saying is that if your manufacture date is close to the end of a given "style" or option run, it is possible that you will have mixed items. The key is to investigate and know for yourself what is what and buy accordingly. RandyC's anomalies may be explained in any accidents the car may have been involved in. The front and the rear may have been replaced, and not necessarily at the same time. As a result the discrepancy between the good work in back and the not so good work in front could be a simple dealer versus non-dealer repair. If your car was brought over late 4/71 - 5/71 it is very possible that the repair panels in the warehouse were STILL the Series I. Remember, they wouldn't have necessarily considered a need for replacement panels so soon after a change, when the change was only cosmetic as far as the panel is concerned. Additionally, they wouldn't have shipped all those panels back to Japan just to have them scrapped, they would have used them. Check behind the plastic panels for evidence of a new weld line. That will probably tell you more. Your seats and seat belts are in line with the production up until 10/71. Mine also has the vents and the round knob for the seats as well as the push button seat belts. Hope this helps.

I'm copying the following from the article at www.zhome.com Specifically: http://zhome.com/History/New71Late.htm ================================================== Contributed by: Carl Beck & Elliot Welz. Last Up Date 15 Feb., 2001 The "Series I" Datsun 240Z's were produced between Oct. 1969 and Jan. 1971. This production period covered two Model Years (1970 & 1971). However Datsun did not implement design or production changes based on Model Years, but rather on Calendar Years durring this period. So with the begining of the Calendar Year 1971 Datsun introduced what they refered to as the "New 1971 late model Datsun 240Z Sports". We refer to these as "Series II" Z Cars. Listed below is a summary of the design/production changes incorporated in the "Series II" 240-Z's. This information was published in a Datsun Factory Service Bulletin dated: Febuary 1971, VOL. 137. According to this Service Bulletin the changes were to be put into production with HLS30 21001 and HS30 0501. Copies of this Service Bullentin were contributed by: Elliot Welz, ZCOOR #115 Summary of changes: BODY: 1. Ventilation Air Outlets- Change in fresh air ventilation system outlets to rear quarter panels from decklid 2. Two Step Door Check Link>. holds doors open, was full open, now full and half open) 3. Seat Belt Release changed from latch to button, and hangers from seat to rear panel 4. Reversible Key-for starter, steering lock and glove box. 5. Steering Wheel- has punched out holes, they were indents 6. Center Vent Defuser- redesigned and add vertical deflectors 7. Sun Visor - enlarged by about 1" in length 8. Tool Storage- moved to rear deck pockets 9. Reclining/Flip Forward Seat - Lever replaces round knob CHASSIS: 1. Tire Specification - from 175SR14 to 175HR14 BODY ELECTRICAL: 1. Speedometer- starts at "0" mph instead of 20MPH 2. Oil Pressure Gauge recalibrated 3. Map Light- hood added to map lamp to reduce glare 4. Windshield Wipers - speed up from 68 strokes per minute to 75 spm on "High" speed. 5. Defogger Switch -- changed to include warring light 6. Tail Light Assy- now has four bulbs instead of three 7. Headlight harness changed to prevent electro-chemical attach on lamp terminals

Joe Your car definitely sounds like a Series I. The two holes you describe are the receiver holes for the barrel clips on the pins of the emblems for the quarter panel. The right ones for your car are the ones that say "240Z" on top of a circle. If your car had the indent hole and hence 3 barrel clip holes around the indented hole, the emblem you would need would be the one that just has a "Z" in the center. These are for the Series II and they are side specific. (i.e. Right/Left) The Series I had a pair of Vent Grills below the rear hatch window. These vents were in fact FUNCTIONAL. Inside the hatch you should have some ducting that connected to the inside hatch panel. This is how the Series I did the passive vent air circulation system. But since the car's aerodynamics tended to suck the exhaust back in through the vent, it was changed to the window channels. Many of the emblems you are looking for are hard to find USED let alone NEW. However, I have a source that has been able to get them NEW and in the NISSAN BOX. The 240Z Channel is no longer available in metal. You can sometimes get it from someone on e-Bay or at swap meets, but rarely new. In fact, there's a guy selling a pair of metal ones on e-bay right now but you can tell the paint is chipped and need some TLC to be good. They're up for auction, but you can buy them now for $50. Here's the URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600626991 My source is the Datsun Dude. He has several listings on e-Bay right now, but you can contact him directly at z@datsundude.com Here's just a sampling of the items that go hand in hand with your restoration: "Datsun" Fender emblems http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600418903 Datsun 240Z Roof Pillar Emblems http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600419568 Door Striker Set http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600419393 Hatch Jamb Hardware Kit http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600605764 I've found that he is extremely fair and his perfomance is second to none. Another source for emblems and the like is Too Intense Restoration. Check out his web-site at: http://www.DatsunRestore.com/ His e-mail is AMODEM04@aol.com Feel free to tell them I referred you. I don't get anything but they like to know who's putting their name out amongst the bulletin boards and friends. Have fun and Good Luck finding what you want.

Just my 2¢ worth. I think that you will find that between buying the seat backs, and the shipping involved you might be spending more money than just having them recovered. Your not being particular as to whether the seats were lever or knob actuated tells me you may not be going for a concours restoration, but I may be wrong. If you aren't, then by getting the ones you have recovered as well as the seat bottoms, you may be money ahead.

If you are a new owner of a Z, let me introduce you to this common term amongst us. Kind of like the Doctors' "Take two aspirin, and call me in the morning", with Z cars, this is one of the MAJOR and MOST COMMON both problems and repairs. Don't just visually check your fuse, do a continuity check on it. Also, make sure that the connectors for the fuse are clean and bright and that they are making good contact on the fuse. After this, you now get to the fun of tracing down the problem. I would recommend you first look at the headlight connections. Don't just look at where they connect to the headlight, but also intermediate connections. By the way, if you are new to the Z's, Welcome to the Club!

Should have voted for my car's color, but have to admit that Yellow and Red are my two favorites. I have to admit that the Gold 920 (aka Mustard) does grow on you.

Sad to say, but these are difficult to find new. My research shows that only MSA lists them for the early 240 at $105. Victoria British doesn't list them at all. You can also sometimes find them on e-Bay.

Dan's steering wheel in storage for the last 15 years is going to be your best bet. (sorry for butting in) The reason I'm telling you that is that the "wood" on the steering wheel is actually a stylized type of plastic. It looks nice and even has that "grain" of real wood, but it is in fact, plastic. A steering wheel that has been in storage and not exposed to the UV rays of the sun as well as the heat of the day, is going to be in better condition than one that hasn't. Additionally if you choose to restore it, as explained in the article in Sport Z Magazine, a steering wheel that hasn't had years of grime put on it, is going to look sharper than one that's been in constant use.

I believe I've seen them in the MotorSports catalog. I've also seen them in J.C. Whitney, but don't know if they'll fit.

The Achilles Heel of the Datsun Z. Along with it's notorious propensity to rust due to thin sheet metal, you'd think that people would shun this car. But like a gorgeous woman that you know is HIGH $ Maintenance, people keep at it. The fuse box problem has had write ups in bunches of posts. The following are but a small sampling and I'm sure there are others I've missed and others could add to: http://www.zcar.com http://www.zdriver.com http://www.zhome.com http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/z.html Addressing the topic briefly and succintly. General repair and restoration of the fuse box is as follows: If the fuse box is still generally intact, i.e. no melt through, or damage, then remove from the car and clean all the contacts. Get a small wire brush, the type that looks like a small pipe cleaner or like a miniature toilet bowl brush and remove all corrosion from the clips that hold the fuses. You can also use a small piece of sandpaper rolled up into a tube and insert it as you would a fuse and rotate it. Carefully bend all the clips so that they hold the fuse firmly. Check the rivet that holds the fuse clip. You can solder the back of these, but be careful as too much heat will melt the plastic that holds the fuse clip in place. I personally prefer to put the fuse block on a small anvil and using a nail punch, hammer the rivet so that it will make better contact with the wire below. Check ALL the fuses for CONTINUITY. Don't just visually inspect them. Too many times the fuse appears intact, only to be the cause of electrical failures. Preferably, get new fuses. The time and effort to clean up and ensure that a 30 year old fuse is useful is way too much considering that you can usually find the fuses available at any auto parts store. Heck in some supermarkets and drug stores, the automotive section has the fuses. Lastly, check the connectors for the fuse box. Any corrosion or discoloration of the metal should be removed. Remember, corrosion first appears as discoloration, then as it progresses, looks like a weird texture. This causes RESISTANCE. Resistance causes HEAT. Heat causes meltdown and problems. In the situation where the fuse box has already melted, you CAN find replacements. MotorSports, Victoria British, ZParts, ZBarn, are but just a few of the places that have them available. Yes, they are spendy but then again not as expensive as watching your Z car burn. And regarding upping the fuse to a higher amperage? DON'T. If you have a problem with a circuit, check out the circuit, don't just put a 20 amp fuse in place of a 10 amp. The fuse is your SAFETY, and it's designed to blow if the current exceeds it's rating. If a fuse continues to blow, it's a sure sign of something NOT being right. When a fuse blows in your house, do you automatically go out and replace the fuse with a higher amperage one? or do you first try to find out what caused it?

You're Bad! I'm sticking to my opinion of the bikini centerfold, I wouldn't object to their having TWO centerfolds one WITH another WITHOUT, if only cause it's the CAR I want to see. Not saying I don't like the cheesecake, just that sometimes the cheesecake can literally hide detail or render the picture unuseable for anything else other than cheesecake. And I can't agree that cheesecake would make the magazine sell more. As it is, the Z enthusiasts are a small population. Due to the scarcity of good vehicles, and the amount of money it takes to restore one, you have again, another limiting factor on the population. Since you are dealing with an older car, this pretty well defines your audience. Although there are exceptions, you would find that the general reader would be, Male, 35 to 60, Mechanically Inclined, Loves Sports Cars, Enjoys Tinkering, Either Retired or with a Job that allows plenty of $ for a time consuming expensive hobby. He's looking for information and pictures on the car, not another T&A shot. A younger male reader, under 30, and some women too, enjoy and kind of expect the cheesecake shot, but let's face it, those that are interested in Z cars and not the Rice Ready Racers, are few and far between. Cheesecake isn't going to make it sell more, since the target audience is looking at Z cars. I have given some thought on the other photos, but only cause as much as I'd like the magazine to increase the number and sizes of the photographs, I realize that unless you do something to make the different month's different from one another, they'll quickly become boring and overlooked. Understand what I'm referring to. There are few pictures that show the cars when they were NEW. As a result, many of us, who are trying to detail, restore, and improve, our cars, do not have the time or the money to access all the different places you need to go to, before you can find out that the space above the hazard switch on the dash of the 70 had the INDENT but otherwise was NOT a hole. Or that the cover of the choke plate on the 70/71 actually had silver trim on the raised edge going all the way around. Or that the majority of vehicles that entered the North American market did NOT have the separate Throttle linkage to the right of the choke but here's a photo of what one looks like. Or what the Lateral Parking Light switch to the right of the Rear Defrost looked like on those few rare vehicles that have it. Yes, I like a little T&A, but when it comes to admiring a really well maintained or restored vehicle, I want the details of the vehicle. Hence, photos, lots and lots of them. From different angles, close ups, wide angle etc etc. The photos I described are more in line with the comparison that you mention women make. Women DO compare, but not as much about the size of their breasts as we guys think, but rather as to how short other women wear their skirts, or is the shirt unbuttoned below or above the line of the breast, how tight is the fit of their clothing, does it make her look good, and finally, what are other women wearing and how are they wearing it. Yes there is a lot of interest in physical fitness, but let's be honest, the last time you looked at a picture of a man in skimpy clothing, did you really sit there and compare how big his musculature, etc. was in comparison to yours, OR did you give it a quick glance as to how he looked and how you perceived yourself to look? Women do the same. But enough on that, what do other readers think? Let's hear from you.

http://www.justdashes.com/index_home.htm This was posted at another site some time back. The process they detail on their page looks like what this place in Australia does.