EScanlon

Dave you're spot on, I meant Red/Blue and kept abbreviating it as Red/Black. (And exactly why Datsun used L for blue, to avoid the confusion with black.) Been working on a friend's Mustang. E

Which picture did not show the courtesy lamp cut out? All the ones I've looked at on this thread show the 4 rounded corners stamped out.

As Dave has pointed out, the Top Right fuse (as viewed from the fuse side of the fuse box) should be one of the Headlights (Left). Since you traced a R/B wire TO the fuse box, I'm wondering if you might have noted the R/B wire that connects the Accessory relay when the fuse box is viewed from the bottom (connection side), it then becomes the Upper Right connection which, when viewed from the fuse side down, that connection is the Upper LEFT and not the right. Connecting the radio's R/B wire to it's corresponding wire isn't all that hard. Ideally you should be able to locate the wire in the wire harness right by the radio's position. Once you find it, getting a bullet connector onto the bare wire should not be a problem, or you can just splice into the wire. If you can find an R/B wire but want to make sure that it is part of the instrument light circuit, connect a circuit checker (basically a battery and a light bulb in series with a wire and a probe) to the R/B wire that connects to the rheostat and the R/B wire you found. If the light lights, then you DO have continuity between those two wires. Once you rectify the problem with getting power to the instrument lights you'll be able to dim the radio along with the instrument lights. Now, one more check. Run a wire from the MIDDLE RIGHT fuse outer clip to the R/B wire that connects to the rheostat. Turn Combination Switch to the Park position and if your instrument lights light up.... you know they work and can narrow your search to the Rheostat or to the Combination Switch. If they do NOT work, then you need to check the Dash and the Combination Switch Grounds. By the way, I've seen rheostat that have been deemed "failures" actually just need a slight tweak of the wiper to make tighter contact on the resistance coil. Removing the rheostat is kind of difficult as the screw holding it to the dash's frame gets inserted from above and down. As a result you'll need to use mirrors to even see the rheostat and it's mounting screw. But if you've joined the two wires that connect to the rheostat and you still do NOT have instrument lights, then you have a problem further up the circuit, meaning the combination switch. The fuse is a possibility, but check if you have power to the engine bay trouble light, if you do, then the fuse is working ok. (Then again, just pull the fuse and check it.) Which is what you described in your last post. You don't mention whether you do have headlights or not, but if you do then you know that power is getting TO the combination switch but not getting to the parking lights. FWIW E

By connecting that single R/B wire FROM the radio directly to the fuse box you connected INTO whatever circuit you used. If it's part of the Headlight or Parking light circuit, the radio's light WILL light when that circuit is actuated, but at full strength (i.e. no dim possible). That your instrument lights did NOT function before, and still don't, underscores that the radio light is NOT part of the instrumentation light circuit. In the wiring schematic, you'll find that the R/B wire from the radio connects to the R/B wire connecting all the instruments between the Amp/Fuel and the Water/Oil connections. This points out that the radio was intended to be dimmed along with the instruments. To determine if your rheostat has gone bad, connect the two wires going TO the rheostat to each other. This will remove the rheostat from the circuit and you should see the instrument lights go on. If they do NOT, then your problem is either at the Comb. Switch and you probably do NOT have Park Lamps; or it's after the rheostat connection if you DO have them. The two circuits separate at the connection to the rheostat. FWIW E

But can you DIM it? If you cannot, then you may have disconnected the rheostat. Alternatively, you've plugged the radio face light into a circuit that's on in the ACC mode but not connected to the Instrument Light Circuit. Look for the Red/Blue wire connected to the rheostat and do a continuity check to it with any other R/B wire you have in the console area and you should be able to find a connection for the radio. By the way, the original radio only put out about *3.5W into 4Ω Mono. If you hook up two 4Ω speakers in series, you'll over load and overheat the radio by a total of 8Ω in the circuit, twice what it was designed for. But, by connecting two 4Ω mono speakers in parallel it actually reduces the total resistance load to 2Ω. You won't be able to power the two speakers very loudly, but it will usually be sufficient to hear fairly well if you have soundproofed your car to any extent. Don't expect high fidelity or static free sound either, the OEM radio had a 10% THD, that is TEN percent and not a tenth or hundredth. Remember, just the fact that it could tune in the FM band was considered an upgrade from a strictly Mono AM only radio. Stereo FM followed thereabouts but the radios had already been manufactured and installed. FWIW E

Glad you got it resolved. Just to fill in for others that find this article: Quoting from one of the links mentioned earlier: Take note that there are FOUR cables and THREE levers. One of the levers actuates TWO cables and that is the TOP lever. The other two levers are single cables. The top lever controls a) the fresh air vent that opens at the firewall vent valve behind the heater blower motor (the longest cable) AND the internal flap valve that ducts the air through the heater core OR straight through to the side and center vents in the dash. (the cable connected to the uppermost connection on the heater box on the left side) (FYI: There is NO position for the heat to flow out of the side and center vents, you will only get fresh air ... or not.) The middle lever controls the hot water valve. (right side of heater) The bottom lever controls the two side doors on the heater box (left lower side of heater box). When the doors are shut the air is forced through to the defroster ducts, otherwise the air is allowed out to the "room". I noticed that that information wasn't included in some of the other posts. Enrique

Addendum: Information not found in this article: Take note that there are FOUR cables and THREE levers. One of the levers actuates TWO cables and that is the TOP lever. The other two levers are single cables. The top lever controls a) the fresh air vent that opens at the firewall vent valve behind the heater blower motor (the longest cable) AND the internal flap valve that ducts the air through the heater core OR straight through to the side and center vents in the dash. (the cable connected to the uppermost connection on the heater box on the left side) (FYI: There is NO position for the heat to flow out of the side and center vents, you will only get fresh air ... or not.) The middle lever controls the hot water valve. (right side of heater) The bottom lever controls the two side doors on the heater box (left lower side of heater box). When the doors are shut the air is forced through to the defroster ducts, otherwise the air is allowed out to the "room". Hope this helps Enrique

You have connected the Green/White AND one of the B/W wires that used to run to the resistor to the same post on the coil. (The original circuitry had only ONE B/W wire going to the coil, and one B/W and one Green/White wire going to the resistor.) Since you do NOT need the resistor any longer (since you no longer use points), you DO need to maintain the circuitry the resistor provided. That is a necessary part of the tachometer circuitry, without it you'll only have a tach reading when the starter is engaged. Typically just connect the B/W and the G/W wire that used to connect to the resistor to each other and maintain the one B/W wire that went to the + post on the coil AT the coil. There may be a small variation with the Crane system, but the car's circuitry needs to be accomodated as well. Hopefully this will help get you started. Now that someone has ventured a response the other guys can nit-pick this apart and you'll have a solution. FWIW E

Looks good Chris! I'm glad you found the article helpful. That's what this club is all about. Enrique

From the Roadster Mail List, I don't know any particulars. >From the EarlyDatsunClub. I do not know the cars or the seller. -------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- From: "Jim Allyn" <jallyn@mchsi.com> Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:36:20 +0000 Subject: [EarlyDatsunClub] Free Datsuns in AZ Hi All, Negotiations with the bank on my rental property have fallen apart, and I'll need to get anything I want off the property in the next day or so. The house sells at auction Friday at 2. The reason I'm letting you all know is that there are 4 datsuns and an old boat on the property, and if anyone would want to haul them off, they could get a pretty good score for a Datsun fan. There's a 64 p/u with a pretty decent body, no glass, a 65(?)p/u mostly complete a 60 P/U that was stripped and primed 30+ years ago, all the glass and parts are there. Also, a 64 4 door sedan, mostly complete. I am using this chance to get out of the Datsun dance, so I won't be busting anything to move these out... if they get left there, I'm sure Wells Fargo will have them dragged off to the crusher. Sorry for the short notice, but until yesterday, there was a chance to keep the house, and when it comes down to it, I don't want to spend another penny on the money pit. Feel free to send this around, cross post it or whatever. Questions? Call me 480-296-4304 or email jallyn@mchsi.com Regards Jim ________________________________________ Hope someone can benefit. E

The pic does not show the notch for the shoulder belt, that does not mean there isn't one. This style belt had a different method to connect the shoulder belt to the latch than the raised rivet into the "keyhole" that the later Z's used. This style had a curved "horn" with an open gateway on the belt latch to allow the shoulder belt end to slip in to the gateway. The buckle is correct, AFAIK, for the very early Z's and also the Sports (aka Roadster). (i.e. lift buckle rather than push button) The "rear" designation would probably apply if these were part of the sets originally produced for the 1200, the 510, the 411 or one of the other 4 seat vehicles that Datsun was producing then. FWIW E

My bad, I re-wrote what I had written first and ..... But the note about the "L" clips still applies. Those clips are what hold the bottom edge of the finishers to the body. If they're broken, lost their "teeth" (and that's how they grip), or the tab holding them to the body is gone, you'll have loose finishers at the bottom edge. FWIW E

Also there is a pair of "L" angle grasping clips on the lower edge. Be careful not to break those as they are, AFAIK, unobtanium. After removing the rivets from the top edge (push the rivet pin through the rivet, then pull up on the body of the rivet), first remove the center piece which does NOT have the clip, then from the center out, you should be able to pull the tail-light surrounds off the car. FWIW E

I should have looked at the original pics a bit closer to see the bondo. That would definitely have changed what I suggested. But no worries, you got it done. E

I agree with Arne. Your bumper will undoubtedly show a bump or so right smack in the center of the "V". The splaying out that results is from the bumper mounts levering the outside ends out from the impact. It's not easy to do this by yourself and the problem of finding someone to do it becomes one of determining their skill level. If you have a Port-A-Power you might be able to mount a block of wood between the bumper mounts still attached to the bumper brackets. Then using the block as your support base for the hydraulic cylinder, push out the center part of the bumper. Don't get carried away, but don't forget that you need to do a small amount of over-extending so that as it springs back it ends where you need it to be. Note that just compressing the ends of the bumper just bends the bumper at the center of the "V". That will cause the distance between the bumper mount plates to change. That, in turn, may cause the bumper to over compress and now leave you with both ends that touch (scrape) against the body and bumper brackets/mounting points that are no longer in line. FWIW E

Alicia: Given the choice between a bump and filler job and cutting and replacing a fender.... and don't forget that it will also require some filler..... it would be much cheaper to do the bump and fill. Additionally, it would probably take less filler and potentially have less problems than a cut and weld. While the damage to your car is unsightly, it is by no means to the stage where you need a new fender. Filler has received a bad reputation over the years, mostly because of amateurs doing shoddy and short-cutted "repairs". If used properly by someone who knows how to use it, it is by far the easiest and fastest method of dent repair. Which is why so many amateurs skip the bumping part and head right to the filler. FWIW E

You don't mention WHERE on the West side of Washington you live. That makes it even harder for people to give you recommendations. Your post makes it sound as though you doubt that they slid into your car, but there is a distinctive track in one of the pictures that would support their story. In either case, talk to the roommate and see if his insurance will cover it. It did happen on private property (not on the road), so unless he reports it to his insurance company you're basically SOL. Bruce hit it on the head. Talk to the paint shops, they'll turn you on to those bodyshops that do actual bumping and not just panel replacement. Keep in mind that this being the season of lots of thumps and dings, that bodyshop and others are more likely to be doing insurance work than on bumping out NON-insurance work. Their quote may reflect that. Sorry for the bad news. E

If the switch did NOT have an o-ring before, then I would check by removing that o-ring FIRST before doing anymore troubleshooting. If the problem disappears.... E

The Duplicolor paints aren't for vinyl. Even on plastic they can do poorly, in my experience. That is probably why you're having a bad reaction with it. Try the SEM brand. Specifically "Landau Black" for the interior where you want a Satin Gloss finish. You should be able to find SEM at your local Automotive paint store. Eastwood does have some good paint, but after paying for shipping (and remember spray paint has to be shipped by ground), it may prove to be very costly. FWIW E

On the Garage Door: Have the architect / specifier check into Vertical Lift Tracks for the doors. These are commonly used in Industrial applications, and have a corresponding Residential use, but my knowledge is from the Industrial side. These used to be called Guillotine tracks, because as the name implies the door comes straight down like a guillotine. Depending on the amount of room above the door, you can roll the door up with the minimum deviation from straight up, up to the "standard" home 90°. This same method gets used for Walk-In Cooler/Freezer doors. FWIW E

Just make sure you CORRECTLY identify the Positive terminal. Some folks arse-u-me that it is automatically the one closest to the engine, when in fact the positive post is the one UNDER the fender (unless a PO bought a reverse pole battery). This presumes the car is a LHD car, since in RHD cars it's generally NOT a problem, the battery switches sides. FWIW E

PPG is an excellent line, I really really miss the old Ditzler paints. Granted there are newer product formula's out there which do a fine job, but the ease with which you could use/repair/patch/match etc. all of the Ditzler paints, and the primers.... loved it. I've been using OMNI simply as a result of cost savings. There ARE better, and more expensive products out there, but for DD's, excellent line. Easy to work with but most importantly, inexpensive enough that mistakes aren't deal breakers. FWIW E

According to their website, and my own use, it's no longer necessary to sand fairly new POR. Very OLD coatings do need it however. See the first paragraph here: http://www.por15.com/prodinfo.asp?grp=TC&dept=3 As to the second item, how much prevention work you choose to effect on your car is a matter of personal choice. As your last sentence states, to some it is too much work, where to others it is necessary work. What that amount of work is worth is up to the individual, but it is priceless years down the road. Whether it is Zero Rust, POR, Rust-Mort, or whatever other product that may exist, the important part is to protect the metal. The metal in the Z is too far prone to rust to short change that process. FWIW E

Sugar? Or some IPO genius put some dessicant crystals in to get rid of the moisture! (prior owner, etc...) Heck, maybe the IPO was trying that idea from the James Bond movie where they dissolved the cocaine into the gasoline and the special effects people didn't inform him that that idea was bogus..... 2¢ E

Some states designate Vintage, Antique or Classic tags by year of manufacture and not it's age. There are many plausible innocent scenarios that can happen and fit all the evidence presented. That said, the pictures presented elicit questions and require explanation in order to safely consider or condone the sale. But pictures can also lie. I've seen pictures of "rust-free" cars ... that weren't. Conversely, I've seen cars that didn't look so good turn out to be gems. 2¢ E