EScanlon

I'm probably to blame for throwing in the "opt for a newer stereo.." line, but Brian's question deals with speakers.... lest we hijack this thread too far from it's original intent. 2¢ E

You don't mention if you do or don't have any experience doing bodywork. In my opinion, although it does look bad, it doesn't look terminal. Sure there is a bunch of D/A sanding you'll need to do, and possibly some metal replacement (can't tell if there are any rust-through holes), but for the most part it looks like your typical bondo covered spoiler mount. That is, it was mounted either by using fiberglass resin and finishing it with bondo, or just bondo. I don't see any mounting holes. Based on your pictures, I would D/A with 36 to get rid of the last of the bondo/fiberglass and then step up to 80 or so to clean up the metal. Then evaluate just how pitted the metal is. If it is very pitted, then the chances of it being weakened beyond relief are strong and a replacement hatch would be in order (cheaper and easier). The fender on the other hand, I would work hard at cleaning up and prepping before I decided to cut and patch simply for some pitted surface rust. If it is rusted through, then that's a different story. Just my 2¢ E

Brian, I just went looking for speakers today for one of my projects. Speakers in an enclosure are getting impossible to find. Every shop I spoke with wanted to cut holes, or use existing openings. The problem with our Z's is that our cars weren't designed with the 4, 6, 8, and higher multiple sets of speakers. As a result, you have to "settle" for what you can fit, and not what you want. Add to that that the OEM stereo is very much an underpowered and very basic radio in terms of sound fidelity. It's a 3.5W Monaual AM/FM radio with THD of 10% (tell that to your audiophile friends to get them laughing ) powering a 4 ohm, 5 - 1/8" speaker (NOT a 5-1/4" - surprise!). You're simply NOT going to get HI-FI sound out of it. If you've soundproofed the fenders, and the floors you will probably get adequate sound out of it... as long as you don't exceed what it CAN do. If you put too large a speaker (i.e. Power wise 20, 30 or evern more watts), you simply will not have the power to run it. Double the number of speakers and you run into other problems ... Ohm ratings of the pair. Your best bet is to buy a 10 or no more than 20 watt pair of 4 ohm speakers and run them in parallel (to reduce the overall resistance instead of doubling it as a serial connection would). Don't get fancy with co-axial, or tri-axial, you won't derive any better sound for it. Or... you could opt for a newer stereo. FWIW E

Either painted or powdercoated. Don't think there's another way. E

The only wire that I recall that changes from Red to Blue is the power wire to the Heater / Vent Blower and the Blue lead that is used for Air Conditioning (even if your car did not come equipped with it, the connection was there). But they had nothing to do with the lighting circuit you describe. There IS a Red/Blue wire that connects to the Radio for it's face light, in the same connector that has a Blue wire for the power to the radio itself. But again, while the Red/Blue wire is for lighting the faceplate and IS part of the lighting circuit, the Blue wire is not connected to the lighting circuit at all. The Blue/White wire that connects the Cigar Lighter's Positive comes directly from the Fuse Box and is not part of any other circuit. In fact, it receives it's power from the ammeter and then the fuse box, which means it's live at all times. HTH E

Actually Chris, wouldn't 26 and 27 have used the latch type, i.e. the Aircraft Buckle type of seat belt? FWIW E

Rob, I know the center arm rest you're referring to. Look closely at the stitching on the one in Rick's picture (Sailor Bob), and I'm betting yours did not have the same stitching style. E

The shoulder belt connects to the lap belt on the side opposite the seat belt latch. You'll find a curious rivet that isn't mashed down all the way. If seen from the side you'll note that it has had the shank shaved off, such that it is thinner. Put the shoulder belt over that rivet, pretty much aligned with the seat belt buckle, with the rivet in the center of the "keyhole" on the latch, then rotate it 90°. Hope that makes sense. There's another post with the same subject matter that may have a slightly better description. HTH E

Mike: I hope you did see my disclaimer of "tongue firmly in cheek". I also try to keep replacement parts year correct, but if there's a better item that isn't, better wins. That's why I have a 73 illuminated heater control panel instead of the non-illuminated 71. Same with several other items, what good is form if it doesn't function? My antenna may be from a 78, but it WORKS! FWIW E

Tongue firmly in cheek: I don't know, that sticker on the front of the rope crank, being a different color and all, are you sure it's the right one for your year? J/K Looks good, now don't try telling us that the "restore/refresh" virus hasn't hit you hard! E

IIRC, you can get a shifter from any year AT on the Z and also the 510's. That would open up your options at a Pick-N-Pull. The rear speaker bracket (only one side is commonly available, as the car had a monaural radio) is easier to make than to try to find a "good" example of. Typically it's the RIGHT Rear bracket that people make. That's because very few cars came over with the cassette or 8-track radio, and therefore true stereo requiring two speakers. In a nutshell, a right rear speaker bracket is difficult and almost impossible to find. Additionally, you would be forced to use a modern 5-1/4" speaker and IIRC, the size of the speaker frame on the current (modern) 5-1/4" speakers gives problems in trying to fit in to the older style OEM bracket - which were actually 5-1/8". Then to top it all off, the size of the magnet on the speaker because of the "depth" of the speaker can be a matter of concern. On the Right hand side because of the vent hoses, on the Left hand depending on your antenna mount. This happens when you have co-axial or tri-axial speakers. They'll have a thicker and larger magnet and hence will give you fitment issues. So, in brief, you may be better off making your own speaker brackets to hold the size speakers you want... especially if you're not using a stock radio. And if you are using a stock radio, remember it's only like 3.5 watts or so, and would be terribly underpowered for the average modern 5-1/4" speaker. Hope this helps Enrique

Rick: From the picture you posted: the visible stitching on the seat - where the OEM would have had a heat embossed line; the armrest with stitched padding - where the OEM would NOT have had an armrest at all the stitching on the headrest - further forward of the OEM style and lastly, the extra stitch line on the seat bottom towards the outer edge of the cushion. All those are indications of non-stock seats. Whether it's leather or a very well done vinyl job is something that, as has been pointed out, difficult to ascertain from a picture. So, I'm halfway agreeing with GWGarrard, it is a custom recover, but I won't say it's leather.... other than it looks like it would be. FWIW E

Or the Tach itself could be suffering from Heat Exhaustion. There are a couple of electronic components (capacitors, diodes) that don't fare well over time and heat. Once they start to go, they need to be replaced. That's why you see those cans of compressed air on electronic benches, to "freeze" or cool off the components known to fail under heat. If the item begins working properly, then it's the component. HTH E

Since this is a TEXT forum, did you by chance mean WRITE in English? :stupid: Or haven't you had Remedial English 101 yet? ... OOPS! I'd forgotten you were going to Ark-U, I meant English as a Second Language-A... Besides, this being an International Forum... so SHADDAP!! Joce; Bienvenue ici. J'espere qu'il-y-aura plusieur de questions sur le Zed. Vous trouverai le response ici avec le "Search", ou avec un nouveau "Thread". (My French is extremely rusty...) Feel free to use the search, and if the thread(s) you find don't completely answer your question, then either add to that older thread (and make sure it ADDS to the thread, i.e. don't post "me too!"), or start a new one. Hope this helps Enrique

Just to clarify my points on the pivots: This means DISASSEMBLING them. The pivot shaft through the holder is notorious for getting real S T I F F with age and with both corrosion and old hardened grease. Just by disassembling, cleaning, and re-lubricating alone people have had good results on their OEM wiper motor (including myself). I vaguely recall an article by Bambikiller 240 (RIP) on the total disassembly and re-build of the system. Otherwise someone else may have downloaded a copy. FWIW E

Doing the Honda Wiper upgrade will NOT solve problems if you do not clean the wiper pivots themselves. While you have the linkage arms out, clean and lube the connecting ball and rods as well. FWIW E

If your powdercoater has the quick change gun, he might be able to paint a different color on the backside... but ask him. He might have other issues with it. Rattle can paint would stick, just prep (scuff) the powdercoat some in order to let it adhere. E

Final Wash sounds like "Wax and Grease Remover" which is basically the last substance you wipe on and off the car prior to any kind of painting. It is a highly refined and filtered mineral spirits (although there are other components in there). In my opinion, that's probably the mildest of the liquids mentioned. E

I would first try washing them in plain old soap and water. If the stuff is starting to peel, it may well remove larger pieces and minimize the amount of clean up left. Contact cement cleaner is excellent stuff, but as it's been pointed out ... IT'S STRONG! Try Mineral Spirits (Household Paint Thinner) after the soap and water, then go on to the stronger stuff. 2¢ E

I don't know that you can get good sound dampening on metal without some form of adhesive to bond the material to it. If you go to a non-adhered material, the only item you have is very heavy jute or fiberglass insulation batts. I sold suspended ceilings some years back, and in that industry two items with regards to sound are mentioned. NRC=Noise Reduction Coefficient and STC=Sound Transmission Coefficient NRC refers to the ability of the material to absorb sound and not reflect it back into the room. STC refers to the sound dampening ability and it's transmission through the material. In cars, the NRC is usually addressed by your upholstery, and other interior "soft" parts. A cloth interior with cloth accouterments will be significantly quieter than one with vinyl and plastic. The Z typically has the latter. STC is the noise dampening material that gets sprayed on the inside, underside of the sheet metal to diminish and hopefully elimininate the "tin can" effect of sheet metal. This is why they added the tar mat and other sprayed on substances to the metal, as well as road debris protection in the case of the undercarriage. If you choose to avoid the "stuck on" kind, you'll have to resort to extra thick or dense material to absorb the sound from the sheet metal. As a final question, why would you need to have access to the floor pan? If there's rust there, take care of it now and do it well enough that you don't have to go back. Otherwise, I fail to see why you would need to revisit it down the road. FWIW E

The blue wire you have at the starter is a fusible link, not just a plain wire. The White/Red wire at your fuse box is actually two wires. One comes from the Alternator and it is the "feed" from there. The other is the connection for the Ammeter. If the battery was connected backwards, the White and the White/Red wires would be the primary wires to melt down. Lastly, that item in your last picture is an Accessory Relay. HTH E

Darbji: While the 280 differs somewhat from the 240, there are substantially enough similarities between the two that reading Wick Humble's book "How to restore your Datsun Z Car" will give you the best insight as to what/how and in what order to proceed. The book does reference the 240, 260 and 280 models so it should be adequate. There are also a couple of other books on rebuilding and modifying the OHC engine. Hope this helps Enrique

You ARE missing a piece... the thick foam that cushions the vent area to the duct work. Don't forget that the vent piece also has foam directly behind the vent "tube" bar to seal it top and bottom. You CAN refashion that foam from closed cell foam tape in the proper thickness, or built up, and it will do the job. The original OEM foam was notorious for disintegrating. You'd only notice it as "bits of DUST" blowing out of the center vent. In just a few miles of air flow, it would disappear. If you need pictures, let me know. But as Mike B mentioned, the duct tube just slips onto the heeater housing, and the center vent pushes up against it. The foam just seals it and the metal tangs are to guide it into place. You'll want to put your Heater/Vent lever mechanism in place first though. FWIW E

I've worked on a few of these. From what you describe; easy roll down, but difficult if impossible roll UP; it might be the spring in the regulator that has fallen off or is broken. To check this, you'll have to R&R the door guts, that is: Remove Door panel and handles Remove Glass (no need to remove the outer door frame - the stainless one) Remove the regulator. You'll need to adjust it with the crank handle so you can remove it from the door itself. The spring IS under tension at all times, even when the window is in the full UP position. In the DOWN position is when it is at it's full tension. If the spring has just fallen off the tang that holds it, crank the regulator to it's full UP position (you might want to examine it's working without the window to ascertain this), then you won't have to rotate the spring too much to engage it again. If the tang has broken, you might be able to fashion something by welding or riveting, but be aware that it DOES take a lot of tension. If the spring is broken, you just replace it. They're not sided, so a passenger's door one will work in the driver's door. FWIW E

Also check that little ground wire from the point plate to the distributor body that is on the INSIDE of the cap. If that wire is broken, and it is a very thin wire, it will not allow proper grounding of the points and you won't get spark either. As Rick mentioned on the other thread, check the condenser also. Enrique