EScanlon

Anyone recall what fuel the Indianapolis 500 racers run on? E

Paul: Troy at Too Intense sells the 260 trim but NOT the 240 trim from what I recall. Or is this a change from previous offerings? E

Aaron, John, and others: This is indeed a General Discussion forum but let's keep it civil and avoid the use of expletives (whether outright or camouflaged) as well as direct insults or inuendos. Items such as the "A $$ Holes" and "do-gooders" are examples of this. Otherwise the thread will explode and become a vitriolic cesspool which will need to be closed. So, as far as your proposed theme: have you investigated what forms of renewable products there are? Unfortunately, IMO just about every foray into renewable and alternative forms of fuel, energy and modes of use have been met with a resounding opposition that does nothing to further the research as much as just shout it out of existence. While ethanol DOES require more energy to produce than it gives, it is purportedly, at least, derived from products that can be regenerated.... corn crops amongst others. Before you add "high cost of food prices" to the mix, consider that the Land Bank program is still very much in effect and has more opposition against stopping it than proponents FOR stopping it. The Land Bank program, originally designed to aid the small farmer in getting fair prices for his crops, is now a bigger influence in higher public debt than in helping the "small" farmer. The "small" farmer of the 1930+ era is now the large corporation (Donald Trump, etc.) who owns those grandfathered tracts of land bank land....which haven't been farmed in years. But, while ethanol may not be the solution, it may at least be an alternative to paying $150 a barrel to countries and corporations who raise prices immediately in response to the slightest whim, yet take years, if at all, to reduce them after the "whim" passes. Steam, and Electricity are but two of the other sources of energy that have been tried in automobiles, yet they both were set aside. Why? Well, then you'll find the urban legends: the 50 MPG carburator supposedly bought and put out of business by the Big 3 car manufacturers; and you'll find other approaches into the internal combustion engine, the Wankel, the expanded combustion chamber that Honda originally designed .... again all slowly set aside. So before we deign these attempts as being ill-conceived or foolish, remember that those are some of the same comments made by die hard horse and buggy users and owners when Henry Ford and others FIRST started producing the automobile. 2¢ E

I would presume that either the seller or prior, "restored" a set of hubcaps by removing all the paint AND the original OEM center Z emblems, polished the steel and stuck one of the sticker emblems Ron mentions. 2¢ E

This is the link to their webpage: http://www.datsunsnw.org/Canby08/ There you'll see : Which is what Mike B said in post #29. Essentially, if you did NOT register by paying $30 - 30 days in advance (35 this year they closed it on May 10 but who's counting), you are NOT eligible for any trophies or categories. There was also some confusion as to whether they were going to allow non-registered vehicles in to the fairgrounds (as per above) which was resolved. FWIW E

Could STILL be the Ignition Switch... poor contact = low current = clicking Could also be a poor battery. But I'm betting with Stephen... Ignition Switch. Check that first. E

As far as the AC grommets, I don't know if they are or are not available. I have seen them offered on e-Bay, but I haven't really been looking either. If you are unable to locate them and no one else chimes in, you might check the specialty hardware section at your local Ace, or even Home Depot or Lowe's. You'd be surprised at the items you can find there that you can make work. HTH E

Go with the Closed Cell Randy. Personally, I like the "skin" on it better than just the open pores of the Open Cell. Additionally, the Open Cell can and will absorb moisture. Granted in that space there is very little moisture to be had, but any moisture in the system can be bad. Also, make sure it isn't too thick. Generally, an 1/8" or at most 3/16" of an inch is sufficient. Otherwise, you may have trouble with the flap closing unevenly. FWIW E

Yes. What I was asking, that Ron answered, was whether anyone knew whether the sensors increased or decreased their resistance as the temperature/pressure went up. Since higher temp usually results in higher resistance (at least as far as electricity is concerned) it's not automatically intuitive. E

Exactly, the gauges make ground through the sensors in the engine block. As the resistance of the sensors changes the current flow changes as well causing the gauge to deflect more. An interesing note here, I don't have the information as to whether the sensors increase or decrease resistance as the pressure/temperature changes. This might be a good point for someone to point out. Hope this helps E

Ron; I think that what you and Carl did is one of the most important functions of this site. Where Zhome has "static" information (not changing quickly), this site has the dynamic information, the one that can change within days and even minutes. Noting the possibility of a scam before it can occur is fore-warning instead of regretting. Between the two sites, new owners can quickly research and read years worth of information and hands-on knowledge on the Z car. If an international site with all the knowledge and information that Alan T. has at his disposal were to be available, it would literally BE the Z Encyclopaedia. A search on Google, Yahoo or many of the search engines with web-bots performing web indexing will report this and Zhome as the two top sites. Does this explain to all why it behooves us to post and act responsibly to the whole Z community and not denigrate anyone? My 2¢ E

These are pretty simple gauges, simple analog dials. Check the obvious; power and ground connections. Past that.... you might want to find replacements. 2¢ E

The comments above are the reason I and others try to jump on these threads before they flare up and burn everyone. It happens over and over again, the "fun" of ridiculing cars, sellers and owners escalates and devolves into a one-upmanship put-down contest, which ends up being fun for noone. Jack, you were right on the money, unfortunately sometimes .... FWIW E

Excellent point David! E

Will, I'll agree that this type of transformation is built in order to "shock" and "awe". Good transformations are awesome, poor transformations are pitiful. Anytime something steps out of the "norm" of "accepted" it runs the risk of "shocking" those who cannot or will not appreciate the work involved or the finished item. But I don't think the seller was "trolling". One member posted the link to the e-Bay auction and initiated the thread with: while posting this in the FUNNYBONE forum. I don't think the trolling was being done by the car's builder or owner... the response that was ...literally... solicited was one of ridicule. Exactly! To openly denigrate, criticize and otherwise ridicule his work is an insult .... period. (emphasis mine)The second bold statement does not agree with the rest of your post, so I can only presume that you meant the opposite. This car may NOT be what most folks want. It may be that you are horrified by what was done. That's fine, but to entice others into a "put-down" circus.... that's simply childish, as Jack so ably pointed out. You opened your response with: To address your first comment: Yes, it is different. It's different in that by posting his remarks as a response to the denigrating posts, and to openly refute the manner in which the vehicle was being ridiculed is akin to an outsider stepping in to stop a group of young teens ridiculing and harassing another teen for being; a geek, a nerd, or wearing the wrong clothes, etc. The second comment regarding honesty, what ever happened to a bit of tact? It's more acceptable to say, "I don't care for it", whereas "It's a hunk of cr*p!" elicits a negative and sometimes violent response. But thankfully Jack DID step in before the comments escalated, as they have done in times past, and threw a pail of water on the situation. So let's discuss this intelligently and not try to come up with the "best" put down. If you don't like it, explain but don't embellish. If you like it, explain why without gushing. While it's not something I would do to a car of mine, I think it looks kind of cool.... somewhat like a full size Micro-Mini Z .... including the tire size relationship. I'll bet that thing just S C R E A M S .... and it can literally go OVER any old BMW or Vette. FWIW E

Mike; My point was NOT about Arne utilizing a vehicle too far gone as a donor for many cars. That, in my opinion, is the BEST possible scenario for a car too far gone. I have one myself, and it too is way too far gone to be resurrected. It's best end is as Arne's ... as a donor ... unless someone were to tell me that they were planning on doing a transformation such as this. At that point, since there are few parts left (the roof, transmission tunnel, suspension) it might well be the better solution ... than to simply end up as a cube of metal. THAT was my point. And I agree with including your third choice. Once a car is too far gone to serve as a donor, or it is no longer feasible to continue removing parts off it, then what is wrong with using it for one of these transformations? Especially when done with the care and meticulous approach the specific car in this e-bay auction has received. Heck, there are vehicles being crushed/sold with TONS of good parts .... simply because the owner doesn't want to take the time nor make the effort to remove them and part the car out. Those cars sometimes end up as this, and other times end up being restored to their past and again present glory. While to many people the only possible venue for an old car is to restore it to it's original look, to others it is an outlet to assert their creative efforts. At times the results can be garish, and other times they are worthy modifications highly deserving of the high praise they garner. But in either case, the choice is intimately, exclusively and above all... THEIR OWNER'S CHOICE! So, if you see a vehicle that is too far gone, but you don't want it to end up transformed, or crushed, or parted out... then do the right thing and BUY IT! Then it will be up to you to decide what to do with it. So, in agreeing with your choice, you have to consider that what you are considering is establishing a boneyard. Well, we DID have one here in Portland (actually Gresham), it was called All-Z. It closed. Why? Because people were NOT willing to pay for the individual items, or they wanted "better" quality for less money, or they thought they could ...... Add to that, that with the rise in real estate, the land ended up being more valuable as land than the money generated from the cars. You know what happened to the last of those cars? Many were bought by one guy. The rest? You guessed it, CRUSHED. There just weren't that many people willing to fork out the money to buy them up. So, I'd rather see this type of well done transformation, than watch the pancaked hunk of metal that used to be a Z being carted off to the smelters. My 2¢ E

Both require the sensor mounted on the engine for readings. If I recall correctly, they are both resistance sensors. As such, if you connect the Yellow/Red wire to 12v+ and the Yellow/White to ground, the gauges should "Max" out, that is, read all the way to the right. HTH E

Jack, I agree with you. With that being said, I'd like to pose a question. Which is better, to have a Z: a) sit by the side of a barn, or in a boneyard, slowly rusting away only to be crushed; OR someone gutting same car and then putting the body together with the frame and engine from two or more vehicles to produce a vehicle such as this. Add to this that this vehicle has garnered praise at the shows it's been seen.... presumably from other Z owners. Arne recently sent his old Yellow Z to the CRUSHER! While he pointed out that it was too seriously rusted to be worked on.... it might have been a perfect candidate for a transformation such as this. Sure it would have involved a major amount of work, but in the end it might have been a better end than as a cube of metal. So, without knowing the provenance of the original vehicle that donated the body, I find that I can't dun the craftsman that effected this transformation. Everyone assumes that the donor car was "pristine" and therefore a "shame" that it got modified. Yet, those same individuals that are trying to outdo each other writing a wittier and more memorable "put down", are the first ones to exclaim to a new member asking what to do with his car "It's YOUR car! Do what YOU want!". Now THAT is the irony of this. FWIW E

Randy; Don't forget the adage that "You get what you pay for!". With that in mind, be sure to inform the shop manager that you will be looking for AND expecting QUALITY, and are willing to pay appropriately.... but not blindly. Then proceed to stop by on and off and inspect the job as it progresses. Don't try to "Stupidvise" but do look and ask questions. If there are items that need to be addressed, inform the manager what you've noted and ask him what actions he will be taking on them. If you note that something isn't being done to your satisfaction, and it looks as though it will take additional time to effect it to your satisfaction, then if necessary let him know that you're willing to have it done well. This may sound as though you're handing a blank but signed check to them. No you're not going to, what I'm referring to is that there are many valid "shortcuts" that can be taken in bodywork. The use of "red-cap" or spot putty is often used to give a quick fix to bumps, scratches or other small blemishes. The problem with that is that it can shrink days, even weeks after the job is done and the blemish will once again re-appear... except it's now under a fresh paint job. Asking them to use a dash of bondo (which won't shrink as much) will give you a better and smoother finish, except it takes more time and material cost. If you're willing to work with them and their time constraints, you may find that this additional cost is minimal. Lastly, that right front under valance. This is a typical problem with the Z. Especially after changing to wider tires than the cars were fitted with originally. The problem is that the tire grabs that valance and literally tries to rip it off the car. This is most noticeable when backing up and turning the wheel, or when going up and over a bump such as appears at the end of many driveways and the curb. The only solution I've found for it is to bend the valance a bit further out to increase the space between it and the tire. Interestingly, the driver's side isn't as prone to this. Ask the shop to look at this specifically. FWIW E

No theory about it. It works. E

Nissan's folly was in "hiding" their involvement in the new venture in the USA by using the Datsun label (and please correct me if my re-collection is off) as opposed to using the Nissan name. There is a myth / legend / report that says they were doing so to avoid the possible "disgrace" if it didn't take off .... as it did. The Datsun brand HAD been an automobile brand that Nissan had acquired, as the Prince name. The Prince name, if memory serves, was still available in Japan for some time afterwards as a product of Nissan. Don't recall if the Datsun name was available in Japan separate of the Nissan name though. But those "mistakes" aren't mistakes at all. As Steve pointed out, they're apples and oranges. Honda and Toyota had strong market presence each, and they were looking to put out a "higher" end vehicle, as did Nissan with Infiniti. The Plymouth and Dodge names, were acquisitions of Chrysler that were allowed to remain operational and not revived names. Mercury and Lincoln (more commonly known as Lincoln-Mercury) were also acquired brands, as is the whole General Motors line up. None of those acquisitions and mergers are analogous to the Datsun/Nissan situation. A situation more analogous to what Nissan did with the Datsun name would be if Chrysler were to revive the AMC name in order to introduce a new vehicle in some other country. 2¢ E

Blue/White goes to the Cigar Lighter. "Common" on the fuse box lid. E

Check with your paint store, and ask them for Fiberglass Paint Stripper. E

Getting the other rod is a good back up. What I meant about using the pipe, is that you would cut the rod and insert the piece of tubing to lengthen the rod and would insert both halves of the original rod in to either end of the tube. The original threaded ends would still be there for the plastic ball connectors. FWIW E

Arne's post has it I think. Item 29700 from the Cragar Wheels site he linked to. Good job Arne. E