EScanlon

I found two other diagrams. I also tried to upload a second example of the 71 that is in two pages, but the Zip file limit is 1MB, which is almost unuseable. (PDF's have 10 MB for a comparison. Hope this helps E

Brian, do YOU know the car? Well enough to make the following statement? If you DO know the car, or the seller, then you ARE entitled to make that remark. If not, then you are doing more than: Actually you are trying to imply his story is unbelievable and doubtful, and that is based not on actual knowledge of the vehicle nor the seller but on what you have perceived as "standard" practice on e-Bay. You've automatically assigned the intent to deceive to what he is doing by NOT dyeing the carpet, or by stating that the car was garage kept. You've never heard of windows in a garage? How about a southern exposure to the garage door and they don't close the door all the time...or how about panoramic panels in the garage doors. I can think of several other reasons why this would happen....NATURALLY... without the seller having a dishonest intent in his statement. Yet you've stated that his description of the carpet didn't match his "story". Another way of describing this is called prejudice. This is the crux of the discussion. You could have made the same statement without the allegation of deceit: "In my experience, that carpet is too faded for it to have been strictly garage kept. It must have been exposed to quite a bit of sunlight to be that faded." 2¢ E

Try giving it a FULL charge before you declare it dead. Beandip taught me this, most batteries when not in use will discharge somewhat. The rate will differ and some will discharge faster than others. Part of the problem is in the basic design of the battery which uses Sulfuric Acid and Lead Plates, they simply loose charge over time. (more info: http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/hweb3.pdf and http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/00.Glossary/ ) But as far as batteries, I've always used the Sears Die-Hard. Granted I go in, buy it and install it myself, but still the Die-Hard. FWIW E

Nit picking the car is one thing, presuming nefarious intent by the seller's is what is at issue. Constructive criticism IS acceptable, condemnation and censure based on conjecture and unfounded assumptions is wrong. While opinion is always allowed anywhere, when it runs counter to the general consensus of the group or society you participate in expect to have it brought under scrutiny and challenged. In some countries they simply lock you up and throw away the key, in others they stone you, and yet in others you're allowed to speak...as long as the rest don't drown you out in loud opposition. FWIW E

Martin; Yes, the Hybrid Z guys are known for many upgrades, changes and innovations to their Z's. But don't sell us short, you may find that even some of their members come HERE for answers on the BASICS before they tear into and modify. While they are the knowledgeable ones on V-8 transplants, upgraded disc brake conversions from other models / marques, and how to modify the Z, you'll find that we'll be able to help you decipher much of the mechanical, electrical and basic performance issues with the Z's....aside from the History, Legends, and other information. You have to know how it works before you can re-design and re-engineer it. We're like two sides of a coin. Neither one necessarily being better than the other side. E

Rick: Thanks for the info, was not aware of that. Brian; I agree with your comment regarding "Rare!!!" and "Never Used" hype. Sadly, the sales ability of the average e-Bayer is equivalent to the State Fair Games Shill..."Walk Right Up...Every one's a winner...3 throws for a quarter...Guaranteed to win!!". I don't think that will ever change. It will eventually diminish, somewhat, but only amongst those tenured sellers that know it's unnecessary and superflous. Unfortunately, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", so it will continue for a long time. But as far as the "denigrating" of the auction, seller or car, it's the implication of doubt or downright scorn of some characteristic of the car or seller behind the words used that generates that label. This is a printed text medium, and as such, the specific use of some words can engender a lot of interpretations, some of which can be negative. FWIW E

Alan pops in and out of here as well. In a nutshell, if your content with your car in the OEM configuration, as opposed to V-8 transplants, then yes, this site is better suited for information than Hybrid Z. As their name implies, they've modified their Z's for higher performance. While we also have a cadre of modified vehicles, most of ours are "stock". But welcome and please post pics. You might also share a bit of South Africa with the rest of us so that we're not so uninformed. Enrique

The nap on the carpet in the rear looks more like a shag carpet than an OEM one. But that's the problem with pictures that aren't contrasted by other shots. However, if you look close at the "Seat" shots, you notice the same carpet fade on the sides of the transmission tunnel. The original owner may have put the shag carpet simply to pad, or because he didn't want to mar the carpet below. Sound insulation also comes to mind. Then again, the sun fade is possible, but that's pretty intense to have faded that much without the straps fading as well. Then again, it could be a simple case of very faded carpet. As far as e-Bay being mentioned often, it IS a site that can be accessed readily without much effort. Granted Craig's list can be accessed also, but without a specific link you have to sift through the individual cities, etc. to find what you're looking for. You can even look in Australia's, Japan's or Europe's e-Bay simply by clicking on links. I don't know if there are many other (if any) sites where you can do that. Especially on a multi-national forum as this is. However, your point about the nit-picking is spot on. As mentioned on another thread, to identify the flaws, or "nits" is one thing, to assign dubious seller intent...that's another. 2¢ E

Bold mine. Rick, you are using the term .... v e r y, v e r y, l o o s e l y...... And as far as the Aussie Slang...he was actually cloned.... E

TA-DUM DUM....CLASHH!!! (Base Drum beat with Cymbal finish.)

Tim; It seems you did see the answer on the other duplicate thread you posted. But, for future reference, since new posts appear on the front page as well as on the "Current" or "Latest", duplicate threads don't serve any purpose other than to split answers. There are times you would loose good responses due to duplicate threads. FWIW E

Dave's post about looking for possible causes and remedies to the problem is spot on. As an alternative way for #4, since sometimes the spark can be very hard to see, I would suggest putting a small bulb in series with the Negative post. An 1156 or smaller, with the body of the base inside the battery clamp, and the solder ball resting on the battery will glow if there is any current flowing through the system. No glow...no current, or so small as to require a meter. While using the Positive pole is also good, the problem with the Z's is that oftentimes, over the years, the battery gets replaced not with a reversed pole battery, which would have the Positive pole towards the engine and farthest from the firewall, but with a standard size 34 battery and a riser than the 24R size (IIRC) it should take. Reversed Pole batteries are often NOT stocked by smaller shops or service stations. As a result, due to the customer's insistence on a battery today (because theirs is bad) they opt for the standard battery with the poles inverted to the way the car should have them. As a result, the Positive terminal ends up underneath the fender past the access flap door. This may be the problem that the Sears mechanic ran into. The salesperson may have sold the correct battery (24R) for the car but Austen's car may have had the battery cables already swapped for a STANDARD battery and NOT a REVERSED POLE Battery. Or the other way around. Austen does not mention if he was told that the correct (24R) battery was not available, or if the salesperson saw "Z" and "24R" and just sold that, because it was in stock, assuming that the car had NOT been changed. Or, that Austen or his Dad insisted on a Battery TODAY and not in 2-3 days time and received a 34 Standard and not a 24 Reversed. In either case, the responsibility of putting in the battery with the pole's reversed does fall upon the mechanic. But, as a side note, most chain type stores often must settle for people willing to work for minimum wage or just a bit over. Then each individual job gets timed. You don't think they would keep a mechanic that took an hour to replace a simple battery, do you? That job is probably down to minutes...15 would be my guess, because he's supposed to be moving efficiently and quickly. The requirements for a mechanic working in the garage surely wouldn't include fluency in English. (I won't delve into the argument of "This is America--speak English", as that is a can of worms not suited for this forum.) But the requirements of the job are to complete as many jobs as possible in the LEAST amount of time. While that does not excuse making the mistake, it is the reason most often given when people make mistakes..."Sorry, I was in a hurry...". Austen's mechanic may have been the victim of a missed communication between the salesperson and the customer, or with the mechanic, and further compounded by the mechanic's assumption and urgency to complete the job. That the mechanic couldn't explain himself to you is only because you stepped into the working area of the garage. There's a reason for the sign that says "Customer's NOT allowed in the service area." Too often they feel they're better mechanics than the ones working there. FWIW E

Maybe because you're wrong? The 2+2 looks like a 2 seater from the front, and even from the rear it can be hard to discern a difference. It's only from the side that you can notice it, and even then I've noticed people NOT notice that it's a 2+2 until it's pointed out to them. So, if you're calling the 2+2 bugly, take a look at a 2 seater and a 2+2 BOTH from the front and tell us the differences, THEN try to tap-dance your way out of your statement. ==== Stephen, don't loose hope. Or are you planning on checking out soon? The Z has tripled in value in the last 7 years according to NADA, Kelly Blue Book, and even the Gold Book. The 2+2 isn't yet at the value of the 74 260, but it HAS risen also. It's future value may be as soon as another 7 years down the road. But as a lot of you have mentioned, it isn't the value of the Z that drew you to the car...or were you guys lying? While the 2+2 does have a modified look in profile from the same year Z, it is by far nowhere as different as the 350Z is from the original concept car presented back in 2001, or even the supposed "origin" idea 240Z it was supposed to have been derived from. The basic point here is simple...while it may not be YOUR choice, like white/gold/lime-green color Z's, blue or tan interiors, spoilers, louvers, sunroofs, overriders, cut pile or loop carpeting, racing seats or original, speakers in the doors or in the tail-light panel, it may very well BE someone's choice, and to immediately begin denigrating it....well, that's just plain ignorant. That's the kind of B.S. that passes for "discussion" at another forum. There the competition seems to be as to who can put together the most inane amount of gibberish in the form of an insult or "put-down" of others, and not in helping nor trying to help ALL members of the Z community. If that is what you purport to share...then leave. There I said it. E

Steve you're right regarding Rarity and Desireability. But don't confuse Desireability NOW with FUTURE Value. The Stanley, better known as the "Stanley Steamer", was MUCH higher priced new than the Model T, and towards the end of it's heyday, was not considered as desireable as other similar vehicles. Forget that people referred to it as the "coffin nose" and that they were basically put out of business by the assembly line innovations of Henry Ford; while they were popular for a while, they weren't popular enough to survive against other vehicles. Today, a Model T may set you back $10k to $70k (this is a WAG), go ahead and compare it to a Stanley's price NOW at $30k to $95k. While the discussion regarding ownership of a Pinto, Vega, Yugo, Pacer, Fiesta, Matador, 90's Capri, or other infamous model/marque may vary depending on individual characteristics, it is the test of time that will determine the value or "worth" of any one of them. The Edsel comes to mind as a "non-desireable" then, that is now worth much more than anyone thought they'd be worth...EVER. So since the original question was: And the initial replies were: I pointed out how, by the production figures cited, it was one of the rarest of all the US market models. Which I still think is a valid point. The issue of "desireability" is your input into the discussion. While "desireability" IS a big factor in establishing value (see the DeBeers Diamond advertising), value CAN be established by rarity alone. While you can buy a flawless diamond a comparably equal but RARE diamond would be worth more. In discussing cars, rarity alone can cause prices and desireability to peak (Vintage Z program cars). So, while the majority of Z car hobbyists do not have the time, money and space to collect one of each Z model/variaion...at this time...down the road it may be that the 260Z 2+2 model becomes the rarest and potentially the most valuable. My 2¢ E

Stripped Door Shell OFF the car....possibly 25 pounds or so, easily maneuverable with one arm. (It's been a while, so don't pull out your scales.) Fully assembled Door with glass and actuator mechanism, door locks and latches (they go in before glass)....probably closer to 50-60 pounds. Trying to balance either one on your knee or a 2x4 on a floor jack so you can install hinge bolts...you decide. 2¢ E

Ahh, the poor 260 and worse yet the 2+2..... Someday, somewhere, people will realize that the ONE year US market 260, and additionally in it's 2+2 version may turn out to be the rarest of the US market Z's. Now, this is based strictly on production numbers as reported on Z Home. (See: http://zhome.com/History/Zproduction.html ) I'm not including it against other limited edition packages/variations that were done as marketing programs or as homologation productions. (See: http://www.zhome.com/Buying/BeckBuyerG.html ) But, then again, it's only important if you're selling one, or want bragging rights. FWIW E

While you were ONLY looking at the air breather, (and it is an EARLY style, one without the smog and the flapper valve for Summer/Winter) you completely missed the very early and hard to find "Aircraft" style Seat Belts. Those ALONE in good condition, as these appear to be, were worth the $150+ and then add for Shipping. The other items: 2 Fuel Pumps, Oil Pressure Sender, Door Latch, Turn Signal Light Housing, and the 2 Headlight Acorns...you could maybe sell for $5 to $15 each. The other two items are not clear enough for me to tell what they are, they appear to be some form of bracket to attach to the motor block, so I won't hazard a guess. All in all, you would have had a very early style air breather AND a pair of early "Aircraft" style Seat Belts for about $100 after selling the other parts. But that's my opinion, yours may vary. E P.S. While it's still recent, here's the link to the sale directly: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6763&item=130198688447

Good for you! That's the way it SHOULD work. E

Are you referring to the Trip Odometer Reset Cable? Otherwise the "Total Mileage"/Odometer is driven by the Speedometer Cable, and not by a separate cable that can be loosened in order for "no good" to come about. FWIW E

I was sent this via e-mail, but I've checked it against Snopes: ==== Getting caught once is STUPID, getting caught twice is IDIOTIC, but to get caught THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS??? That makes it Company POLICY. Judge for yourself. Do you use Jiffy lube? Check this out! http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0503/9152183.200k.asx Here's the link to Snopes that takes you to the complete 3 part story where Jiffy Lube responds with "aggressive" retraining (irony intended). http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/jiffylube.asp Also a second link to EZ Lube getting caught as well. http://www.knbc.com/news/3737863/detail.html ===== FWIW E

I'll be out early tomorrow, but when I get back in the evening, I'll continue. Unfortunately, that means I have to make it an early night tonight. Hopefully the pages I posted from the Clymer's helps figure out a couple of them. I also note that in a couple of the photos there are already what appear to be some matched numbers, i.e. 1 and 1; 2 and 2; and a 4 and 4. From what I can tell those DO match colors on both sides of the connector and the connector should mate up. Still working on others. This one is tricky, any other sharp eyes out there? E