EScanlon

A quick and inexpensive screen sifter can be found in the Kitchen Tools area of your better department stores. I found a 9" diameter with a 6" deep "bowl" wire mesh screen. Someone else can come up with it's correct name, for me it was a very easy to use and inexpensive sand sifter. I also used the sand box sand. You CAN re-use it, but only so many times before it becomes .... DUST! With that in mind be sure to wear a good dust mask. Trust me, you do NOT want this dust in your lungs. (Ever heard of Silicosis?) If you are in a residential area where neighbors might complain about the plume of dust you will be kicking up take a look at the one picture I'm appending. You will see a sandblasting "booth" I made in my driveway. It's made from one of those 10x10 pop up canopies with heavy duty tarps wired to the frame. Be careful to NOT overload the frame with the weight of the tarps, but you don't want lightweight tarps (They'll shred very easy if you blast them by mistake!) Yiou can see more pictures in My Gallery. Hope this helps. Enrique

Don't know about cheaper, but that is the correct price for a new hose. Check with Chloe, she's a sponsor of the site and from what I hear has some of the best prices around. Don't forget that the hose also has a sliding flange that mounts to the underside of the inner fender support. A correct replacement will have that flange and a tube to the side for the evaporator tank. 2¢ Enrique

Look for the location of the wiring that connects to the grid. Unless I'm mistaken, the ones with the vertical lines had the wiring come out from underneath the dome light plastic in between the hinges. I'm not entirely sure where the horizontal ones had the wire coming out, but they were probably close together connecting to a pair of wires on the hatch. 2¢ Enrique

As far as dragging on the ground: That could be a function of many things. The suspension, the placement of the spoiler, prior damage etc., not to mention the applicability of the spoiler itself (too large/tall), all have bearing on how high off the ground the spoiler lip will be. I'll leave it to the mechanical guru's to advise you on that. As far as just a fast repair, if it is a FLEXIBLE spoiler, that is more than likely made out of the same material as the "rubber" coverings on 90's era bumpers, you can get a can of "Bumper Filler" which is more flexible than your standard Bondo. Since you mention that you actually have HOLES, I would provide some form of framework for the flexible bondo to adhere to. This can be as simple as screen door mesh that has been fastened to the back of the spoiler. This will provide support for the bondo so that it won't sag and be a pain to work with. You could use fibreglass strand in it, but the main thing is to make sure that it adheres to the old plastic. That preparation can be as simple as a rough grind (24-30grit) or by adding holes to the plastic so that you can "squish" the material through so it will bond to itself. (Mind you the latter method is not a very good nor permanent fix as the bondo can crack inside the hole just as readily). If the spoiler is a RIDGID one, then it is either made from steel, fibreglass or thick ABS. If Steel, then grind and weld. If fibreglass then use a fibreglass repair kit. Don't worry about gelcoating it since you will probably paint it. Grind from the back such that the edges are tapered, lay a "wetting" coat of resin and apply a piece of fibreglass MAT that has has the edges frayed and fits inside the hole. Allow the strands to stick out to BOTH sides of the hole, apply resin to remove any bubbles then apply a second layer of MAT that is a bit bigger than the hole. Saturate with Resin again and repeat until you have somewhat filled in the thickness of the spoiler missing from the hole. Finish with at least one layer of Fibreglass CLOTH. This will provide even further strength to your repair. Allow to finish curing. The next step is to do the same from the front of the spoiler. Just like for the back, Frayed Mat, Mat as needed, Cloth. All saturated with resin, then allowed to cure. Remember that the average fibreglass kit available to the home body man is GENERALLY slower to cure than the commercial kits available out there. I'm not saying that you have an HOUR to work with the stuff, but more than likely 10 to 20 minutes depending on temp, and the amount of activator you kick into the resin. You can speed / slow by use of more / less activator, but remember that if you speed it up it can get HOT! (hot enough to burn you) Additionally, if you "spike" it, you could end up with an unevenly mixed batch. The bottom line here is that you will probably be working in LAYERS. Depending on the type of resin (with wax or not) you will need to grind off the skin that will develop with the waxed resin whereas non-waxed is a layering type of resin. As long as the previous layer was not contaminated you can just lay a new coat on top. Personally, on this type of repair, I grind both types just to ensure mechanical as well as chemical adhesion. Once you've done front and back, grind to shape, sand smooth and then paint it. Don't forget that any fibreglass work needs a sealer applied over it. Whether that sealer is Gelcoat or Sealer/Primer is up to you. The sealer / primer will allow you to finish it off with automotive style paints and not worry about crazing or lifting of the paint. Enrique

If you don't already have a buddy that has done bodywork, it can be frustrating to get it done right. If you are talking a true blue plastic spoiler, then you need to identify the plastic. Some plastics can be heat welded with more material in order to patch, others just scorch away with heat. Fibreglass can be repaired, but you need to prep the area well in order to get it to stick. Check the library for some books on how to repair those items and they will help you decide if the $130 is too much to spend. Enrique

Da Flash: Re-read this post and you will note a bunch of references as to where and how to oil the clock mechanism. As far as the hands and faceplate, I found it much easier to remove them than to worry about bending or staining the plate/hands while working on it. Good Luck Enrique

Beandip's computer is down right now, but I spoke to him earlier today. He SHOULD have the curved one, he DOES have the straight one. Go figure. Enrique

Painting Fibreglass is basically the same as painting sheet metal except for ONE item. That is the use of a SEALER. Whether Sealer alone or Sealer/ Primer. The Sealer ensures that the fiberglass resin is sealed and does not continue to "bleed" causing problems with the paint. Enrique

Use the same color as on Axelr8's avatar. That's the new 350Z Metallic Orange color, don't know the "proper" name. Enrique

All were Body Color when they left the facttory. Enrique

They are interchangeable if I recall correctly, however, the later years had a CHROME handle with a colored vinyl insert and a black button. (The buttons were identical, although I seem to recall seeing some in blue). The earlier were plastic. Personally I like the looks of the later shifter better, but I just used the original. Enrique

I'm sending this message via PM and EM to as many folks as I can think of that reside in the Portland Oregon; Vancouver Washington area. The NW-Z club is planning an informal meet at the Portland International Auto Show on Saturday, February 7. We will meet at 5:00 PM at the Nissan display, next to the 350Z. You may want to arrive a little bit earlier, as the admissions lines tend to get a bit long on Saturday. For more information go to http://www.paragonexpo.com/portland/ Although I am not a member of the club, I am posting this for all SW Washington & NW Oregon members of this forum in the hopes that we can meet up there. Gary (Beandip) and I will be meeting there a bit early; 3:30pm to first view part of the show and then meet with the other members of NW-Z. Enrique

Then I have misunderstood the question. You did not ask what makes me fond of the Z, you asked what makes the Z something to be fond of. My personal definition would not entail the term Classic. That is not why I wanted one, nor why I bought it, nor why I have done so much work on her. That she is considered a classic by others, to me just means that others find her to be desireable. Just like dating a gorgeous tall model. While some guys would desire the car for the prestige of owning one, just as in dating a model. Others would rather enjoy the thrill of having her company. There is just something about my Z that has always appealed to me and given me pleasure. And like dating a model, a gentleman never discusses what pleasures he shares with his lady. Enrique

Billcapp: That is the EARLY 71 Center Console. Enrique

The definition of a classic is similar to what one of the Supreme Court Justices said regarding pornography, paraphrazing as I don't have the original quote: "I can't give you a definition of what constitutes porn, but I know it when I see it." There are hundreds of vehicles that came out in the late 60's, 70's and early 80's that will be considered old, and maybe qualify for a license plate that denotes them as being older than 24 years. But they would never be considered Classics. Now, I know that some of them would elicit pangs of remembrance and even a desire to sit in it, but not the yearning to drive it and enjoy it again that a true classic evokes. Consider: The Pacer The Hornet The Pinto The Chevette The Fiesta The Citation The "K" cars The Fairmont As the years go by, some of these will gain collectability as their numbers go down, and seeing one is a visual treat. Yet, you still don't purposely go out to find one of them until many more years have gone by. Then you buy it just because it's an antique. Some people would then call them "Classics". I think I'll just enjoy my Z and let others determine whether they think mine is a classic. Enrique

The top car definitely needs something in front so it doesn't appear to be popping an eternal jump start. Or you can lower the front end. The bottom car definitely needs to lose the whale tail. See if you can find something that isn't so drastic. A spoiler wouldn't look bad, but just needs to blend into the body lines better. You're also thinking of blacking out the chrome around the windows. If you do so, consider either black anodize on the bumpers or go with the shortened front in fibreglass and the back molded into the body. Enrique

DO NOT USE RAIN-X INTERIOR FOG! I used some in my Acura, and the only way I finally got it off the windshield was to have the windshield replaced. Don't try to drive into the sun with this stuff on, you will NOT see through the windshield. All you are going to wipe on is a horrendous snot film. It smudges and catches dirt and dust, God forbit you smoke in the car. Using it for Headlight covers? I would stick with their original Rain-X formula for EXTERIOR surfaces (YELLOW BOTTLE). Regarding the 280, it is very possible that by then they added a splash pan underneath the headlight scoop. In the 240's that is not the case. It is a PITA to get up there to work those things. Enrique

The main reason that your headlights are getting fogged up is that the area around the headlight bulb itself is open. There is no splash guard around the bulb lens to the "scoop" portion of the headlight opening. As you drive along the mist from the front tire splashes in front of the tire which then gets sucked up to the front part of the fender and hence into your headlight scoops. Add that your headlight cover has a couple of drain holes and you are causing a small vacuum INSIDE the headlight scoop area. This further sucks in the water. How can you fix this? Look closely from underneath the car, just in front of the front fender support where the headlight scoop attaches to the fender. Have someone shine a flashlight around the headlight bulb and you'll see the light! (no pun intended, but what the hell.) You could seal this with duct tape, but be careful as you don't want to inadvertently affect the position of the headlight bulb in relation to the car's general axis. You'll end up with misaligned headlights (Vern, there's a squirrel in that thar tree!). Also, make sure you don't make it impossible to access the alignment screws, should you bump it a bit. The other way is to either get some foam tape around the opening. Problem with this method is that there isn't much to stick it to. I reduced the problem I had with this by wrapping a 2" wide piece of squeege blade rubber (check with a window washer, that's where I got mine.), that in turn is zip tied around the tube of the headlight scoop, so that there is about 7/8" protruding past the tube of the scoop. Look closely and you'll note that when you mate the scoop back to the front fender / headlight assembly, it just barely touches against AND around the complete headlight bulb / ring assembly and gets very close or if possible touches the inner fender support. You CANNOT seal it to be pressure proof, so the best you can do is to limit the amount of air to be pushed through it. By sealing the back you eliminate the major source of air. The very front portion of the cover is the only spot you should need a drain hole. Typically this is at the seam between the two ends of it, but it shouldn't be a requirement now. If you do leave a small gap, realize that air and water can get pressured into it by the force of the air against the front of the car. With the OEM covers, there IS a hole in the gasketing around the cover. The difference with those headlight covers and the standard ones you can get from VB & MSA is that the OEM's actually fit on the OUTSIDE edge/lip of the sugarscoop. The aftermarket ones are expected to rest INSIDE the edge of the sugarscoop. That's why they have an edge gasket. Personally, I would not leave a gap, and WOULD seal the back portion as best as I could. 2¢ Enrique