EScanlon

Isaac, the best thanks you can give someone who has given you advice is to excel. It reaffirms their opinion of you, in that you confirm that you are worthy of their advice and it reassures them that they can still discern those golden nuggets in the sand of life. With that out of the way, you can also thank me by becoming EXTREMELY successful, starting an outrageously successful company, letting me know about the upcoming initial stock offering so I can get in on the ground floor and become filthy rich as your company increases in value....... OR You can buy me another Z, so I can compete with 2ManyZ's. HAHAHAH, j/k (or not!)

And now I have to admit that I need some clarification and some help. The VIN number you gave is extremely high for the enumeration we've seen, so I hope Alan H sees this post for his knowledgeable input. In the U.S. in early 71 we noticed a change in the center console. The first console we had looked like this: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2605&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500 The later console looked like this: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3184&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998 Unfortunately the stick shift hides the toggle switches and lights. I'll see if I can find a better picture. Try this: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2187&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998 However, you mention a 5 speed, although that wouldn't matter as far as the console is concerned, it makes it difficult to ascertain what year car you have. You might be correct for a European vehicle, but it conflicts with what I know. It being manufactured in 70 to 71, we need to get Alan's input on this as he can clarify what differences from the U.S. market you would have seen. Enrique

Interestingly it says 240, 260 and 280 for 1975 and 1976. Can I get a 76 240?

Isaac: Time to get a little perspective on things. I know that at this time it's difficult to assess what you need to do. We've all been there, it's part of growing up and stepping out into the real world and making do on your own. Now you can ignore all this advise, because after all, we're just a bunch of old farts who like your Dad, just tell you what you should do because that's what old farts do. OR You could read between the lines, and INTO the lines and you'll note that many of us are just giving you advice, NOT from old guy down to young guy, but from one Z owner to another. Most of the advice you're getting is of the type of "Don't step in the Dog Sh!t! Not only does it smell, but you'll have one hell of a hard time cleaning the waffle pattern on your sneakers and you won't be allowed to step on the carpet." type of advice. If you enjoy the smell of it, working with it, and being excluded because of it, then rock and roll, enjoy the aroma and don't bitch because you can't come in. Years ago, just a few hours short of my Mechanical Engineering degree, I was forced to quit the University due to funding. Not only was I unable to procure loans, but I couldn't find employment that would pay enough and allow me to attend school. This was 82 and there was a nasty recession going on and lots of people were losing their jobs. I ended up being a body man working on trucks. Yes, I enjoyed it, but I also ended up hating it. Although I was getting enough money to get by, it was going to take me 10 YEARS to be able to save up enough to go back to school for ONE semester, while at the same time not having enough money to do ANYTHING at the end of the week. Getting another job was fruitless as I did NOT have that little piece of parchment. It didn't matter that I could do the math, see the relationships etc, I wasn't "degreed". You aren't sure that you want to SIT for 6 hours of the day attending classes? How about STANDING for 8, while you run a sanding block back and forth in controlled strokes? Although your body is busy, your mind goes nuts. You can't read a book, you can't watch TV, you can't use your brain... Or sit at a desk and answer questions from individuals too lazy to read the instructions? Sure you use your brain, but at such a limp level that you're sure that slugs have entertainment better than this. Or call people and try to get them to buy magazine subscriptions over the phone? Or ask: Would you like fries with that? And you know all the jokes and hatred associated with those two jobs. Trust me, those 6 hours of studying for 4 years will eventually become "Some of the BEST years of my life!!". So take the time NOW. Before you saddle yourself with a 5 year $450 a month loan because you HAD to have that new 350Z, and the $750 a month rent payment on that apartment that that one crazy chick who always wore flimsy tank tops told you she would absolutely love to share with you but she never had the money to pay for her half and since the lease was in YOUR name, and the cable bill with every premium channel tacked on, and music piped in, because anything less would not be what you deserve, and ...........MOST IMPORTANTLY...........before you find out that the girl who wore flimsy tank tops is looking to trade them in on a maternity top and gosh Isaac, I must have just forgotten to take the pill and "oopsie" we're going to be parents............. And that's when you'll look back and say: You know those stupid old farts back on Classic Z Car told me that it would happen this way if I didn't ............

Just the madness that can beset people on e-Bay. You get into the thick of things, the minutes and seconds are starting to tick down to the end of the auction and a closed mind mentality of "I'm going to win this auction if it kills me!" sets in and before you know it you've bid $5 for a 50¢ item. I don't know if they're rare or not. Has anyone checked with either the Dealer (Nissan) or MSA or V/B to see if they're still available? But this is nothing more than a perfect example of Auction Madness. 2¢

Having that Bachelor's Degree Diploma is, bluntly, critical. You can eventually make it, if you are a gifted individual and can make lemonade out of lemons. But without that piece of paper, it's hard to get people to even give you their lemons. Think of it this way. Remember that kid in High School who had never made it with a girl, yet always bragged about how much he'd done it, where he'd done it and how he'd done it? And everybody knew he was full of sh*t. On the other hand there was this other guy whom EVERYBODY knew had done it. Did you notice how ALL the guys would approach him for his advise? And it didn't matter with what girl he'd done it with. HE'D DONE IT! Having succeeded, his opinion was important to others who hadn't done it, and with others that HAD done it, he was "one of the guys". Get the picture? The point is this, that little piece of parchment says that you have the perseverance to see a project to it's conclusion. Kind of like restoring a car. Unless you're driving it around or have pictures, how can you prove it? Regarding what college, or university, or community college, you chose, do yourself a HUGE favor. Check to see how the credits you will earn would transfer to a high prestige college. That will give you an excellent benchmark as to how much you're wasting your time by attending there. You don't want to spend 2 years at a school, even if you get straight A's, only to find that 80% of your credits DO NOT TRANSFER! Can you say==WASTE OF TIME? You'd be better off attending a more prestigious school PART TIME, and keeping those credits, than losing the bulk of those. Good Luck. Enrique Scanlon

Just saw this post, and from what you are writing, it seems that you have a LATE 71 or early 72 console, as those were the ones that had light indicators for the choke. I'm not sure but it may be that the rear window defog was there as well. Check the build date on your car and let us know what that is as that makes a key difference. Enrique Scanlon

Bluntly; they're extremely rare. Dozens upon dozens of Z owners would replace their wiper blades with complete new wiper blade ARM refills. Just like you see at any Target, Shell, Local Auto shop. All in the name of convenience rather than take the extra couple minutes per blade to slide out the old rubber and slide in a new rubber. You can ~sometimes~ find them in the bone yard, but usually they're bent, rusted or you find one but not another. Unfortunately, the original blade holders for the 240's are VERY distinctive and almost impossible to find something ~similar~. Granted, for $150 you REALLY must want them, OR you don't care about the money. I found a pair in the boneyard. That and a several other pieces, ended up costing me $20 bucks. Guess I got a good deal. 2¢

You're absolutely right Pete. I'd completely ignored Epoxy Primer in my post. What I like about it is that (at least with some of them), you can top coat within 48 hours without having to scuff or wet-sand. Sometimes that can save a chunk of time. 2¢

Ok guys, this was beat to death some months back. Camo restated it quite succinctly, just because the VIN numbers were close does not mean that they came out to be carted away in that sequence. I have VIN 43274; it has the center console with the two openings for levers. I myself added the hand throttle, and since hand throttles were not available with Automatic Transmissions, I know it's a custom car. But the hole in my console is filled. Wasn't it about a year ago that we had a member with a VENT on one side of the car, while still having the vent holes in the hatch? Regarding the hand throttle, most cars in the U.S. either did NOT have it installed or had it removed at the dealer. Americans just were not used to a vehicle with a hand throttle. Alan can correct me if I'm wrong, but MANY European and Japanese cars had the hand throttles installed, American cars were the exceptions. Where Europeans / Japanese don't mind having to give the car a little gas to keep it going during different conditions (and the choke is not what it needs) American's expect the car to do that automatically. And speaking of automatic function there's yet another point. During the late 50's and early 60's there was a big push by the Big 3 car manufacturer's to produce automatic cars. There was the presumption that everyone wanted one. As a result, it was hard to find a STICK SHIFT at the dealer's yard. Yes you could order one, but if you wanted it now you usually ended up with an automatic. Now, along comes Datsun with it's Sport Cars. The 1600, the 2000, and then the 240 Z, and they're all Stick Shift and they have Throttle Controls. The 1600 and 2000 had it on the dash so not too many problems, but the 240 has it on the center console and the problems began. Let's not forget the sentiment in the U.S. back then to Japanese products. Made in Japan was still seen as a joke or a symbol of a cheap product. So ANY problems were seen as normal and standard due to the fact that it was a JAPANESE product. Whether by honest error or sheer stupidity, owners would pull back both handles to start the car. Let's see, let's choke the hell out of it, and yank the throttle to 2/3 of it's travel.....Get the picture? Or for those folks that were using it as a crude Cruise Control the sudden got to step on the brake and clutch and the engine goes off racing, and honest officer it's a dumb Japanese car... Get the picture? Dealers, whose job depends on being able to sell more of these cars quickly yanked those "pesky trouble making throttle controls". It's amazing that ANY survived. The seats are correct also. Look at the reclining mechanism. It's the original Series I tilting mechanism. My car came with that, but I replaced the mechanism with one from a 72 to gain the ability to tilt the seat forward to access the hatch area from the door. So, has the car been worked on? Undoubtedly. Is it worthless? Not at all, I still maintain that even with all the work we can discern just from the pictures that, unless there's major rust being hidden by careful application of bondo and paint, it's worth 3.5 to 5k. 2¢

You can get Etching primer in either the Red/Brown; Light Grey; or Dark Grey (almost black) colors. Which color depends on what color you will be spraying on top of it. Generally speaking, and going from memory: Red/Brown: Dark Colors, Opaque paints, Most Dark Metallics. Light Grey: Light Colors; Thinner paints; Light tone Metallics (must) Dark Grey: Extreme Dark; or colors where the dark base will actually emphasize the base coat. I won't get on my soapbox regarding stripping to bare metal. You've been around long enough to have read it once or twice, so suffice it to say that rarely is it recommended. I think your biggest question should be whether to use High Fill Primer or Etch Prime followed by an Epoxy Filler. 2¢

I have a 71 built 9/71. Here are my observations: It's NOT Butterscotch, it's 920 Gold. (That's my car's color) Mirrors and Antenna have been replaced. Wiper blades have also, but that's minor. I'd be real surprised to see him still running 32 year old blades. However, the Wiper Blade HOLDER has also been replaced. The originals were Stainless Wires. The Gas door is correct, but the lock is not. Although some dealers were known to be replacing that with a locking tumbler from tool boxes in order to make it a locking door in lieu of locking gas caps which were hard to find back then. It may be a blemish, but it looks as though a dash cap is on the dash. The rear bumper guards have been removed and replaced with some rusty bolts. At least he's using carriage bolts on the front. The front marker lights are on backwards, they don't angle towards the front, they're supposed to be parallel to the flat plane running front to back on the vehicle in order to reflect properly. The backs are also backwards. The hatch is correct for the year, so are the seats, console and valve cover. His VIN is probably closer to 33748. The Tool Boxes MAY be behind the seats, but I can't get the picture to lighten up enough to show detail, however the lack of a split in the rear carpet as well as the luggage stop (an accessory back then) indicates the tool boxes being behind the seats and in front of the hatch floor. Even with all that, I say it IS worth at least $3.5 to $5K. There may have been some work as far as paint (door latches show it, as well as the tail light surrounds), and possibly some minor body work, but it's very much in good shape as far as the pictures are concerned. I wouldn't mind giving it a personal look through, but in all honesty guys, this isn't the type that we've seen other people buy for equal or more money. Would I buy it? Probably, if I had the money and I didn't already have one, (and could get it home without SWMBO finding out until the deal was done). Hmm, that makes me think.....Hey 2ManyZ's how did you get your collection going? Just my 2¢

We want the whole painful story, hopefully his keyboard melted when he touched it, his monitor exploded sending shards of glass into various orifices of his body while his hard disk spun up to 700,000 rpm and flew out of the case like a circular saw blade and bounced around his groin for a few hours. Then the DOT salted him......... Don't tell us anything that would be considered, ahem, not quite ~legal~. But do tell us what you can...... gleefully rubbing my hands together.......

Asking this bunch to go gentle on you just because you're new is like waving a red flag in front of a bull while prodding his behind with a cattle prod. And then you top that with a question such as this..... Are you CRAZY???? ============= All kidding aside, you're probably going to get a very heated debate in responses varying from one side to the other. There will be some that will advise keeping it pristine stock and ordering air from Japan to fill the tires, while others would change the wiper motor for a little Honda 50cc engine if they could figure out how to get it to start remotely. Personally, I would recommend that you repair those items that are in need of it. Finding replacement parts for some items may lead you down the road to modifications which you would consider on a case by case basis. Since you're already missing and have scratches on a couple items that would be important for a Concours competition, don't let that disuade you from restoring it to original. Just be aware that those items would earn you deductions that may make the effort worthless. Remember, some of those Concours Owners do not DRIVE their car, they tow it to and from the show. As a result, it's going to be difficult to put what was once a daily driver up against a museum piece without a MAJOR investment of dollars. Now if you have the money, go for it.. Regarding Modifications? Hmmm, that takes thought. Are you referring to changing the Heater Control Panel from a 70 to a 73 in order to get illumination behind the panel or are you talking adding metal flares to the wheel wells in order to fit a 300 series tire? I related this story many months ago, and at the risk of offending you or others, I'll post it again. If you are easily offended skip the next paragraph: > Years ago, I met two transexual women. These are individuals who, for their own reasons, have decided to have their sex changed from male to female. One of them was so utterly gorgeous and feminine that the only true way of determining if, in fact, there HAD been an operation would have been a very personal examination and I wasn't up for that. The other one on the other hand reminded me of Mike Tyson in a mini skirted dress. < My point in that story is to point out that some modifications are either very plainly and obviously improvements or that they are natural progressions of what should have been done that they are accepted without question nor remarks; while others are just as plainly obvious errors in judgement. But then again, the error in judgement is in the eye of the beholder. No doubt the second individual felt as good as the first regarding those modifications. So, as far as modifications go, remember that one man's anathema is another man's mantra. Lastly, don't forget the cost of modifications. There are a LOT of hidden costs that aren't apparent until you are half way through it. A V8 transplant doesn't sound bad, until you try to get a new driveshaft cut and balanced, or try to wire the car to accept it and still use the original instruments. Get my drift? Luckily the group of people here, both men and women, are very enlightened and knowledgeable. They'll advise you as best they can. Welcome to the club. Enrique Scanlon

DON'T REPLY TO IT. MIKE WILL BE DELETING HIS POSTS, SO DON'T REPLY SO THEY WON'T STICK AROUND.

The thickness of the metal is usually sufficient for what you leave behind AFTER you grind off the excess. For those who are wondering what this refers to, here is a fast description of when this procedure saves time and effort. Many times when you have a dent with a crease, or body moulding that's been riveted in place, you may end up with holes in the sheet metal. You could try to weld them shut, or braze them, but both of those procedures generate HIGH heat. Enough that if you're not quick and careful, AHEM! excuse me, EXTREMELY careful, you're going to warp the sheet metal. You've now compounded the problem. You've gone from a simple 1/8" diameter hole, to a 3" diameter dome OR dent. Now you have to use your shrinking body hammer to tap down, hoping to shrink the metal smoothly so that the dent can now be filled with body filler. Multiply that by 11 or more, PER SIDE of the vehicle (Note: this is presuming 4 rivets on each of the front and rear fenders and 3 on the door, I've seen as many as 1 rivet per 10" of moulding.), and you can see that you have a MAJOR PITA body working night mare. Here's a simplified fix procedure. Put a scalloped edge on your air grinder sanding pad by clipping the round edge with a pair of shears leaving a multipointed star shape. Then using just the edge to remove just a tad of paint around the hole to the bare metal. You don't need a lot of removal, just enough so that about 1/16" of the surrounding area is bare. Your soldering iron should preferably be one of those extreme heavy duty ones about 125 to 150 watts. I have one that's probably 30+ years old, but I've been told that it's similar to the ones used by folks who do stained glass windows. What you want is one that has a fat tip with a taper down to a point. Similar to a sharpened pencil that's been sharpened at an angle. Then apply some tinning solution to the holes. This is a caustic acid that will etch the metal so that the solder will flow and adhere. Don't use a lot as you don't want to have to chase it down to neutralize it as it WILL cause rust if allowed to just seep into the car. A drop is sufficient, or get a cheap metal epoxy mixing brush and just wet the hole. Heat your soldering iron. Once hot, insert the tip of the iron into the hole, wait a couple SECONDS and using Acid Core Solder (Rosin will NOT work here as the rosin will make it impossible to paint over without problems), touch the solder to the iron, let it melt and flow down until it surrounds the hole. Then smoothly but quicklly remove the iron while keeping it in contact with the edge so that the solder "films" over the hole. With practice this should only take a few seconds per hole. Don't worry about the excess solder, you'll grind that smooth later. Be careful NOT to overheat, as that will cause the solder to bead and not adhere. If you have problems getting the solder to film over, you probably have some impurities in the area or are either heating up too much or removing the iron too fast. Go around the car and fill in all your holes. Again with practice, this should take probably 5-10 minutes. When you're done, use the scalloped edge of your grinder to smooth off the bulk of the solder to conform with the body line. That's it. Done properly, you will have sealed the hole, not splashed a ton of Acid or Tinning solution and will have metal to back up your primer and paint. In case you DID get excess tinning solution or acid splashing on the surface, give it a quick wipe with either lacquer thinner (works best and fastest) or just water, but in either case make sure you neutralize that stuff or it will come back to haunt you. I'll explain the reason for drilling holes to remove a creased dent in another post if anyone is interested. Hope this helps.

To check if there is indeed a drain on the battery when the ignitin is off install a simple test light between the terminal on the battery and it's corresponsing battery cable. It doesn't matter which one you use, positive or negative as what you are checking for is CURRENT. If the test light glows, with the ignition key off, check to make sure that it isn't an intermittent glow. The clock draws current ONLY when it's internal spring winds down and the motor needs to kick in and wind it up again. 5 amps is WAY too high. If it is a CONTINUOUS glow, then you do have a current drain. You can get in there and start unplugging and replugging components until the one that causes the light to turn off is unplugged. Be sure to reconnect the ones that do NOT shut off the light as you don't want to complicate the test. In my experience, check the Accessory Relay first. That was what was causing the battery drain on my car. Spent hours trying to find the problem, even considered and got an estimate on rebuilding the alternator, replacing regulator, bought a new battery, changed clock, changed fuses, did a LOT of work and then it turned out to be the Accessory Relay. Replaced it and everything works properly. The Accessory Relay is what shunts power AWAY from the accessories as you start the car. 2¢

I sent the buyer a message inviting him to join the club. Hope he joins. Enrique

Mike: If they were attached with Sheet Metal Screws, and they probably were, do yourself a favor and do the following: Using a flat dolly, support the back or inside section of the metal. You're looking to support, not push. Then get your 1" or 1-1/2" Flat Face hammer and tap squarely on the hole while allowing the dolly to absorb the "hit" but don't rebound onto the metal. We used to call this "smack away". What you are doing is flattening the metal between the dolly and the hammer while absorbing the inertia / momentum of the hit in to the dolly. This will allow you to smooth out the "thread" of the sheet metal screw. FWIW Enrique

Careful! Not all the side moldings were attached with double stick tape. Some were riveted to the fenders and doors THROUGH the base metal piece, and the rivet is hidden by the vinyl insert. On yet some other styles, they had a small clip that would be riveted to the body and then the metal strip would be clipped onto the top of the clip, followed by the vinyl insert. Look at the end of your moulding. Don't just look at the end piece (the one that tapers into a point) as that one is most commonly double stick taped on. Look just past where the point and the molding connect. You should be able to readily spot whether it is tape or a rivet. If tape, you can use Billcapp's method to ensure that you don't ruin the paint.. Or if you're already going for a repaint, and aren't worried about scratching the paint underneath, then just run a razor blade through the foam. Be careful. as sometimes these have been known to be attached by both double stick tape AND rivets. If rivets just drill thorugh the head with a 1/8" drill bit. This method allows you reuse the original holes for replacing it. If on the other hand you're looking to fill the holes in, use a 9/64". This will bore the hole out just a tad bigger so that your solder has clean metal to grip on to. To fill the holes, I use acid core solder just like if it were for plumbing. Using a 150 watt soldering iron, with the tip tapered down to a conical point, I heat the hole and sweat the solder in. By doing it immediately after removing the vinyl moulding, the metal is clean, and you don't have to worry about any rust having set in. You can then body work the area in a normal fashion. 2¢

The rear bumper guards, or overriders as Nissan / Datsun referred to them, are NOT interchangeable side to side. Additionally, you have the different styles according to the year of the vehicle. Look closely at the sides that contact the face of the bumper. On one side you will note that there is an extra cutout shaped like the letter "D". This is to accomodate the rubber strip on the bumper. Now if you have the "European" (Sorry Alan) style bumpers that did not come with the rubber strip, still look at the bumper guard from a top down view. You will note a very subtle difference in the length of the sides. This is to accomodate the subtle curve of the bumper. The Left (or Driver) side has the longer side on the outside or Left side, the right is reversed. There were two styles just for the 240's, at least as far as the U.S. goes. The Early style had a longer bottom section than the later ones. The later ones were taller on top of the bumper. The early style were more reminiscent of the front guards. The rubber is also not interchangeable. Hope this helps.

A customer of mine in Alaska told me about a sign he has up on the wall of his restaurant: "A note to our Texan Friends: If Alaska were divided in two, Texas would become the THIRD largest state." Texas IS a big state, the only one that takes 12 hours to drive from one side to the other as far as I know. 2¢

1) Fuel Return Valve; returns the extra fuel that has gone through the fuel line and the carburators to the fuel tank. This necks down the return so that there is pressure in the line to the carburators and also so that the line doesn't drain into the fuel tank when the car is shut off. 2)Seat Belt Warning System Relay, if I recall right. Not present in early Z's but past 72 is part of the system for the seat, choke and key warning system. 3) Voltage Regulator. I'm going strictly off memory, so 2ManyZ or some of the other Engine Bay Critters may shoot me down in flames.... Enrique

Heck, I like the machine gun! I'd use the vehicle as an escort for my Z and shoot the tires out of those vehicles that followed too damn close! E.S.