EScanlon

If obtaining $ from the bulletins is the object....then e-Bay or offer them up for sale. If making sure the information is preserved and available for other Z owners, and you're looking for someone that will scan them and make the files available, then either Will or myself will gladly step up to the mark. If shipping is a problem, Will may be closer to you, than I am, but I'm willing to repay you, I'll let Will speak for his own money. E

That's the "standard" hot wire method. Positive side of the battery to the coil +, quick short across the starter terminals and as long as the battery is working it should start and run. This works even with the E12-80 mod. All you are circumventing is the ignition circuitry and the car's electrical. The only problem you would have is if the fusible link is the culprit, then you won't have brake lamps or any other electrical functions. However, since the starter DOES turn over, that shows that that isn't the case. One CRITICAL note for further posts: while this is the "standard" hot-wire, let's not get into how easy it is to do it on a Z, nor how to circumvent defeat or alarm mechanisms ... Loose Lips Sink Ships! E

Brian: PERFECT complement to the thread. E

I think you may have dodged a bullet on that one. The hood is missing a chunk....how did that happen? The hatch area has surprisingly "smooth" edges at the ends where the rust is known to begin. The engine compartment has two different coats of paint, yet everywhere else the flat black primer is evident? While the one underside shown looks clean, the other side isn't shown. Rockers, front and rear fenders, no detail pictures. You did MUCH better with the other car, that one is a keeper and the costs associated with that one will be much less than with this one. FWIW E

Two things to make sure you do NOT forget: 1) Disassemble, clean and lube the Wiper Pivots. The ones that mount to the firewall and exit via the cowl openings. These are known to be one of the major problems in the Slow/Slower wiper design. 2) When you reassemble and are ready to test, do NOT mount the Wiper Arms and Blades and THEN test. The linkage to the motor can be, and often is, mounted 180° off. This results in the FIRST movement of the arms once the motor is powered, whether it be to the Park position of the first Wipe position to be directly downward and across your Cowl and Hood. You will NOT be happy with the scratch marks. The trick is to apply a bit of masking or electrical tape and make a "flag" on the pivots BEFORE you mount the cowl metal back on. Turn on the wipers then, and observe the "flag", if it FIRST rotates downward, the linkage from the arms to the motor has been mounted 180° off. Correct this by removing the linkage, swiveling (actuating) it the 180° it needs, and then re-connect. It's just a simple hex nut with washers (lock/plain). FWIW E

Time out: There's a big possibility for confusion here. The Tach Connector behind the dash wouldn't "just" come loose, it takes a healthy pull even when you ARE trying to disconnect it. But, since this is where the "giggling" was happening, it may also be a case of a disconnected wire at the ignition switch, or both. The wires that Beandip is referring to, while they do come from the tach, it is at their other end, in the engine compartment where they connect to the coil, that Gary points to. That's where the Black/White and Green/White wire are separated. Under the dash, they are part of the same connector, along with the Green and Black wires which power the Tach. 2¢ E

But be sure to know the limitations on Hagerty and other insurance companies. While some require an attached garage to your home, others simply require limited access. Some will allow storage at a friend's garage or U-Store-It place and others will specifically disallow it. Some will require an appraisal for value and others will accept your stated value. Some have no mileage or use limitations, others have those and Collector Vehicle plate limitations. Most will also require that you have regular insurance coverage on your other vehicles before they'll grant you a separate policy on your collector car. Don't just "listen" to what the salesperson says, READ the policy and it's inclusions and exclusions. There are too many cases of "Selective Listening" and "I thought I understood what they meant, although that's not what they said." that afterwards will bite your behind. FWIW E

http://zhome.com/History/240Accessory.htm That's the direct link. E

Will, thank you for your thoughts. Carl, although you may think this is not the case, I truly DO agree with what you have said many times: And I have even said the same thing myself. In fact, that's how I bought my car, with a signature loan. I chose to do further work on my car to bring it to a higher level of "refresh" than what it was. But I readily inform people where my work begins and where it ends. I can also understand where our difference of opinion comes from my statement of: I'm not referring to the type of individual as Doug professes to be, nor to the person he refers to in his opening paragraph. Nor does it refer to Mull as Moonpup has pointed out. I'm referring to the guy who at a local car show, who, after winning "Best ..." or "Yst Place XXX" is brought up to the microphone or podium and he starts expounding on the long road to it's current state "Paint job took 7 weeks, bodywork took another 10, before that it was a basket case and it took 200 days just to find the parts to mechanically overhaul it and another 90 to finally put it all together." Then he gets asked and how long did you acquire the car, "A month ago." Do you see the type to whom I refer to? And they ARE out there. I'm not the only one here who has talked to these individuals hoping to get them to share a bit of information on how they did something, or WHERE they had something done or found a part to buy...only to be told that they didn't know as they had only "just" bought the car. Yet, they had been expounding the trials and tribulations they had suffered in geting it done. Restoration by proxy is fine...as long as you acknowledge the proxy. But presuming to deserve the credit for craftmanship labor is heinous. Whether your involvement with your car is in sourcing parts, identifying the work to be done, handing tools to the guy who is actually doing the work or simply taking it to the mechanic, acknowledge your involvement to the degree that you ARE involved. But the key point is .... GET INVOLVED! A check writer just signs a check and assumes the credit for all the work done. What's worse they reserve the right to criticize other people's work based on what they bought. Sorry, in my eyes, either "Push, Pull or Get the Hell Out of the Way!", but don't presume to know or have experienced something by having written a check. If you do write a check and your involvement from there is simply to keep it maintained, and that's what you profess to, then that's understandable. I don't delve into tuning my carbs, yet my engine runs well and strong. Same thing with a lot of the mechanical work. Not that I CANNOT, but that I chose NOT TO. I've stated that here many times, and what I've gleaned in knowledge has been due to other members of the forum. I won't try to explain cold valve adjustment, but I know it must be done. Same with the Spindle Pin Puller making the job easier, yet I haven't done or used it. That's what I meant by a different light. E

They may have NOT been new. The "gasket" we're referring to is more of a weatherstrip rubber surround around the hinge points of the handle. Not a flat compressible piece of rubber or material that would go between the handle base and the door sheet metal. The rubber "boots" just surround the hinge tabs. Hope that helps clarify it. E

Once you look at the pics you realize it's NOT an SX. E

DITTO! Aluminum scars too readily, heck Marine Clean (one of the prep steps for POR) will readily etch aluminum and render a prior polish unsatisfactory, and that's just a degreasing soap. Then again, it is really rare to find aluminum so badly corroded that it needs blasting, and if you DO find it, it's usually too far gone to try to salvage. FWIW E

Carl; "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." I can understand your umbrage at what I wrote. But then again, you understood our point of view when the likes of McKrack pontificated their point of view to the rest of us. Would you equate McKrack's efforts to the rest of ours? That places you directly on the fence between those who can simply write a check, and those who must ponder, weigh, and debate each and every expenditure in the process of working on their car. While there are items that I've not hesitated to have them done by a profesional or to purchase outright, there are far more things that I've done myself and refurbished rather than replace due to the $ involved. To the individual with disposeable income, such deliberation is unheard of. Then again, I've been the one to purchase THEIR discards. So it all works out. But, when I find myself at a car show, and I run into one of those individuals discussing their restoration....can you understand my disdain? Then again, there ARE individuals with both the ability to work on AND the money to have it worked on. They can choose what and if they wish to expend their energy on. Some of these individuals can be the best sources of information, knowledge and experience. I cannot say I've never met a jacka$$ amongst these owners, but it's rare to find one here than amongst those that strictly pay for things and still insist on taking the credit for having done the work....when they've simply bought others efforts. However, when it comes to coming over to your place and pitching in and helping you effect the same work on your car...I'll take the guy I'm referring to. He's willing to go to the boneyard with or without you, and if he should find a piece there when he's alone that you might need, he'll either buy it or call you and ask if you want it. He'll probably show up and help you install it, or take it home, clean it and then get it to you. He knows that you're trying to get your car on the road...without mortgaging your house. He'll help you refurbish, repair, modify and put items back in use .... that the check writer will simply replace, without a second thought. When the job is done, he'll share the memories of your restoration with you. He'll tell others about the work you did. He's like a wing-man. I've yet to see a check writer have a wing-man. Don't misunderstand me, I don't hold a grudge for those that can afford to simply write a check. Nor do I think their enjoyment is any less or more than mine. It's different. One man's tea is another's dirty water, and another's poor substitute for coffee. But the last paragraph in your post speaks volumes. Underlined emphasis mine.You are fortunate in that you CAN write that check or send your car out for restoration. So I can understand why you feel there is no need for us to do it ourselves. For the rest of us who are NOT able to just pay for the restoration or to purchase a restored car, we find we MUST do it ourselves. Unless you or someone else is willing to foot the bill for us, which I feel isn't going to happen anytime soon, we'll just have to continue to toil away. I do note that you make a definite distinction between "Restore" and "Refresh". I won't quibble with you as I agree. I also agree that it does not make financial sense to effect the Refresh or the Restore yourself when there are excellent vehicles for sale for much less than the TOTAL of the restore or refresh. However, and this is probably the crux of this, not everyone here can simply write out a check for the $20-$25k purchase price you mention. I'll venture to say, that the majority would have to consider long and hard such an expense. I'll even go so far as to say that without financing, most of us wouldn't consider making that purchase. And there lies your demarcation line. Those who are fortunate enough can and will ... simply write a check. The rest of us, will have to buy cheap, expend hours of labor, sweat and even a bit of blood and tears, probably spend twice the amount .... but do it one small bite at a time, spread out over years. And yes, hope that at the end of the road, we can find a check writer to buy it from us....or our heirs...at 25¢ on the dollar. Then, when they are taking the time to admire the craftmanship, and enjoy a classic car and be a Z enthusiast....a lot of that craftmanship will be mine, it will have been a classic car that I helped rescue from the crusher, and they can continue the Z enthusiast legacy with MY car. I think the ad says.....PRICELESS at the end. FWIW E

Hard to say, you'll have to check out the bracket beneath the console. It might be as simple as some dirt/dust/jute that has gotten in there or ...? Normally you should be able to push it to the front edge easily, the rear edge probably not as that travel will be limited by the choke cable pull range. Once you have it out, you'll see that the little button that gets pushed by the lever is really small and so is the switch. As a result, it's getting damaged or pushed out of the way is not inconceivable. Post your finding/result. E

Yes, although they do fall off very often. E

Possibility number one: When the choke cables were adjusted to the Off setting, the choke lever was not all the way forward (Off position). As such, when you push the lever forward to remove the Choke (or shut it off), the lever cannot travel far enough forward to actuate the N/C switch that's on the front of the choke lever cable housing. Solution: Loosen the choke cables at the carburators. Slide the lever all the way forward until the light goes off, then tighten the choke cable screws at the carburator. That is the simplest and most likely scenario of what happened. Possibility number two: The N/C switch located on the front of the Choke Lever Bracket below the console has either broken, a broken screw mount that allowed it to travel forward, either of which is causing the lever to not be able to push far enough forward to toggle the switch, or, and this would be rare as the metal involved is pretty stiff, you actually bent the arm that contacts the switch. Solution: Repair/replace the switch or bend the tang on the lever. But other than breaking the switch, I don't think it would be a matter of a bent piece of metal. FWIW E

Another thought along the same lines: Anyone with enough money can buy a car...sports, classic, rare, exotic, all it takes is money. That's what the jet-set does, but then again, they don't have the time to take on a long project. To them the trip is about the destination. If that's what you're into, buy the best car that someone else has worked on. But don't expect to be seen in the same light as those that have skinned their knuckles, shed a drop or two of blood, sweat and tears, or spent weeks or months looking for that specific part... trying to bring their "baby" back onto the road. To those that have travelled this other path, it's not about the money, and while the destination has always been in mind, it's the journey there that's part of the trip. Once you're there, you're filled with memories of the journey itself and you share them with others also along their paths. Money can't buy those memories, nor the friendships, nor the satisfaction. It's not about the money, it's about the process. FWIW E

Without trying to be overly sentimental.... Fuzze: If you were to spend $30,000 on your "restoration"/"refreshing", and it took you 3 years to get it done (an average). And in those 3 years, presuming 45 weekends per year at a total of 10 hours per weekend, plus an additional 8 hours during the week (very light estimates of the time you would actually spend) you would have: [45 * (10+8)]*3] = 2430 total hours or $12.35 per hour. Then if you factor in the memories, experience and flat-out enjoyment of working with your two boys.....and it suddenly looks ....VERY INEXPENSIVE and CHEAP at THREE TIMES THE PRICE. FWIW E

Don't think it's the 2+2 as that had a small door open latch at the back IIRC. Looks a lot like the one's I recall seeing on the 260 and 280. E

Hard to guess at, but if you put your wallet on the console just before going into the stereo shop, the car sensed the $ within and decided you would be spending the money differently than you had intended. (The car has an in-the-console $ detector! ) Aside from the stereo, what other repairs, upgrades, or refurbs were you planning to do before you decided on the stereo? The car may have decided you would be doing those first. :paranoid: SBLAKE one of the members here is most familiar with the 280's and I'm sure he'll see your post and give you suggestions. Meanwhile, check for the obvious, spark at the coil and plugs, fuel, make sure the distributor is working (remove cap and observe rotor), check the distributor cap, etc. FWIW E

If it weren't for the cost of shipping to and from me, I would offer a Chrome Strip Restoration service. I've done a few of these and the results are good enough to show, unfortunately, the cost of shipping your panels to and from me is what makes it unpalateable. FWIW E

Not trying to quibble over tiny details, as you pointed out you may be using a slightly different SEM product than the one I'm referring to. I used Landau Black (Color Coat #15013) for the interior plastic pieces. I also know they have various "shades" of satin and flat black, as well as different formulations. They have a Plastic, Vinyl, and Cloth formulation (Color Coat: http://www.sem.ws/product.php?product_id=190) as well as the Bumper Coater aerosol ( http://www.sem.ws/product.php?product_id=205). Each of these have shades within their product family. While one will/may not exhibit texturing, another will/may. That is why I cautioned on the product used by PanamaRed. While that metallic sparkle was what he wanted, it might not be for someone else. Same with the Bumper Coater product you used, it might be perfect colorwise, but may not be agreeable for it's texture. This is why it is so important to point out these subtle differences. Not too long ago we had a long thread regarding the correct color for the tail-light finishers...and a heated debate by one member WHO WAS USING HIS COMPUTER MONITOR AS THE COLOR "SWATCH" TO MATCH TO HIS FINISHERS AND TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS HE HAD FOUND. He couldn't understand why they didn't match and was arguing the advise he was being given. FWIW E

It all depends on how much rust you have. If you DO have rust, you'd be better off using a more aggressive media than soda, or simply cut the metal out. Don't forget that Soda MUST be cleaned off the metal for proper paint adhesion (this was discussed before) AND if you don't do that you are asking for problems. Add that to the 80¢ + per lb. cost of the soda and .... ($39.99 for 50 lb. plus shipping). If you are set on doing the job yourself, why not check into Harbor Freight? They have a comparable unit (probably ALSO manufactured in China) for less money. Here's a link to a comparable unit for less money: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95014 There are other units there as well. But if you do have the money, and you want it done quickly and thoroughly, the $1k price might very well be worth it. By the time you buy the unit, the blast media - whether sand or ..., and designate the space to do the work and put up with the MESS (and it IS a mess)... $1k may be peanuts. 2¢ Enrique

While the designation of Series I and II seem to be from Nissan (Datsun) they're not, they're more our (US) labels to differentiate between the earlier versions and later versions. I believe that the labels go up to Series IV. www.zhome.com has more information on that. Here's the link to the production figures for the HLS30 model: http://zhome.com/History/DesignChanges.htm But to help you identify items, your car is a Series I if it has Vents in the Hatch and NOT on the C pillars above the rear wheels. There are more determinants, but that is the most obvious and the least changeable. Other determinants include the dash, the center console, headlight sugar scoop material, interior plastic pieces and accessories, rear hatch window glass, etc.. Rather than try to list them all here, go to the Zhome link, and remember that much of the information there is for the HL version of the S30 and not necessarily applicable to the other market models worldwide. FWIW Enrique

Excellent write up Dave. Now, what about putting them on the lower surface of the door to act as true exterior step lights? Two problems to overcome, moisture and the wire feed to them. E