EScanlon

Pics won't load. Any ideas on how to fix that? E

Car is an early 67 from the VIN, but has later style doors (67.5). Dash is also from a 67.5 (3 toggle). Interestingly it also has the cutout for the larger Brake Master Cylinder used in the later cars. $3k would not be a bad price at all for one of these. However, be prepared to spend a bit just getting things perfect. Rust is also a problem with these just like with the Z. Rockers, both Front and Rear ends of the rockers just in front/back of the wheels are notoriously prone and very hard to get to. Floor pans as well. If you think the Z is small and hard to work in, the Sports will REALLY drive you batty. There are numerous items that will leave you wondering "Why?" Stuff such as having to remove either the exhaust or the carbs to be able to remove/replace the starter...or if it hasn't been done already, removing a section of the sheet metal on the body (splash guard). Poor caulking, leading to rust in weird places. But as far as a fun little car... it is. I am only now starting re-assembly and have only finished the paint/buff. There are lots of items that you have to keep in mind before you go on to the next section so as not to remove what you just finished. With luck I'll have it back on the road soon. E

Excuse me, but that's not true. Even the earliest Z's had at least ONE fusible link. That one link is from the Starter to the wiring harness. If you blow that one it disconnects the complete electrical system of the car....completely and thoroughly. It's the main connection for the Positive terminal of the battery to the fuse box. Disconnect this and even the clock won't work. Later Z's gained more fusible links as the electrical system grew in complexity with Seat Belt Buzzers and Starter Interlocks etc. Eventually, these were located in a central box on the firewall. With the blurred definition of model changes through the years it is very difficult to ascertain exactly at what number VIN changes were in fact done. Even with the best of records, 30+ years of maintenance and repairs can lead to a very fuzzy definition of what a car should and could have. 2¢ E

Not necessarily. A 4 wire Tach is more common on these...except for the LATE year 73's. E

This presumes that you can re-wire the ignition system of the car to do away without the "troublesome inductive loop" that is an integral part of the ignition system. While this may have worked for you, this is neither as simple nor an all-encompassing a fix as it sounds. 2¢ E

The car starting DOES mean that you have a good connection between the battery and the starter. However, if that were the ONLY reason for discharging the battery, then I wouldn't have mentioned the OTHER grounds. I had a car that KILLED 4 Die-Hard Batteries in a period of about 6-8 months. Since I worked at the mall at the time, I got a lot more leniency than an off the street customer, but even with me they finally sent me to a "specialist". This is after having replaced a voltage regulator and having had the alternator pass each and every one of Sear's tests EACH time they replaced the battery under warranty. The electrical specialist removed ONE screw, sanded down the metal where it was and replaced the screw. Cost me $20 bucks and it fixed the problem. Never replaced a battery in that vehicle again. The problem? No ground to the body chassis. All of the vehicle's electrical components NOT attached to the engine were draining the battery because their load wasn't registering THROUGH the battery but rather through the engine. The regulator just kept the switch to the engine and NOT to the battery. This is simplistic, but it illustrates my point. The problem you are having is that not enough juice is being sent to the battery...OR...you're not producing enough juice. That points to either the Regulator or the Alternator. One of them is NOT functioning ... OR ... is not connected properly. 2¢ E

I recall a Seat Belt Inter-Lock Relay in that position in the later 72's but I hadn't considered that. E

Wiper Relay? Not there that I'm familiar with. The wiper relay is ON the motor. You can substitute a plain old 12v light bulb for a trouble light. In fact some trouble lights are just that, a bulb with wires attached. Can you post a picture of this wiper relay? That may be the fusible link box I was referring to. But not charging still points to the Voltage Regulator. When you checked the battery cables, did you check BOTH ends of the cable to ensure it was making good contact? Anyone else with ideas? E

Shouldn't this whole thread be in the Vendor's Forum? It's not answering a question, nor is it describing how to do something, it's only plugging a product. This thread is not a one on one item sale, it's a manufactured product with set pricing, quantity discount and generally IS the definition of a "commercial post" per the sticky Mike put up. The only thing missing is Feedback, except that's just been added to the thread. See: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/announcement.php?f=117 ??? E

First, check the connections at the battery. Make sure they're clean and that they are tight. Remove, clean and replace. Visual inspection is NOT enough. Second, check the negative pole grounds. Too many times this simple check has caused many problems. The negative pole on the battery should have a wire going directly to the firewall. Remove, clean and replace. Visual inspection is NOT enough. This can't be said too many times. Third, early Z's had ONE fusible link...going to the starter from the harness. Later model Z's (and yours may be one since it's a 73) had a fusible link box located on the firewall. These links looked like wire loops going up and back into the same box they came out of. Might not hurt to remove, clean the ends and replace. Did I mention you should remove, clean and replace. Visual inspection is NOT enough. Lastly, connect a trouble light between the negative pole on the battery and it's connector. With the ignition OFF as well as all systems in the car OFF (except the clock, presuming it's working) you should not have ANY glow in the bulb. If there is ANY glow, you have a current draw on the battery when there shouldn't be any. Start disconnecting relays and other connectors one by one, and see if the glow disappears. If it doesn't, then re-connect and try the next connector. Once you kill the glow, you found the circuit that has the draw. Next step is to use the wiring diagrams with the wire color combinations to determine what it was you disconnected. HTH E

I believe those are called Ball Joints and you need a special tool (referred to as a pickle fork) to remove them. I've also heard that it can destroy the rubber boot. There is also another tool that uses a threaded bolt to push against the threaded shaft while pulling back on the collar. In either case, you might be able to borrow / rent the tool from your local auto parts store, or buy it at Harbor Freight rather inexpensively. HTH E

Lonny, what about the 260 Z stamp this thread started? Is it strictly a money maker or an honest "oops" or ...? E

By the way, the High Build Primer may just need additional thinning in order to spray. Check with the paint shop and see what you can use to reduce it. Most primers, even Epoxy, can be thinned somewhat to allow spraying them with a conventional suction (bottom cup) spray gun. If your gun isn't allowing you to do so even after you've thinned the primer down, you may need to check to see if you're using the correct diameter air hoses. Too small a hose won't give you enough volume of air or the correct pressure to allow a syphon gun to suck up the heavier high build primers. You also want to check the pressure AT THE GUN and not at the regulator just off the compressor and then have 50 feet of air hose before it gets to the gun. A small distance is OK, but not a long distance. For this reason, some people will connect the compressor to a regulator / filter / water separator in the booth, then will use a shorter length of hose to connect to the spray gun. Hope this helps Enrique

Well the part number from Harbor Freight (37346 Syphon Spray Blow Gun) is coming up as either not available online or discontinued. This is a shame, as all it needed for cleanup was to replace the PVC tubing and a quick clean up of the tip. It was a simple Air Blow Gun with a venturi nozzle at the end of the tip. Looks almost identical to this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3962 except it had a tube screwed in to the end of the tip and an open nozzle in place of the rubber tip. I suppose you could do something similar with this blow gun: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42939 by either brazing, or somehow making a venturi right at the tip. That way when the air gets released it sucks the POR up through the delivery hose and the air blows it into the cavity you wish to paint. Just recently while working on a Roadster, I had to drill some access holes to spray the inside of my rocker panels. The Roadster does not have the holes in the rocker panel that the Z has. Then in order to spray all the sides, I used this item: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3953 While cleanup with that item was a bit more involved, the syphon tube is inside the air delivery tube and it flows THROUGH the body of the gun, which means you have to completely disassemble it if you want to clean it. Hope the links work, and although Harbor Freight may be a U.S. only store, surely the pictures will help you find something at your local discount tool place. HTH Enrique

So you're basically looking at a new paint job. This may be more expense than you're budgeting for at this time. If the paint is an absolute ~must-do~ then press on, but if it's just a "could be better" item, then save up your pennies before you jump into it. With 20 year old enamel, more than likely Acrylic Enamel, you're looking at treating it as an incompatible base to the newer paints out there, or at least taking precautions to ensure that it does not react with subsequent coats. Not saying that it is impossible to re-shoot over the top of it, especially since you're in Canada and the Republik of California hasn't yet affected your paint choices (and I may be completely mistaken here), just that Acrylic, versus Alkyd, versus some of the newer Isocyanates and you have a touchy situation especially if you're going to Black. Check with the paint shop you plan to use, they may recommend you sand down to metal, or just a d/a sand, or a wet-sand ....just as an initial surface prep before they shoot a Sealer, or Sealer Primer and go on to paint Base and then Clear. Proper surface prep is critical with the new Base/Clear paints and is even more critical in Black. FWIW E

Unless your paint has flaws that cannot be repaired except by a re-spray, you might check into having the current paint polished. Especially if you have a good coat of clear on it. 2¢ E

Stamp collecting is a known M O N E Y maker spelled with big $$$ by all postal systems. Where else can you sell a service that never gets cashed in on? Even the USPS is into this, check their website out and you'll see all sort of "collectible" stamps, first day covers and other items. (See this link: http://shop.usps.com ) So if anything it's either an HONEST mistake by someone looking to cash in on the collectible mania that has gripped so many for so long....or an intentional "blunder" in order to make it more collectible. Remember that to many people, the Z is just another automobile. The level of knowledge we share here is NOT what the "average bear" has, and they wouldn't know the difference between a 70 Z and a 78 Z. 2¢ E P.S. If I recall correctly the term "Here's MY two cents!" is an expression that dates back to when postcards (pre-stamped and ready to mail) cost two cents, and were commonly used to write quick notes to friends, and most importantly - newspapers. So, when you wanted to express your opinion on a subject or share a thought with someone, you would send in a postcard (i.e. YOUR two cents).

Actually the Tie-Coat Primer is their sandable primer. That is one of the key characteristics touted in their catalog. They have another product that is just a Self-Etching Primer for application over cured POR which is not a high build primer and it also specifically says so. As to why it would say to NOT sand the Tie Coat, I can only speculate, but I'll admit that I have NOT sanded it the last couple of times I've used it. As far as spraying POR...be very careful. In fact, without plenty of ventilation AND a good breathing mask I would advise against it. Unfortunately, the only way I've gotten POR to spray is to use a venturi type air blower to spray un-thinned POR. I have tried spraying using both a HVLP and a regular venturi type spray gun and you just can't thin it down enough to get it to spray properly. That's how I came up with the air blower nozzle set up. With that and 30-40 psi you can spray the inside of nooks and crannies in seconds and get a good film thickness. I've had very good luck with this method and there is very little "mist" spray to worry about. In fact, I was able to spray both insides of the rear fenders of a Z from the tail to the doors and up into the roof channels AND the complete inner tub of the cowl in less than an hour. I can't imagine how long it would have taken to hand brush the same area, but I CAN imagine the mess. Don't feel bad about using the dishwashing concentrate, you'd be surprised at how many of us look for solutions that are "out of the box". One advantage to that instead of the Marine Clean is that it wouldn't etch your polished aluminum which the Marine Clean seems to do. (It's probably removing every last bit of polish, but it sure feels as if it etched it. Don't ask how I know, but DO trust me that it DOES.) FWIW Enrique

That Hatch Sill sheet metal is notorious for that type of rust. With as much rust-through holes as you're showing, it's bound to also have some serious rust on the panel that the tail-lights mount to as that is the metal beneath this piece. I wouldn't try to salvage it with POR and their Power Mesh. While it would seem to work, there are just too many ways for the moisture and air to continue getting to that area that would compromise the POR's effectiveness. Your best bet is to remove the hatch weatherstripping, the plastic tail-light cover, the metal tail-light surrounds and the tail-lights to get a good idea of how much rust is there. You'll probably find that the rust is much more extensive than what is showing in the pictures you've posted. The good news is that a replacement piece of sheet metal is readily available from Banzai Motorworks and also Charlie Osborne (I may be mistaken about Charlie). While not cheap, it is cut and shaped to fit directly in place of the bad metal. A few spot welds, and your hatch sill will look as good as new. You just need to take care of any underlying metal that needs repairs. The rust on the lower edge of that front fender is typical also. Thats as a result of Datsun emptying the cowl into the plenum behind that part of the fender and then damming it up with a rubber flap. The end result is that crud and dirt gets trapped there and stays moist for weeks at a a time on top of barely protected metal. While this is exposed enough that you could probably do a simple POR and Power Mesh repair, it's also open and easy enough to do with a simple sheet metal patch. Then to avoid future problems extend the cowl drain hose down below the line of the fender to drain it OUTSIDE of the plenum. Take a look in my picture gallery for a few shots of how I addressed this back in 2002. It's a simple enough fix, a 45° PVC elbow, and some PVC tubing siliconed and zip-tied to the original drain tube and you're done. FWIW E

Check this thread out: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27861 That's a car currently up for sale in the Bay Area by a member here. She's had a lot of questions lately and she and her husband have done a lot of work on the car. Since it is currently IN California and being driven, I would presume that it is street legal and should be a snap to transfer title to. The price she's asking is reasonable and you may be getting an excellent deal. If it weren't so far away, I'd be looking into it. FWIW Enrique

This is almost too good to not say something.... You mean that all we had to do was roll down the other window and use some duct tape? :stupid::tapemouth Silly us, we've been trying to FIX the problem when all we had to do was stick our head out the window!!! Sorry Kyle, but while that may be a "quick fix" it doesn't help when it's raining, it's cold, or .... you don't want to have both windows down. Then again, YOU go ahead and tell your wife / girlfriend to just roll down the window if she doesn't like the fumes. I'll bet you never have to worry about her riding in the car any more. Not starting a flame war, just couldn't help it. E

Prepsol instead of Marine Clean is a poor substitute. Most paint strippers have some form of MEK as the main "stripping" agent to dissolve and destroy the bond of previous paint applications. Prepsol would be fine as an oil, wax, or grease cutter, but probably next to useless against MEK, Acetone and the other chemicals in stripper. IIRC some of the paint strippers can also be neutralized with plain old water (just watch out for the runoff). You'd be better off using plain old dishwashing detergent solution instead of Prepsol as a substitute for Marine Clean. Marine Clean is just a strong cleaner. Simple Green is yet another good substitute as well. I'd be more concerned about the Metal Ready, Phosphoric Acid wash, or Metal Prep solution (old Ditzler term) reacting with the Prepsol (or plain old Wax and Grease Remover). Many Wax and Grease Removers use Mineral Spirits as part of their base. POR is an excellent coating for areas that you won't be applying a visible finish to, such as undercarriages, inside fender wells, frame rails, etc. I wouldn't recommend it be used as a primer base because of the difficulty in sanding and getting a smooth finish. Yes, it does do a great job of self-leveling but it can and does set such that it may end up with a non-smooth finish. There is a Tie-Coat Primer that can be applied over the POR and sanded smooth. However, the extra expense of the preparation and the POR and Tie-Coat primer instead of Epoxy Primer and a Fill Primer wouldn't justify it's use. FWIW E

Before you go much further...what do your rocker panels and the rear fender wheel wells look like? If the rockers and the wheel well edges are also bad, I would recommend you salvage whatever parts you can and bid adieu....there is just too much to try to salvage it without a MAJOR investment in time, money and new metal. Sorry to be so blunt, but otherwise you'll delude yourself into thinking it won't be so bad and spend literally THOUSANDS of dollars and still not see the end. Post pictures of the rockers from the outside and also after removing the inner vinyl. The wheel fender edges should not have any bubbling or visible rust...otherwise you are guaranteed they're close to gone. 2¢ E

You might peruse the links in this thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=28607 E

Rear Side Markers? License Plate light? Front Running Lights? Front Side Markers? If ALL of those are off, then you need to look at the fuse again. Check the one that says Park Tail. It may look good, but it may be either disconnected inside the glass tube or not making proper contact. If ONLY the rear running lights AND the rear side markers and license plate light are off, then you're more than likely looking at a broken ground in the rear of the vehicle. If ONLY the rear running lights are off, then you're more than likely looking at a broken wire, bad ground, or inverted bulbs in the sockets to those lights. HTH E