Mike B

His post was confusing to me too Carl. I took it to mean that he wants to buy a car, but would also like some parts information to determine if the parts are correct. I agree with you that the best way to do that is either take pictures and post them here or take a knowledgeable Z person with him to inspect the car. However, since he did ask specifically about part numbers and "a list and deals of all the parts" I think the Nissan Parts Catalog or club parts CD fits that description. -Mike

The club sells a parts CD that does have part numbers and pictures, but I don't see a link to that on the site anymore. The link to the Zcar Club Store doesn't seem to work anymore (at least for me). You can contact Mike (the owner of the site) by Private Message (PM) and let him know you want to buy one. -Mike B

I shipped a hood from WA to FL via Greyhound Bus (GPX), which is probably the cheapest way to ship something that big. It was a bit of work to make and pad a box that size. It would probably be pretty expensive to have someone else make a crate for it, and then it may be too big for GPX, so shipping by a freight company would be expensive too. -Mike

I found one of these jackets with the lining on eBay today http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=260433922455. The model was kind of cute too . Also attaching a couple of pictures of the jacket from a 1973 Interpart Catalog. Carl, have you heard any more about BRE reproducing these? -Mike

Looks good Kats. Very similar to the 1969 production 240Zs. Why did they have to cut the access hole in the top? -Mike

Now that you mention it Arne, I think you are probably right. I have noticed that in pictures of other cars before. Overall it looks like a very nice car and similar to my 72 that just turned 40,000 miles. It would be interesting to see what it got bid up to if they had open bidding rather than just the BIN/best offers. -Mike

I have been watching this one too. Overall it looks very nice, but there appears to be quite a bit of orange overspray on the end of the dash and weatherstrip on the passengers side and the rear valance looks a little tweaked. -Mike

It looks like my 1969 cars have them on the passenger side too, but my 1972 doesn't have any. -Mike

Will, Using your example of a 1977 280Z center console (part number 96911-N4725) this is what I get from several online Nissan dealers. Shipping is calculated to my zip code (98074). courtesyparts.com $141.37, plus $48.10 UPS ground shipping Total $189.48 (this is Courtesy Nissan in TX, so TX residents would also pay sales tax) nissanparts.cc $131.05, plus $15.73 ground shipping Total $146.78 (this is a Nissan dealer in WA, so WA residents would also pay $11.27 sales tax) nissanpartsnow.com $122.11, plus $10.21 shipping Total $132.32 (this is a Nissan dealer in GA, so GA residents would also pay sales tax) I even paid the $50 annual fee to join my local club recently, primarily for the dealer parts discount I have heard so much about. It turns out their prices are almost exactly the same as nissanparts.cc online prices (which are higher than nissanpartsnow.com) and I still have to pay 8.6% sales tax and drive 1.5 hours round trip to pick up the parts when they come in. If I order with nissanpartsnow.com the prices are always less, the shipping is usually less than my sales tax would be, and it is delivered to my door. -Mike

I believe they were originally black, but the block was painted with them mounted (along with several other components). That is why we see examples that range from all black to all blue and combinations in between. I think you can paint them either way and it would still be correct. Engine painting was discussed in this thread a few months ago http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32937. -Mike

I think Arne was referring to the 15" aluminum versions that I have now, not the 14" magnesium ones (which I sold). The aluminum Le Mans wheels don't require any special care. -Mike

Carl, I obtained an old Interpart catalog recently dated 2-1-72, and it had an interesting comment about the Le Mans 14x7 magnesium wheels, which were listed in the catalog (although the have an asterisk indicating limited availability). The description says "A real magnesium racing wheel. Beautiful four spoke 'Le Mans' design make this the lightest and strongest racing wheel on the market. The same wheel used on the BRE/National Champion Team cars. Perfect for slalom racing or high speed rally work. Because of magnesium's porosity, BRE plastic impregnates them with a special aerospace process. This keeps your tubeless tires from going flat. Zero offset, 14 pounds each". I had never heard anything about them being plastic impregnated before. I wonder if that was done by ARE or a third party company? By the way, I got my second set of 15" Le Mans aluminum wheels polished a couple of months ago by a local company and they turned out great. I painted them myself. Here are a couple of before and after pictures. I have emailed Terry a few more times and never did hear back from him. -Mike

The bottom line with both Reddat and Z-connection is 99.9% of what they sell are brand new items. In that sense, they are both misrepresenting items as NOS (New OLD STOCK) when they are really just current stock items that anyone can buy directly from any Nissan dealer. I bought a few things from both several years ago and learned my lesson. Almost everything they list can be bought for much less from your local dealer, or a dealer that sells online (I buy all my new parts through nissanpartsnow.com now). Reddat also misrepresents some aftermarket items as Nissan OEM. I bought a windshield gasket from him that his said was Nissan, and it turned out to be a Precision brand gasket removed from the bag. When I called him on it he did let me return it at least. -Mike

From the ebay ad - "If the bumpers get dented or scratched they can be beaten back to shape and re-polished." Reminds of an old SNL skit with a car made of clay called the Adobe. The guy gets in a fender bender, hops out of the car and molds it back into shape then drives off again . -Mike

Shouldn't the coil bracket be cad plated too?

How about Stebro Arne? -Mike

That would have been for 1974 model year 260Z 2+2s, which were manufactured beginning in Oct 1973. -Mike

I used a company called autolog to ship a car from NJ to the Seattle area by enclosed rail car a couple of years ago. Here is a link to their site: http://www.autolog.net/index.html. I think it was about $900 all the way to Seattle, so maybe half that to go to Chicago? -Mike

Actually, it has 4 valves per cylinder, 3 carbs (triple solex), and 2 overhead cams. -Mike

Check with EvilC and see if he still has this one for sale http://www.classiczcars.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3665&cat=4 -Mike

After you order once from Kroil you will get lots of mailings with 'specials' from them. A couple of weeks ago I got one that says the current special is Sili Kroil for the same price as regular Kroil (and get free shipping too). You can order by phone (866-388-1846) and ask for the "free silicone deal". It says 'Offer 425' on the bottom of the flyer if you need that. -Mike

I ordered the same paint code that Dan used (24087), but from a different manufacturer (Gillespie). I found two places that sold it online (Rapco is the place I bought it from). After I painted a set of horns with it, it seemed a little more brown than what was originally on the horns from my 1969 production cars. So I ordered the exact same paint that Dan used (Aervoe) and painted a spare set. That paint seems to be slightly darker green, and a little more glossy than the original paint. Like Dan, I used some steel wool on the darker green horns to make them a little less glossy. I think either paint would be close enough for most people. Here are some comparison pictures with and without flash (it is an overcast Seattle evening here). The Aervoe brand is on the left, the original is in the center, and the Gillespie/Rapco is on the right. I decided to paint the screws and nuts (including the mounting bolts) since that is how they were on my cars. -Mike

I'm guessing Oklahoma based on the plates on his newly purchased car, but he may have just bought it there and live elsewhere. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34783 -Mike

First, welcome aboard! Second, this question gets asked a lot by new people. Here is a link to a similiar thread that should answer your question http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16323 This site contains a lot of good information and the search function works well. -Mike

I'd say it is impossible to tell based on one picture.