DeesZ

I recently "inherited" a set of carbs from a 1972 240Z - three screw round tops - got the intake manifold and linkage, too..... These were in the basement of a neighbor, and he "dug them out" for me. Nice gift. But, the excitement was dampered when I got them; they were obviously in a damp basement for the last 25 years. They are frozen up - pistons seized in the domes (I guess more properly said: suction chamber stuck to the walls of the piston) on both of them. All linkage parts move freely since I hit them with PB Blaster. The linkage arms are rusted a stage beyond surface rust, but no structural deterioration/major pitting... they will clean up okay with my bead blaster and be a suitable 'spare' to make me feel good about having but will never need (I have a bad case of "sparepartitis" - a very costly disease in the advanced stages). My question I guess is "Can these be revived / salvaged, or is it a waste of time?" I think I could bring them back if I could free up the suction chambers, but I cannot get either of them to budge. I got the dome assembly loose and off of one of them (suction chamber in it firmly stuck) and the other will not free up from the carb body at all. Any suggestions about how to free up the suction chamber from the piston on the one that came apart, and how to free up the dome from the carb body on the other one? I've been soaking them both daily with a real mixture of solvents - PB, Liquid Wrench, and several others.... (would the old heat and ice cube trick help out here to free them up? Unfortunately whacking with a hammer is not a good option here, is it?) Your suggestions and comments are welcome. I'm at a loss wondering if I can get them working or if I should just cut my losses at this point.

Welcome aboard! Another Pennsylvania Z-car! We are few and far in between. Hopefully Gov. Rendell won't find us or we'll be taxed.

Yep, old thread.... seems Jon hasn't posted for quite some time.... steering probably went out at an unfavorable time.... (hmmm.. is there a favorable time? I think just degrees of unfavorable...)

I agree with Bigoak in post #2. A bit rich for my blood considering what it will likely need. Keep an eye out for that one to be re-posted at a lower price in the future. The "plus the wife" thing does get in the way too, doesn't it? I see you are in Rucker... Fond memories for me. Was stationed there in the early '70s... that's where I learned most of my mechanical and flight skills (& grenade fishing just north of Fort Gaines).

I have had excellent results with the Krylon Fusion (satin black) product. No specks in the paint, and it seems to hold up very well. It's "matched" the other (unpainted) parts quite well. Just follow the directions. I have no experience with SEM products so I cannot compare the two. Here's a picture of a part that I did a while back. It was in several pieces at the start. JB Weld, some clamps, and a bit of patience preparing the parts to "mate" was all that it took. There are two or three coats of Fusion on this. One good coat would have worked had it not been for the repair work that I did. It's hard to tell that this was in pieces at one time, but a bit more prep work would have given me better results. I had a post or two a while back about the repair if you wish more information about how it was done. [ATTACH]21625[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]21627[/ATTACH]

Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that the Nissan designers did a fairly good job when they designed the L-series engines in the first place. Sure, there is a lot that can be done after-the-fact, but Stephen's thoughts are well worth considering.... small gains with larger expenditures. When I first got my last 240 I couldn't wait to put headers on it. After much research, they sit in waiting.... the gains are minimal unless "other" things are done in addition. And those "other" things lead to yet other things that lead to.... you get the picture. Try the stock version if you are just diving in to these cars - you may be pleasantly surprised.

Wow!! Cream of the crop!!

Show me a picture of what you need... they are out there (and certainly in one of our garages).

The prices mentioned previously reflect what I've seen, too. There is a wide spread in these numbers, but I think it's an 'apples vs. oranges' kind of thing. For a pristine Z you'll see those prices on the high end. For a driver, you see the lower end prices. You must ask yourself what you want out of the ownership of the car (pleasure? future collector car? whatever?) and set your level of spending accordingly. I've been thinking about picking one up in this age range too. I think a really nice one can still be had at bargain basement prices. If I hit the lottery or find some wads of cash I will be doing so.

I agree that 20K is on the high end, but isn't too awfully bad IF the vehicle is as advertised, but I also feel stronger that $16K was more fair to all... After all, a 'preventive refresh' as suggested (wisely) by JLPurcell brings the cost to that $20K.... and the things that y'all have surfaced as 'not correct' make one wonder what else there is. His attitude and intentional lack of description/pictures would scare me off from exchanging any of my cash with him. Further, he's got no credibility rating - "0" feedback. Kinda funny that the depressed prices on these vehicles is our fault in his eyes. His eyes do see things differently, don't they; but we are all entitled to our point of view. He may have the opportunity to watch it rot as he suggests. That would be a sad sight from any point of view. This is the type of person who would cut off his own nose to spite his face. Not my kinda guy to deal with. Personally, if someone is in the market for something like this, I would dig deep within, pull out some patience, and wait for the next one (or this guy to lighten up).

65,718 on my '72 after my short run this evening. I find it hard not to put miles on.

To quote the seller: "The car has normal wisconsin rust and the roof has dents ." This leaves it wide open to the definition of "normal". Without some better description and pictures, be cautious. There does seem to be a bunch of decent parts. If I was local to it, I'd pop the opening bid + maybe a bit just for the parts.

On the button, bigoak!!! ... SteveJ, you have been twice blessed! Give thanks. Best of luck with your new baby!

This is an interesting thread on mirrors. Right now I'm stuck with two (I guess aftermarket) mirrors on my '72. They are black and attach to the doors with something that resembles some Darth Vader life support hose. They, generally speaking are crap, not looking good or holding a functional position for any length of time. I've picked up several 'originals' from u-pull-it yards, and intend to replace the driver's side.... leaving me with the options of finding a 'match' for the right side or filling the mounting holes, etc. I somewhat like two mirrors. I recall reading in the archives that a left-side can be mounted on the right if the mirror is rotated 180 degrees, but that the 'fit' is not ideal. Can that be verified by any members here? I can't seem to find the thread again where I read that. Also, thinking out loud here, aren't right-side mirrors for the older Z's available? Logic would tell me that some non-USA configurations with right-hand-drive would have had the right-hand mirror mounted as standard equipment (and likely available as replacement parts). Can anyone lend any substance to my thought on this? If it is so, do any of our friends in right-hand-drive environments have any mirrors available?

Thanks very much for the tip on the '73!! I have passed the info on to my friend, and made an inquiry to the seller as well about a few things. I agree that this could be a really good find in this neck of the woods. Heck, if the engine is shot, I've got a spare L24 sitting out front just looking for something to do. I'd give it to my friend just to get another Z-car in the neighborhood.... kinda neat, too... the exact same color scheme as my '72 except I have no pinstripes....

Thanks for the responses! It sold with the "best offer" option shortly after I posted the question. Not to my friend.... I wish he would have held out a bit longer, I was getting excited about taking a little drive to crawl around under it..... next one.

Please give me your opinion on this 260Z. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-2-dr-coupe-1974-Datsun-260Z_W0QQitemZ260202668461QQihZ016QQcategoryZ6187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem A friend just called me and is interested in possibly picking it up. It's only about 1/2 hour away from us, and I have offered to go take a look with him. I'm a 240 owner and have a fairly good idea where and what to look for in the area of rust, but there are things about the 260 that I am not familiar with.... such as: should the vinyl on the rear strut towers be 'diamond' or not.... no good picture of the battery tray, no underside pix... and what else do you see that is a possible concern? Please pick this apart for me and do us a favor by pointing out any issues that you think apply to this car. Price fair? Have at it!! Thanks in advance! John

It will probably sell... but not to me (or should I say "us"). There are a lot of people out there with a lot of money to spend... The economy isn't really as bad as some may wish us to think.

Along with the previously mentioned things to check out, take a good look at the way the hatch fits. There seems to have been an issue in the 'old' pictures as well as the 'new' ones. There also seems to be something funky at the cut-out where the tail pipe exits (maybe it's just me and the way I'm looking at it). I really don't know what he means by the engine being an obvious rebuild. He may have said it somewhere, but for that dollar amount, I'd want the numbers to match as well. The seller has very good feedback and seems to volunteer a lot of information, but for that $$, I would have a very knowledgeable person give it a good inspection. IMO if it's all that it's cracked up to be it's not a bad price, but no big bargain, either. Again, just my opinion.

Yes, that pretty much is what I am saying. To paraphrase what EScanlon wrote, 'many times we are willing to overlook indications of a problem' and substitute wishful thinking for due diligence. Yes, leaving negative feedback does open the door for the same to be left for you. It's called retaliation. Kinda like real life, isn't it? Our words and actions tend to bring similar things back our way. But, there are times when it is most appropriate to leave negative feedback, and this situation seems to be one of them. You may also note that the seller was not experienced (or smart) enough to withhold leaving feedback until he/she knew that the buyer was happy. In this case retaliation doesn't seem to be an option for the seller. And where in this case did the good guy get bad feedback? Looks to me like the bad guy got the bad feedback. Yep. To a large degree you are right. Just like Vegas (but in reverse).... a reasonable person should expect to loose in Vegas, but sometimes you win. Isn't it funny that most people go there with grand dreams of winning? Seems that the same emotion brings many people to eBay, but the chances of a good result can be increased tremendously by exercising common sense and due diligence in tandem with the principle of caveat emptor. eBay has competition. None of it seems to be 'worthy'. The competitors usually end up with a high percentage of sellers that have been thrown off of eBay. Exceptions to that are the competitors that have filled gaps created by eBay (e.g. for firearms, related parts, etc.) If there is a better selling/buying community out there, please show me where it is, and I will be there posthaste. As much as I disagree with some things that eBay does, I will compliment them on trying to keep their community free of bad apples. If the feedback system offers up enough evidence that a seller is a bad apple, they will get rid of it. How many sellers do you see with less than a 95% positive rating? Here's a thought, and I offer it sincerely: I have had my best luck purchasing Z-car related parts from the classified section on this website. The members here are a very honest and helpful gang. You must still watch out... there are people that drop in out of nowhere, make a posting or two to sell stuff, and they are gone... but that is the exception.

I do not see this crowd or myself defending the seller or eBay. I went on the light side with comments relating to the issue of caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware). But really, that is the absolute bottom line here. EScanlon hit the nail on the head. The only thing that I differ on slightly is that I seem to have more faith in the eBay feedback system. I have been burned by sellers on eBay too. But really, if I was dropping over $300.00 on something, I would be at fault if I did not exercise due diligence. I have learned the hard way that not all sellers are as honest as I am when I do listings..... I remain optimistic that there may be a resolution to this, but it will take a lot of effort.

That is a sad situation, I agree. I feel bad for you. There are several issues at play here: - The pictures that the seller presented are not that good, and the damaged area is obscured with the time/date on the photo, and few if any of the pictures show the "whole" item. - The description was very short and is not an accurate representation of the goods in that the damage/repair is not indicated or mentioned. I think that you will be able to get a sympathetic ear from eBay IF you persist with them and quote their policies back to them about misrepresentation of goods being sold. Be prepared for this to take some time. It is always more of a chore to build a case of "misrepresentation by omission" versus the classic "they out-and-out lied"... - I guess that the seller had 100% feedback when you did the transaction, so there would have been no indication of foul play on the horizon (but did you notice that hardly any of the feedback was for being a "seller"? That can't be held against you - how many people would dig that far into the ratings to make that determination?). - With the auction ending 9 days ago, I assume that you tried to negotiate a fair resolution prior to the feedback being left. Feedback is good leverage for the buyer, and I see that you have already exercised it. It was a good whack that you delivered, too.... reduced the seller feedback rating average to a point way, way below where I would do business with this person (without iron clad guarantees or a personal 'visit' to inspect the goods by self or friend). Unfortunately you may have pulled the trigger on negative feedback a bit soon. It may have remained as good leverage during the reporting process with eBay while seeking resolution..... But whatever... there are cases where eBay will pull feedback if there is a mutual agreement between the seller and the buyer... check the policy on that, and you still may have a bit of leverage there to work with (e.g. I'll agree to withdraw the feedback if you make this good with me). - I see that PayPal was a payment option... Did you use PayPal? If so, there may be a bit more leverage for you to recover. This method also is like prying teeth out without any pain killers, but it can be done if you are patient and stick to your guns with their policies, etc. If you used a charge card, try to have the charges reversed. Several of these things would have moved me to make direct inquiries to the seller... I would have required some assurances beyond the listing description and blind faith... did you contact the seller for more info and get assurances that there was no damage, etc? If so, your footing becomes more firm for receiving a favorable solution from eBay/PayPal. - If this was a $30.00 purchase, I'd just roll with the punches and bite the bullet... but at ten times that - which is where you went, I'd be seeking resolution with the seller through all avenues available. Please do not take offense to the above. I am not trying to rub salt into the wound; I feel your pain. Rather, I'm trying to help you find some sort of a way to recover. Anyone else had success in a situation like this? Please let us know how. It'd be tempting to send one of Tony Soprano's boys over to work out a settlement and give some 'concrete' advice on how to construct accurate eBay listings (once the hands have healed up). Please let us know what the final resolution is to this.

Another thought on that offering on eBay. I went back to see what I might have missed with the description... I did end up with more to think about. I place a lot of weight on the feedback system that eBay provides. Low feedback is often a tip off of bad news to come. Low feedback sellers do not get my bids. I rate this seller in a "low feedback" category. If you review the complaints against him, you will see the issue of 'misrepresentation' pop up several times. With an exchange of that amount of cash, I simply would not be comfortable with a scant description by a seller with a poorly rated feedback profile. 92.2% positive feedback should be a red flag - (a little bit lower than that and it won't be long until eBay sends 'em packing). I would not touch it without a good hands-on inspection by someone who knows Z-cars very well (and better than I).

To me the BIN sounds fair for what it is. The description is far too scant to make any sound decisions. If I wanted an automatic I would likely be contacting the buyer with a bunch of questions.... by telephone or personal visit if it wasn't too far away. "Speaking" with someone can tell you a lot about their integrity / honesty. With such a short description the seller is probably loosing a lot of potential interested parties and bids. Now, if I didn't want an automatic, it would lean me towards offering $500 ~ $800 less; parts & your time to do a conversion would likely approach that. don't y'all think(unless you put no value to your time investment). This might be one worth having at a really fair price (kind of refreshing to see a BIN that is not way over-priced).

Interesting. I'm no English major, but 'eated'? I think we need not look much further to determine the fate of the ladies..... Things like this make it pretty clear. The Hannibal Lecter thing doesn't turn most people on, or at least get them back for a repeat visit....