DeesZ

Eliminating the external VR is a VERY good idea in my opinion. I replaced my external after the first one malfunctioned and burnt out every light bulb in my car (except headlights and one dash light), a fusible link, and melted a post on my fuse block. The replacement worked, but not to my satisfaction. I recently replaced the alternator with a 60 amp one I had in my pile of parts that is internally regulated. I used the adapter plug with the diode that's being sold on this site (sweet set-up!) The system now works much, much better overall, providing me with a much more constant and even power supply.... even with things running. If you are not insisting on "originality", make that upgrade soon. You will be pleased with the results. There are reasons that external regulators are no longer being used. Just my $0.02 for what it's worth to you. John

I read a recent post form xxjoeyxxeb that has a link to a video he made asking us to listen to his z-car engine. I clicked on it to check it out (I agree, a valve adjustment sounds like it is in order). The reason for this post is that I suggest you go to the website, do a search for "240Z", and check out some of the videos that are there! There are a lot of 'tire toasters' with their V-8 conversions, but beyond that, some VERY interesting material.... even some with a historical twist to them. Here's a link to one of the several videos that I really enjoyed - "Then And Now-Z Generations Battle" It will get you to the site where you can do a search after you watch the 'battle' (interesting results!) This is one of those sites where just about anybody posts videos about just about anything - be prepared to spend a bit of time there.... enjoy it.

That sounds right in the ballpark. I recently got a quote from a local machine shop (one that did work for me 35 years ago w/same ownership - knows & remembers what an L24 is!).... Was quoted $400.00+- worst case scenario, likely something less. Likely the most trustworthy shop within a 50 mile radius of me in south-central Pennsylvania.

I have owned two 240Z's. Both 1972's. Have driven 240, 260, and a variety of 280's, and I keep going back to the '72 as my preference. I've also owned a series of British... (Austin-Healey 100-6 & several 3000's, E-Type Jag, MGA, TR-250, TR-6... ) Z-car is by far my choice.... not the fastest or most sure-footed out of the lot, but by far the most dependable and easiest to maintain. When I decided to get a "real" car again several years ago, the 240Z was hands-down my choice!

I am not commenting to incite a riot or create bad will. Consider this my two cents worth and not an argument. eBay is an interesting market place. And that's exactly what it is, a market place with a world-wide buyer audience. Some of the buyers are bottom feeders and or chizzlers; some are big spenders. Most are somewhere in the middle, relatively honest folks seeking a fair price for something that they want to own. Sellers are cut out of the same bolts of fabric; some are less than honest in their representations and dealings, and others are very up-front and straight-forward. The most successful sellers are those that represent their goods for exactly what they are, provide lots of photographic evidence, and respond politely to questions that are posed to them. Bad seller attitudes drive prices down because buyers know that there will be another one of whatever it is up at auction again soon in a similar condition. Customer service, reputation, and attitude go a long way on eBay, just as it does on a used car lot or store. I'm simply not going to put thousands of my dollars into the hands of an individual that I have any doubts about. Period. I'd rather pass up on the "deal". I bought my second 240Z on eBay and got what satisfied me at a price that I thought was fair. The seller had hoped for more. I had hoped for a bargain and to pay less than I did. In the end, I paid what I considered to be a fair market value. The seller and I spoke at length on the telephone about the vehicle several times prior to my bidding. I felt comfortable with him and his representation of the vehicle. If I would have had any doubts, I would have waited for another similar offering from someone else. I wanted a solid daily driver with minimal rust and no major issues. That's what I got. I arrived at my assessment of FMV by prices and condition of vehicles offered for sale by folks on this website (and a fine group of folks this is!) as well as several others that specialize in Z's. Getting as close as I could to apples-to-apples comparisons, eBay and private sale prices are not that far off from one another (in my opinion, anyway). Honestly, there are not many truly high-end Z's that end up on eBay. Most (not all) of what is listed as fantastic collector grade original etc. has been doctored. You can see it in the pictures. Or most often, the listing sucks you in by stating 'like new', etc., then you get to the list of problems and issues that come with the package. Sometimes I gotta laugh at the listings.... what were they thinking when they said "show car"? Some of these sellers are not using the same 'grading system' that I would. Most of what are availabel on eBay are middle of the road or lower end examples. When a good one does come up, they seem to command a good price or do not sell because the reserve was not met. And what's the reserve? That's the seller's 'opinion' or 'feeling' of what the minimum amount that vehicle should bring is. I sold some very high quality diamonds for a guy a while back on eBay. His feelings about value were formed based upon appraisals that were several years old. I suggested that he get updated appraisals, and ask the jewler what a reasonable 'sale' price would be.... what would the jewler really expect to sell it for if it was in his display case on the open market. The jewler choked a bit when the question was popped, but finally leveled with him. On diamonds, you can anticipate about 1/3 (one third) of the appraised-for-insurance value. (And his diamonds sold for somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 of the appraised values.) And yes, I know, Z-cars are not diamonds. But follow the thought here, some of this transfers to the automobile market. So we are dealing with a lot of "feelings" here related to value, and feelings are tough to contend with sometimes. I think that it's fair to say that many of the good / better vehicles don't even get to the eBay marketplace. Many are sold privately. Let's face it, a great example of a Z (or a piece of art work for that matter) has people in line making offers to buy it before the seller even decides to sell it. That has been my experience, anyway (for good stuff). I had standing offers on an old A-H 100-6 that I owned. It got sold to one of those people - never got advertised. It was much nicer than what was commonly available at the time (let's call it a 'desireable' piece). I was pleased with the price I got (actually surprised that the guy put that much money where his mouth was!) The last collector vehicle that I sold ('52 M38A1 jeep) never got listed on eBay. It went to an interested party that I 'met' on an enthusiast website. Interesting twist: we arrived at a 'fair price' derived from averages of similar vehicles sold on eBay. We were both satisfied, otherwise the deal would not have been made. With real estate, it's location, location, location. With cars, it's condition, condition, condition. The largest data base available for pricing many collectibles is the one available from eBay. I think I just completed the circle here. eBay has an influence on the market place, and the market place influences eBay (okay, it is eBay). If you want to know what people are willing to pay for an item, list it accurately on eBay and you will find out. I have been approached by people to list an item for them with an absurdly high reserve price, just to see what the true value of the item really is. It costs a few bucks to do that, but you do end up knowing what the market place will bear. I don't care what I have, it's only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Buyers are just as smart as sellers in most cases, but it is incumbent upon the buyer to follow the old addage "let the buyer beware." I don't even bother with sellers that have less than a 98% positive feedback rating. Sorry this got so long. "Reality" is hard to define because we all have a different opinion of what it is.

I had a similar problem on another type of vehicle ('52 M38A1 military jeep). After trouble shooting the circutry for about a year and still not finding the problem, an old-timer suggested that I check out the starter switch. That was an old floor pedal switch, but the 'theory' for the switch is similar for almost anything. I pulled the switch and checked it out with a multimeter for continuity. That was where the problem was, a very slight drain on the battery was caused by a carbon and dirt build-up on the contacts. It didn't read much on the meter, but over a two day period it was enough to drain the battery enough to prevent me from getting it to start. All I had to do was clean up the switch contact points and the problem was resolved. I am by far no electrical whizz, but I'd give that a check as well as the headlight switch (or anything else that is switched directly from the battery on a different curicut). The most obvious and probably the most common has already been suggested... a bad battery. I replaced them (two 12 volt in series) on the jeep too before checking the switch - that turned out to be an expensive process of elimination. Please let us know what the problem turns out to be when you find it.

I took my '72 240Z to work today where she sat out in the parking lot for several hours in the sun. When leaving I noticed that an existing crack in the dash began to lengthen itself and progress towards the front. Needless to say, this doesn't please me. When I was in the service we used to "stop drill" cracks in aircraft aluminum skin as well as plexiglass plastic windows & windshields. Drilling a hole at the very end of the crack would most often halt the cracking process and prevent further damage. Has anyone tried this method of stopping a crack on a 240Z dash? I'm very tempted to give it a try, but am wondering if anyone has tried this before and what results or cautions y'all may be able to offer. Please contribute your thoughts and experiences on this. After drilling, I'd likely put a drop of something in the hole to seal, level and disguise it. I'm thinking something like JB Weld might be suitable, but would really like to hear what others have used to patch a dash crack or blemish. I'm just not in a financial position to replace the dash or get it restored right now, so your contributions are quite welcome.

Thank you all for the insight! Mike, I found the hole and mounted the chain.... just where you said it would be. I also took the opportunity to replace the rubber fold down flap so that I don't do any damage to the paint with the dangling cap. I should have put on my glasses when I first looked for that hole! If it had teeth it would have bitten me! I knew it was there somewhere because the first Z I owned (a '72 from '72 to '82) had it.

I came across a car load of Z-car parts last year and picked them up. Finally, I'm digging through the last several boxes to see what all is there. I was excited to see two virtually new strut assemblies, complete with tags, etc..... but then it struck me that they are not complete. Looks to me as if someone removed the spring support. Please take a look at the pictures. You can see that something was there, but now it's gone. Why would someone do this? Is there any value to these assemblies the way they are, or are they now scrap metal? What do you think? Part numbers stamped on them are 54302-N4300 & 54303-N4300. I'm not sure of the application, but they don't appear in my 70~73 parts listing, so I assume they are a later application. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks, all!

I have a 1972 240Z. The gas filler cap is missing the chain that keeps it attached to the car. I've found another cap with a chain attached and I'd like to attach the chain to the filler neck..... but for the life of me I can't figure out where it attaches. I've consulted the FSM with no luck. I've felt around to find an attaching point, again, no luck. Can anyone tell me where and how this chain attaches? I'd really like to get that on because I'm prone to driving off from a fill-up sometimes with the cap not in place. At least the chain will get it home with me! (Been lucky so far and haven't lost it.) Thanks!! John

Just a heads-up FYI, I came across this while trolling eBay this morning and thought one of y'all may be interested (I am too, but priorities are $ucking me dry.....) VIN-HLS30-00357 (& he's including a '77 with the sale) : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-DATSUN-Z-CAR-240Z-MANUFACTURED-11-69-FACT-AIR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6783QQihZ014QQitemZ330005026600QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW ends July 11 at what is IMO an odd time, so there may be some interesting bidding.

Here are a few pictures of my cam cover as it is after bead blasting and several coats of clear coat. (I also contrasted the indents with high temp black and then polished the lands and 'nissan ohc' with progressively finer sand paper down to crocus cloth prior to the clear coat.) Sorry I did not post them with the first reply. These get the message across much better than trying to describe in writing. As for engine color, I have tried "old Ford blue" on a couple parts I have on the bench. The results are okay, perhaps a shade too blue for a purist.

For the cam cover, consider bead blasting it clean, then several coats of clear high temp engine enamel. That worked very nicely on mine. Without the protective clear coat they will pick up finger prints, oil, and every loose piece of greasy soot within a 25 mile radius. Polishing makes a stunning display, too. I've seen some fantastic results that IMO look nicer than chrome (but my tastes are not for sparkle in my engine bay). I've also seen one that I was told was 'chrome' powder coated. That looked nice and should be easy to maintain as well.

I just looked out in the garage to see if I could find the one I had laying around. Sorry, can't locate it. Yes, eBay is the easiest option if there are none out in the garage. They are listed on eBay all of the time for different applications. Just know what it is exactly that you are looking for, and remember to be patient and don't get "caught up" in the bidding. Also be aware of what the seller charges for postage, as some (less than honest) sellers sock you with outrageous shipping fees; just check it out before bidding and "set your limit & stick to it".... with eBay, patience is your wallet's best friend. I do not recommend buying from a seller that has less than 98% positive feedback.

I agree, a "competent" locksmith is the answer. I had mine done by a locksmith that I know and that has been working on automobile locks for the last 40 years. He smiled when I proposed that he work on it. To him it was a blast from the past, and he enjoyed every minute of the experience. The cost to you should be generally for "time" involved, as there isn't very much in the way of parts. Find someone that's been around for a while and enjoys their work.... That will be the most gentle on your wallet.... (Whew!! About $600. for OEM!!! !ouch!)

Please, could anyone post a few pix of a Z car properly positioned on jack stands? I'd like to see from the bottom up so that I do it the proper way without doing damage to my vehicle (positioning properly on the uniframe concerns me). Also, what's the recommended procedure, one corner at a time, or both front or rear at a time? (Logic tells me both front or both rear so as to avoid the leaning.) And what are the best jacking points to use when doing this. I'm ready to go with a small floor jack and four jack stands from harbor Freight! I guess all I need now is the confidence to do it correctly, and I know that y'all can certainly supply that! I must admit that I an a "visual" learner; seeing helps me understand much better than trying to interpret from text. I don't mean to be a pain, just want to do it right the first time. (I have in the past used a pair of ramps, but want to get the girl up on all four corners without wheels touching.) Your help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated! John

My thanks to you Will, Arne, Mike, and Enigma! You guys figured that out in a matter of minutes, complete with pictures. I should have asked a year ago! I'll also be looking around for some 195/70-14, or 205/65-14 tires. I greatly appreciate your help with this. The new tire sizes remain a mystery to me. I think that I'll do some polishing on the wheels, contrast them a bit by painting the recessed areas black, and hit them with a coat of clear coat.

That is one fine looking automobile. It is exactly like the one I bought in 1972 and it looks pretty much like it did the day it was delivered.... at least from the pictures provided. John

Hi, folks, I'm looking for some opinions on the origins of the wheels that are on my 1972 240Z. These were on it when I bought it, and I'm about certain that they are from a later date and different vehicle. I've looked around for quite some time to try to put an identity to them, but have had no success. They are marked "Nissan" - "5 1/2-JJx1435" - "M83" - "40300 W1510" I really did not care for them very much at the beginning, but they have grown on me to the point where I just may polish them up and keep them on the car! There are others that I like much better, but there are other things in line for my paycheck that take priority (kid, wife, house, pets, cam replacement, paint job.... you know the list...). Pictures are attached. And please don't bust a gut laughing at the tires.... I know that the Hercules P175/75R14 have gotta go. But, they were on her when the she took custody of me (and my bank account). They were new, so I figured I may as well run some tread off of them (and I have, with great fun). Leads me to the next question: What size tires can I put on her to max out the tread I get on the road and not get any interference from the vehicle (rubs, thumps, bumps, body damage, etc.), and make no mods to the car? My use will be about 40% pleasure driving, and 60% "spirited" back-road touring as I live in a rural Pennsylvania area with mostly two-lane back roads with lots of tight curves, lots of hills, and great combinations of both....so handling is important. And, I'd like to maintain some accuracy with my speedometer, too. The last time I paid attention to tires was a long time ago, when I sold them back in the mid-seventies, and I put on a set of 185X14 Michelin "X" on my first Z (or maybe they were 175X14's - can't quite remember - old/damaged brain cells at work where that info is stored, and things have changed so much that that info isn't good anymore anyway). I sold Semperit brand at the time but preferred the Michelin X by far. So, what do you think about a tire size that will fit on these 14" rims? Tire ratings, and brand name suggestions are more than welcome, too! I've searched the archives and found lots of information available, but it just didn't quite give me the answers to the questions that I end up having. Your help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated! John 1972 HLS30 84646 Mfg 5/72

I had a similar problem a while back, only to find that my 'new' dist cap was defective with a slight crack, and it developed a "halo" of junk around the inside as if it had been spit off by the rotor (actually I guess it really was spit off by the rotor). It started in damp weather much better after I hit the inside area with WD-40 and wiped out all of the junk. Of course due to the crack I replaced it in relatively short order.

I've been looking at a few of these too. I think there are few of them out there that go up/down with the switches that we have on the older stock radios. Note the ad on eBay indicates " fully automatic (goes up and down with the car radio ON/OFF)". It's not a big point unless you are trying to keep things fairly original. On the other hand, if your radios are recent aftermarket equipment, that may be exactly what you are looking for. It's not at all unusual to see used antenas out of a 240Z on eBay. I don't recommend bidding on this (look at the postage!), but they turn up like this quite often. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DATSUN-240Z-Parts-Lot-260Z-280Z-25-Items_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQitemZ8077217956QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW And here's another "closed" auction for one (I have not seen them go that high!)

There are several up on eBay right now. I think one of them may be an AMCO, but I'm really not too sure about the others. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/75-Datsun-240Z-260Z-280Z-4-Speed-Shift-Knob-Vintage_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33703QQitemZ8077191999QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DATSUN-Z-CAR-SHIFT-KNOB_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34206QQihZ010QQitemZ200000334247QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-1983-datsun-240z-260z-280z-280zx-walnut-shift-knob_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33703QQihZ014QQitemZ330000396004QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW I really like the OEM knobs best, they are not as bulky. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-240Z-260Z-280Z-New-OEM-Woodgrain-Shift-Knob_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10076QQihZ002QQitemZ4652238746QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Yep, that sure looks like the one. There were also ones with a "Z", if I recall the AMCO product line correctly.

All of the eBay tips are very good. Each one, in each of the postings is very well founded. I have eight years of selling experience on eBay, and have had very few disapointments with the system and other eBay community members. Several issues may not seem important, but they were offered by sellers with obvious experience. Within the last two years I have noticed a tremendous increase in last second bidding. Yes, last second, not minute or hour. Many of my listings double in value in the last 5 ~ 10 seconds. Many bidders wait to drop their load at the bitter end. This makes it very important to consider when you want your auction to end. With Z-cars, and other 'boy toys', as my wife calls them, I suggest an ending time when your audience will be available. I usually list this type of an offering so that it will end around 7:00 western / 10:00 eastern time. Also, I like to schedule my listing for a Thursday night and run it for ten days. That way I get two weekends of play, with the auction ending Sunday night. This is important because the highest traffic on eBay for browsing is on weekends. The more weekend days that you get, the more watchers and potential bidders you will get. I also go overboard on pictures. I use lots of them and of the highest quality I can provide. This makes it as close to seeing the item in person as possible. The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies to eBay. Hook them up with an accurate, honest description, and you will likely not be let down. Low starting bids are another way to get watchers and bidders. I often start at $0.01 with no reserve (but in the case of a nice Z-car would likely put a reserve on the auction). Keep in mind that the more watchers you get, the more bidders you will have at the end....get your auction on as many buyer radar screens as possible. Also consider "feedback" ratings: A seller with under ten feedbacks, even if they are all positive, may not attract as many bidders as another seller who has more. Buying from a seller with 0 feedbacks is like buying a pig in a poke. As a buyer you will be comfortable bidding higher if your comfort level with the seller is higher (and feedback is about the only way to convey that comfort level). I get queezy buying from anyone with less than 98.5% positive feedback. I have bought from sellers with 0 feedback, but it's an uneasy feeling. The positive side to buying from a 0 feedback seller is that you will likely get a bargain because there will be fewer people bidding against you (and that's not good at all for the seller), but you're taking a chance, too. I've been lucky in that respect. For someone starting on eBay I usually suggest selling a few low-end items first, build up some positive feedback, get the hang of the system, then list the bigger ticket items. In the case of selling something like a Z, it may be worth while farming the job out to someone who has a good feedback record and experience writing listings, etc. The money that you spend doing that will come back to you several fold in the end of auction results. Last but not least, as everyone has said, beware of something that smells like a rat. PayPal, although expensive, is a great money transfer service that is well worth the fees you pay. More than 95% of my sales are paid with PayPal now. If you don't offer that option, you will exclude some potential buyers. By the same token, do not state that the ONLY payment method accepted is PayPal, either. Include other methods like US Postal Service Money Orders so that there are several options available (but be specific in your listing). Under no circumstances release your goods to a buyer until you absolutely know the funds are good. (A woman I work with sold a car on eBay, received a certified check, released the car, and ten days later found that the check was bogus!) Under NO circumstances accept a check that includes extra funds for a shipper (requiring you to cash the check and then pay the shipper from those funds). The latest scam puts you out the cost of the car plus additional $$ for shipping. Just be aware of these things so that you can avoid the rats, don't let it scare you away from eBay. Get involved and enjoy the experience....Kinda like sex.... lots of fun, and if you practice a few reasonable precautions, it won't kill you.

I agree, that looks like an AMCO aftermarket knob. In the '70s I sold aftermarket parts for a living, and sold thousands of these knobs which were made for almost any vehicle. Our local Datsun dealers also sold AMCO accessories. In addition to walnut, there was a "leather" covered one, too, which I think sold for an additional several dollars. Knobs were one of the first things added to a new car; they were viewed as an upgrade and a step up from stock - not to mention, inexpensive. It was the first thing I did to my new Z in 1972. You are also correct about the finish on the wood not being the greatest for durability. But, as with almost any piece of wood, it can be refinished. I suggest removing the majority of the remaining finish with a solvent (lacquer or varnish thinner, etc.), not using any sand paper so as to retain some of the age patina, hit it with a few drops of stain (Minwax walnut or something to your taste) rubbing it in evenly. and letting it dry. Perhaps a second coat of the stain, and let it dry well. Buff off all that you can, then hit it with 4~5 coats of tung oil or boiled linseed oil, using a very light abrasive cloth (Scotch-Brite pad, etc - not steel wool) between coats after the coats dry. Finally, several coats of a good furniture wax. That should provide a stunning and durable finish to the wood part. I just did that process to my stock knob about a year ago, It gets richer looking now the more I use it. As for the center piece, there's the problem, they are tough to restore... I've seen some with coins, etc. mounted in there as replacements. MSA is likely your easiest route for a good looking knob. I've bought from them with better than average results and excellent customer service. I also highly recommend Banzai - Mr. McGinnis is simply fantastic. Good luck.