Leaderboard

Had a wonderful time visiting with @jfa.series1 for a few hours yesterday. We enjoyed his well stocked and orderly garage while turning wrenches to tune his carbs. It was a pleasure to work on a gold medallion car and to work with Z Therapy restored carbs. So clean and mechanically perfect! Thanks for the privilege! @siteunseen will be pleased to know that Jim is now a believer in "Equally Shitty" 3 cylinder tuning!!!!

Did he need bail money? He's a traveling Otis Campbell.

I didn't see an ankle monitor so I guess the local fuzz had not yet caught up with him. He was driving a little Toyota rental, traveling pretty well incognito.

Cliff, Just to add my 2 cents to the discussion--- I have the BRE cover for my 73 and love it. Very well made and very soft to the finish on your car. I also like the fact that it is so associated with those halcyon days of Datsun racing. It stays put in high winds----not a problem. It fits tightly where it matters at the nose and tail and completely covers the car down to almost the centers of the wheels. The lack of a mirror pocket is not an issue.

I was a distributer for Covercraft products during an earlier phase of my life and highly recommend them. My 914-6 has worn Covercraft for 27 years and my Avanti for over 40 - they last a long time.. The covers are machine washable and custom fit. You can order with or without mirror pockets. Covercraft made many custom covers for Studebakers from the 1930s and 40s based on customer dimensions I sent in to them. The good old days! Dennis

Had a visit this morning from our very good friend @240260280z. He was in town this week for business meetings and came by before his return flight home. He took me through the process to adjust and balance my SU's - much happier carbs now! Quite a nice tech session for the morning.

Just catching up on this thread. I’ll give you my advice having been searching for S30s for about 2 years all over the country and educating myself in the process. Before we talk about the cars we need to talk about the “end state”. What do you want. Weekend driver, long term resto project for a show car, daily driver or something to tinker with. Reading through this sounds like you want a pseudo daily driver. After we establish that the we look at what finances we can commit to this. You said 10k. That’s not a lot to get a nice, rust free, mechanically solid car that’s over 40 yrs old. While parts are available, some are getting expensive, especially in the 240 world. You want a car that has most of its parts. Clean shells are deceiving and can break the wallet buying all the little stuff. Second is rust. Dave WM has already emphasized this and he’s right. Rust will destroy your budget completely unless you know how to weld and fab metal. Finally, mechanical. You can take more risk here. Like already mentioned you can find L-series engines with trannys for $400-$1000 online all day. Another $1000 you can totally rebuild a stock motor. I’d avoid the 260s. It’s not that they’re bad cars, they are just less desired and less parts available. There is nothing special other that they were built for one year (1974). 240s have been a the most desirable S30s and have seen a spike in prices in the past 5 or more years. They have the worst rust problems without question. The lightest chassis, arguably the cleanest lines (bumpers), least bells and whistles. 280s are the most mechanically refined S30. There are more available to buy, prices are still reasonable and there are more parts available. They’re about 500lbs heavier than a 240z. Bigger engine, stock 5 speed, better AC, smoother ride, EFI. Reading your posts, I think you should find a solid 280z. I’d look to spend 7-8k and keep 2k in reserve to make the car what your want and reliable. For 10k you can get a nice 280z if you are patient. Better to wait for the right car then get the car you kinda want today. I have a 280z but really wanted a 240z. If I stumbled on a great 240 deal, I’d buy it in a heartbeat but the good deals and barn finds where grandma doesn’t know whats she has are rare. The 240z is the classic car that everyone wants but you can get the same styling with some refinement in a 280 and save a bunch of money and have as must fun. Hope this helps your quest! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Today, the Los Angeles Times newspaper ran a fun little story that the longtime Z owners among us may relate to. Here's the link: https://tinyurl.com/y2t4pxja Dennis

So basically, you chose the skinny jeans (black one) over the baggy jeans (BRE) for your Cover. I've got a medium size cover from Costco that's just a little too big but it does the trick for my fashion sense. And, if you need any help on your rental, My buddy Roy Moore and I will be glad to help....?.

The one thing that Jim's car did that I never ever witnessed before is the 1/64" carb piston lift rod trick check for a/f at idle. It must have been the Z Therapy excellent restoration (no leaky bushings) and the fact that everything in Texas is in great repair and done right! One of my fav states!

Yes. Both the insulative material inside and the outer covering were described in the Datsun/Nissan TSB as being made of asbestos containing materials. Evil stuff for your body---but in '73 the governmental authorities weren't worried too much about it---they were more worried about the perceived threats of psychedelic drugs---- (Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test had really set in) Many 73 Z'z came from the factory with a "transistorized" electric fuel pump---either the Mitsuba FP3 or the Jidosha Kiki units (mine had the Mitsuba). I'm pretty sure the cars from the first few months of production (72 builds) did not, and were candidates for the V3 factory authorized TSB program to address the reported issues----the electric fuel pump and heat wrap on the fuel lines were 2 significant aspects----but there were several other procedures included in that TSB. The transistorized electric fuel pump was not listed on the window sticker as a feature of the car. I'm not wound-up tight enough yet to get into my rap about "the wrap" today. I do think It will be interesting to hear Fred Buoni's response regarding the TSB/V3 issue as it relates to ZCCA/ZCON judging for this unique instance applying only to the 73 240z. He promised a statement in an earlier inquiry by @motorman7regarding the interpretation of the TSB/V3 as being "Factory" or "Dealer".

As time went on in 73, I believe the asbestos (Zup has mentioned it was indeed asbestos) heat wrap transitioned from the dealer installation to factory. Zup replaced the heat wrap with a more modern equivalent because it had deteriorated and became crumbly over 40 plus years with no way to restore it.

He said it has documentation up to 16 or 17k mi. Perhaps that is because the other 100k disappeared. I’ll have to see the documents myself to determine the years, and look at the pedals ;). But the 3 that I have are in disrepair. The last one to run was about 20 years ago. The other to even longer. None of them are really missing parts so I think I could get things that might need from them. The 240 is sadly far too rusted to do anything with. The 2 280s have far less rust, but there is still some visible rust. I believe the floor pans are still there, though some rust in on them. Some rust at the sills and the battery trays are essentially gone. The spare compartments are intact but have surface rust. Visible surface rust where chips in the pair were, etc. So I don’t really know. Plus, they are 12hrs away, so it’s not as easy for me to use one of them directly at the moment anyway. If any of them were pristine, it would be worth it to get it shipped down, but in there current state it’s not worth it. I don’t know. I just really want to get something started, or I worry I never will. I’ve had those 3 for about 3 years now, and nothing has come of them due to lack of funds. Now I am making enough that I think I can start to get something going though. Also, as I am somewhat new to this area, is there anyone in the community from Florida that might have a suggestion of a mechanic that is knowledgeable in Z’s for a PPI or any other help? Thank you to everyone for commenting by the way. It’s really nice to see that people would actually be decent enough to consider helping me. I truly appreciate it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Look at the rubber on the pedals. Can't hide that wear.

Yep Finally I will own a GT 240K ......My friend bought this 240K from Astralia and he will convert it to Left Hand Drive and do all the body work and interior plus mounting a 280ZX drive train and then ship it to USA from UAE (Dubai)....here is some pictures so far and I will post as they come from my Friend Sultan In UAE....... This picture when we tow it from the original owner... When it arrived to UAE Dubai... The work started strip and convert to lt hand drive.....

You have a budget. The 3 Z's you have you have indicated are basically donors, at best, otherwise you would have embarked on fixing at least the best of the three. The cars you have in storage could be donors for your (and others) projects. Maybe others can add to this list. Interchangeability of parts - Off the top of my head: Doors changed in 1977 model year. Only 1977-78 are interchangeable with each other. Unsure about the 2+2 models. Bumpers for 1977-1978 were the same. 1974, 1975 and 1976 were year specific and can be modified to fit other years - not that you would want to. Introduction of EFI in 1975 - Most parts are interchangeable, however, each year had particular changes in the wiring diagram. Others can help you narrow down on what to strip off your inventory, and others may be interested in the carcass to be able to get their project on the road - a win win. You can add money to your budget by selling off what you really don't need, but it sounds like you already have the hoarding disease..... As do I and so many others.... This may help you narrow down on finding what you really want, and have spares for. Good Luck.

Ignore this I sanded up the little metal arm and bent it to make good contact and horns work again

@siteunseen GL with that!

I went with the black microfiber one. If I don't like it I'll cover the rarely driven blue 280 and order the BRE. Money's a little tight right now, I'm working on my rental house to make the 20 year old cutie and all her friends comfortable. They have pajama parties every night and I'm hoping to be invited.

It's been a while since I posted...been busy with life...finally I mounted the adjustable rear springs. Done I will post some pix when I am done totally with the fronts too.

It doesn't really sound like vacuum leak symptoms, but it's good to know your vacuum numbers at any rate. As site said, go rent a vacuum tester. You want to measure with the engine at normal operating temperature. Find where the rubber hose from the brake booster goes into the intake manifold. Loosen the clamp at the manifold, remove the hose, and attach the proper adapter included with the vacuum tester kit. Start the engine and observe where the needle sits at idle. For at or near sea level locations, I believe 20-23HG is nominal..17 is low but acceptable. I don't know much about Houston, but I know it's hot and humid and most likely near or below sea level, so the numbers on the gauge are to be read without doing math(higher elevations require a formula for factoring elevation). One thing to note in your particular situation is that you stated earlier that your engine idles at 1200 RPM. That will produce a higher vacuum reading, possibly masking any problems. My '80 ZX is supposed to idle at 750RPM(which it currently does)..I'm sure 750 is right for all the FI cars but you might want to verify idle RPM for your year. I would research how to adjust the idle mixture adjustment screw http://xenonzcar.com/s130/afmrefresh.html See step 7

Borrow a vacuum gauge from a local chain store. They make you pay up front but won't charge when you return it. Loaner program they call it but you pay. Should be buy it program.

Yep, the likelihood of that 280Z having only covered 18k miles is pretty small. Unless there’s documentation, assume at least 118k miles. As siteunseen mentioned, look at the wear on the rubber covers for the pedals. At 18k miles, they should look close to brand new. Of course, new rubber covers can be purchased. Another clue on mileage...look at the driver’s side of the transmission tunnel, where the driver’s foot would rub up against it. Does the carpet there look newish, or worn? Of the choices presented, I would lean towards the 280Z, and perhaps you can talk the seller down some. No harm in trying. Also, unless you feel confident in your ability to inspect the car thoroughly, I’d recommend you make the purchase contingent upon a successful pre-purchase inspection at an independent shop familiar with Z cars. Do you have one in the area where the car is located? Plan on spending a little of your budget to get the inspection. The goal is to buy your dream car, not one that ends up being a nightmare!

in 73, I'm not sure if that heat wrap came from the factory or was added by dealers as part of a TSB. If you look at the pics in the FSM's, the heat wrap does not appear in the 73 manual, but it is shown in the pics for 74. @Zup might have some insights. I think he and that wrap stuff have a long and troubled relationship.

In 1973, didn't the 240Zs with the flat tops come with asbestos wraps on the fuel rail? They are missing on the subject '73 on BaT.

It was our discussions in Atlanta, wasn't it? Don't forget about the built in return springs. Or the heavy calibrated weighted suction pistons. Or the heating water that goes all the way around the nozzle to aid in fuel atomization. Or the real choke function. Or that they came with an automatic thermostatically controlled air cleaner. OK. Back to the boat with thee.

“One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny. They were one of the finest ****ing rock bands of their time, in about 1973. They were extraordinary: They wrote everything, they played like mother****ers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them. They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time. Revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done.” —David Bowie in a December 1999 issue of Rolling Stone

I had squeal when pressing clutch it was throwout bearing replaced that and it went away although now that I think about it I replaced the pilot bushing at the same time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

final run, come and get it Jeff!

just plug into the line that goes to the CSV, you don't need it anyway during summer months and it removes one more variable (a bad CSV) from the equation.

When you have some reading time here's where I started. Thanks @240260280 http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/EFI&fuel.htm main page... http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/

There's some bored SOBs in this world. Changing the wheels out in the comments?

You know I had to chime in here. Still amazes me that people are promoting the technically inferior SUs over the Flat tops, which are stock for this vehicle. I think most do not realize the advances that were incorporated into the flat tops that are not on the SUs. The flat tops feature 1) factory aligned needle and seats 2) a visible glass float bowl level 3) Anti-stall fuel rich mechanism 4) multi-point adjustable fuel mixture screws 5) fuel pump accelerator. I would bet that most who are promoting the SU’s are unfamiliar with these features and have no clue what I am talking about. Personally, this car is about as good as it gets…I even love those hubcaps! OK, no more carb comments from me…I will go back into hiding. I tried to post this comment on the auction site, but looks like they will not allow it....perhaps it is too inflammatory. Maybe I should try to sanitize it and then re-submit.

I totally understand. That's a lot of money for a complete project!

I took a video and everything in the trans seemed to be working so I removed the O-ring that came with the switch and cleaned the bulb connections in the rear and now it works like it is supposed to. I'm honestly not sure why it wouldn't work before.

The closest replacements I've found are from midwestcontrolproducts.com. They have 8mm ball socket ends, but they have M5 threads rather than M4 on the originals. This has lead me to using M5 threaded rod and making complete new throttle rods. They even have several styles of ball ends that lock on to the ball studs. I do have a little stock of both stock rods and ball ends as well as many of the midwest ball ends that I use for throttle cable and other linkage building projects if you want to get some from me. https://midwestcontrol.com/shop/DMCBH-5?search=Ball joint M5

So my hovel was graced with the presence and presents of zKars today. Jim showed up with my replacement door shells along with a couple other bits and pieces. He also lent his hand showing me the proper way to reinstall the rockers in the E88 head! Thanks Jim! Here he is spending some quality time with his old stroker. And here he is enjoying a nice ocean aged whiskey... smooth!

Making some progress...cleaning up various parts. July 8th I am bringing the car into a shop to take care of the rust and replace the frame rail, floor panel and floor support. Will update the thread once the work is completed

My intent is not to hijack this thread but thought adding to it may help others on some data I compiled as I fine tuned my New SU's (from ZTherapy). I can delete this if recommended... My '73 240z engine: L24 rebuilt with Stock Cam, Mallory Breakerless Disty with Mallory Promaster Coil, MSD 6A Box, New Rockers/Lash Pads adjusted valves to spec. NOTE Spark Plugs: NGK BP6ES Plugs gapped to 0.062" (due to Mallory Promaster Coil and MSD 6A Spark) ... I run 87 Octane Unleaded. Tuned SU's using ZTherapy DVD: 18degrees BTDC, Idles great at 840rpm (when my electric fans kick on RPM drops to ~800rpm). Both SU's dialed currently at 2-1/4 Turns Out (Front & Back are the same). I DO NOT have O2 Sensors so am not able to measure precisely during driving.... Background: I tuned the SUs using SM Needles, 20wt damper oil (ATF) as described in the DVD and it ran extremely good. Balanced them real well and rock solid idling, starting well and no sputtering during acceleration and top cruising speed. However after about 250miles on them, I noticed it ran a little rich during accelerating and cruising based on the plugs so I tweaked Mixture Screws Leaner (Turned In) ... after repeating this for about 1month putting 300miles on it, I could not get the idle as stable as I liked... so I began to research on what Needle profile may work better for my engine config during accelerating and cruising. I compiled some data to share (all from this site) on Needle comparisons for anyone's interest to use. There are 2 Needles that come close to the N-27 profile during working ranges and I went with one that is a slightly richer at Stations #3 through #6, but leaner than "SM" ... I am currently testing the "SR" Needle that is close to the N-27 (but slightly richer through all stations when compared to Idle Diameter), have set the Mixture Screws on the SUs back to 2-1/4 Turns Out and it's idling rock sold again... put about 100miles on these needles and the car is running real well and will stick with them for now. The closest Needle profile to the N-27 is actually the "SL" , and may work better for those with a more Stock Like engine configuration. I used pages 10 & 11 for Needle Profile testing during driving from attachment: SU Needles - Tuning_SU_Carburetors.pdf I purchase my 0.100" Needles from SU Midel: http://www.sumidel.com/shop/category/-0100-fixed Data table in the last attachment.............................. Maybe this information is helpful to others .... if not I can delete this .... again I did not want to confuse or hijack this thread. Many thanks..... SU Needle charts pp 47 to 49.pdf SU Needles - Tuning_SU_Carburetors.pdf SU Needle profiles vs N27 Stock.pdf SU Needle Stations.bmp

Also I just came back from Williams AZ today for the 1st JDM Classic Show. It was a blast... we got some rain......had a lot of fun.

keep in mind that "I just wish I could do the work myself" was the first step for all of us. If you have the space and time, go for it. Many of the Zs here have been rescued from becoming a parts car, most by owners who started off not knowing how to do the work and learning as the job progressed. Take it one step at a time and ask questions. You can do it.

It will be a Ferrari Red with black flares,spoiler and airdam....trying to do a GTR replica......