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I think I've read a couple of those over the years.

Well I think you're being a little too hard on yourself with the dunce moniker. You had a problem, searched for the root cause, and found it. Right? Note that I was going to suggest you check the fuse, but instead suggested the more general "you'll need to start poking around upstream". Of course, the fuse is part of that investigation. But whatever... Your radio works now. Good deal!

Might be a later track day car but it looks well prepared!

I'm not positive the 2+2s have the 240mm larger flywheel but I think they do. A coupe has a 225mm flywheel. I would go to rockauto.com or amazon.com and find your car's clutch by putting in the info and see what pops up. I have the 225mm Exedy 6009 clutch in both mine and it works fine and is as close to OE equipment from all I read. Easy on my left leg with plenty of grip for street driving. They were $100 five years ago so probably $500 today.

I’m starting this restoration thread for enthusiasts of the early S30 Works rally cars, so they can follow along, and perhaps also provide comments and their own insights as to the very early days of the S30 Works rally program. I additionally hope that others can chime in with comments, questions, corrections, and feedback as we go along. A preamble: this is a thread about researching, documenting and restoring a genuine 1970 Works Rally car. I’ve owned it for many years, but the realities of real life were getting in the way of getting started on a proper restoration. Given the car's provenance, I knew it would be important to get the history and the details as right as I could, given what little is known publicly about the Works program, and the scarcity of remaining Works cars. So I’ve used this time to do as much research as I could on the car's history, collaborate with a few historians (most notably @HS30-H, who needs no introduction), source a few needed parts, and work to provide a more complete pre-restoration snapshot in it’s current unrestored condition, as well as provide a glimpse of what the restored car will resemble when it’s finished. In addition to documenting and research, I've been looking for an appropriate opportunity to show the car publicly under my stewardship for the first time. Given the car’s current condition, it would have to be trailered to a show, which limited my options to “Somewhere on the West Coast". The stars aligned when ZONC announced it’s 50th anniversary meet in Northern CA in February for June 5, 2022. With this as a target date, I set my sights on getting the car as presentable as I could manage, given the time I had available to me. Loose parts were screwed on, dirty pieces were dusted off, and period stickers were researched, ordered, and placed (note: this last step was insanely fun). In my experience, there’s nothing like having a show deadline to motivate owners into getting their cars finished! Enthusiasts, historians, well-wishers, even skeptics and haters (although hopefully not too many of the latter): I look forward sharing this journey with you, and to your comments! 😄

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but as I work to bring my '71 Series 2 back to original, I remain puzzled by the coolant line running through the intake manifold. I've now reconnected it, but only for appearance purposes. When a car is first started, the coolant is, as name suggests, cool. So how can it have any effect on smoother running when still cold? But on the other side of the equation, once the engine warms up why would we want to be heating the intake manifold? Having the coolest intake charge is fundamental to performance is it not? The cool fuel mixture is more compact and will there expand to a greater measure at the point of ignition. Any thoughts and/or wisdom would be appreciated.

There's a new clear film that installs like traditional window tint that supposedly blocks 99% of UV rays and up to 43% of the heat coming through the glass. Also supposedly, it is legal to put it on the windshield because it is almost completely transparent. I'm going to be looking into this, and if it is in fact legal I may have a tint shop do all my glass with this stuff. It's also anti glare. Might replace your towel solution.

A couple came up today. A 78 in the 20's. A 72 still climbing. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-128/ No reserve - https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-232/

I hope you guys get your AC working, I got back from a 800 mile round trip thru central AL/GA/FL last week. Mucho hot everywhere, AC (stock R-12 orig compressor) all worked very well made for a nice cool trip. It really helps to enjoy the car. I have the "shadow" brand louvers, no holes in metal type seems to help, esp with not speeding (over 80 and it starts to rattle). Also I keep a white towel bottom black towel top cover on my dash. Hours of time even with AC on and inside temps comfortable the dash gets VERY hot for the sun. I don't know if it helps keep the car cooler, but my dash is never warm with that combo. You need the black on top to cut glare.

Sorry. I've really been meaning to get on top of my A/C project, but time keeps on slipping, slipping. That said. let me clarify something... I mentioned that I had collected all the stock parts I need to put a system into my car, but I am still opposed to using the original compressor. Even if I use the original hard lines, etc, I still plan to use a newer ubiquitous compressor from something easy to find. And Dave WM has suggested to me that a newer parallel flow condenser is better for R134 than the original serpentine version. Apparently R134 likes a parallel flow, while R12 likes serpentine. So now I'm thinking I would try to retrofit a newer parallel flow condenser instead of the original. But all of this still assumes that I actually get back to working on it...

Considering all of the potential problems, if I was buying a clutch kit I would just make sure that it came with a throwout bearing sleeve/collar. That's where people run in to problems, a mismatch between the sleeve and the pressure plate. Are you buying a flywheel too or having yours turned? 225mm flywheels are hard to find. You might find that you'll have to go 240mm (but it should already be 240 like you said) unless you get a Fidanza flywheel. The transmission that you use doesn't matter as long as it's a 71B type. That goes all the way through 1983. But, if you decide to change the differential to match the gears of a later model 5 speed you'll find that the 1975 year has an oddball pinion flange pattern on the diff.

I thought your tolerance for no A/C got depleted that year you tried to ice bath yourself while driving. Wasn't there some goofy thing with umbilical cords to a cooler of ice water and a pump?

Interesting how much misinformation still gets circulated on Scarab Engineering, its cars and its founders (Brian Morrow and Keith Bergey). 4 years ago I wrote the definitive book on the company after visiting with both founders and speaking with them extensively. My book, "Resurrecting the Legend - The Real Datsun Scarab Story," can be found for sale on eBay.

That could've been the T boner?

You are the Duke of hazards.

@SpeedRoopreviously asked about the Kanri number on the dashboard at the spot where there would normally be a pen holder. It's surmised that this was most likely placed there by a previous owner, as it is not a factory inclusion that appears in any period photos. @HS30-H had clued me into the fact that these rally pen holders were actually still readily available, so I bought several of them with the thought that I'd have to retrofit one with some sort of mount, in order to properly affix it to the dashboard. In stock form, they appear to be designed as clip-ons for a clipboard, or other hard, thin surface. With some samples of the pen holder in-hand, I elected to take a chance and finally remove the Kanri badge, and hopefully re-fashion a new pen holder and custom mount to be placed in the same location. I had always suspected that the Kanri badge was simply a decoration that covered up some form of glue blemish or tear left by the original holder when the car was converted to street use. However, I was happy to be mistaken - after a little careful prying, the badge came off, revealing a precise 1/2" slit and groove that had been cut into the dashboard. The groove fit the new pen holder snugly, so after a little massaging, I managed to situate the new pen holder pretty much as it appeared in period photos. Job done!

Quick update: Haven't tried the Colortune yet BUT I was able to resolve the electrical/lighting issues I'd been struggling with for the past few months. See resolution here: https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/67444-steering-column-connections-and-lighting-fixed/?do=findComment&comment=642232 I got the dash all buttoned up again, and drove the car around a bit with the now-operational brake lights and turn signals. I even opened it up a bit on some of the back roads. It sounds...quite nice in the 3-4K range. I have a phone mount and plan to get some in-car videos soon. In the meantime, here's another pic I took yesterday evening. Needs a good bath. Next goals: Install PerTronix ignition parts Final tune with Colortune Install choke reinforcement bracket to center tunnel Reassemble rest of interior (still missing HVAC + radio panel and center console Purchase replacement choke knob (the elusive 1972 piece) and horn pad Recondition the airbox Etc etc