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The bottom line is - if the cooling system can't cool with no thermostat it will never cool with a thermostat. You're probably spending your radiator money on thermostats that you don't need.

They're all the same I think. The internet multiplies the population of potential victims. The internet makes conning people much much easier.

Beverly Hills has really gone downhill recently 😉

I have observed the same thing regarding thermostat hole opening size between original and new Stant etc thermostats. In my 240z at least, the thermostat brand makes no difference regarding the operating temperature...even in Atlanta heat. My point is, and for my car at least, the operating temp depends primarily on all of the other cooling components working properly.

The markers they used in the factory ( if they did ) prob was crayon or something, that dissolved not paint. For a restoration I dont need it personally, its not like you are doing assembly line stuff anymore

I hadn't thought about the old Google Maps. It's usually one of my go-to's. https://goo.gl/maps/nukesb6RXc6yStYc6

Gotcha. He suggested changing back to an OEM style thermostat and if that doesn't work to knock out the back-right freeze plug (the one above the starter) and flush the engine out again through the thermostat housing. He said IF there's rust in the block, it usually sticks around near that freeze plug.

The thermostat is actually opening and closing continuously during operation at designed operation temperature. If it just opened fully and stayed open there would be no temperature control.

Its better like this, the front could be acceptable ,but the further you go under the floorboard, weaker it gets. Some wood under it would be MUCH better. The floors are a weak point sadly so many people put a jack under there in the early days pushing the floors in.

Exactly.... Seems a lot of guys want to jump in the Z hype $$$$ quick refurb and ask big bucks. Some sucker is going to fall for it though...🤣

Look! A job opening!

I saw that after I posted. Still, sixty grand for a lemon is a lot of scratch, eh?

UPDATE: I spoke with my old Z mechanic to see where he got the OEM thermostat that was in the car before my changeover to the new aftermarket one earlier this year since OEM ones are supposedly NLA. It turns out Nissan still makes a thermostat that works but is not the original one designated for the car. This thermostat is a Nissan part (part number 21200-F3190) but works in a bunch of their engines (L-series included). This is the thermostat that held the car's temperature at 170 from 2015-2020 before I started having cooling issues. I threw the old and new OEM thermostats as well as the aftermarket one in a pot of water. The old OEM thermostat started opening at 185 (unlike the new OEM one which opened around 170) and after continuing to heat the pot, the old OEM thermostat only ended up opening about 2/3's as much as the new OEM thermostat so the old OEM thermostat was indeed bad. The aftermarket one opened and closed at the same temperatures as the new OEM thermostat but the opening indeed is about 30% smaller than the OEM thermostat and the amount of travel the plunger can physically move is again maybe 30% less due to it being physically shorter. I have not tried the new thermostat in the car because driving it around in this cold weather won't give me a definitive answer, but I am feeling confident that my old worn-out OEM thermostat not opening at the right temperature (and not to the right amount) started this issue, and installing an aftermarket thermostat that physically can't move as much coolant as an OEM one kept me heating up, but for for a different reason entirely. With the new OEM thermostat correcting both issues, we should be all set come spring time. Here are pictures of the OEM one (right side) next to the aftermarket one (left side). You can see the opening is considerably smaller and plunger's travel is considerably shorter on the aftermarket unit. I will update you guys in the spring. I don't understand how/why they sell this design...

So I ordered some badges a little while back because, you know it's yellow now. Why not? I bought them out of the UK I think the hood badge looks ok? The hatch emblems are different. They use double sided tape. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The vendor said there were a number of reasons they felt this was better and I could call. I didn't want to do that at a $1 or 2 a minute. If somebody potentially in the UK is interested I can provide the number. I'm pretty pleased with the qtr emblems. They seem correct? The fender emblems were a disappointment. They look nice but they are way too small! Also doubled sided tape...

These guys are still business. The Z's look a lot better though. They had a few that came straight from the wrecking yard for way too much, in the past. https://www.beverlyhillscarclub.com/inventory.htm?make=[Datsun]&orderby=make,year

That's not a bid, it's a price. Looks like a consignment shop. The cars are all in different locations. Sell, sell, sell... https://www.ebay.com/str/exoticcartrader

Fender flares. I jest. Really, that car is a mess. In addition to other deficiencies pointed out here, the tires are nearly flat, and the left rear has excessive negative camber. Certainly not worthy of the current bid of nearly sixty grand. Someone is going to get a lemon.

Since you have the valve cover off now is a good time to verify all of your timing marks and check your timing chain for wear. Set your damper mark at zero, make sure the tight side of the chain is tight, check the notch and groove alignment, check the distributor timing marks. Determine where everything is now so that when you're trying to get it running you'll know your starting point. It will save a lot of fumbling around later.

I think that dutchz means that there is a plate missing. If it was a bike or motorcycle chain we'd call it the "master link". Not sure that Nissan timing chains have one though. But, considering the odd fuel pump who knows what the PO did in there.

Yep, that’s my plan. Slowly working my way through and checking all critical components. Thanks for the input[emoji1360] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, the yellow paint in that picture above is fairly conservative. IMO too neatly done, the paint marks thin and aligned. I think the factory application was far more sloppy.

Are you sure the coolant passages in the engine are not clogged from it being so rusty as you described? The flow rate of the coolant could be way down from what it's supposed to be, without the engine experiencing rusty passages.

I did not. I felt that since the car will have a thermostat regardless, testing one to confirm it works as advertised before putting it in would negate that test especially since I confirmed the original OEM one was broken and the newer aftermarket one is more-or-less defective by design.