bob m

I just brought my 72 z home from the paint shop. Like the other people said, the cost depends on how much work your car needs and what quality of job you are looking for. My paint checked so I had to strip the old paint to bare metal. I used a chemical stripper and gave the body shop the car in pieces. I thought my car was rust free until it was stripped, it was average for a garage kept z. I took the parts to the body shop and they sanded everything with 80 grit paper and epoxy primered everything. then they fitted all of the pieces back on the car and adjusted gaps and panels until they were perfect. Then they took the car apart and painted the door jams, window casings, etc. that are hard to paint when the car is assembled. Then the car was put together, block sanded and painted with the stock blue (with a slight metallic flake). I would say the car has a show car paint job. Two shops worked on the car, the body shop and the paint shop. I was asked all through the process " what do you want to do with this rust, misaligned panel, etc? It all added up to do it right. I paid about $ 4500 for the body shop, $ 1000 for new parts and $ 5000 to the paint shop. The work was done at Grace Autobody in San Bruno, California. I would highly recommend their work. I hope this gives you an idea of what a good paint job costs on a z that needs some rust repairs. Bob M

matches Great looking car. Can I ask who painted it? I live in SF and my 72z is ready for paint. Bob M

For what it is worth, Corvairs used a carburator on their turbo motor for years. It worked fine Bob M

I would patch the floor if it is a small hole, but you might be surprised when you start sanding. It will be covered with Dynamat when finished. The interior is easy but it takes time to remove the fabric and replace it. Unless you need to remove the dash I would not. However, if it needs repairing and the windshield is out, this is the time to do it and to replace upholstery around the windshield as well. The color is your choice. I recommend removing the glass and rubber and all of the bolt on parts. I chemical stripped my car and repaired the rust, and there was alot that did not show before stripping. There are many of steps to go through and your car will probably be tied up for some time. I guess how far you go depends on what you want as a finished product. This is a great site for assistance with each step. Bob M

Thanks Stephen The temp sensor wire fits into the fins on the condenser, is this the unit in front of the radiator? Is there a particular place on the condenser that I should place it? I saw one email that mentioned it goes into the heater unit fins. I am going to use a rotary compressor from a Honda that is fairly compact. I hope this will work. Thanks for your reply Bob M

I bought a Fridgidair A/C unit from a 73 240z that was an aftermarket unit. It is in perfect condition. My 72Z did not have air and I don't know where some of the parts connect. I wonder where the power to the control box connects under the dash. There is a solid wire coming from the control box, I don't know where this goes. also, there is a drain hose that goes through the firewall, does it connect under the AC unit or is that hole where the solid wire goes? I am going to use a rotary compressor and mount it where the smog pump went. Should be the best of both worlds on a hot day. Thanks Bob M

Will I suppose the list includes books and art sent to the Oregon designer address? I want to check that the 74 competition parts book and price list are included in this project. Bob M

Will, Sign me up for a CD. I have a 16 page book printed in 1974 by Datsun Competition Dept. called Datsun Competition Parts. These could be ordered through the dealer network. The cover has blue ink and the text is printed in black. It is 16 pages with 8 pages of 240z parts and the rest 510 parts. I am not sure if you have a copy of this, let me know. It has some very interesting parts that were available like 2 rearends (medium and large) with 3.90, 4.11, 4.44, 4.62, 4.87 and 5.13 gears with limited slip. The 3.90 setup was $300. BobM

I have a 72 240z and the plate inside the hood is stamped 2750lbs. I have not weighed the car but it does not have AC or any of the later safety parts. Bobm

ED Is this a very early balance tube or a European model. it looks great. Is it for sale? Bob M

There is one on Craigs list in SF for $ 65. I think this is a very good price. Bob M

I recently had my 72Z dash reconditioned and replaced it. Now when I turn the ignition key to "start" the relay on the right side of the dash clicks but the starter does not engage. If I jump the selanoid with 12v the starter turns over fine. The car was converted from an automatic years ago. Is there a switch that interupts the ignition somewhere that might be breaking the line from the relay to the selanoid? Thanks for your ideas. Bob M

I bought a new headliner with instructions to glue it to the roof of my 72z. I tried a dry run without the glue but with tape to hold the front edge n place as suggested. I had problems getting the edges under the metal flange and think it would be worse when the contact cement sticks the pieces where they touch rather than letting them slide into position. Any suggestions on how to position the headliner and work it into shape? Thanks Bob M

If you need to "repaint" your seats or change the color prep them with rubbing alcohol. Spray a light coat of 3M adhesion promotor and spray color (paint with flex additive). When it drys, spray with SEM satin gloss clear. This looks, feels and wears just like the original color treatment. (depending on the color match) Bob M

I just went through this with a similar pressure washer. After some research on the internet, the solution was to buy a new pump from a vendor on ebay (pressure washer). It cost $200.( about the cost of a new pressure washer) You should probably speak with someone who knows pressure washers and can tell you if your pump can be fixed or if it needs to be replaced. Bob M

I just finished replacing both pans on my 72z. All the information you need is on this web site. There are also cost estimates for having the job done by a body shop. Consider having the job done if you do not have a selection of tools. You are going to need tools like a grinder , metal shears and spot weld cutters. I had a guy come to my house and mig weld the floors, $ 400. You can do it but it is alot of work, especialy the first time. Enjoy the project Bob M

JKVC I just finished installing Zedd's floor pans in my 72z. I recommend you look at the excellent articles on this site concerning removing your old floors and installing the new ones. They were a great help. The floor pans fit the door side and front of the opening perfectly. There is extra material along the tunnel and rear that you trim to fit. You decide where to cut the tunnel. Although the tunnel side is curved, the pan needs to be "worked" to fit your installation. The two sides of the tunnel are shaped differently. You will be supprised how many times you fit and modify the pans before they fit correctly. I am sure you will agree it was worth the time and money when you are finished. BobM

If you are looking for new or used parts you might contact Rod at: Rods Datsun Parts in San Jose, Ca. ph 408 448 3277.

Ed Interesting information. Do you have or know of anyone who can provide the grommet for the windshield washer motor for a 72z?. Thanks BobM

Daylan Nissan in Milbrae, Ca has 240z parts and the parts manager is very knowledgable Bob

EScalon Thanks for this article. I used it to remove the dash in my 72z. Made the job simple. However, I thought I could reconnect the wiring since there are different connector shapes and colored wires. it worked on the passenger side which went back together easily. When I got to the steering column and the driver side wiring, very few connectors seem to match. There is a 6 prong square female connector with mostly green wires. and a 6 prong sqyare male connector which has red, white and blue wires. I hate to connect these but I do not see any options. My questions is: are all the wires the same color/gauge on both sides of the connectors or there variences? I have the same problem behind the radio. I should have numbered the connectors before taking them apart. Bob M

I am replacing my dash in a 72z and I thought the connectors would be obvious to reconnect since they have different configurations and colored wires. On the drivers side I have connectors that match but the wires going into them do not. I hate to connect a set of green wires to a set of blue wires, but I do not see any other choices. I have the same problem behind the radio. The color of the wires and/gauge do not match the opposite connectors. Should I go ahead and try these? I should have numbered the connectors first... Bob M Also, I replaced the bearings at the top of the steering shaft. There is a spacer and a C clip that hold the bearing in tension. There is also a 3/4 circle c clip that I cannot figure where it goes, any ideas?

Cremmenga I just saw a 71z with a sbc and it is a great combination. The motor is set back close to the firewall which moved the extra 165lbs back, making steering much better. Exhaust along rocker panels like a Cobra. This car is a toy, what are you going to do with yours? I would take it to Bonneville if possible although there is a track on the East Coast. the record for a Z is 169mph with a 280 motor. If you really want to go fast, take the car through tech and be sure it is ready. Then you can make qualifying passes at higher speeds until the car tops out or your nerves hit the wall. Your class record would probably be aroung 200mph...the car would need some modifications. Goog Luck Bob M

I just spoke with the owner of an upholstery shop for high end restorations, located in Modesto, Ca. They use a foil tape available from auto body supply companies. He cleans the old stuff off with a 3M red scull pad ( tape panel ) and then applier "adhesion promoter" from 3M with a Q tip. then apply the tape ( available in different widths ) Trim with an exacto knife. I am going to try this since I bought the tape. Also, I dyed my upholstery to freshen up the white since I added new seat covers. Urathane paint with a flex additive as a base and a clear coat as the final. You might consider this if you want to stay with the original color interior. Bob M

I had a similar crack on my dash and I had it repaired by a specialist. Look in the phone book or ask a body shop for a name of someone who repairs interiors. I fould a guy that repairs interiors for car dealers. He cut a section of the base and replaced it, then applied a black material that he grained to look like the rest of the dash. That was 4 years ago and the crack has not appeared since. The car does not see much sun anymore however.