psdenno

This 240Z is proof that there is a "witness protection" program for old rusty cars that enables them to assume new identities in a new location and with a whole new back story. As Fox Mulder used to say on the X-Files, "Trust no one".

Seems to have undergone quite a metamorphosis since 2014. Even the sunroof appears to have self healed. As described on Craigslist 2014 and EBAY 2021: 2014: Body/Underside heavily rusted. Would need Floor Pans, Left Rocker, Engine Frame Rails, etc, etc. 2021: RUST FREE Classic Z car has been been well preserved and maintained.

To bring closure to the "rusted nuts" on the bumper saga, here's what happened. I took the rear bumper to a machine shop. Who better to resolve the issue than professionals who work with corroded metal every day? They kept it for several days, soaked it in a combination of acetone and ATF, added a little heat, and eventually got the rusted nuts off of the 50 year old bumper and over rider without breaking either of the threaded mounting studs. All good, I just need to clean it up and install the new rubber strips on the over riders and the bumper ends. A weekend project if the temperature stays below the 122º level it hit earlier in the week. Thanks to all who offered suggestions!

I think the governor and his crew will be phased out long before gasoline engines in California. Here's what the plan calls for: California Air Resources Board will develop regulations to mandate that 100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks are zero-emission by 2035 – a target which would achieve more than a 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 80 percent improvement in oxides of nitrogen emissions from cars statewide. In addition, the Air Resources Board will develop regulations to mandate that all operations of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles shall be 100 percent zero emission by 2045 where feasible, with the mandate going into effect by 2035 for drayage trucks. To ensure needed infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles, the order requires state agencies, in partnership with the private sector, to accelerate deployment of affordable fueling and charging options. It also requires support of new and used zero-emission vehicle markets to provide broad accessibility to zero-emission vehicles for all Californians. The executive order will not prevent Californians from owning gasoline-powered cars or selling them on the used car market.

That sounds like a better plan than buying it "sight unseen based on 1 photo sent to me by the owner." as mentioned earlier. Are you familiar with early Zs and know all the possible problem areas to check when you see it?

Quite dust free for a "garage find". Why am I skeptical?

Good suggestion, but prefer NOT to do 5-10 years in the Greybar Hotel for smuggling petro chemicals into the Great State of California.😎

No, in spite of the solid recommendations. Not available locally and only to Business Members through Amazon. So, I used what I could get and didn't accomplish the task. The machine shop I dropped it off at today has a "home brew" penetrant. The other alternative was to just cut the over rider mounting stud off below the nut after raising the nut as far as it would go. I prefer to keep the original over rider if possible. New rubber trim is on hand and ready to install. Front bumper and over riders were much easier.

After a week and a half of applying three different brands of penetrating oil and repeated attempts of using a torch to heat and expand the nut on the bumper over rider, the 50 year old bumper wins. This morning, I put it in the truck, drove to a machine shop, dropped it off and will see what their magic can do. Thanks for all the suggestions along the way.

Thanks for the tip!

The "patience thing" seems to be working. After four days, I finally got one of the over riders detached from the bumper. Consumed one can of PB Blaster, some WD40, some Lucas penetrating oil spray recommended by a friend who uses it on his old Lotus and Corvette, a brass wire detail brush for cleaning bolt threads, and bought a set of offset box wrenches at the "disposable" tool store Harbor Freight for better leverage, The second over rider is soaking and I'll try again tomorrow morning around 6:30 AM while the temperature is still under 100º. It's not a hobby, it's an adventure! 😎

Interesting that the previous console repairman didn't fiberglass the inside of the console instead of the outside. A few strategic patches and reinforcements on the underside would have saved it. I patched mine from the inside and filled cracks and holes with epoxy from the outside surface. Painted it and reinstalled. Looks fine. I touched up the silver highlights with a fine tip silver Sharpie.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've seen good reviews on Kroil. I wonder how different the various brands are - PB Blaster, Kroil. Lucas, WD40. others.

I removed the rear bumper from my 240Z to replace the rubber trim pieces on the bumper ends and over riders. The 50 years of rust seem to have bonded the over rider attachment nuts to the studs. I've soaked them with multiple applications of PB Blaster for a few days, and they're still rusted on tight. Any suggestions for a better brand of penetrating oil? I did the front bumper rubber a couple months ago and all went much easier.

The VIN search question has come up from time to time over the years and I don't recall anyone having any luck with the DMV as a search source. Unless your car came with some old registration papers in the glove box or maintenance receipts stashed under the seats, you're probably out of luck. You may want to just consider yourself to be the second owner and continue to enjoy the car for what it is.

Too bad she didn't follow that with an eraser and tell you it was bubble gum. Could have solved a lot of cleaning problems. 😎

The factory bushings are available at the local Nissan dealer's parts department. Might have to wait a day or two after ordering them. Not expensive, fit right, and stops the rattle. While you've got everything apart, replace the shifter end bushing on the bottom, too.

Let's not forget that the sugar scoops on first couple model years were fiberglass, not metal. Must have originally been easier, or less expensive, to make the curved pieces out of fiberglass than stamp them out of metal. I imagine that stamping a one piece metal fender with included sugar scoop would have added complications.

Had mine flat bedded to my mechanic on Thursday to correct a couple problems and hope to have it back Monday or Tuesday. It was 120º here yesterday, so probably won't be doing much more with it for a while.

I went through the M/C change on my April '71 built Z 14 years ago and had to use the later style unit. I submitted the same question to the forum members and got great answers. Please see link below. It may help you.

RockAuto is another source. Competitive prices and discount codes from time to time. https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1976,280z,2.8l+l6,1209226,interior,flooring,1264

A Los Angeles news station showed the chamber this morning - a big metal ball that looked like a pressure cooker on a trailer. The lid blew off and landed in a yard 1/4 mile away. Bad calculation on how powerful the device was that they were destroying.

We get the 26% federal tax credit on our system and the estimated time to recoup the cost is about 6 to 7 years. Ours started producing in January and by May we had we had a $600 credit with the electric company. Our only monthly electric bills have been a few dollars for the monthly connection fee the electric company charges. We inquired about including a battery system along with the panels and were told by two companies it was an unnecessary cost and not to do it. A single battery won't run the entire house and the cost is about $14,000 per battery. A less expensive solution to power failures or brownouts is a natural gas generator or the new electric Ford 150 pickup which can be used to power the house in emergencies.

117º here today. Both central air systems in our zoned house are running pretty much nonstop. We added 30 solar panels to our roof in January and hopefully won't have $700/month electric bills this summer as we typically have had in the past.

Yes, the 3/100 of an inch of rain was a record breaker. It was the first time in recorded history going back to the 1800s that it had ever rained here on June 23rd.