Marty Rogan

George, Right now I need a temp/oil pressure gauge and the amp/fuel gauge for my 6/70 model. Let me know if you have working gauges you want to get rid of. Thanks, Marty

!!! Well, congrats on the 2nd place finish! you certainly deserve it. Is JT's car in any of the photos? There is one car that appears to be 919 yellow in great shape. I would have liked to see that one in person. What an amazing gathering of beautiful Z's. Wish I could have been there. Marty

Hey Guy, Is that your gold car in this picture? How did it do in the show?? Marty

I checked the fuses and none of them are blown. It is kinda weird that the fuse box cover does not list which one goes to the gauges though. Your surge theory may fit. On the way home from work, when I hit 70 on the highway, the gauges started working again. Now they seem to cycle on and off. I may have accidentally left the key in the on position when I was plugging in the switch. Maybe that "shocked" the gauges?? So, do you fix gauges too? I'll have to send you a PM about the original switch. Are electronic flashers available at a common parts store, or where would I get one? Thanks, Marty

Update on the turn signal switch. A local Z buddy of mine had a switch that has the same connectors, except that one of them had a longer wire loom than the original. This website:http://www.new-datsun-parts.com/240Z-parts-electrical.html identifies it as being for cars built 9/71 - 7/73. Last night I hooked it up and everything with it functioned correctly. I drove the car to work today. Now the temp gauge and the oil pressure gauge are not working. Both were working prperly before the switch was put in. Could this be some weird coincidence? I could not believe that the turn signal switch had any connection with the other gauges. Marty

Dave, This website has pictures with the build dates: http://www.new-datsun-parts.com/240Z-parts-electrical.html Marty

I used Axxis Ultimates (Kevlar/ceramic) with my vneted 4x4 calipers. They worked fnatastic on the track. Never faded. They also worked fine on the street. Only issue was that the tended to dust up quite a bit. Marty

It depends. What are you using the car for? Track days? Street driving?

So... Does anyone know which of the P/N's I listed is the correct one for the turn signal switch? Thanks, Marty

You can be sure one thing; it is not going to get better! Have a look at that soon.

Thanks Arne. Let me know what you have when you get a chance.

I finally got time to get the blue '70 out of storage and went for a drive on Sunday. On the way back, I turned on the left turn signal and smoke started coming out of the steering column. I shut everything off right away and it stopped smoking. Last night I took the cover off the steering column. None of the wires looked melted. I am guessing something inside must have fried. Anybody have that happen to them? I remembered that I bought a brand new turn signal and headlight combo switch years ago as spares. After I dug out the spare and removed the original, I started noticing that they were different. The original has two large plugs, one with 3 prongs, the other has 5. On the new one the two plugs both have 3 prongs. One of the plugs is also much narrower and has a wire loom that is about twice as long as the original. Also, it does not have the copper contact arm that I believe contacts the horn ring. Check out the pictures below. The original is on the right and the new one on the left. So I checked the parts CD. The diagram shows the turn signal as being item 2 or 3. Item 2 is described as: "25540-N3605 Comp Switch Turn Signal Dimmer". Item 3 is described as" "25545-N3600 Assy Unit Turn Signal". Neither listing shows any dates on them. My car was built 6/70 by the way. Does anyone know which is the correct part number for the turn signal switch? It is strange that they would show 2 listings for the same part, but no differences in dates they were used. Any body got a known good one that they would like to sell? I am guessing the new one that I have is from a later model car. I have only had 240Z's so I can't tell what it came from. Thanks, Marty

I ran that exact set up for several years. I had to grind down the calipers a bit. It did not cause any problems. Marty

Try this: If you still have a spongy pedal, try this trick that a racer taught me a long time ago. Bleed the rears properly first. Then on the right front caliper, remove the outside brake pad. Use some padded channel lock pliers and press the piston carefully into the caliper. It will travel farther than with the pad installed. BE very carelful when you push the pedal down, that you don't push the piston out past the seal. Do that a couple times till you get all the bubbles out. Replace the outer pad. Then remove the inner pad and repeat the process. Then move onto the drivers side and repeat. Every time I would put new calipers on my race car, I could never get a firm pedal until I did this extra step. After doing it once, it was bleeding as usual. This was written mostly for front calipers, but it should work for rears too. Good luck! Marty

So, what was done to the motor to get it up to 270HP? Which block did you start with?

Are those meshy covers on the air horns just protective covers, or are they actually filters?

Check the Pertronix. The magnets fell out of mine and it ran like crap. I have had 2 of them fail, so I switched to the 280ZX dizzy and had no more problems. I used an MSD Flamethrower coil, with good results. Marty

The Midwest F-Body Association (MFBA) is hosting an HPDE Weekend at Road America on April 30 7 May 1. You can sign up for 1 day or the whole weekend. All car makes are invited. If you have never been to Road America, here is your chance to get loads of track time on this 4 mile, 14 turn road course. I have been running with this group for about 8 years. They put on a well run event. Instructors are available (including me) at no charge to you. Bring your Z out to Road America to see what it can do. You will be glad you did!! Spots are filling up fast. Register now!! http://roadamerica.mfba.org/ Marty

That is REALLY going to throw off your front/rear weight distribution!!

I would recommend Toyo RA1's. They handle great and last a really long time on a light car like the Z. How long is that track? How many turns? Looks like it was a fun track. Marty

Have you gone into the dealer with that actual part numbers that you want? Most dealers can't be bothered looking up 240Z P/N's, but if you give it to them, they can usually order it. Buy the Club's CD if you haven't already. Marty

Have you tried Z Barn? http://www.zbarn.com/ He basically runs an all Z salvage yard. Marty

I have had this happen with a fuse just being loose in the holder. Take the fuse out. Then pinch the holder together to get a tighter fit. I would still put in a new fuse for good measure. Marty

I tracked my yellow '71 for about 7 years. The best tires I have found, without going to full race slicks like Hoosiers, is the Toyo RA1. They have great grip and the last a really long time on a Z. Marty

So what's up? Did you just buy this car? Is it a real Bob Sharp Team car? Marty