TomoHawk

After using the kit a little, I took some time to GOOP a stick to the side of the big jug (which contans the eletrolyte) so I can attach an arm. That way I can clamp the part's wire to it and walk away (or just rest my arm) even though the plating process only takes a few minutes or less. In the meantime, you can get yourself a few lengths of different gauges of copper wire. Remember to get ever last bitof rust off, and grindd/sand/polish the surface to perfgection before plating (if possible.) I will get a few pics of my plated water fittings & hose clamps soon. thxZ

Is that your car's serial number?

Sure. But where do you buy a brand new 280Z? Then you can detail that every month. :classic:

It's good to hear that there is a detailer that can actually do those things you read about in book & magazines, on websites, or on radio or TV. A benchmark to compare other service providers to. Of course, your car has a big head start, Zedy. You can't get a warthog to look like Secretariat with just a wash & wax. Maybe he can chime in during the winter months to educate the rest of us about general stuff like what works or what you should do at home, what the pros should do instead, or some products we should all be using on a regular basis...

If or when you detail your Z, what do you do (basically) and in what order? Many people have the idea that in detailing a car, you just go nuts on everything, and it intimidates them to the point that they just give up. There is some kind of voodoo involved that only the pros know. IMO, detailing can be broken down into manageable blocks that you do in an afternoon, or over several days or sessions, if necessary. I prefer to start on the dirtiest parts and go to the cleaner. 1- clean Engine and engine bay, treat hoses, wires 2- clean & detail interior 3- wash underbody, treat underbody & fenderwells 4- wash outer body, apply wax coating to body 5- treat exterior mouldings, chrome, rubber, tires 6- clean glass, inside & out I usually wash & wax the body towards the end of things because you'll be leaning over the body to clean the engine and you might get chemicals or dust on the body, and you'll bet opening the doors and getting in & out a number of times. thxZ

According to the forum post, the question was simply, "What was the first "Z" made by Datsun?" And according to wikipedia, it's the 240Z. The Fairlady Z was from Nissan. Remember, it's "common knowledge" questions, so I wouldn't expect most people to even know of a Fairlady Z.Fairlady was not one of the options for the answer. Link to the topic: http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5051918309/m/80019272301

Because it's just geberal knowedge questions, they were probably looking for the answer of 240Z. S30 covers the entire run of first-eneration Z model cars up to the 280Z. I think the show's editors would probably remove anything that wouldn't belong, like a guest complaining.

There was another question on the NYC cash cab show, on their discussion forum, about the Z, car; "Which was the first Z car?" But the answer given on the show was 280, which is obviously incorrect. thxZ

The under-hood fuseboxes in modern cars also include circuit breakers, master fuses ( 30+ amps,) relays and probably some connectors. Do you think it's useful? You can probably get those at any JY from any car, especially a big luxury car. You'd need a good bit of the wiring, and some time to map the connections. For Example: Gram Am fuse block on eBay Some pictures of the Engine-area Fusebox from a newer car:

I used the starter solenoid for power too. I was able to run the new wire under the battery cable to make the new wire less noticeable.

Geezer- Where do you get that kind of thing (the PDC?) It looks like something you find under the hood of today's cars. Something one would want to get to have on hand, just in case. thxZ

How do you tap off the battery for the extra circuits (headlamps and foglamps) ? Do you go to the battery wire connection at the starter, or what? It would be unsightly to have extra wires connected to the terminal clamp on the battery. thxZ

It's missing the heater inlet for a '78, and the bypass pipe & fittings for a '78.

I remember when this first came out. Too bad the names of the sleigh-team didn't rhyme; maybe there are some new names that will: "Now, 240! 280! Twin Turbo and Stillin! On ZX! On, AMS! Toshiro, Black Dragon!

People call mine the 'green beastie' because of the colour, and it can be a handful, like on the autocross course. I called it the Zoomer for the sound it makes on some rural highway, at 80 or 90 mph. But it's just plain fun when cruising, when you see people do the double-take, and give you the thumbs up. thxZ

The pits are only on the outside of the fittings. I'm changing the coolant annually, until it starts looking like there's no rust in it. I'd rather repair (and retain) the original parts, if possible, rather than buying new everything at the first sign of deterioration. Since the pitting is hidden, I think repair is possible. The exposed areas only need some light sanding with medium or fine steel wool and polishing. the same with the steel fittings. thxZ

Don't you usually apply sound-deadoning material into the doors by hand?

I hope he's not charging rent for the floorspace. It sounds like you didn't get a deadline in writing before you started.

Yes, the pitting is under the hose, on both parts. BD has the parts in the paper catalog, Z.60, pg 77. thxZ

You'd have to fill the pits with something before polishing. I think I have some aluminum alloy soldering rods somewhere that might work.

After removing the radiator hoses, I found pits on the aluminum inlet & outlet ports. Is there anything better than JB Weld to fill the pits? Anything that can be polished maybe? thxZ

You customized it to the point that it looks like a Subaru ...

Are you sure it's a good idea to get all those sportscar people together with their sportscars, and get all wired-up on caffeine??

You obviously need a newer computer! It's already three days behind n technology.

I usually get mine at the hobby supply store, but otherwise it's used in jewelry-making. Stay Brite 8 is the name (Tin-Silver alloy.) You might even try eBay for 15% silver solder.