Zedyone_kenobi

I really do not have a head count guys. Lots of interest, but nothing official. Its tough to get a feel for how successful these things are going to be. But if I get to meet one of my local Houston area Z buddies, I will consider it a huge success! What I would like to do is meet everyone, put a face to a name, and get a list of email addresses and phone numbers. I have sort of already started this, but its incomplete. That way I can email out all the names phone numbers, etc of folks, and what model car they have. In the end, it would be great for us to have a contact list of people with like year cars to ask questions, get advice, share tools and knowledge. Sometimes, you just wonder if a part is right or wrong and would like another 240/260/280 to ask about. I think we can all help one another out. Look forward to seeing you guys there. Hope parking is okay.

I got a gates hose that is made for a 240Z from Advance Auto today. I did not think it was going to fit, but it was close. I ended up boiling the radiator end in a large pot on the stove and it made the rubber VERY compliant. I was able to get it on the car today and get some hoseclamps on. I am very happy with the fit now and I have functional radiator hose...I will keep an eye on it as it is stretched some what tight.

WhooooT, GREAT JOB!!!! Keep up the great work... and pics of course are mandatory.

Well MET! That looks just fantastic!

Ok I have been refreshing my car lately and have done numerous mods. Radio, antenna, carbs, air box, etc. All is well. however, I noticed the belt on my dealer installed Air conditioner has been cutting into my lower radiator hose. It never broke through, but the hose is 80% or more sliced into. So I ordered a new lower radiator hose from MSA... Here is where it gets interesting. Since I am running a non stock 3 core radiator I suppose to handle the dealer installed AC, I discovered the outlet on bottom of the radiator is a larger diameter than the stock radiator hose will fit over. I now have two radiator hoses for a 240Z that are essentially useless. So, I pulled the damaged hose off the car and took a note of the part number, as it obviously does fit and has worked for many years. the number was a GATES 20780. So I call up two parts stores and order one from each, not knowing who will get one faster. I pick one of the hoses up today and it is not like the larger diameter hose that I took off my car. Now strangely enough, the GATES 20780 is EXACTLY the same as a stock 240Z hose. Somewhere, that hose changed. So I am left with very few options. I can either do one of the following: 1) Cut the end off the larger diameter hose that is still on the car and but a plastic joiner to connect it to the factory hose replacement, which will also have to be cut to fit (this is really sort of ghetto) 2) Find another hose at the autoparts store that has the similar bends and cut to fit my application (already tried this once actually with no luck) 3) Pull the radiator out and have the larger end cut off and a smaller outlet neck welded on. Any ideas for help. I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks for the correction ktm on Bob Sharps car. I was not aware they ran staggered setups. However, i would wager the 911 has wider tires in the rear as the car has more weight in the back end and needs to control it. As far as the rear sway bar making the car tail happy, I would say that adding wider tires is a fix to an unbalanced car. Adding the tires would negate the reason you added the rear sway bar in the first place. A properly set up suspension (read as balanced, neutral handling) should be set up to make the most of all 4 corners right. I think we agree for the most part

I love my clear front lenses. I think they look the part on a silver car.

Great thread Arne, I just found this when I was looking around after lunch. This is essentially what I want to have done to my silver bullet. Only I really wish I could get the engine done as well, but the car needs a good respray on the outside.

I think you should keep the tire size the same in all four corners. Very few street driven cars can benefit form staggered fitment front to rear. Those that can come that way from the factory. When the Datsun were raced in the 70's VERY successfully, I am sure they had the same size all the way around. The car was designed to have the same size all the way around. Do not discount the engineers choice at the time, it was not a mistake they equipped the car equally. I like 15" rims on my car, but I have seen 16" rims look pretty nice as well, but the taller tire on the 15" wheel seems to just fit the stock car.

pics of the rewinds sir. I have been thinking of selling my panasports for some gun metal rewinds. I love the look of the darker rim with the polished lip.

Indeed, the guys at Retrosound are sending me another plate, free of charge. Nothing like service after the sale. Kudos to Retrosound for helping me out. =Enigma= As far as MP3 capability, I have not tried that out yet, but ipod compatibility through the AUX input is great, sound quality is clear and crisp though the internal amp. I have to try to convert some itunes format music to MP3 so I can stash them on a memory stick. After I do that I will know how it handles having hundreds of sounds and the sound quality through the MP3 player. I usually ride with my ipod hooked up, but having the USB is a wonderful feature since it does not require any charging. I am not using an external amp of any kind so my reviews will only reflect what the internal amp can do. I am also running some mediocre pioneer 6x9's with average sensitivity, TS-G971M are the model number. They sound fine and orders of magnitude compared to my dry rotted realistic. If people are interested, I will do a complete write up on functionality and ease of use, install, etc.

I demand pictures... Joker 72z, I really have a bad crush on your headlight covers.

Usually the better solution is always to wait. If you have to decide, go with the 3.9 or 3.7. It is always better to err on the side of caution. During an autocross, you do not want crazy short gearing. Having to shift between 2nd and 3rd adds time and usually mistakes. Its better to have taller gears so you can leave it in 2nd 95% of the time and you can concentrate on being smooth and driving the right line. Autocross is 80% driver, 15% tires, and 5% car. Do not obsess on making your car the fastest it can be. If you are serious about autocross, make your car reliable, predictable, and make yourself faster. Go for the taller rear end, it will make you happier longer.

Which kit is it? If you have a compressor like mine, I can shoot whatever pics you need. Right now, my pulley for my tensioner is off. Needed a new bearing. I am waiting on buying a vice to install that back at the moment.

I am afraid that the nicks your seeing 70 Cam Guy are due to the flash from the dremel cut off wheel. It more melts the ABS than it does cut it. So a large chuck of plastic gets melted and moved to the downstream side of the cut-off wheel where it re-hardens. When you file it off, it took part of the front of the face plate. Next time, I will cut off outside of where I want it, and then file my way to the right position. I am going to try to make something more flush mounted and fit the curves of the 240Z a bit more. I may even try to make some lettering above the knobs that matches the font on the stock center console. That would be a nice challenge, and would make it look stock. Arne if you are willing to part with the ABS, sure I will be happy to have it. Let me pay for shipping or something. I was going to go to the craft store or Home depot and see if they had any.

70802 miles today Arne, you are catching up with me quickly. I will be right back, I need to go drive!!!

UPDATE: finished today all the work on the stereo. I am happy with the sound and the look. It is worlds better than what was in there before. I wish I had more ABS so I could make another faceplate, this time using my template, vs the Retrosound one. For what it is worth, here are the pictures. You can see the USB plug I have left out. I am going to try to convert my itunes music to MP3's and store them on a flash drive so I can have 1000+ songs at my disposal. Also, these are not the knobs from the retrosound kit. I used some knobs I had from an old JVC that I thought looked less Chevy Bel Aire, and more Land of the Rising Sun. Here is the angle I told you about. This is the angle for a Datsun 280Z I think. But it is not quite a good fit for a 240. I think I am going to have to redo this...it bugs me. Here is the pioneer 6x9's I got to replace my dry rotted Realistic. The carpet is high because its a newer carpet kit laid over my existing factory carpet, which still looks brand new. I have no idea how long it has been covered up. Overall I would say this is a relatively easy install. I just added so much with antenna refit, rewiring everything, and the heater controls, that it took me forever. But on a happy and totally unrelated note, I installed my K&N filter, changed out my SU oil and checked my timing (since I had not done that since I installed the new carbs), and with my timing set, I can now FINALLY rev my car all the way to 6500 rpm with out so much as a hiccup! Zoom Zoom. Project Over...... Next is the new fancy rear diff support I just got on the group buy!

I was running 205/60/15's on my 15x7 panasports, and when I did the front end conversion to OEM body work, I had a slight rub when backing up turning to the left. Weird, I know. However, I needed tired and went with a set of 195/60/15's, and have had no issues what so ever. They look great and really match the look of the car. Not too wide, not too narrow. They look like they belong there. Also another advantage of going with a 195 is great feel for the road and reduced steering effort. Just a thought. I will roll on up with my Z this saturday.

Actually I do remember a certain MY Caddy that had a record player in the dash. That was back in the Harley Earl time frame though. UPDATE: Radio is IN, and I almost have all my climate controls in place! Only have to hook up the DEF cable, which is what started this whole thing to begin with. Which just goes to show you, that no matter how small the project, the 'while-I-am-at-it's' can strike often and strike hard. What started off as a DEF cable fix ended up being Refurb ALL the heater controls behind the dash Lube the cable levers Install new Retrosound stereo Rip out all old audio wiring Install new 6x9's flex look all audio wiring rerun all AC wiring, and make it look neat repair old power antenna so it works again rerun antenna switch and clean up terminals Still need to finish up some under dash stuff and program the radio, but for the most part its done. Pics to come tomorrow.

UPDATE: Yesterday was a busy day. I managed to piece together a functional power antenna from the one I currently have and a spare a buddy of mine gave me. After careful cleaning and assembly, I got the new antenna in the car, hooked it up and using the factory up/down switch, it worked like charm. I am going to mount the up/down switch in the glove box. Word of warming, my factory antenna died because of a stopped up drainage tube. ON the bottom of the antenna there is a rubber tube that extends through the rear fender for drainage. MIne was completely clogged with mud and dirt. When that happens, the water has nowhere to go, it sits inside the antenna and presto, corrosion. Be aware. If you have a functional antenna, look behind the driver rear wheel near where the muffler is. You will see a rubber grommet with a black hose sticking through. I would shove a small thin piece of metal up there to ensure there is no blockage. MOving on. I was going to install my rear speaker panel back on the car, but noticed the rubber surrounding the paper speaker cone would disintegrate when I touched it. So had to run out and buy a new pair of 6x9's. I settled on some Pioneer 3 ways that had some shallow mounting capability. I spent the rest of the day cleaning interior plastics and assembling trim with new black pop rivits I had been storing. I also managed to remove all the old crap-tastic wiring the PO had installed. Using the factory wire holders, I ran all my new speaker wire through flex loom, under the passenger seat, and up through the console under the vinyl near my shifter. All looks well. THe only connection I have to make is to find a convenient 12V ignition source. After that I can plug my radio in and see if it works. This has been a very fun project. I have learned so much about my car doing all of this. I cannot wait to have a properly functioning heater panel as well as a new radio.

Welcome and look forward to talking with you. Good luck on your new baby

UPDATE: I was able to get the template cut out for the center dash. How ever, that was not without issues. As you can see the template laid out for Datsun Z is clearly marked. And when you hold it up to the center console it looks pretty close. I would think it would be perfect for a 280Z. BUT for a 240Z it is not. I repeat, do not trust the indention labeled Datsun Z. Make a paper template from your center dash yourself and trace it onto the ABS plastic mounting face. That way you get it to fit exactly. Mine is close, but not perfect, which bugs me to no end. THe side angles are all WRONG for a 71. I should have done it right the first time. I get in a hurry at times, and it is almost always a bad thing. Retrosound, please make a note of this issue, as not all early Z's from 70-77 have the same dash opening. A different kit is needed for 240Z's. Still it is not the end of the world. On a more technical note, I did find a very convenient 12V constant, and now I need to find a good 12V ACC lead. Should be easy. I located and cleaned off the contacts of my antenna up/down switch. This is neat, as I have a curious issue. With the key on the center tab of the antenna switch gets 12.1 volts from the battery as its suppose to. When I rock the switch either to the up or down position, the corresponding tab gets voltage and there is an audible click from my antenna location, which his good! But what is bad, is when I put a voltmeter up to the up down tabs with the rocker pressed, I only get 5 volts out from the switch. So my question is this. Is my rocker bad, or do I have a bad ground not allowing voltage to flow to the antenna? More pics to come later.

Well, hope you can make it. We can pool our knowledge, get a call list together. If any of us have any issues, it would be so helpful to have a list of people you can call with the same car that can help you diagnose and do sanity checks. Looking forward to meeting everybody.

WElcome to the sight, it is good to have you. Always great to have another soul that wants to save a Z.

495 British pounds EACH.. OUCH.. that is spendy.