Richard McDonel

I have a 240Z. The brakes work fine, but I can't understand the bleeding process. Why is the bleeder screw on the rear drums at the bottom of the assembly? Old Chevs and even back to DKWs I've worked on always had the bleeder at the top, which makes sense, because air rises and we want to get it out of the system. What am I missing here? Thanks

1971 240Z. My headlights, dash lights, and horn all work, but not well. Headlights are dim, dash lights are barely there, and I doubt the horn could be heard from 100 feet. Fuses are OK. Any ideas? Thanks

View Advert "Datsun" script badge on hatch I need a 1971 240Z Datsun script badge for right rear of hatch. Not sure what they mean by "price" on Line 6. Tell me what you want for it. Advertiser Richard McDonel Date 10/05/2021 Price Category Parts Wanted Year 1971 Model 240Z

View Advert Shop manuals 1. Wick Humble Z Car restoration manual. Fair-rough condition, but all pages are there. 2. Chilton's hard-cover Datsun Repair and Tune-Up Guide 1961-1972. Intact and good condition. Advertiser Richard McDonel Date 10/05/2021 Price $20 Category Parts for Sale

Heyitsrama: A dried out joint. I hear they can be brought back to life with some time in a cigar humidor. Great idea, right? But I'm two years late?

Good evening All, All these years of working to turn three dilapidated 240s into one good cruiser has come with a lot of expense I'm sure that everyone on this forum knows what I'm talking about. But this evening I'm delighted to share with you that I have taken the first step towards recovering my investment. I had in my garage two trash-grade seats. The idea was to take them apart so the seat cushions and backrests would fit into my garbage bin. On two of them, I made a profit. Jammed between the seat cushion and the metal arm linking it to the backrest, I found money! A 1974 nickel and a 1981 dime are now safely in my possession! Finally, a return on my investment! I shared this news with Momma, but for whatever reason she did not share my jubilation. Cheers,

Many months ago I posted a query on this forum. At the time I had two interior door panels in rough shape. They had been bought without door-latch holes and my attempts at cutting my own had failed - perhaps by 1/8 to 1/4 inch, but enough to make an ugly scene. My usual supplier, MSA, had new ones on back order for months, and I was becoming convinced they would ever have them. So I asked this forum for suggestions. ZKars and one or two others answered and referred me to Zcar Depot, a firm I had not previously dealt with. I called, and yes, they have them in stock; door latch openings pre-cut. Ordered a set. Have to say I was very impressed with the package. The panels were bagged in clear plastic, then perimeter-wrapped with thick straps of felt, then inserted is a form-fitting cardboard box. That box in turn was set in a slightly larger box, so four layers of protection altogether. Open it all up, and everything was good. It took me a while to get around to installing the panels - winter you understand, and my heated garage is occupied by my next project, and 1965 sprint car - but I finally did the job last month, and while the installation process is a time-consuming pain, the new panels fit perfectly and look sharp. Thanks to ZKars and others who steered me in the right direction. Richard

@Namerow Will definitely let everyone know how they look - probably this weekend - but progress report on installation might take a while. Here, in central Alberta in the depths of winter, my 240 is on a hoist, above my '78 Mercedes 450SEL. The other garage, the workshop, is filled with a disassembled 1965 oval-track sprint car and related parts. So...freeing the 240Z might be more of a project than is practical with a foot of snow on the ground. Again, thanks for your interest.

7tooZ Good to hear!

Door Cards. It's been a couple of weeks since I posted my plea for advice on finding a set of 240Z door cards. My great thanks to the fellows who offered suggestions; 240DKW, Namerow, and ZKars. Here's what I found. Nissan no longer has them. I even took in the part number from the PartsManual website. Nope. Nothing on Nissan's computer older that 1975 Banzai. Expensive, and looks good, but door handle holes aren't pre-cut. I don't want to make that mistake again. ZCarDepot. Bingo. Should be delivered Friday.

@namerow, Bingo! You win the prize!

@240260280 Great little video. Thank you for illustrating my point - no shoulder straps in 240s!

pps Attachment now attached

Thanks for your comments folks. It appears I kick started a bit bit of discussion (good) at the risk of going off-topic (naughty). To clarify, my car (photo attached) was not the T-Bird look-alike "SP", which was based on the 750cc "Junior." My car was the basic two door ,1 litre four seater sedan known as both the 1000 and the 3=6, and sold under the names of both DKW and Auto Union (sort of like Plymouth and Dodge, Ford and Mercury, Chev and Pontiac, Austin and Morris). Great fun actually, provided one kept a minimum of three wheels on the ground at all times. Respectfully, I stand by my comment on seat-belt / shoulder -harness safety. As the driver, I have some measure of protection in case of a head-on in that I'm holding the steering wheel and have my arms as a shock absorber, but in the case of a roll-over I have absolutely nothing between me and a collapsing roof. ps Bonus Question: What is the meaning of the 3=6 model name?

@DutchZcarguy Unless you have a roll bar, please ditch your four-point harness! Back in the 1960s I had a DKW 1000. Like the 240, it was hardtop, that is to say skinny pillars front and back, and none at the back edge of the doors. Wearing a simple seat belt, I had a roll over. On the drivers side, the top of the windshield frame came down as low as the top of the horn button. Whether because of instinct or impact I bent over at the waist, probably below the dashboard. With the flexibility of my then-18 year-old body, and more importantly the lack of any shoulder restraint, I was able to crawl out of the car with no more harm than a bit of glass in one eye. If I had a three or four point harness, I would not today be enjoying my 240Z, my golden years, and the company of this prestigious forum. I may probably be breaking some law, but my 240Z has just a three-inch lap belt. As is required by law, modern cars have substantial pillars that serve the same purpose as roll bars. My DKW and our early Z cars do not have this. The weight of the car will crush the roof. Happy New Year, and be safe all.

Door cards. I did get a set of these many years ago - not sure where - then set them aside for the decade or so during which I was building the car. When the time came to install, I had to cut openings for the door latches. Missed by a quarter inch, and it looks awful. MSA had them in their catalogue, but were out of stock for the longest time. Now they are offering "remanufactured" panels. In the photo they provide, the chrome strip is missing. Suggestions?

Mark, Bingo! I think you nailed it. Long time since I've been offered the choice of detergent and non-detergent. You mention head bolts covered with the stuff. Mine were almost that bad. I could see them, but had to scrape the sludge off to get the socket to fit. BTW, my 240 is up and running, so I hope I won't be banished from this site for apostasy. The 327 is for my newest project, the restoration of a 1965 Grant King-built oval-track sprint car. Cheers

Jim, I'm amazed you found the engine to be so clean after four decades. Coincidentally, just last week I began disassembly of an old Chev 327 V-8 (I know, I know, sacrilege on this site; forgive me). The fellow I got it from believes that it last ran in (another coincidence) in 1981. The oil is disgusting. It is sludge. Days after I began stripping the engine, there are still bits of black greasy stuff falling off the block. I used a spoon to get some of it off the top surface of the heads. I have to admit, I've never before taken apart an engine that has been idle for so long. Any chemists out there know why Jim's engine would be clean, while mine is such a mess?

Jim, You are a bear for punishment! No idea what you paid for it, but I'll bet it was a pretty penny particularly since it came with a trailer hitch. Just don't see that every day. Good luck with your latest project.

I'm not familiar with this product at all. Any concerns about paint damage, particularly paint damage by long-term contact?

Sorry it took me so long to get back with the info I promised, but it turns out that the guy who owns the bodyshop also has an interest in a large family farm, and in September in Alberta harvesting tops all other time demands, so my calls were of little urgency. But now he's done (good, but not great crop he says) and is able to tell me that his paint supplier is R-M. The formula he used to make up a small batch of touch-up for me is labelled "NIS 918 Orange 1970-74," and it matches perfectly with the "peach" colour Jim refers to. I'm sure others on this discussion are more knowledgeable than I and will be able to read the following formula and let us know whether R-M's recipe differs from others: SC01 179.20 SC77 770.10 949.30 SC70 448.10 1,397.40 SC67 297.90 1,695.30 SC10 283.60 1,978.90 SC90 212.70 2,191.60

Jim, I'm one of those whose cars you deemed just peachy. Given that others apparently have the same issue, I'm going to do a little digging. Earlier this year I was at the body shop who did my painting and watched as the fellow carefully followed the formula he had on hand for Datsun 918. What he gave me is a perfect match for my peachy car. I'll be calling them tomorrow and find out which paint company's formula he followed. Cheers,

240ZBUILTBYME and ConVerTT While some of us on this forum maintain our Zs, others repair them, and some of us restore them. We do what we can do. But you two guys are on your own planet, building them from raw metal! Keep up the good work. Like out-of-shape sports fans, we're cheering you on from the sidelines.

This is what happens when consumers lose track of everything but price in their shopping. One rarely sees ads pushing "quality." It's all 40% off our regular price, or we will match our competitors' price, or this sale won't last. Sadly, we in the western democracies - burdened with things like minimum wage, workers' compensation, safety rules and inspections - have generously donated millions of manufacturing jobs to Asia, and in exchange we get stuff like jack stands that fall apart. Reap what you sow. I hope no one was hurt by one of these failing jack stands.

Marty, 26thZ, et al, Perhaps a couple (maybe three?) of years ago Road & Track began running a monthly series on remarkable garages. As I recall the first one was a NASCAR garage which did not appear to be a garage at all given the visible lack of mechanics, drain pans, tire changers or disassembled race cars, while the second was a two-man repair shop specializing in older Porsches, with parts hanging from every available square inch of wall and ceiling. Somehow, R & T now seems to have run out of garages worthy of celebration. May I suggest that the two shops we're seeing on this thread be submitted to that worthy magazine? Cheers All