Namerow

IIRC, it requires reaching up from underneath the car with exactly the right long-reach/thin/inflexible tool capable of snagging the release lever and budging it enough to pop the hood. Others, I'm sure, will be able to offer more details.

I like that description. One of the audible trademarks of a Z is the noise the doors make (clang!) when they're slammed shut. Some others that come to mind: Engine cooling fan that imitates a hovercraft Wheezy 'seatbelt not fastened' buzzer Sound made by hood release cable when it finally snaps

The Z uses 150 Hp to propel a 2500-lb vehicle. If you were to put that same engine in a contemporary mid-size SUV, you'd now be asking the same powerplant to propel a 5000-lb vehicle. The acceleration times would be cut in half. Also, you'd be dealing with a less flexible engine b/c of the absence of things like computer-controlled electronic fuel injection and cam timing. There's also the not-inconsiderable difference between having only 4 transmission ratios vs more contemporary units with 8 or more ratios and computer-controlled shifting. Doubling the vehicle weight certainly wouldn't be kind to the Z's clutch and gearbox (or engine). However, I have no doubt that they'd function ok... for a while. The Z's powertrain was a conservative design built with excellent materials. I think you'd be accelerating the physical wear on critical components by maybe 25% - 50% -- but not by 100%. Give it a try and let us know how things work out 😄

Maybe I've forgotten something about this procedure, but wouldn't it be easier to just remove the chrome retaining ring and pull the headlamp unit out from the front? Or perhaps you're referring to the procedure for a car whose headlights use replaceable bulbs rather than sealed-beams?

I wonder if this was intended as an alternate routing for the front wiring harness in cases where the car was equipped with an A/C condenser?

I didn't even know that those holes were wiring passthroughs, let alone the fact that they're supposed to be fitted with grommets 😶. My 240-Z learning experience continues.

Car looks great. Nice work, Chris.

Agree.

Condolences to his family.

Sorry to be circling back to an earlier page in the thread. In your photo, how is the ratchet strap anchored where it disappears out of sight underneath the car?

When time permits, please explain your process for installing the hood (and bumpers) as a one-man job without damaging the paint. These pix are deceptive b/c they make it look easy (and I I know it isn't). Also: For everyone else, please take another look at GK's workspace. It's really not very big. The quality of his work deserves extra respect, given how challenging it can be to operate in a small space like that. I'm still amazed by how he managed to paint the car in that little garage. Too bad we don't have a video so that we could study how he managed the gun and the hose.

You're right. I'll edit my post. Here's a nice picture (credit unknown) showing the spring in its natural habitat...

Good eye. I can't remember why I did that.

Although a bit finicky, but it's really not that hard to make a new spring from scratch. Start by finding a socket wrench with an OD that's roughly 75% of the OE spring. Clamp it vertically in a bench vise and then, using plain galvanized wire of ~ the same gauge as the OE spring, wind two turns around the socket. When relaxed, your coils will expand a bit. If the resulting OD is too big, you need to use a smaller socket (or vice versa). It takes a bit of trial-and-error. Fortunately, wire is cheap. Once you get the spring OD about right, cut it back to one coil, leaving enough to bend a 90-degree dogleg at one end. Cut the dogleg to length. Now heat your new spring with a torch to get it red hot and then quench it in a small jar of motor oil. Here's a pair of my homemade springs...

You might find this thread from back in 2017 to be of interest...

Great photo. One of the best I've seen to demonstrate what happens to cars like ours over the years as they're victimized by PO's and bodyshops.

For your possible interest, someone - Eastwood, I think, sells a 'comb' for straightening out heat exchanger fins.

Outstanding results! Now we're all waiting to see it trimmed out and sitting in the driveway in the sunshine.

Looking forward to seeing the final result!

What equipment are you using for the sanding process?

The (car) world would have been a better place if tar-based rustproofing had never been invented!

For a minute there, I thought you'd sanded and repainted the entire car! 😲 The scoop looks great now. What do you think the problem was with the nib file? Was the clear coat still not fully cured, or did the file just get too much bite because of the large of width of paint that it was trying to cut through?

Perforated interior soft trim finishes were one of the defining features of 1950's German autos (Porsche 356's, Benz SL's, etc). I don't think anybody else did this (Alfa Romeos, maybe?) and it eventually transitioned from being 'quirky' to full-blown 'iconic'. I always liked the fact that Nissan's interior stylists picked up on this when they were laying out the Z's interior design back in the late 1960's. Save those headliners!

I've got a few spare combo switches in my storage. PM me and let's see what we can work out.

AFAIK, the rear trim panel on the earliest S30's didn't have removable taillight access covers at all and, when those covers were eventually introduced, they were flat. I think that what you've got in your car is, as you say, taken from a 260Z. All of these interior trim panels are tricky to remove and replace without causing them damage. Also, the Z arrived just at the time when owners were being introduced to higher-quality home sound systems. Many (if not most) Z owners decided that they wanted an aftermarket sound system with stereo and a tape player, as well as something better than the single, small, lo-fi speaker. I expect that a lot of side trim panels got cracked in the process of getting access for wiring and speaker installations. I also think that a lot of rear trim panels got butchered when the owner or installer decided to get creative in order to make big speakers fit.