Namerow

So the bolts you removed from the head are M8 x 1.25 metric, but the threads in the head seem to be 5/16" x 20? Maybe a PO (or mechanic) got there before you with the same goal of cleaning up the threads, but bungled the job by using a 5/16 x 20 tap. The metric bolts might still 'fit' afterwards. Still, I think it's more likely that your metric tap-and-die collection may have a 'visitor' from the SAE family that lives in the drawer next door

Another impossible-to-find reproduction candidate for the talents of Steve at nix240Z.

5/16" = 7.938mm. Difference is 0.78% 20 TPI = 1.27mm pitch. Difference is 1.6% Any chance a PO decided to force 5/16" bolts into the head, leaving you with a mongrel result?

Thanks. I hadn't checked WoodWorkerB's site for many months, so this installment was new to me. He does great pictorials of his projects. Highly recommended to anyone who may not have seen his library of Z restoration tasks.

When you get around to doing this repair, please take some pictures and post them here for the rest of us to take a look at. I've never seen a seal replacement performed with the shaft still in place. Not saying it can't be done. I'd just like to see some pictures of the job being performed.

A quick check of Steve's online store website shows the new antenna hardware parts will be offered as two separate order items: Black top for finisher nut @ $25.00 Antenna ball 3-piece kit @ $40.00 Add the already-available fender-top rubber seal @ $20.00 and your Harada antenna will look (to the outside world, anyway) as good as new. Suggestion for Steve: Offer all of five these parts together as a kit for, say, $75.00.

At its zenith (or maybe that should be 'apogee') in the 1970's, the encabulator was embraced by both the automotive and the aerospace industries. Check out this Rockwell promotional video from back in the day...

Or maybe the brass fingers are provided as insurance re electrical contact between the mast and brass tube.. the finisher nut with the brass fingers screws onto the top of the brass tube the antenna cable connects to the brass tube the antenna mast slides up and down inside the brass tube the brass tube is electrically isolated from the aluminum housing The fit between the brass tube's ID and the antenna mast's OD is somewhat loose, so I suppose that the electrical contact between the mast and the tube could become erratic if the mast starts to vibrate in the airstream when the car is at speed. The little brass fingers would ensure that the radio doesn't receive a jumpy signal. Or maybe the fingers are there to mechanically centre the mast elements as the come up out of the brass tube and then keep them from vibrating in the airstream. The extra electrical contact could be just an unintended bonus (although the use of brass makes me think that there really is an electrical purpose at work here). FWIW, only three of the brass fingers remained on the finisher nut of my antenna and even they were pretty mangled, so I just broke them off. I tested for electrical continuity between the mast and the cable before I installed the antenna in the car and it was fine. The mast didsn't seem too wobbly when it was fully extended. We'll see how things work when I finally get the car running and out on the road.

Encabulators, like Z's, came in many iterations. After the basic versions appeared in the late 1940's, they were embraced by the LA 'hop-up' community, who quickly generated modified versions for both 'show' and 'go'. My personal favorite was the chrome-reversed encabulator.

So not an electrical grounding necessity, but instead just a mechanical positioner for the mast ?

That looks like an encabulator housing to me. Haven't seen one for years.

Did you take any pictures?

There's a diagram in the FSM titled, 'Door Sealing Screen' that provides a pretty good pattern for the OE barrier sheet. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of same in my files.

That's what I did and I'm happy with the results. I didn't take all the old tape off, though. Just the regions that were damaged or gnarly. You can later wrap a cosmetic layer of new loom tape over the entire harness if you want a completely seamless, new appearance. The loom tape is cheap and it doesn't take long to do the wrap, once you get the hang of it. However, things will get a lot more challenging if you remove all of the old tape first. Leaving most of the old tape helps to keep all of the wiring nicely bundled together.

Hah! I remember using wintergreen oil on the tires of my slot-racing cars back in the 1960's. Nothing new under the sun, it seems. As for trying it out now on old Datsun rubber, I'll wit for someone else to try that and report back. I'm still not over the pain of the epsom-salts-and-vinegar electroplating set-up that was also 'guaranteed' to work.

I tried this (lacquer thinner) with a rock-hard side window bumper (the one that sits at the bottom-rear of the door). It worked beautifully and I thought that I'd finally discovered the secret to rejuvenating all of the aging rubber parts on my car . Sadly, after 24 hours I found that the rubber had returned to its original, rock-hard state. I've tried three different 'rubber and vinyl restoration' products to date and none of them have been effective in softening hardened rubber (or vinyl).

Not my favorite task fpr a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but it's probably saved me $5k over the life of the '06 daily driver that I've owned since new. And I get to choose the rotors and pads.

What were we talking about? I've forgotten. 'Fumes'? Yes, I remember those. Lots of them, in fact.

Our Swiss friend on this site has a lot of expertise in the area of hydraulic seal materials and fluid compatibilities. In fact, I think he commented on exactly this point a few years ago (try a search on 'epdm'). I think it may have been in a thread related to rebuilding the brake no-pressure sensor/switch.

Antenna plastic ball = yes Fender mirror gasket = no

Just my luck that this new parts offering comes along after I'd finished restoring my 70 Z's dashcap. . I hope it all comes about. The Just Dashes route is just too pricey for many Z restorers (esp. those of us who live north of the US border). To help those of you who may be considering this new dash-restore option, here's a pixcture that another member posted several years ago of the bare frame ((sorry - I don't have a record of who the poster was, so can't give credit)... And here are a couple of close-ups of the texture of the OE vinyl covering. It's a version of what's known in the trade as 'haircell'. These are photos of the dash from my 70 Z (as confirmed by the surface crack that's visible in the first photo )...

And even if you do a lot of the work yourself, the cost is going to be much more than just the sum of the nice shiny parts that you buy. Most hobby-restorers don't really track the costs of the paints, solvents, chemicals, fasteners, special tools, etc. that go into one of these projects. They add up pretty quickly.

Did I remember to say, 'Wear gloves, too?'

I used a foam-backed woodworker's sanding pad. Grit was probably 400 or a bit higher (but prob. coarser than 600). The foam backing was about 3/16" thick. I found it more effective to use than regular sandpaper because it seemed to conform to the curved surface of the tubing better. Just wrap it around the tube and have at it. The end result was a nice, silver sheen that didn't need any further work with, for example, steel wool. I just wiped down with wax-and-grease remover, then applied the clear coat. You can work the abrasive lengthwise over all but the last inch or so of the tubing run. When you get in close to the end fitting, you have to go with a different approach. Try cutting a few strips of sanding pad that are about 1/2-inch wide and 4 - 5" in length. If you can figure out a way to support the loose end of the tubing, you can then do a cross-wise push-pull with the sanding strip. I found that the sanding surface loaded up pretty quickly. I also found that the stuff coming off the outside of the tubing was pretty evil. Regardless of whether you go with sanding grit or steel wool, make sure you protect your lungs with a good particulate mask.