Namerow

That's what he recommended (complete with an explanation), so no need to ask him again. Now it's your decision whether you want to follow that recommendation or not.

You need to get out of the workshop for a while. Your friendly local Princess Auto outlet (heated) has a killer sale on right now for most of its steel stock -- tube, bar, channel, and sheet, all at about 40% off list. Lots of other stuff at attractive pricing -- including the TIG welder and plasma cutter that I know your shop needs to be complete .

Looks like the G-knot workshop is a little frosty these days! Have any elves shown up to help out?

Just research the kits that the big Z parts suppliers are already offering. Obviously, you'll need to offer some kind of compelling advantage (price comes to mind), as these suppliers are already well known and (for the most part) well trusted by the Z owners community. You might score yourself a niche if you're able to offer the Phillips-type hex-head bolts as a kit that lines up with the typical restorer's whole-vehicle needs. Maybe one of our members is OCD enough to tally that up and give you the sizes and numbers required (they're not obvious from the parts fiche -- you need to know the car from first-hand experience... or a lot of really good, detail-level photos of a bone-stock Z). Note that most of the Z's requirement for this type of special bolt was not of the captive-washer variety. In addition, they were only used in low-load applications, so bolt grade isn't going to be a big deal. It's all about the appearance of the bolt head.

The cross-reference table (Toyota PN vs. fastener spec) in your 'Research' page is a nice feature. If you move into Nissan country with your offerings, I'm sure that owners would enjoy a similar table for our cars. I'm curious about how/why you're able to offer cad plating (vs. yellow zinc plating). I thought that real cad plating had been banned just about everywhere because of environmental risks to groundwater. There's one fastener style that you (and other suppliers) are not offering. That is the hex-head bolt style that features a cross-type (aka Phillips) screwdriver indent in the head. This was a visually special feature of many of the Z's fasteners and something that some of us would like to preserve during our restorations. If you can find a source for these (typically M6 and M8, IIRC), you may enjoy some buyer traffic that would otherwise pass you by.

I don't think so. Topography and shrubbery looks wrong. The collection in your photo must belong to the other nephew of Patcon's hoarder. The guy north of SLC had a yard that looked like your traditional wrecker's lot, with a front yard for parking, a building or two, and a larger, fenced-off rear year I visited briefly on my way through the area. George Koslowski (past prez of Ontario Z Owners Association) paid the guy a more extensive visit while traveling through the area and did a write-up in the club newsletter, c/w several b&w pix. Years ago, there was also a guy in the southern fringes of San Diego who ran an all-Z recycling yard. That was a pretty cool set-up. Well organized, knowledgeable and helpful owner. Probably long gone by now.

Thanks, Careless. Now I remember reading the write-up you did on this in your own thread (maybe that's where I got the idea). So are you saying leave out media blasting altogether and use vapor blast + shot burnishing instead? Or are you saying to change the order of steps so that it's: vapor blast, then media blast, then shot burnishing? Also: Those are great tips for the valve cover. Now let's talk about the carbs... I can easily see similar materials and strategies being use to seal off the bells and the float chambers. Did you do this? I'm not so sure about the carb bodies. Did you use blank-off plates sealed with RTV across the air inlet, air outlet, and top (bell) opening?

I got the idea from our friends at Z-Therapy, who say: "After the bodies are machined, the carbs get polished. All ZTherapy carbs are machine polished with a unique high pressure (22 G's of force) machine polish technique. This is not a wheel polish. These carbs shine better than when they came out of the molds. By polishing in this way, we close the pores of the metal. They shed dirt better, and look great!" Maybe they really are using a shot-peening process?

In the 1990's there used to be a guy, just north of Salt Lake City IIRC, with a big yard full of Z's. Fifty or more. Same story. He would let the odd person in to have a look, but he believed that he was sitting on a gold mine and refused to consider realistic offers. Maybe this is his nephew!

Oh well... Stay tuned for next brilliant idea.

There's been a bit of chatter over the last couple of days about positive results achieved with a needle scaler tool for the removal of tar-pad sound dampener from floor panels, and even undercoating from the car's underside surfaces. That's great information and looks the a a heck of ot more convenient than dry ice, CO2 blasting, scrapers, blow torches and heat guns! However, I'm interested in hearing about the use of this tool for cleaning and conditioning aluminum castings. I'm thinking specifically of the Z's valve cover and SU carb bells. In both cases, the parts don't lend themselves to blast cabinet treatment (because of the size of the part size in one case, and because of the risk of media-particle part contamination in the other). In addition, the end result from blasting these parts isn't necessarily a correct look -- to my eye, anyway (it's a little too bright and porous-looking). I think I recall someone saying that a needle scaler delivers a more OE look for these types of castings (a smooth, 'hardened' surface look, kind of like shot-peening at a miniature scale). Has anyone tried this? Any before/after (or even just 'after') pix to share?

'Red Racer' IPA recommended, if you can get it in your area. Comes from Surrey, BC.

Thanks, Jim. Chris, I believe that the path forward is clear. Grab one for me and I'll pay you when I pick up my part of our MSA order (assuming that they ever get around to shipping it, of course ).

The Ontario distributor, JR Power Products, is apparently this guy: Jack Langen (905) 880-9976 15650 The Gore Rd Palgrave ON L0N1P0 Chris, I believe that address is within shooting distance of your place. Apparently Langen is an old-school hot rodder and used to sell the stuff at shows and meets. Why not check him out to see whether he has any Gibbs on hand? If he does, grab a can for me, too.

Sign me up for a can, too. You can never have enough 'wonder chemicals' on the shelf.

See my post elsewhere on using modeler's chrome foil to refresh these details.

Diseazd: Looking at the photos once again, I think you've nailed the stance perfectly on this white car. Can you please advise on how you got it there... spring & shock set-up? tire size? wheels? (esp. offset) anything else done to affect (or allow) the ride height? Also: What type of chin spoiler is this car wearing?

Didn't realize the replacement fender had rust, too!

Good refresher for me, too, because I had nothing in my notes to back up the 'double (not bubble)' comment and all the usual Z-car references (FSM, Wick Humble, etc) seem to overlook this point. Good luck with the 'flailing machine' (sorry, Travel'n Man. I couldn't resist )

Good refresher for me, too, because I had nothing in my notes to back up the 'double (not bubble)' comment and all the usual Z-car references (FSM, Wick Humble, etc) seem to overlook this point. Good luck with the 'flailing machine' (sorry, Travel'n Man. I couldn't resist )

RIP... 'Rust In Pieces'

My notes say, 'double (not bubble)'. A better point of reference, though, may be the chart (with photos) that appears on the FedHill website: http://www.fedhillusa.com/webnuts/common flares6.pdf Note in particular the picture with caption that reads, "10mm x 1.0 Asian nut with SAE/double Flare". Now, compare that with the picture immediately below with the caption, "10mm x 1.0 metric nut with DIN/ISO flare" From these pictures, it looks like the best way to visually detect the difference between the two is to look at the flare from the side and check the contour of the back/bottom side of the flare (rather than the front/top side). The back side of the DIN bubble flare is almost flat/square. The back side of the SAE double flare is tapered (45 degree angle).

As a footnote to Grannyknot's discussion, I would add that there seems to be some magic temperature that you need to hit before the corrosion bond along the length of the threads will break down. It's been my experience that a regular propane torch may not be able to get the job done -- especially when you're dealing with a huge heat sink in the form of the cylinder head. Try MAPP gas instead. An oxyacetylene torch would be ideal (but then, I don't have one and you probably don't either). I like the MIG/welded-on-nut strategy because of the massive amount of localized heat that it puts directly into the threaded piece. However, even a cheap MIG is going be an expensive solution here... unless you can borrow or rent one. For reference, I wrestled for days with a snapped off bolt (a measly little 6mm guy) that was stuck in a distributor mount casting. I tried everything, including alternating heat heat from a propane torch ('swirl' type head) with spray applications of 'liquid freeze', followed by light blows with a hand-held impact wrench (I was using a Crafstman ez-out). I had let the casting soak in penetrating oil (acetone-ATF mix) for a week before I got started with the torch. I never got the stud to shift even a tiny bit. I then tried to carefully drill out the core of the stud so that I could pull the thread remnants out of the hole, but the corrosion bond was still so bad that when I pulled on the thread curl, it would just snap off. I had to run a thread tap through the hole to chase out the remnants and even that wasn't a happy process. In the end, I had to drill out the hole and install a threaded insert. Message: That steel-to-aluminum corrosion bond can sometimes be really strong.

Has anybody tried these? Are they any different from the generic moulded-vinyl stick-on strips available at parts stores? Since the original accent strip is heat-embossed to the door card vinyl and thus not removable, I'm having difficulty visualizing how that kind of stick-on strip (has a flat mounting surface) can be installed on top of the original strip without it sitting way too high. I'm hoping that these might, instead, have a 'U' cross-section so that they fit as a cap over the original strip.

Sorry. Double post.