jfa.series1

At our monthly Z Club of Texas meeting this week, "Mad Mike" Taylor specifically commented on Mr. K. He continues to do well, still retains his driver's license and is unhappy because his 98-year old wife will no longer allow him to drive (he does have very bad knees). Mike talks to him on a regular basis. Jim

I think this is a variation on the very old "water injection" scam claiming that water can be broken down by a "patented and revolutionary device" into its hydrogen and oxygen elements to aid the combustion process and provide massive increases in mpg. Pure hoakum!!! Jim

No can do! I am right there with you. At one time MSA offered a cover for the new box but it is NLA. I am not aware of anyone else fabbing a cover for this item. Jim

Chase - I had a similar problem with my OE antenna after the resto. I found that the thick nylon cable had broken near the core mounting point. So... it would extend but not retract. Open up the cable housing and check for a break. There are posts on the forum for repairs, some have used string trimmer materials about 0.080" thick if I recall correctly. Hope this helps. Jim

You don't specify year model, but I picked off a P/N from the online catalog and got a hit with Courtesy Parts - US$8.52. It is called a joint tube (no joke). Jim

Agreed, looks like a deal, lots of stuff in their store. If you pull the trigger, you owe us all a comprehensive report back. Jim

Hah - "opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one". Ultimately everything boils down to money and how you want to spend it. Off the top, neither car really qualifies for potential "collector" status so that actually takes some load off of you. So... now you are into fun and enjoyability investment. As to the "clean" car, you state it is not the safest feeling but don't say why. Did the collision cause any serious unibody/frame bends that compromise handling or safety integrity? If not and it is the cleaner car cosmetically, this is probably the ideal candidate for the turbo motor and some additional cosmetic work like a replacement hatch. As to the "rusty" car, do hold onto the original motor but build yourself a very realistic budget of what it might take to put the car back to good and safe condition BEFORE you undertake the project. Doing the labor yourself will help hold down costs. Even if you value your labor at $0, there is a strong likelihood you will never recover your investment when it comes time to sell the car. Matching numbers will always mean something to a lot of buyers, so stay true if you can. So... there you have a brief opinion and it is worth exactly what you paid for it. Good luck and always consider yourself a man of good fortune to have two Z cars that you can drive on a regular basis. Jim

If using the MSA kit muffler, here is a fitment tip: center port input, offset port output. Tilt it about 30 degrees into the fender cavity at the top. Get ready for a lot of Symphony In Straight Six! Jim

You can also get some adjustment with the bolts that attach the hinges to the body, same caution as above. Jim

VERY pretty car!!! Striking color and wheels you don't see everyday. Have fun. Jim

I took my car to its first Cars & Coffee meet, have a nice new showboard to explain its history and the work done on it. Jim

Here is a pic of the "stud" i.e. tapered shaft so you have a feel for what you are dealing with. The nut draws it tight against the spindle - if you tap on it, be sure to have the nut in place to not foul the threads. Jim

The stud you mention is a small tapered shaft with a flat on it. The flat matches a similar flat on the spindle and is intended to keep the spindle from rotating. It usually takes a liberal application of rust blaster allowed to soak in at least overnight to get the stud/shaft to release. A little heat may help, as might a very light tap with a small hammer to un-sieze the shaft. Hope this helps. Jim

Hi Chase - I just get the car back from 7 months in paint jail to fix a few things from the original visit. He did a very concientious job of warranty work. I expect to have the car ready for Cars & Coffee this Saturday, 06/02. Perhaps I will see you there. Dan - what a wonderful coincidence of age and purchase details. Looks like the stars were aligned for us. Congrats right back at you. Jim

I guess all of you realize this is a 14-month old thread. My car hit its 41st anniversary two months ago. It recently received some recognition from my club and a friend surprised me with his post of a pic from a local dealership's internal TV system. But - thanks for all the nice comments (even if you insist on calling a Safari Gold car "yellow"). Jim

My two daughters are no longer kids, now grown adults with their own families. They constantly remind me of when they were little how they enjoyed laying on their backs in the luggage area, feet forward between the seats. At night they would watch the lights and stars thru the hatch glass. Memories!!! Jim

Mike - the conventional wisdom for removing and installing the fuel filler tube is to gently heat it with a hair dryer or heat gun. You want to use enough heat to make the tube flexible, not so much as to deform it. A little heat goes a long way! After you get the new tube installed and are ready to get the tank back in, a little heat at the bottom of the tube will help with sliding the tank tube into place. A little heat on the tank tube might also help. Even a little bit of bearing grease on the inside of the filler tube will help with the insertion. Hope this helps. Jim

FYI... this is what eveything looks like under the dash. I find it always helps me to have a picture in my head of what I am dealing with. You can see the short curved hose mentioned above. If I recall correctly, MSA sells the genuine Nissan part (pre-bent). Hope this helps. Jim

Kevin, Yep, I'm in ZCoT. The monthly meeting is this Thursday in Addison and would enjoy meeting you if you can make it over there. Jim

Agreed - pull the heater core and have it checked at a radiator shop. You stand a decent chance it can be repaired, if not re-cored. Also, replace the water valve with a new one while you are in there - cheap insurance against more leaks. Jim

Hey Kevin, Welcome to the group. A lot of really good folks on this site, help for any project no matter how small or large is just a post away. If you are in the North Texas area, give a shout - lots of local club activities, shows, and other opportunities to meet and talk Z cars. Looking forward to your pics. Jim

Hi Tom, Welcome to the club. No need to remove the heater controls face plate unless you are into self-abuse! This is one of the more complex pieces and removal won't fix your problem. In fact - it has to be in place to attach the control cables to their various levers. As Chuck said, there are four wire cables attached to the three levers. The OFF-VENT-HEAT lever has a single cable running to a lever on the top right side of the plenum box behind the blower motor. It controls the outside air into the car. The TEMP lever also has a cable to this same general area - it attaches to the water valve near the firewall. The cable you are having trouble with may be difficult to reattach with the blower motor and A/C components all in place. Get into the passenger side footwell with a bright flashlight and trace the two wire cables. Removal of the passenger seat may give you extra room to maneuver. Jim Good luck with your new find and Enjoy The Ride!

The excellent reproductions are available from MSA.

Don't give up on Courtesy unless you have talked to the guys at the parts counter. David House knows the early Z's inside and out, is very resourceful at locating stuff if it is available. If on "b/o" at the warehouse, he will likely know the reality of it coming in. Have your p/n's ready if you call, he can get thru your needs list very quickly. If no p/n's, he is still very good with the fiche images but you might have to wait a bit until he has time to work with you on the lookups. These guys really provide excellent service. Jim

Faux braid... I like that! Jim