5thhorsemann

$1500

I rarely save pics of other peoples cars, but I had to save a few of this beauty.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1978-Datsun-280Z-L28E-MOTOR-5-Speed-/270845023758?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3f0f9f160e This car is worth a look, even if you're not in the market, I don't think it has been restored, I think it is original.

I completely agree with everything you said, except for the part about me insisting on 220V. All I'm saying is it's a better machine. I started out with a 120V machine that drew 30 amps, and it would pop breakers left and right whenever I taxed its limitations. The bigger 120 V machines, Millers and Hobart’s, have taps which allow you to run on 120 or 220V. I now am the proud owner of a Millermatic 210, with the spool gun, MIG torch and plasma cutter attachments, with the 3 gas bottle setup. I can weld aluminum, steel and stainless, the only set up required to go from one to the other is turning on the gas and changing the spool (for stainless), but I use mine to make a living. You make an excellent point that has not yet been expanded upon. Before you buy anything, make sure your electrical supply can handle it. Look in the breaker box and check to see if you have the capacity to run the machine you are considering. If you don't know what you’re looking at in the breaker box, find someone that does, and get the most powerful machine you can support.

Looks like a solid car http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-DATSUN-240Z-Where-all-began-/180758899252?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a1611ea34#v4-43

I was talking to a friend who was a Z specialist back in the day, he "seemed to recall", as he put it, getting the service bulliten on the wiring harness change in 03/73 effective date of 04/73. He said he likely still has it in his files and is going to see if he can find that paperwork for us. He also has an extensive collection of NOS S30 parts in storage that he has agreed to let me plunder durring his 2 week holiday shut down. Also, he has a new, in the crate, 5 speed transmission that I can have if I agree to "get it the f##k out of his shop." To which I replied, "when can I get in to remove it", Monday at 8:00 am it will be mine. He says there are so many of these laying around on the east coast, with no cars to put them in that it's not even trying to sell it. BTW, I got my paypal straitend out and should have my tach and speedo in a few days.

True, you can "get away" with a 110V unit, but when you need a 220V unit to get into a thick metal project, you will wear that 110V machine out. I found that once I bought a welder for home use, I was welding on every thing in site for peactice. The 220V unit I have now can be fine tuned to make beautiful welds on sheetmetal that could not be acheived with any of the 110V machines I ever owned. Think of it as an investment rather than an expense, in the welding world, bigger is better.

MIG is the best for sheetmetal and thin steel frames, save TIG, but thats a talent you must learn. Go with a MIG with a 230V AC supply.

Actually, when my 350 took an a$$ punch, it looked alot more like the 280 here. Sad man...

On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? That is where I would put your purchase on the scale. Spend a day cleaning it up real good before you answer. I think you did okay, not too terribly high, but a bit high. I'll go a 5 or 6...................without a bath.

How much did you end up giving?

Well, I guess I know what you'll be doing with your spare time and money. Good luck and hang with it.

Well, so much for not getting hurt on a $26.00 tach, the idiot that I bought the tach from never accepted the payment or responded to my numberous attempts to contact him. I canceled payment and now my paypal account is all screwed up, so I can't send payment to the seller of a set (speedo + tach) that I bought the other day. This is going to end up killing my 100% ebay rating. I will never try to deal with a newbie on ebay again, live and learn.

Very very nice!!!

Goop graffiti remover works, also a coating of Pam cooking spray prior to these spirited runs makes it easier to remove.

I had a problem with an oil filter once that had a blown out element or bypass in it, gave lower oil pressure at startup and dropped off significantly as the oil got hot. Cheap enough to try replacing the filter, may fix, or improve the situation.

Just go buy the camera, Santa isn't real............Looks good.

Alot depends on the ride height in our 240's, I run 235/60-14's and had some rubbing issues that required me to add stiffer springs and stay at the stock ride height. A 225 or 235 tire has a big contact patch compared to a 205 which is good for handeling, but creats more drag whigh is bad for top end and hurts fuel economy. The series of the tire 50, 60, 70 and so on, reflects the sidewall height in ratio to the width of the tire, the lower the number the shorter the side wall. The shorter the sidewall the better it handels in corners, the taller the side wall the better the ride. With a smaller rim, I get more sidewall, a 60 series, which helps with the stiff springs, it handels really well in corners, but it is strictly a street car. You are going to have a 15 or 16 inch rim, so you will end up with a 50 or even 40 series which will give you really short sidewalls and your car will have a harder ride, but corner better. Also the 225 will be harder (stiffer) at the steering wheel, much more so at low or no speed, due to those big contact patches, unless you go with power steering.

Looking at that thread, it looks like I have a 3 wire, So I guess I'll have the one I just bought tested and resell it.

I'm not sure what your question is, Black from modile to coil -, red to the balast resistor, unplug wiring from points. 73 240Z US model. Hope that helped.

You should be able to feel the clutch spring through the peddal, the difference in travel from before (when it was working) should be obvious.

Changing color on a car is hard to do, if you want to do it right. Lots and lots of extra disassembly required to get to all the old color for the change, such as removing the motor. If you just want to change the exterrior color and don't care about all the little details, paint it however you like, but you will end up being bothered by the old gold. Every time you see it, you will say to yourself "wish I would have done the extra work." Experience talking here.

Thanks Bonzi, thats sort of what I got off of the registry, not in as much detail though. So does anyone know when the sepperation was for early vs. late in 73? Just in case I run into that question in future parts needs.

The reason I ask is, I just bought this http://www.ebay.com/itm/260888364903?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 and wanted to be sure, before I bid it up higher than I could get out of, if it didn't fit my car. Since I got the thing for $26. after shipping with no opposing bidders it's basically a mute point. Even if this virgin ebayer sends me a broken tach, for that price there is no way to get hurt, I can have it rebuilt and still drive my car while it's getting done. SCORE!

Heres one for the major Z freaks (no offense) I have HLS-30 165246, near as I can tell from the Z registries that would make it a 06-73 production car, but I can't be sure as my door jamb tag is missing. So the question is , is it a 06-73 production car and is that an early or late 73 car? I understand from searching this and other sites that that makes a difference in which tach the car is equipped with.