cgsheen1

On BAT in particular and with people who know Z cars (especially in the US) I don't believe "4 speed or 5 speed manual transmission" is anything more than a very minor issue. Why would it effect end sales price other than perhaps marginally? Even though many have "chucked" their 4 speeds in favor of a 5 speed they are still available - as are 5 speeds. Anyone who wants to swap either way can easily do so. Most 5 speeds ARE the 4 speed - same transmission with the addition of an overdrive gear - at least until you get to the ZX "close ratio" 5 speed. (And who wants the "monkey shifter" series one 4 speed other than the ultra originalist...) And, unlike todays kids who think "OH! 5 speeds! Faster!" we know that the Datsun transmission 5th gear is an OVERDRIVE gear added specifically to lower engine RPM at CRUISE for INCREASED FUEL ECONOMY - not top speed. We all know that "spirited driving" in a Z car is done in the first 4 gears anyway (unless you own a turbo car 😉...).

Agree - 100%. I wouldn't do that, and I repair Datsun sheet metal for a living. (well, not really "for a living" - I'm retired - but that's what I do at the shop most days...)

Don't fret. The emissions regs here in Maricopa County aren't hard to meet for any decent running Z car. If you have collectors or vintage car insurance, there is no emissions test requirement to register. Most of the Datsun owners here go that route. I don't because: A. I daily drive my 260Z (specs below) B. It's stupidly easy for my Z to get through emissions. IF you don't want to go the collector insurance route you'll need to do an emissions roller test every year and it's the same test from when they first started this thing. My 1974 doesn't require a look under the hood, but my son's 1976 280Z does. They want to make sure all the emissions control stuff is there and working but most of them don't know what should or shouldn't be there in the first place so they just check you carbon canister and the vacuum hoses for the most part. My '74 does a roller test that is maintaining a 30MPH speed for the first segment and then idle. The later test is almost the same but they vary the speed during the test. The standards for HC and NOX are fairly lax here and not difficult to meet. I haven't brought an out-of-state titled vehicle into Arizona for quite some time, but AZ is fairly laid-back about such things. They don't require plumbers to be licensed by the state, it's right-to-work, any non-felon over the age of 21 can concealed carry without a CCW permit - but you can get one if you want, we have drive-thru liquor stores (something I NEVER saw growing up in Idaho...), AND the Dunkin Doughnuts no longer gets robbed once a week like they used to in the 1970's... Once you get here, check out Desert Datsuns (desertdatsuns.net) - not really a club per se, but a group of Datsun nuts here in the Phoenix area (although most of them are In the North and East Valley, a few on the West side). If you wind up in Surprise you'll want to get to know Greg Childs who lives about as far North West Valley as you can get and not be in Las Vegas. There's also the Desert Z Association in Phoenix. (Covid has affected us all regarding group activities but there are some of us still willing to get together for lunch and drives.) Definitely get that A/C working well - Kia blower and I'll let you know how to get one of Lucas Hayhurst's dash vents (I have the first one he printed - it's astounding how it changes the vent airflow). Don't worry - it's a DRY HEAT... (which doesn't actually mean a damn when it's hot-as-hell) They kept telling this Idaho boy "you'll get used to it!" - total BS... You just learn to live with it - much the same, but opposite, as living in the really frozen North - which means staying out of it as much as possible. The good news is that there's quite a bit of Datsun knowledge and experience here and some fairly nice guys to hang out with once in a while.

Are you working on it from the topside or underside of the hatch?

1. Little known fact in some circles: The green wire in that bundle comes from under the dash. In back of the center console there is an unused (in the U.S. model) 2-pin ("T" type) connector with a Black/White wire and (the other end of that) Green wire. The Black (ground) is attached to the unibody under the hatch somewhere. Black/White of course is battery voltage at ignition ON.

I should have also mentioned that it could just be the bulbs. When the filament blows they can do strange things. It's easy to check the filament continuity without removing the lamp from the headlight bucket. Just unplug the 3-pin connectors behind the grill on either side and test that there's continuity between the positive wire (Red on the right headlight, Red/Yellow on the left) and each of the ground wires (Red/Black and Red/White) and that there is NO continuity between the grounds. If you have a power supply you can also test both filaments of each bulb while you have them disconnected.

Randy, The power (+12v) to the headlights runs through the two 10amp fuses at the top left of the fuse block. Stock wiring would be Red wire to the right headlight and Red/Yellow to the left headlight. The ground(s) to the headlights come through the selector switch attached to the turn signal stalk. The selector switch swaps the ground between the low beam filament in each bulb ( stock wiring = Red/Black) and the high beam filament in each bulb (stock wiring = Red/White) (I may have those backwards - you know how my memory is). The selector switch is pretty simple and I can't see how it would deliver ground to one low beam filament and one high beam filament if the wiring to the headlights is all correct. I would start with the 3-pin switch connector under the steering column. With a multimeter you can verify it has a connection to ground (for completeness of investigation - if the headlights come on at all, they're obviously getting a ground from somewhere) and if it's competing both circuits when switched. It should rock between the the R/W and R/B. Disconnect the 3-pin dimmer switch connector from the dash harness. Check continuity between the ground source and each of the other two wires. When there is continuity to the R/W, the R/B should be open (dead, no continuity) and vice versa. Just make sure that the switching takes place and is reliable and consistent. IF the switch is acting properly, then the problem is likely in the wiring (or connectors). The path of the wiring is from the switch -> 3-pin dash harness connector -> to right side of dash in those myriad of connectors near the glove box (RW and RB are not in the same connector) -> engine bay harness -> right headlight -> left headlight. The path is straight except for a junction off to the high beam pilot light in the speedometer from the high beam wire in the dash harness. It's a drag but you can find and separate the connectors along the path and check wire/connector continuity point-to-point. ONE THING: Incandescent bulbs "are a coil" (positive and negative are connected through the filament) - it's easiest to check their wiring with the bulb unplugged. When the bulb is connected, voltage passes through the filament and you'll see voltage "on the ground side" - which means with all the wiring attached, you'll record voltage all the way back to both RB and RW wires on the dimmer switch and thus to the ground connection. The ground connection here is switched on/off by the headlight combo switch. Good luck (and know that you can just bring it in and we'll figure it out).

The keycode is also stamped on the passenger side lock cylinder. You have to do some disassembly, but it's not too difficult. Download the Factory Service Manual for your year.

Looks factory to me. I've had dozens of Z's torn down to this point. I've also done a roof skin replacement. Replacing the roof skin has nothing to do with the areas you've shown. Your last picture looks like a little body lead drip that they didn't wipe. And yes, the brown metallic is the original color.

In your bleeding process, did you bleed the master cylinder itself?

The one issue you may have is with the joints. In the early Z cars the connections were flare fittings and flared copper tubing. The connections to the condenser are flare fittings. I've never taken apart a '77-'78 A/C system so I don't know if they are the same as the '74-'76 A/C fittings but I would think they would be the same. With the 280ZX, they started using o-ring connections. The fittings on the condenser are probably o-ring. You could have the high-pressure lines that connect to the condenser custom made if the ZX condenser is the same form factor (or could be made to fit in the Z chassis). But you will probably be better off with an aftermarket condenser that's made to fit the Z car and it's flare fittings (if that's indeed what you have).

You're correct, chrome doesn't like to be hit - not with a metal hammer. That indent would need to be pushed (pressed - from the backside). Someone skilled might hammer that out but not the way you'd think. I'd advise against trying it yourself (if you need to ask the question, you probably can't complete the task...) Most formed metal likes to go back to it's formed shape unless it's stretched too much.

I hope these aren't huge - Galaxy S20, best camera I've ever had. See, my chopped off bumper strut is still there...

I can't tell from that photo. I used 240Z bumper mounts and the ones I have don't really fit right but mount the bumper fairly well. I should have fabbed a pair of custom brackets, but you know the old saying about the cobbler and his own shoes... I don't make the time to work on my personal Z like I should. I'll post some phone pics.

That's me. Mine had no bumpers, took quite a search to find early 260Z bumpers and I hated them... Later found some fairly good '73 bumpers and installed them (ya, huge front bumper mounts too)...

Ya, should have mentioned that I've done a few subsequently on other Z's in the shop. It is entirely possible to remove that strut without completely removing the tank AND without cutting anything. It's much easier when you have a lift. I've lowered the tank - disconnecting as few of the hoses as possible (normally right side only - but that's most of them, right?) - supported the tank variously (rope, straps, whatever) and wormed the strut out in one piece. It's kind of a PITA but completely do-able. On the floor it's a little tougher.

I installed 240Z bumpers on my early 260Z several years ago. I didn't want to use the pistons for mounts so I removed the driver side completely. I too, at the time, didn't really want to drop my fuel tank to get the passenger side piston completely removed. My answer was my Sawzall (reciprocating saw)... I cut the end of the piston off flush with the end of that outer casing. I cut from the bottom upwards so when I got to the pressurized section it spewed oil and gas out the bottom.

Ya, I'm an A/C nut - cuz Phoenix. I've collected about three complete stock A/C assemblies over the years but just like SteveJ says - that expansion valve... It's a doozy. Most expansion valves just have an inlet and outlet for refrigerant, but the one Nissan used has multiple tube connections to the evap core. To get a simpler expansion valve you need a whole new evap core. The expansion valve CAN be dis-assembled and cleaned/refurbed - but it takes a bit of a wizard to reset the adjustment screw for the orifice if you need to and you'll have a search for the proper o-rings. Having said that, my A/C has been all stock since I got my 260Z back on the road 11 years ago - and it's my daily driver even when it swelters here in Arizona. (Oops, except my Ultra-Heaven duct which increases the airflow from the center vents HUGELY!) (dang, I also forgot my Kia Sportage blower...)

Yup. That's what I found in the '73 FSM. Got to be it.

How many pins (wires)? What are the wire colors? What is the manufacture date?

Yup. I did that too. Awesome upgrade from H4's. So bright I had to make sure my headlights were aimed properly... 😎

There are fairly detailed instructions and examples in the Factory Service Manual regarding the adjustments to the two "rails" you may need to look at to get proper window movement. The part you mentioned may help you in other ways, but not with the issue you've described above.

Just as a side note, this type of side-bulb welt can be acquired from many different sources including Amazon. Just be sure the "bulb" is large enough diameter to fill the largest gap space you have between door and body. If your door is still a bit hard to close after installing this type of welt, it's likely due to a place where the gap is much too small and part of the door is actually hitting the "pinch" portion of the welt. The bulb is generally super soft. You may need to adjust the flange (ya, bend it in a bit) on the body at the pinch point to increase the gap a bit.

Yup. This is my preferred removal method. I've found that if I can get them to turn, I can get them out. Even if they don't spin freely, it I can get them turning at all I can tap them out while they're turning. I love that they're the same thread as a lug nut. I always use an old lug nut to protect the threads when I'm removing a spindle. Normally I'm locking two nuts together and using my impact wrench to see if I can get them to turn.

Even if you got them on without chipping the paint, you'll never get them off without scratching it. I know, you're not PLANNING on ever taking them off again... Guess again. Some things you just have to live with.