CW240Z

I recently picked up this car after knowing about it for a year or so. I'm technically the 2nd owner of it, and plan to do a light factory spec restoration on it. It's an original 76' java green tr7, with a newer 80s model engine. It's a great little car, no rust, minimal electrical/mechanical problems, and a solid foundation to invest a little and hopefully make a small profit in the end. Being English, parts are always hard to find and odd to get to. I'm sure as I dig into it the "craftsmanship" these cars were made with, other problems will start to show through. Fortunately I haven't spent much getting it, so I'll be able to properly fix any found issues. I only have one low quality picture of it before it was home. I'll get a few more once things settle down. Let me know what you think. Chase

Flat side faces up if you have a filter designed the same way as the original. Look at the filter closely and there should be an arrow on it telling you the direction of flow. Chase

I also would suggest the red kote product. I've used it on two separate tanks with great results. Chase

How is it easier to change the interior color than exterior? A proper color change is much more difficult than just repainting a car the factory color. I can see the interior change being difficult if you had to source down all the replacement panels and covers, but not nearly as bad as all the work involved with painting an entire car. Chase

Clear won't preserve the the original color or prevent rot unfortunately. Unless the rust and rot on the body have been taken care of with products like Stanley mentioned or a paint that converts rust into primer, it will come back through the clear making more work for when you go to actually paint the car. Chase

Correcting me if I'm wrong, but if the paint has clear coat peeling then it is not the original paint. Nissan used a one step enamel paint job on these cars that did not consist of a clear coat. Today we use a method which includes spraying a final clear coat over the base color. There isn't much you can do to "spot in" the faded spots on the car and not make them noticeable. Like stated above, get a car cover of some sort and protect what you can until the car is ready for paint. Chase

Here is a picture of the dash I am currently working on. It is already out of the truck, and has had the top part refinished using the methods described on this forum. The glove box is off in this photo as well. It is much more simple than the Z dash, so I am not sure how well this process would work on it. Chase

Exactly, that's why I went with a synthetic material. It stretches better and costs a fraction of the price. I'm working on a few other components of the dash as of now and will post those photos soon. Chase.

This is true, which is why I started with the glove box. Although getting the curves around the latch was a tedious part. If you do the dash in small sections, applying heat and clamping the material, it's not as intimidating of a project. I'll update with more pictures as the project goes on. Chase

This is an experiment I'm attempting on a Datsun 620 dash currently. It can be applied to any dash. Like many Datsun dashes, mine was cracked and in an awful condition. Instead of putting a cap over the cracks, I decided to wrap the dash in a synthetic leather material I got from a local fabric store. It was very cheap too, only $20 for more than double the material necessary. I started working on the smaller parts to get an idea of how this fabric works. With a little bit of heat it is very pliable and fairly easy to work with. For my first time I was pretty pleased with the finished product. Let me know what you guys think. Chase

Be extra careful not to tear any hidden hoses. Now would be a good time to replace them if you can. Chase

The Zs that sell for the most money are typically ones that haven't been personalized by someone, and have an original look to them. That's not to say that a crazy engine swapped and/or beefed up Z is less valuable than a original looking one (in most cases). It would take more time, effort, and money to build a modded Z that would fetch more than an original one. If you look at these cars on eBay, color has a lot to do with the price when you compare Zs of equal condition. The 112 yellow cars bring in a good amount of money. IMO the 112 yellow is a great color, and it gets peoples attention in the world of silver and white colored Zs which sometimes can be a bit boring. If you look on eBay now you basically have a choice of a red, silver, or white Z. Don't get me wrong though those colors look great on the car, but why change the color to something that is already out there multiple times and all the time? Chase

It's best to replace the filters when you redo the system. As long as the fuel pump had a good filter in front of it, you shouldn't have to replace it. Your symptoms of running and non-running are exactly the same as mine. You can imagine the fuel pickup line inside of the tank as a thin straw. The suction from the fuel pump will eventually pick up any rust scales and trash at the bottom and clog up. The car starves for fuel and dies at this point. Once the suction from the pump is gone, the sediment falls back to the bottom of the tank and the whole process will start back over. Chase

$500 is pretty high just to boil out the tank and seal it. At least around here. Maybe shop around some more, and see if you can find a better deal. If not, doing it yourself is an option. Several people here (including myself) have redone there own tank for a fraction of the cost. POR-15 sells a tank restoration kit that will work. Just make sure you follow the instructions as closely as you can or it will not work (ask me how I know). Before anything, get the tank down and see how bad the rust is. It may be too far gone and a new tank will be needed. Chase

That access hole may just be on the later models because I don't recall seeing one on my 72'. Based off of what you have described, you do have rust in your tank. Removing the tank is not a difficult job, just be sure you have all the fragile hoses undone so nothing it torn out. A diagram of the tank will also help out greatly if you are not familiar with taking it out. Your best bet to cleaning the tank is having it boiling and sealed at a local radiator shop. Chase

It looks like a later model brake booster. A 71 240z booster looks something like this: http://www.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=258880&imageurl=http%3A//my.cardone.com/Imagesftp/53/535245-01.jpg Chase

You mentioned you didn't have a clear fuel filter. Maybe you should invest in a fuel filter in with the design of the original that's also see though. They sell one that works great at Autozone for about $4.00. You could also try unhooking one of the fuel lines past the fuel pump and see if anything shoots out. Also, how new is the fuel pump? They function with a rubber diaphragm that can dry out and crack over time. That might of gone bad while it was sitting and you'll never get fuel to the engine! When was the last time the car ran fine and was safely drive-able? Like stated above, there could be a clog in the fuel system which can be fixed by blowing it out or soaking them with a strong carb cleaner. It's nice to hear of another Z in Texas. Do you have any pictures to share of the car? Chase

If the paint in your engine bay is in a decent condition, blasting it to bare metal won't be necessary. That is, no deep gouges, major rusting, large sections missing paint, etc. Paint and primer have a better tendency to "stick to the car" when sprayed on a prepped paint surface rather bare metal. The painted surface offers more for the new paint/primer "adhere" to if that makes any sense. Filler would only be necessary if you had any dents or dings that could not be beaten out. When painting the engine bay, you will want to ensure that it is as clean as possible. All the years of oils and chemicals in there will pose a threat to your new paint. Acetone and other paint thinners will help clean the surface for prepping/painting. Depending on the condition of the paint, you could use a sand paper with enough grit to smooth out the surface without leaving scratches that would be seen once the primer is applied. Start with a paper ranging in the 180-220 grit to get a good base to spray. A lighter sandpaper would be used (320-400) on the primer to ensure a nice smooth surface for the paint to be sprayed on. Chase

Welcome to the forum where proper grammar is always a plus. As stated above, pictures would be nice. Chase

Have you checked/replaced the shifter bushing and linkage yet? You might be binding up trying to get it into gear. Chase

I'm not in the market for a car. I just came across the 260z and thought it was a very nice one. Probably the cleanest one I've ever seen. That 1 series is awesome too. The history and originality of that car would make it a fair sale at $9500 IMO. I hope both cars go to a good home. Chase

I came across this 260z while I was skimming through the Craigslist's ads today. It looks great, and I love the JDM tail lights on it. Unfortunately there isn't any information on the car online. $ 14, 988 price tag http://pre.myperfectautos.com/cars/TX/Houston/1974/Datsun/260z/36521476.html Chase

Welcome to the forum! There are quite a few Z members around the Dallas area as mentioned above. Try to make it out to the ZCoT meetings. We would like to meet you in person and see the car. Chase

I use this product on the intake manifold and other aluminum parts on my engine bay. It works great with a wire brush and lots of water. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/EAG0/665804/N0454.oap?ck=Search_aluminum_N0454_-1_555&keyword=aluminum&pt=N0454&ppt=C0209 Chase

You may have a vacuum leak somewhere in the fuel/intake system. A simple vacuum leak could cause a mess of problems.