Jarvo2

I have an extra set of 3-screw roundtop SU's from a '72 240z, along with the E88 manifold/spacers, balance-tube, linkage, heat shield, and K&N filters that I'm looking to sell in the near future. They've been rebuilt with the ZTherapy rebuild kit (needles, gaskets, nozzles, etc) and cleaned up very well. They're not show quality, but they're very nice looking and perform very well. I've been running them on my '72 to ensure they're properly tuned. Basically a good setup for someone looking to convert from flat-tops or EFI over to round-tops. What is the current going rate for a setup like this? Just wondering if its worth keeping them or selling them. Thanks for the insight.

Guess I stumped everyone with my find of a 369 needle!! I'll probably just end up putting a set of SM's or N27's in these and see how they work.

Picture of my carb barn find...

Recently picked up a used set of 3-screw roundtop SU's that I plan to restore as a back-up set and last night when I was disassembling them, I noticed the needles are engraved as "369". The previous owner said that the carbs were from a '72 SCCA racer, so I'm guessing they're richer needles. I was really hoping to see a ZT serial number on the throttle shaft, but I couldn't find one, but the floats do appear to be newer and the rest of the carb body appears to be in good shape (under about 20 years of dust & grime). Has anyone heard of a 369 needle?

You can continue to throw good money at a poorly tuned engine, but I'd suggest: 1) Start with ensuring the valves are adjusted corrrectly 2) Confirm emissions gear is working as designed, or blocked off & no vacuum leaks (and also check your PCV valve to make sure it rattles freely) 3) Set timing to specs 4) Tune the carbs Also remember, a 40+ year old car is not going to idle like a new modern fuel injected car, it has its own character with the gurgly idle. You may also be due for a full engine rebuild (top & bottom) if its never been done. Between old worn rings, bad gaskets/seals, and years of gunk growing in the engine, that could add to a poor idle. Check out what was living in my PCV filter of my '72 240z and the carbon buildup on the cylinders:

Miata seats did come in black leather, or you can get leather cover replacements. I picked my cloth seats up for $45 with sliders included!

Don't cut your door cards!! Take a look at putting speakers in your headrests (http://jarvas240z.blogspot.com/2014/08/miata-seat-speakers.html) or possibly pick up a set of mounts from MSA (http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic01a/50-1293)

Its the "bean" in downtown Chicago. Pretty impressive in person.

I'm happy with the Pontiac blue/turquoises .

I went with Pontiac Bluish-Green engine paint from Duplicolor. Seemed pretty close, unless you want to buy the official reblend of Datsun Blue.

My 240z had the aftermarket A/C installed in it and did NOT have the FICD installed.

I painted my block before any assembly and am quite happy with the results. You are going to get some form of fluid on your freshly painted block, just need to clean it up right away! http://jarvas240z.blogspot.com/2014/11/block-cleanup-and-preparation-for.html

Upgrade to electronic ignition, like a Pertronix setup! http://jarvas240z.blogspot.com/2012/05/electronic-ignition.html

Regardless of the finish its all about the preparation work. Need to remove rust, grease, and other gunk that's baked on for the past 40+ years

I used the cheapo 1 ton harbor freight model & was able to pull the engine out from the front. I needed to take the front bumper off and valance/grill. A load-leveler really helps too

Tamo3 -- Both relays are mounted to the strut that holds the antenna to the body. This allowed me to keep them fairly hidden, only be powered when the switch energizes the antenna, and to keep the original wiring. Take a look at the last couple pictures on my blog site.

Might be a good package for Dave Irwin to put together as one of his technology upgrades. Just the parts end up being about $30 (including antenna & relays)

I've struggled with what type of antenna to replace the broken original with. I first tried an 11" rubber ducky that didn't work very well, as well as a hidden antenna that mounted to the window; again not working too well. I decided it was time to investigate how to repair or replace the old semi-automatic antenna that Datsun included originally. The great feature of the Datsun antenna is that it is controlled by the radio head unit with a switch, allowing the driver (or passenger) the ability to raise or lower the antenna to the proper level to tune in stations. The original Datsun antenna had a modulator box already installed that allowed the switch to power one wire for up, the other for down, and use the body of the antenna for a ground; this is how the switch works too. The modern semi-automatic that I sourced just reverses the polarity to have it go up and down. I was able to find a diagram of a door lock actuator that would allow me to use the original Datsun radio switch and wiring while making the new antenna work by means of two relays. Essentially reversing the polarity of the output wires. The results are great! I can accurately tune into any station in my '72 240z's radio that I can in a modern car with a digital tuner (meaning the antenna performs as good). Full Write-Up with Pictures: http://jarvas240z.blogspot.com/2015/05/amfm-antenna-upgrade.html

The switch I had bypassed the oil pressure when it got power from the starter. Check out the schematic that I drew. There is a switched power, Starer Power, and output on that switch.

Depends what your goals are. A bone stock original/restoration will be worth more than a modified one. For me, I'm doing light modifications to enhance the enjoyment of my '72 240z and the drive-ability of it. I would suggest you start with the essentials (unless they've been done already) -- Struts, Bushings, Full Engine Rebuild, Round-Top Carbs (73 had the flat tops), New Fuel Hoses, Electronic Ignition (pertronix is hidden nicely), and Door seals, etc. Welcome to the club & enjoy your project!

Do share your sources!

Awesome idea of putting it in the interior. I would be worried about putting a fuel gauge inside though as it will require gasoline to pass through the firewall which is a big no-no. I ended up putting the vacuum gauge on the balance tube so it would help with dialing in the carbs. I do have a video at the bottom of this blog page to show you what mine looks like. Dropping down & then rebounding above normal & then returning to normal is what you're looking for. This was before I rebuilt my engine & it reads even better now with the new rings, gaskets, and cleaning out 40 years of crud. http://jarvas240z.blogspot.com/2012/11/vacuum-gauge-installed.html

That crank pulley looks more like a harmonic balancer, which I didn't think the L series engines used.

Check out JDM Car Parts. I have my original one that I took off my '72 along with all of the smog gear if anyone is looking for parts. They're not show condition, but functional and can be cleaned up pretty easy. http://jdm-car-parts.com/collections/engine-parts-nissan-datsun-fairlady-z-240z-260z-280z-280zx

I got a cheapo red LED Bar from eBay/Amazon and installed it at the top of my rear window. Its mounted to the interior top plastic piece so it does not move with the hatch...had it there for a while but it kept falling off & the wires stuck out too much. Very easy to run another feed from the brake pedal switch or from the rear tail lights. I think it ended up costing me ~$15.