texasz

I'll post a pic of the one I have tonight. This is why I was asking, because if the metal was was not even the original then I'd certainly not spend the time restoring it. If it were the original and they are NLA I would. If you are referring to this http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/SEIC04A/12-4271 then MSA is the most expensive I've seen it anywhere. $30 for the tray only!!! :eek: Black Dragon has a good price on everything except the frame: http://www.blackdragonauto.com/icatalog/z/full.aspx?Page=117 Banzai Motorworks has the best price for a one stop purchase: http://www.zzxdatsun.com/ and click on Catelog on the left then on Battery in the top center of the screen Heck, someone on eBay is selling the tray for far less than MSA. Lesson learned, shop around for your parts.

Jeff, that would be great if you could. Shoot me a PM with how much you want and how to get it to you. That's interesting. It appears a bit large and out of place in the Z though. The question I have is what/how does this attach to the car? I see that is sandwiches around the battery calmping it between the two billet pieces though I just don't see where/how it's attached to the car to keep the whole thing from flying in to the side of the engine.

So the metal is the original design. Is that what you are saying? Where are you finding them? I have not seen anyone selling anything other than the plastic ones.

You interested in supplying the pieces? I could always get someone local to weld it up. I really like the tube you added for the J bolt, great enhancement to the design (I'd want that version of course).

Does anyone have pix of the original battery tray? Were they alway the plastic ones with a drain tube like what is available today (like the one Z Car Source sells here: http://www.zcarsource.com/content/p/9/pid/53912/catid/7674)? I have a series I car which has a metal tray (it "had" some kind of coating, like rubbery plastic or something), it has I believe it's 6 places in the bottom where there are + shaped openings/holes. Was this OE or some aftermarket piece? I'm trying to decide if it's worth restoring or scrapping, it's VERY rusty and will require a TON of media blasting to clean up then lots of effort filling in all the rust through. When all that's done I could finaly finish it off with POR15.

No kidding! Make a dozen and sell 'em.

bump... Seriously, nobody has this DVD?

Just one more idea, I had a parts car where the head was already removed and I needed to pull the lower end and tranny. I took either a chain or strap (like a tow strap or something), I can not remember which, and ran it down one side of the block through the center of the motor mount under the engine through the center of the other motor mount and up the other side of the engine and connected both ends to the hoist. Worked like a champ!

Call Jerry at All Z Car Specialists in Ft. Worth. He'll have what you need!

Does anyone here have the ZT Just SU's DVD, the one that walks you through rebuilding the carbs, that I could bum a copy from? I have it on VHS and of course no longer have a working VCR.

Yours would be one of those transitional cars mentioned in an earlier post. They used the parts until they were gone then went to the new part...that's been my understanding from many dscussions here and on other sites over the years. Hence the mixture of newer and older parts on many of the 1971 Z cars.

I had the same issue, lots of slop on one side. Removing the half shafts is not hard it just takes a bit of patients and maybe time. I had to hit mine with some PB Blaster before the nuts would come off, spray it and leave it sit over night then the next day they will come off easier and without stripping or braking anything. Brand...you are on the right track, get good quality ones. I went with Spicers from MSA. Pay attention to what you are buying from them since they sell a lesser brand and the Spicers. I took my half shaft to The Z Clinic and had them put in for something like $50 about 4 years ago. After watching him I think I could probably do it myself next time. While you are at it you should do both half shafts and the drive shaft couldn't hurt either.

Great info guys, as usual there's always something new to learn. Thank you all.

Yep, that's about what the answer is every time this topic comes up. From Mike's post and the info you gave though it does seem to fit that this engine did come from a very low VIN Z car which is really all I wanted to know...again it makes no difference I was just curious.

It's both. Nobody really talks about the block casting code much so I had not realized this either. About the only block casting codes people talk about much are the N42 and F54.

I have a few parts in piles/boxes of Z stuff that I've started sorting through to determine what I want/need to keep and what will end up being made available for sale. Can anyone help ID the following items? I think this may be a mass air flow from a 280ZX, it has a label on it that reads A31-627 420 and under that is JECS 2402 L28 I have a hose with a part attached to it, the hose has this Nissan part number on it: 27187 P8?70. I'd like to know what this is for so I can figure out what the small part it's attached to is. I have a couple brackets that I think may be A/C mounts, the have this number cast in them: 11910 P8101 Thanx in advance everyone!!

Very good!! Thank you gentlemen, I thought that's what it was...just a little confused as I had it stuck in the back of my mind that these were not added until '73 along with several other air quality measures (i.e. flat top carbs :sick: ). That's one more part for my scrap pile...or 'for sale' list (not likely anyone wants one).

Walter, you are correct about the parts you listed from your car. There was a period of transition during which many cars got only SOME of the Series I parts. It has been speculated on this site and others that they just used up what parts they had then switched that part over to the new one. Good examples of these are the heads, valve covers, gas doors, ash trays, etc. I suppose I should have been more clear about the existence of this transitional period, please forgive me for that.

I know we have discussed determining what car an engine came from and how it is impossible based upon many many factors. I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me ROUGHLY where this engine may have come from? The number on it is 2776. Story is that the guy sold the car it came out of a 2-3 years ago, the person who bought the car was supposed to come back and get the engine and tranny yet never did. Fast forward to last weekend, I went and bought it from the guy who was tired of tripping over it in his garage. He told me that the VIN on the car it came from (the one he sold 2-3 years ago) was in the 300s. Not that it matters, I'm just curious.

I have VIN 8215 which has A/C. The A/C compressor is on the driver's side of the engine in the front (of course, so a belt can reach it) mounted down low (under the carb and exhaust). On another 1970 engine I just picked up, which as I was told was from a car in the 300s, there is no A/C compressor. Though in it's place is another item that has a hose which connects to the piece just above and connected to the exhaust manifold (the long tube that runs the length of the head and has smaller tubes connecting it to each port of the exhaust manifold)...I'm thinking maybe a smog pump. ??? I didn't think that the Z got a smog pump until '73 though. Anyone know what this is?

By chance does anyone have a list of all the unique parts on the Series I cars? I know that there have been many many discussions over the years that talk about one item or another...even a couple conversations that may list a few of the differences. I have yet to see an exhaustive list of these parts all in one place though. I'll start with what I can think of off the top of my head: fuse box ash tray pillar emblems E31 head "Nissan 2400 OHC" valve cover E31 block map light (no shroud) metal fan (behind radiator) tail light wire harness (has aprox. 1" white molex plug) door key and locks coin holder seats (non-reclyning) toolbox lids coat hangers seat belts steering knuckles (shorter than later models and smaller ball joints) tranny (has straight shift stick) shift stick inner rubber shifter boot center console choke assembly in passenger compartment choke plate on center console hazzard switch dash (depression above hazzard switch is unused and thus not cut open) speedo (the numbers start at 20MPH) steering wheel gas door gas cap expansion tank (it's metal, they changed to plastic) carbs (4-screw style) front bumper mounts rear bumper mounts combo switch steering column (different number of teeth) hatch interior hatch trim piece hatch vents (on exterior of hatch) hatch vents/drain tubes (inside the hatch itself) This should be a good starting point and if anyone can add what the differences are that would be even better (specifics are always best)...and if any of the above is incorrect please share. :classic:

I bought them for the front and rear brakes and have yet to install them. I never thought about them for the MC nor clutch, that's a great idea! I think I hit their site and order me up a copuld of the SB7100S units for these two applications. Thanx for the idea guys!

Anyone got information or documentation on the casting codes on the pistons and/or rods from the '70-83 Z car engines? I need to identify some parts. Also while I'm asking, was the bore the same for all of the above years and only the stroke and/or rod length changed?

Here's a link I just found that has some of the specs for the car: http://www.flzclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42

This car may have been discussed on here a few years back as it was done for Sport Z magazine. If not, then you should check it out...quite interesting what has been done to it. Any how, the point of this post is to share the fact that the supercharger setup is all up for sale now and he "would like to get $2000 for it". Here's a link to the thread over at Hybridz, check out the videos too. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=144713