inline6

I thought about drilling out the rivets, but they are directly in center line with the two cylinders (in the guts) of the mechanism. I think there are posts running though the center of those and through the mounting plate and the shaft ends are folded down - as the "rivets". So, if I drill them out, I won't be able to just replace them with rivets because the cylinders will not be re-attached to the mounting plate. Replacing the guts seems like a better option, but I will say I am not knowledgeable about automotive wiring/circuits. 6 wires on the original and 3 on the Ford... now what?

I'm doing a rotisserie restoration and would prefer to get this regulator restored. I can get the cover and screws re-plated, but does anyone know a place that can restore the rest (re-plate the base while not hurting the electrical parts)?

Can I buy your old jute? 🙂

Last weekend, I directed my efforts finishing up the sound deadening mats and at the car interior surfaces. The glue sprayed onto various areas to secure the vinyl trim is quite difficult to remove. After trial and error of various methods, I settled in mostly on using a very stiff metal brush. It seamed to pull the adhesive off the best while least effecting the existing painted finish. Adhesive remover is ok, but more messy and it can prolong the process because the adhesive gets sticky again and smears to a degree. Wiping a cloth with adhesive remover just back and forth briefly on the adhesive and then letting it evaporate for a bit seamed to soften up the adhesive a proper amount to aid with quicker removal with the stiff wire brush. Soaking the adhesive doesn't help as it turns gooey and wants to keep sticking as you are brushing it. And it can get clogged in the brush and smear to other locations. Examples of old adhesive: My goal for the interior prior to getting the car painted is to prep the surfaces by removing all of the adhesive and putting some tooth on the old paint so primer and paint can be applied achieving a clean, "factory applied" paint finish. The original paint is thin inside the passenger compartment and it is easily broken through to the oxide type primer which was applied at the factory. I find the black paint applied by hand with a brush in this circle interesting. The purpose on my car is so the silver does not show through the pattern of vent holes in the trim finisher that goes inside along the rear quarter panel. The presence of runs and drips is interesting to me. I also applied seam sealer to all the edges of the sound dampening mats. This way, water will not be able to get under them in the future. One thing to note is that impacts to the floor can cause the original material to pull loose from the floor as well was crack. This creates an opening for water. If your floors and sound deadening are still not rusted out, you should have a look and address issues via sealant to attempt to keep them that way. I see have some spots where I missed application of the sealer, so I will need to touch those up: Hand sanding the tire well is a time consuming exercise. Power tools don't fit in here well and I didn't sandblast it. So, hand prep it is.

I didn't have any issues when I replaced mine on my track Z several years ago.

Updated.

While I was doing the above work, I snapped these pictures which clearly show evidence of how water came into the car from the quarter panel vents. The hole in the quarter panel has this "U" shaped plate behind it which has some sealer not very well applied to the edges where it meets the inside surface of the quarter panel: In the bottom right hand portion of this photo, you can see where water ran down from the vent to the junction of the inner fender wheel well and the quarter panel. The car is at 90 degrees on the rotisserie with the left side of the car facing the floor: It seems wise to apply more seam sealer to the "U" shaped piece to make sure it doesn't let water in along its edges. That said, the top of it is open. So, it is not a good idea to hit that vent with a stream from a hose. 🙂 I will be be applying some spray on sound deadener to the inside surfaces of the quarter panel. However, before that, I will be prepping and addressing any suspicious areas of factory sealant to ensure no water can get in to cause trouble. *edit - I also noticed today that the bottom of the three holes that hold on the Z emblem is located below the bottom of the "U" plate, whereas the two others are contained within it. So, the bottom hole is more problematic for letting water in for what that is worth.

I picked back up on the work in the rear hatch area. I removed the remaining portion of the old sound deadening mat and found a bit of rust under it. I tried to remove it with a wire brush on a 4.5" grinder, and some hand sanding, but when you have the ability to strip with a "sand" blaster, everything else feels inferior when considering the result. Unfortunately, sand gets everywhere, so time for clean-up becomes a major factory. I should have stripped the rear hatch floor at the same time that I did the passenger compartment floor. I would have saved a lot of time in the long run. After sand blasting, I sprayed epoxy primer to the bare metal: I then applied the Second Skin pieces which I fabricated last weekend. The adhesive on this butyl rubber sound dampening is very strong. You have to be very careful when it first contacts the car to have it positioned correctly. After those were all in place, I used the backing paper from them as templates for the factory type of insulation. These templates are more accurate than my initial paper templates. When cutting the factory mat, I made the cutline about 3/32" outside the template edge. This makes the factory type mat a touch bigger and allows the edges to radius over/around the second skin mat for a slightly better look in my opinion. Finally, the effort to replicate the factory sound deadening mat is nearly complete, just a bit more to do at the firewall. I will be applying a 3M flexible seam sealer to all of the edges so that water can't get under it anywhere in the future. I am pleased with how it turned out. It is difficult, in my opinion, to distinguish it from the factory applied original, however it has the benefits of more modern technology - butyl rubber, strong adhesive, metal foil for heat shielding. The factory type stuff on top which looks nicer though and conforms to compound curves more easily. The resulting sound deadening is noticeably better.

Thanks! This past weekend I started on the hatch floor area. In looking at the templates you created, I realized that those are for a series 1 car. So, they differ a bit from my series 2. Once again I had to do some investigative work, looking closely at clues on my car to decipher where the original sound deadening mat was. My car still had the mat present behind the shock tower, but the portion between and in front of the shock towers had been removed by a prior owner. After careful removal of some kind of black coating, likely applied by this same owner, I was able to see where the original mat use to be. The original silver paint outlines where it was. I started applying tape so I could make a template: The outline was taped off. Then masking paper was used to fill in the outline. Next, I removed the remainder of the factory sound deadening. Then, I used the template to cut the Second Skin mats. The adhesive backing is still in place on each mat. Fitment was done first with each mat held into position by using masking tape. Next, I will properly strip the hatch floor so it is prepped for a coat of epoxy primer.

Decided to switch over to installing more "tar mat". Where I left off was with the passenger compartment floor surfaces finished with both a layer of Second Skin mat and a layer of factory mat cut and installed. I had only installed the Second Skin on the tunnel. So, cut and installed the factory mat on top of that on the driveshaft tunnel. I didn't take as many pictures showing step by step progress, as this is a repeat of sorts of similar prior work. A bit of finishing work is needed for the front tunnel piece where it meets the fire wall. After that, all that is left is the rear hatch area.

Top notch, Mike! Well done. I haven't taken the time to make my own template for the hatch area yet. The other ones I have already done and mostly installed replacements (linked if anyone would like to check that out). I will benefit from your work and sharing here. Thanks very much.

Ah. Yeah, I can see that. I like your solution. I will take some extra care with gluing the pads in place and will apply sealant around the edges of the foam to keep water from getting in under them.

I took a break from working on parts/hardware prep this weekend and worked on a few other projects. My plan is to finish up with that prep and send everything off for plating in a week or two. When I get everything back, I have some sheet metal that needs to be bolted to the car a final time before commencing on the last round of priming and blocking. Some areas of panels "move" significantly when they are bolted in place. This is true of the fenders, and especially the cowl panel... which brings me to a cool little project I did this weekend. From the factory, Nissan installed some closed cell foam under the flat corner areas of the cowl panel of my car. It wasn't there on very early cars, but was a production change. This foam sheet is sandwiched between the unibody and the cowl panel eliminating an "air gap" which can cause the panel to vibrate. I am quite pleased to say that I have found replacement foam that I honestly can't tell apart from the original, other than it is new of course! It looks the same, feels the same, and has the same density (to the best I can feel). I made up some replacement pieces today: Old for first pic... then old on top of the new sheet for the second pic... and pic showing thickness of old stacked on new: It's great when something goes so well. I made some extras. If anyone is interested in a set, let me know. Be aware that if you've done final body work or paint on your cowl panel without your foam pads, installation of these will likely move your panel somewhat. Best to utilize them during final bodywork prep. When I get the hardware back from being re-plated, I will be able to bolt on the cowl panel with these new foam supports which will positively locate the flat areas of the panel so that I can proceed with the final sanding required to get it prepared for paint.

Another possible source is Motorsport Auto. https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic08f03/40-2691 I have read that there are two manufacturers of replacement foam. I confirmed with the person I spoke with at Motorsport Auto that the version they sold me was made (or sold) by Distinctive Industries, makers of a good quality replacement re-upholstery seat kit also. You want to be sure to use both the seat kit and foam from the same manufacturer to avoid issues with fit. I believe the other manufacturer is "Seatz".

Ha! Some of it is obsessive - no doubt. I appreciate your input. My first car was a 4-door 510. Being just 16, it was a prized possession, and I used to wash it about every week. Water got into that car and under the floor mats something fierce. One day, to trace the sources of the leaks, I set up a hose so that water showered down heavily on the car. After about 20 minutes, I got inside and looked to see how water was getting in (I had removed the kick panels and floor mats, etc.). I was quite surprised to see that a main point of ingress was one of the bolts clamping the LF door hinge to the car. A steady stream of water was wicking along the bolt threads from outside to inside the car and running downward from there, collecting into a pool on the floor. Interestingly, though I thought the windshield seal might be leaking, it was not. I also recall finding that if I pointed a spray of water from the hose at the c-pillar vents, water would fly in... it would get directed upwards by the internal part of the vent, and then drop down onto the trunk floor, where gravity would direct it to the lowest area under the rear seat bottom. When I restored my first 240z in 1993, I had to reconstruct the dog leg areas of the car with new metal. A few weeks after I got the car painted I was shocked, and upset to find standing water in the dog legs of that car. I couldn't figure out how it was getting in and just drilled a hole in the bottom of the dog leg area so the water that was collecting there would drain out. For this car, I'd like to know that when I wash it, or if I get caught in a thunderstorm with it, no water will enter through the emblem holes and dribble down into the dog legs, or down into the back edge of the rear hatch. Newer cars tend to utilize water proof solutions like this BMW clip, which utilizes a rubber plug, of sorts: Given my previous experiences, I figure I might as well address these known water entry points.

Instead of the tubular clips? Hmmm. Or maybe just make a gasket of it around the posts and still use the tubular clips. I've blobbed on clear silicon before and crossed my fingers that it sealed. It makes a bit of a mess. I am looking for something I can be more sure of getting a waterproof seal. Are you thinking this? https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40069443/ Or maybe this?

One of my goals for the car I am restoring is to address points of entry for water into the body of the car. If you look at the design that was originally used for the emblems on the car, (hatch panel and quarter panel in particular), it is obvious that water enters through the holes in the panel. I've been thinking of a way to seal them. These may be a good option. I am thinking of continuing to use the factory metal clips on the posts of the emblems, but to put these on and heat shrink them around the clips. I think I will give it a try on a test panel. I need to come up with a few other things for my order with McMaster-Carr.

The 240z hardware Google sheet has been updated. I spent some time organizing, and more hardware has been added. For organization, I have added some sections and grouped the items within each section. And I have ordered from top to bottom the sections in the order that I plan to reassemble the car. I am curious if with the existing permissions, any of you can expand and collapse the grouped rows. Also, I am curious if the filters on the column headings are functional for you.

Hmmm. Well, I thought I put a link when I commented earlier today, but I guess not. I just now added it to the post.

I know you were asking CW240Z72, but I will post my Excel spreadsheet for sure. It just isn't "finished" yet. So, I made that Google version which anyone should be able to access in the link I provided if they have Google account. The link can be shared with anyone. If it helps, I can upload an Excel sheet, but again, it is not complete and will need to be updated and then reuploaded with each round of changes/updates. The Google version at that link will update whenever I make changes to it. When it is "done" I will certainly upload an Excel version for those who want to consume it that way. I have all my zip lock bags which are labeled with where they belong (they are currently empty 🙂). When I get the hardware back from the plater, I will fill the bags with the correct hardware, and during that process, I will take photos. I'll attempt to find a way to associate those photos to the entries in the Google sheet, so it is easy to find the hardware info, and easy to click to see picture(s) of those as well.

Pictures are cool. How do we take this to the next level as a resource?

What is CLR? I use a heavy duty basket from Skat Blast for the media blasting. I string some parts onto a wire to keep them from moving around too much. How do you wire wheel small parts? I can't hold on to them and wire wheel them without worry of wire wheeling my fingers! I used zip lock bags to keep things organized as I dis-assembled the car. I've created a sheet like you describe also. I will update this google sheet version from time to time until it is complete for my restoration project. Maybe we could consolidate if it makes a better version. When I get things back from the plater, I plan to put all the hardware back in the respective zip lock bags. I think it will take a few months for me to re-assemble everything after the car gets painted.

Have any pics of the parts after plating?

I talked with Irina at TFC a couple of months back. When I told her I prepared the hardware by bead blasting and tumbling, her reaction communicated to me it was clearly unusual. I didn't ask much about their process, I think because I didn't know the right questions to ask? All she said was to separate the hardware and label what type of plating color: clear, yellow, black, or olive drab. I will give them another call and ask them about their process given what I have learned since. I'd like to know they are going to put all my parts through their normal process, how they will handle the items with plastic on them, and some other things. I recall now that I got their info from Duffy Mahoney's thread. He said it was the third plater he has used, that Ztherapy used them, and "If zinc is intact and oxidized or whatever, then I don't do anything. Rust has to be removed, paint has to be removed, some places can acid bath before, so not much prep is needed at all." Consistent with what others are saying here. I am curious what kind of finish is achieved just from muriatic acid and neutralizing. Shiny?

I watched a couple of Youtube videos of using muriatic acid. Looks like that stuff has some pretty serious fumes. And it can cause "everything in the shop to rust" if not stored properly. Can one simply store in a sealed plastic container? Do you typically use it outside instead of indoors?