inline6

View Advert Fair price paid for 240z parts I need Hi, I am attempting to restore to a high standard, a 6/1971 240z. Here is my wish list of parts I'd like to track down: original radiator without automatic transmission fittings - need upper and lower tanks/caps to be usable Seat recline knobs (not cracked) -- item #6 in the picture here: http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/body-240z/seat-slide/type-1-adjuster-seat/6 plastic vents in front corners of the engine bay (no tears or holes in the vents please) brake master cylinder and caps - correct for a 1971 240z. hood latch top plate (no dents or damage) 1 adjustable length throttle linkage rod with plastic ball joint on each end - long or short - either one metal engine fan blade assembly and possibly mounting hardware Amco - aftermarket rubber floor mats original nissan power antenna or power antenna parts 4 pieces - rubber trim glued to corners of tool door compartments (compartments are in the front of the rear hatch deck/floor area) original 14" Bridgestone 175HR14 RADIAL RD-150 spare tire. Prefer DOT code of (check DOT code on tire) "221", "231", "241" or "251", but let me know what yours is original carpet padding "jute" (brown horse hair like stuff). This "jute" was originally installed under the front floor carpet mats, under the seats, under the center tunnel diamond textured vinyl trim, and under the carpet in the rear hatch deck/floor. This stuff is fragile, and it would be nice, if you have any that is in good condition, to take some care with removal (it was glued to the tunnel) and care with packaging for shipment. Removal with diamond patterned vinyl trim/cover still attached (glued) to the top side of the jute would be preferred. 4 original hubcaps for a 6/1971 240z battery cover (plastic) related parts for 1971 240z original scissor jack and related red painted jack tools, yellow wheel chocks and black vinyl tool bag. I am looking for some in really nice condition. There are letters stamped into the base of the jack that need to start with the letter Q (1971), and then be followed by F (June) as the second letter, then followed by A through Z or AA through EE as the third letter. As best I can tell, I need a jack with any of the following stamps: (QFS, QFT, QFU, QFV, QFW, QFX, QFY, QFZ, QFAA, QFBB, QFCC) Garrett 434-227-2333 Marietta, GA 30062 Advertiser inline6 Date 03/06/2021 Price $1,000.00 Category Parts Wanted Year 1971 Model 240z

Did you want to revisit these? I recently sold some items and the buyer used their workplace to get better shipping rates. He emailed me FedEx shipping labels - shipping was a lot cheaper than my "walk in rates". Let me know if you might be able to get better rates. Wheels are packed up and I can get weight and dimensions.

Nice... I spy a reverse idler gear that looks like it has no wear. Did you end up replacing anything besides bearings, thrust washers, or seals?

Ok, good to know. Before I send everything off, I will separate it out somewhat. Parts with rubber or plastic will be by themselves. Hopefully, I can have them treated separate to avoid damage. I don't have many parts meeting that criteria. Yep. From Jim Arnett's tip, I will be going through all of the hardware and using fine wire to tie together various pieces in groups. I will make sure no hardware is left in an assembled state when it gets put into a box to be shipped off. Those cap parts with the rubber on them are not in the box. The plating looks nice on them, so I elected to leave them as is. The plating on the outer rings of the caps was a bit shabby looking by comparison. So, I went ahead with the full process on them. Thanks for the comments!

I continue to track down hardware and run it through the process of glass bead blasting, followed by vibratory tumbling with stainless steel bits. And now, I have experimented with another round of vibrator tumbling using corn cobb and Semi-Chrome metal polish. Interesting results with that last one. Some of my hardware came out of the stainless round of tumbling looking a bit dark. On the left here is a "dark" bolt after I hit it with the dremel tool and wire brush. You can see the shiny, lighter silver part. My theory is that the parts in that batch didn't move around fast enough to keep oxidation from making them dark. The right amount of water and citric acid needs to be in the tumbler or the action is "too slow" (I think). Anyway, I experimented with adding corn cobb media and metal polish, along with a bit of laquer thinner for kicks under the theory that it would tamp down the dust a bit and not cause oxidation (rust). After tumbling for a few hours, here is what the dark hardware looked like: They are notably lighter in color. Additionally I blew them off with compressed air, immersed them in a jar of laquer thinner, and blew them off with compressed air again. Close up pics: After all of that, I still ended up using the dremel and a wire brush on the bolts. I am still thinking about a solution that will polish the parts without doing each by hand with a wire wheel. But, at least the amount of time with the wire wheel is low after the other treatments. The box of hardware is getting more and more full. 🙂 Shuffled a couple of times for pics:

Part of the reason I am confused by it (again - high valuations for 4 speed equipped cars), is that just swapping the transmission isn't sufficient. Sure, you could switch only the transmission, but for a few of the common 5 speed swaps, performance through the gears suffers without also swapping to a different final drive ratio as well. And some of the five speeds require different drive shaft lengths. Putting a 5 speed can get rather involved, depending on the transmission used, and if done right, in my opinion. Yes though, on the fact that some Z owners drive in a way (short distance, short duration) that 4 gears are totally sufficient. Also, I think a lot of Z's these days don't get driven a lot. Perhaps 4 speed equipped cars aren't dinged in value (on BAT mainly) because they are certainly sufficient when the car is a garage queen.

Good info. I suspected that some creativity could be applied to take a mix and match of early and later antenna parts and get a functional "series 1" antenna. I'm on the look out for suitable donor parts. You mention series 2 masts. Do you know when the antennas changed from the point end? My car is a 6/71 series two, and I honestly don't know at the moment which tip the original antenna came with. The antenna did not come with the car.

I checked the condition of my 3.36:1 differentials a couple of days ago - the original one and the spare that came with the car. Both have more than the .0078" max back lash, with the one that originally came in the car at about .008". I assume that it has the... roughly 130k miles on it that the odometer and other records indicate. Some work to it (the original one) is necessary. I am inclined to disassemble, replace all of the bearings, and reassemble with the existing spacers/shims and see where I land. That said, I suspect the transmission is in similar condition (some measurable wear). I was able to get the car moving under its own power in my driveway and shift from first to second once without issue (at like 15 mph) before embarking on the car tear down. That is the extent of my knowledge of the condition of the original 4 speed transmission. I have not been thrilled with the idea of rebuilding the stock transmission and differential and putting them back in the car, if I am honest. I get that they have value if restored to original (or as close as possible) function and appearance, and are again put into the car. However, I think the driving experience will be "a little lacking" compared to a 5 speed with a suitable rear end ratio. So, while I will rebuild the original trans and diff, I will be setting those aside. Instead I will also be sourcing a 240SX 5 speed transmission and converting a 4.11 R180 differential (from a 86 Nissan 4X4 pickup) to a limited slip, which will utilize a new Quaife ATB unit. The differential will also be receiving a rebuild. Before beginning disassembly on it, I checked back lash (.005") and examined the ring and pinion. It looks quite good. The transmission still needs to be acquired.

For my question, I am assuming the 4 speed is original to the car and the car is still geographically in its "home" market. If the car came with a 5 speed originally and the car is still in its original country of import, then I assume a four speed installed would cause a hit to the value of the car.

Thanks for the comment. I noticed your VIN is your signature. The Z in my avatar is a 12/70 also - VIN 16511.

Why are 240z's with 4 speeds just as valuable as those that have been converted to 5 speeds? I get that show cars that compete as "original" need them. But that is a small minority compared to all of those (with 4 speeds) that have sold on Bring a Trailer, for example. So, setting show cars aside, why are they as valuable? Being a Datsun enthusiast for over 30 years (early 240z and 510s in particular), my recollection is that nearly everyone chucked the 4 speeds and "upgraded" with various 5 speeds options and matching rear end ratios as necessary. I'd love the hear others thoughts and opinions as to whether you agree with the premise or not and if you do, why the values don't take a hit if the car has a 4 speed. Garrett

What year? After 40-50 years, it is quite possible that the arm is bent. There is some adjustment if you loosen lock nuts on the thottle linkage parts. The rods can be adjusted longer/shorter. That said, I made mine to my liking for heel and toe by bending the accelerator pedal arm as needed. I also bent it so the pedal pad is not only closer height-wise but also so there is less gap between the right edge of the brake pedal and left edge of the accelerator pedal. Messing with the linkage rod lengths just accentuated the problem of too much resistance in the throttle linkage required to move from engine idle, causing jerky pedal operation (abrupt throttle opening).

What kind of money needs to be spent for an adequately sized 3d printer? And is that technology moving so fast that, what is $3000 today, will be $800 in a year?

Thought I would post a pic of my glass bead cabinet and beads I am using. I've had the cabinet for about 20 years or so. I LOVE using it. The beads I am using are these which I sourced from Northern Hydraulic. It is nice to be able to buy them and not have to pay high shipping rates. The finish can be played with a bit by adjusting pressure and distance from the work. For the most part, I have been using 90 psi and varying distance. Stripping is quick. The finish is nice and easily polished by hand pretty quickly. Aluminum part: Steel part: I stayed away from the joint, for the most part, so you can se the transition of beaded surface to not beaded. Of course, I thoroughly cleaned the part after blasting.

Any idea if they were original? Some visible marks on mine tell me they might be, but I couldn't be happier with how tight they are.

The steering rack was the target of attention today. New, aftermarket outer tie rods will be replaced with NOS original ones that I have. Boots were available new from Nissan, so these are getting replaced: When I removed the boots, I was surprised to see this: I have never seen these labels before... The inner tie rods are in great shape. I was able to lift the rack off the work bench by apply lifting force to the end of the threaded ends (both sides). I thought, maybe these were replaced by the prior owner, but I don't know. After taking them apart and examining the wear surfaces, I'd say they are not new. That is another thing that is very odd - I've never seen inner tie rod ends on a 240z where the socket and nut were not welded together. These are not, so I was able to remove them, clean everything meticulously, an examine the surfaces of the ball and socket. So much for the gold stickers... And, what were they trying to say anyway?! Garrett

I see. So, full removal is not necessary. Interesting. I took some pics of the hardware that has only been glass bead blasted and run through the tumbler for 2 hours: This is maybe half of the fasteners. Doing them with a wire wheel by hand would be a lot more time. And holding them would be crazy difficult as so many of them are small. I am hopeful I don't have to resort to wire brushing all of these. I have one more treatment in mind to try out in the tumbler. I bought some corn cobb media and have some "semi chrome" metal polish. When I get all of the fasteners through the beading and stainless bit tumbling, I will try a batch in the corn cobb and metal polish. Theory is that the corn cobb will pick up the polish and act like little polishing rags. Will just have to try it out. However, I may not need to prep the fasteners further to get close to the factory finish? It is hard to say without some first hand experience, I guess. Another NOS item I had laying around (pics of original relay first): New Old Stock Relay:

Ahhh. I was wondering about places the wire wheel can't get to. My prep thus far for all nuts and bolts and washers has just been to degrease, then glass bead blast (I have beads that are not roughing up the surface much), and then 2 hours in a 18 lb capacity vibrating tumbler with 15 lbs of stainless bits (media), some water, and a tiny bit of citric acid for 2 hours. Then, remove from the tumbler and dry with a towel and compressed air. For parts too big or awkward for the vibrating tumbler, after bead blasting, I do a bit of hand "polishing" with #000 fine steel wool. For the horns, I used a dremel lightly and then followed with #000 steel wool. I have experimented a bit with using #000 steel wool on some parts after running in the tumbler for 2 hours. I am going to try one more media experiment in the tumbler to follow the two hours in stainless bits and see how that turns out. OHHH! I was thinking I'd be able to send anything, no matter how small. Wow. That is going to be a big help. I have tiny washers and screws... tiny hardware from parts like the front turn signal lights, for example. Thanks!

Oh, interesting. I didn't realize all the old plating has to come off. Good to know. I have a few new parts that have clear zinc on them which I will be sending off to be get plated again and finished with yellow chromate. I see. Well, I have a couple of questions then. How do these look? Additionally, when using the dremel with stainless wire brush I am getting some of this (uneven polishing): I assume that is not desirable? These horns - they need more work? With regard to this relay cover, it had some imperfections (dents) which I straightened. I ended up hitting it with 1000 grit sand paper (wet) for a bit to try to help it. It is notably more shiny than other pieces in this cardboard box which I have hand finished. Should I be shooting for that level of shine for the larger pieces if my desire is to come close to replicating the factory finish?

As I get further along in the process of prepping parts for plating, I feel my anxiety level rising with regard to getting the results that I hope for. At the moment, I don't know what level of shine needs to be on the parts to get the results I am looking for. I am having a hard time finding relevant videos on Youtube that provide guidance in that regard. Surface finish has an effect for sure. But, what surface finish should I be shooting for? I don't know. Also, I had some level of comfort relying on knowing a plater that returned good results .vs using a plater for which I have not seen pictures of their results. Granted, I understand now that my level of comfort may be misplaced given your experience. I think the parts, as they come from the vibrating tumbler after 2 hours in stainless steel media, are not shiny enough. For some parts, like hard brake line brackets, for example, I have experimented with polishing them by hand briefly with super fine steel wool. Also, some parts will not fit in the tumbler. For those, I have bead blasted and used the same super fine steel wool (aggressively). But that is a lot of work. Also, I have purchased some corn cobb media and plan to experiment with that, instead of the stainless media, plus some amount of "Semi-Chrome" metal polish added to see what that does as another treatment. I will post some pics a bit later.

Not saying that the lines weren't gold colored, but I sourced this part in the early 90's from the dealer and it has whatever green coating that the later cars have. I find that of interest. Not sure why they switched to this treatment. Part is for Z's up to 9/71: 46241-E4601

Today, I experimented with my vibrating tumbler. I chose from parts I had already bead blasted and grabbed one of a few parts. I ran them in the tumbler for about two hours. I will post a few pics of my set up and media later. I did some searching on Youtube before deciding how to proceed. Following are some pics. I am not going to resize them like a typically do so the difference is easier to see. Glass bead blasted part is on the right (glass bead blasted and tumbled on the left): Glass bead blasted part is on the right (glass bead blasted and tumbled on the left): Glass bead blasted part is on the bottom (glass bead blasted and tumbled on the top): Glass bead blasted part is on the bottom (glass bead blasted and tumbled on the top): Glass bead blasted part which has been tumbled is on the right in each pair: For the large bolts in bottom of pic, blasted and tumbled one the top one.

Whoa! Thanks for the piece of information. https://www.facebook.com/JIMC123/ "For your auto carpet needs call Jim at 760-877-3403". I agree. I think I will take a shot at deconstructing them and switching a passenger side nylon piece for a driver side one and reassemble. I am sending parts off to be replated, so, will wait to reassemble when they come back.

I find the piece I am talking about difficult to name, but it is actually these things I am after: The plastic part wears. The pin that holds it and the spring in place could be driven out, and possibly reused, I guess. Or another pin made to replace it. The dove tails (the parts that are cast and break easily) are still available new from Nissan, though the tapered holes in them for the screws and lock washers are smaller in diameter than the originals on the 240z. Come to think of it, one solution would be to deconstruct a passenger side one (less wear on the plastic) and swap that piece over to a driver side. 😎

I would have, gladly, but I came across info a year or more back that Chester and Herod closed. Their facebook page has an indication that the business is permanently closed. https://www.facebook.com/chesterandherod1924 Carpet is relatively cheap compared to other parts of the restoration. I would love to have authentic reproductions made.