Mark Maras

Ok, Let's work on something bent. What are the possibilities? Don't know the condition of your parts car but have you compared (measured) the rear structure of both cars? A few horz., vert. & especially diag. comparison measurements inside & underneath on both cars should tell you a lot more. Probably more things but the only other thing I can think of would be the control arm. Thoughts?

I doubt it's anything you've installed or the way it was installed if the problem existed previously. Some of the suggestions that ignored new parts were; Strut tube spacer left in, easy to check & a good possibility. Rewelded suspension pick-up point, is it located properly? Spindle pin, This got me thinking about post #1. The car had sat for 17 years. How was the car situated during storage? On four wheels on relatively flat ground? Some tires flat? On stands? Level?? Or could it have sat with three corners supported and one corner left to sag or could one spindle pin have seized while one corner was fully extended for 17 years. Probably grasping at straws here but you can't have too much info.

Thanks for that bit of Datsun trivia. Always was curious about the origin.

Single stage paint has it's benefits. I think it's a better choice for a daily driver.

That's a BFP. Something's gotta give. How about a video.

Shifter knob & probably a capped dash too. Nice Z outside, Inside could definitely use some refreshing.

Golly. I never realized how simple it could be to remove dents from a tank. Step 1-remove tank, just in case something goes wrong, Step 2- do not clean, put a fuse in it (just to be safe), Step 3- ignite said fuse, VOILA, a straight tank or shrapnel, Step 4- paint the tank, if there is anything left of you or the tank, Step 5 reinstall the tank. WARNING steps 4 & 5 depend greatly on your & the tanks survival. Seems simple. What could possibly go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, go wrong

When the clutch locked up with a metal fan on my 71. The engine sounded like it had a aircraft prop. under the hood. It also robbed the engine of a bunch of power but no flying things. I'm not a big fan of the original clutch. I've never found two that spin alike.There was a noticeable difference when I took mine off. The engine revved quicker. If I remember correctly, Carl was referring to metal flex-fans self destructing. When my original fan clutch seized, I replaced it with a metal flex-fan and ran it hard for another 15+ years with no problem. Maybe I got lucky.The f-fans decrease parasitic HP loss because they flatten at speed and don't pull any air. The cooling system doesn't need a fan If the car is moving over 10-15mph.

Harbor Freight has a cross-bar dent puller. It uses glue to attach to the panel. One user reports successfully pulling dents out of a motorcycle tank. Success seems to depend on prep. 70 reviews, three stars. For $11.99 it's worth a try. This got me wondering if one couldn't do something similar with a large flat-head screw or nail. Glue it on and use a slide hammer. I don't know what adhesive i would use but there are many to choose from. Should you choose to weld studs on the tank, drop some dry ice into it first. When co2 vapor comes out of it, you're good to go.

I've not tried to pull spindle pins yet but I've had success removing corroded pins and bolts on other machinery. Along with the soaking but before heating I get some dry ice. Fortunately, the local Baskin & Robbins sells it. After heating the casting, chill the pin with ice. Wet ice will work but dry is better. Then use a press or a factory adjusting tool (BFH) on it. I've found even if the pin won't move at first allow it to cool and continue soaking. The shrinkage from the ice seems to break the bond between the casting and the pin allowing penetrant to seep in.

Gainesville Craigs List-TODAY Sanford Fla. 240-260-280 parts. bottom of the list-body parts. Hope you get lucky.

FWIW. Craig's List-Seattle 72 or 73 Z. Looks to be complete L26, E88, 4 screw SUs. Body is pretty bad, rust wise but that is in the eye of the beholder. Looks to be an excellent parts car. $800.00

Sorry, no. We haven't spent enough time with them yet. And besides you're just going to get them dirty.

I would think if there was that much twist in the frame and or body the gaps between the hatch to body & door to body wouldn't align. Your door alignment looks good. Can't see the hatch alignment. IMO the problem lies in the suspension. Any chance the rewelded mounts are in the wrong location?

What is the best way to remove a broken EZ-out assuming there is nothing to grab?

Has anyone had any success using an easyout extractor on this particular stud and are they ever loose enough to back out with a small center punch? If so, it would add credence to to shifting manifold theory. Possibly enlarging the stud hole in the manifold would prevent the stud from shearing? I have one I haven't dealt with yet. If it refuses to budge, my plan is to drill it out and install a heli-coil.

The buyer will be someone with a completed Z and money still in the budget. I don't know anyone in either category. But then I don't know Jay Leno.

Wow, I didn't think it would look that good. Honestly, I didn't think it could be saved. Thanks for the pics. Mine is going into CLR for a soak.

That was fun. Thanks

I'd be interested in seeing the sending unit after it comes out of the CLR and is cleaned up. I have one that I haven't dealt with yet. It still moves and the wires appear intact. Not quite as crusty as yours.

Sanded and scraped the topside and louvers of the cowl today. When I pulled the original pads from the backside, moisture had crept under them. It looked good on the front side but after removing a fair amount of rust from the back, I have four 1/16" rust holes on each side to fill. Shouldn't be too bad, at least it's straight. BTW there are 40 louvers in Z cowls. Kinda figures.

This group of people IS truly amazing. To be a member of a group of people that believes in giving, is a privilege. CZCC is a bright spot in the world. Keep up the good work. The world needs it.

Possibly in your parents reasoning, they knew the minivan would be the safest for you for now. It will spend a lot of time in the driveway if you don't want to be seen in it. When you get your Z, you'll appreciate the Sienna more. It will become the Z's lifeline to the parts store.

Geoff, How dark are the plugs?

Jai, I think this says it all. Congrats. That is one fine looking Z.