Tomcat

Thanks Namerow. I never even thought of making my own. Do you mind adding a picture so I have something to shoot for? ... or, if someone else here has an original one they could photograph next to a ruler. --Thomas

I need the lid spring for the ash tray out of a 2/71 production 240Z. It's the plastic ash tray that covers the fuse panel. Thanks, --Thomas

I'm trying to get back to the correct parts on a 2/71 production date 240Z ... are these below stock or have they been replaced? I have run across some things that appear to be series 1 ... maybe leftovers as 2/71 was the first month of series 2, right? Also, I've never seen the stickers like there are on the window ... they look like they say "Japan" in white with a faded red background and a faded red circle (Japanese flag?) Thanks for any help. --Thomas

I really hate that for you. There are a lot of variables at play here ... What year? Numbers-matching? 1-owner? 2-owner? What's original and what's not? Any prior body work? Original paint or respray? Everything there? Documentation? I'd insist on meeting the appraiser at the car with the answers to these questions and I'd say things like "You know it's going to be impossible for me to find another 46 year old car just exactly like this one ... orange ... I only like the orange ones ... and in this good of shape ... especially with just 46,000 original miles!", "My daughter was born in this car.", whatever ... just don't use the word rust or even admit the car has any. If I assume the whole car is as nice as the exterior "before" picture you posted and it was a 71-72 without the rust, I would be looking for them to pay me $20K for the car plus $2K expenses for me to find one ... probably in California ... and get it shipped home plus $2K "pain and suffering" because the car is 'my baby' ... so, $24K ... I'd round up to $25K. I wouldn't tell them all that, I'd just say I can't replace it for anything less than $25K. It's so easy to find comparable cars on the interwebs at that price or higher. I'd also be happy with $23K and the car, but I would not keep the car. Instead I would part it out or sell it whole to my Z friends and pocket the cash the scrap man would have made. You might not wan't to fool with it. At $25K I think most insurance companies want to settle and be done with you. You're insurance can also work on your behalf, but that would be my absolute last resort ... they will co-conspire to give you the driveshaft. It's a flippin 240Z man ... they owe you!

@9teen7t240z I think your reserve is a tad high. You'd be smart for to change the format to "Buy it Now" at $15,101.00

XXX Beautiful!!! Can I assume a complete and stock interior (uncracked dash, AM radio, ash tray, coin tray, etc.) as nice as the rest of the car? No rust or body work ever? If so, and you had a picture or two of a nice underbody I'll say $27,916.43 unless it's stolen between now and then. BTW, what's your street address? Revised 8/19/16: $27,816.43 ... looks like the antenna button is missing.

Thanks guys, I was really asking about the materials and supplier but reading through @Hardway 's "how-to" he said he would go with Classic Datsun's covers in a do-over ... but you did save me having to post a second thread in a few weeks saying "So, I bought kits to redo my seats but how do you do it?" --Thomas p.s. I did search before asking, just not thoroughly ... I should have used "classic datsun" in quotes ... duhh.

I need to rebuild both seats. Please let me know if you have done business with http://www.classicdatsun.com/ It looks like if I buy the upholstery kits and new foam together it is $405 for both seats ... $ 90 cheaper than the Z store (and the site says they are the same kit). I'm not looking to go crazy ... just something as good or maybe a little better than the originals. Also, if there's a better solution for redoing the strapping underneath the seat bottom than the kit at http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic08f04/40-2690 please let me know. Finally, I recall reading somewhere I may need a professional to install the covers using heat guns, etc. If that's the case, any idea what a reasonable person or shop should charge? --Thanks, Thomas

Socket head cap screws ... excellent idea ... wish I'd known that LAST weekend. To tighten the bolts on mine I took off both rear wheels, got a long flex-head ratchet on the top bolts with the handle pointed toward the gas tank, and reached through the fender wells to grab the handle. I was only able to turn the nut a single ratchet click or two at a time. To an outsider I'm sure it looked like I was artificially inseminating the car. I'm an EE too, but this Z sometimes makes me wish I was a mechanic/welder/bodyman/psychic instead.

I'd like to have one of those!

If you're patient and keep an eye out on on Craigslist and eBay, you can get an original one probably around $100-$150. That's high to me, but that seems to be the market. I'll keep my eye out for you one since I'm always on the lookout for parts for my '71. Likewise, I need the early plastic ash tray (really just the base and spring ... not the lid) if you'll keep an eye out for me. These are high as well $200-300 and I can't make myself pay retail ... especially since I don't even smoke anymore. I'd like some louvers as well. Also,I like your car. I had a red '70 when I was 17 (40 years ago) that got hit in the rear end by a boulder a totaled the second year I owned it that I'd like to replace one day. --Thomas

The ones I have found are so expensive that I would like to see if your repair is something I can make work for me.

Tell him if he'll send you $700 Western Union that you'll hold it for 72 hours for him to get down here in person (... just don't give him *any* financial information or personal information and make up a name. I suggest "Iyainta Dumaz"). I had a guy that said he was in Arizona try to get me to send him money like that to hold a car. Turns out he didn't even have a Z ... he had just copied the pictures and description from another legitimate ad and posted it on Craigslist. I found the real ad posted at a car dealership ... same car down to the license plate. If your guy is a scammer, he'll wonder if he's dealing with another scammer! Personally, I would talk to the guy just to yank him around a bit ... maybe offer to go into business with him. I've had two instances looking to buy a Z where the deal was too good to be true and ... double-duhhh ... it wasn't true! On the other hand, I bought my Z out of Austin Texas "siteunseen" and had it shipped to Alabama without ever meeting the owner. I felt pretty good that he was legit because he held the car for me for over a month and wouldn't take a deposit even though I offered one several times.

Yes, I already like the atmosphere here ... fun, friendly, and informative. I already get enough buzz-kill in the non-Z world that I don't go looking for any extra.

Sorry, I should have noted my 2/71 production date which I thought was officially the beginning of series 2. I am not aware of a "transition Z" so I'll need to dig in on that. I am on a tablet so I will post a better reply tomorrow.

Yes, I did quite a good bit of searching and even contacted TechnoVisions before I posted the question ... just in case "Tony D" from zcar.com was creeping on me again. Thank's for calling on Mr. Zed Head ... just knowing that it wasn't just me or my car but a real issue is a good start.

Yes sir. Below is a picture of what I actually have and you can see where I did cut the stud off flush with the bolt ... but the two systems still interfere with each other. The bottom of the parking brake assembly equalizer is maybe 1/8" above the top surface of the mount ... so even a thin washer and nut wouldn't solve the problem. Now that we know it isn't just me and my car (i.e., operator error), I'm going to shoot some pictures of my actual setup and send them to Brian at TechnoVersions. He's being a real pro about helping me sort this out.

Please refer to the picture below which is not my actual car but best illustrates the issue I have. The view is from the front of the car looking aft down the driveshaft tunnel toward the differential. The problem is that the parking brake assembly equalizer rides right on top of the TechnoVersions differential mount. This has the nut-like protrusion on the equalizer (top red circle) directly in line with the nut on the snubber (bottom red circle) ... so they interfere with each other. In other words, where it shows a space between the red circles, I have zero ... the two hit each other when you try to set or released the brake. Brian at TechnoVersions has not run across this so it is somewhat of a head scratcher for both of us. I do believe this area of my car is all stock. If you've installed this mount and run into this, please let me know if you made it work or went a different route. I did successfully replace the original lower mount as part of this same work trying to eliminate a "clunk". --Thomas

***Note to self and friends*** ... "DO NOT let siteunseen do your vasectomy"

Just sent him another text and he is waiting on someone. certainly not accusing him of anything, but perhaps it is a little fishy or the car is not as described ... I don't know the California market but I would have thought it would sell on the first day to the first person that looked at it.

I spoke with the person listed in the ad about 30 minutes ago and he did not say that the car was sold. He did say he was getting lots of inquiries and would be home to show it at 2pm. I have a friend in Riverside, CA that I forwarded the ad to and he recalls it being advertised a year or so ago with the very same picture. That made me a little suspicious but when I told the guy I was an out-of-town buyer he didn't ask me for a Western Union deposit or anything ... so maybe it's a legit car. It's worth $3K even in parts, right?

I might like to adopt the red one ... what year is it? It would be going to a good Alabama home if that is important to you.

@siteunseen I will definitely plan on it! Barring some cat-arse-trophy, I'll have time to get my car sorted out and road-worthy.There are lots of interesting alternate routes from my house to Nashville. One year, on the way to "The Derby", it took me and my brother-in-law 8 hours to make the 90 mile drive ... but we were a whole lot younger and a whole lot more reckless then!

Thank you on the heater control knob. I have the lid but the tray itself is broken ... the area of the pivot pin on the right side that the lid mounts to. There is also a spring for the lid I do not have.

I need these parts for a 71 (2/71 ... series 2) just in case you have them … ash tray, heater lever button, vent knob, and hatch piston (that holds the hatch open