26th-Z

I understand 432 versions were used as Police chasers in Japan. Seems logical enough. Brian Long's book mentions it.

I am happy to confirm that the early Z's had fiberglass headlight bucket "sugar scoops".

Lets talk about this 69. What is the VIN number? You can find it in several places: Top of the dash on the driver's side, On the plate in the driver's door jamb, Stamped in the firewall in the engine bay, On the plate attached to the left front shock tower in the engine bay. The plate on the door will have the date of manufacture stamped on it. The plate on the shock tower will have the engine number stamped on it All of these numbers are important. Only some 500 69's were imported and that makes the car rare, classic, and very collectable. Even the worst rust bucket is valuable. I am definitely interested in the car. Concerning parts for the car, they are only scarce, and with some determined effort can be had at very reasonable expense. Most 71 parts interchange and some up to 73 model year. Please consider the car with great interest. Post photographs for us, if you can and good luck. You may have found a real nice car.

Gavin - the wider tire will increase the contact patch area of rubber on the road. That will translate back to the steering wheel with increased "feel" of the paving imperfections. Also, a wider offset will effectively increase the track width - center of wheel to center of wheel - thereby increasing the distance at the spindle / steering knuckle. That will translate back to the steering wheel as quicker response and increased road "feel". All of that will affect the control of the car through driver response. These issues are desireable in racing form - increased response and traction - on a smooth, consistant road surface, but present practical problems in everyday driving. You'll "fight the wheel" more at slower speeds. The logic behind the wheels and tires sticking out from the fender is to prevent debris and water from spraying up.

Hey Z KID, Where is that red Z in the jpg - eccy-mirrors? Looks just like Florida.

Datsun lists a rear stabilizer bar starting 8/73 - 55611-E8100 and starting 9/74 - 55611-N3701 but they don't say what size the bar is. Another part search reveals: (to 8/74) 55611-E4200 - 19mm 55611-E4621 - 21mm 55611-E4622 - 25mm Also listed is the mounting kit - 99996-E4010 and the end links 99996-E4020 The bars list for $150 each, and each installation kit lists for $30 Bushings are listed also: 54613-66000 - $194 ea. 2 req'd Courtesy Parts - Texas http://www.courtesyparts.com/

Try Chloe, http://www.midwestz.com/index.htm

I have learned to preface these types of conversations with "my part" because I am finding that not all Datsun parts are the same - exactly the same. "My" series 1 dash frame has a rectangular cutout in the are of the indentations for the hazard switch, mystery, and later cigarette lighter. The foam in that area is rather thick. Screwed to the dash frame, set in to the rectangular cutout, is a stepped metal frame insert with mounting tabs. The insert forms the inside face of the indent and has cutouts for the switch shaft. It is the inside plate / frame that the mounting nut and washer snug up to. The mounting tabs are for screws in to the dash frame itself, and perhaps the foam. Perhaps this is the only difference between the two series 240. the 260 / 280 is out of my age bracket. Hope this helps.

I concur completely with Alan. If the X's were stamped at port of entry, it might show beneath the plate - as in stamped through. Check it out and let us know. About the fraud thing; couple of observations. One can purchase brand new blank ID plates easily and I can imagine a few Z fakes are going to show up in the future. Brock Yates wrote an article years ago about the surging number of faked muscle cars and matching number claims. One way to combat the issue is to obtain and publish documentation of build numbers and dates. Unfortunately, I think Nissan missed the boat on this. It is up to collectors to gather this information and make it available to other collectors. It only serves to increase the value of valid examples. In the end, though, its buy beware. Nissan was apparently very lose and my experience with my restoration project so far, is that determining a valid "original" example is going to boil down to examining pieces and parts. Everything is so interchangeable and the differences are there but very subtle. My very early example has original differences not found in cars built weeks later. It makes for the interesting points of collecting, though. A good conversation!

Here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3538203224&category=223

I suggest keeping up with Ebay - the standard "Datsun 240Z" search. I picked one up months ago for around $20. Several years ago, I found one in a toy store and sent it to my nephew for Christmas. My sister tells me he ate the tires.

Jim, just e-mailed you about my project.

The parts microfiche Cd available on this site is great. But it addresses parts for American Import versions and excludes many parts appearing on models outside North America. I want literature in any form for part listings in other countries such as Japan, England, Europe, and Australia including model variations such as L, ZG and 432 - 432R. I have seen some examples and the exploded diagrams are far superior to our American versions. I am aware that the majority of part references match between countries, but I would like to obtain and library various source information. Any feed back on price - source - availability is appreciated.

I was afraid to give out advice or relate my personal experiences when I first joined here, but the forums here are entertaining, informational, and just plain fun. Ya'll make me laugh many times. I especially enjoy the bantering about obscure information such as production dates. I have gained a lot of knowledge and met a lot of great people. Thanks Incidently, I scored some great parts at cheap prices off that site.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I had the same experience years ago painting my Z. The glass company did break the windshield putting it back in and told me the old glass gets brittle. I bought a new windshield and ten years later IT is cracked. Go figure. Bumpers can be removed without dropping the gas tank ( a real pain), but it isn't easy and it is difficult to reach the bolts. I don't remember any special tools, just tedium.

Oh you got me started. I gotta have a tool box of King d*** tools to match my personality! ROFL ROFL

Bart, there is no such thing as valve rings. Valve seats, valve seals, valve guides perhaps, but no rings. Rings generally refer to piston rings. Now, exhaust smoke can be black and it can be blue-grey-white. Black, sooty smoke is too rich a fuel mixture and your carbs need work. Blue-grey-white is burning oil and you have engine problems. Do a compression test on your cylinders to determine if you have piston ring problems. You should get even compression numbers from all six cylinders. Squirt some oil in a low compression cylinder and if the compression jumps way up, its piston rings. If the compression reading stays about the same (with blue-grey-white smoke), suspect the valve train and do a valve job. Your explanation of back-firing sounds like carburation and fuel delivery. I assume you set the timing correctly from your description of ignition work, but bad timing will cause a backfire. Check your spark plugs after running the car and shutting it off from steady revs of 2500 or more. Are they oil fouled or black and sooty? Spark plugs should look light brown. Oil fouled plugs will look oily and grimey. Fuel fouled plugs will look black and sooty. After sitting for such a time, the car may have a number of problems, but from your description, I would thoroughly clean, tune and sync the carbs. Finally, make sure the timing is correct.

Look at you go Mark! Way to strip that car!

If you are going to take the glass out of the car to paint it, and I recommend it, cut and waste your rubber weatherstrip molding and replace it when you put the glass back in. Be very careful with the old glass.

I just erased the link this morning. The set of ZG flares went for $197 on Ebay two days a go MSA has fibeglass repros

I heard 47 from Carl Beck, but I could have it wrong. I'm sure Carl would be interested in any accounting of them. Supposedly, the one and only automatic resto is in Tampa. This is a lousy image of the restoration data sheet. I think this is for a 71.

There is a thread in the technical articles forum called "Old Car Price Guide" that discusses what one might expect for $20,000. There are some Z's out there that would command such a price. I hope to hit that level with my restoration some day. But with that respect, originality is the primary concern. I see cars on this site I just drool over and suspect should demand equal attention. I don't think Ebay is the proper venue for such a sale; at least not for me. I would hate to think I spent all the time and effort sticking to a regime as discussed in the article just to find a lesser example reach the same price plateau.

I don't know, Mark. Cracked windshield? All my experience with windshield cracks is that tiny little crack will grow over time. The crack weakens the whole unit too. I would toss it. I replaced mine when I painted the car years ago and the thing broke putting it back in. I was told the glass gets brittle over time.

Yes, here we go. I know some people who bought several of those gear shift knobs waiting for this very day. You will probably see them on Ebay soon.