Rusty1

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is seam welding?

Thanks Gav. I am checking it out tomorrow

The last rotary powered bike that I know of was built by Norton in the early 90's. The greatest problem with these bikes was that the engine was fitted along the length of the bike and it required an additional counter balace shaft to sopt the bike tipping over every time it was revved. The engine was a dog of a thing, because of the heavy shafts it was not particularly responsive and with the addtional space taken up by injection and exhaust it was really bulky. The end result was a large, ugly, slow revving, wide slug of a bike. The bike was not available for long. I rode one once, I never want to do it again.:sick:

I don't know how true that story is but it is a good yarn. Some of the fixed speed/red light camera's in Vic now have security cameras pointing at them to try and stop the amount of vandalism. I have seen some really good photos from different speed cameras, there is one at work of a guy in the process of smashing the flash unit with a hammer, too bad he was looking at the camera when the operator took a photo... Then there is the guy towing a trailer through the tunnel doing 120 in the 80 zone with his finger out the window, good idea but some of the camera's take photo's of the front of your car. But the best one I have ever seen waas a guy who decided to get smart and took his number plates off and sped repetedly sped past a camera, good idea except his car was for sale and he had his phone number in the window. But it is not only the motorists who do stupid things.... Several years ago a Police camera operator in Victoria was playing with his revolver on speed camera duty, yes, he shot the camera. Not all traffic coppers are stupid but most stupid coppers work traffic.

Gday you lot. I am going to check out a rusty grs30 in the next few days with the hope that it will be a gearbox donor for my project. I have not seen the car yet but the owner tells me that it has an L28 and a 5 speed. He said that another prospective buyer looked at the car after turning the crank manually he told him that the gearbox was from a 240K not a 260z. I have two questions. 1. How can I identify the type of gearbox fitted to the car. 2. Is there anything wrong with a 240K box, I work with an older ex mechanic who did a ton of 240z/k 5speed conversions in the 80's. He believes that the K box is actually stronger. I have no idea and would appreciate any advice.

Maaaate, Just you wait until I get my carbon firbre bonnet, my cousin makes them in his back yard, they look fully sick mate.... Then you watch me pull the chicks..... Seriously though I have to admit that when I was 18 I did have a crane cams stcker on the widscreen of my bog stock Kingswood, I grew up and so will these ricers. The sad part is that my crane cams sticker cost me $5.00. I was talking to a young guy the other day who had all of the obove mentioned mods (yes the bonnet was made by his cousin) he had a Lancer "Show Car" (I think it must have been to "Show" other how not to modify your car) The car owed him $12,000 in modifications alone. He was a really nice young guy and I felt really sorry for him that he had wasted so much cash. On the upside though his girlfriend was stunning, maybe he didn't waste that cash? :love:

Fantastic, I want one, It will be a perfect addition for my front spoiler that is three sizes too big for my car, that looks like it was painted with a spray can and is cracked because it is too close to the ground, my 17 different fog lights, and the pretty lights I just installed on my window washer jets. Now all I need is a really big Nismo sticker and to install my own stereo with two relly big subs with underbonnet wiring that looks like spaghetti and creates it's own fire hazard. Oops, I forgot, I also need a monster tacho with an even bigger shift light and a boost gauge.:sick:

The G.L.W. is freaking out right about now. (Good Lady Wife)

hi 260freak, I hope you have a fat wallet for the type of restoration you are talking about, the sad reality is that you would be financially better off buying an already restored 260. I don't know what a bare metal restoration would cost but I wouldn't expect much change from $20,000 to pay somebody to do all of the work. The beauty of these cars is that they are not particularly difficult to work on and there is a wealth of information available through sites like this one. My advice is tackle the job yourself or buy a finished project. For info I recently saw a 2 seat 260 for sale in Tasmania for $10,000 with an RB20 in it. Good luck Rusty.

Sean, I think you have hit the nail on the head, cars are fun, driving fast is fun, I have been fortunate, I am in a motorcycle club that gets regular track time at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, riding and driving fast is an incredible adrenalin rush. The point I was trying to make about road driving but forgot to mention was that attitude is everything. If every driver on the road was thinking about their driving, observing the road hazards and adjusting their driving to suit, I would be out of a job and there would be no need for speed limits etc I will never forget a lecture I attended from a Police Motorcycle Instructor, I do not remember the details but he covered reaction times and the distance on meters per second a vehicle travelled at a given speed. He was able to prove that a motorcycle travelling at 160 kph with a rider who was "switched on" (concentrating) could stop faster than a motorcycle travelling at 100 kph with a rider who was simply "going with the traffic flow" and not paying any particular attention to his surroundings. Speed limits are set for the lowest common denominator of driver, and unfortunately I can't see that changing.

O.K. here goes, I have read this thread with interest for some time and I have been surprised (and impressed) that it hasn't become a cop bashing fiasco. I am a T.M.U. (Traffic Management Unit) member of the Victoria Police. I worked afternoon shift this arvo (Australia Day) and had the absolute pleasure of attending yet another fatal accident. Fortunately this time I did not have to explain to mum and dad why little johnny wont be coming home. Did the driver (who at this stage is still alive) crash because of his speed? Of course not, he crashed because he made a mistake, it is too early to tell if it was because of the alcohol he had consumed, lack of experience with the road or general stupidity... but one passenger (possibly two, I will know when I go back to work three hours from now) are dead because of the speed the car was travelling when it hit the tree. Speed enforcement is used because it is an easy fix. Over the years the road toll has dropped considerably but the number of collisions (they are never accidents) has remained constant. My theory is that the road toll has dropped due to a combination of greater vehicle safety, better roads and lower speeds. I hate speed camera's, but blind fear of them has caused the majority of drivers to slow down, like I said earlier, it is an easy fix. Yes I think the government should put them at black spots, not safe open roads, I think the public would be more tolerant of them of they were used responsibly. Most suburban collisions happen at intersections. Fine, more red light camera's. To really reduce the number of collisions on our roads, drivers have to wake up. Training has merit, although I have met a stack of P plate drivers over the years who tried to tell me that they were really good drivers because they attended a weekend course in defensive driving. People need to realise that a car can be a weapon, and that driving is a responsibility not a right. I have two sons, I just spent the last half hour watching them sleep, it scares the hell out of me that they are going to grow up and be passengers in cars driven by other teenagers. When I look back at some of the stupid things my friends and I did as a teenager in cars, it is a wonder any of us got the chance to grow up at all. I learned from my stupidity some people never get the chance to learn..... Death sucks, I am going to go and give my kids a hug and then lay in bed and stare at the ceiling until it is time to go back to work.

If you are going to spend some time in Tasmania it might be a good idea to pack a banjo. You can always pick a Tasmanian in a crowd, he is the one wearing two hats, one for each head.....:stupid: :stupid:

David, Have you checked the trading post this week, a 240z was advertised for $2,500, I think it was in Ballarat. There is also a swag of 260's Rusty

I am sooo glad that those bumpers never made it to oz, although fuel injection could have come a bit earlier...

Justin, I have the original wiring diagram from the owners manual for my 74 260, if you still need it I can scan it and post it. (That should be try to post it, I haven't had much luck to date) Failing that send me a pm with your email address on it becuase my limited computer skills do extend that far. It is 3 a.m., I will save my romantic toe light inspection for daylight.

March is about the hottest month of the year in Vic. It is a good time for travelling down South because the brats are all back at school so the campgrounds are all empty. Wilsons Promontory is worth a look it is an awsome piece of coastline with a well set up campground (if you like that sort of thing). The Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit has all sorts of racing on, check their web site for info (if you like that sort of thing). DO NOT GO TO SEE THE PENGUINS AT PHILLIP ISLAND, you will be dissapointed. If all else fails, I cook a pretty mean barbie, and our beer is better than yours.....

Ed, I sincerely hope that you are not applying your body repair techniques on the Z you are restoring? On the insurance side of things. In Oz if you are insured and can identify the offending driver most insurers will cover the repair cost to your car at no penalty to yourself or your driving record. I don't know how insurance compnies in the U.S. operate but it is certainly worth finding out about. Good luck.

Having driven a 350 recently I must say that they are a very nice package and one would be welcome in my garage anytime....but. I am of the opinion that the only reason a classic Z owner would ever buy one is brand loyalty, the 350 is one of several cars in the same category, the market has several choices for consumers looking for a high performance sports coupe in that price range. I don't know about other members on this site but the attraction of a classic Z for me is that the cars have charisma and a style that goes beyond performance. Their is an immense sense of satisfaction in building/repairing/maintining your own car that cannot be bought from a showroom. Most classic Z cars are not the fastest or best handling or even the most reliable but they are big on the smile factor. Not to mention that they are also affordable. My 260 is a hobby as much as it is transport. I feel that there is no comparison between the old and the new, they are just too different.

Nice work if you can get it, some if us had to work, You know that other job, the one that pays the bills (almost)

Tough break, The bad news is that joyriders don't steal collectable cars, The best tip is to keep an eye on local classified ads in you area and also ebay. Victor for the benefit of other z nuts local to your state it may be worth posting any accesories that are rare or easily identifiable. One last piece of info for all... Don't ever buy stuff that you think may be stolen, it gives the maggots a ready market. The courts in Victoria have finally started to work this out and people buying stolen property are getting similar penalties to the crooks who actually steal them, now we just need harsher penalties for the theives..

Hi guys. I seem to have a knack of regularly changing houses so I have owned a few sheds. 6 metres (20 feet) is wide enough for access around two cars, provided we are talking internal not external measurements. I once had a really good shed that was 7.5 metres deep allowing for a workshop in the end, I used an old kitchen to build cupboards and I retained the kitchen sink and hooked up HOT WATER, one you have had water connected to your shed you will never be satisfied without it. Another thing I have seen but not done yet is to build in wardrobe style storage with sliding doors and shelving, you can never have enough storage.

I have been reading this post with interest for some time now, guys you have got it all wrong about flat top carbs, they are definitely not boat anchors... (they are not heavy enough)

Michael, Thanks for your reply, according to my owners manual the radio I am looking for has three a.m. and two f.m. preset buttons with the power antenna switch above the right knob. If yours matches the description, how much do you want for it? Russ

Any idea on what year they started to fit cassette players? Or was it an optional accessory. I would like to try and return my 74 model to as close to original spec's as possible.

Does anybody in oz have an original 260z am/fm radio that they may be willing to part with?