SteveJ

For these lugs, I prefer the crimpers like in the picture I attached. First, use long-nosed pliers to bend the tabs on the lugs in enough that they fit in the part of the crimpers where I drew the arrow. Then slowly squeeze the crimpers so the tabs curl into the wire. You can find crimpers like that at Fry's. They can also be found through vendors at Amazon.

The carburetors in the picture are round top carburetors. As for pictures of flat top carburetors, you could always download the FSM for the 73 and look at the drawings & pictures in there. Don't believe EVERYTHING you read on the internet, especially when it comes to flat top carburetors. I had no problems with vapor lock with the flat tops when I went Savannah for the national convention. If the car in question is the one from the picture, the headers are wrapped, but it might not be a bad idea to source a heat shield to install between the carburetors and the headers. You can do one of two things: 1. Take along someone who knows about working on old cars. 2. Take off the distributor cap & rotor and look for the points.

Follow the guide on page 43 of the EE section of the FSM to start.

Well, you could try to see if the sender is still available from Nissan. I can't remember whether or not it is. I haven't purchased one in a long time. Also, the FSM says to use a conductive sealer. The first option that comes to my mind is antiseize, but give others a chance to correct me before you try using that.

What brand(s) are you buying?

I'm glad it worked for you. I've placed a few orders with them, myself.

See, I knew I've been working too much. Bad Dog is for frame rails. Zedd Findings is for floor pans.

Didn't you answer your own question? When the thermostat didn't close, the coolant system lacks the restriction to flow that it needs to get the engine to the proper operating temperature. If you look at common trouble shooting guides for cooling systems, you should find a description that pretty much matches what you experienced. Here is an example.

Bad dog! Bad dog! Okay, so he doesn't have his products online right now... It's time to go with Mr. Peabody & his boy, Sherman, into the Internet Wayback Machine. There, now you can find what you need by clicking on the Products link. By the way, that last link may be slow to load... (Yes, my post is more obtuse than usual. I've been working way too much.) Bad dog is the name you'll hear most for frame rails & floor pans.

Well, the path to ground for your headlights run through your turn signal switch. Vibration from driving can cause a loose wire to move. Yeah, start with finding the grounds for your headlights and moving toward your turn signal switch. By the way, Dave also has refurbished plenty of turn signal switches and combo switches, too.

I can relate. I am one of the younger members of the Georgia Z Club, and I'm FAR from being a spring chicken. Of course, don't discount spending time with us old farts. We do have a few tidbits of information to share about these cars.

I agree. Download the 71 FSM Supplement from Xenons30.com and look at the wiring diagrams. Start around the steering column. While you're at it, buy the headlight relay kit & parking relay kit from Dave Irwin, aka Zsondabrain. Those kits will help prevent similar problems in the future.

I hope you do realize that by living in Orange County, you can't be TOO far away from MSA. Also, considering the number of S30s that still live & breathe (smog, of course) in the land that rust forgot, it's highly unlikely that you're alone.

Question: How tight is the fit on the center bracket? I could see some possible issues in the future with vibration if there is any play. Sorry if you've already accounted for that, but I can see how that might have influenced the soldering of the original design.

Funny, my 260Z door panels had metal clips...at least I think it did.

Don't worry too much about the wire colors on the relays (old or new). Only the coil and normally closed contacts are used. I am attaching a picture of how the relay should be wired to the old connector. The colors match the main wiring harness colors according to the wiring diagram for a 76, courtesy of Phil, aka Blue. If you get everything lined up right, you'll have no problems. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you don't find another source, how about this?

Go to Xenons130.com and find the FSM from the 82. It should tell you how the fan is supposed to behave. By the way, did you actually measure the water temperature at the radiator when the car is warm?

I believe MSA carries the parts you need including bump steer spacers.

I think that's a good idea. Mike, Arne, Enrique - Is this something we could do here?

Before you take apart the thermostat housing (though a stuck open thermostat sounds likely), use a candy thermometer to verify. Idle your car with the radiator cap off (that is to say don't drive around). Let it come up to temperature, and measure with the thermometer. If it matches the gauge, as Bob suggests, look at your thermostat. Your Nissan dealer probably still can get the correct thermostat. It's worth the money to go genuine Nissan with that.

Fuel, air, spark & timing. One or more aren't functioning right. While you're waiting on the hardcopy FSM, download one from the link in my signature and start reading. Meanwhile, it sounds as though your sparkplug wires and/or distributor cap might need to be replaced.

You may want to purchase the book to give you some guidance, with one caveat: get your torque specs from the FSM. I seem to recall some of the torque specs being off in the book.

Yes, it is.

I have seen the chrome trim from time to time on eBay. I can't remember what I paid for my set, though. It's on the shelf of parts waiting for the day... By the way, Black Dragon Auto has the front & back chrome.