SteveJ

I like that idea. It's easy to find the 2 inch pipe and caps in iron around here. I didn't want to use the screwdriver and hammer because the tank is in the car and half full of gas. I have an aversion to mixing sparks and gasoline vapors. I found it. I like that idea, too.

I need to remove the lock ring from the 240Z fuel tank, and I thought I would do a search to see if there is a tool to do that. Google sent me down several interesting rabbit holes in this quest. I noticed that the lock ring for the older Mustangs looked pretty similar to the one for the 240Z. That ring was cheap, so I ordered one. It is slightly larger than the 240Z ring. Many older GM cars/trucks have a very similar style and size, too. The locking ring tools may work, but I didn't feel like ordering one. Here are a couple I found: http://blog.virginiaclassicmustang.com/2020/09/gas-tank-sending-unit-lock-ring-tool.html https://www.ecklers.com/fuel-sending-unit-lock-ring-tool-25-255042-1.html One of the other rabbit holes I explored was the Honda/Acura lock ring from the 90s. Once I found the Ford lock ring was too large, I thought that the Honda one might be closer due to metric system stuff. I found the Dorman 579-015 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002D3Y30U. At that price, I figured it was worth a look. A new Z lock ring from ZCarDepot is on the left. The Honda lock ring seems to have the same inner and outer diameters as the Z lock ring. It only has 3 inner tabs as opposed to the 4 on the Z lock ring. I plan on trying the lock ring on an old tank in the near future to verify fit. Given that the 240Z lock rings are cheaper, there isn't a need to switch, but we never know when supply will dry up. As for a lock ring tool, I decided to make one myself. A friend who has worked on a lot more Z cars than I have told me he made a similar one.

I found an old memory card while rummaging through a desk drawer today, and it had some photos I took of the 73 before I had it shipped from Virginia down to Georgia.

The rebuild kit is cheap compared to finding yourself getting a tow truck after one of the recent aftermarket fuel pumps fail.

In the Hagerty emails: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/garage-find-datsun-240z-looks-like-a-complete-project/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MED_UN_NA_EML_UN_DailyDriver_Wednesday&hashed_email=9349c1d026c1a6565d70def8ee2cc14d84a280918073cb399a3779bff82734f8 The ebay link said reserve not met at $21,700.

So, I have experimented a lot with different LED headlights. The current setup in my 260Z is H4 housings (the old Black Dragon H4s) with Auxito H4 9003 LED Headlights, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TQLK6SH. Those bulbs can be combined with about any H4 housings, such as Hella. They throw out a lot of useful light, especially on high beams. It's a reasonably economic solution, and the bulbs are polarity independent.

I had moved my brain down below the waist well before that since that was how I was doing most of my thinking back then...

I can pull the rear struts without touching the spindle pins. Detach the half shaft from the wheel & rear sway bar and you can swing the control arm down and out of the way. Of course, you'll need a good size lever to swing the arm down.

Chance favors the prepared.

If you don't know what you're doing, yes. The coil springs have a lot of stored energy, and typically you compress them to get the struts free, increasing the stored energy. If you aren't careful, they can come apart with great force. I had that happen to me once, but I avoided serious injury by having it hit me in the head. Seriously, the strut popped out of the spring compressor, and the spring struck me right at the eyebrow. It sliced me open, but fortunately that's a pretty stout area of the skull, so I escaped serious injury. Since it was on a military base, I got a free ride in an ambulance, too! Watch videos on changing out the struts. If you REALLY want to do them yourself, find a friend who is knowledgeable on the procedure supervise you. There is a trick to pull the front struts without breaking open the brake line, but it's not for the faint of heart. (Most instructions have you taking the soft line off the S-tube.) You'll have to take the brake lines off the rears to remove the struts. All this means that you'll be needing to bleed the brakes, too. This includes bleeding the master cylinder.

Rockauto The second link in your post was for a 280ZX. Those would not work on a 78. The price from Rockauto would be better than the other ebay link, plus there is a rebate available if you buy before 12/31.

Maybe a kit like this would work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087WNSDPV/

I believe I put some RTV on some shorter bolts and sealed the holes that way.

How long did it take you to clean the seats after feeling something furry there?

It ain't cheap, but it is available now: https://s30.world/product/01-77-till-12-78-datsun-280z-fairlady-z-fuel-tank-vapor

Here's one I purchased 5 years ago https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PWNQMYI

Here's one way to check for leaks. Build a smoke machine. Start with the link below and work your way down the thread. I included a link to the YouTube video I used as a basis of design. Take off the valve cover. Rotate the engine so the intake valve on one of the front 3 cylinders is open. The cam lob for the intake valve will be down, and you can tell which are the intake valves because they line up with runners on the intake manifold. Remove the spark plug for that cylinder and plug in the smoke machine. Have someone push smoke through the cylinder while you're on the other side looking for leaks. If you have to do this solo, figure out how to set up your phone to take video of the manifold while you push smoke through. You may have to do this for each of the front three cylinders.

I chatted with him on the phone. I think he'll get it straight now.

I don't know if the C-Springs club ever formed, but there is the Z Car Club of Colorado. https://www.zccc.org/

And as far as "spoon feeding" goes, I've had to do more with people who had "engineer" titles. At least you found the source, and as you have learned the same lesson as many of us, it's frequently the last thing we f'd with.

I sent you my number in a PM a couple of weeks ago. Feel free to call to figure out how to get your wiring right.

There is neither a 400Z nor a Z35. It is a Nissan Z with a Z34 Series 2 chassis designation. Also the Z33 was 2003 MY to 2008. And the Nissan Z is 2023 MY.

We had a thread not too long ago about the 73 fuel gauge. Read through this for some ideas and watch the video of the bench test that is linked in the thread.

I don't know if this helps, but this is how it looks from behind the dash.

In Georgia, they think the signs identifying the freeway are the speed limits. If you think I-75 and I-85 are bad, you should try GA-400...