Go240Zags

My local U.S. Post Office provides free Priority Mail boxes. They are to be used for Priority Mail through the USPS only. I've been using them to ship items for several years. You can even have boxes delivered to your home for free to use to ship items. There are even co-labeled Priority Boxes with the eBay logo printed on them. Even though it seems a sin, the post office does not like you to even re-cycle already used boxes by turning them inside out. If they suspect it they will want you to pay Priority mail prices. I understand this is so people don't take advantage of this free service, but when they are already used it makes sense to recycle rather than add to the wastestream. Link to free boxes here: http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10152

Hey, anybody win this auction? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&sspagename=STRK%3AMEDW%3AIT&viewitem=&item=270108222888&rd=1 I was the first to bid because of the parking light switches, where normally U.S. models have the blanking thing. I would have bid up, maybe not that much, but I had to go to the ranch for branding time and was away from the computer and am too cheap to place an over the top bid and maybe win for more than I wanted to spend. I am assuming this is an original part with the early defroster switch. I've never seen one on auction before. The overall condition of the choke plate, lever mechanism looks a little ragged though. Gary D.

It would be nice to have more options for fuse boxes w/ modern blade fuses, like the MSA one for 240Z, but I can't bring myself to spend $200 on one - not at this point anyway. Since my car can't be returned to stock anyway (orig. engine long gone) I don't mind mixing a bit of the modern w/ the classic. I plan on shipping my harnass(es) to David to have him take a shot at rebuilding one good one once I find all the spares I've collected over the past three or four years. Gary D

Been avoiding this subject, but thought I had better answer while I'm still "average" by ZIII's reckoning. I'm 45, at least for about a half a month more.

Welcome 2manyZ'x that's a familiar handle you got there. Nice Zs - very clean. Gary D Edit: E, you beat me to the punch - altho you expanded on what I was thinking.

If the full set - early shift boot, emergency brake boot and pigtail cover - becomes available let us know and I will take one or two sets for my Series I cars, depending on price. Thanks to you and your friend for making the effort to offer these. Would not concern me if the grain pattern were the same as the early boot on all three pieces, but that's just me. Gary D

I'm not in Pullman, about 4.5 hrs. north and west - haven't visited since my two younger bros were at WSU. Anyway, welcome to the club. You got a great deal - the wheels alone make it a keeper. I make it as far as Spokane to visit my daughter and take in the occasional Zags game. This is a great place for good advice. Congratulations.

Maybe you missed the part where he said he wished he could ring my neck. He responded to what I intended to be a (1) helpful email with three rude emails. I'm sure I don't want him coming over to this site to chat.

Here's a copy of the response I got to my original email to eBay telling them about the "ring my neck comment. "Dear ---------, Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the email you have received from another eBay member. I recognize your frustration and want to address your concerns. eBay takes reports of inappropriate emails very seriously, and we'd like to investigate your report. However, we need more information from you. To protect the privacy of our members, we're unable to view the message from My eBay. However, the email that you received in My Messages should have also been sent to the personal email address that you have on file with eBay. Please reply to this message with a copy of the original email that you received and the email header (a string of characters that helps identify the sender) pasted in the body of your email. For security reasons, we can't open attachments. A header looks like a string of characters that helps us identify the sender. You can often find the header by using the "properties" or "option" function of your email program. If that doesn't work, consult your email program's Help files." It goes on, but the bottom line is I sent them the header from the original email and a copy of that original email. Maybe something will happen, maybe it won't. I'm not too worried about it either way. He probably just needs the money to buy some more crack.

Yeah, No good deed goes unpunished. I wrote him and told him about the misinformation and gave him the two links. He emailed me back three times with several rude comments and a threat to report me if I emailed him again as well as the statement "if he could reach out and ring my neck he would." I hope someone doesn't buy it thinking they are getting a 240Z radio -- unless of course they have a spare 240Z faceplate then they could probably make it work I suppose. I guess my question was so long it was split in two. Not sure why he bothered to post it on his auction if he disagreed with me so much. Gary D.

Justa..., Mike also has a video of the triples in action on YouTube:

I sold one for a 72/73 for $300 two years ago. It was perfect, no cracks. Found it sans gauges ready to be rescued on the seats of a crashed up 240Z in a nearby wrecking yard across the border in Canada. If it was a Series I then I would have kept it. Total cost $50 Canadian, about $35 bucks U.S. at the time. Sold it to a guy in the Navy who was still on ship board. He bought it for a 240Z he also bought when out to sea. Hope his project went well when he got home to San Diego. It would probably be worth twice as much now, but no regrets. My philosophy is find the parts, keep what you need and sell the rest to someone who needs them. Got to feed the beast and that's the only way I can keep going on my project and pay the mortgage too. I have two Series I dashes both with cracks - one is worse than the other. I'm going full dash cap - don't believe I'll worry about being able to tell when the doors or open. Just glad there are people who make the cap and other parts for our cars and think (in my case) the money it takes to redo a dash correctly could be better spent elsewhere on the car.

TR6 definitely over MGB any day IMO! Always liked them, unfortunately I am also too tall. My uncle had a TR4 when I was just a tadpole -- he later had a TR7. I could just barely drive that wedge, but it was a nice car -- looks weren't my cuppa tea tho.

One time at band camp... wait that's not it. One time I sold three ugly chromed plastic armrest finishers for a 260/280Z to Australia for $54. I couldn't believe it as I put a very detailed description and the photos showed the cracks in two and the peeling chrome in the other. They must be rare in the land of Oz. Then I sold a Series I console for $9.99 (starting bid). That was a tough one to let go of. It wasn't perfect, but someone got themselves a heck of a deal. I have begun to believe the gods of logic have nothing to do with eBay and it's more of 'things are worth whatever someone's willing to pay for them' - crazy or not. I search using 240 Z and 240Z -thinkpad (that eliminates a lot of notebook chargers, etc.) Haven't tried the = signs on each side, but will. I always search the full site, not just eBay Motors, because lots of listers don't get that specific. For 240Z - thinkpad I search title and description, for 240 Z just the title. I've also done the dotson search with some pleasant results. From the buyer side of things I hate seeing "Seller has canceled all bids" especially when I'm the only bidder and the auction is almost over. To me that means the seller has decided he isn't getting the price he wants and doesn't want me to get a deal (unfair and dishonest) or that he has sold off-site to someone else privately (also unfair). Be aware of email bid cancellations notices that are phishing expeditions as well, they sometimes are just trying to get your password info before you realize it. I like eBay, perhaps too much, but it's a crapshoot when selling, especially when you think your item is worth more than the buyers are willing to bid on it. We're all trying to get a deal.

Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep) is owned by Daimler. At least for now, rumour is they're looking to sell. Dragging Mercede's bottom line down I guess. GM also owns SAAB and a few others. Ford also owns Jaguar and I believe Landrover.

Thanks Arne, I should have looked more closely. I saw the Voyages program on Fiat and should have recognized the "Cinquecenti." My Italian is a little rusty, but I think that's how it's spelled. Better known as the "Topolino" - little mouse.

A quick Google of Datsun BWA came up with this image, not on a Datsun, but perhaps in one. http://marcofibras.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=111&osCsid=98bad8b6f05f9d5876aa49b2f7d9bd1c If that's a Datsun

Sorry, I too couldn't resist!

There's an electrical service guide on eBay right now if anyone is interested. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VINTAGE-RARE-DATSUN-Electrical-Service-Guide-Manual_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6762QQihZ017QQitemZ270089899423QQrdZ1

Jim, John at Bad Dog parts http://www.baddogparts.com/ got me mine. You might give him a shout at john@baddogparts.com. He's a member here. Gary D

Thanks 3RD STRIKE, I found one several months back. I now have everything I need for swap. I think the picture you posted is what I was looking for, but it is so small I can't really tell for sure. Gary D.

Will and everyone, Here's a photo of the Service Manual I plan on scanning next week. I can't find a date, but the illustrations where a console is shown appear to be Series I. From the Table of Contents: I. Instrument Panel - Description, II. Floor Console - Description, III. Heat and Ventilating System (HVS) - Description, IV. Center Group Panel Instruments and Lighting Control - Description, V. Radio and Components - Description and VI. Electrical. P/N 99999-20025 w/25 pages and lots of illustrations of wiring harnesses, console, dash, etc. The two fold-out Wiring Diagrams are marked "BASIC MODEL S30 SERIES FOR U.S.A." and "LATE MODEL S30 SERIES FOR U.S.A." Lots of illustrations are marked 1971 Late Model, however the Series I dash is still in one. Anyway, I bought this off eBay and it seems like it came from outside the state, but it was marked "DISCARD" from a library in Kennewick, Washington and "Donation to Mid-Columbia Library." I need more of these kinds of discards. Gary D.

Good to the last drop?

Having rare spares means you can trade other fanatics for parts you don't have or sell them to help finance your work on the Z. They do take up the extra room in my garage though.

The taillight panel you linked to is a replacement panel and the two squares are just so you can get to the bulps without pulling the whole panel off. The first of the 240z didn't have the access and it was just a flat panel.