Bambikiller240

After the POR-15, I applied a coat of their ChassisCoat Black Product (supposed to be a super tough paint) inside and out. That is as far as I've gone, to date. Many people say that you should not use undercoat, as it can trap moisture and hold to the body panels. I'm leaving my car as is for the winter so I can observe the panels. Assuming no signs of recurring rust, in the springtime I'll probably apply a light coat of some kind of undercoat. Not sure what to use either. Also still looking into options for replacing the Tar Mat insulation on the interior surface. If anyone has had great results, or advice please post. Thanks!:classic:

EScanlon/All: Heck no it doesn't sound like obsession. Sounds like a smart move to me, of course; I did the same with my floorpan. I used the heat gun and non-metallic scraper to remove 99.9% of the undercoat and Tar Mat, and then wiped the remaining traces of petroleum bits off with Acetone. Then I went to the Marine Clean and Metal Ready, followed by POR15 (inside and outside). It's the sort of job (like outer spindle pin R&R, or Fuel tank vent lines) that you do CORRECTLY the first time, and don't have to do again for 20 years, if ever. Hapy Turkie Dai All !!

When I went aftrer the beginnings of "cancer" on my Z's floorpans this past summer, I bought a 1600 Watt Hair dryer and used that to soften the Matt and Undercoating that I wanted to remove. It worked great and I was able to peel large strips off the car with very minimal effort and NO gouging or other damage to the metal. The dryer works great for shrinking HeatShrink tubing when doing electrical repairs/mods too. Only cost $12 at Wal-Fart!

Easiest to fit is a 240Z radiator re-cored with a 3-row or 4-row core. A 280 radiator will fit, but will hang down lower than the 240 unit. Holes in brackets of a 280 Rad may need to be "adjusted" (ovalled or redrilled) to match the holes in the 240 Radiator support. You'll need to use the lower rad hose for the original car the rad you use came from. ie 280 rad, & 280 lower hose, OR 240 rad, & 240 hose. Good luck Carl:sleepy:

You have just discovered one of the main reasons that the FEDS mandated the 2.5 MPH, then the 5 MPH bumpers beginning in 1973. Not that they help tremendously, but they certainly ARE an improvement! Enjoy the Ride! CarlROFL

As 240Z indicates, or his Link, I should say; It is fairly easy to remove the mirror. The key is to have the window in the rolled up position, with the moisture barrier plastic pealed back or removed, and the door open so that you can reach up through the hole in the inner door panel with a socket attached to an extension. Like most things, Once you've done it, you'll realize how simple it is. Good Luck with your project! Carl

Hey Marty: First of all, I should say that I'm refering to a 1972 240Z. On my car the sender is at the front wall of the gas tank, on the passenger side of the car. There are two wires that connect to the sender unit and they ("it" the sender) are quite obvious. A circular lock-ring compresses the o-ring which seals the sender to the front wall of the gas tank. Use a flat blade screwdriver against one of the tabs on the lock-ring to rotate the ring. The ring will then come loose and the sender can be removed. The float of the sender is on a long arm, so be careful as you pull it out so you don't bend the arm. Major Warning!! The fuel tank must be almost completely EMPTY before attempting this Check a Haynes or FSM for more detail. If you have further questions, let me know! Later, Carl

There is a specific O-Ring available through Motorsport Auto, or Nissan (if still available) for the purpose. I believe that any O-Ring of the correct diameter and thickness will work. The diameter should be easy to figure out with the sender removed, you'll see an indentation around the opening for the sender, as for the thickness, I don't know how thick it needs to be, but since o-rings are not too expensive, I'd get several thjicknesses. THE ONE THING TO REMEMBER if using a generic O-ring is that it needs to be made of a material that is designed for use with gasoline. If it is the wrong material, it will dissolve in short order and the leak will be back. Check with local parts dealer or........ My reccomendation is to get one from Motorsport Auto. P/n from MSA is 11-3280 Catalog says multiple applications, so you'll need to tell them what year car you have and maybe the Mfg date to get the right part. They are at 1-800-633-6331 and are open short hours on Saturday for ordering. Good Luck Carl

sold out!!!!

aapiss: Your post doesn't mention whether you used the required O-ring when you installed the sender unit. If you didn't, well there is your problem. If you used the old O-ring, it must be in "perfect" condition? If it is not, there is your problem. The O-ring MUST be used and MUST be free of nicks, squashed areas from bad mounting attempts, or other abnormalities. Best bet is to ALWAYS use a NEW O-ring when removing and replacing the sender unit. It is very cheap insurance against leaks. The sender can be removed and replaced without removal of the gas tank. Not trying to insult your intelligence or Z knowlwdge, but the O-ring is critical, and frankly, your mention of not using a gasket has led me to my questions about the O-ring. There is no need for a "gasket", you DO need the O-ring! Careful installation of the sender with a new O-ring is quite simple and is almost always leak free (unless the sealing flange of the gas tank is damaged). The primer should have no effect on the mounting or sealing of the sending unit to the gas tank. Let us know how it comes out! Carl:classic:

:bandit: This one is of Bill Clinton's Dog!

I hope this one comes through!

Alex: You can get it almost anywhere that car stuff is sold. Everywhere from Grand Auto, to Checker/Shucks/Kragen, Poop Boys, Ace Hardware, etc. It's usualy found near the Permatex products, hanging from a hook in a blister/card package. HAND (Have A Nice Day) Carl

While the name "Classic Z Club" and expanding our focus to include 260/280Z's may have some benefit. I prefer to retain the original 240Z specific focus. Of course, that may be due to my complete lack of interest in 280Z's. While there are outward similarities between the 240 & 280, there are many significant differences under the sheetmetal. Just my $.02 Carl

I'm guessing carbs with Nitrous injection. POWER!

Wow, I can't believe that the cover went for over $100 on eBay! Back in the day (1979) when I was building my first (and still favorite, though sold long ago) Z car, the Datsun Dealer in Fremont CA had a shopping cart by the parts counter FILLED with these covers, and original AM radios & AM/FM stereos that had been removed from new Zcars when aftermarket AM/FM/Cassette units were added to pad the sale price. If you bought $50 worth of parts you could have any one item from the cart. I still have two of these luggage covers in boxes collecting dust in the garage. Guess they were worth having after all!

Geez Mikey, you really scored on this deal!! A complete rustless 280Z for next to nothing! You must be living right! Of course, you realize this will further delay the 240 project by at least a year. Congrats!

Once used it to keep my girlfriend in her seat. Does that count?

Jerry: Know what you mean about time (and age). Two years ago I got back into Z's after a 15 year absense & I'm still re-learning things that I already knew! The play in the inner tie-rods can be measured, but it's a PITA and most folks will just bite the bullet and replace them rather than spend the time mucking about with feeler guages etc. They don't cost too much. Another possibility that I've heard can cause the problem that you describe is "slightly" ovalled mount holes in mag wheels. I haven't experienced that, but there was a thread on the IZCC list about that a few months ago. Did you replace Ball-joints and outer tierods when you installed the PU bushings? They can cause the wobbles you describe too. The front-end is a simple system, but I've been told that EVERY part must be well within spec for the system to function smoothly and safely. Your idea about borrowing some "known smooth riding tires & wheels" sounds like a good place to start. If that didn't fix it, I'd do the outer tierods and ball joints next, then the inner tie rods if necessary. I have PU bushing throughout on my 72 Z and I haven't had the symptom that you describe, although I can feel very minor cracks etc in the road much more so than with the rubber bushings. I replaced all wear items in the front-end when I bought my current Z. Carl

Jerry: Your post doesn't say, but I'm wondering if you have a "stock" front valence on the car. Many early Z's experienced wandering at high speed due to a lack of downforce at the front-end. The solution was the "Spook" or "Air Dam" added to the front of these cars. Another possibility is worn inner tie-rods (inside the steering rack). Also wondering if your tires were static balanced or spin balanced. If you installed the PU bushings correctly (and it's hard to mess this up) they should not cause this problem. You MAY feel the shimmy more due to the compliance of the bushings, but they should not CAUSE it. Have you switched the rear tires/wheels to the front & checked for any differnce in symptoms?

How about coil-overs? I don't know of any standard springs available for a Z that do not lower the car, except for bone-stock Nissan springs. Even the European Nissan springs lower the car some, and they are not very much stiffer that US spec Z springs. Maybe you could put another bump stopper around the strut, inside the coil spring to stop the compression before the tires hit the wheel-wells. Good Luck!

You will find that the gas tanks on later 280Z's (from around 76/77 on up will not fit in a 240Z. This is because the later cars had the small spare tire and the extra space was used for the gas tank. The ealier the tank you find, the more likely it will be to fit in a 240Z. FWIW,

Hey Tim: I bought a set from ZTherapy.com & they are both the same, but Scott sent instructions and some washers to use one a a short. Try to contact Scott and ask him for sure, but I seem to rember tha the short went on the rear carb. I'll try to find the instructions to confirm (if I still have them.) ------------------ Carl Stahlnecker 72 240Z "Bambikiller" cstahlnecker@hotmail.com bambikiller240@altavista.com

I read it. FYI most of the active members of 240Z.org don't visit the site too often. We communicate with each other via the E-mail List. Try joining us (click on button on right side of home page) either as a regular member or to the "digest" version. You'll probably get quicker, and more info. Just my $.02 ------------------ Carl Stahlnecker 72 240Z "Bambikiller" cstahlnecker@hotmail.com bambikiller240@altavista.com

Courtesy Nissan in Texas has a website & offers 25% discount on Nissan parts to members of Zhome.com. Membership at ZHome is FREE, so check it and Courtesy Nissan out! Sorry I can't remember their URL. Do a search, it should come up easy! ------------------ Carl Stahlnecker 72 240Z "Bambikiller" cstahlnecker@hotmail.com bambikiller240@altavista.com