240ZX

Sounds like a great opportunity to get in trouble....oh, I mean have some fun!!! I think I shall attend. Thanks for the heads-up Victor!

Kelly, do yourself a favor and purchase a repair manual for your 240Z. It will help you become familiar with the workings of the car as well as provide you info on tune ups, etc. SU is the name of the carburators....these carbs are a Constant Velocity (CV) carburator. Probably some of the easiest to work on and adjust. Too much and too heavy of an oil in the carbs will make them respond slow to throttle input....see manual for oil weight and quanity. Again, just remember these are old cars with worn parts and some will definitely need attention. Usual items that need attention are; suspension bushings, ball joints, U-joints, wheel bearings/seals, brakes, carbs, rust (the rust monster never sleeps), wiring harness/connectors (plug-in connectors become corroded creating high resistance). Don't get overwhelmed by it all...we have all been through this exercise so it nothing new under the sun. Read up on the car, do some sit searches about particular questions you have, and when asking questions in the forums, be as specific as you can. Hope this info helps you out to some degree. Focus on the end result of having one of the coolest car ever built. I spent two years going through my Z before it was a reliable and in the condition I colud afford. It's best to make a plan and decide what you really want out of this car and then budget accordingly....a lot of sweat now will pay you big dividens later.

Harry's nick name used to be " SHAVED ". Cause of death.....chocked to death on wood chips. Ahhh, but Harry had a gleaming set of teeth, he was proud of! The trees will miss him........

Sounds like a fuel issue! Replace your fuel filter, check pump output, check the oil level in the SU's, and tuneup the engine and carbs (sync/adjust as necessary). These old cars need some regular TLC. Good luck

What's the point of these type doors.....bling bling for a show car? Everyone I've ever seen looks pretty whimpy as far as the stability of the door itself. Very wiggley looking! They sure don't appear to provide easier access in and out of the car!? And on a newer car, what effect does it have on side inpact? I say...if you're building a show car, OK.....if you're building a driver, forget about it and spend the cash on performance upgrades. Lambo doors......yah right!!!!!

Mark, I did the search for the mounting bracket part numbers. NISSAN part #4415504S10 (originally for a 1981 Maxima) Should cost you approx $90.00 for the two brackets. Try Courtesy Nissan in Texas or any local Nissan dealer.

I did the street conversion on my 1970. Front - 280ZX calipers/turned down 300ZX vented rotors, Rear - 280ZXT or 240SX calipers/ 280ZX rotors. I used the Axxis Metal Matrix pads, S.S. flex lines, 15/16" bore master cylinder, and Nissan caliper brackets, for mounting the rear calipers. This conversion will give you way better feel and braking than the stock setup. I've been more than happy with this setup. Do some searching on this site for the Nissan caliper mounting brackets. The only tough part of this conversion, using the Nissan caliper mounting brackets, is the disassembly and re-assembly of the stub axles.....however, it provides the opportunity to replace those old wheel bearings and seals. There are other brackets available that can be installed without the disassembly process (these brackets have 3 mounting holes as the Nissan units have 4). Oh! By the way, I had to turned down my 300ZX rotors to 10.55" diameter to fit under the 280ZX front calipers. This step can be done by a shop that has the capability to turn (reface) rotors. Good luck.

Danny, If you are new to the site, welcome! Your question has been asked more times than Carter has pills. Search the achives on this site and you will be amazed at the amount of info available to you. There are alot of technically experienced people here, so it's best to be as specific as possible with your questions. Your question is a bit too general.....too many variables are unknown. Try doing a search. Good luck and welcome to the best damn Z site (for early Z's anyway).

Yes! 240, 260, & 280

Vicky, what have you been smoking my dear?

You don't, unless you fork out the $$$ for adjustable rear transverse links. Take a look at your rear suspension on your 280Z.......you will see there is no means of adjustment.

Freerider, if you are paying $15K for a 240Z you should expect it to be in excellent condition! No rust, no worn out parts, I mean a cherry of a ride. Before you put out any $$$ have someone very familiar with Z cars check it out. Like I said....at $15K you should expect a damn near perfect condition car. Just my 2 cents worth.

Patrick, I've been running the Centerforce II since 2000 and I couldn't be happier with it. Centerforce clutches have a pretty good reputation for there performance and durability.

nuteman, with a car of this age it's difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for the problem you are experiencing. Possible candidates that usually require replacement are as follows....all rubber suspension bushings, steering shaft coupling, steering rod end bearings, and steering rack bushings. Wheel bearing may be in need of repacking and adjustment. As you memtioned, tire/wheel balancing. What I'm trying to say here is, that with a 30+ year old car, you have to go through the exercise of eliminating potential problems one at a time. You will be much happier with the way your z drives after you replace these worn out parts.....we've all been through this exercise ourselves. Good luck and tell us what you find.

Hey Vicky, that's always a good way to get your blood pumpin for free!!! I had my little toy out for a play session as well. You know, everytime I hear the sweet music of these six cylinder motors I just get this big s_ _t eating grin on my face. Oh the joys of owning a Z!!!

Saw the shows Dave........outstanding!!! I mean, does Alan DeCadenet have the coolest job ever???

Steve, what Jeff said (chamfer the leading edge of the pads) works....I do it to all my vehicles with disc brakes. I have also used the orange stuff you mentioned and it does not harden. It stay pretty much like it is when you apply it. Use a thin coat though! The stuff act as a dampening compound....midigates pad vibrations (no squeal). Also, I've heard that if you soak your pads in wine overnight they will not squeal.....just kidding!!! How's the race car doing Steve?

If I had my choice of just one car for a cool toy, it would most definitely be the V12 powered Jaguar XK-13!!! Unfortunetly there is only one in existance.....bummer! Oh, the sound of a V12............ Stephen, a buddy of mine had a Hemi Cuda back in high school. I can remember one of the rides he gave me one night getting on the freeway....the damn think pulled so hard you were literally glued back in the seat. Remember Lion's Drag strip? In stock form with the open stock cast headers and a set of slicks, the Cuda was turning 12.40 et's...those were the days. Wait a minute...come to think of it I'm having more fun now in my Z than I ever did in any other car I've owned!!! I quess that's one of the reasons we have they babies.

Hey Vicky, this last weekend, while I was putting fuel in my Z for a fun run, I hear this beautiful deep lumpy sound approaching. I turn to see this super clean and well done Shelby GT500 Mustang pulling into fuel up. As he came up the drive you could see a beautiful set of chrome headers curving down under the car and the car was painted in a red I have never seen. He had the original style GT500 wheels with some serious looking tires. It was absolutely in perfect condition. I was drooling. WOW!!!

Well of course they are Vicky, we all own one right? In my book the only other car I lust after is a 427 Cobra.........but my 240Z definitely fulfills my desire for road fun and at a lot less impact on my pocket book!!!