EScanlon

John makes a good point. For $4200 you should get a car in fairly decent condition. The definition of that will vary amongst buyers, sellers and aficionados. Your best bet is to have the car inspected by a third party and / or use escrow payment (i.e. inspect before accept) on delivery. 2¢ Enrique

Guus: I'm the International Sales Manager for my company. As a result, I have sent hundreds of packages overseas, with the ensuing myriad of problems. If the SENDER did not annotate disposition instructions on the waybill, in the possibility of non-delivery, then it is implicit in the contract signed at the time that the package was entrusted to the carrier, to be left up to the discretion of the carrier. Disposition instructions typically involve returning the package at sender's expense, notify and re-address at sender's expense, or dispose and destroy. This is what Marriott should have filled out. If you were a guest at their hotel, and you had forgotten something, then they would either charge you for the shipment of the item OR assume the cost. If they assumed the cost, then they are also assuming the liability for that item. When they shipped it, they contracted for transport and delivery and by the shipper's regulations, would have had to provide an address AND a point of contact telephone number. If the address was wrong, then the telephone number would have been contacted to correct the error. If both the address and phone number were in error, then the package would be disposed of per the disposition instructions. Normally however, the shipper will contact the sender and try to rectify the address. In terms of liability, if the shipper performed the above in accordance with the required instructions, then the only recourse is to address it via the insurance company. Now, if Marriott failed to provide the correc information on the initial shipment, then it is THEIR insurance that must pay for the item. I've had many a package get "lost" and disposed of. So, what I'm relating to you is based on prior experience and not because I am a lawyer, which I am not. Did Marriott send you a copy of the waybill? If so, did you follow up with it? If they did not, why not? Hope this helps. Enrique

WHOA! While I admire the intent of holding off until a 240 is available, let me address a few things. The 240 prices have been steadily going up due to their perceived collectability, lack of availability, and resurgence of popularity due to the 350Z. This has made them rarer yet and more expensive. No one has noted that in the U.S. the 260 is actually RARER than the 240. Added to that, their perceived weight / power ratio with regards to racing or speed, has made them somewhat of a "black sheep". The body style is similar enough that without checking title or emblems (if they're correct), or a good knowledge of the model differences, you wouldn't necessarily know the difference. If you want a Z NOW the 260 would NOT be a bad choice. Change out some of the undesireable items such as the square top carbs and goose up the engine and you'd have a vehicle that you would be very pleased with. Additionally, if you keep all the original pieces, you would have a car that by simple attrition would evaluate. Possibly evaluating more, in the long run, than the 240 would. 2¢ Enrique

Are you checking voltage to ground? That is, the red multimeter wire to one of the wires to the light and the black lead to the car's chassis. If so, then with one wire you SHOULD read a voltage and with the other you won't. The side marker lamps use a wire to the harness to complete the circuit and NOT the mounting screws to the fender. The side marker lights both front and rear operate with the parking lamps but NOT the turn signals. If they are, then it's a modification by the PO. Although I can see their value when you actually have the turn signal on, but during normal operation they would be off. I don't know if your state does or does not have a requirement on side-marker lights. I do know that they must reflect in all 50 states. Now for the kicker. If you are having trouble with the Hazard Light Switch, then STOP! Before you go "fixing" anything more. You've uncovered that you do have some form of short. But since the turn signal wiring goes through the flasher as well, and you've already determined an intermittent voltage, I would bet that half your problem is that the Haz. Switch is blooey. Take it out of the dash. If it is the illuminated switch with a green lens, push in on the knob, turn 90° and pull out. Then remove the chrome ring at the base. You should then be able to reach behind the dash and disconnect TWO wire connectors, and remove the switch. The non-illuiminated switch just needs the ring removed, the rest is the same. This is important to fix first since the two wires connected to the Turn Signal flasher BOTH go through the Hazard Switch. If you have a short in the Hazard Switch you can affect not only the turn signals but the brake lamp as well. The Hazard switch disconnects BOTH the Turn Signal Flasher and the Stop Light Switch when actuated. When actuated it also connects both front and rear turn signal lights TOGETHER (hence the stop light disconnect and it's positional logic to allow the right brake lamp to illuminate when the left turn signal is actuated). If your Toggle Style Hazard Switch is loose and doesn't positively click up/down, then you more than likely have a broken pivot point which is causing the short internally. If it is a Pull Type, then it may have either a cold solder joint or a broken internal contact tray. Check the switch out and replace / repair it. Once you do that, then you can check the rest of the circuit properly. Enrique

DON'T USE ARMOR ALL! Guaranteed death to your dash! 2¢ Enrique

That you are getting a negative volt reading on the LF tells me that the leads have been reversed or that you connected your tester backwards. With a light bulb, which is essentially what you are checking, the negative voltage is not a factor to be worried about. If you were checking a Relay, a flasher, or some other polarity sensitive item then it would be an item. That you are getting an intermittent signal, tells me that you are somehow connected to one of the flasher units. Polarity then does become an issue. You don't mention if the bulb itself flashes when it's on. You need to check that. If the side marker bulb is flashing with either the hazard switch on or the turn signal, then it is wired into the wrong circuit. The Z has both a Hazard Flasher and a Turn Signal Flasher, so don't assume that they are the same. Once you've checked the operation of the bulbs with each flasher you can proceed from there. Hope this helps. Enrique

Yikes! That's a mighty tall order there pilgrim! There are a BUNCH of variables to consider when sanding a car for re-paint. Read some of my other posts in the Body / Paint forum and you'll get an idea of what to consider. In brief, from what you describe, I would opt for a Dual Action (D/A) Sander with 220 grit. But...... it depends. As far as the weatherstripping, if you are doing a complete repaint, then by all means remove the weatherstripping. If you're only doing panel work, then mask it off. But then again, that my: 2¢ Enrique

I'm going to jump into this with two hob-nailed boots in hopes of quashing this flagrant libeling of a good source of high quality and rare parts. This is what I responded to the original posting on the mail list. ======================= There's an old saying that says: I won't guarantee a horse has all four legs on it. If the buyer is interested he'll check for himself. If I adhere to that logic as a SELLER: I'm not being dishonest, but I'm not going to minimize MY chances of a sale to maximize the buyers! As a BUYER: If I don't check it myself, either I get it checked, or ASSUME that it means what I think it means. HAH! I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure if you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. All of this belly-aching is simply BUYER'S REMORSE! What's worse, is that he's proletizing AGAINST someone's reputation simply based on his disatisfaction. Whose fault is it that he assumed the best? The car was NOT advertised as HAVING BEEN restored, but rather that it was a RESTORATION PROJECT! That changes things in my opinion. A restored vehicle is one that is putatively DONE. A restoration project is a CAN OF WORMS just waiting for you to open it up. A restored vehicle I would expect to be one that I could literally drive into the showroom of a closed room and only remove the dust that settled on it in transit. A restoration project is first going to get a bath, and then a thorough inspection. Do I expect to be able to drive off in my RESTORED vehicle? YES! I'm bringing a trailer for the project. The seller listed the vehicle as having been inspected. Great, did the buyer ask for a copy of the inspection report BEFORE bidding? If not, in my opinion, TOUGH BEANS. The auction page shows a lot of activity at first, then stabilizes then a flurry of activity the last two days. Sounds like a hurried buy by someone. Whom we don't know because the bidder's ids are being protected. In some movies we see people at an auction, and through inadvertent movement or expression find one poor guy the proud owner of a million dollar vase. Those situations are funny because of the accidental manner in which the guy gets stuck with the bum purchase. We sympathize with the buyer because thru no fault of his own he's stuck with it. Then there are those movies when a bidder rushes into the auction room and energetically and adamantly insists on bidding at the last possible moment, outbidding prior bids and winning the auction. Then upon receipt of the merchandise, it turns out not to be what the buyer expected. Those situations are funny because we laugh at individuals who cause misfortune to fall on themselves. But we do NOT sympathize with the buyer, he's stuck with the purchase because of his own impetuousness. To further exacerbate the situation, the buyer then maligns the seller in a public forum with the intent of defaming the seller. Why? Because he failed to check if the horse had all four legs. All of this reminds me of the movie "The Crying Game". You've got a choice, accept it and keep it or reject and move on. If this seems harsh and derogatory, it isn't meant to be. It's just a sad fact of life. There is no reason why the seller should conduct the sale with YOUR best interests in mind, that's your job. You're trying to get a good deal, so is he. TANSTAAFL!!! There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch 2¢ Enrique ======================== Then we start quibbling over the "definition" of terms in the hopes of further assasination of someone's reputation based on only ONE side of the story. The ad stated quite explicitly: Here's the URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2451605436 Or read below: =========== 1971 Datsun 240Z Near Excellent Condition Very Very Clean You are bidding on a all Original 1971 Datsun 240Z. She is in very nice condition, never wrecked no rust, straight body except for a few parking lot dings. She was going to be my next show car project but I’ve been soo busy I can’t even keep up with my other projects. On a scale from 1 – 10 she would be rated a strong 8 – 8.5 Firm. Excellent running condition, very nice paint. This will and can be a jump in and drive everyday 240Z or with a very small investment she can be turned into that show Zcar that brings home the awards. Note: This 1971 (8/71) Datsun 240Z is also listed on my web site for sale, Seller reserves the right to end this auction at anytime. Special Notes New Dash, New Rear Deck Emblems, New wiper blade assemblies, New rear hatch support strut, Seats and Interior are in Excellent Condition, Door Panels are in Excellent Condition, No radio, Headlights are not working, Needs shift lever bushings, Needs a speedo cable. Bonus Items Added To Auction New Carpet Kit and 16pc Weather Stripping Kit. I will add those items to the close of this auction. Please call (XXX) XXX-XXXX (edit) if you need more information trust me this is a true find, so don’t pass her by We are willing to trailer her free for the first 20 miles there will be a 2.50 per mile charge after the first 20 miles (Only within California) Please keep in mind this is a legal and binding contract only serious collectors need to participate in bidding ============= The starting bid was $2,000 but the ending price was $5,500. If you look at the bidding history you'll see that the bulk of the higher dollars happened in the last couple of days. That tells me someone was motivated to buy. But enough of this, the buyer has already stated that although he was not pleased with the results, he still got a car that is considered a rarity. Additionally, it is in a condition that he isn't disatisfied. His intent to get a reduction of the sale price is natural, although HOW he approached it may have had a bigger bearing on the outcome than the request. But that is strictly conjecture on my part. As far as I see it, the rest of you guys are just trying to railroad someone's reputation and hoping to incite a Lynch Mob mentality whereby everybody would refuse to do business with the seller. The statement: Hmm, how's that work? Nothing can be changed EXCEPT....... And who decides what is an acceptable replacement? OEM parts only? Guess what, can't change the spark plugs. What about OEM and Year Specific? Good luck finding a non-illuminated rear window defrost switch, or a set of tail-light surrounds in the ORIGINAL matchbox striker finish Metallic Gray. (I'll bet that 80% of the cars had their tail-light surrounds painted within a year of new simply because when you waxed your car you could NEVER get the spots off the surround.) What about the Original Wiper Blade Holders that some of us have seen selling for as high as $150? Heck, most owners in the 70's went for the AAMCO quick blade refill which included the blade holder, there went your originality. So what is, in fact, the TRUE definition of All Original? Simply put, it is that condition the car was in when it rolled off the assembly line. By the time you fill up the tank for the FIRST time, it's no longer ALL ORIGINAL. Lastly, has anyone considered that the seller may in fact have been told by the person who sold it to him that it was "all original"? It may be that Troy was as surprised as the buyer to discover the engine didn't match. The basic fact is this, the car was listed as a RESTORATION PROJECT, at that point he hasn't put in any of the work he is capable of. When he states that the car "will and can be " either a daily or a show car he further denotes that the car needs work. Bottom line, enough on this thread. Enrique

A quick and inexpensive screen sifter can be found in the Kitchen Tools area of your better department stores. I found a 9" diameter with a 6" deep "bowl" wire mesh screen. Someone else can come up with it's correct name, for me it was a very easy to use and inexpensive sand sifter. I also used the sand box sand. You CAN re-use it, but only so many times before it becomes .... DUST! With that in mind be sure to wear a good dust mask. Trust me, you do NOT want this dust in your lungs. (Ever heard of Silicosis?) If you are in a residential area where neighbors might complain about the plume of dust you will be kicking up take a look at the one picture I'm appending. You will see a sandblasting "booth" I made in my driveway. It's made from one of those 10x10 pop up canopies with heavy duty tarps wired to the frame. Be careful to NOT overload the frame with the weight of the tarps, but you don't want lightweight tarps (They'll shred very easy if you blast them by mistake!) Yiou can see more pictures in My Gallery. Hope this helps. Enrique

Don't know about cheaper, but that is the correct price for a new hose. Check with Chloe, she's a sponsor of the site and from what I hear has some of the best prices around. Don't forget that the hose also has a sliding flange that mounts to the underside of the inner fender support. A correct replacement will have that flange and a tube to the side for the evaporator tank. 2¢ Enrique

Look for the location of the wiring that connects to the grid. Unless I'm mistaken, the ones with the vertical lines had the wiring come out from underneath the dome light plastic in between the hinges. I'm not entirely sure where the horizontal ones had the wire coming out, but they were probably close together connecting to a pair of wires on the hatch. 2¢ Enrique

As far as dragging on the ground: That could be a function of many things. The suspension, the placement of the spoiler, prior damage etc., not to mention the applicability of the spoiler itself (too large/tall), all have bearing on how high off the ground the spoiler lip will be. I'll leave it to the mechanical guru's to advise you on that. As far as just a fast repair, if it is a FLEXIBLE spoiler, that is more than likely made out of the same material as the "rubber" coverings on 90's era bumpers, you can get a can of "Bumper Filler" which is more flexible than your standard Bondo. Since you mention that you actually have HOLES, I would provide some form of framework for the flexible bondo to adhere to. This can be as simple as screen door mesh that has been fastened to the back of the spoiler. This will provide support for the bondo so that it won't sag and be a pain to work with. You could use fibreglass strand in it, but the main thing is to make sure that it adheres to the old plastic. That preparation can be as simple as a rough grind (24-30grit) or by adding holes to the plastic so that you can "squish" the material through so it will bond to itself. (Mind you the latter method is not a very good nor permanent fix as the bondo can crack inside the hole just as readily). If the spoiler is a RIDGID one, then it is either made from steel, fibreglass or thick ABS. If Steel, then grind and weld. If fibreglass then use a fibreglass repair kit. Don't worry about gelcoating it since you will probably paint it. Grind from the back such that the edges are tapered, lay a "wetting" coat of resin and apply a piece of fibreglass MAT that has has the edges frayed and fits inside the hole. Allow the strands to stick out to BOTH sides of the hole, apply resin to remove any bubbles then apply a second layer of MAT that is a bit bigger than the hole. Saturate with Resin again and repeat until you have somewhat filled in the thickness of the spoiler missing from the hole. Finish with at least one layer of Fibreglass CLOTH. This will provide even further strength to your repair. Allow to finish curing. The next step is to do the same from the front of the spoiler. Just like for the back, Frayed Mat, Mat as needed, Cloth. All saturated with resin, then allowed to cure. Remember that the average fibreglass kit available to the home body man is GENERALLY slower to cure than the commercial kits available out there. I'm not saying that you have an HOUR to work with the stuff, but more than likely 10 to 20 minutes depending on temp, and the amount of activator you kick into the resin. You can speed / slow by use of more / less activator, but remember that if you speed it up it can get HOT! (hot enough to burn you) Additionally, if you "spike" it, you could end up with an unevenly mixed batch. The bottom line here is that you will probably be working in LAYERS. Depending on the type of resin (with wax or not) you will need to grind off the skin that will develop with the waxed resin whereas non-waxed is a layering type of resin. As long as the previous layer was not contaminated you can just lay a new coat on top. Personally, on this type of repair, I grind both types just to ensure mechanical as well as chemical adhesion. Once you've done front and back, grind to shape, sand smooth and then paint it. Don't forget that any fibreglass work needs a sealer applied over it. Whether that sealer is Gelcoat or Sealer/Primer is up to you. The sealer / primer will allow you to finish it off with automotive style paints and not worry about crazing or lifting of the paint. Enrique

If you don't already have a buddy that has done bodywork, it can be frustrating to get it done right. If you are talking a true blue plastic spoiler, then you need to identify the plastic. Some plastics can be heat welded with more material in order to patch, others just scorch away with heat. Fibreglass can be repaired, but you need to prep the area well in order to get it to stick. Check the library for some books on how to repair those items and they will help you decide if the $130 is too much to spend. Enrique