EScanlon

You have a 71 with a manufacture date prior to ~7/71 or thereabouts. Your car has the brackets to accept the plastic tool cover latches. From that, you probably do NOT have the toolboxes in the rear deck. (Just slightly aft of the vertical panel that these brackets are on.) Additionally, you may / may not have the vents in the hatch instead of on the C-pillars. You have a "Transition" car. Welcome to the club. You'll find that you need to time stamp every feature of your car. In your console, is the ashtray / lighter combo in FRONT of the Shifter? Yes? Series One. If the ashtray has been moved aft, to behind the shifter, Series II. Dash have an indent shaped like a sideways Datsun logo? That's a Series II. That indent was for the "On-Off" label that they put on the bayonet switches in case we couldn't figure it out. (And believe me, there were a LOT of people who didn't get it.) If the dash does NOT have the indent, then, if the cigar lighter hole above the Hazard Switch has NOT been cut-out, then you have an EARLY Series One. The Later Series One has the cutout sometimes installed with a SECOND lighter in that position. Don't ask me why and maybe the 3-4 cars I saw like that were ONE dealer's mis-begotten children, but there were TWO lighters in those cars. Look at your coat hangers. Round Chrome Knobs? Series One. Plastic Hook thingies? Series Two. You can still find those plastic tool box covers. FWIW Enrique

Although this has the flavor of an Urban Legend it is a true story. Granted the specific woman and the specific man are probably unidentifiable, but the truth of the story is correct. If you have doubts, it's because you've never had a car hydroplane on you. If you have had a car hydroplane on you, then you know that the sudden lurch of the tires breaking loose and then starting to spin faster (for the rears) or being able to feel the front wheels suddenly go directionless. Most cruise controls work either by determining the rate of vacuum draw from the engine and clamping the accelerator rod at that point, or they have a sensor that determines a given rotational speed and maintains it. From what I know, the first type is the one specifically addressed by this warning. The second type, again from what I've read and heard is not affected by it. For those of you who may wonder why this happens: When you're traveling at a given speed, there is a set amount of resistance to the car's maintaining that speed. That resistance is what the motor has to meet in order to maintain that speed. Water under the tires allows them to spin freely, and now without the resistance of the road to them, the motor in trying to maintain the same amount of vacuum to the intake gives the engine more gas. FWIW

If the RIGHT hand side ones's are available, I would be interested in one as my lens cracked when I was installing mine. Let me know. Enrique

When you do get them, and are ready to install, take a close look at the receiver from the side. You'll note that the flange on the entry side of the tub is at an angle to the body of the receiver. The SHORT side or the lower side of the angle goes towards the windshield and mates to the angle of the sheet metal. 2¢ Enrique

Your plan to replace the inner workings of a ZX tach into the body of the original tach would work IF you make sure that the wiring going to the tach from the coil is corrected. The early 240 tach used a loop of wire going through the resistor and the coil. When you replaced the dizzy with the ZX one, did you remove the resistor? What did you do to the wiring? That's important. That your tach is maxing out and then zeroing tells me that you're hooked up to the resistor side of the wiring, but that there may be a problem inside the tach. I have a 240 with the original tach and the ZX dizzy and I've gotten it to work, so it IS possible. Post back so we can help you troubleshoot it. Enrique

Check the Fresh Air Vent connection to the Heater Intake Flapper Valve. That's the box BEHIND the blower motor which is bolted to the firewall. The connection to the "chimney" is actually Pllumber's Putty. This stuff takes eons to get hard, but can and will get hard and then fall off. Also check the complete bottom of the cowl pan as well as the drain hoses. 2¢

Fast reply: Off the top of my head, the typical flasher unit is simply a resistance spring in line with the circuit. When it heats up, as it is designed to do, it expands such that it springs away from the contact, and then cools down while the circuit is broken. Once it cools off, it re-closes and heats up again. So, I don't think you need to worry about polarity. Just plug it in, check it and if the rate of blink is not to your satisfaction, try reversing the leads. 2¢

In the area where the electric antena sits, take a look at the "floor" there, there is the drainage hole for the antenna, and another plain drain hole. Check to make sure those are in place. You don't mention if your car has a rear spoiler or not, but depending on which one you have (if you do) it will distinctly change the aerodynamics of the car and cause some of the problems you are mentioning. (That's why Datsun was puting some of those spoilers on the car as well.) How about the drainage holes in the spare tire well? Your sheet metal around the back of the rear tires, is it undamaged and the seal on the seams intact? Are you sure the exhaust fumes are coming from the outlet of the muffler and not due to a leak in the system tubing leading to the muffler? Just my 2¢ Enrique

Heck if you can get webbing at an upholstery shop that looks good or close, you CAN remove the buckle on both ends of the belt and have it replaced. 2¢

In the picture showing the location of the left hand cables, you'll see another pair of cables. Those are for the choke levers on the carburators. Take special note of the LOCATION of those cables as being OVER and INSIDE the heater cable. This may seem obvious, but there is very little tolerance for bent or curved choke cables and if you're not careful you'll snap your choke lever handle. 2¢ Enrique

Mike: It isn't the distance, what is it about 70 miles from Vancouver, it's the time of the day and week. You've seen traffic through Portland after 3pm, it gets packed and if you leave for Salem at 3pm you'll be 1 to 1.5 hours just getting THROUGH town before you can hit highway speeds again for another hour. Then there's the return leg later at night with work the next day. So, a total of at least 3.5 hours of driving (figuring 45 mins accross Portland and an hour there times two). That's what Gary and I have discussed as being a bit much. 2¢

I have my 2¢ for you, hopefully before you do try to remove from the vynil. Why are you so intent on removing the adhesive from the VINYL? In my experience over various cars, if you are planning on re-using any of the pieces that came with the car, you have to consider what the cleanup or repair might do to it. With vinyl you need to check to make sure that it isn't weather or sun baked to the point where removing it will cause it to disintegrate. If it isn't, and generally MOST vinyl that I've worked with unless it's really been baked you can generally work with it. An exception to this, however, is the CLOTH BACKING of the vinyl. And actually to the adhesive that bonds it to tne vinyl. In my experience, older vinyls didn't have the cloth firmly embedded in the actual vinyl plastic, only slightly imbeded and mostly glued with adhesive. This adhesive is the problem. It DOES break down with age and moisture. If you pull on it, you stand a GOOD chance of having it pull out from the vinyl back. That you definitely DON'T want. But if you get an adhesive remover on it, there is an even BETTER chance of removing the backing simply cause you unglued it., now your vinyl is susceptible to stretch, crack and lift off the backing. If you are removing the adhesive from the vinyl because it has chunks of paint or rust or dirt or lumps from a prior adhesive, then work on those areas. I wouldn't concentrate on getting every bit of adhesive off as I think you would find the work fruitless and pointless. You will be re-shooting that with new and fresh adhesive so the WORST that can happen is that you will activate the old adhesive. Thefinitely remove as much as you can off the metal. THAT is what you want smooth in laying down the vinyl. Another point, if the pieces are that sticky, get a roll of Vis-Queen, which is basically poly plastic sheet about 6 mils (.06 inch U.S) lay out a section large enough for the piece, lay it down and then roll the vinyl with plastic backing up in to a roll if the shape permits. Lastly, when you clean your vinyl, here's a suggestion for you: First lay it out, and HOSE it off. You won't hurt it and water has the magical ability to remove a ton of crud you wouldn't believe. Then using a semi-soft brush and some dishwashing or degreasing cleanser go over the face of it. NOW you can treat the vinyl for preservation. You might even find that some of the clumps of adhesive that you were worried about come off. 2¢

Yes. But................. There are some differences between the Early 71 and the Late 72. The early 71's were actually very Late 70 style vehicles (at least as far as the U.S. is concerned), and the 72's started using various items that could be considered 73. Additionally there is the difference between the Manual and the Automatic wiring harnesses. However, if you are talking between Mid to Late 71 and Early to Mid 72 you should be fine as long as you take the transmission portion into mind AND you check to make sure you have compatible connectors as there were some changes in the style of connectors used amongst the years. Although this sounds like a lot of gibberish, it isn't. I have two Z's, one's a late 72 (parts car) and my good car is one produced in 9/71. Both are Automatic, yet there are some strong differences. The differences I am aware of: 71 & 72 cars did NOT have the Seat Belt Warning Interlock. Late 72's and 73 did. Look at the forward section of the center console. If it does NOT have the ashtray right below the radio and in front of the shifter, it more than likely had the choke warning light and the seat belt light there. The harness has to have those connections in it and the early 71's did NOT have those functions in there. Automatic cars had not only the Starter Interlock mechanism in the Engine wiring harness, but also had the Kickdown Switch in the Dash harness. The Rear Wiring Harness was pretty much the same between the years, even with the Seat Belt Warning Interlock. The ONLY difference I am aware of is that later models had different connectors. That's it off the top of my head. Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon

Excellent! I think you got the spot right about where Vancouver Lake is, and I'm only a mile or so away from it. Thanks!! Enrique

Installing the radio is made much easier by removing the center console, but I've found that it isn't necessarily required. The center console does make it harder to access wiring and attachment points but it CAN be done. Installation: The original Z radio for the 71 series was held both by a pair of chassis screws AND the face plate. With the Heater Control Face Plate removed, locate the wiring harness for the radio and antenna, connect them and insert the radio into the opening. Locate the two screw holes on either side of the radio chassis. Find the corresponding holes in the dash frame extension (the part that juts back towards the heater. Insert the screws and tighten moderately tight so that you can still tilt the radio if necessary. Locate the wiring for the map light. Insert the Center Vent Duct while ensuring that the wiring for the map light stays above it. Insert the cabling for the Heater Controls and connect them. Connect the Heater Control to the wiring harness. While carefully guiding the Face Plate back into position, ensure that the Radio Posts go through the holes in the face plate AND that the map light wiring will still be accessible over the Center Vent. Connect and assemble the Map Light, insert the two top screws but do not tighten them just yet. Put a washer and a nut on each Radio Post. Insert far enough to ensure they won't fall off, but don't snug it up yet. Insert the two bottom screws for the Face Plate. While reaching from the side, alight the radio and push the Heater Control Face Plate into it's proper position. Hold the face plate in place as you tighten down the screws. Tighten the nuts on the Radio Posts. From the side tighten the two screws to the radio chassis. Install Tone / Volume and Tuning knobs. That's it. Removing the Center Console makes it easier to insert the radio knobs into the face plate and also it's wiring, however you should have plenty of accessible space to the sides of the dash to do the same. FWIW Enrique

This is an excellent idea. However, the problem as I see it is that what you are looking for are ARTICLES and not general postings. Unless I miss the gist of your idea. The layout is a good format, why not contact Mike here and see about putting something together for the Technical Articles Forum. That way you already have it here, where there is a LOT of activity and knowledge, and with a little sifting through the archives you may find plenty of seed material. 2¢

Two bulls, one young and one elder, were standing on top of a hill looking at a herd of cows on top of the next hill. The young bull says before breaking into a gallop, "Come on old man, let's run over there and we can scr*w us one of those cows!". The old bull just shakes his head and starts walking towards the herd and calls out after him, "You go ahead, I'll just walk there and scr*w them ALL!". "Youth is wasted on the young!" --Anonimous

While several of us in the PDX-VAN area have toyed with the idea of a "club", most of us find that we're not looking for an organized, dues paying, monthly meeting with officers etc. We've talked to the guys with Northwest Z (if I recall the name right) but their meetings are in Salem and on a week-night. That makes it very difficult for any of us to attend since the time the meetings are held would require most of us to leave in the middle of the afternoon, and then the return trip. We've even discussed being a satellite or affiliate chapter, but haven't really come up with anything yet. I would love to have us all get together, but the time and place gets hard to pin down.. As an opener, and here's an opportunity, Pearson Air Field in Vancouver (Right by Ft. Vancouver) is holding their Wednesday Evening Cruise In. If I recall right, it's $3 per person / car, and all sorts of vehicles attend. I'm planning on being there this coming one July 23, so let's see how many of us can make it. Enrique

I keep getting "Error on page" whenever I click the Post button. Oh, well. If someone can post me as being in Vancouver, Washington (For those of you who don't know where we are, I would be just above Mike (who is in Oregon) and right where the border line goes from generally horizontal to just beginning to slope up). Thanks in advance; Enrique Scanlon

Two places those wire pairs come together; the hazard switch and the combination switch. Check those two out. 2¢ Enrique

You don't mention if you are having trouble with the turn signals at the rear also. The turn signals, the stop lights and the hazard lights all use the same element in the rear bulbs. Depending on what circuit is live is what you will get at the back. Is your Hazard Flasher in place and working? If it isn't, you have an open circuit there that may be the problem. 2¢ Enrique

CAREFUL!! The main reason the amp gauge is hard wired to the harenss is to PREVENT those wires from coming loose. The wiring to the Amp Gauge is directly linked to the battery and alternator. A loose connection there, or just in plugging in the connector you stand the chance of a MAJOR spark. You either need to make the circuit completely dead, (disconnect battery or disconnect the fusible link from the battery to the charger), or be VERY QUICK in connecting and disconnecting. 2¢ Enrique

I agree with Z Babe; that fluid didn't evaporate. I would be VERY cautious with a brake system that mysteriously went on a diet and lost liquid. Remember guys, these are CLOSED systems. They're not exposed to the air, nor is venting of excess liquid part of their design. Look below the Master Vac Boost, if the paint is peeling up from your frame, or on the boost canister itself, more than likely you blew a master cylinder. 2¢

There was a discussion regarding the geometrics of the bell crank that is used to transfer the front to back movement of the accelerator pedal to a side to side movement in order to actuate the carburators. It seems that since you are dealing with rotational movement, at 90° of offset, (in the "corners" of the circle) you are at the peak of the curve for maximum movement per radian of angle. However, this is also a situation where it takes MORE force to begin the rotation than it does to maintain the rotation once you have exceeded the point of inertia release. The resulting OVER acceleration, or in different terms, the tendency of your foot to "push down harder" than you intended, is what is giving you what appears to be a jolt through the clutch. Unfortunately to correct this pre-loading / release of the bell crank would require changing its angle of action. Various items have been proposed, and if I recall an offset of something like 12° (i.e. reduce/ increase offset of arms) yields the next best situation, which is where the initial force required to actuate the pedal is equal to the force to continue the thrust. I hope I explained it well, please correct me if I erred. Enrique

The bracket in your photo is to grip the cable sheath. Adjust it so that you aren't IMMEDIATELY pulling on the cable, i.e. you need to take up a bit of slack, so that there won't be any conflict with the normal operation of the accelerator pedal. Enrique