EScanlon

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

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

Da Flash: Re-read this post and you will note a bunch of references as to where and how to oil the clock mechanism. As far as the hands and faceplate, I found it much easier to remove them than to worry about bending or staining the plate/hands while working on it. Good Luck Enrique

Painting Fibreglass is basically the same as painting sheet metal except for ONE item. That is the use of a SEALER. Whether Sealer alone or Sealer/ Primer. The Sealer ensures that the fiberglass resin is sealed and does not continue to "bleed" causing problems with the paint. Enrique

Use the same color as on Axelr8's avatar. That's the new 350Z Metallic Orange color, don't know the "proper" name. Enrique

All were Body Color when they left the facttory. Enrique

I'm sending this message via PM and EM to as many folks as I can think of that reside in the Portland Oregon; Vancouver Washington area. The NW-Z club is planning an informal meet at the Portland International Auto Show on Saturday, February 7. We will meet at 5:00 PM at the Nissan display, next to the 350Z. You may want to arrive a little bit earlier, as the admissions lines tend to get a bit long on Saturday. For more information go to http://www.paragonexpo.com/portland/ Although I am not a member of the club, I am posting this for all SW Washington & NW Oregon members of this forum in the hopes that we can meet up there. Gary (Beandip) and I will be meeting there a bit early; 3:30pm to first view part of the show and then meet with the other members of NW-Z. Enrique

Then I have misunderstood the question. You did not ask what makes me fond of the Z, you asked what makes the Z something to be fond of. My personal definition would not entail the term Classic. That is not why I wanted one, nor why I bought it, nor why I have done so much work on her. That she is considered a classic by others, to me just means that others find her to be desireable. Just like dating a gorgeous tall model. While some guys would desire the car for the prestige of owning one, just as in dating a model. Others would rather enjoy the thrill of having her company. There is just something about my Z that has always appealed to me and given me pleasure. And like dating a model, a gentleman never discusses what pleasures he shares with his lady. Enrique