EScanlon

There are a couple other factors you should look into. Lacquers are typically paints that are thinned with LACQUER THINNER and need to be polished afterwards. They cannot be sprayed over Enamel or Urethane paints as they will lift it. Enamels use REDUCER for thinning. These can use different additives to change Gloss / Humidity Reaction / Temperature Reaction. Typically these CAN be sprayed over other Enamels and over Lacquers. Both of these types are considered Single Stage as they don't REQUIRE a Clear Coat for gloss or for the final component in a color. Additionally, these can usually be sprayed with a HALF MASK BREATHER. This is very important as it is CRITICAL. Some of the newer style 2-Stage paints REQUIRE a FULL MASK OUTSIDE AIR RESPIRATOR. Please do not confuse this with a BREATHER. That's because the newer style paints use CYANIDE in their formulation to achieve some of those beautiful colors and finishes. Unfortunately, that also means you can't let the mist or vapors come in contact with moist tissue, or what medicine refers to as Mucous Membranes, i.e. Nose; Mouth, Eyes, and others. Contact with that skin allows for ingestion of the Cyanide into your bloodstream. I can't emphasize this enough. It doesn't take a large amount of Cyanide to kill you. If you insist on the 2 stage paint, then I would strenously insist that you contact a professional who has access to the proper SAFETY equipment. Believe me, there isn't ANY car in the world worth your life. Hope this helps.

From what I recall and what I've researchec on the Fiche, ALL the 240 Z cars had Vapor Recover Tanks. That yours does NOT have one shows that it has been removed and that arrangement you have is someone's idea of how to bypass the tank and not replace / cap hoses. The EARLY VPRT were plastic, of a type similar to the Windshield Washer Fluid bottle. They got brittle with age and the fumes and would crack and literally crumble into dust, releasing fumes into the passenger compartment. Later ones were metal and depending on whether you are a Series I or II differed in shape. FWIW Enrique

Now you will be an expert on this. However, and it's still not too late, have you considered removing the Heater Control Panel? It really isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be, it's the best way to get to those instruments, and with it out you can do a ton of maintenance on bunches of items that you've read about here and everyone says they'd like to do. Briefly and succinctly: Disconnect the 4 cables going to the Heater Flaps, Fresh Air Flap, and Heater Valve. There are two on the left side of the Heater just above the Accelerator pedal. On the right side is the one connected to the Heater Water Valve, then a bit further to the right, behind the blower motor is the Fresh Air Vent. Unless you weigh over 250#, wear larger than a 42 suit, or are ham handed and sausage fingered you CAN get in there to loosen the connection and remove the cable. Yes, it might involve getting on your knees outside the vehicle and / or lying on your back to look at this area, but it is MUCH MUCH EASIER than trying to do what you're doing through the glove compartment opening. (Also, have you thought of what condition your glove box is going to be in after?) Remove the knobs for the radio, and then remove the nuts holding the Radio Face Plate to the HCP. This should disconnect the radio from the HCP. With the 4 cables released, remove the screws holding the HCP to the Dash. Slide out the Map Light and disconnect it from the wiring harness. Keep track of the wires. Put the light and the light shield off to the side. Slowly pull on the Heater Control Levers and once it's far enough away from the dash, reach in and disconnect the Heater Fan Switch connection. As you slide it further out, you'll note the Center Vent Bellows connection will also slide out. This is what connects your Center Vent to the Heater Box. Be careful of the foam (if original) that's attached to the back of the housing for the center vent. If it's already rotted to dust, now's a good time to rebuild with some new foam. While you have the bellows out you can wash them in some warm soapy water. That's it. The HCP is now out of the way and you can access all of the center dash instruments without having to contort yourself into impossible shapes. Reassembly is, tritely, the reverse of removal, but it is incredibly easy once you've done the removal. Good Luck. Enrique

Sold for $7100. And, IMO a fair price. Even if the individual had just recently pressure washed the bottom, had the underside detailed etc all to fool would be buyers, the balance of the car seems solid, all the components appear to be there and even if it were a recent restoration it seems complete. Check your initial investment, plus all the additionals you've bought since, and tell me that you're under $7k. Hope the new owner is a member here, would love to hear what he/she says.

OH! One very important note: If you do upgrade the wattage on the lights, be careful how high you go. I stepped up from 45/50 Sealed Beam to 50/55 Xenon Blue. (Wow, big step up!) :classic: Why? Simple, it's the WIRING you need to be careful of. Not on the replacement harness you'll get, but in the wiring harness of the car you will be hooking up to. Remember, these cars were designed with a very VERY basic wiring system. Unfortunately, the gauge of the wires is BARELY adequate to handle the loads they were designed for and the slightest increase in the current flow can and has been a problem for years. How many times have you heard of other users complain of melted wires, fried fuse boxes, crispy charcoal colored connectors etc? If you seriously want to upgrade the wattage of the bulbs, then I would recommend that you do it with Relays and heavier dutty wiring. Otherwise you're asking for it. If you stick close to the original values, AND you've taken the time to clean the connections all the way through your wiring harness AND have ensured no extraneous circuitry has been added to your car, you should be fine. 2¢

The lights on sale on e-Bay are the same style I bought for the Z. I'm sure if you write the seller, he'll confirm that the 7" will work on your Z. $55 is about what I paid if I recall right. As far as what do they do? They look cool. That's it. That and the advantage of being able to use a higher intensity bulb than the standard sealed beam lamps. I wired mine in to the parking lamps, so that when the parking lamps are on they're on. That also runs them when the headlights are on. I've heard of others thinking of wiring them to their turn signals, but I think that would kind of make them look like a bobble head dog with eyes that light up with your turn signal. Since many times I'm driving just before dusk, I will run with just the parking lamps on. They really get noticed then. As far as the picture, I'll try again. But if I recall it took me several tries before the digital camera would even allow the photo due to the light conditions. Then again, since I was getting close to wrapping up the car at that point, it might have been either giddiness from happiness, or I'd imbibed before I was done for the night. FWIW Enrique

Victor: I checked with Troy at Too Intense Restoration. He usually has in stock some of the more esoteric stickers, unfortunately this is not one of them. However, he did mention I check with Les at Classic Datsun. Hope this helps. Enrique

There are actually several screws holding your glove box to the dash. Look at both sides and the bottom front edge. All those have to be removed before you can start pushing the box out of the way. Once it's out of the way, you should be able to access the back of the gauges. The Center gauge (Fuel / Alt) is held to the dash by an L Bracket which attaches to the Y-Bracket which in turn attaches to the body of the instrument. Confusing? Only at first. When you get the gauge out far enough to see you'll see it is a very simple and basic system. The main problem with the Alt / Fuel gauge isn't how to remove it, it is the fact that it is WIRED into the wire harness. The two connections for the Alternator Gauge are not the plug in kind. In order to remove the gauge from the dash completely, you not only need to release it from it's access hole, you also need to disconnect the two wires from the instrument wiring harness. BEFORE you get in there and start removing wires, disconnect the safety fuse link between the starter motor and the negative side of the battery. This completely disconnects the electrical system of the car from the battery. Next, remove your glove box. Then reaching inside you'll find the backs of the gauges in the center console. The screw / bolt that holds the gauge's L Bracket to the Dash is the one you want to remove first. (Don't worry about the Y just yet) If I recall right, you can use either a Phillips Head Shorty Screwdriver, OR an 8mm socket or wrench. (if it isn't an 8mm it's a 10mm) Next carefully wiggle the protective rubber insulating boots on the wires which connect to the Alt gauge. Once you've retracted them far enough you can get an 8mm wrench in there and remove the nuts holding the wires. Since they're ring connectors and not spade, you'll have to remove the nut completely. This is the reason some people find it easier to remove the Heater Control Panel when working on this particular gauge than working on it through the glove compartment box. To touch on that, briefly. There are only 4 push / pull wire connections you need to disconnect and a couple electrical before you can remove the heater control panel. I'll do a bit of a search as I've posted that procedure before. 2 wires go to the left of the heater unit, the other two, one goes to the right of the heater and the other goes behind the heater fan to the fresh air vent. The two electricals are to the heater fan switch and to the map light. Once you've disconnected these, the HCP will slide right out giving you full access to the center gauges. The problem with your gauge is very simple. The gauge actually has a lens, a diaphram or mask behind the lens all attached to the "face" of the gauge. It sounds like your lens and mask have become detached from the bezel of the gauge. Once you have the gauge out of the car, you can fix it quite easily. First, remove the two Phillips screws on either side of the case that hold the Bezel to the metal Instrument Case. This will remove the face of the gauge. Look inside and you will note that the Mask or cutout or diaphram is held to the face, and in turn holds the clear plastic lens, via a few melted plastic rivets. It is not unusual to find these break off and allow the lens and mask to push into the case and then impair the needles. To fix, you can either glue them in place or you can use a soldering pencil to re-melt the plastic. Before you put your gauge back together, take a moment and clean out the inside and possibly repaint the white interior so that your illumination will work better. Hope this helps. Enrique Scanlon

Some dealers were known to remove the hooks used to latch the cars down in transport. When you get towed, request that they either send a Flat Bed Tow Truck, OR get the Tire Lift Arm. The Flat Bed is self explanatory. The Tire lift arm is basically a pair of rods that go in front and in back of each tire on either the front or rear of the car. They then lift that axle and roll the car on the other axle. (This is usually how they tow away illegally parked vehicles that may have the rear axle locked.) Either one of these methods should make it so that the lack of the hooks is not a problem. Personally, if you still get stuck with a Tow Truck that only has the old Chain Lift, I'd pass. That's why I belong to AAA Plus, they ask me what kind of tow I need, and not send whatever they have available. 2¢

Carl: I have. Yes there was a small amount of working with it, but overall it's a straight conversion. In fact, if I recall I posted what I found here. The ONLY difference is that the bracket that the levers are mounted to is just a tad wider. If you look at your 70 - 72 dash, look at where the HCP mounts, there should be a "lip" for the HCP to rest on. It is that lip that differs between the 73 and the earlier dashes. The 73 has been ground down to accomodate the wider bracket on the bracket. You CAN mount it in a 72 or 71 dash. Look in my gallery at the interior. I have a 73 HCP with a 72 dash on my 71 . But only folks such as the members here would be able to discern it. 2¢

:stupid: :stupid: I knew I should have checked the URL. Sorry, and thanks for posting the correct one. Enrique

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415000037&category=42612 Yet another hard to find item. Don't expect these to go cheap as there out of production and no one has even attempted a repro. 2¢ Edited: Corrected URL, thanks 2MZ!

This one seems to be in good condition. These are EXTREMELY hard to find in good condition, and when you DO find one they'll run as high as $125. 2¢

On e-Bay now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415143400&category=33545 This was the ONLY year that this style was offered. After 73 the style changed. If you like the looks of the 70 -72 but do not like the fact that it is almost impossible to see the controls at night, then this is the modification for you. It sure beats turning on the map lamp to turn the heater levers. Simply replace the Heater Control Panel in your car with this one. The light bulb harness will connect with any Red/Blue wire and operate with the dimmer and instrument lights. Hope this helps someone. Enrique Scanlon

That tears it, Beandip, the kid gloves come off! Keep it up and I'll tell everyone on the board here how you wanted to BRUSH paint your car and use DUCT tape for the pinstriping. Besides, I bid on it only cause you were pissing and moaning about not having a car to drive, and I felt this would make you feel better. :finger:

And $3500 or so for an Arizona Car in that condition, it would well be worth a trip down. 2¢

George: You got it. It's a PROTECTOR and that's why I have it. When the car is parked in the hot sun, I'm more interested in protecting the dash than I am about what the paperboy thinks of my dash. Yes, it's ugly. Yes, it collects dust. Yes to a lot more questions. I bought mine on e-bay for $15. Cheap UV protection.

Does it come with the 10 little clowns that get crammed into all the nooks and crannies of the car? What about the fake boil-over that always seems to happen just before the bigger clown goes around "splashing" everyone with confetti? This is a perfect example of why some people should NOT be allowed to "customize" a car. Then again, coming from Venezuela, hmmmmm, wonder if it came with a 100 kilo cocaine bag so that you would be so stoned you wouldn't care what the car looked like. Not my cup of tea....

I'll admit to having an using one also. But only when it is in the driveway getting sunlight in through the windshield. Once I start up the car and I am rolling, it gets rolled up and put behind the passenger seat. As a UV ray blocker you can't beat carpet! 2¢

DITTO! But there are so many to remember. Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, America all had excellent long distance driving tunes. Then there were the one/two hit wonder groups Golden Earring - Radar Love; The Night Chicago Died- Don't Recall; Billy Idol-Eyes without a face, White Wedding amongst others. As far as complete albums, I've mentioned Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, but another good one is Meatloaf- Bat out of Hell. If you've EVER necked in a car, then you MUST root for the guy in Paradise by the Dashboard Light, and if you're married (whether good or bad) you can empathize with the follow up song Waiting for the End of Time. Although he tried to emulate the same spirit in his second album (originally named Bat INTO Hell), the songs don't have the same in your face attitude. Sometimes a good driving tune can be due to WHERE you were, and with WHO you were with. Christopher Cross-Sailing--I won't elucidate, but hmmmmmmm. Early Michael Jackson-..... Whether you agree with the choices, or have a completely opposite point of view, the key point is that a good tune in the Z can make it that much more enjoyable. Thanks for sharing guys.

The seller has updated his listing and admits it IS a 1971, with a corresponding VIN. (don't recall, but in the 23,000 range) Although the discussion has centered around items that would indicate a 70 or Series I, it should be noted that ALL the parts mentioned are removeable and therefore suspect when it come to definitively identifying the year. Of better use is the Round Vents on the Roof Pillars. Only the Series II vent emblems can fit in those holes, the holes don't line up for a Series I emblem. Although the Hatch is replaceable, no vents. Did anyone notice the toggle style Hazard Switch? with no indent on the dash? That is very early. The ash tray and console are correct for a 71, as is the steering wheel. The radio is aftermarket. 2¢

Darylick: Tommy Bolin; POST TOASTIES!! Santana; just about any, but his Supernatural Album is excellent. Jethro Tull; Thick as a Brick, Living in the Past, Aqualung!; Minstrel in the Gallery. Pink Floyd; Dark Side of the Moon!; Boston; Boston (First Album) Alan Parsons; I Robot Ahh, the memories....... Thanks for the memory rewind...

If the $13,000 are CANADIAN dollars, then it equals 9,340.55 USD. If all the work performed on the car is as stated and good quality, it might be a steal. That it has had bodywork performed on it, and from the type of bodywork (both rear quarters and both rockers) tells me that this car at one time had a lot of rust. Whether there is more rust hiding waiting to be found is where a careful buyer will check. We all know that these cars were prone to rust. Between the poor galvanizing, the application of tar paper to bare metal, the lack of primer / paint in certain key areas of the Series I and early Series II, you KNOW that most of these cars are going to exhibit SOME rust. Apparently for a prior owner this was something that had to be repaired. He had it done at a body shop. That doesn't necessarily mean EXCELLENT work, but it says that the PO was willing to pay to have it done correctly. (Sorry guys, most back-yard mechanics are NOT set up to do bodywork the way it needs to be done. I used to be a body man and there are somethings that I won't touch.) That said, that he is admitting to the repairs speaks well for his forthrightness and hopefully honesty. So I'll tend to believe that the repairs were better than what would have been performed in an individual's garage. With that being the case, then no doubt other rust-prevention techniques were undoubtedly used. I would still check the key places we all know are prone to rust: floor boards, battery box, front fender dog leg, spare tire well, hatch lock area. Could there be some other problems still to be addressed? Probably, that's half the reason most of us come to this site, the ongoing care and maintenance of these cars is something that we have all encountered and still endure. Could I wish it were less expensive for you? Yes. But if everything that you list is in fact what has been done, then the PO has a fair amount of change invested in that car probably more than what he is selling it for, I'm sure he wants some sort of return. 2¢

This is a rare find: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2414234713&category=6762 It is the EARLY edition of the Clymer's Manual. For those in need of a manual that almost equals the FSM. Note, it only goes up to 1974, so as far as 260, 280 will only be marginally helpful. But, for the 240 it includes diagrams and pictures only found in the FSM. FWIW

My 2¢: From the initial impression I got of the picture is that the car has been set up for "racing". The 5 point roll bar, the decal accross the windshield, the latch down pins for the hood (required for most racing, after you remove the latch), the mags, the extra decals on the door, all point to it being "customized". What is customization? Changes to the appearance of the vehicle to portray a different look. Where someone will look at it and say "Cool, a race car!" , someone else will look at it and say, "What a fake!". The true test of whether it's a race car or not is to take it out on the track and check. That brings up the other issue. This being your first car, do you want a modified "souped up" car that may be very difficult to trouble shoot and repair if things aren't working correctly, or are you planning on restoring it to stock. If the later, with only 1500 to work with, you haven't even got the ante you'll need to get started. If on the other hand, you DO want a race car, then it might be fine. But then again, it might be a sheep in wolf's clothing. It may be customized to LOOK like a race car, but may just be a plain old stock vehicle underneath. Not that that doesn't make it fast, just that it's not going to be the rocket it's portrayed to look like. It may be that the car is so rust free, and the "mods" done to it are so minor that you can undo them in a short while. Then you have to ask yourself what you intend to do with it. That will dictate how much money it's going to cost you and how many headaches. Hope this helps.