Arne

You're pretty much correct on the oil issue. It is not necessary for the new cartridges. But it doesn't harm anything either. You don't need much if you use it, maybe a couple of teaspoons or so.

No. Originals were not sealed cartridges. They were damper rods in tubes, and the entire strut tube was filled with oil. FWIW, rear struts can easily be changed w/o removing the spindle pins. I always did mine that way. You'll need to find someone who has a set they aren't using. I know that several people bought more than one set when they were available. Linear. Yes. True. Yes. Yes. They raised my car approx 15mm (5/8").

Brad Penn is from the former Kendall Oil plant. Story goes that when Kendall was purchased by Exxon-Mobil, they sold this one refinery and the original Kendall GT-1 formula to one of their long-time engineers. The Kendall name went to Exxon-Mobil, but in general, Brad Penn is the old Kendall GT-1 formula, well-fortified with ZDDP. It is by far the favored oil in the USA by owners of air-cooled Porsches. (At $5-10k or more for a full rebuild of a 911 motor, you don't take too many chances with sub-standard oil.) Valvoline VR-1 is considered acceptable too. For full synthetics, some people run Mobil 1 V-twin (designed for Harleys) as it also contains good amounts of ZDDP. Some of the high-ZDDP oils are only available in thicker viscosities, which may be fine for my 911, but not as good in an L-series Z engine. I used to use 10W-30 year-round in the 240Z. Check the formulas carefully, as that is not always the case anymore. Many modern diesels now have catalytic converters and so ZDDP is now being phased out of diesel oil as well. There are now (I've been told) two different formulas for Shell Rotella, for example. As time goes on, I suspect the only oils that will contain reasonable amounts of ZDDP will be categorized as racing oils.

Libres or a period clone. Definitely vintage, worth keeping if they can be picked up cheaply enough.

Beautiful, ollie. A car to be very proud of.

But do remember that even if everything is new and good, it won't be all that powerful. It's worth noting that the correct name for it is not "emergency" or "hand" brake, but "parking brake". It was designed for use when parked. Just that, nothing more.

A common perception. They may have been dealer-installed, but every dealer used different choices, and none are truly "original". Better to call them "period-correct". I like period-correct wheels on these cars, but if you are looking to install tires with any performance capability, the 14" stock or dealer-installed wheels won't allow that. There aren't any performance street 14" tires left, no one makes them anymore.

Mesh wheels are not original. You could have the wheels you have powder-coated if you like, and if you can live with the tire size limitations they may impose. If you powder-coat them, you will want to remove all the coating from the rear mounting surface and lug nut seats before putting them on the car. Failing to do so could cause the lug nuts to come loose while driving.

I suspect that one of the two bolt patterns drilled into those wheels is probably correct for a Z, bit the offset is WAY wrong. You'd need 40-45mm spacers to make those fit at all.

Devin, it's also worth noting that if you should get a set of tail lights with the amber blinker, you would also have to do some wiring changes, as the US cars with red lower sections used those sections as additional brake lights as well, and I doubt they'd like to sign off on amber brake lights. I'd definitely try hard to get them to approve the red lights like Terje did with my former car.

I first met E in person in June '05 at Canby. I had bought my first (yellow) Z the previous Fall, and that was my first Datsun gathering. By that time, he had already given me some great advice here on CZCC that probably saved me a ton of money and time. E was easy to talk to, even if you didn't know him. Obviously, lots of Datsun knowledge, both Zs and Roadsters. Not all that much of a mechanic, he was a whiz at body, paint and interior work. And more than happy to share and help. He and I (mostly he) installed my headliner after I had replaced the roof skin on my car, for example. I believe he also painted Gary's yellow car in Gary's garage. Since E and the Portland area people were 100+ miles away, we didn't get together in person all that often, maybe 2-3 times a year. But we would correspond by email or phone a fair amount. E was 56 (6 months older than me), and had been ill for some time. He never seemed to let it get him down, always had a good attitude, which we all know is damned hard when you don't feel good. I actually thought he sounded pretty good the last time we talked on the phone, so this was a bit of a shock. Godspeed, Enriqué! You will be missed.

Jack and wheel chocks were original, but not the fire extinguisher.

try now, Steve.

I've said it before, but if I'm rebuilding an engine, I don't want to buy some kit where the parts were selected by someone else. You don't know what you are getting. Who made the gaskets? The bearing shells or rings? No, when I rebuild I want to select all my own parts. The convenience of buying a single kit does not out-weigh my need to select the best parts for my needs.

So I'm supposed to pay a for-profit company to have my car "certified" as a survivor? I see no benefit to this process to anyone beyond the guy who got paid. I can't imagine that the resale value of my car would be any greater with this certification. I see it as an answer to a question that no one is asking. Those who are most concerned with the "survivor-ness" of a 240Z—hard-core Datsun enthusiast/collectors—are already able to determine whether a car is restored, refreshed or is a survivor.

Yes, the Fondmetals are rare. And... let's just say that they are an acquired taste.

Matching numbers can either add value, make for an easier sale, or both—provided the car is essentially stock and in very good condition. They don't add much for a modified car. They may make for a quicker sale on a restoration project.

The Pontiac color is close, but not exact. If you want to get fussy, the paints from CDM or Banzai are the right stuff.

With the right workspace and tools, and assuming the other engine was properly prepped and ready to run, should be no more than an easy afternoon. I could easily see myself swapping back and forth for the right reasons.

I hear you. I haven't touched anything under the hood of our '10 Golf TDI. Not even the oil changes. It just doesn't look like any fun. And before the Golf I can count on two fingers how many times in the past 35 years I've let ANYONE besides myself work on one of my cars.

The GM mount changes the angle of the diff to one that is more driveline-friendly to the transmissions used with V8 swaps. If you are staying with the Nissan transmission, you will be better off going the bump stop method.

I don't think RPM is a significant factor - you need to maximize torque converter lockup. On an early, non-electronic automatic, that is difficult to control manually. I suspect the greatest benefit to fuel economy is to just drive it gently, which it sounds like you already do.

I agree with the lack of performance tires in all 14" sizes, actually. But in all honesty, many people don't push these old cars anywhere near hard enough to need a true "performance" tire. The reality is that most of today's mini-van tires are better performing than most of these cars can use. And they are all better than what the cars came with new.

The above two owners with no problems have different situations than the original poster. Big bumper cars (late-260Z and 280Z) that have not been lowered sit higher than a stock 240Z, and aftermarket airdams have much more clearance at the tight spot than stock valances. I STRONGLY recommend checking your clearance closely prior to buying different size tires. For this reason, I do not recommend buying your first set of a new size mail order, but from a local dealer where you can test fit them.

On a lowered 240Z with a stock valance (with or without spook, it matters not), I would expect rubbing when turning at the valance with the 225/60 for sure. Quite possibly with the 205/70 also, due to the taller height. I recall one of the club members bought a Series 1 with 14x6 Appliance slots (same offset as the mesh) that had rubbing problems (catching the edge of the valance) with 215/60-14s, which are shorter height. I know that the clearance on my car (only lowered in front 1/2" or less) was tight with the 195/70s. Side note - when checking clearance on a 240Z, make sure you check the right front for certain. The right side always seems to have less clearance. If you are going to have a problem, expect to see it there.