Arne

http://classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29645&highlight=garage

Thanks for the info, Carl. In reality, while it's a solid #3 now, I may not be willing to put that last bit into it to go to a true #2. Because I will continue to drive the car. So realistically, I'll probably get it to more like a #2.5. Better than a #3, but not quite #2. But if I can get it to that condition for $17k, or even less than $20k, I'm happy.

Go West, young man...

One fog light, one driving light.

Carl, what do you figure a #2 240Z is worth these days? My red 240Z is a solid #3 now, and I'm hoping to get it to a #2 (or so) later this year. I figure I'll have $15-17k in it at that point.

No smog tests in Oregon if you are outside the Portland metro area, and not in Jackson County (Medford/Ashland). The rest of the state is free of such things.

Maybe. Depends on the the struts too. They more gas pressure, the less it lowers it.

I know how it goes, Randy. My car might undergo some paint work this Spring as well. I'd like to have it done by the Canby show here in Oregon (early June). Probably won't make it, though...

Here's where I finally ended up after more spring/strut changes than I care to count. Late '71 240Z, KYB GR-2 struts, Courtesy Nissan Euro Stage 1 springs, 195/70-14 tires. Springs cut down to allow for US strut tubes and gas inserts, 2 coils front, 1.75 coils rear. Both strut inserts and springs are now settled and broken in (2,500 miles or so). Measured as Carl suggests at the jack points at the base of the rocker panel: Front 7.5" Rear 7.75" Wheel opening height: Front 26" Rear 25.75" Ride is good. Feels like a sports car, but won't beat you up on a long day in the seat.

The 16" Enkei's are style 92, and were available in the late '80s in 14, 15 and 16" sizes appropriate for a Z. They were commonly available in the gold-bronze color pictured, and also black. Occasionally the importer would bring over a few silver-painted sets, but those were rare. In addition to cl and eBay watch some of the other JDM-type forums, such as http://forums.club4ag.com/zeroforum?id=22

As mentioned above, the proportions of the wheel, sidewall and wheel opening are important to looking right. I guess the biggest issue I have with 17" on an S30 is that the sidewalls are too short for the wheel opening in most cases. Either the car sits too high to look right with appropriate sized tires (such as 225/45-17 all around, or maybe 245/40-17 on the rear), or people lower their car and then put too small a tire on it (such as 205/40-17). The few acceptable 17" packages I've seen on S30s were the taller sizes (225/45 and/or 245/40) on lowered cars. No, I'm not against 17" or other low profile sizes, just don't find most of them appropriate on a Z. Shoot, I have 17x8 with 225/45-17 on our four door family sedan. It didn't come with them, I picked that size on purpose, because it looks (and drives) right on that car. Then again, all this is just my preference. Others will disagree, and that's OK.

Randy, did you ever get the rear of your car repainted yellow?

Randy, you're going to either have to remove the column cover, or the steering wheel, take your pick. It sounds to me like the turn signal canceling cam(s) need cleaning and lubricating. It's probably easier to see what's going on with the steering wheel off.

Yes, Stephen, the four spoke wheels (like yours) are period-correct, more or less. They were offered on S30s as a factory option in other markets, and were (in theory, at least) available via the parts department after purchase here in North America.I like the four spoke mags, and know of a set I could get reasonably affordably. But I keep waffling because period-correct isn't quite enough. When I imagine my red car with those on it, it seems OK, but not quite the look I want. And that's the problem. I'm pretty certain that the four spoke aren't what I'm after, and (even though I like them a lot) neither are Libres. But I really don't know yet what it is that I do want. I can only hope I'll know it when I see it.

Driving in together IS fun. How many 240Zs did we have those last few miles into Canby last year? Five? Six? Pretty cool...

I'm pretty certain I have what you need. Send me a PM.

I won't rule it out yet, but I doubt I can make it.

Dead picture link.

Snapping a stub axle is not common at all, but not unheard of either. The part that's left is pressed into the wheel bearings. You'll need to get the drum off and use a slide hammer to remove it. The stub axle and both inner and out bearings will need to be replaced.

Your description doesn't make it clear to me which part is broke. Can you point it out on the attached picture? Which number?

For the amount of offset change you will need, spacers are simple. They will bolt to the hub, and the wheels will bolt to the spacers. Not much to it. Most spacers of this type will be at most 25mm (1 inch) thick, and so they will reduce the offset by 25mm. This picture is five lug, but otherwise the same.

That car is lowered enough to get away with 17" visually - although just barely. But on a less radically lowered car, those same wheels would look too big, with not enough sidewall. In my opinion, of course.

My thoughts as an ex-tire/wheel guy. The facts first, then personal opinion. FACT - The selection of current production wheels that do not require spacers is very small. There are no cars in recent production that use our bolt pattern with minimal offset. The market for such wheels is limited, and so the incentive to tool up for such is also limited. FACT - Of those few that are available, most will be either well-known semi-vintage-look wheels, or one of a few custom-built multi-piece (translate as expensive) wheels. Examples - Konig Rewinds (14, 15 & 16"), the very similar Fast-Forwards (15"), Panasports (14, 15 & 16"), the American Racing repro slot mags (15 & 17"), and a SportMax style or two (15" and maybe 16"). FACT - Large diameter wheels with low-profile tires are more prone to pothole damage, but the possibility can be greatly reduced by keeping sufficient air pressure in the tires. And lower profile tires require more pressure than normal - simply the same as a normal profile tire isn't enough. For a 225/45-17 (which is stock overall diameter) on a Z, I'd recommend a minimum of 36 PSI, perhaps as high as 40 PSI. FACT - Larger diameter wheel and tire packages are almost always heavier than smaller packages. Yes, the tires weigh less, but the larger rims weigh enough more to overrule the tire savings. Granted, the weight difference is probably not noticeable if the change is small, but the increased rolling resistance of a wide tire when added to an extra 4-6 lbs. per corner can add to a more sluggish feel, especially off the line. In your case, Jon, your 14" Enkei Apaches are moderately lightweight. So the difference between those wheels and a set of cast 17" could easily be 4-8 lbs. per corner. OPINION - Z cars (S30s) look funny to me with large diameter wheels. I can accept 15" generally, and 16" can look OK on many cars, but I've yet to see a set of 17" on an S30 that I thought really looked 'right'. OPINION - I believe many people go too wide for normal use on these cars. For daily driving, 7" wide is more than enough, and most people overlook the narrower tires for their bigger wheels. For 15" rims, consider 195/65-15 or 205/60-15s instead of the more popular 225/50-15s. Or perhaps 205/55-16s instead of 225/50-16s. Or 205/50-17 instead of 225/45-17s. All of the sizes listed in this paragraph are similar height to the stock tire sizes for an S30. (The 195/65-15 is a small touch taller, the 225/50-15 a touch shorter.) But with mostly stock suspension (i.e. no coilovers or adjustable control arms and tension rods) the wider tires will not add much, and can actually detract from the daily drivability.

I too met him once, in the early '90s on a tour of his facility. While I'm not a hot rod type of guy, there's no doubt that he had imagination and vision, and a knack for making things happen. R.I.P., Boyd.

Note to self - avoid buying any '77 280Zs from Northern Minnesota, they may have been abused...