Arne

I got one for my '71 240Z direct from my Nissan dealer. Try Courtesy Nissan, perhaps.

No. I was shooting from the hip. I know that some 8/71 are '72s, and thought that 8/72 would be '73s. your car seems to refute that.On the other hand, the parts CD confuses the issue even more. It shows a lot of what we consider to be '73 parts as in use from 7/72, with the '72 parts only going through 6/72. So that certainly doesn't help clarify the issue. When in doubt, I'd go by the cars themselves. Your cars seem to indicate the split was in either late August or September. So that seems more logical and definitive than the parts fiche.

The other thing to note is that 1973 model 240Zs started production in 8/72. So there are many '73s that would still meet the cutoff date. And that may be the argument you need. Because a '73 built in 4/73 is the same as one built in 10/72, for example. If the latter is eligible, the former should be also as they are essentially the same config.

You should be fine with any manual transmission starter, either early or late style. Many people use the later '78-on gear reduction starters on early transmissions, so that shouldn't be a worry. Just don't get one for a '70-77 automatic - those have a different throw for the bendix drive.

Dave is right, check your local laws. I heard that at one time it was not legal in some states for the end user to remove impact bumpers from '73 or later cars. (Florida comes to mind, but don't quote me on that.) That may or may not be true now.

Where did your white shaft break? When I disassembled mine I found that the break was only 7" from the end. I removed the metal tip from the broken piece, put it on the remaining end and drilled a new hole for the cotter pin. Works fine now, just 7" shorter when fully extended.

You could also use the recliner mechanisms from a '72 or later car. I have a set that I am considering refurbing (read clean and paint) for my car. They have more recline motin back, plus allow the seat back to tilt forward to allow better access to the toolboxes and such behind the seats.

The two wire stretchers per seat cushion are supposed to be attached to the seat cover through thread-loops on the underside of the cover through a slice in the seat foam. On my car, the webbing then ran between the two wires. The idea is for these wires to pull the cover down into the foam to contour the front-most pleat. You want the webbing pretty tight. The exact dimensions will vary depending on the exact web material used. On mine, the one from side to side ended up at 13.25" - I tried 13.0" and I couldn't stretch it far enough to reconnect it. The three longer ones ended up at 13.75" long. The difference was drastic. I will still end up replacing the foam and covers at some future point (plan to get it from CDM), but for now the improvement was great enough that my wife is now willing to drive the car. Before the seats sagged so low that even with all the spacers installed she couldn't see over the dash. (She's not all that short at 5' 6".)

I used pop rivets and washers as well. I hate hog rings, which is what the kits all seem to come with.

I agree with Dave. Depending on the year, you can get them brand new from Nissan for less than $30. Why mess with the easy-out thing? While you're at it, get a new temp sender and lock nut as well. Chances are you won't be able to get the old one out of the housing. Shouldn't be more than $10-15 for tose. Here's a link to an eBay auction to give you an idea. I think you can do better than this price from the dealer, though. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-240z-Water-Thermostat-Housing-NOS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33692QQitemZ220097763049QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Yup. I bought generic 2" wide elastic nylon webbing from a local upholstery supply house. I was all of $1.70 per yard. I bought 6 yards, 5 would have been enough for two seats. Worked very well.

I'm late into this thread, Graham, but there's lots of knowledgable Z people here in Oregon. Many of us would be happy to look at the car with you once we find some time, but it sounds like you might buy it sooner than that. Have you talked to the guys at ZTherapy there in Salem about it? Good chance that Bruce and/or Steve may know either the car or seller, and might be able to give you a good independent assessment of it. Anyway, there are lots of resources here in Oregon. Don't be afraid to contact us.

How much, Wing? I think that'd look pretty good on my red 240Z....

On average, I generally seem to lose about $1000 per year of ownership on my project cars. This has been consistent on several cars over the past 15 years or more. I figure it's a cheap hobby at that price. FWIW.

I leeched some of the pictures to load into the thread. That way when someone reads this years from now they'll have an idea of what we have been discussing. As for the car's provenance, I suspect the truth is somewhere in between, but closer to that of Mssr's Brock and Morton. Mr. Kohs is an advertising man, who is working from 30+ year old memories. I'm fairly comfortable that there is a kernel of truth in there, but by no means is this a true BRE car. Still, as a rust-free, low miles 510 2 door, there's got to be some value to it.

Considering all the controversy, what I see now is a clean, very low miles 510 two-door, complete with some nice period add-ons. Ignore the argument about what the seller claims, just look at what you can see and touch. And it looks to me like it'd be a very cool starting point for a nice BRE-style street 510. Whether it is worth the current $6100 bid is a question that only those who want to buy it can answer. But if you figure what it's going to cost to bring your typical 510 up to snuff, and then compare that to what this car will need, and the current price may be a bargain - regardless who did the add-ons and such.

James, I'm late to this thread, but all three of the cars I have had were equipped with the standard vinyl covered steel scuff plates. All are of course LHD, and were 10/70, 4/71 and 7/71.

WARNING! The following is Arne's personal opinion, and may offend some people. If it offends you, deal with it. I have no need for such an accessory. I neither eat nor drink in any of my cars. Nor will I answer my cell phone while driving. Cars are made for driving, they are not dining rooms, coffee shops nor phone booths. On the other hand, if you find your driving comfort and attentiveness is enhanced by the armrest, go for it.

Sure looks like the right stuff to me, but what do I know? I like it though, and hope someone gets it who'll do it up right.

Me too. I was figuring a two digit VIN in the 50-90 range from the title. Sorry, guys.

RSS feeds, Mike! They rock!

Yeah, if I was closer I'd love to see what it is.

Anyone interested? (No connection to the seller, BTW.) http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/car/302785859.html

Carl Beck can probably guess the production date fairly close. In the mean time, comparing your number with the numbers on the 240Z register, I figure it as probably being built in 7/72.

I came up with the concept for the adapter, and oversaw the initial orders. They were built for me by Dave Irwin (he of headlight relay fame), who still builds them today. I'm no longer directly involved, but you can contact Dave about them in several ways, one of which is a mail link on the alt. adapter info page.