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My 73 240Z will start for a second and then die. If I hold the key in the forward position when starting and don't release the key when it starts (keeping pressure on the key so it stays in the forward/start position), it will continue to run. But soon as I release the key, it instantly dies. And if it is an ignition switch, is this something that I can do myself? (I'm somewhat mechanically inclined..I can do alternators, water pumps, suspension, etc..)

I was there but probably won't be showing my car until next year after I get it painted (I was on deployment and my car cover blew off...so my paint got baked in the sun for 8 months and got ruined). I had the black 240Z with Longchamps in the parking lot. There was actually quite a few nice looking rides in the parking lot.

Funny story! MRE's are not 3000 calories each. If you eat 3 full packages a day you MIGHT get 3000 calories. I lived off these things while in Iraq and paid close attention to the calories. The biggest calorie item is the "dairy shakes" which are like 450 calories each. In those meals you could expect to get around 12-1300 calories total if you ate everything.

I run 15x8 -14 in the read and 15x7.5 -7 in the front and it's literally a perfect match...the rims lips are pretty much flush with the fender.

That's pretty cool. When I get back from deployment I'm going to do a cafe racer based on a Honda CB400F. Luckily I'm in Seattle and have these guys to help out.. http://www.twinlinemotorcycles.com/

I can't remember if I posted in this thread. But here is mine. SSR Longchamps XR4 15x8 -14 in rear, 15x7.5 -7 in the front.

I'm in the same boat as you but further south (San Diego). I have a set of triple Mikuni's that I need tuned and needed a reputable place down here (that carries Mikuni jets). Didn't mean to threadjack.

Anyone? Am I phrasing the question wrong?

I have a 73 240Z that I ordered small bumpers for. I have the 70-72 front bumper brackets but I was wondering if I could use my original 73s for the rear...or if I'll need to order the70-72 rear brackets too. I did a search but couldn't find any info (it was always 280z cars getting smaller bumpers, not 73's).

I noticed this whenever I go driving....it seems I get smiles from just about everyone. Young, old, V8/Muscle Car lovers, classic car guys, teenagers that are into Hondas, etc..etc.. Back when I had my Honda Civic (modified) a lot of people disliked it because of the stereotypes associated with the morons that drive them. Then when I had my Porsche 911 I got the "must be a rich daddy's boy" treatment (even though I paid for it myself) from everyone...and a lot of people instantly thought I was a stuck up prick. But with Z's, there isn't really any negatives associated with it from anyone. I get thumbs up from V8/Muscle car guys because the engine rumbles/rwd. Kids love it because it's sporty looking (not sure why but I always get smiles/waves from 10-12 year olds). Teenagers into Honda/Toyota's like it because it's a classic import and old skool cars are now cool to like. Women think it's "cute." Kind of cool really.

I was going to make a new thread but decided to ask it in this one since it's a similar question. Are the rear bumper brackets off the 73 the same as the 70-72 brackets? I have a 73 that I'm putting smaller bumpers on and already have the pre-73 front brackets but not sure if I had to purchase rear brackets too. Thanks

The Z tuners in Japan seem to be a bit more nostalgic/old skool with their choice of car modifications. It's like how Rocky Auto still uses 50mm sidedraft on their RB25 motor swaps...I'm pretty certain that modern ITB's would get better performance but it's just not the same.

The tires are Toyo T1R...rear being 215/45/15 and the front 205/50/15. I purchased them from http://www.edgeracing.com/ which is by far the best prices I've seen. The suspension is ground control coilovers (225/250lb) and Tokico Illumina adjustables. My strut tubes are about an 1.5" shorter and the Tokico's are shorter stroke... (240Z fronts go in rear and you buy Mr2's for the front)... read here.. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=100536 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=103860 You have to run sectioned coilovers to go as low as I am because you won't have any travel on stock struts. You can't really tell from the pics but my car is pretty low. If you don't want to section your struts and just go lowering spring/aftermarket strut, then just buy bigger profile tires.

Yeah, the price for the Longchamps is about right. You can find them for a lot cheaper if it's the more common offsets...like 15x7 with positive offset. You start going wider with negative offsets, the price almost doubles. You rarely see any Longchamps wider than 15x8 in the US so there is a high demand for the wider ones. From what I've seen, Longchamp Xr4's only come in 13s, 14s, and 15s with everything from 5.5" wide to 12" with many combination of offsets. They make a 5 spoke version too but I've only seen them in Japan. I know the XR4Z comes in larger sizes like 16s+ but they look a bit different than the standard Xr4. I'm being stationed in Okinawa next year (Marine Corps) so I'm hoping I'll have time to hit the used wheel shops and ship some wider rims out here....they're a LOT cheaper over there. Here is a pic of Longchamps on my Z... http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=128575

Thanks for all of the compliments...I really appreciate it. I've had the car for a few years now and I love it. Right after I bought I started a list of the things I wanted to do it and just slowly checked them off as I saved up the money. Here is the specs... 1973 240Z, 3.1 stroker, N42 head, Schneider cam (mild), triple Mikuni 44s with Mikuni manifold, MSA header, 3" exhaust with JIC racing Ti muffler, Cusco strut bars, sectioned coilovers (Illuminas and Ground-Control springs), BRE wing (carbon fiber), Longchamp XR4 rims in 15x8 -14 in the rear and 15x7.5 -7in the front, and a Nardi wheel. The engine needs more tuning but right now it's making around 230hp (at the fly). It's a very good street engine though....lots of midrange and plenty quick. My next purchase is going to be bigger brakes, swaybars, and an LSD. I was looking for a set of the XR4 rims for a long time (over a year) in that size/offset.....they are hard to find because they've been discontinued. The funny thing is that I was browsing the internet while in Iraq which was like a rare treat (I'm in the Marines) and someone just happened to post a used set on a car forum minutes before I logged on. I quickly emailed the person and had my parents write the guy out of check since they had my checkbook. I'm just really happy with the results.

I finally took some pics of my 73 Z since we had decent weather in Seattle for one day. My car definitely needs a wash but they came out pretty good. It's on a slight incline...that's why the front has more wheelgap than the rear.

My 73 240Z has sectioned coilovers (250lb springs, Tokico Illuminas) and was told by my local suspension guy (that installed everything) that I need a 1-1/8" front swaybar and a 3/4" or 7/8" rear swaybar. The guy is really knowledgeable about Z's so I trust him on the setup. My question is where do I find a 1 1/8" front bar for my 240? Everywhere I look I can only find the 1" setup...do you think that's plenty for my setup? It's mainly a street car that may see the track in the future.

It might have already been mentioned but that came from a segment on Top Gear from a few weeks ago. It was a great show...one of the Top Gear drivers tried driving an F1 car and could barely get it around the track due to the power and cold brakes/tires (cold because he couldn't push the car hard enough to heat up everything). Really shows how difficult those cars are to drive.

They are SSR Longchamp XR4's. I have a set on my Z...15x8 -14 in the rear and 15x7.5 -7 in the front. They just barely fit under stock fenders. I don't have pics of them on my car but here they are up close... You can find them used but you'll need to look for awhile. I see them pop up from time to time on club4ag for sale (wheel) forums.

No, that's the SpiritZ test from a different video. The Nismo Z (this one) http://corism.221616.com/articles/0000054045/crsm0000000004.JPG is driven for a brief time in the I Love the Z video. Other than that I think they drive a Z432 and maybe a 240ZG if I remember. The video isn't that impressive really...the Z432 is kind of driven leisurely around the track.

I don't have current pics but I think I win when it comes to getting an awesome initial deal. My dad's friend hooked me up on a sweet Z after I graduated boot camp in the Marine Corps (he had way too many projects going on and I had been begging him to sell the Z for the past 3 years). The car was a 73 240Z with a 3.1 stroker, triple Mikuni 44s, 280Z 5 speed/rear end, header, Tokico adjustables, shaved trim/lights, and a few other stuff. The car had newer paint and no rust (I've checked under body panels and I had on a lift to check other areas, etc..) Perfect interior too...no cracks/rips, etc.. Price $500 So far I've put on a new 3" exhaust (JIC Racing TI) ($500), carbon fiber bumpers/BRE wing ($1000), threaded coilovers with sectioned struts ($1300), and Longchamp Xr4 rims in 15x8 -14 with Toyo tires ($1500). SO I'm just under $5000 for everything.

This is any old pic of my car.....it has everything shaved.

Very cool pictures. I'm stationed in Okinawa next year and I'm hoping I get a chance to go to mainland and visit tokyo. Yeah, I noticed the politeness thing all over the world. They do the same moving to the side on escalator's all over europe and asia....and that's just one of the many things I noticed while traveling.

My dad has every Road & Track from around the late 50s. When I'm at my parents house for Christmas I may get adventurous and go through them all looking for anything related to Zs...and scan/upload every article. Last time I was there I was reading a 1970's article on Peter Brock's 240Z...and it had a list of all of the Peter Brock parts you could buy (like $250 for high comp pistons haha)

What service are you in? I'm in the Marines and will be back home in San Diego in a few days (we rode Navy boats to and from Iraq). Yeah, it sucks over there but the time does go fast. Not sure what MOS you do but some have a better life than others (I'm a grunt so we didn't get much luxury lol). The heat was miserable when we were there...sometimes getting into the mid 130s. We had no AC in our tents for awhile so even sitting still (with no body armor) you just sweat. I actually saw quite a few camel spiders and scorpions. They tend to come out at night if you have a light on. They're pretty comical really since they run around with their front two hands up in the air like an idiot. Definitely keep your head down...it will be over before you know it. BTW...do you know about the sock/water trick? If you got shipments of warm water with no refrigeration, this trick will get your water cool. Put your bottled water in a sock (preferably clean) and wet it down real well. Then hang the sock somewhere (shade if you can) and wet it down periodically. After around 15 or so minutes, the water in the bottle should be cool. Not sure why this works but it does.