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I must say it really is impressive to see your level of commitment, patience and attention to detail on this restoration -- very impressed with your metal work and fab skills. Kudos for bringing this old girl back to life!!

Seattlejester, which electronic flashers were you using, just out of curiosity? I have not observed the specific issues you were experiencing, so I'm wondering if the choice of flasher was causing the problem.

If no one else chimes in, I'll take s look at my documentation tomorrow. My recollection is that blues wires in the dash are often associated with the heating and cooling systems. Those leads on the steering column appear to be factory original, so the FSM should show you exactly what they're connected to.

SCCA and NASA are two of the main sanctioning bodies in the U.S.; but there can often be local clubs and organizations that run their own events outside of these two. Consider running some HPDE, as well as autox. SCCAForums and NASAForums are good sources of event info across the country, as is MotorsportsReg.com. If you are more interested in maximizing your car's performance (with the lowest times) than placing within a particular class, you may find that XP is most suited to your goals. It permits just about any and all modifications, for all intents and purposes. The penalty you pay is a stiffer PAX rating.

Admins, we have a spammer....username "davidhenry".

Congrats...looks very nice. You probably already know this, but the problem most people encounter when restoring an old dash is that new cracks continue to pop up after the restoration....and obviously best way to avoid this is a good sealer treatment and avoid UV whenever possible. May even want to consider using one of those carpet-type dash mats to protect it.

Great write-up, socorob...thx very much. To answer your question regarding 240 racks; yes, they will fit later years, but you'll need different bushings. The 240 steering rack bushings are narrower than the 280's. I'm assuming you want the earlier rack for the different steering ratio?

Sounds like the video was shot in the shop, no? (I.e. Car on a lift, and no load on he drivetrain.) Ard you sure you got a good diff? Those noises on the video sound a lot like a differential with internal issues. What differential is it, and is it open or LSD?

Gotcha. Can certainly understand wanting a full original dash vs a dash cover. Can't say that I've seen one melted and bubbled up like yours did....I'm a cheap bastard and have had half-caps on all my Z's, and they've always lasted pretty well. But they've always been garaged, and obviously not subject to constant UV damage.

Just curious....are you opposed to using a dash cover? They're available in half- and full-size, and usually look pretty decent if installed correctly. Definitely a lot less work than what you're going through trying to restore your old dash. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/classic08d04

The piece you need is called the differential carrier side retainer. Do you have the FSM? If not, you can download them free for all years S30 at: http://www.xenonzcar.com/s30/reference.html

Yes, the single bolt in the middle is the correct method for removing and installing that style half-shaft. Sorry you found that out after damaging the first one. Later years have a "side axle" that clips into the diff; and uses 4 bolts to bolt to the half-shaft....similar to where your half-shaft bolts to the stub axles (at the bottom of your rear struts). I don't' know the name of the facing plate that got damaged, but it's definitely not the pinion flange. That's on the nose of your differential and it bolts to the driveshaft. Just post a pic of the damaged plate in parts wanted and someone will have it....there's plenty of open R180s floating around. (I just gave one away last month). Good luck with it.

Clive- I believe one of our members here has quite a bit of experience in importing vehicles to the US. He may also be involved in vehicle export. Member name is "PLATA". Also, if you're on Facebook, there is a gentleman on the "Datsun 240Z Classifieds" page that appears to be very active in the vehicle import/export business. His name is is Robert Jackson. One of these gents should be able to help you, if you're still looking for information. Good luck with it. Cheers

Here's another thread: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/123215-aurduino-powered-tach/. FYI. You usually can get better Search results if you use Google vs the website's search engine. Just include "HybridZ" in your Google search command.

Speedhut. Scroll down to May 8, 2015 to see this member's method for installing: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/121732-cx-racing-kit-ly6-tr6060-build/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-1143496.

From your video and written description of the noise, it's rhythmic, and only on the backside of the throttle....is that correct? Loose or worn half-shafts or driveshaft could cause noise like that. Check all your u-joints and nuts/bolts for looseness. Also check your differential mounting points. If you can feel it in the floorboards, that would seem to indicate driveshaft vs half-shafts, but not definitively. Possibly wheel bearings also, but usually not during straight-line driving, and I don't think one would normally feel the movement in the floorboards. Good luck with it.

Good on ya'. A lot of folks will measure their voltage at the battery, but that doesn't necessarily mean your starter and/or distributor is getting that full voltage. The electrical systems on these old cars suck. Never miss an opportunity to clean your connections and grounds, and replace the old wiring with new, thicker-gauge wire.

Welcome to HybridZ and congrats on your find. If the car truly has minimal rust, $8K is a pretty good price....especially in the midwest. If your block is from a truck engine, that's actually a good thing....many of those '70's-era SBC truck engines were fitted with 4-bolt mains. Pretty indestructible for most applications. The Pantera hatch is pretty rare these days, and quite desirable in some circles. If you decide you don't want to keep it, you could certainly sell it for a pretty penny. The PU bushings will help immensely. In addition to the mustache bar bushings going bad, the bushings on the inner mounts of your rear lower control arms are often disintegrated, which gives similar symptoms to what you're experiencing. If you ordered an entire bushing kit, please take note that it is recommended you NOT use PU bushings on the front tension control rods. The OEM rubber bushings are intended to flex in the frame mount, and PU bushings can overstress the mount and cause fractures/breaks in the metal and/or welds. Don't waste a single opportunity to clean your electrical connections and grounds. The S30's had some sketchy engineering on their electrical systems, and 45 years of sitting around hasn't improved the situation. There are kits available to integrate modern relays into your parking lights and headlights, or you can design your own mod....either way, it's a big improvement on the factory design. Good luck with it and don't hesitate to ask questions. This is probably the best forum on the website for high-performance Z cars.

JoseMoon, you do realize that you're replying to a 7-year old post, don't you? Best bet for promotional and memorabilia these days might be eBay, or even Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/DATSUN-Nissan-Vintage-Patch-Embroidered/dp/B00LURDVG2/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_263_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VCE7PYPBXBFXE0M5GFC9.

Gotcha. I saw some Tokico red springs on FB -- they may still be available. Here's a link: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=tokico red springs. If the link doesn't work, they were posted by William Fritts on "240Z 260Z 280Z lovers". I've personally not used the Vogtland's yet, but everyone I know that has them has favorable comments. Can't beat the price. BC now offers Swift springs, so that may change your mind on them. I understand your wanting to stay away from Stance.

Actually, I just removed my dash pad. Probably 20'ish screws total, but no glue/bonding to the metal frame. This was from a '74 260z, so other years may have different attachment methods. To the original poster, you could remove the pad without de-installing the dash, but re-installing the new pad would be next to impossible. Pull the dash from the car and you'll have a much easier time of the whole process.

I've been using the stock gauges with my V8 swap for several years, and they work fine, if you don't feel like springing for new aftermarket gauges. I've replaced the stock gauge bulbs with LED, which are brighter and draw less amperage. You can also switch your gauges to a white face with red needles for better visibility with a kit like this: https://www.datsun-garage.com/shop/parts/white-gauge-face-kit-1970-78-240z-260z-280z/.

Welcome to the forum, and kudos to you for your willingness to take on a 45 year old car as your first! Can't disagree with anything posted by the others, but your choice really comes down to what you want from this purchase. If you want something that you can drive sometime in the near future and work on little by little, the first car is probably your best choice. If you really don't care about having a running/driving Z anytime in the near future, but really enjoy mechanical work and piddling away for hours on end in the garage, then the bigger project car might be more fun for you. Our motto here is "there is no best". What works wonderfully for someone may be a terrible solution for someone else. Decide what you really want out of this first car purchase, and proceed from there. Either way, you'll learn a bunch and hopefully really enjoy being a Z-car owner.

You may want to expand your search to get more results. I honestly haven't seen Koni springs available for quite a while, and I've never seen a Koni "coilover set" for the Z....are you sure that's what you're looking for? Koni obviously makes nice shocks (i.e. strut inserts) for both stock and stiffer spring rates, and those can be readily found from a variety of sources. Unfortunately, it's not common to find these used (at least the Yellows)....once people get a set, they tend to keep them. Several popular coilover kits available these days for S30's, including BC Racing and TechnoToyTuning, among others. You can also part together your own coilovers, using generic sleeves and springs and shocks of your own choosing. Finally, if you're just looking to lower your car and get a little more suspension performance without the expense and time of coilovers, check out Vogtland/Stagg springs and shocks. Eibach also makes lowering springs for the stock struts, as well as Tokico (if you can find a set). Hope this helps.

Yes, the JTR book would answer most, if not all, your questions. For example, it explains how to rewire your factory tach to be compatible with the V8. JTR also sells an adapter that allows you to install the temp gauge sensor into the SBC intake manifold. Check out their website for all the parts they offer. You can get a speedo cable reducer to correct your speedo readings. PATC carries a large selection of adapters. Voltmeter and fuel gauges: self-explanatory.