idiot280

I don't disagree with a single thing you wrote. In this very specific case, their marketing was clear. They fit. Hood hinges are almost always direct replacements unless otherwise specified. These shouldn't be complicated or require modification. For these hinges to fit a 240Z, the grill mount must be completely removed. It would be a total grill delete. That's a significant asterisk to "bolt on."

Yeah. You're right. Not helpful to be nonspecific. I don't need a fake account to tell the truth though. Post has been edited.

TLDR; Vendor sold a "bolt-on" part that didn't fit. They ghosted me after I asked about it. I filed a credit card dispute and won. Be careful this holiday season. --- Just a heads up for anyone considering buying from "Flex Engineered" during their Black Friday sales. No, that is not their real name, but you can figure it out easily (fabricators of suspension parts and other things). I don't wish to even give them the SEO. I recently had a pretty frustrating experience with them that I feel the need to share. I was going to keep this to myself, but as they are advertising Black Friday savings - I hope to save at least one person from their hassle. I bought a set of “bolt-on” hood hinges from them, advertised as compatible with the Datsun 240Z. However, when I tried to install them, it was clear they hadn’t properly tested these for the 240Z. The hinges wouldn’t fit because they interfered with the grill mount, which is placed differently on the 240Z than on the 280Z. After some research, it became obvious that "Flex" didn’t take this difference into account. Basically, they used me as a test mule for a product that wasn’t fully developed or properly tested. The worst part was how they handled it. After I contacted them with photos showing the issue, they initially responded but then went silent for weeks. They even quietly started changing the product page and removing photos to cover up the problem instead of addressing it directly. It wasn’t until I filed a dispute with my credit card company that they sent a return label - no explanation, no apology, just a blank email with the label. If you’re thinking about purchasing from them, especially during their sale, I’d recommend being cautious. Your purchase might go off without a hitch. But my experience showed they might release products before they’re properly tested, and they don’t handle customer issues very professionally. There are other vendors who prioritize quality and honesty with the Datsun community - "Flex Engineered" just doesn’t seem to be one of them. --- Edit: Apex Engineered

Clean work. I like the plate over the wiper fluid. Will the brake booster and reservoir be serviceable after this is welded down?

I've just completed this conversion. I was in the market for wiper arms and stumbled on this thread. Seemed like a good idea. The Mazda Miata NA arms do fit, and include the more modern "J hook" attachment system. This is nice since most wiper blades use this attachment. I found a driver and passenger set on Ebay for $45. The driver side has the odd aero foil. Note that with this conversion, you must use different size blades (at least I did). I used the Bosch blades for both sides. Driver side = 16" blade Passenger side = 15" blade

@antwanray did you try the "extra wide" over fenders that Marugen makes? I had to buy these after purchasing the regular set. The extra wides extend approx 3.5" from the fender.

I don't know who needs to see this, but it's always nice to find someone out there who is still get'n it done. https://www.youtube.com/@DickShaw/featured

Start with the simplest solution and work your way through to more complicated answers. Change the bulbs back to halogen and see if it fixes it. If no, check wiring.

Rich has used ztrix for at least two builds, and they always come out looking great. https://www.youtube.com/@BuiltByRich. The Brinkworth body kit had its moment, but was quickly overshadowed by the Rocket Bunny kit when it released on the FuguZ. If you're only interested in widebody fender kits (not fender flares), you only have one main option. Ztrix If you were to consider classic (and much more legit) styles, you have: Rocket Bunny Arita Speed Marugen Shoukai Kameari Restored Star Road Speed forme I have personally spent a small fortune purchasing kits JUST to see what they look like. The stuff shipped from Japan is BY FAR the best quality in fit and materials. Ztrix ships heavy duty and strong parts that are great for further customization, but they don't always fit perfectly unless you work them in. John Washington (ztrix) is a standup guy. He'll work with you on anything you need and may even do something custom for you. When it comes to Brinkworth, it begs the question....why not just go with Rocket Bunny? Pandem kits will help your car appreciate, and I'm not sure a Brinkworth kit would do that. As far as I know Brinkworth isn't taking new orders. I recommend building your car out before worrying about wheels and tires. Each kit will fit a completely different offset. Otherwise, there are like years worth of resources in other threads.

Hello. It's really nice to look back at this thread and know how far the car has come. This Z is alive, well, and enjoying a deserved makeover. 👌

I'm interested to know how the Precision weatherstripping has worked out for you since these strips are well documented to have issues. Too much silicone in the rubber makes the adhesive not stick to it Too thick... Rear hatch and doors don't close flush

Well, I was able to connect with another Z that had come all the way from Los Angeles for the Targa 805. Larry continues to chip away at refinements on my rig. Recently he replaced the fuel line and properly routed it under the car. It had been running through...the cab. derp.

Making progress on acclimating to the area. Over time, it gets easier to figure out how/where to find the car people in the 805. Just dropped the car off with Larry Butler for some work. Decided to use shelter-in-place downtime for some maintenance and upgrades. I'll PM you!

So, with social media the way it is, this kind of relevant and up-to-date information gets lost in the cesspool of Facebook groups. ___________________________________________________________________ This information is up-to-date: Summer 2019 and affects the greater 805 area code. ___________________________________________________________________ I didn't start this thread to discover a good mechanic, but to meet other people with similar interests. With that said, Larry Butler is a very good mechanic. His hobby is 510 racing, and he owns multiple Datsuns. He also has background with Z cars, and has shown this to be the case. My car, a hybrid, is a 240Z (LS1 + T56) with a Z31 rear-end. Most mechanics look at it and don't know where to start. He's had my car on two separate occasions and completed the following within a very reasonable time-frame. I'm talking...hours. Speed-o was not working | Fixed Fuel gauge was not working | re-wired Fixed (w/o taking the dash out) Differential hemorrhaged oil | Fixed CV Axle issues | Fixed Updated coilovers with new springs (needed stiffer spring rate) | Done EFI wiring issues | Scheduled to be fixed He has not turned down a job yet, and my whole car is basically a Frankenstein. He could probably work around an OEM build with his eyes closed. Larry works at Ferrell's Auto Repair in Atascadero, CA. To schedule time with Larry, you must work through the front-desk. Call them ((805) 466-1004) with the Year, Make, Model of the Datsun, and include any hybrid information. They will assign your car to Larry by default, because it's just known that he is the man for these cars. Larry will need to look at your car to understand your needs and requests. So, your first session will be an assessment + specific job you've requested. Ferrell's is not a speed or custom shop. When it comes to Datsuns, the front-desk will have almost no information to give you, other than a quote and general time-frame for job completion. All of the focused Datsun talent is Larry. During drop-off and pick-up, Larry has been nice enough to spend up to 15 minutes discussing what he did and what he saw. This is a bonus, because mechanics work and charge by the hour. Every minute he spends talking to you about your car is time taken away from some other customer, so you have to realize that Ferrell's is going out of its way to work for you. Again, they are not a Datsun garage like the popular shops we know in LA and Bay Area. They are a standard shop that happens to employ a ******* Datsun Jedi Master. As for meeting other owners in the area...super duper bonus is that Larry probably knows most of them. Or he knows the ones worth knowing, ha. So this is my assessment of Larry.

Update: I'm startin to collect contacts around the 805. While the dat owners are more "off the radar," there are certainly a handful of them AND they are smart as hell.

Well, thanks for the recommendation. Turns out he is pretty bad ass. He did more in 2 hours than I could accomplish in a year.

Bump. All these years later, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread. It has just the right amount of technical information and member bashing. 4/5 stars.

How can we connect?!

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recommendations for tracking him down? Instagram handle maybe?

This is definitely a challenging area.

I recently moved to Templeton, Ca, and am desperately looking for anyone into Datsuns or classic Japanese cars. If there is anyone interested in meeting, trading, buying, selling, drinking...let me know! . . Morro Bay, Grover Beach, Cayucos, Shandon, Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande, Cambria, Oceano, Lake Nacimento, Atascadero, Templeton, Avila Beach, San Simeon, Creston, Pismo, Nipomo, Santa Margarita, San Miguel, Harmony...anyone?

Still looking for one?

I'd like to purchase the three piece lower valance of a 240Z. I don't care about paint, but I do care that they are in good physical condition. Thank you.

A member responded via PM, and sent a wheel. Thank you.

Location?