calZ's 1972 240Z

[calZ]

Hello everyone! I don't have a fancy name for my car yet. The thread name will just have to be boring.

 

A couple weeks ago, I drove down to San Diego and picked up my first 240Z.

 

Just a single picture for now. I'll get more this weekend.

 

Currently:

Body is straight except for the small bit of damage in the front. Almost no rust, and has had some work done. As it sits right now, the following "upgrades" are on the car:

 

L28E engine swap (converted to carb)

Maxima rear brake conversion

ZX master cylinder

Cobra Imola Pro racing seats

CodeAlarm1151 Keyless entry system/alarm

EZ-wiring harness and relays kit

Crane Cams ignition coil and controller

 

I say "upgrades" because some of those things I don't want. The racing seats will have to go, and I'm not a fan of the CA1151 alarm. Keyless entry is great, but this is a budget system. To make things worse, the outer door handles currently aren't functional. The driver door pops open upon pressing the unlock button on the remote. That'll be one of the first things I try to remedy.

 

Future Plans:

This car is going to be mostly a weekend cruiser to take around the beach cities and out on the town. Maybe a bit of daily driver duty when I get the urge. I'm sure it will see a few canyon runs eventually, but I don't think it will ever see a track/autocross. I have a V6-powered MR2 that I get my track jollies with. I'll throw in a picture of that later for those of you who are interested. Since this will see some warm days and traffic, some modernization is in order.

 

Air conditioning

I'll be ordering a Vintage Air GenII Mini soon. Southern California gets a bit too warm for a car without AC, in my opinion. A bracket from Nostalgic AC for the compressor and some other well-fitting components should make this relatively easy. I'm excited to not be in the hatchback greenhouse.

 

Locks/windows

First, the door handles and locks need to be fixed. Once that's done, I can begin upgrading. Plan is for a Spal 3300-0030 power window kit to let in the beach air when I want. Power locks and a hatch popper will go in and be controlled by a Viper unit, likely the 3305V. Still not an expensive system, but I like the controls it offers and it's equipped with a 2-way remote. This way, I can be notified if someone opens my door without having to hear an obnoxious siren that goes off whenever someone brushes by the car.

 

Cooling

The temp gauge currently starts to creep if I push the car passed 65 in traffic on a warm day. There's no ducting on the radiator, and a good chunk of the fins are bent from when the mechanical fan decided to go on a field trip(before I owned the car). Somehow there aren't any holes in the radiator, but it doesn't look pretty. I'll be installing a Champion 3-row rad with aluminum ducting and electric fans. These will also play nicely with the AC system. I should be able to seal it well enough that I don't need a separate pusher fan in front of the condenser.

 

Seats

The full-on race seats are alright, but I find them to be a bit much. They're also the only bright blue thing on the car. I'm on the hunt for a set of retro Recaros. Most likely LS-B, but possibly LX-B if I find a good deal. I think the LS-B would be a better seat, but the LX-B would maintain the current style of the car a bit better.

 

Alternator

Oh, right. I didn't mention that the alternator died on the way home with the car. Not even a day into Z ownership and I was gifted with my first of what I'm sure will be many problems. While I'm in there, I think I'll upgrade to a CS144 GM unit. They're easier to find and will be able to power all of the added electronics I'll have. I'm picking up a 280Z voltmeter this weekend to swap in.

 

Stereo

This is last on the list and will probably wait a while, but a head unit and speakers are planned. 6X9s in the back with an MSA speaker panel. I'm not sure about the front yet. For the head unit, I really like the Retrosound Model Two. It seems to have great features and looks, but I've read some pretty poor reviews of the sound quality. Do any of you have experience with them or know of a similar "old-school" head unit that has modern features?

 

 

 

Ok, that's plenty of text for a first post. I hope to get some actual work done this weekend and post an update or two. Here's a picture of the previously mentioned MR2, for those of you that care.

 

[calZ]

Parts are starting to show up, but I haven't had as much time as I'd like to dedicate to the car. The AC compressor bracket is here, and the compressor should be here in a couple days. Waiting on ordering the evaporator unit until Summit decides to answer a question for me. Picked up a Champion 3-row radiator and shroud on Saturday, but their fans were out of stock. Should have those this week. Also snagged a 280Z voltmeter from a guy off cragislist, along with a C-pillar emblem to replace the one that I'm missing.

 

Spent a good chunk of Sunday chasing around charging system gremlins. The only thing I glossed over while troubleshooting things was the voltage on the field wire. That's first on the list. My ammeter is permanently pegged, and I'm not getting a warning light at any time. The ammeter is in series with the field wire plug, correct? So if the bulb is burned out or the gauge is toast, that would prevent the alternator from being excited and beginning to charge?

Edited July 25, 2016 by calZ

[calZ]

Race season and summer commitments showed up and kind of put the car on the back burner for a bit. Haven't done much work lately, but was finally able to get my hands on a pair of Recaro Trophy seats. These originally came in a VW Mk2 and were only made for a couple years. They are relatively rare and I got them for a good price. Should look pretty nice once I clean up the center fabric a bit.

Edited July 25, 2016 by calZ