Joe's 1972 240Z adventure. // 16 JUN 21 - 13 Jul 24 // 3 years 27 days build

[A to Z]

Yes, the modern ones didn't fit in the housings correctly, and rather than butchering them up to fit, I just got some new original style sealed beam headlights.    

[YoBrother]

Do you Remember that dad had those Z beams (Cibie Z-Beam) in the 280z?  They were awesome looking.  They had very flat glass.  It made it obvious they were an upgrade, but they were not jarring to see.  Plus they performed. 

 

https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/forum/general-discussion/general-discussion-aa/15499-remember-the-cibie-z-beam

Edited August 5, 2022 by YoBrother
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[57GMC]

On 8/4/2022 at 9:20 PM, YoBrother said:

Do you Remember that dad had those Z beams (Cibie Z-Beam) in the 280z?  They were awesome looking.  They had very flat glass.  It made it obvious they were an upgrade, but they were not jarring to see.  Plus they performed. 

 

https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/forum/general-discussion/general-discussion-aa/15499-remember-the-cibie-z-beam

Yep, Pretty cool..

[Dat73z]

Congrats Joe post some pictures when you're out for a drive 👍

[A to Z]

I remember them well.  they really worked well.

 

I will surely post up pics once she is out and about!  

 

Yesterday I started the project of installing brass ball valves on each heater hose.  Then I started on my electrical issue......turn key nothing....put screwdriver across battery, starter spins but doesn't engage....hmmm.  I also had time to wash down the entire engine compartment, which was full of dust from doing bodywork and paint.  I took some pics and there are some videos of all the fun I had today.  I will post them below. 

 

To see videos go to link below this, click through the pages, the last 4 are videos.  This site doesn't like uploading my stuff.  

(17) Facebook

[A to Z]

I spent the day in the garage on the Z car. I started with trying to get her started.....I went thrugh and repaired some connections that didn't hold, and then tried something I read online. I bypassed the power wire to the solenoid, by taking a wire and tying it to the solenoid lead and then touching the other end to the postitive wire....engine started turning over......so it appears either the ignition relay in the passenger footwell is bad, hence I never heard it click, or the wire going to the ignition or the ignition switch itself is bad. So I will do some research, but as of now, worst casae, I can just wire in a hidden pushbutton momentary switch, and use it to start the car. Ok, so then the car tuend over but didn't want to start, so I looked the fuel filter, no fuel.....so I poured a gallon of fuel in and tried again.....no dice. So, the "new" mechanical fuel pump I put on there a year ago is already toast. I bought one of the NOS ones a guy is selling on here, and I will put that on here. The NOS stocker is perfect for my stock L24 setup, and being an NOS piece, it will last probably 40 years, or in other words until I am gone. So, I then took some time and used an old toothbrush and some brasso, and scrubbed on my intake manifold to try to get it to brighten up......it did a little, but it was a mistake, in that I will have to power wash the area to get the layer of dried brasso compeltely off. I got most off with a soapy busket of water and a soapy toothbrush. Lastly, I pulled the valvecover and got started on it's facelift. I found small nicks and scratches in the top where the stripes and leters are, and so with a bastard file, I flat filed them clean. Then I used a combination of steel wool, some 220 dry sandpaper and some wet 2000 on the letters to get it ready for paint. I then masked off the letters and the breather arm, wiped it down good with some denatured alcohol and painted it engine block silver. It's a Duplicolor paint. I had to do A LOT of very light coats to get it right. So, now it is in the garage curing before I remove the tape off the letters and then hand polish the letters with my can of Mothers mag wheel polish and a clean rag. Also of note, when the valvecover came off everything was so clean and nice, no wear at all.....another bit of evidence backing up the car's 50K original miles. Pics and a video to follow.

 

Ok, my videos don't like to load here, click on the link below to get to it.  Flip through the pics and the video will be at the end.

 

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[57GMC]

Valve cover looks super.  I like the idea of an NOS fuel pump, replace it once and be done. I worry with the heater shut offs that a necessary circulation of hot water is not going on. Will you need a cross over to bypass the heater and keep the water circulating??  Just asking.. 

 

[YoBrother]

I was wondering the same thing about the water flow.  I have seen on some YouTube channels where people had to make sure that water flowed or it caused disruption which cause the water to not flow through the radiator.  Do they have a water bypass normally when the heater core is turned off using the switches on the dash?  If it does not normally bypass, then I am thinking this will not be an issue.  But if it starts to over heat then this is a good place too look. 

 

Otherwise, great progress.  This is the fun stuff after all of that tedious body work. 

[A to Z]

Thanks!   As for the flow issue, look at the pic below.  Where the line goes to the water heater, there is a factory valve that stops the flow.  My valves are right before and right after that valve, so it shouldn't be an issue, as the flow was designed to be stopped.

Edited August 11, 2022 by A to Z

[A to Z]

breather port polished, letters polished

[A to Z]

8-14-22.  I went out and worked on a few things today.  I finished the valve cover and wire wheeled the bolts, then clear coated them.  I then installed the valve cover and put on one of my billet oil fill caps I bought from a guy online.  I still have one.  Anyone interested?  Then I took some 2000 grit wet sandpaper and blended out the paint over the wheel wheels and buffed it out.  The rear spoiler I masked off and gave it a final coat.  A little more paint correction, and then made a store run for supplies.  Time to now clean out and vac the interior and continue to finish up the engine compartment, and that's about it. Once my fuel pump arrives, it will be time to go for a ride and then get a front end alignment.  Oh, I also ordered a billet oil bar from Yost for the engine, as the early original I have is prone to cracking and resulting engine damage.  Pics

[A to Z]

8-15-2022.  Spent a few hours on the Z today.  I color sanded , hand buffed and waxed under the hood, and added a few stickers.  Then I color sanded out the portion behind the driver's door handle.  This area has for some reason been problematic....getting the paint to look the way I wanted it to.  Well, I sprayed it yesterday, and went ahead and color sanded it down today , hand buffed and waxed it.  Feels good to get this area done.   I removed some overspray off the louvers, but they still need a tad bit of TLC.  Lastly, I pulled the access panel off the hatch, and was pleasantly surprised it was not as bad I was expecting.  Rust in the corners and crimped together areas.  I will at a later date clean it up and spray it with some rust converter before closing it back up.  Took a few pics, here they are.

 

 

 

[A to Z]

8-20-2022 I spent a little time on the hatch lid compartment.  I got the seams sprayed with Rustoluem Rust Converter, and then I cleaned up the upholstered panel and gave it a nice coat or 2 of SEM Napa Red.  The small hatch seal was really cracked and dry rotted.  I removed it, but I still need to clean up the channel and mask and shoot it white again.  I already have a replacement seal that I got form MSA.....I'm not really seeing the purpose of it being there, as the main seal does the job.

[A to Z]

8-21-2022.  Today I removed the original early version oil spray bar and replaced it with the Yoes oil spray bar.  Then I changed out the fuel pump and installed the NOS one I bought.  With the engine turning over the pump started filling up the fitler..  Working on the electrical issue, I was able to narrow it down to the switch, so I guess I need to buy one.   I then finished the hatch.....cleaned up and installed the upholstered cover, and then I cleaned out the channel that was left after I removed the old seal.  After cleaning it up, I went ahead and masked if off and painted it.  I also had to jack the rear wheels up and do a tad bit of clearancing on the flares in a spot or two.....the springs settled a tad, and the tires were touching....all better now!   Closer and closer!

[A to Z]

8-27-2022 I wet sanded my louvers with 2000 grit sandpaper and water, the pained surface is nice and smooth now, cleaned up the overspray on the sunroof area, removed the stickers on the sidewalls ( not an easy job by the way ) and gave The Z car a good bath. Afterwards, I dried her off and popped the sunroof galss panels out and cleaned up the rubber and foam seals. Proof positive that she spend the majority of her life inside....the seals are still supple and soft, not hard at all! After cleaning up the glass, and using steel wool on rusty spots to include the retention pins, I reinstalled them, and then brought the carpets and everything in and vacuumed them out. Next is interior clean up (again), install of the new ignition switch and further little bugs to get it on the street ASAP.

Edited August 28, 2022 by A to Z

[57GMC]

Very nice Joe.. I like how you took the handles off the heater shut off valves.. That really cleaned the look up. Nice you painted inside the hatch cover to stop anything. It's always great to find your rubber seals are in good shape. The valve cover came out super. The Ol' Sky Chief Texaco sign has a nice home there too..  Thanks for the photos.. Lookin super bro..

[A to Z]

Thanks, Ken.

 

[A to Z]

8-28-2022 UPDATE: Well it's wash day! pine-sol, a rag and water mixed in a bucket, wiped out and cleaned the entire interior of the car, vacuuming time and again, as I went until I finally succeeded in getting it back to where it was before I did the bodywork. 🙂 I swapped in my new ignition switch.....it is held on by 4 bolts, and 2 of which are they type that break off once they are installed....TERRIBLE! Well the new one came with 2 of them as well. So you can spend half the day drilling them out, or do what I did, I took my Dremel and just cut the bracket off. I installed the new one with 4 bolts being phillips head, no break off bolts! I wiped down all the tools and jack etc, cleaned out the storage boxes and got it all put away correctly and closed up. I then installed the arm rest, which is a Z store armrest I got from another member eons ago, as MSA doesn't make them anymore, and then installed my fire extinguisher again, over the Z floormats I got from Hung Vu. I think the red Z matches well with the red interior. I almost have the electrical issue solved. A lot of trial and error, ending up with the new switch allowing the engine to run, if I hold the Key in "start".....so I had this problem when I first got the car......I am thinking the ballast may be bad. It was cool to have the car start up again for the first time in at least 6 months. VERY rich and out of tune, but everything still works. Caught some rev's and got the lovely howl from that exhaust! Oh, on my old switch were 2 wires. I think that is for the lighting circuit to be on when in accessory....the new switch doesn't have the wires. Hmm....last night I plugged the switch in, and all the interior lights came on, accessory relay clicked, and nothing.....now engine runs in "start", no interior lights. Whew! Well, for motivation I took several profile pics of the car when the work was done. Plenty of pics attached. Cheers! 🙂

Edited August 29, 2022 by A to Z

[YoBrother]

Nice, now for some car shows!

[57GMC]

16 hours ago, YoBrother said:

Nice, now for some car shows!

For sure... Maybe a few DQ runs too...  Very nice...