datsunlover Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Ok.. I'm getting a little ticked off now.. Seams evrywhere I go, no one can get anything for my Z. Back in the spring, I spent a few days driving around to all the auto parts stores, and was LUCKY to get ball joints and the T/C rod bushings. (had to get ball joints from one place, bushings from another) Had to go dealer for the intake/exhast gasket.. and not even NISSAN can get me a new air filter for my SU's (WTF?!?? looks like I'll build something and use 'off the shelf' MrGasket 6" filters.. $13 a pop..) This is also part of the reason I'm gona do the 4x4/300zx brake swap; I can still get the parts! So ANYway.. I need to get all new bushings for the front/rear suspension (minus the T/C rods of course) and I need the two mustach/diff bar bushings. (going custom solid front diff mount) I can't find these ANYWHERE!!! Any of you Ontarians have a source for stuff like this? I need strut inserts too.. I figure I can get those though.. I hope.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z2NV Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Have you tried eBay? You can get damn near anything there, and most will ship to Canada, eh...(had to do it ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steveo Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 i get my stuff from canadian tire, Walkley Nissan (ottawa, on) or Charlie Osbourne of Zedd Findings in kingston, on. http://www.datsunzparts.ca/start.htm http://www.walkley.nissan.ca/www/en/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 Heh.. yah, well Crapy tire is one of the places that has consitently pissed me off over the years.. and they don't have hardly anythign listed for old Z's anymore.. And stevo.. yah ebay eh... Seams to be evry time I find something I'd be willing to bid on, I scroll down and it says 'will ship to US only!' I'll give zfindings a try maybe.. I really need these bushings, and it'd be nice to have a 'source' for parts as they wear out over time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnosez Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I mean besides Zedd findings, Victoria British, MSA, Arizona Z Car, Z and ZX Parts, Bad Dog Parts, Courtesy Nissan, ZParts, Modern-motorsports, what is it that you can't find from one or more of these firms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 I guess I should have made myself a little more.. clear.. My problem is that I'm having trouble finding things in CANADA... I dislike the dealer (big $$$ for anything Z related.. its a 30+ year old car, and they don't really care..) but I would prefer to get parts localy... It's not that I can't FIND the parts, but shiping from MSA, victoria british, A.Z.C and the like is what I'm trying to avoid.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Hi Matt. (just read your emails.. will answer) Look up Rick Scott. He is the parts manager at Brampton Nissan. He KNOWS Z's, an stocks most 1st gen parts. As far as bushings go, check Performance Improvements. They carry alot of import stuff these days, and I've got some of my bushing kits from them (G Machine etc..) You really have to dig through the catalogues with them, but they do have the stuff, and you can get it usually in a few days if not in stock. If you don't have Performance Improvements near by, check Karbelt as well. Johnson Performance Research (or is it JRP??) in the north end of Toronto carries lots of performance stuff, and they have been good to me for lots of my fuel and turbo stuff. PM me if you need help with these sources... there are lots.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 Well, there is a perfomanc improvments in Barrie (40 mins, not a big deal) but I was in there the middle of the summer, and it seamed like the guy who was helping me really didnt' want to spend much time helping me out for a 30 year old datsun.. Kinda got the impresion I should have bought a Honduh or something.. I'll try them again though.. it'd be great if they can get me the bushings and strut cartridges.. I've pretty much got the rest of the car sorted ot as far as "what to do, and what I need to get" A 5 speed trans is in that list too... Thanks for the info Scott.. I'll look into the dealer in Brampton if I'm not satisfied with perf. imp. in Barrie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug71zt Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Rick Scott is at Brantford Nissan, but he will ship to your door, no problem. Great guy and good service, stocks a lot of common early Z stuff. His number is 1-800-665-8458. Don't talk to anyone else in the Parts Dept but Rick about Z stuff. He also sells lots of aftermarket stuff for the Z. UAP/NAPA can still get lots of parts for the Z- Try Ideal Supply UAP/NAPA in Barrie. Charlie (Zeddfindings) is a good guy also. As for suspension bushings, Energy suspension still makes them all, any speed shop can order them for you. Just get the Part Numbers of what you want from their website catalog and call up Performance Imp. and order them. If they won't do it, drop me a PM and I'll set you up with the speed shop I use in SW Ontario. As for the struts and 5 spd. - I have a set of used KYB for the rear of a 280Z sitting here in GC. Going cheap. How many 5 Spds do you want? I have a couple spares for my car that I will be selling off in the spring, as I'm going to a heavier unit for my car. I have always kept a couple around as the teeth have been known to fall off of the gears when the car is turboed..... Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 4, 2004 Author Share Posted December 4, 2004 Well, I'll give Rick a try I suppose.. sounds promising. There's a UAP/NAPA place here in Midland, and all they can get me is the front control arm bushings ($28 a piece) and rear outer control arm bushigs ($31 per side) All they list for struts is the front, and they are $160/pair for 'the knock off of Monroe brand' great... And the 5 speed.. well, I need at lease one! I'm sick of the stock 4 gear, and its... sick of me I think. (grinding, making noise, ect) I know a guy up here that has a lot of 86-91 Mustang parts/pieces, including several BWT5's.. he told me $300 or so for one of those, but I'm not sure if it'll be a 'direct' bolt up to a Z. (don't know much about the turbo z's besides thay used a T5.. not sure if a BWt5 is a BWt5 , regardles of the car it's used in?) I'm gona be runing pretty close to stock N/A..going for 220 horse or so.. for a while anyway, so a Z 5 gear will probly do me fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug71zt Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 That is pretty rich for the suspension bushings, I would buy the whole aftermarket Prothane kit from Rick, along with the Delrin/Aluminum Tension/Compression Rod kit (G-machine). I wouldn't use the urethane bushings on the T/C rod, as there have been some failures of the rod due to the bending stresses placed on it by the stiff bushings. As for the T5 - the 280ZX units were unique, a Mustang one won't fit without major mods to everything. I will get back to you on the PM - I'm overseas right now till mid-Jan. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SeanyD300zxT Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 There are differences between the T5 used in the z31, and the mustangs of the same era. input shafts weren't the same (I don't recall if it was the splines so you could just buy a mustang clutch disk, or if it was the actual shaft diameter where it fits into the crank) and the tailshaft splines were different. If a z31 tranny fits the older style (I'm not sure) Theres a guy in London, Bill Roper that's great to deal with...excellent source for z31 parts... for some reason I can only find directions to his place right now..hmm.... I'll update if I come across it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 9, 2004 Author Share Posted December 9, 2004 Heh.. well, I got a price on the 'prothane' kit from Charlie at Zeddfindings; $258 plus shipping. hmmm.. I looked over evrything, and it seams that the outer rear bushings are ok...(must have been replaced in the last few years..) and the diff bar bushings arn't that bad, but the rubber on the washers (top and bottom) has cracked and gone back to nature, so there's where the play/slop is for sure. So.. I really only need the rubber washer/thingys and the inner bushings on the control arms. And the front, I have the T/C rod bushings in already (had to for a safety check, went with rubber due to fears of breaking them with urathane ) so all I need up there is the control arm inner bushings.. That's 10 pieces of rubber I need.. I don't know if I can justify spending $250+ just for that.. I have a plan that I'm gona try.. it'll cost me about $20 for material, and I think I can 'build' my own bushings... I figure it's worth trying for $20.. I still need to find strut cartriges before I can put the whole mess back together though.. and on and on and on it goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilRufusKay Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 I like the title of this thread ...Ontario...or even Canada!!!! Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 You'd be surprised how a simple NHL hockey puck can help our cars. I STILL have a hockey puck for a steering coupler. BTW if you are "a choppin" and "drillin" and "a cuttin", the hockey puck is a nice size for making smaller bushings. Heck, even Crappy Tire carries aftermarket universal sway bar endlinks, that fit our cars well. new rubber bushings are better than old cracked rubber bushings. I still have not replaced all of my control arm bushings... I'll do them as needed, or the next time the suspension is apart. Here is what is most important for your bushings. (assuming the others are not destroyed or missing) Sway bar endlinks. (universal kit comes with bolts/washers/rubber/spacers, etc..) steering rack bushings (ones holding the rack) Steering coupler. (use a hockey puck) mustash bar bushings. (can buy separately) front diff mount isolator. This will go a long way to getting the car back in shape.. BTW. I have spare NOS swaybar bushings for the 280. I don't have stock bars anymore so they are useless to me. PM again... I'm sure I have more of those types of parts.. new KVR brake pads for stock brakes... hmmm I will have to think what else I have left over from my upgrades... If your tight on your budget, only replace the bushings that need them most... most times, your control arm bushings are still ok. Oh and your top strut rubber isolators... they are either ok or not... We need to talk.. Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 10, 2004 Author Share Posted December 10, 2004 Heh.. you guys down there stateside have no idea how good you got it.. lol.. I got a plan for my bushings I think.. heh heh.. it's totaly backyard/hick way of doing things, but it worked for me a few years back.. so why not now? lol.. Rubber boat rollers.. drilled/cut/ect.. We'll see.. heheh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 10, 2004 Author Share Posted December 10, 2004 Well.. evrythings all messed up here lately.. Anyway.. I got my 'home made bushings' built tonite.. Looks like they will work just fine.. and it HAS to be better than what was left of the old ones! I have to do some 'tweeking' tomorrow and it should be ready to go back together. Just have to find struts, get the diff sealed up/filled and I can move on to pulling the front apart.. and the engine/tranny.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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