Huw

Well. Restored my zed while in Uni with all of the consgraints that brings. Body has been bare metalled and resprayed and basic mechanicals fully restored （ie full engine rebuild, skyline calipers etc ）but interior and ancillaries need work. Resto semi finished in 08, so almost due for another quick go over. I am currently based in Japan so unable to work on the car more than a couple of weeks a year. However, I can gather parts and plot my next moves. It is a 71,stock L24 with mild cam and headers, round top SUs. Want to keep the numbers but would like some more oomph. Opening the floor to ideas. Huw

Thanks, will look into both. Access on the bonnet will be a challenge as it righ above where the bracing is on the front part. Can only ask. Fully restored about 8 years ago with a full respray (time flies) so the paint is generally in good nick. Huw

Excuse thw typos. Smartphones make people sound very dumb with useless touch screens. South East. Bayside way.

Evening all I have a couple of cheeky dings in my zed. One on the rear quarter near the badge (dont know who put it there!) and a towball like one on front bonnet near badge (again, dont know how it got there and unimpressed by whoever backed their tractor into it and drove off). Neither have removed paint so i am wondering if they can be fixed by one of the paintless / hail damage repair spots. Does anyone have experience with these and any recommendations? Huw

My 71 was repainted in the 307 blue (originally white with blue interior that previous owner had stick blue shag felt on) back in 07. We made sure it was a colour on the 240z before painting. Although it not quite period correct for a 71.

Hi all Just did a quick search and couldn't see anything conclusive/immediate. Have started on the phones but thought it worth asking (again) anyway. Does anyone have/know of a supplier of the poly/nolothane bushes for the 240Zs in Australia? Whiteline doesn't have. I am currently in Japan but back on Friday and trying to sort a replacement of a shot bush before then so that I have a driveable car. Huw

Original are lap sash fixed with a hooked (and almost useless) buckle. Dad has the originals in his 73. My 71 was mising belts . . . (A worry) but i fitted fixed type. The Hemco style ones are easy and work fine. May get the odd confused passenger yanking on it though! As mentioned by others, overseas belts problematic from ADR perspective. Suggest sticking with locally bought. Huw

As I understand it - and I am currently out of country so don't quote me - you can pay for one of two types.... 45 day and 90 day. You must log your drives and be a member of good standing with the club but they do not have to be on 'event days'. Easy enought to check on https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/limited-use-permits/club-permit-scheme/car-club-permits

Well - finally got round to it - slid out easily...not looking forward to putting it back in but at least once it is fixed I can do the interior properly! (was too poor as a uni student (when it was first restored)). Cheers for the help. Huw

Good to hear - someone had told me plate would come off and could remove with heater unit in situ - but looked like an expletive laden exercise....passenger side makes much more sense. Hoses and tap are new so I will be gentle on them!

Well, I have been putting this off for far too long now. Minor leak in what I assume is heater core now no longer minor, need to remove and replace. Ideally without takibg dash out. Does anyone have experience doing this in a 240? Curious as to whether i can: ~slide it our driver side without removing while box; or ~ slide whole unit out passenger side or via centre console? Suggestions appreciated. Huw

Well, I wimped out on the zed....can't decide if it was care for myself or for the car! I have hired a ute and will wrap and tie it down. Also means I can get some other bike/car related stuff on the trip.

Evening all, Just wondering if anyone has experience transporting larger parts in their 240Z? Somewhat reluctant to do so (safety (an engine could be quite an effective tranquilizer)) / potential to damage zed) - but need to transport a 750CC Norton Atlas engine back to Melbourne on the weekend - may take the cop out and hire a ute but thought it was worth asking as the zed needs a run. I was thinking: (1) in a container in the boot - especially if I can lay it on its side (it will be wrapped for transport) (2) in the passenger seat footwell (or strapped to the passenger seat in a suitable container to prevent damage to the car (and stop it moving). Thoughts?

well...there is now a new project in the shed (a 1967 Norton P11). Fully stripped and just working out the next steps forward. While I save for the next steps, I am thinking of removing the chrome from the oil tank (originally painted, previous owner decided to chrome)... I know HCL solution should work but question the safety of doing it this way in the home shed. Any suggestions? Huw

Mechanically, I think it is alright - could use a new interior but otherwise we have baskets of parts from running/repairing my aunties old 404 (and from stripping it when it died) - so parts not an issue. It is just getting the body sorted right and getting it moving again.

Not thinking about resale - has been a great car to almost all of my siblings and I, and to dad and it is a shame to watch it rot (plus they are actually a lot of fun to drive, completely different to the zed). My worry is it will cost as much as my zed did!! Yes it is the model with the fin type lights - ours is slightly later and has more chrome around headlights etc (earlier ones had body coloured surrounds).

Possibly better in the "off topic" discussion, but here we go... Have a family Peugeot 404 (think it is a '69) - which I have grown up with but is now slowly rotting. It was one of dad's first cars and I am thinking of restoring it (or at least stabilizing it) (so hopefully he doesn't log on and see this post).but I have no idea where to start with someone to do the panel work. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions? Mechanically pretty sound (although it could really use a 504 heart transplant....). Front has suffered from a light rear end collision (ie I rear ended someone while in Uni at low speed) which would need to be fixed. Just toying with the idea at the moment. With work and space (and a new project on the way for me) - most of the work would have to be outsourced. Plan would probably be to: - Strip (largely myself) - Sand blast - Body work - Mechanical components (largely do myself / with mates) - Interior (professional) - rechrome etc Any suggestions? Still trying to figure out a budget and generate enthusiasm (and donations) from my siblings.

Hi Lee Not enthralling but can for a reasonably easy morning trip there is the Toyota historic garage in o-daiba (island in Tokyo bay, dead easy to get to). Has a mix of old Japanese and other cars on display - although basically a no-touching/looking under the bonnet affair (I was hoping to have a closer look at the Z432 they had there....but only got to snoop around the outside - and the resto folder that the mechanics had). They have a car on display in the workshop which is gradually restored over 12 months - last I looked it was a VW beetle. Mechanics are chatty chaps but I am not sure about how there English is. Links are; http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/HG/F2/HistoricCars/ (Japanese) http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/About/en.html (English, about halfway down) Depending on the day, there are also commonly events in odaiba (last I was there, there was a large motorcycle event and a couple of other events on). I took it easy over my 12 months so did not go anywhere Zed specific, although a lot of the workshops appear to be outside of Tokyo. Cheers Huw

Give VicRoads a call. According to their site (http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Registration/PermitsModificationsAndDefects/UnregisteredVehiclePermit.htm) it varies by where the car is garaged. I don't recall them being overly expensive. Also make sure to read the conditions. Huw

Once again off to Japan for 12 months, this time to work with a law firm over there. Anyway, last time I just gave the car a service and left it 'as is' essentially. However, having had the pleasure of a thermostat jamming up etc....was wondering if anyone thought it worth 'laying it up' properly? Usually left with family who run it every couple of months... Huw

Galderdi, The little aerial like object is quite literally a metal/plastic rod with a little led light on the end. The 4WD I often drive in Fukuoka (Japan) has one as well.....I think they are used to assist in knowing where the end of the car is (for low speed/narrow street shuffling). It will be hinged/jointed at the bottom so that it has a bit of play (unlike an aerial). You can see it more clearly if you zoom in on the photo. At least that is the only explanation I could ever come up with, and I drove with one for months (never really used - or bothered to ask what it was for). Huw

Well, the starter and battery are replaced and I am now having a slightly different starting problem. Basic symptom, turn the key and nothing happens.....no major noises....turn again, nothing happens and then turn again and fires perfectly (number varies - sometimes fires first go - other times 3-4 attempts). Have, out of laziness, been living with it for last couple of weeks but it will eventually go (when I am in the biggest hurry or most inconvenient location)....so I thought it wise to see if anyone had: 1) Had this problem; or 2) Had any suggestions as to how to fix/identify issue. Will be trying to have a look next week sometime. Cheers Huw

Looks good. I was thinking of going and having a look to see whether any of the leather 911 seats would fit (or how much pain it would be too make them fit) but never manage to get round to it. As they or the s2000 seats seem like a good modern 'look-a-like'. Huw

Hmmmm.....just got my car back from the panel repairs.....looks beaut. BUT, in the rain that we have had out this way a pool of water has developed behind the drivers seet and the side scuttle carpet is sopping wet.......this was never a problem before. The firewall is dry (or seems to be). The door did come off as part of the repaint necessary in the smash repair (front guard damage - blending colours - no structural damage or damage to door. All the weatherstripping around the door seems ok.... any ideas where the leak could be coming from? My guess is the door but I cannot track it down at the moment. Suggestions?

Well I have now replaced the battery......hopefully that helps. I am currently out of town so a multimeter seemed like a lot of effort.... Hopefully that does it. Huw