boyblunda

I do not know anything about electrical stuff but, along with others, have experienced problems with the tacho after the installation of an electronic ignition. If you search tacho problems you might find some help. One offering from the search gave me this : http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,3159.msg38902.html#msg38902 OR try searching using the brand name of the electronic ignition unit (e.g. MSD) and see what difficulties might have been encountered there. FWIW Dave

Hi Paul and welcome. There are some contacts that will be useful to you in the project you have undertaken. The WAZ Register has an active group of people who compete in regularity events etc and as its name indicates, maintain a register of S30 cars and their owners across Australia. They hold regular social gatherings as well. Great resource for people getting into a project. Martin Falconer of Tuneright (phone 0417 953329) does a LOT of quality preparation work on vehicles, including both of my own, if you need somebody to do things you cannot do yourself or for any parts you might be looking for eg all of the gear required for an auto to manual swap. This forum is an excellent resource but it is a good idea to have a bit of a search before putting a call for help on to the bulletin boards. The Dadson build thread is an excellent resource in itself if you want o see some good how to details for parts of your car. How are you situated for garage space, tools and personal skills for the project? If we know a little bit more about your background it will help members pitch their advice appropriately. Once you get going with pics and all, document a plan and start a build thread as both a diary of your project, and to keep us up to date. All the best with your project. They are a great car. Regards Dave

Datsuns surprised / stunned Australia with the results they achieved in endurance rally events in the 1960's and subsequent Australian rally Titles. Vehicles were entered in early Australian events to successfully counter the popular public opinion that they could not stand up to Australian conditions. Australian Rally Champions[edited from Wikipedia] list Datsuns as dominating the Australian Rally Championship title winners from 1975 to 1982 much to the disappointment of the very competitive Ford presence with Colin Bond and Greg Carr in the mix. Year Driver Co-Driver Vehicle 1975 Ross Dunkerton (WA) John Large (WA) Datsun 240Z 1976 Ross Dunkerton (WA) Jeff Beaumont (VIC) Datsun 260Z 1977 Ross Dunkerton (WA) Jeff Beaumont (VIC) Datsun 260Z George Fury (VIC) Monty Suffern (VIC) Datsun 710?? 1979 Ross Dunkerton (WA) Jeff Beaumont (TAS) Datsun Stanza 1980 George Fury (VIC) Monty Suffern (VIC) Datsun Stanza 1981 Geoff Portman (VIC) Ross Runnalls (VIC) Datsun Stanza?? 1982 Geoff Portman (VIC) Ross Runnalls (VIC) Datsun 1600 Just in case anybody missed the last Title date, the Datsun 1600 was last produced i 1972? and embarrassed later model cars by winning a National title ahead of more modern vehicles. I readily concede that it was not a very standard example of its model but it was an old body and ALL Nissan / Datsun. I think that performances of Datsuns in the early 1970's East African Safari rallies were noteworthy. I think these results, and other class results in racing, plus the respect given to the early 4WD vehicles solid in Australia, caused many Australians to have to admit that there was a degree of toughness and durability in the make. No argument offered about the quality of the metal in the 120Y, Stanze, 200B and similar. FWIW Dave

Alan, thankyou for the above input. I very much appreciate the clear, patient, objective contributions you make to these discussions - they certainly add to my education. So I went back to one of my previous references and found that indeed, I had not read it properly. The body differences made in the construction of the new 260Z model that I thought were differences between the 240Z and the 260Z were, according to Service Bulletin Vol.215 Modification Of Datsun 260Z Model S30 Series 1974 applied to new models starting with RS30 005001. Larger airflow opening in radiator core support Floor underside heightened by 20mm Floor tunnel changed to accommodate brake and fuel lines Stronger modified front seat bracket Reinforced side and cross members Lower differential mounting member Rear strut housing to accommodate larger rear sized strut Front tie down hook strengthened and can be used as towing hook Spare tyre housing moved to the left 30mm Rear panel modified for exhaust Other changes (eg suspension) were made to allow parts to be interchangeable with the new 2+2 model and for "increased strength. The curb weight of the revised model is given as 1085 kg 0r 2392 lbs. Perhaps this early revision of the newly introduced 260Z is that which contributes to the thinking about the possible weight differences between 260Z models. This is a little off track from the original topic but it does give an example of Alan's warning about being aware of the gaps that might appear in the numbers. (Add Edit) If we look at the WAZ Register we can see that there were 15 RS30 260Z's with numbers ranging between RS30 000458 and RS30 1057 but the next number in sequence is RS30 005166. The build dates lodged for these vehicles are, only loosely sequential. Before the issue arises again, there was a new 260Z model in 1976 starting from RS30 015001.

Would not the RS30 designation be given to all 260Z right hand drive two seaters worldwide? There has been previous mention on this forum of the early RS30 models being "light bodied" 260Z's with up to a 1000(?) of these being released. I own RS30 000812 and have previously owned RS30 000783 (now a parts car), both of which are supposed to have been of this ilk, for want of a better word. The WAZ Register is currently compiling a list of known S30 vehicles, both running and those that have met their final end. The Register relies on people registering the details of their own cars and we should encourage owners to support that project.

FWIW buying the running car is the cheapest value for money alternative - by streets. Given that you have an S30 on the road, buying a body and getting experience in an S30 can provide you with a bed of experience from which you will benefit later. It is rare for a person to enter the competitive stage with realistic expectations of winning - what you might need to focus on are realistic, achievable, economic enjoyable experiential goals that allow you to realise optimal benefits per dollar of investment. If you already run an S30, by investing in a competition S30 at least any left over parts of the new project might be converted to your current car and the learnings will be immediately transferable. My thoughts are to focus on longer time realistic goals rather than be distracted by immediate competition results. The first step is to get out there and have some affordable fun. FWIW

Have just received an email from the former President of the WAZ Register who received this message from Warren : ... I have had an email from Warren Potter on <allzparts@aol.com> and hesaid that he is closing down his Z Parts business in September. His location is Hornsby, NSW. He may have a part you want, suggest you find out about it now. ... It is a shame that we are about to lose a supplier of Zed Parts. Anybody wanting to deal with Warren has a few months to do their business. Regards Dave

I would firstly consider the current state of the car and how it would look with the original colour - particularly if you might be able to avoid the engine bay and interior panel colour issues.This may or may not be a major factor for you. Otherwise I like White for a nice clean look and a colour that people most easily live with. I think the pic posted above looks sensational. I would almost wonder whether it might be worthwhile to get it all ready for paint and advertise it then so the purchaser can select their own colour. Plenty of opinions to be had with this question.

With regard to the mounting of a Zed on a rotisserie, the Dadson team had a minor problem with mounting their car onto a rotisserie that might be worth considering. Fortunately they they have documented and photographed the problem if you want to see what happened and what they did to remedy the situation. Page 4 Post 48 of the Dadson Revival Thread http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,6991.45.html

Okay. It seems that you have already identified and repaired a few problems with your brake light issues and that you are still searching for the remaining problem/s. You have gone to an inordinate amount of effort and time to this point but I have not heard you say that you have eliminated the brake pedal possibility as initially suggested by RayRay. As you say, if there is a slight difference in light in brightness on depression of the brake pedal, then this is likely not the problem. Hope things come to pass for you soon with this. Electrical problems are one of the biggest PITA factors of all time. Good luck Dave

I think RayRay might have suggested a possible line of investigation in post #4. If this is the problem, it only takes 30 seconds to identify and is dead simple to fix. If not, then no great amount of time wasted. See post #4 this forum and https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/help-me/36931-brakes-lights-always.html and for more detailed fix http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/help-me/28024-break-lights-stay.html And from another http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/open-240k-discussion/16574-help-brake-lights-permanently.html post this quote : "The 1st Time I drove my yellow beast, the brake lights locked on too. I found it to be the brake pedal itself. That is, when I pushed the brake pedal down away from the switch, I could then press the switch with my finger. And wha la, the brake lights turned off. But when I let go of the pedal and it came back to rest on the switch, the lights still did not turn off. Strange? Looking around on the floor, I found a little bit of blue plastic. This prompted me to take a closer look at the pedal and switch arrangement with a torch and a flexible 360 degree neck. Sure enough, there is a hole in the pedal directly where the switch should come into contact with it. The bloody switch was poking into or slightly through the pedal. That is the pedal was not touching the switch at all. It appears that the K had a plastic "bump-stop" on the pedal which had shattered due to its age. This cushion (bumpe stop) used to mount to the pedal, through the pedal. And when it died, all it left was a hole. Applying the nearest "bush mechanical rule", I found a flat headed nut and bolt and filled the hole. Using the flat head of the bolt to rest against the switch. Hey, Hey, and what do you know, the Brake Lights went off. And it is still there today." The key to the problem identified in the above links is that, in all of them, there is nothing wrong with the wiring or the brake switch - check the brake pedal itself. Regards Dave

Thankyou all. George I have noted that number you nominated and will try that at times when I am near a phone. I have three separate numbers and the one you have nominated is the most recent and as you said, it has worked in the last week. At this point in time have Black Dragon checking alternate freight possibilities and have sent Warren emails through both his google listing and to the email address listed with his google listing. I am not in a hurry and will plug away during the next week. At least now I know he is still in the game, and continues to be respected for the service he provides. I will follow up with another post once I have made contact and am able to confirm contact details for others who may wish to contact him. Regards and thanks Dave

That is the Zed community for you. I posted this morning after working working night shift and woke up to find these responses waiting for me. Sincere thanks for your contributions. There is no great urgency with my enquiry and at least I now know they are still in business. I am only near a working phone at odd times of the day so I will keep trying the numbers I have. I googled AllZParts and received a this from a Yellow Pages website. All-Z-Parts Car Restorations & Supplies - Hornsby, NSW Supplying Parts For All Nissan Datsun Z Cars. Unit 1/ 17 King Rd, Hornsby NSW 2077 Phone (02) 9482 1220 Email allzparts@aol.com www.allzparts.com.au (opens in a new window) Could not connect to server Mobile Phone 0410 549 070 Tried but recorded message "please check the number and try again" Fax (02) 9476 0711 I will confirm the above details once I make contact with Warren. Regards Dave

Hi All I have had Ebay dealings with AllZparts in the past and have had most satisfactory dealings with them despite the fact that they were during a period of time when Warren was ill and communications were a little slow. I have searched and can only find an old phone number as a contact. I have just rung that number and it just rings out. In the recent past few years I have received good service from North American suppliers (primarily MSA and Black Dragon) but find the main problem is with regard to the freight and customs issues. My current preference is to deal with an Australian supplier who can bypass the import issues. At this moment I am wanting to import a new louvred bonnet from Black Dragon at approximately AUS$350 purchase price but with a freight price of Approx $AUS850 which will then incur customs, handling, GST / import duties that are likely to make the deal prohibitive. Can anybody tell me : * if AllZparts are still in business and what their current contact details might be. I would really rather deal with an Australian supplier. * if anybody has details of alternative freight options from Canada or the USA * if anybody can recommend a general Australian supplier of Zed parts Thanks in anticipation Dave

I have also experienced high postage and freight costs from the Z Store (MSA) and also other suppliers. It is the one downside of the otherwise excellent value and service I have enjoyed in dealing with USA based suppliers. In one instance when dealing with Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) we were advised that the freight on a single spoiler was the same as that for three spoilers in the same package. On this, and subsequent orders, we got three people together and split the freight between us. I suspect that it might be the volume of the package that has a high influence on the final freight cost. It might help if You talk to them about what else you might be able to fit into the package to enable the freight cost to be of less significance in the final order. If you are ordering bulky items, perhaps email around your personal Zed circle and ask if anyone else is wanting to order a few things that complement the final outcome with regard to bulk, weight, and total value of the order. Despite the above, most of us are not in a huge rush to receive the items so the alternatives of cheaper, but slower, freight are well worth considering. FWIW Dave

These pics are of cars in the support event. Some very nicely prepared cars and a really nice open and supportive bunch of blokes. The first red Zed is Martin Falconer's very quick 2+2. Second on the day by a narrow margin. The red zed with the yellow drag stripe on the bonnet belongs to Chris Bothams who has appeared at Bathurst at Easter for the past two years. His times were the best of the Zeds for the day. Very neat drive in the video. The red 240Z belongs to Howard Trevenen who has been around the traps for 30+ years since starting in rallies. The grey Zed is that of Mike Rowe who has recently refurbished this car and is starting to post some very quick times. The white Zed you refer to was at the nationals this year and at Bathurst for the past two Easters. Peter Harrold pedals this car very nicely and (with the aid of Martin Falconer) has prepared an exceptional car in every respect. The car is currently for sale. The Zeds in the main event also did very well with Bruce Lake and Peter Hall winning their class.

I would just endorse your initial inclination to see Martin before you do anything in WA. He has a very quick turbo 280ZX, several developed Zeds, a fair stock of spares and gets my first preference for any work to be done on my car/s - he has one of mine there at the moment and I will be dropping off a second car to him on Monday. Dave

I think one of the oldest and most commonly recommended introductory books would be Wick Humble's "How To Restore Your Datsun Z Car". It is a North American reference but most of the information readily transfers to our right hand drive cars. There are a number of other references that can be useful to the Zed novice including official Nissan publications and parts manuals - these commonly appear on Ebay over time. However, the best references on what you might want to do are forums such as Auszcar and ClassicZ where there is a wealth of "how to" information that people have posted. Some of the detail that people have provided to these forums is extraordinary and will not be found in books - things like restoring dashboards, panel and paint suggestions, engine upgrades, renovating fuel tanks, brake upgrades, electrical diagrams and upgrades, tyre and wheel selections etc. The one thing that you should do with regard to technical items is to search first before posting a general question. Before you start on a restoration, do some research and consider and affirm your philosophy on what you want the end product to be - original, mildly modified, a free for all or something in between. As a general comment, for a 260Z, most people do not worry too much about the purist numbers matching original restorations which are arguably more expensive than a mildly modified refresh of your current car. A "Restoration" to original project is a more expensive option that often does not return the value to the owner in improved performance or resale value. There are common modifications that 260Z owners do eg round top carbs, wheels, brakes, electronic ignition and others that greatly improve the cars "drive" without detracting from the resale value. My best advice is to spend some time searching and reading this forum, make a plan for your car, float your ideas for suggestions, and then embark on the level of project that suits both yourself and your car. One thing I definitely know is that this forum is brilliant for the quality of information and support you will receive. The Zed community in Australia (and worldwide) is a great thing - hampered mainly by the distances we live apart from each other. All the best with your car, Dave

Thankyou for that post Coincidentally, I just happened to have visited Canberra and the Stromlo Forest last weekend - my Canberra based brother gave me a tour of the fire affected areas with photos taken from several points both immediately before and after the fires of 2003(?). Canberra is now a very different place now but the rallies of the 1970's around Canberra were just exceptional for the quality of roads and country that they traversed. The quintessential video / DVD of the period has to be that of the 1980 Castrol International Rally won by Greg Carr / Fred Gocentas in the Escort - only 40 seconds in front of World Rally Champion Ari Vaatanen in the Masport Escort. Bond was spectacular on one corner where he looked gone for all money but kept the car on the road by a hairs breadth of skill and good fortune. From memory Fury and Dunkerton were both right in the mix in the Stanzas but the left field quality performance was fifth placed Peter Brock in his Repco Reliabilty Trial winning Holden Commodore who comprehensively answered any critics of his ability to drive in a variety of environments. McLeod and Mortimer were possibly just a little before their time in that they ran a quality car at the top level in a period when Australian rallying was just finding its feet. It was a period of time when talented committed privateers could make their mark and this pair certainly made their indelible imprint on the sport. FWIW Dave

Please treat this as a very suspect unreliable, immediate recollection of ancient history, but my unreferenced / unsubstantiated recollections of this crew are that of a South Australian? pair of talented and prominent participants in a number of international and national rally championship events from the 1970's, who nipped at the heels of the performances of the better sponsored / supported (Holden, Ford, Chrysler/Mitsubishi and Datsun / Nissan) crews. Keep in mind that the manufacturer support offered by the "factory" teams in the 70's was really quite marginal and that it was not until the latter part of the decade that their support could be considered as semi professional. Yes. they received support but it was hardly enough to be called professional. If this photo is from a 70's Castrol International or ARC event then I would rate it as a noteworthy acquisition to my personal Z library. Wikepedia reports that McLeod/Mortimer were runners up to Colin Bond (Torana XU1) in the 1974 Australian Rally Championship. As an aside, in another subsequent life, I think that Stewart went on to become involved in the development of emergency services procedures guidelines for vertical rescue (cliff, caving, building). In addition to this note, Stewart was a prominent person with regard to the organisation of the 1979 Repco Reliability trial and was murdered in 1987 over what was suspected to be gambling debts. He was certainly a colourful character in Aussie Zed history. FWIW Dave

I absolutely concur with the sentiments expressed in the comment in reply #2 ("While I agree Dave is technically correct finding pre-done Zed will save time and money, its not for everyone. For some its not so much about driving a completed car as driving a car they completed. That satisfaction is worth a lot to some people.") This statement accurately explains the very reasons why I am doing what I am doing despite the time and money involved. In my book, doing what you can on your own build towards your own personal philosophy for the final outcome, is what the Zed sickness is all about. BUT, do plan first based on your own resources - storage, skills, money, timeline. As a rule of thumb, starting with a good body will be the best thing you will do. Dave

Hi Tony Good question. I had wanted a Zed for decades (since the 70's) before I finally purchased my first in 2005. My first car, 1977 2+2, was not really the car I wanted but at least I had the "ride" - it needed a bit of work to keep it on the road, was not worth repairing from a rust and condition of interior perspective, but it remains to this day as a reliable daily driver that I am happy to drive in the rain, leave in a car park, drive on gravel roads, and even follow cattle in the paddock with. I am now in a position where I am willing to sell it but I am not trying too hard as I am just as happy to keep it for a parts car. Two years later I bought a second 2+2 that was worth restoring. It is currently having the engine rebuilt after receiving a lot of love and good bits - new dash, sound system, full suspension, new brakes, new radiator, MSD electronic ignition, rust removal, new seats, spoiler, light upgrade, driving lights, new rims and tyres etc. It will soon only need a new paint job and all of the rubber seals replaced to finish it off. This will be my touring vehicle. I do not really want to know how much I have spent on it to date but it is a keeper and a vehicle that took a long time to find given that I wanted to start with a good body. It took another two years after that before I finally found a two seater that I was happy to purchase as a project car. This was really what I was looking for from day one so in answer to your question, it took me five years from the time I got into the game, to find what I wanted to commit to as a project vehicle. It could be quicker for you if you live in the eastern states, have money at hand, and the space for storage of your car. My next planned purchase will be a ground up restoration project. The best car I ever had was a Datsun 1600 built from the ground up. Should never have sold it. Would love to do a parallel Zed project. I suppose that I should summarise my thoughts to be, that if you are looking for a very specific vehicle, allow a few years to get to know the scene, work out what you really need, develop a plan and a budget, and then you are in the hands of the gods as to when and where the entry opportunity might arise. My last offering here, is that if you want a nice Zed, save your money and buy one that has already been done by someone else. If you buy the right one, you will save yourself a lot of time and money. FWIW Dave

Linton I can see why people had them fitted to an S30 (car parks, tight garage spaces) but they really did nothing to add to the looks or line of the car. The period accessory of the nudge bar was fitted to prevent damage to the vehicle and can always be removed for a presentation of the vehicle in its intended form - but I can see why owners would retain this easily removable feature on their car. I think it boils down the choice of the owner. I personally prefer the original look. Really nice pics. Congratulations on what you have done with this car - it is a beauty. FWIW Dave

Hi Matt and welcome Whenever we hear of someone getting a Zed it is a relief to see that they are aware of and know about rust and body repairs as this is probably the biggest single issue that new owners have with their vehicles. If you are on top of that issue then the joy of owning and driving a Zed is all before you as the options you have with regard to restoration / modification are boundless. Looking forward to seeing your car project with pics when you are ready. We are already thirsting for details of car history, how you came to buy it, your intentions, and details as they unfold. I appreciate the 260Z for the refinements it received ands note that you have already got a vehicle taken further with the round top carb swap, and L28. The local WA Zed guys are a good bunch - see the WAZ Register to register your car details if so inclined. The next event that I am aware of is the Albany event on the June long weekend - always well supported by the Zed guys. The local guys are also on the lookout for good panel and paint providers so let us know if you are in the game to provide this service. Give us some more details and pics when ready. Regards Dave

I might well be very much in error here but I think the car he won three consecutive National rally championships in the 1970's was a 260Z - splitting hairs really as it is still an S30. He had virtually nil factory assistance or sponsorship for these wins The story surrounding Dunkerton's involvement in the Australian Rally Championship is well told from his perspective in his recently released book - available from Pitstop bookshop. There would be simply too much detail required to be able to make any meaningful balanced and lasting worthwhile comment in a passing conversation. My impression was that he was never the favoured driver choice for the Datsun team but his results could just not be ignored. He won his first three titles in a Zed with minimal factory support or sponsorship despite the factor that he was a successful Datsun dealer at the time. He was clearly an incredible driver and had the ability to nurse a car to the finish when others would record a DNF and have just gone home to bed. He did not drive a car to flog it until it died but rather rung the full potential of anything he drove to extract the best possible result. Western Australia was one of the first States to run a driver performance based seedings system to determine road position at the start of an event. Dunkerton did not ever top the seedings in this State. This was not due to his lack of performance or undoubted skills and results, but rather because the system at the time did not properly recognise or allow for the canny strategy of driving as slowly as possible to win an event. What was evident in the first few years of this fledgling seedings scheme, was that Dunkerton seemed to drive fast enough to stay with the opposition, but on the key longer stages of the event, often in mid event, could unleash a blinding time on a long stage that would set him up for victory. How he ever got that Volvo to the finish of the 1979 Repco Reliability Trial was tribute to his bush mechanic skills and possibly one of his best ever results - fourth outright behind the dealer team Commodores and first privateer in a car entered at the last minute in one of the toughest rallies ever. I did not know him well but I have enormous respect for his driving ability and for what he brought to Australian Motorsport. Obviously I am a fan but he does not need my opinion to support his position Zed and rally history. Please do read his book. Best regards Dave