gilltech

Mine's taken a thump and been knocked around too. But by the time one drills out all the spot welds (lots and lots), and all those of the replacement, to swap over, and plug welds everything up again, fixing what one has 'in situ' - including making up replacement sections - may well be a quicker and easier solution. I've seen several nose cuts over the years and that bottom rail has always been knocked around and rusty. But, then maybe Gav will come across a Zed graveyard in the dry states somewhere.....

I've had a similar experience with an aftermarket electronic ignition system deciding itself whether it will go to work or stay home that day, hence I always keep a new set of good old points and condenser in the glovebox just in case. Saved me one time with the Zed when I was 150 miles away from home.

It sure seems that a lot of Zeds have surfaced in the past 12-18 months that have somehow escaped the metal recycling bogey man, with being parked up outside have deteriorated well beyond any practical restoration, yet their owners are still asking moonbeams prices.

Jeez. The '73 is not even bolted together. As for the '71, good luck. I think the asking prices are at least double what they are worth in that state given what remains that's even remotely useable. The WA car in red & grey primer for K$10 looks by far the best of those three. The other two look to have deteriorated far past any practical, sensible and value-for-money restoration. Best to buy the ex-UK silver car further up the page for K$33, tidy the paint and bits and pieces and drive it now, far better value than any of those rotted 'project' cars on which you'd be spending tens of thousands of dollars and years of work trying to save.

The 2-seater door trims are available repro ex USA, but I've seen the odd pair pop up on eBay here. I got mine from Warren of Z parts earlier this year - 'nissandatsunparts' on eBay - whether that was his only set I don't know but worth a try in case he has more.

Yes basically the same but, well, there are some differences. FWIW, I have the following: 1973 240Z manual, dated 1st Nov 1972, obtained NOS from the USA, for a LHD car. Publication no. OM3E-0S30U0 1974 260Z manual, dated August 1974, obtained NOS from the USA, for LHD. Publication no. OM4E-0S30U5 260Z manual, dated July 1974, this I obtained used here in Australia, is also for a LHD car but has differences to the above and it also includes a wiring diagram inside the rear cover. Publication no. OM5E-0S30G0 Yet the manual which I got with my NZ-new '74 260 is dated March 1978 (obviously not the original) and it covers both LHD and RHD controls. Publication no. OM8E-0S30G2 Some clues are there in the publication numbers.

Yep there sure were different colour interiors in NZ-delivered 240Zs. I recall seeing cars back in the day which had either a blue, dark red or tan interior, and thought them a bit of a curiousity at the time. Of course non-black colours weren't very popular, not being seen as very 'sporty', so some owners changed the whole interior colour often just using vinyl spray. (Some pretty much had to when they opted to completely change the exterior colour). Wish I'd taken more photographs back then, but it was pre-digital. The NZ car assembly plants closed one-by-one in the '80s and ex-JDM grey imports (called 'Jap imports' over there) completely took over. A number of S30 cars of a range of years turned up, some early '240 style' others '260 style' and 2+2 but all the ones I saw had black interiors.

FWIW the mouldings are stainless steel not chrome steel. Are you wanting 2-seater or 2+2? the hatch and doors are different for both, only the windscreen is the same.

Sounds like it's been well rescued actually, well done!

It sounds to be a good sound car, and no doubt the price listed is a starting point. But I can't see it being at all viable if someone wants RHD and would want to convert it, by the time they find a donor car and do all the work etc etc. As for the chunky US bumpers, I've seen 'Euro-style' bumper kits advertised by a USA supplier, but don't know quite how they work with the 280Z frame rail structures and what surgery is required.

Bobby, just out of interest did you end up buying a pair of 260Z struts?

Oh, thanks, now I see. FWIW my original grille is different again from those two, I have 3 lengths of slat not two.

As far as I can tell from digging under the edge of the carpet layers in the gloom, attached to the vertical not horizontal. Single fingers wrapped tight around the loom. Similar to as in the photo posted above of the US car except of course on RH side. Aerial wire runs down LH side same manner.

Have just checked by feel, and there's no nozzle or knob or whatever on top, but in fact I could feel a shaped hole where some fitting could slot in. My car is a very early '74, has quite a bit of cross-over with the late 240 so might have same heater box, and it doesn't have any luxuries or frills like A/C, so might not be a good comparison to yours. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Agno is correct. Different metals need to be kept apart, as in isolated from each other, including stainless steel from zinc coatings. For fender bolts and the like though where panels are painted then as long as the bolt threads are well greased I doubt whether there would be an issue (well, not in my life-time) given that our cars are by now almost always weekend hobby cars and seldom if ever so much as even get wet. Just don't go mixing up stainless steel bolts with zinc nuts and washers for example, any moisture around and the zinc will quite quickly migrate to the stainless and metal corrosion will accelerate due to the galvanic field created.

I don't recall a nozzle or knob or whatever it might be on top of the valve tap, if anything. I'll have to take a look this weekend, it's been very many years since I replaced those hoses.

Just use generic hoses of matching diameter if the 240Z set - which AFAIK is the only type currently available - won't work with your heater. The pre-moulded shape of one of the 260Z heater hoses on mine was impossible to match without kinking so I just cut it much longer and looped it around in a full circle, it's been like that for decades without an issue and is up under the dash where no-one can even see it anyway.

I've looked at those nut & bolt sets too, tempting, but the gold passivated? finish on them doesn't match those fixings on my Z which appear to be a mix of mostly zinc? finish with some black HT which is maybe phosphate & oil. There's a stainless steel alternative set available but costs more $$$. Originality? Personal choice. I prefer to just clean up fixings on a wire wheel.

I'd have to check, the loom is well tucked in under the carpets, not really able to photograph. Yes I think you're right, in that early 240s used vinyl on the sills, the very early cars were pretty spartan as were other sporty cars of the day.

No running on the left side would be for LHD cars. My early '74 260 RHD 2-seat is very similar to the late 240s, so suspect this will help. The main loom front to back starts with the junction box on the A pillar, drops down and then runs in the corner / junction recess formed by the floor pan and the sill, on the RH side. It is covered by both the sill carpet and the main carpet. After the seat it then rises up behind the carpet to get behind the 1/4 trim panel (which has a cut-out for it) and then runs on thru the wheel arch well area and on to the taillights etc. There are numerous of those plastic-wrapped metal pair 'fingers' - like used in the engine bay - to secure it. No glue. Mirroring that on the LH side is the aerial wire from the console radio to the aerial mounted on the LH rear quarter. The wiring to the rear speakers on those cars so equipped also runs on the LH side from what I've seen. Hope that helps.

The two switches in that picture are back to front, not that it really matters, but the Hazard switch should be central which is logical. Early cars mostly had blanking panels; my '74 only had the hazard switch, nothing else, I added the demister switch & light c/o a USA supplier. Later cars filled up all the cut-outs with accessories so there was more wiring in behind too. The lower RH location was used for a fog light or spotlight switch or somesuch on JDM cars. I still think the best idea is to to locate a used console complete with the ashtray and fixings, vinyl shifter boot with its fixing clips, and whatever blanking panels may still remain, and fit all those to the new bare console base. You may need the console front fixing bracket too?

The 2-seat and 2+2 consoles are basically the same, except for the 2+2 having an ashtray at rear whereas the 2-seat just has a blanking panel. Unlike the early cars the later cars seemed to generally have a padded lid to the storage bin which also provides an armrest, and I've noticed them on JDM cars. Hazard switch goes lower centre; rear demister switch to the lower left and indicator light upper left. Can't help you with the choke and choke light my car doesn't have those. Find the best console you can from someone parting a car out - they're usually a bit knocked around after 40+ yrs; all crack at the choke lever, most have been cut around to fit better sound systems - and get it plastic welded repaired. Weld up any odd holes where POs have fitted non-standard stuff. You could buy one in from the USA but shipping will be a killer, plus the $$ exchange rate is bad enough, plus GST. But investigate it yourself, there are several major vendors over there.

Whoever you borrowed that bonnet off needs to get some rust neutralizer on there asap. Just saying. Unless it's the ratrod look he wants of course..... Curious, Gav, in your last photo there, your grille lower fixing brackets turn downwards. But they turn upwards on my early '74 260, I'd thought the radiator support & slatted grille would be the same as 240, or is yours different being an early car?

What side? Also, what year 260Z? The winders in early 260Z 2-seaters are different to those in later 260Z 2-seaters / 2+2s, and different again to 240Z winders. Different crank positions and spring arrangements.

It's also what effect the fire had on tempering of the steel, and what's happened inside all the various cavities, difficult to assess visually without actually working on it.