gilltech

Congratulations on realizing your dream & your new hobby, & welcome to the Zed world. Changing from auto to manual is straightforward enough, you've just got to hunt down the necessary parts. This forum contains the info you need to know. People are parting out rusty 260 2+2s from time to time, keep an eye out on eBay, Gumtree, this forum etc. Until you have sourced all the parts for the changeover just keep on enjoying your car, just because it has an auto doesn't mean they don't go well, quite the contrary.

SUs are fine, plenty of parts available for fine tuning them, why spend money to change for Hitachis which are so very similar? And I really don't think you'd be wanting, or needing, to rev past 7.....why? Asking for trouble. Better to sort the car's gearing out to suit your needs.

As per PB260Z re starter motor or solenoid most likely, or, could actually be a bad connection at the battery or earth strap.

I take it you want both the outer rubbers (sealing the window frame to the body) & the inner rubbers (which hold the glass to the frame). Take a window out & measure the X-section profiles. For the outers, for starters I'd try Clark Rubber to see what profiles they have, failing that look online to various suppliers of rubber profiles for other cars, maybe check out MGB GT or something like that which also has an opening side window. Worth a try. For the inners you may be able to graft 2 x 2-seat inner rubbers together, by cutting & butt jointing to take up the bigger size of the 2+2 plus the different shape. The X-section or profile should be the same. You'd have to buy twice of course, not a happy prospect. I don't suppose a better used condition pair of 2+2 windows is an option?

Yep it's been a year of good conversations, great forum. All the best everyone for the festive season & hope we all manage to move our beloved Z projects forward in 2015!

You need to separate the stainless steel frame into it's sections, clean everything up then reassemble the window frames using new rubbers around the glass. If screws or rivets are rusted you may need to drill out & replace. IIRC, & I did mine on my 2-seat more than 20 yrs ago so my memory is a bit hazy, there's a steel corner staking angle inside the frame which was probably zinc plated originally but may well need by now fresh treatment or replacement. I say that, because I have seen a number of frames both on cars & as spares from parted-out cars, that are clearly starting to separate at that corner - the steel angle, which is mild steel & not stainless steel, is rusting & bulking up & forcing the mitred corner apart. Just a thought. Hope that helps.

Mr Camo you're the font of Z knowledge, thankyou for taking time to help out, I'll have a fresh try at installing the 240 wheel on my 260.

Thanks Mr Camo. I think the problem with mine could be that the 260's spring doesn't seem to fit the 240's steering wheel, well that's if the 240 uses a spring under the hub.

FWIW, a while ago now I also bought a 240 wheel with horn pad to install on my 260, & couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the horn to work. Is the 260's steering column & horn contact set-up different in some respect? I don't have a 240 column to compare the two side-by-side.

So would it be correct to say that the basic AM radio got the vertical rocker switch for the antenna, at the RH end of the faceplate; while both the AM/FM radio & radio cassette units (which are bigger units) used the little switch above the volume knob like in Gav's photo? That's what it looks like to me anyway.

Must be on 240 only, my 260 doesn't have an additional grab handle.

240 front hubs are different to 260 are they not?

All the 2+2 rear struts I've seen have been taller than the 2-seater ones. Might have a few bits, I'll have to dig into my stash of parts.

For what year car? There are differences.

The OP said he wants a 2-seater 240, 260 or 280Z. So S30, the first series. Not a 280Z as in ZX, the later series. They came badged as either which is what confuses many people. The great majority of the 280Z / 280ZX cars found in this part of the world would be 2+2. AFAIK all the S30 280Zs were LHD, sold in North America & Europe.

Well depends what parts you need to hunt down. Some are the same, some not, RHD vs LHD for starters as you said. Often the 280Z was higher spec'd than our 260s, so the electricals are usually more complex. And the engine & bumper differences. You just have to go through a catalog & work it out or take a punt sometimes if there's no other option.

Depends on your definition of 'driveable' - you'd be very lucky to find a 2-seater for under 8K these days, in reasonable going condition that doesn't need a lot of work. Prices for Zeds & especially 2-seaters have steadily climbed in the past few years, the usual market forces of supply & demand. Better to up your budget & find a better car in the first place that can obtain a roadworthy & really be driven.

How is the 1970 faceplate different to the later ones - is it the countersunk screws in the lower corners?

What's your budget?

IIRC the 240 & 260 interior trim panels are different in shape, detail & surface finish so I don't know how successful you'd be if you needed to mix 'n' match. What's happened to your '75 interior?

I agree with you, I think certain colours particularly suit the 2+2 & that's one of them. Looks like quite a nice car, L28 & all the right bits on it.

I'm confused. Was this Z sold new in Australia or imported later? If there's no recorded history of registration - & therefore no history of ADR compliance either - then can the car not just be treated the same as any other old car import? Or is there a particular date that would trip it up?

If you've got plates - assuming they belonged to that car & not something else - plus the VIN stamped into the body then you surely should have enough assuming rego records go back far enough. The plates are just riveted on, so can be removed, but why? Except for engine bay repaint? But is there any reason, say illegality, why you couldn't buy one of those blank plates available online & have it stamped with the VIN & other details & install it to complete the package? Surely that's what resto people must do.

Well I did precisely that! Back in '84 I looked at several '71 & '72 240s, but after doing my research opted for a 260 2-seat because people were already aware by then that the later cars were a bit better built & stronger, less rust-prone in the rear wheel arches, but of course heavier. And the later the car the more it benefitted from running improvements, same with lots of cars. (Or not, in the case of the carburetors on the Zeds...).

True. There are people on this forum who just amaze me with the challenges they are taking on. Admirable. But the Zeds have always been a concern for rusting, much as I love them I'm under no illusions. Back about '86 I had a friend in NZ who bought a pretty presentable looking '71. Floors & rails & underside & areas that you'd usually check looked reasonable for a 15 yr old car. Until it got tee-boned whereupon it pretty much split apart structurally (luckily he was OK). All the pillars particularly the A-pillars, had already had rust repairs & were full of bog. Only the roof skin could be salvaged, as even the roof frames were rusty. And just prior to that there was a Z that was tee-boned in an accident on a motorway. Car split in half in front of the rear wheels, driver was killed; I understand the seatbelt broke his neck. So rust repairs on our beloved Zeds need to be done to the highest standards as they are lightweight to begin with.