gilltech

Thanks guys. Mine is supposed to have been re-sleeved when it was re-kitted some years ago, but must have been a crook job if it actually was, as the car has only been driven in & out of storage since. But will check around the usual parts outlets & see what is available this time round; but after last time I don't fancy my chances. I can always indent from the USA. I had an idea that the 7/8" was not the only size used.

Yes I can get the old one re-sleeved; but that was supposedly done as part of the re-kit job (or was it??) & the job has failed, it leaks again, so now I just want to bolt in a new one of a reputable brand & be done with it. Thought I'd ask other Zed owners first if they have any recommendations for what I consider to be a pretty vital piece before I trek around asking at parts outlets if they stock bits for a 34 yr old car, as I had no luck last time. However, will try again.

Hello, Help needed to locate new 260z brake master cylinder - Brisbane; original part was re-kitted a couple of years ago but now leaks again so I just want to fit a new one (car is not mobile so will fit it myself). Bore size is 7/8" according to my manual, so could be same as 240z & 240k? Are these things available through Repco or Supercheap or a brake parts supplier, or are they obsolete & so I need to indent from the USA? Your advice would be appreciated. Cheers, GillTech

When I stripped away underseal & grey primer on the chassis rails of my car the bare metal surface appeared to have a sort of silver-coloured finish to it ie. it certainly wasn't pure bare steel as such; it did look rather like a galvanised (zinc) finish; I'm guessing that the lower body chassis box section bits when made were dip treated in some way prior to being welded into the rest of the body to give them at least some sort of basic protection as paint can't penetrate into the rails during the body primer & painting process. Perhaps that's what the engineers for mossy's mum's car were looking at when they inspected it. But I would expect that the 'galvanising' would have been just a simple steel passivating process, definitely not a 'hot dipped' type galvanising process as you'd use for external metalwork on a building, say, that's designed to be left exposed to the weather. So the resultant coating, zinc or whatever, wouldn't last long in a wet climate as it would just erode away, & quickly if it didn't get a chance to dry out regularly.

I have a very early '74 260 2-seat & agree with the comments others have surmised as to the shell age of yours being a late 260. Look - you actually have the best of both worlds - the last of the 260's apparently had the strongest bodies (admittedly at the cost of some extra weight of course), while the stock 240 motors generally had more 'go' than the stock 260's due to the shorter stroke & higher compression. So I agree with NZeder - just get it back on the road & enjoy it as a nice car, & an interesting hybrid if one must be picky! At least your body shell sounds good & sound. I once saw a Zed in NZ (many years ago now) that appeared to be a 240 rear half with a late 260 front half grafted on (joined at the top of the windscreen I suppose); the 260 engine bay had extra brackets & bits, & the 240 dash was badly fitted into the 260 shell - so check the fixings on your dash match up as on this car the dash was loose at the bottom corners & lower centre, but I didn't get to look closely to see if it was a part interchange problem or was just simply not fully bolted in. You'll have to check the length of your struts as well as diameter if you require new strut inserts as already noted by others - the length varies between the various age groupings. For example, I run late 260 front struts that drops the front of the car a bit compared to the original taller early 260 struts. Keep us posted as to how you get on - sounds like a very interesting project! Good luck with it.

Zedman240 is correct - use a large shifter to capture the central lugs on the cam, but make sure it is very well padded where it rests/bears against the alloy head or whatever the end of the handle presses against to preclude damage. This tip is shown in at least one of the common american guide books on Nissan L-series engine re-builds.

I had the same problem, many many years ago now. The shafts wouldn't budge, were apparently rusted to the inside steel sleeves of the suspension arm rubber bushes; soaking with CRC didn't help. On my car there is a bolt-like wedge fastener in the centre of the suspension arm to prevent the shaft from sliding forward or back (as if!), so that has to be removed first, but on my car it made no difference at all. The only way out for me was to very carefully hacksaw cut through the shafts (& projecting inner bushes) between the struts & the suspension arms to separate everything. I then borrowed a gas torch to burn out the rubber bushes (still containing the remains of the shafts); the heated rubber burned & charred away to the point where the remains could be driven out. Then followed a very laborious & painstaking 'surgical' removal of the remaining bush outer steel sleeves using a hacksaw to cut deep grooves until a narrow cold chisel could collapse them in & they could be driven out, all without nicking or damaging the arms. I did have to touch up the paint on the arms, thanks to the heat of the gas torch. Then I got someone at a workshop to press in new bushes for me, & when I put it all back together with new shafts I used plenty of copper anti-seizure grease. It took ages, but I got there in the end, & as I had only limited tools & resources didn't have any choice; but it really only cost me the price for new parts. All I can suppose is that the factory didn't use much grease when it assembled the car in the first place. It was a friendly mechanic who suggested I use copper anti-seizure grease; I'd never heard of it before. The theory being that even if the grease dries out then the copper is still there as a soft separation material to keep the steel components apart. Hope the above helps.

Scando is right, but if not, then just buy one of those multi-fit clutch plate alignment kits, some sort of plastic, from Repco or SuperCheap or whoever; cheap as chips & they work just fine; just select the appropriate bits to make the tool up to exactly fit the car before you pull the old clutch off, & away you go.

You'll find that some of the studs/nuts/bolts for the exhaust manifold are shared with flanges of the intake manifold. Remove the whole lot (ie. inlet manifold as a complete unit with carbs etc) as you should install a new gasket which is usually one long piece for both manifolds. Sometimes studs will unscrew from the head when you try to undo the nuts, so they need to be re-installed with Loc-Tite after you've cleaned the face of the head up of any old gasket material for a smooth clean surface; then hang the new gasket on the studs, & slip the manifolds on & install washers / nuts torqued up to correct spec's. Your extractors have been used before so should fit OK; sometimes new ones are a bit tight in some areas & the steel needs to be relieved a bit here & there to enable everything to slide easily into place - nothing should have to be forced. Some studs may have damaged threads or be bent if any rough work has ever been carried out on your engine, so check them over & replace if in doubt; the new gasket has to be able to seal correctly or you will find your motor will not run so well. As a side-note, the headers on my car have a slightly thinner steel flange than the intake manifold castings have, so I have to use wide washers & packers under the nuts to accomodate the slight difference & ensure all manifolds are receiving correct pressure from the nuts to prevent gasket leakage; I don't know if other Zed owners have experienced this little hassle. Actually, as my extractors are old & badly surface rusted, I want to replace them - anybody out there have a brand they would recommend? One company on eBay advertises a set for about $370 which seems a little on the steep side once freight is added but maybe that's typical; I assume they come with the usual thin coat of black paint so a decent rust-proof coating such as the ceramic type will be extra again - can anyone advise?

I absolutely agree; pulling the diff out & putting it back is straight forward basic mechanical work; but the internal guts setting up must be done by someone experienced or most likely you will end up with a noisy diff again - tolerances & alignment are absolutely critical internally. Some Zed diffs hummed or whined a little from new, from what I've heard from original owners! I just mentioned that the 240K uses the same diffs as the Zed, as I used one as a temporary replacement until a R200 came available to replace my troublesome one in my 260Z, some years ago now; the wrecker charged me far less than he would have if it had come from a Zed. But there are probably more diffs around these days; at one time they were like hen's teeth & wreckers knew it. There is a discussion elsewhere in this website about stock diff ratios. 1:3.364 sounds high, but I'm really only familiar with 260Zs. The R180 I used for a while came from an auto 240K, & was 1:3.545. The R200 in my manual 260Z is 1:3.7. Best check your existing diff - pull the cover off & count the teeth on the crown wheel & pinion; divide one by the other & there's your ratio. You may want to gear your car up or down, depending on your preference, if you end up with several diffs to choose from. It would be a good idea to keep a spare diff stashed away, as they were discovered to be a weak point on the early Zeds in competition. Hence the comments about upgrading to the stronger (but heavier) R200.

I was quoted well over a grand to rebuild a 260Z R200 diff completely, a few years ago, as the crown & pinion needed repair or replacement due to damage caused by a piece of a shear pin getting caught up in the teeth, so be careful when sending yours away to another part of the country without some idea of possible cost as it will be out of your hands, literally. There should be someone who deals in diffs in Darwin, surely? The actual guts aren't that different to any standard Australian car with a live axle; just have to be set up (as in alignment, tolerances etc etc) very very carefully by someone who knows how to do it right, or else the re-built diff will just continue to be noisy. You could simply try another diff; one from a 240K would do (also R180), just check whether it came from a manual or auto car so you know what ratio. Or you could take the opportunity to upgrade to the heavier R200 from a 260Z; there's plenty of info around as to what you need to do to fit one to a 240.

Sounds like the alternator - I had a sudden failure on mine - halfway into a 30km night drive returning home; engine started mis-firing slightly over a few hundred metres (I suspected fuel problems so played with the choke lever which helped initially), then it cut out totally, & all lights went dead. I was in the RH lane but luckily had enough momentum on in neutral to swerve across the other lanes (& avoid other cars) & run the old girl up on the LH embankment to safety. The RH lane of the motorway at night would not be a good place to be stopped with no emergency verge to pull over into, & no lighting at all as had no power left & the motorway itself is poorly lit. Next car along & I'd be in serious trouble, just bound to get hit up the arse. Sudden & scary, happened quickly. Problem? Alternator had failed totally, so car had been running on the battery until that ran down. Nothing visible externally, only warning was the mis-firing. So after a tow-truck got me home I traded the alternator in on a replacement & went for a slightly higher output model while I was at it. I'll never forget that close call. Or forgive motorway designers who neglect to provide emergency stopping lanes on both sides. So have your alternator tested for peace of mind, if nothing else; they're getting old.

Thanks guys for all your input, much appreciated you taking the time & providing links & sources. I won't rush into it or take any risks, as this is the original numbers-matching motor so don't want to stuff it up. I'll shop around for a good local machine shop & parts supplier here in Brisbane first, & ask lots of questions. Cheers, Gilltech.

Welcome, but what the reverendzed meant is that the car is either a 260Z, or 280ZX, there's no 260"ZX". Either could be a 2+2 model as opposed to a 2-seater. What year is it? Any interesting history? It's nice to have an original spec car that hasn't been mucked about or bodged up. Glad you're enjoying it; they're real fun cars with a worldwide network of enthusiasts, as you'll see from this forum.

Thanks for your input & advice guys. I'm very keen now to give it a go myself - I have a book on rebuilding Datsun motors, access to the right tools, & it seems pretty straightforward step-by-step. I'll track down a reputable local supplier for all the new bits, & an engine machining shop, & get myself an engine stand & see how I go - & if I get stuck I'll sing out. Tony, you mentioned a 'rebuild kit', & that doesn't include pistons, so presume therefore I buy the Hypertech pistons & Grant rings you recommend; do you use Nissan gaskets, & Nissan timing gear set? Thanks for your help!

Just goes to show how some people can't just accept a nicely balanced design as it is without wanting to make their mark & change it. Awful. The result here is a badly blended mish-mash of various shapes so that the thing looks like it was designed by a committee. I hope it's a photoshop job & doesn't really exist in real life.

You got fined for painting your car in your own shed? WTF! Where in Qld are you? I had a scan thru a list of Qld laws on nuisances etc & couldn't find any comment on painting, commercial activity, compressors etc other than noise only being permitted during particular hours for the latter. Was it a local area by-law you infringed, & was it actually explained as to what exactly you did wrong? A bit rough to fine you without a warning being issued first. And if you're painting just one car for yourself & obviously aren't running a painting business doing same I can't see how they can class it as a commercial activity or whatever.??

Thanks for your input; this is a pretty scary area as I don't want to get ripped off. The answer to my next question is probably like asking how long is a piece of string, but what ballpark sort of money should I expect to pay for a bottom end rebuild if I took the whole bottom end (as in the block/crank etc) in & asked for it to be reconditioned? The head is another issue - I assume I will need to request hardened valve inserts to suit lead-free fuel? (Original motor dates from 1973). Ballpark cost for a recond head? I appreciate any feedback.

Anybody out there up Qld way have a really good contact for a proven Zed engine rebuilder in the Brisbane city area? I just want my original numbers-matching stock 260Z motor rebuilt, no fancy engine work or trick parts will be required. A member of the Qld Z club kindly gave me a contact in Toowoomba, but I need somewhere much closer than that.

I've also noticed that this ad keeps popping up; I was going to say that it's been around for at least 18 months, but could be much longer. I tried making contact some time ago, but never got a reply. Surely such ads must have an automatic time limit if the car has long since sold? It looks tidy & original, but missing the bumper corner rubbers & all the badges - perhaps when repainted the badge pin holes were filled, although strangely on the hatch they look like they have little plugs in them. It would have a 'Nissanmatic' badge on the left side of the hatch, & 'Datsun' & '260Z' on the right. Anybody able to shed light on this car?

Yes hi there Mike, you've got a good memory! My 260Z & Mustang both got here to (Brisbane) un-marked thanks to a very careful shipping company. Yes my NZ-new car just has the factory chassis ID plate as per the upper image in Aegean's post on page 1; no 'compliance' plate was required to be fitted; therefore no helpful date data as the Australia-new cars seem to have received. A former Nissan assembly-plant employee told me many years ago that he thought that approx 200 240z & 260z cars were imported & sold new by Nissan NZ, which doesn't sound like much until one remembers that Jap cars were still fairly new on the scene in the early 70's; but that is the only import info I've ever heard of. The rest of the Zeds we see around in NZ are apparently personal imports from Australia (mainly), ex-UK or Hong Kong, & quite a few ex Japan as 'grey' used imports (often with 2L motors & lots of rust), plus a few in LHD or ex-LHD form from the USA or Canada or Europe or wherever. Anecdotally I've heard that there are an estimated 600 Zeds in NZ, but how people can even begin to work that out I don't know - I would presume that the majority of those are in varying degrees of condition & completeness & stashed or secreted away as 'future projects'. Mike, you can probably shed some light on the above as it is interesting. I would like to know what the situation is in Australia; I generally see well-optioned 2+2's around over here but not many 2-seaters. Regarding the 'K' in Mustang chassis numbers - it refers to the factory-fitted engine specification, being in this case a high-performance 289 cu in V8 rated at 271 hp. Not very common, as most purchasers opted for lower-hp-rated small-blocks, or, from 1967-on, a (cheaper) big-block. So if you know someone with a 'K-code' Mustang then they have something pretty desirable today.

The comment in an earlier thread about noted likely 'time-lags' between Zed-car build-dates & initial registrations (on-road) by first owners in eventual sales markets is probably right on the mark; for example - I have a 260Z 2-seater RS30-000115 which I presume must have been built around Aug/Sept 73, not being sold new (in NZ's South Island) until early Feb '74. I guess shipping timetables were probably quite different (as in slower) in the 70's to what they are today.