Introducing my '73 240z

[ninjazombiemaster]

Hey everyone. I'm brand new here, and just got my early '73 240z on July 20th. Its my very first car, and I love it. But there are a few things that need work, or I don't totally understand. I'm 19, which means this car is over twice as old as me, and naturally I have some questions about it. I'm hoping this thread can document my experience with this car, and answer my questions.
But without further adieu, here are a few pictures.

My first question is: What are these two little toggle switches on the center console?
Also, feel more than free to ask me anything about this car, and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge.

[5thhorsemann]

Toggles are add on's, NICE CAR! P.S. Always give motor bay pics.

[LeonV]

Hey everyone. I'm brand new here, and just got my early '73 240z on July 20th. Its my very first car, and I love it. But there are a few things that need work, or I don't totally understand. I'm 19, which means this car is over twice as old as me, and naturally I have some questions about it. I'm hoping this thread can document my experience with this car, and answer my questions.
But without further adieu, here are a few pictures.

My first question is: What are these two little toggle switches on the center console?
Also, feel more than free to ask me anything about this car, and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge.

Welcome! You're very fortunate to have a Z as nice as this one for a first car, just be sure to take good care of it. Better ask the PO what the switches are for, they're not stock.

What's the backstory of acquiring it and what made you get a 240Z as a first car?

[ninjazombiemaster]

"adieu" I thought I was spelling it wrong, but Google told me it was right. Oh well.
That's what I thought on those switches, which is what threw me off so much.
And I will, I just wanted to get it clean before I post pictures of it.
Thanks!

Well, the backstory is, my mom has just had another new baby, and needed a bigger car that could fit two car seats and still have room for passengers. At the same time, one of our car's transmission failed, and the other's was going bad. Damn Saturns...
The only other vehicle was an old GMC Sierra, which is now for sale to help pay for the new Dodge, which can be seen above. So that left my step-dad with a dying Saturn, my mom with a shiny new dodge, and me with nothing to use for getting around (luckily I work just a few blocks from home).
In preparation for this, I had been searching for a new car, probably just a beater for as cheap as I could get, when I bumped into a Datsun in very poor shape, cosmetically at least. The seller was asking $1600, the body was fully intact but rough, and had an awful paint job that was soiled in surface rust. It had a roll cage, a Chevy 350 and some sweet glass pack mufflers. It sold before I could see it myself, but it left me so intrigued, I stopped looking for other cars and just waited for another Datsun to go for sale, and weighing the pros/cons of the ones already available.
Being a kid, my budget was small ($1000-$3000), and all the cars in this range needed a lot of work...
After maybe a week, this beauty popped up, the seller was asking $4,700 - quite a bit out of budget, but I had just gotten a raise, and felt confident I could afford it. I felt that was a fair price, and didn't haggle him down.
A few days later, I test drove it, and a few days after that it was parked in front of my house.

Honestly, a few moths ago I probably couldnt say I knew what a Datsun Z was, but when I saw it, I knew it was the car for me. I'm just lucky one came at such a time and price...

[ninjazombiemaster]

Sorry for the bump, but I guess I wasted all my edits correcting grammar.

Toggles are add on's

Better ask the PO what the switches are for, they're not stock.

Asked the PO, as far as he knows, they do nothing. I guess when it was restored 7 years ago, the PPO had some plans but never finished them. I guess I can follow the wires and see where they go.

Some additional info on the car:
The Odometer Reads 8-9k, and has rolled overe once, so about 108.5k miles, give or take.
It was originally Canary Yellow, this is visible in some niches, and in a few minor chips in the paint.
The car is mostly stock, most notably the seats, which are in great shape, and have never been reupholstered.
I believe it has received the following updates/replacements.
-Aluminum Radiator
-Updated fuel and brake lines, over all engine cleanse and restoration at ~100k miles
-I believe it has received new roof and door panel vinyl, and carpet, but I'm not positive
-Retro sound radio
-I believe the headlights have been replaced
-I'll add more as they come to me

Things that need work
-The gas gauge doesn't work
-Brakes squeal, but it stops just fine
-Smells like a boat
-Could use a good interior and engine cleaning
-Antenna is messed up and wont extend or retract from where it is (perhaps I could swap it with an electric one and wire it to one of those useless switches? haha)
-Minor cosmetic flaws, when I get the cash I may touch it up
-The arm rest thingy is messing some pegs to keep it in place, but I'll probably just get an aftermarket one with cupholders.
-A few minor cracks in the dash
-Again, I'll add more as I notice them

[LeonV]

Nice! My advice is to read up as much as humanly possible, and then read some more. Download the FSM at xenons30.com and make sure everything is in order (fluids, brakes, cooling, fueling, ignition, etc.).

[ninjazombiemaster]

Thanks! Already have
But I'm still going to swing it by my dads shop for a more thorough look-over.

[tlorber]

Nice car. I'm guessing that one of those switches was to raise and lower the antenna.

Any other guesses here before we find out for sure???

[ninjazombiemaster]

Thanks. Possibly, there are definitely wires coming from the switches, but I don't know where they lead, if anywhere.

[olzed]

Hey, Nice find. The same colour as my right hand drive 72. Look after it, and enjoy it.

[ninjazombiemaster]

Thanks! Will do.

[Hardway]

Congrats on the purchase Ninja. Based on what you shared with us about the car and the pictures you have a great car to start with. What part of the country are you in? Did you find your car on Craigslist, Auto Trader, through a friend, etc? At $4700 I think you did really good even with the car needing the items you listed. It has TONS of curb appeal and will always draw fans at the local gas station and car show/meet up.

You mentioned the car smells like a boat, does it smell like fuel or wet/mildew? If it smells like fuel read up on replacing the vent lines going to the tank. You will have to drop the tank to properly access them but it needs to be done anyway since you said your fuel gauge is not working. Check the tank for any damage as you may have several sources of gas fumes coming in. If it smells wet or mildewy get all the carpets up and inspect your pans. Hopefully they are in good shape and you can either clean or replace the carpet in the car along with whatever weatherstripping might be needed.

This site is a great resource with tons of topics and issues already covered. Keep us posted with your Z as we will be looking forward to your updates and pictures.

[theczechone]

welcome, looks like a great car to start with!

[ksbeta]

Pretty sure I'm going to have way more than $4,700 in both my cars and they won't look that good still. Congratulations and welcome. Where are you located?

[ninjazombiemaster]

Thanks everyone! It smells like a boat as in fuel, but I spilled a tiny bit of gas in the back when I was moving a tank, and probably just need to clear the fumes. I'm located in Salt Lake City, UT, and it was listed on our local new's online classified ads.

[olzed]

Thanks everyone! It smells like a boat as in fuel,.

They are known for that. Does it smell also like exhaust fumes.?
Could be sucking fumes around the rear hatch rubbers, or numerous other places, generally at the rear.

[ninjazombiemaster]

I see, more like just plain gas rather than exhaust, but I'll keep investigating.

[ninjazombiemaster]

Sorry for my newbieness... But what does this thing by the hood release do?.. I'm kind of afraid to pull it without knowing.

[Travel'n Man]

Welcome to the site - it is the drivers side fresh air vent - the passenger area has one also.

[Blue]

Things that need work
-The gas gauge doesn't work (connect harness wires at fuel sender (front of tank near passenger wheel well) then turn power on to see if gauge goes to full).


-Brakes squeal, but it stops just fine (take apart and refresh with high-temp permatex brake lube or similar brake lube).
-Smells like a boat (fuel leaks, probably in your gas tank vent system. have a look here:http://www.google.ca/search?num=30&h...1c.m9cQYDmgN94
-Could use a good interior and engine cleaning (Elbow grease and soapy water first then McGuires detailing spray or similar for plastic/vinyl)
-Antenna is messed up and wont extend or retract from where it is (perhaps I could swap it with an electric one and wire it to one of those useless switches? haha) (find a "car stereo" electrical guy...watch out for idiots)
-Minor cosmetic flaws, when I get the cash I may touch it up
-The arm rest thingy is messing some pegs to keep it in place, but I'll probably just get an aftermarket one with cupholders.
-A few minor cracks in the dash
-Again, I'll add more as I notice them

[Blue]

Things that need work
-The gas gauge doesn't work (connect harness wires at fuel sender (front of tank near passenger wheel well) then turn power on to see if gauge goes to full).


-Brakes squeal, but it stops just fine (take apart and refresh with high-temp permatex brake lube or similar brake lube).
-Smells like a boat (fuel leaks, probably in your gas tank vent system. have a look here:http://www.google.ca/search?num=30&h...1c.m9cQYDmgN94
-Could use a good interior and engine cleaning (Elbow grease and soapy water first then McGuires detailing spray or similar for plastic/vinyl)
-Antenna is messed up and wont extend or retract from where it is (perhaps I could swap it with an electric one and wire it to one of those useless switches? haha) (find a "car stereo" electrical guy...watch out for idiots)
-Minor cosmetic flaws, when I get the cash I may touch it up
-The arm rest thingy is messing some pegs to keep it in place, but I'll probably just get an aftermarket one with cupholders.
-A few minor cracks in the dash
-Again, I'll add more as I notice them

[72 OJ]

Welcome to Z land, welcome to the addiction, good luck with your new to you ride.......

[sblake01]

"adieu" I thought I was spelling it wrong, but Google told me it was right...

Well, yes and no. What you're trying to say is "Without further ado." 'Ado' means 'fuss or concern' while 'adieu' is French for 'farewell'. Looks like a nice 73. I owned a 70 and 72 in that color 'back in the day'.

[Blue]

Much ado about nutt'n.

[LeonV]

Well, yes and no. What you're trying to say is "Without further ado." 'Ado' means 'fuss or concern' while 'adieu' is French for 'farewell'. Looks like a nice 73. I owned a 70 and 72 in that color 'back in the day'.

[Peggy Hill]Wow, I did not know that.[/Peggy Hill]

[ninjazombiemaster]

Welcome to the site - it is the drivers side fresh air vent - the passenger area has one also.

Not the vent, its a cable that you pull just like the hood release but it has no markings. Its circled in red in the picture. I guess now that its light outside I can just pull and see what happens.
Also, it seems the gas gauge works about half the time now. Probably some sort of bad connection in the wiring? I'll take a look where Blue suggested.
And French is clearly not my second language...

[ninjazombiemaster]

-delete this- Duplicate post

[LeonV]

Not the vent, its a cable that you pull just like the hood release but it has no markings. Its circled in red in the picture. I guess now that its light outside I can just pull and see what happens.
Also, it seems the gas gauge works about half the time now. Probably some sort of bad connection in the wiring? I'll take a look where Blue suggested.
And French is clearly not my second language...

It's for the fresh air vent, just as TM said.

[ninjazombiemaster]

It's for the fresh air vent, just as TM said.

So it opens and closes it then?

[LeonV]

So it opens and closes it then?

Right.

[kjohnson2444]

Just so you know.... That old-fashioned fresh air vent only works when the car is in motion. Air just blows in from the front of the car through those black plastic tubes on the right and left front corners of your engine compartment, through a channel in the fender and into the cabin. Unless of course, your car has been in storage a long time and the entire air channel is filled with a mouse nest.

[conedodger]

Thanks everyone! It smells like a boat as in fuel, but I spilled a tiny bit of gas in the back when I was moving a tank, and probably just need to clear the fumes. I'm located in Salt Lake City, UT, and it was listed on our local new's online classified ads.

Well, if you're in SLC and you don't mind wandering down to Sandy, a friend of mine restores brakes down there. He has a set of cores already so you can call him up and pick up a set of new ones and just drop yours off. That'll take care of your brakes! He restored these Alfa Romeo Brembo's for my Porsche and restored my stock Sumitomo's so they look like jewelry. There is a thread in the brake section about his process. His screen name here is Eric_Shea.

[clutchdust]

Nice looking so far. Being in SLC, and just the general fact that it's a Z, have you looked underneath for rust? They're notorious for rusting in the subframe legs that run under the floorboard and also in the framerails just before the rear tires and fenders just aft of the rear tires. At the age these cars are now, it's far too common for them to have been "repair" using bondo or some such filler in those areas to mask the cancer. I use a small magnet like those thin flexible kind people use as promotional refrigerator magnets to check. They're strong enough to stick to metal through paint, but not strong enough to stick to metal through bondo.

[ninjazombiemaster]

Well, if you're in SLC and you don't mind wandering down to Sandy, a friend of mine restores brakes down there. He has a set of cores already so you can call him up and pick up a set of new ones and just drop yours off. That'll take care of your brakes! He restored these Alfa Romeo Brembo's for my Porsche and restored my stock Sumitomo's so they look like jewelry. There is a thread in the brake section about his process. His screen name here is Eric_Shea.

Awesome, I'll look 'em up. Thanks!

Nice looking so far. Being in SLC, and just the general fact that it's a Z, have you looked underneath for rust? They're notorious for rusting in the subframe legs that run under the floorboard and also in the framerails just before the rear tires and fenders just aft of the rear tires. At the age these cars are now, it's far too common for them to have been "repair" using bondo or some such filler in those areas to mask the cancer. I use a small magnet like those thin flexible kind people use as promotional refrigerator magnets to check. They're strong enough to stick to metal through paint, but not strong enough to stick to metal through bondo.

I'm pretty sure there's no bondo anywhere, but there is definitely rust. As far as I know its in the floorpans and on the passenger fender/wheel well area. The frame itself is good though.

[Gary in NJ]

I had a 240Z when I was your age (30 years ago). I changed my relationship with cars forever. Your 240 looks great. I hope you get to enjoy it for many miles and many years.

[ninjazombiemaster]

I had a 240Z when I was your age (30 years ago). I changed my relationship with cars forever. Your 240 looks great. I hope you get to enjoy it for many miles and many years.

Thanks!

[ninjazombiemaster]

Here are the engine bay pics ya'll requested. Sorry for the lighting and quality - best I cuold do at this time of day without the Nikon. Nothing shiny like some of yours', but what do you guys think?

[ninjazombiemaster]

Here are a few more...
This shows the general extent of the rust on 'er. In the floors, particularly the passenger side, and the passenger fender.

And here's one just for fun.


In other news, got the brakes changed from metallic to ceramic, so they no longer squeal. I've been making subtle adjustments to the tuning to get it where I want, and found out why my gas gauge wont work. It appears there's a small gas leak on the sending unit itself.
I also believe my fuel pump may be weak, so I'll look into that.

[mjr45]

Nice looking Z. You will have to replace that floor pan pretty soon, check the frame rail under the pan and you may find more rust, good luck with your Z and her running for a long time.

[MotoManMike]

Really nice Z. Even better Username . Ninjazombiemaster, thats just awesome.

[Captain Obvious]

You can add round top carb swap to your list of updates/replacements.

A previous owner removed the original flat-top carbs in favor of the older round tops, swapped the original EGR balance tube for one from a previous year, and replaced all the carb linkages accordingly.

[ninjazombiemaster]

Nice looking Z. You will have to replace that floor pan pretty soon, check the frame rail under the pan and you may find more rust, good luck with your Z and her running for a long time.

No kidding, the passenger side especially. The frame rails themselves are alright from what I've seen. Thanks!

Really nice Z. Even better Username . Ninjazombiemaster, thats just awesome.

Thanks! Haha

You can add round top carb swap to your list of updates/replacements.

A previous owner removed the original flat-top carbs in favor of the older round tops, swapped the original EGR balance tube for one from a previous year, and replaced all the carb linkages accordingly.

Indeed, and its a damn good thing. I havent heard anything good about the flat tops, I suppose, besides emissions, but mine its pretty decent in that department as well.

[Quinn'Z]

congrats bro, very nice find. I've had good luck with Blackdragon.com for parts, most shipping is free even to me in Hawaii. you're gonna love filling up and every time you stop, people love the way these look, even mine which looks awful! you bought a car with a soul, good job!

[ninjazombiemaster]

congrats bro, very nice find. I've had good luck with Blackdragon.com for parts, most shipping is free even to me in Hawaii. you're gonna love filling up and every time you stop, people love the way these look, even mine which looks awful! you bought a car with a soul, good job!

Why thank you. And definitely, I get compliments and thumbs up everywhere I go. There's also a strange mutual respect towards the car that you don't see much these days. I don't worry about it getting keyed or broken into like I would with a modern sports car. People just take take a look, maybe a picture and carry on. I checked out black dragon, they seem to have a good price on the cover. I may have to order that and protect my paint!