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KNOWLEDGE: A Hitachi KM-1520ZC Radio deep-dive
Today, we are going to have a very deep look at the Hitachi KM-1520ZC Car Radio, which was a factory-installed radio in many of the export market Datsun 240Zs. There were many other Radios / Antennas / Audio components used throughout the S30 line of cars, but that’s something I would like to save for a future Post. Disclaimer: I have a professional background and education in audio electronics engineering and used to repair such audio systems for many years. But it has been a while since, so forgive me if I messed up some details. If you have any correction, input or additional information, I appreciate if you let…
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240Z: Some parts from JP again
I’ve been busy dealing with life recently, but that doesn’t mean I forget spending money on more or less useless automobilia 🙂 First, the Japanese L-series Service manual. I have it in various language, but never had “the original” one from JP. And since it popped up for a reasonable price, I had to have it. Then i got another Datsun Switzerland price list. This time from April 1980. As usual, you can find all of them scanned in high-resolution for free download, here Some may know my List of various Japanese L6 Intake manifolds, carb kits and Turbo / Surge tank kits. And thanks to a hint, I recently…
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PLACE: The long-gone swiss 240Z collection
Before we start: Neither the place nor the cars nor the parts shown in the following pictures exist anymore. Please do not ask. Every car enthusiast dreams about finding a barn full of its favorite cars. So when I heard about a Swiss Z-Car “hoarder”, naturally, my interest was aroused. I started to ask around, and over the years I heard many rumors and stories, but never actually saw it. Until recently, a friendly guy shared some details and photos from that former collection. Many things are still unclear, but just look at it: The collection of various Z’s was located in Amriswil. Some say the owner bought many Z…
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240Z: Transmission, Hatch damper & Hood hardware test fit
So, I have been busy test-fitting various parts on my Z again. To set the alignment of the hood and fenders properly, I had all the hood hardware spacers, dampers and rubbers installed. Next on the to-do list was the rear hatch damper, so I can work on the hatch without having that temporary wood rod as a not-so-safe hatch holder. Wile both dampers I had were still working nicely, the mounting brackets were worn out on both and both had missing or cracked plastic / Teflon spacers. So after I got everything straight and assembled a temporary setup (I still need to find a good set of those plastic…
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240Z: OEM vs Aftermarket center consoles comparison
The Center console of any Z is, unfortunately, prone to cracking over the years, or previous owners have modified it with additional switches or lamps and therefore often cut holes into it. Finding a good center console is hard these days, so I have been trying to find a good replacement over the years. And I think I finally found one. Note: I appreciate anybody who makes aftermarket / replacement parts for obsolete Nissan parts. This is my personal view and I don’t blame anybody for the quality of their parts or anything, but I just share my personal experience with various products. In The past, I have gotten mad…
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240Z: Some small NOS parts arrived
Yesterday I got another bunch of NOS parts for my project, straight from the Nissan Stocks: Fuel tank sensor / sender Mounting ring and O-ring, plus the timing cover gasket. Front and rear bumper rubbers, Inspection lid foam rubber pieces and rubber seals Various spark plug wire brackets Hood bumpers, Hood stoppers and inspection lid rubber bumpers Window crank fasteners, Engine tube hose clamps and some heater panel knobs And last but not least, I also got a Swiss 260Z 2+2 brochure, which i for whatever reason didn’t have in my collection yet: I also did some actual work on the car again, so stay tuned for another update, soon.
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240Z: Another load of small bits & pieces
I’ve collected some parts again recently, so it’s time for another update full of random bits and pieces. Reader RIP260Z pointed out that the Pump diaphragm is missing in the American Mikuni rebuilt kits which I got recently, but are included in the Japanese Mikuni rebuild kits. Luckily, I was able to find a guy in Japan who sells all OEM Mikuni / Solex parts individually, and I ordered plenty of parts, that were still available – Including the Pump diaphragms and many wear and tear parts like springs, etc. Speaking of Mikunis, I also found an original Japanese Solex NPHH44 service manual. I had a Copy of it before,…
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GARAGE: Old grinder cleanup / Table restoration
So I recently managed to get this grinding machine for free from my father-in-law’s old workshop. It’s an old-school heavy duty (literary) Swiss-made WASU (Walter Suter) industrial grinder. The whole thing was fully functional, but quite dirty, hasn’t been used in a long while and the stand was really oil soaked and dirty. The good thing, though, is that it came with a lot of accessories, like plenty of high-quality sanding belts, grinder disks, a wire wheel and a grinding disk grinder (to make the disk even again – that long handle thing). First i removed the grinder from the table, and got rid of all bolts: Then i started…
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EK9: Window visor removal (to keep the car street legal)
Certain laws make sense, some don’t. Allegedly, it’s now illegal to have window visors installed on the car in Switzerland. Even if they are OEM H.O.P (Honda Optional Parts) that were sold here via dealerships, and were no problem for the last 15 years. Well, rules change, and if I want to keep the car on the road, I have to play by the rules and remove them. I waited as long as possible, but now I have my bi-annual MFK (= MOT / Shaken) check ahead and need to remove them. I wanted to be very careful, since they’re not available anymore, pretty rare and expensive collectors items these…
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240Z: Door Locking Mechanism & Rear quarter windows Test-fitted
I’m having a good pace currently and making some small progress almost daily. Currently, I’m test-fitting all the items so that they can go back to the bodyshop for final adjustment and panel-gap correction etc. The first thing I wanted t install were the rear quarter windows, but I quickly realized that some areas needed rework. Some time in the history of this Z, someone bent one of the mounting brackets heavily, so I had to get it straight again… And after spending 2 hours or so fixing various small details, the rear quarter windows finally went in, and fit perfectly: While working on it, i noticed the doors didn’t…
