K.C.'s 1972 Datsun 240Z Restoration

January 2003

2003.01.15 - Wheeeee!!!

I removed the rusty rear bumper from the Z. It looks better without it. :-) I've been driving the car to work every time the weather is nice. (Remember, it doesn't have a passenger window or windshield wipers!) Also, I think I found a contributing factor to why the passenger door doesn't close correctly. If you follow the seams around the doors, body panels, and hood, you can determine that the frame for this car is not as straight as it should be.

Nonetheless, the car is a blast to drive! I'm having trouble getting it to not run rich. I think I have the carb float out of whack on the front carb. I'll have to work on that.

2003.01.22 - Brake booster failure
Ooopsie, the brake booster died on my way to work! The symptoms are pretty obvious:
1- The brakes are heavy and stiff
2- When you press and hold the brake pedal, the engine RPM increases

The second symptom means that I have a vacuum leak in the booster that goes away when I press the pedal. This causes the vacuum advance on the distributor to advance the timing and increase the engine RPM. Anyone know where I can get a cheap 240Z brake booster?

I bought a very nice looking brake booster from an 81 280ZX in a nearby junkyard to see if it would fit. It doesn't. I was hoping I could just drill new mounting holes or something, but the booster itself is too wide to fit between the throttle linkages and the clutch cylinder. So, if anyone wants a nice brake booster from a 1981 280ZX, I've put it up on eBay as item number 2400916615.

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