Next thing I'm going to replace is the dashboard. I know it's like to win a lottery but may be I'm lucky and find a uncracked dash of a 1st gerenation 240 which is for sale. Has someone an idea or a tip?


Thor

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

have you considered repairing your existing one?

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

The 1970 dashboards are very expensive, but I recently got very lucky and found a perfect one for only $250 . Occasionally we hear of a member who will sell one, but they are very rare and usually cost many hundreds of dollars.

Maybe the most-expensive single item you can buy for a 1970 car, and the later year dashboards aren't right for the '70 cars.
Frank

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1970 240Z

Hey that's great Frank, you are lucky!!

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Frank is a lucky man he is friends with me isn't he....

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

I think John T.has one 4 sale.

I think for your car, you need a 71 - 72 dash based on the build date of your 70 car. They do come up and will have to be pulled from part cars. They do have one in Canada last time I checked but I believe the price was near $1900 USDM. You can get your dash repaired for much less and better quality. Something to think about.

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Clive Bogle President - New York Z Car Club - NYZCC.COM
1971 240Z - LS1/T56
1974 260Z-L30
1976 Fairlady Z

Clive, do you think these cracks are repairable? How - without using one of these full face dash covers ( ) I have one but - unfortunately - I don't like it.

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Yes it can be repaired. There is a DIY thread on classiczcars.com Also there is a company who repairs em if you want to pull the dash and mail it out. I think the DIY maybe the way to go. I would practice on a spare cracked dash or make it a good one and swap all the parts over to it.

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Clive Bogle President - New York Z Car Club - NYZCC.COM
1971 240Z - LS1/T56
1974 260Z-L30
1976 Fairlady Z

Full faced dash covers just don't get any respect! They are the the best inexpensive solution to a cracked dash, and I think they look great IF installed properly.

Aside from that, I have yet to see a "do it yourself" Z dash repair that looks like the dash never had a crack. There are always tell tale signs.

Sending the dash out to a company such as "Just Dashes" for repair is expensive and time consuming, but they do a great job. They actually strip the old padded vinyl cover off of the frame and vacuum mold a brand new cover on. Last I looked cost was about $1300 plus shipping. And your old dash has to be removed/installed from your car and is away for several weeks.

Last year I HAD a near mint condition dash from a '73 that I sold. I presently have two more available from '73s that are not quite as good, but close. One has a 1/8" (+ shape) split on top of the speedo shroud (you really have to look hard to see it) and a small dent on the front of the tach shroud which I think can be heated out. The other dash is perfect except for two about 1inch square glue residue marks from where someone had put velcro from a radar detector. I believe these to be removable with some heat and TLC.

Later 240Z dashes WILL fit just fine in a '70 Z, it's just not factory correct for that year with the position of the lighter and hazard switch.

FWIW!

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John Taddonio
1970 240Z
1977 530Z
1984 300ZXT
zcarnut@hotmail.com
FB: Zccr zcarclubofrochester

i am all for the dash cover. they do look pretty good.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

You are right, Mike. I mounted the dashboard cover. It looks pretty good. Good MSA stuff.

I will attach a pic soon.

Thor

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

i am glad you like it Thor. everyone i have seen you could barely tell it was a cover.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Double that. All my friends who have seen my Z said "what a nice looking dash" after that i've revealed that it's actually dash cover.

It took me two years to realiZe my Z had a dash cover. Unless I opened the doors and felt along the sides of the dash, I couldn't tell. The way I found out was when I tried to remove my tachometer.

The best-fitting full dashcaps have an insert which slips into each of the instrument nacels. That makes it look very professional and tends to hold the whole cap perfectly in place. BUT, that insert makes a tiny lip which is *JUST* smaller than the diameter of the Tach and Speedo. You can't take those gauges out until you remove the dashcap. (Both those gauges remove forward, toward the driver).

My cap was epoxied on. I had to destroy it to remove it, and that destroyed what little bit was left of my original dash underneath. I bought another dashcap but it was cheaper than the one I removed, and didn't fit well. I had to buy another dash.

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1970 240Z