· Chris Hammond
Last Updated

A space heater and gasoline...

Follow our adventure as we source parts for a 240Z restoration, build a rolling stool, and encounter a close call with a garage fire hazard.

Today Nick and I ran around town, getting some metal for his 240Z, then around to find a few other supplies that he needed.

When I got home I was half motivated to work on the car! So I went out to the garage, after sitting on the couch for 30 minutes, and got to working. It’s still cold here in St. Louis so I had the garage door closed and decided to plug the space heater in to warm it up a little bit.

I put together a little rolling stool that I purchased from Sears a few weeks back (please don’t visit www.slickdeals.net, that site will make you spend more money at Sears than you ever have before). After putting the stool together I decided I should get to work on the motor.

What motor? This motor is out of a 78 280Z 2+2. The parts car, it ran when I got it, so the plan right now is to transfer the turbo/intake/fuel system from the blown 83 motor to this motor.

So I started on the motor, working on taking the fuel rail off the motor, along with the injectors and such (all this will be for sale later this week). I had most everything removed so that I could pull the fuel rail and injectors when I found one hose that was still hooked up to the intake manifold. Being that the motor is 30 years old some of the hoses and clamps are a little hard to remove, easy enough fix, I got a pair of dykes and started cutting.

Out pours some gasoline, which I found odd that there was still any fuel in the system. A few moments later when more fuel poured out I realized that the space heater was sitting less than 2 feet from where the fuel was hitting the floor.

Talk about getting your heart rate going, I jumped, grabbed the space heater and lifted it off the ground, quickly unplugging it and removing it from the area.

Thankfully nothing caught fire! That would of sucked! More work tomorrow, I’m going to try and get the motor up on an engine stand so I can replace the rear main seal which leaks, and try to check everything over before I put it all back together.

I could “possibly” have this motor running by the end of the month in the car. But I know how lazy and busy I am, so I have no doubts that there is no way I’ll get all that done :) More info and pictures tomorrow, possibly even a new 240Z video!

Share:
Back to Blog

Related Posts

View All Posts »
Looking for another 240z

Looking for another 240z

Discover the history, design, engine performance, and production details of the 1973 Datsun 240Z in our blog post. We delve into the captivating story of this timeless sports car

Looking for another 240z

Looking for another 240z

This blog post shares our desire to own another Datsun 240z. If you're located in or near the St. Louis area and have an old Datsun, connect with us as we're interested in discussing further.

Project240z 10 Years Later

Project240z 10 Years Later

Relive the unfortunate autocross run of the classic 240z at Gateway Motorsports Park ten years ago. The blog post unfolds the dramatic event.

This 240z gets around

Explore the journey of a 240z car, sold in 2010, that has changed owners multiple times. Stay updated on its tale!