Gio

RIP Mike. Always a gent and a mine of knowledge. He helped me and all of my Zs over 25 years. A big loss to the Z community. Condolences to his friends and family - and cat. I understand the ZClub is planning some form of memorial after they've heard from the family.

My preference is for manual, too. That said, because of a dodgy knee and London traffic I had 2 NA autos (Zeds) for many years until reverting to a manual this year (no more London hooray). They were very nice autos to drive. Being JDM, had the Power & Hold switch as well so could select Power any time ? . Even took the blue one round Thruxton. You can pootle like a granny or, as they used to say at Heston, "make good progress". A real driver's autobox. Apparently, they're quite clever, learn your style, can tell when you're driving in, er, a "spirited" fashion and adjust shift points as they go. I drove a TT auto for a few days and that was almost as mental as the TT manual. There was a sort of hyperdrive effect if you booted it, it gathered its skirts and whoosh. Great fun. So as a manual driver, I thoroughly recommend the auto.

The audio investigation continues. I traced the power supply routing (EL-11, -12) to the footwell fuses and have done a sheet showing what the manual says with a pic of the actual fuses. There are quite a few TLAs I don't know but will happily update if someone has better knowledge. There are also items which appear on several fuses - such as "Time", "A/c" etc. There is a stated difference between (C) Convertible and (S) Except convertible which I would guess is the rear lid and boot but haven't worked out the acronyms yet (C/Roof is probably the roof lid release and that means F/Lid is the Boot. Guess.) Reason for this is what's the difference between Fuse 1 "Bose Audio" and Fuse 10 "Audio" and "P/Ant". Do they really mean that ordinary / non-Bose systems don't use Fuse 1. If you believe the manual Fuse 1 is only used for Bose which means it's unused if you don't have Bose. And Fuse 10 powers both the ordinary audio and the power antenna? I realise I could go and test myself but it's dark, cold and wet outside ? so wondered if anyone already knew the answer. Cheers. foldout.pdf EL-11 to EL-12.pdf 300zx footwell fuses.pdf

I know I've posted similar in the past asking about power feed (and had help from AndrewG and IanL) but this is a bit of both so started a new topic. In an attempt to nail which fuses and wiring should be working in the convertible, I checked through the EL section in the manual. The relevant section from the 1996 manual is EL-177 to EL-186. In particular I'm looking at the wiring diags on: EL-178 EL-AUDIO_01 Except Bose System EL-179 EL-AUDIO-02 Bose System EL-180 EL-AUDIO-03 EL-181 EL-AUDIO-04 It's very confusing. Look at the speaker connections. None on 01, Doors for the Bose on 02, Rears on 03 and Doors on 04. My guess is that 01 is common to 4-speaker set-ups (i.e. LWB and SBW) 02 says Bose but I think this is for the connectors (it's the only diag other than 04 which shows Door speakers). 03 is common for the Rear speakers. Also, check how they show the Radio and Cassette Player with wavy lines indicating continue on next page. I think. 04 is for convertibles - it's the only one which shows just Door speakers and has a complete non-wavy Radio and Cassette Player. Also repeats some connections on 01. What do you reckon? IanL or AndrewG or other convertible / audio gurus? Thanks EL-178 to EL-186.pdf

Nice work, congratulations. (btw, has the change colour setting been implemented and if so, where? I'm being a luddite and can't find it ? )

I bought a pair of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JVC-CS-J620X-6-5-16cm-2-Way-600-Watts-Car-Van-Door-Coaxial-Speakers-Pair/171420040661?hash=item27e96e3dd5:g:j2YAAOSwnDZT6-py purely on the basis that JVC "should" be OK and match the head unit I haven't fitted yet. They measure exactly the same 16cm dia so they "should" be direct swap. AndrewG suggested to get some foam for the surround - he's right because that foam seal is crumbly and u/s. He suggested https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Regin-Single-Sided-Foam-Sealing-Tape-12mm-X-12mm-REGJ60/360392257558?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 and I ordered some which has now arrived. I also found adapters https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/72-9300-Car-Auto-Speaker-Radio-Audio-Harness-Wire-Connector-For-Nissan-Mazda/174039508291?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 (I suggest a bit more searching as these ones are from Malaysian seller despite it saying they're posted from Hayes and took 9 days to arrive) so I'll be seeing if I can reinstate the OEM harness and remove the bodged extra speaker wires. When I took the door cards off, one of the trim clips was borked so I found these https://www.vehicleclips.co.uk/trim-panel-moulding-clips-nissan-0155309791/ and they've now arrived. Now the saga over the head unit screws has been resolved https://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?190919-Radio-fixing-screws and I've got the conference I was at out of the way, I guess I don't have an excuse to get round to fixing them - other than the weather :) so it looks like not this weekend hoho.

NAs sound nicer when you floor it. Nice rasp from under the bonnet as the V6 comes on song as there aren't any turbos to get in the way. If memory serves, I think I read somewhere they have cast iron headers as well (but that may be a senior moment).

Sweet. I see there's a passenger airbag - something US, I guess because mine's not got one. I wonder how many convertibles we've got in the forum now?

Hey - the steering wheel's on the wrong side :D But dropheads are the best looking Zeds :)

From the pics, I see what you mean. But neither of those Ebay listings say they are 5mm dia screws which is what the JVC manual says. If the JVC manual had said ISO screws or #10 3/8 or if JVC UK Head Office had said what to look for, it would have been easier. But when they tested in their workshop, they agreed with me that "the screw size it said in their manual didn't fit" and didn't have an answer. Plus my previous experience that the OEM screws have been OK for all the other units I've put in/taken out (including the last JVC). So far, the score seems to be AndrewG 1: the combined team of 2 Ebay sellers, Nissan, 2 screw experts, JVC manual and JVCKenwood UK 0. :D PS I just remembered a thread gauge I was told about by an engineering mate of mine when he was explaining (one of those bar conversations) about AF, Whitworth and DFF. We've all come across DFF - doesn't effing fit :)

Aha! Looks like veilside01702 had the right ones. The JVC ones arrived today and here's a pic of what they sent (top - they fit) and these look like veilside01702's pic. Does anyone know what they're called? Obviously, they're not M5 8mm long. The others are the shop-bought M5 and the OEM ones sent by chris. I don't think the ones from JVC or veilside01702's are the spec that JVC put in the manual (so I've pointed that out but don't expect any change. They also came in a little pack with 4 countersunk and 4 domed so my guess is these are bagged for use in Japan units but taken out as cost saving for export. Hey ho, you live and learn. Might actually get round to doing the install sometime :)

Sod's law - I had an OEM one in 2017 and passed it on for £5 for postage. Still, you can even get them new from Japan for less than the breaker ones on Ebay so might do that. Update: ordered and on it's way - so if admins could change this from "Wanted", that would be great, ta.

Not everything is "improved" by a modern makeover. I agree with Gaz 300. Or I did when I had my first TT. Then I preferred the spoiler on the Series 3. Then I realised how neat the unadorned Series 6 was (still didn't much like the '99 spec front end, tho). Now, of course, I have come to the proper conclusion that the drophead with the top down is the purest expression of the Z form :D :D

Happy Birthday, Mike - one of the most helpful Z people over several decades :D

SMZ Brochure covers the real US one. SMZbrochure.pdf

https://www.300zxtt.co.uk/techaudio.html I'll fix the pics later so here they are for now: Series 3 JDM 93 Series 6 JDM 99 And these (back to the OP) are coloured diagrams - I can't remember exactly where I got them from but they look like a proper manual somewhere. Wiring-Components_40-51.pdf Wiring-Components_32-39.pdf Wiring-Components_24-31.pdf Wiring-Components_12-23.pdf Wiring-Components_1-11.pdf

There may be some Z31 experts on here even though the Z32 is a completely different car. If no luck, try https://zclub.net/ which does have Z31 people.

Aha - they're neither 6.5" nor 6" - they're 16cm! Which is pretty much 6.25". Inspired by that how-to video, I bought some pry-bars and set to (sunny day after The Archers). As you can see the roll surround is toast - thought they were sounding rubbish. So thanks for the suggestions, I'll go read up. From memory, I had a pair of 8" JBLs some decades ago in the Capri :) From the part numbers on the magnet, I'd guess these were original factory fit. Why do they bodge the wiring? Couldn't be bothered to get the right connectors, lazy b'stards. Hunt the screw - discovered the hard way that the little screw at the top of the door pillar trim wasn't magnetic. Bugger. Luckily hadn't gone too far so could peel the foamy thing back and hoick it out. Not the first screw, bolt, clip I've lost down in the depths of a Z and probably not the last. And I'd bought magnetic screwdrivers specially! Right that's it, time for the pub :D

Thanks Dave. I'd offer a tenner. Tried to PM you but failed, sorry. My intention is to cut it about to act as a mount for something else so if you'd prefer to hang on to it for someone who wants to use it as it is, no worries. Cheers.

Noticed a bit of gaffer tape in the passenger footwell, had a look under the trim to find (along with more gaffer (now removed) securing the replacement speaker wire): Relay gaffer taped to back of trim. What is it and where should it be secured? The arrowed air vent wobbled. In part because the screw (circled) wasn't tight. Tightened it. But the other end of the vent is still wobbly. I compared with the one in driver footwell which is nice and solid. I can't feel anywhere another screw or fixing should be. My next guess is to take the thing out entirely and have a closer look - what should I be looking for? Is that the only screw securing it or is there/should there be something else? Ta.

I saw those generic ones - cheap as Chris300 said - but I'm looking for an OEM one so it will use the OEM brackets / screws. (I once bought one of those cupholder ones but - if my memory's working - it wouldn't be of use because of the angle. May be wrong 'tho :)

I must be using the wrong words in the search - 1 from the US $30 and 1 from UK £35 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300ZX-Z32-Replacement-Center-Console-Finisher-Pocket-1990-1996-OEM-NEW/233356010641?hash=item36551a2491:g:q1kAAMXQpPhTkL4Q https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-300ZX-Z32-CENTRE-DASH-CONSOLE-STEREO-DIN-STORAGE-CUBBY-RADIO-BRACKETS/193075484227?hash=item2cf4321643:g:JWEAAOSwzi5daNKa

Anyone got a cubbyhole they can part with? I'm looking for one I can cut about and experiment with to mount something in. Thanks.

It strikes me that (while not necessarily ICE geek material) JVC are a perfectly competent audio manufacturer (I only just sold my 1980s JVC cassette deck) and their head units have been good, so why not go for JVC speakers? E.g. http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/speakers/full-range/jvc-cs-dr1720-17cm-coaxial-speakers I'm not intending to enter any ICE competitions or have ear-bleeding SPL.

Thanks AndrewG - PM sent. BTW any suggestions for which speakers? To go with JVC 50W DAB head unit