Jim Grant's Tech Tips

73 Datsun (Nissan) 240 Z, Zipless Transmission
Q: The automatic transmission in my '73 Datsun 240Z has lost all forward gears. Reverse works fine, but when I shift to Drive, the car creeps along and does not respond to higher engine RPM's until the mood strikes, which is right about 2 minutes after the green light turns red and I'm sandwiched between 6 lanes of traffic. It will eventually build up enough speed to start shifting automatically, until I have to stop. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I must say, of all the questions I have been forced to ask in my 29 years of driving, this one has been the hardest one to get an answer for. I have called every local transmission shop in the Atlanta area and not only do they not want to work on my car, they wont even share their knowledge and experience to give me even a small clue as to where I should start with this problem. Thanks and keep up the good work.... Joe

A: When it comes to automatic transmissions its just not that simple. Your vehicle's transmission was built before most of today's technicians were out of elementary school. There were not many made and technical information is scarce and hard to come by. As for expecting a specialist to share their knowledge, you have to realize those days have gone. The cost of training, equipment and doing business today just doesn't permit handing out free information over the phone.

With the age of your 240Z, the transmission is likely in need of a complete overhaul. I spent just a few minutes searching the Web and found several Web sites dedicated to your vehicle. This would probably be a great place to find a transmission specialist or rebuilt components for your vehicle. It's a great car, enjoy the ride.