Guys - The ignition relay went bad on my wife's one-owner 1980 280ZX made in September of 1979. I've been scouring the internet for a replacement to the original part numbers (25230-W0500 superceded by B5230-W0500) and have found that these parts are long out of production and unavailable from any dealer stock or internet parts provider. I did come across an enthusiast that at one time made a replacement part using two standard plastic relays and wiring of his own design that plugged right into the original connector (Datsun 240Z Upgrades - What's New) but a note on the website indicated the owner moved to Montana in November of 2018 and I've been unable to reach him via the website contact form, e-mail or USPS "snail mail" to see if he still dabbles in creating things for the Zs. Thus, I have to assume that he's out of the business.
So, does anyone know of someone who might have one of these collecting dust on a shelf somewhere? Or, is there anyone who can tell me how to homemake a replacement like the person in Montana did with a connector that is "plug and play"? A third alternative might be if the internals of the existing relay could be repaired. The existing relay doesn't have any exterior corrosion so it doesn't appear to have suffered water intrusion like so many do from a windshield leak. It seems to have just malfunctioned from age. The car has 93,000 miles and has been garage kept all it's life.
As you can see I'm trying to do anything I can to avoid hacking into the factory wiring harness unless there is no other alternative.
I've attached a picture of what the enthusiast in Montana used to make. I think he created a rather elegant solution to my problem - just wish I could contact him to make one more.
So, does anyone know of someone who might have one of these collecting dust on a shelf somewhere? Or, is there anyone who can tell me how to homemake a replacement like the person in Montana did with a connector that is "plug and play"? A third alternative might be if the internals of the existing relay could be repaired. The existing relay doesn't have any exterior corrosion so it doesn't appear to have suffered water intrusion like so many do from a windshield leak. It seems to have just malfunctioned from age. The car has 93,000 miles and has been garage kept all it's life.
As you can see I'm trying to do anything I can to avoid hacking into the factory wiring harness unless there is no other alternative.
I've attached a picture of what the enthusiast in Montana used to make. I think he created a rather elegant solution to my problem - just wish I could contact him to make one more.