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1976 280Z with Eibach springs and Tokico Blues I've been dissatisfied with the Tokico HP Blues in my car for some time. As many others have noted, these shocks seem to have too much compression valving and not enough rebound. This makes for a very uncomfortable harsh ride. The rear is particularly bad with feeling that the shocks are seized or that the car is riding on the bump stops. That's been checked and both shocks and bump stop clearance is good. The shocks are just plain harsh. I've had Race cars that rode better. Had some Tokico Illumina's ordered from MSA, but it turns out there inventory count was off. 2-3 months to get more. In desperation I ordered some KYB GR2 's from Rock Auto. Shocks were dirt cheap and I needed something in a hurry as I have some long trips planned. Had them installed and really wasn't expecting much in terms of performance. They're a street shock and I was expecting that they might be too soft. I was pleasantly surprised with these shocks. The ride of the car has been transformed. No more pitching and banging about. The shocks just soak up the bumps and the car is very comfortable now. Bloody good for a 39 year old car. Minimal dive under braking and the nose doesn't pitch up under acceleration. Could use a bit more rebound in the front for Auto cross etc, but for the street, the combination of the Eibach springs and KYB GR2's seems to be nearly perfect. I would not hesitate to recommend these shocks to anyone with a stock or mild to medium " Sport " suspension. I might eventually get a set of Koni Yellows for the front if I can find them, Or even some Classic Reds. That way I can increase the front rebound a bit more. But I like the smooth rear valving of the KYB's. It's just perfect.

As I mentioned on that thread, I was surprised to see that Mike & Edd connected with him to supply parts rather than one of the many other reputable Z parts suppliers in SoCal. It appears they did their vendor research on his web site rather than checking what others have had to say over the years. Dennis

MN47's are getting harder to find. Hope they go to a good home. Hint Hint....

Well,the problem came back, but I fixed it for sure this time. I was out of state for a bit,and had to go in someone elses car. I got back last week and it drove fine first day.The next day. I felt it hiccup,but it kept runnihg. I pulled into 7/11,shut it off,and went in.When I came out it wouldnt start. I popped hood and saw a fine stream of fuel shooting from a rubber hose connecting fuel rail together.[3 or 4 piece 280z fuel rail] I taped split hose,and she started and made it into driveway,then it died. It would start, run for ten to fifteen seconds, then die. 5 minutes later it would start,run for 10 to 15 seconds,then die again. The last thing I had messed with was AFM TO GET IT RUNNING LAST TIME, BUT NO LUCK THIS TIME. iTHEN REPLACED FUEL RAIL WITH 1PIECE 280ZX fuel rail.I went back through this thread, and since I was still not getting power to pump or AAR,IT MADE ME THINK OF FUSIBLE LINK ON FENDER WALL. In fact, this was ZedHeads next best guess as to problem. Well, I had everything to perform 280z fusible link upgrade to an AGU fuse system. Once I completed that,it started right up,and I drove it for 2 hours steady with no problems. I also used ZedHeads tip on connecting condensor to negative side of coil to make tach operate correctly,and that also solved my tach problem I had been experiencing since switching to GM ignition module. So I think that the advice ZedHead gave me was responsible for the solution to my problem,but thanks again to everybody that replied and offered thier help.

Good info there. Only thing I would add is some additional clarification about the piston drop... The jiggley bits on the bottom of the suction piston stalk are a check valve. Slow piston rise and fast piston drop. I've seen some problems with those jiggley bits in the past where the check valve wouldn't seal properly in the up direction and hence there was a lean dead spot when you punched it because the piston went up too quickly. My experience is limited, but I've not seen one with any sort of problem in the down direction.

The 280 gets no love?! I know I'm a bit different from most people, but I look at a less desired car this way: You buy it for less, don't risk as much when you drive it (meaning less heartburn and more fun), and have every bit the same cool factor. When a car gets too valuable, I don't feel comfortable driving it as much. I had a nearly perfect '66 Mustang that just sat in the garage (= no fun). My very nice, but not perfect, '78 280 is much more fun, because I won't freak out if someone leans against it (well maybe just a bit), and I can drive it to the grocery store without being terrified a shopping cart will bump it. If I need to replace a hose, I don't have to worry about it being an authentic braided one. I just buy a hose from the local parts store -- easy breezy. And what wonderful cars these are to maintain! There's ample space under the hood, and the systems are simple and reliable. A Z is much easier to maintain than a modern car, even with scarcity of parts. My car is not an investment. I own it for fun, not to make money. I'm OK with that. I prefer my fun to be cheap. The day my 280 becomes precious, I will sell it and find another cheap/fun car. That said, I already own it. It's a Miata, and I'll sell that one too when it becomes precious. Yes, the early EFI is quite primitive. But a carb is even more primitive. I'd rather have the EFI any day. Once you get it working right, it's a fairly robust system, with the exception of hot-restart issues (deriving from changes in fuel formulations over the years -- an annoyance more than anything.) Just realize, it is difficult to get ANY of these cars (carb or EFI) to pass emissions. That doesn't mean you can't do it. It just takes a bit of work. Someone recommended a 2+2. I hate the look of the things, but some people really like them. If you're one of those people, it would be great to have a back seat for your kids. (Of course these old cars aren't as crash-worthy as most modern cars.) Also these cars all have accommodations for small/medium dogs, who LOVE to ride in the hatch area if you're not terrified of getting nose prints on the glass. They have a 360 view! Great fun! My bottom-line advice: Forget the investment. Drive what's fun, whatever that might be for you. If you're the average hobbyist, you're not going to make any money from your car anyway. You'll do well to break even and have a "free" car to drive (which is what I usually do). PS I'm not taking your poll. Don't let others decide for you. After gathering everyone's thoughts, YOU decide. YOU'll be the one behind the wheel, hopefully with a big smile on your face.