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The July 4th weekend was very productive for getting work done on the Z. I wrapped up the restoration and paint work on my series-1 air cleaner. The full write up can be seen here -> http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/55771-series-1-air-cleaner-restoration-lots-of-pics/ With the air cleaner on and the old valve cover off I figured I would do a valve adjustment as I had noticed a little valve train noise the last time I drove the car. Sure enough, 4 valves were a bit on the loose side. All in all, a 20 minute job well done. The 2400 valve cover and new cork gasket went on followed by the decals for the air cleaner. The new paint and decals on the air cleaner really elevate the engine bay's level of cleanliness and accuracy. Overall I am very happy with the way it came out considering the condition it was in when I started. The crown jewel of the engine is the 2400 valve cover. I cleaned and polished it a little but I like the natural aged look of the aluminum. Given the state of the rest of the engine bay I think it looks right at home. The final detail to be added is the paint code decal. The car is an original 901 silver car. Since the engine bay has already been stripped and re-sprayed I wanted to add this final touch. All of the decals are very sharp and beautiful in their own way. Mike at Banzai Motorworks is the man! I know the community appreciates all of the work he does to make these small yet significant parts available. It has been very rewarding to add the last two key components that make the engine bay "more correct". Many of you already know these parts are not cheap and not easy to come by. However, with some patience and elbow grease the final result is nothing short of impressive. That is all for now!

With the gaskets in place and decals from Mike, the finished product looks great. Not only is it correct for the car but it brings a stronger consistency to the engine bay since the old series - 2 air cleaner was wearing a fair amount of patina and wear. Glad to have it on the car and show once again that we are all capable of this kind of work. If you have any questions please post them up and I will do my best to answer them.

So it happened!!! The car looked and ran great!!! No issues other than some minor fuel leaks at the gas tank when parked at an angle. Definitely watch the video! Worth the watch with a few cool shots of the Z!

Nice! Looks almost identical to the one I just did. Which, oddly enough- is the exact same colour as the original orange that Dino Ferrari's once came in. Though I must mention one thing about RAL: RAL is not the manufacturer of the colour, rather it is a standardized numerical code system used for powder and industrial paint coatings. It is the industrial equivalent to PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS; which is aptly named if you've ever had to deal with print houses). On that note, the "Pumpkin" moniker is most likely the name attached to the RAL number, and is what the company that produces the medium would call it. The actual name should be something like RAL 15XX - Pumpkin. And it might be the same RAL number from another supplier, but called Blood Orange or something. The number is most important and the closest you will get to sharing colour info with one another if that's your intention. Be aware that while the system is standardized, I've had powder coating numbers with the same RAL that shift up or down two to three shades, so when matching powder colours, it's best to go to a local powder blender and see if they have any instock samples that they can freshly coat a sample "coupon" with- that way you can be sure the formulation is consistent and hasn't changed or someone didn't F with it in their computer system.

As always, PERFECT. You do some amazing stuff and are a great asset to the forum. Way to go! Cliff

Thanks!

Dear Redwing, My moniker is Old Hat for a reason and I have owned my 240Z for almost 40 years. I noted one of the replies you got opined that after 40 years Z's were basically toast. Don't you believe it. My Z has approximately 175,000 miiles and the only mechanical repair was a water pump about 30 years ago. Have owned a number of automobiles in my lifetime and the Z is by far the most reliable, good looking, and fun to drive Of course a lot depends on how the vehicle is maintained and location. I live in California in an inland community so rust is not a problem ,which Z's are susceiptible to.. If you intend to keep the car I believe any money you put into either mechanical or cosmetic issues (within reason) will return you dividends in the form of enjoyment and a good chance a return of your money if down the road you decide to sell. as Z's appear to be steadily appreciating in value. Enjoy your Z!

You're getting close!