Leaderboard

I'll bet Jai (@Redwing ) went outside to see if RedBird was still in the shelter.

I drove the Z car to work so I could go straight over to the GZC meeting...well, I didn't go straight over to the meeting from work. I took a slight detour to see this car.

It may be the bargain of the year. I can only drool when I think of buying a complete 280 for that price that seemingly needs little work.

Thanks so much ramsesosirus. That helps a lot.

What's that? Do I see a Z logo in the sky?? Haha!! I don't have a lot of time right at this instant, but I'll try to add some quick value where I can. First, for reading the wiring diagram... The "O" means "makes a connection", and the line between "O's" shows you where that connection is made. So for example with regards to the headlights... If you look down the OFF column, there are no "O's" because there are no connections. Then when you rotate the switch to the 1 position, there are "O's" in row's 4 and 5 which are connected by a line. This means that "In position 1, wire 4 gets connected to wire 5". Progressing to position 2, "Wire 4 is still connected to wire 5, and in addition to that, wire 6 gets connected to wire 7." In English: "When in position 1, your parking lights are on, and when in position 2, your parking lights AND your headlights are on". That's how that diagram works. Second, that harness (with some caveats) is truly plug and play. It does not attach to anything under the dash, nor does it plug into any proprietary or unusual connector used just on the 280's. It makes connection to the three prong connector right on the back of the headlight. The intention is that you pull the three prong plug right off the back of the light and connect in that harness instead. Now for the caveats... First caveat, as you discovered, is that the length of wires between the two headlights need to be long enough to reach from one bucket to the other. If this thing was designed for a go-cart, that may not be the case. The second caveat is that you need to be able to actually physically get the wires into place, and here's where the Z's are a little difficult because of the way the headlights are physically mounted in the buckets. Problem as zKars alluded to is that the hole in the back of the headlight buckets isn't large enough to pass any of the connectors through. Your choices are to make the hole in the back of the buckets larger, or to take the contacts out of the plastic connector shells and pass them through the bucket and then snap them back into the connector shells. Not too difficult, and if I was going to use this type of harness, that's probably what I would do. Hope some of that helps, and if not, I'll mess things up even more when I get more time!

Here are a couple potential options/sources. I also have the auto, so someday I may need parts! https://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/3N71B_4N71B_Transmission_vacuum_modulator_p/820-00082885a.htm https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2487218.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xcommodore+vacuum+modulator.TRS0&_nkw=commodore+vacuum+modulator&_sacat=33727 http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/252607583365?chn=ps&dispItem=1 Hope this helps. I believe the brand of transmission is "Jatco". Autos are great for cruising.

You will be very lucky to find a NOS vacuum modulator. Your best bet would be to search for a vacuum modulator for a Holden Commodore VL in Australia. It used a Nissan 3.0L inline six for a couple of years back in the eighties. It came with a 5 speed or a 4N71B auto. Here is an example ad: http://trade-alley.com.au/modulators-vacuum/commodore-vl-4n71b-4-speed-automatic-transmission-vacuum-modulator-non-turbo.html It should work on the 3N71B.

Haha! Yeah, that works, but the one I was thinking of was: Have you ever noticed how anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWPCE2tTLZQ Long live the Carlin.

I'm glad you came through ok. I was just thinking about hitting you up again... I agree with Jim it just works out, how it works out. Be proud of your wife and accept that you are in a position to help instead of needing help

I live in the DC metro area. The drivers around here tend to be pretty rude. I'm not sure if they are tail gating me to get a better look or they are just jerks. Most likely the latter. My car goes like a scalded get, though, so if I'm lucky enough to find a break in traffic I can drop any tail gater pretty quick.

That's for sure!! I think I'm looking in my rear view and 2 side mirrors more than I am looking thru the windshield! I do get lots of thumbs though. Not that it makes me feel better. I see why some get too close.

That's great, I know exactly what you mean. I have found the tailgaters are almost always male 16-40 yrs and are checking out the car and yes they get way too close for my liking. The ones that hang back don't appreciate the aroma of the raw fuel and burnt oil coming from your tail pipe, catalytic convertors are great things and have really cleaned up the air but if you didn't grow up with the smell of real exhaust it is hard to appreciate it.

Dave's (and MSA's) harness does not deal with the under dash combo switch harness at all. It "splices in" to the harness up front at the two head light connectors in front of the rad. This makes it possible to work with all the various 240 switch types, It "could" work just fine with the 280's as well, but the problem is with the new round, 4 pin (only three are used) weather proof connectors on the 280's. No one (including Dave) has found the plugs to build the head light harness to connect in at that spot. This is why I have seen discussion about putting the relays into the harness at the combo switch. But as you mention, there are differences in the plugs across the years at the switches. Anyway, I'm working on a solution that everyone will like. Simple, cheap(ish), high quality and retains ALL of the advantages of the original harness design.

The wiring is definitely upgraded in the 280, all the way to the weather proof connections up front, but not the headlight OR high beam switch contacts. The switch bodies and contacts inside appear identical across all the years. When clean and new they can carry all the current for H4's no problem. But we all know what happens with age.... (my contacts aren't very clean either hahahahahah)