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Well, it was a hell of a fight but thanks to all you guys it's fixed. Here are the details, in case someone else has the same problem. I installed the reconditioned headlight switch, crossed my fingers and turned the switch. Success! I had all my lights working except my front turn singles. Rear were OK. Started fooling with the turn signal switch and got the right side working but not the left. Squirted some contact cleaner in the switch followed up with some dielectric grease. Worked the turn signal arm. Now I had left side working but not the right. Started thinking that switch was bad as well. Decided to take it apart and see if there was something I could fix. Figured I had nothing to lose if I had to replace it anyway. Removed it and took it over to the bench to work on. Upon closer examination, I noticed a broken solder joint on the switch. Not the wire, the solder actually broke. I cleaned it up with solvent and resoldered it. All lights and turn signals now work. Hard to believe it broke after 49 years of service. I surmised the intermittent function of the turn signals was caused by the solder joint intermittently making contact. I wanted to do one move test before calling it a total success. Test the headlight high and low beams with the actual headlights, not just voltage reading. I connected the pigtails and took one of my brand-new headlights out of the box and connected it to the right side. Nothing. Moved it over to the left side, nothing. As a long shot I thought maybe they both needed connected (didn't think so but I was grasping at straws). Got the other new headlight and connected it. Now both were connected. One worked one didn't. Switched them around and the problem moved. Took the inoperative light over to the bench and hooked it up to a battery, nothing. Confirming the brand-new headlight was operative. In over 50 years of working on cars, some of those years as a mechanic, I never had a bad headlight out of the box. So that light saga is over. I want to thank you guys for all your help and perseverance in helping me get this resolved. I couldn't have done it without you help. That's why I'm a subscribing member,

Early on you were buying and trying different thermostats. Running without a thermostat takes the thermostat completely out of the picture. The thermostat is a heat control device, not a cooling device. If the rest of the cooling system without a thermostat can't keep the engine under the desired temperature then changing thermostats will never solve the high temperature problem. It was the fastest way to learn if the thermostat was the source of your problem.

That is quite the challenge. I just found out he lives in my town! Small world. I reached out to him on FB.

Not sure why you can't just, as my father used to say, "get with the program". You're refusing to follow basic maintenance guidelines. The Z engines are fun learning tools though. You can do all kinds of crazy things to them and they just keep running.

Maybe they are going for a 2CV type top?

Just bought this and will play around with it some, see what I can accomplish. Maybe, the right parts are here to rekey the hatch and door and glove box to match my ignition key. Or, maybe some other option is possible.

A bad Toupee'!!

Still figuring out my key and lock situation. I found some locksmiths online who have been in business a very long time and sent them inquiries. One was a little more than an hour away, but they said they only do "mobile" and wouldn't drive that far. Yeah. Whatever. The other hasn't responded. So, in the meantime, I have been messing around with some of the locks I have on hand. After lubricating two door locks (with the same code) and a hatch lock, I was able to operate all three with a key I have (cut into a Curtis blank). The stainless covers and key "doors" on all of these locks are in rough shape. Curiosity got the best of me and I took the hatch lock apart and took some pictures. What you are looking at here is the hatch lock cylinder in side profile view. The key is not inserted presently. Note the little bumps along the bottom of the cylinder - bottom in the picture those are "wafers", which we will see more closely in a min: In this next picture, the key has been inserted. Note that the bumps (wafers) have moved a bit. The second one from the right is sticking out from the cylinder noticeably less: Here, I have removed one wafer. It pushes out (snaps out) with only a little, initial resistance. A closer look at the wafer: I'm not sure how they differ, but one thing I suspect after looking at things closely: The key I have, which works the lock... I don't think it is actually the correct key. When I insert the key, the wafers are supposed to retract into the body of the cylinder fully, or at least such that, all of them extend out of the cylinder only a small and equal amount. With all retracted, the cylinder will turn inside the sleeve (not pictured), and thus the lock operates. With any of the wafers sticking out of the cylinder, the lock is not supposed to turn/operate. Found this helpful info. Maybe I will be rekeying the locks myself. https://objects.eanixter.com/PD508330.PDF

The gas struts certainly overpowered the tailgates on the lightweight Works cars, giving them a characteristic twist on the LH side: I can't recall a good photo of a 432-R Sports Option style prop rod setup on a Works rally Z, but I'll have a look for one. For my own FRP tailgate with acrylic window, I'm using a gas strut but discharged it by drilling a hole in the body (its a mixture of gas and oil in there, so be careful if you drill...) and then drilled a hole in the rod so that I can insert a big R pin in it to hold it up. I know a couple of cars which used the same solution in period. Seems to have eliminated the 'twist':

Not terrible. I'd like see the bonnet hood in the box. "I will throw in a brand new bonnet hood in the box"

$5k '78. Claimed as a runner with some rust. Sweet Betty Boop floor mats. https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/7568792845.html

Is the sound coming from the engine or starter? A stethoscope (3' piece of garden hose) and a friend turning the key would help to isolate it.

If you can't find anything wet under the car, I'd look behind the right rear plastic panel.

yes. the refurb from Motorsports came with that and the pushrod tied down really well. i installed in then removed the tie down to put on the MC. btw, the brakes do work but not as good as i want...so a re-bleed will have to happen and see if that addresses the issue.

Recent activity on here reminded me of this song. Good song, don't know the lyrics though so if it's some goofy song well..."it's me, it's me, it's Ernest T".

Thanks for following up to share your solution. Many diagnostics I have offered people were based upon hearing how others solved their own problems.

Cylinder pressures at engine temperature are much greater than the leak-down test. And coolant gets sucked in due to engine vacuum. For a problem like yours, where you're on the edge, it would have been best to start with a properly filled and maintained system. You started with an empty reservoir, but didn't really say if it was ever full. Most of us never see any change at all in out coolant reservoirs. I have often wondered on my various cars if it was even working, the change was so indiscernible. If a change did happen it would have been concerning. Empty would be panic.

Running without a thermostat was not suggested as a solution to the problem. It was suggested as a diagnostic tool. You chose a halfway diagnostic method. What's next? Good luck.

Is the shifter boot still missing in the car. You can get a definite gas smell directly from the engine. Especially if all the vent tubing isn't connected

Dig that “rotisserie”. Looks like he salvaged one of those spools used for fiber optic cable.

The Clemson sweatshirt was a dead giveaway! I love this guy’s determination……another Z saved from the crusher. It’s for his wife……doubt if she’ll be taking it to the track.

Yeah.. i think you need to replace those 3 bushings.. 2 on the side and one on the lower end.. you see it when you take it apart.. you cán get the 2 for on the sides in brass but the nylon ones will hold another 30 years.. so.. When the gearbox jumps out of gear (most times 5th) you have to take a look at the springs that are in the main plate in the middle of the gearbox, there are some ballbearings and springs under some big nuts.(on main plate.)

Wow Alan! This looks great! I can’t wait to see the car when completed. I can’t tell the rear gate is FRP, so cool! Kats

@kats As you pointed out, the Works cars I've got period photos for came with gas struts instead of the rods (pictured). In the Lightweight Spec cars, the deck was way to light for a fully charged gas strut, and I recall seeing a picture of the deck askew under the pressure. @HS30-H, have you seen a deck setup using the rod in your photo collection? For show, we ended up using a semi-old strut, which was too weak to keep a standard deck open, but had no problems with the lightweight deck. Maybe they used the same trick in period?

If the consoles not in your chokes handle isn't secured, right? My 1st 240 I didn't know any better and left the choke pulled back (nozzles down) all the time in my garage. Why stress the choke cables? When they're down they are constantly refilling with fuel I figured out finally. About explotarded my garage apartment.

Do a deep charge on you're battery. Kind of sounds like starter troubles?

We’re you extremely careful with the booster where the reaction disc didn’t fall out of position during installation? Common problem

It's the feedback from the O2 sensors that make the EFI systems cleaner (cleaner burning, leaner) and more fuel efficient (indirectly, overall, cleaner). Plus, the fuel trimming done by the O2 sensor controlled system allows the use of catalytic converters. Which makes the overall system even cleaner. It's just science and logic. The early EFI systems without O2 sensors and/or converters could be just as dirty as a carb'ed engine though.

At last.. after this post i got revalued.... to grandmaster Z !