psdenno

It boggles the mind to think of how it came to be that way. Fire, followed by flood, followed by being used as a trampoline? A good winter project. Dennis

My 4/71 Z has just one key for all locks and ignition. Dennis

Got spark? Check fuel filter. Is gas pump pumping and how much pressure? Sync the carbs with an airflow meter when it starts running. Check carb floats, Dual carbs tend to double the fun of troubleshooting. Good luck. Dennis

It should be exactly like the stock wheels that came on the car originally, unless someone changed it out over the last 45 years. Dennis

The block with a gasket on each side is a little pricey, but you can also just get paper gaskets for the block you have. They are the same as Austin Healey carbs. Gaskets are a dollar or so apiece. If you can't find any, try Z Therapy. I think they're listed on their web site. Dennis

If that Z had current California plates, the seller would have also had a title.....unless it was stolen. Contact the shipping company and ask what happened to the shipping documents. How was VAT determined without documents? Someone has them. Dennis

But only if you have a time machine or a Delorean. They shut down quite some time ago. Dennis

In California, mileage is recorded on the title every time ownership changes. If the odometer is replaced, it has to either be set to match original mileage or "zeroed". If zeroed, a form is supposed to be attached to the driver's door area indicating actual mileage at time of change and date new odometer was installed. I've never seen that. When my '70 Porsche was restored a new speedo/odo was installed at zero miles, but no form indicating previous mileage reading. Dennis

Looking like new! Dennis

There are numerous message threads posted by members who have had good luck fixing a cracked dash. Looks like your dash is out, so half the battle is over. Full dash covers seem to be OK, but have some compromises, like fit. Here in the desert, they warp from the heat and sun. Your dash looks better than what many have started with. Give it a try. Dennis

If you google "George Lucas Cars", you'll see pictures of him with just about every type of car EXCEPT a Datsun - from Cobra to Tucker. He's definitely a car guy and thought he'd be a race driver and mechanic until he was almost killed in a accident in his Fiat as a high school kid. Gotta love the cars he chose for American Graffiti. Dennis

I don't think hoarders get "cured". You can't just hide the treasures in a POD. That just displaces the hoard and the POD becomes a permanent fixture on the driveway. You have to throw it away forever. I speak from the experience of moving my mother-in-law from her 4200 sq ft home of 50 years. It took months to clear out the accumulation and convince her she would never use items again. The home was neat, but closets, spare bedrooms, and out buildings were filled with last century things she thought were too good to part with. It pretty much took every weekend last spring and every day all summer to clear it out. i think you're on track with a good idea - just have to figure out pricing and how much your time is worth. Dennis

Sounds like a good service for folks who are overwhelmed by all the crap in their garage. Some people just don't know where to start. I think it would be a good service to offer. After the first couple are done, word of mouth would make good advertising. Give it a try. Nothing to lose.and plenty to gain. Dennis

Power mower or push? As others have mentioned, you need to build the budget bigger before searching. Hopefully, you can gather extra cash faster than Zs are going up in price. Then the fun begins. Good luck! We're all dreamers and enjoy watching others chase theirs. Dennis

Yup, Fall is here. Life is good anywhere Air Force One ISN'T. The previous POTUS used to jet in here a couple times a year to play golf with friends and roads would be blocked and traffic rerouted. The airport is in the center of town so it was fun to see the big bird parked on the Tarmac. Barring the overdue huge earthquake they keep warning us about, there should be no need for the current Prez to visit. Enjoy the cool weather. Dennis

Apparently killed the aftermarket electric fuel pump on my '71 Z which will now be a "static display" in the driveway until I can get it into my mechanic's shop. Bummer as the temps are now below 100º for the first time in months and it's driving season, again. Dennis

Years ago, I was a distributor for Covercraft. Great covers and good people to work with. Not sure if Beverly Hills covers are sold by Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories, but if they are, another good choice. Covercraft makes covers for everyone and will custom make one to the size you choose. They have patterns for a bazillion different covers. Pick a material for your intended use. My Avanti has worn the same Beverly Hills cover for almost 40 years. Soft cotton, custom fit, sits in a covered garage, so it's mostly a dust cover. My 914-6 has a Covercraft poly cotton cover cover that keeps bird crap off the paint and will let moisture out if caught in the rain. It also sits in the garage most of the time and has had the same cover for about 25 years. I've used Covercraft poly cotton covers on a Porsche 944 and a Mustang GT 2+2 - both were "outside" cars. The covers lasted about four to five years under the desert 120º sun, all weather, strong winds, and the occasional sand storms. You'll need to wash the ouside uded cover from time to time to remove airborne grit that can scratch paint. Dennis

Available on Amazon, also. Read the reviews on Amazon for "user" feedback and rating FWIW. Dennis

Sounds like an exhaust cutout https://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Exhaust-Cutouts At least that's what my miscreant friends in high school did with their '55 Chevys and '49 Fords. Good sound until the cop stops you and then you pull the cable to close the exhaust dump and say, "Oh no officer, that wasn't me.". Dennis

Have you see pictures of the original mounting hardware? Metal bars screwed to the headlight nacelle with a threaded hole for mounting the chrome rim. Dennis

Great narrative. I look forward to the next installment in a few years. Coming up on 46 years with my Z in November and can appreciate reading about your Z adventures. Dennis

Aaahhh, the Ginza. That's where I first saw a Z on display in 1971. A few weeks later, I was back in the States and bought the Z that's parked in my driveway today. Good pictures, sparked some good memories. Dennis

Decades ago, I learned to drive on the family 1961 Chrysler. A cool feature of Chrysler cars in those days was the push button gear selector on the dash instead of a shift lever. The "Reverse" button was a two position switch. Push it in halfway and the back up lights would come on before the reverse gear engaged when the button was fully depressed. The very bright back up lights on the '61 Chrysler were mounted high above the tail lights on the huge Virgil Exner designed rear fins. When someone was riding my tail, I would push the reverse button halfway in and accelerate, the high mounted back up lights would light and the immediate reaction of the driver behind me was to hit his brakes. Problem solved. Dennis

So wrong in so many ways. . Not exactly a chick magnet, but more of a "look what I can do with a lot of stuff I found in the field behind my grandfather's barn". Dennis

Mine is obviously better because it costs 50% more Dennis