psdenno

My '71 Z came with a regular pint sized can of touch up paint, not aerosol. Dennis

You and every other kid your age....and that's why insurance rates for your demographic are higher than they will be when you're 25. Lots of good advice offered, so far. The Z you're looking at is not unsafe. As others have pointed out, it's just not 2015 safe. You can be the most careful driver in the universe and the least careful driver will find you. A terrible accident does not have to be your fault, but you would still be part of it. Now, sliding my parental soap box back under the desk, get the car. Have fun with it. My kid enjoys driving mine even though his first car was a new Scion with all the safety devices that could be packed into it. Just remember that if you are in a severe collision in a 40 year old Z, you are likely to be hurt more than if you were in a newer car. Dennis

I agree. Your lifetime? Your car's lifetime? The painter's lifetime? A gnat's lifetime? Talk is cheap, good paint and body work isn't - especially spot jobs that require color/fade matching. Dennis

You'll find good information on all of those changes in a search of the forum archive. Sounds like you brought it back nicely. Enjoy the Z and don't rile the wife with a new project. Best of both worlds Dennis

Can't go wrong owning a '71. What have you done to it since you bought it? Dennis

In the last week, at least 13 causes have been proposed for the problems Jai is having with her Z. fusible link ignition switch switch for the fuel pump EFI relay solenoid coil could still be fuel related spraying freon on the TIU ECU the auxiliary air regulator fuel pump raising the idle speed slightly potentiometer valve guide seals They cover a fairly wide spectrum. Unfortunately many can't be checked without test equipment and will result in the tried and true "remove and replace" method of troubleshooting. I'd like to suggest that Jai check and eliminate the items on the list as possible causes before we add more to the list. It can get a little overwhelming, especially with the added stress of the accident repair. Just a FWIW thought. Dennis

After having a couple mechanical pumps go bad on my '71 (I had the York AC compressor removal issue, too) I went with an electric pump. I bypassed the leaking mechanical pump and left it in place for decades until I converted to a newer AC system and removed the York mounting bracket. I then removed the mechanical pump and installed a block off plate in its place. All is good. If you do plan to rebuild the mechanical pump, remove it from the engine to be able to work on it more efficiently. You'll also want to replace the old gasket between the fuel pump and the engine to avoid oil leaks. Can't do that without removing the pump. Dennis

I'm sure you don't get too much frost on the windshield in Panama, but the vents might be handy for removing condensation from the inside surface of the glass if that's ever an issue for you. Curious that they were removed. Dennis

Nice! Ready to go into mass production? Dennis

Water is heavier and will go to the bottom if mixed with gasoline. Dennis

The picture of the jacked up Z looks like they may have rolled the jack under the floor pan. I have a nice bulge in the floor on the passenger side from a past mechanic using the floor pan as a lift point.

Jai, I think you need to look at the balance between the pleasure you get from owning your Z and the stress it adds to your life. It appears that the stress far outweighs the pleasure. Consider hanging Redwing's steering wheel on the wall as a fond reminder of the good times you had with your '71 Z and cut your losses by selling, or donating, Redbird. At this point in your life, you really don't need an unreliable, costly to maintain, car as your main mode of transportation. Hard as that decision is to make, it's probably time to move on. We're about the same age, I bought my '71 Z new off the showroom floor, and I've spent many times the original sticker price to keep it going over the years. However, it's not my daily driver. So, I can let it sit for a week, a month, a year, or even a decade, without it adding too much stress to my life. I once had a Porsche that let me down so often that I knew the local tow truck drivers by their first names. I never drove it farther from home than I cared to walk back. Loved the car, poured lots of money into trying to fix it, and finally realized I was fighting a losing battle. I sold it and felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. Good luck in making a difficult decision. Dennis

White smoke generally means a coolant leak. It may be a small slow leak. If the car sat for a while there could be a build up of fluid and more smoke. The possible consequence of a coolant leak is that the engine overheats and results in multiple costly issues. Bottom line is that the white smoke came from some cause and you'll want to isolate that cause before it becomes a bigger and more costly problem. From following the chain of events in getting your Z to where it is mechanically today, it seems it may be time to make a big decision about pouring more money into keeping the car on the road or cutting your losses and moving on to a more reliable, albeit less fun to drive, car. Tough emotional decision. I say that as someone who has spent way too much money on maintaining cars, including my Z, over the years and have a hard time parting with any car I've owned. Dennis

White smoke from the exhaust pipe can be caused by things such as a blown head gasket, damaged cylinder head, or a cracked block. Any of those would allow coolant to enter the combustion chamber and turn to steam. Repair cost could range from "not too much" to "prohibitive" Determine the cause and evaluate if it may be time to move on to another, more reliable, car. Big decision in light of what you've gone through in the most recent repair process and the enjoyment you get from driving a Z. Others may have additional ideas about the cause of the smoke. Good luck! Dennis

Great video! The Z roll over test gave me cause for concern, however. I will increase my effort to keep all four wheels on the pavement. I also liked the drop down crash safety net. Wonder why that never caught on? Dennis

Looking at what you describe and then referring to page ET-10 of the factory manual P/N 99999-20015 (undated) for the L24 Series engine Allow me to quote word for word what the factory has to say on the topic (Some earlier posts have mentioned some of the same points). Troubles ABNORMAL COMBUSTION (backfire, after fire, run-on, etc.) Possible Causes Improper ignition timing Improper heat range of spark plugs Damaged carburetor or manifold gasket (back fire or after fire) Defective carburetor jet Improper function of the float Uneven idling Corrective Action Adjust the ignition timing. Use specified spark plugs. Replace damaged carb or manifold gasket. Dismantle the carburetor and check it. Adjust the float level and check the needle valve. Adjust idle. I've owned and used this factory manual since 1971 and it has always served the purpose. If you haven't downloaded a copy of the factory manuals, do so. If you can't find the factory recommended carb adjustment procedures, let me know and I can walk you through the process. Perhaps, more importantly, find a mechanic familiar with SU carbs who can make the adjustments and has a flow meter and other diagnostic tools. Did the car ever run right after you had the carbs rebuilt and installed? Dennis

Yup, saw speculation that Glenn just pulled a body over himself and jumped off the dumpster and that the blood and guts belong to the guy, not Glenn. I wonder if they resolve it next week or milk the emotion for a few weeks before disclosing if he's dead or alive. If dead, will he show up in Alexandria as a Zombie eventually? Dennis

Instead of an 800 RPM idle, mine is set just a bit higher.. I'll check exact reading next time I drive. Even when I had the old York A/C compressor on the Z for many years, 1,000 RPM worked just fine. The current newer style compressor is even less of a pull on the engine. Dennis

What's left to do? Has the R-134 been installed and leak and output temperature checks completed? As for the idle, mine is just set higher than stock and all is well. No servo needed. Dennis

Very slick. But, being a child of the last century and not a programmer, I prefer using the $3.95 guts from a Sharp Quartz Analog battery powered clock from WalMart as the Z clock upgrade of choice. Dennis

My bad. When you asked where to buy it and how to get the textured finish and color I took that to mean you didn't know where to buy it or how to get the textured finish and color. Sorry that I jumped to a conclusion and for offering Google as a source for answers to both those questions. Dennis

The internet is a big place, but fortunately there is help in finding your way around when you feel lost. Previously, I gave you the steps required to search the message archive on this site. Allow me to expand on that and open the entire internet for you. To find information about Sugru, or any future topic you wish to explore, follow the steps below. Print them out for future reference 1. Open a Google search window on your computer (www.google.com). 2. This is where it gets tricky....type a word or words related to what you're looking for into the "Search" box. Since you're looking for information about Sugru, type "Sugru" in the "Search" box and hit the Enter/Return key. Stay with me on this. 3. Scroll down through the list of topic related web sites that appears until you find the one that contains the Official Sugru company web site. Click on it. Explore the wealth of information. You'll also see sites like Amazon that sell the product. 4. You are now empowered. No more need to ask for basic search help. As I mentioned to you in another topic, paraphrasing something I read in the Bible, "Do an Internet search for a man and you remove his lack of knowledge but once. Teach a man to search and and you keep him from bugging you with search questions forever." Dennis

Looks like a bad dream we can all share. Ladies and gentlemen, Courtesy has left the '70s. Dennis

Just Dashes is the California company that reskins and textures cracked dashes. Pricey, but they do very good work. I had a panel on my Avanti reskinned and it was a perfect match for color and texture. Dennis

Wow, I didn't know there were still places that had "pump jockeys" to fill the tank. I think it's been 35 or 40 years since the last time I was at a station where I didn't have to pump gas myself. Do they check the oil like in the old days, too? Dennis