TomoHawk

I'm going to start with the basics; a new cap on the alternator, and a new one on the ignition coil. The alternator is a no-brainer with a generic cap, but the one on the coil is puzzling; it's axial with a wire out each end, so The guts are a mystery. I'm trying a generic condenser on the coil, directly connected, in the way the wiring diagram shows, and so far no problems, but I haven't check how quiet it is. I will look up the numbers on the spark plug & wires to see what's in those. thxZ

I have something called "Barkeepers Friend" (BKF) which is great on glassware, to take stains out and stains off of bartops, countertops, etc., but I haven't tried it on auto glass.

If the local glass shops can't do any polishing, I think I wil getthe Eastwood kit.

What is that?thxZ

I had a ham radio repair guy help me with this. First we tuned the antenna to the radio, then we checked the transmission quality with & without the engine on. The noise was definitely IF noise. I got a power line filter from a local audio store, but the guy (kid) first handed me a gadget that hooks up to the alternator. How likely is it for you to get noise from the (new) alternator? Could you hear that on the stereo, and what should it sound like? The alternator has the noise cap on it, but I think it's an old one. Can I just replace it with a generic one from the parts tore? Same deal with the cap on the ignition coil. Those two things could be the problem, and easiest to fix ( without digging into the dash wiring.) thxZ

That's not a burnout. It's smoke from spinning the tyre in a tight turn at autocross.

Here is an analogous document at zhome.com: http://www2.zhome.com:81/ZCMnL/tech/gmhei.html

I think the book should also fairly current, because as the availability of parts changes, you may have to begin substituting something or having a part made from scratch.

The only air tools I own are apaint gun and the fitting to put air in the tyres.

The 5-bolt Honda drum swap is possible. Maybe it was that.

Do they make a combination oil pressure & temperature, and water temperature gauge?

You mean you're all not taking phones with a high-quality, 150k pixel cameras, to send photos directly to Mike? Wait.... Maybe that is a good idea.... Someone could be a collection point for phone photos.

Cool. I'll "borrow" your car, you report it destroyed, get the 12 grand, and give me 3 for returning it in good condition... just kidding...

That was a nice explanation, Arne. As to documentation, what would that include? I have mostly new parts to replace the worn-out stuff like the driveshafts, a trans rebuild, and engine parts/repairs/improvements. thxZ

I think you mean the NADA Used car price Guide which is at: http://www.nadaguides.com I've got a lot more than the $9000 invested in it. Maybe I will go through the receipts to see exactly how much.

When you post a link to somewhere, it is considerate to note where it goes or what it (the destination website) does. It was off-topic anyway. The topic is to see what things you would consider in your estimate for the value of your car, not some blue-book, value. Most all of the Z owners I know have many thousands more invested in the car than the pittance you'd get as a look-up quote from some book. I tried to look up the value on Edmunds or Kelly's Blue book, and they only go back to about 1990, so you're on your own, unless you can find some pricing service for antique cars. They seem more interested in selling you a new or used car. Thanks Stephen, for the note. That one appraisal company looks to be the kind of place that might get you the appraisal you'd like. But it will help to know what to tell them beforehand, besides the year & model. Is there a website that will just give you a simple value, like the blue-book value? thxZ

You'd sacrifice your tyres, quick speeds, and a decent lap-time just to do that?

What is that for?

How would you calculate the value of your Z car, for insurance purposes, like the Haggerry insurance? I have all the receipts for service, parts, and any engine/body/chassis improvements done since I got the car. I would not count the cost of regular service or functional repairs. Would you just calculate the sum total for all improvements and give that to the insurance guy? thxZ

There is a nice article on the Wikipedia website concernin sportscars, and the differences between sportscars and other associated types. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_car

The Mini Cooper will fit for you then, Julio. It doesn't have much horsepower, but does handle well. It has little in terms of amenities, but was very enjoyable.

Across town (in the ritzi part,) there is a Tuesday night cruise-in where it's been said that they turn you away if you drive in a ricer or tuner, or something that doesn't meet the theme of the day, like Mopar. One week they had "2-seat sportscar," whch according to our definition is redundant. Maybe those people think there are 4-seat sportscars? That's part of what this topic is about- the difference between sportscar and performance sedan, etc. It seems that people with Acuras or Lexii think of their cars as sportscars because they can go fast or look sleek or "sporty." I don't think there are many 2-seat cars made today anyway. I'm not so sure about Corvetes being sportscars any more. They have 2 seats and all the rest, but they have gotten bigger, so I think of them as a kind of exotic car.

At $14 million, a 250 SWB (supercompetezzione) is a little too expensive for me. It took 39 years to sell 1,000,000 corvettes, Whereas Datsun sold about 150,000 240Zs in the first few years. and the 1,000,000th Z (an S130) in 1982.

Yes, according to the sales figures, from the Z car history video from the History Channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=filjihe00Go&feature=PlayList&p=201AF19EE8E687FD&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=25 Corvette owners will argue that, tho.

The Z wasn't alone at first, but it did eventually replace the MGs, Triumphs, and most every other sportscar. I would also like to include "low-cost" for a sportscar, which would eliminate the ABS, turbo, exotic suspensions, air conditioning, etc. You don't really need all that. I'm not sure what to say about the $1000 stereos; I prefer to go basic on that too. Even power steering, like the 280ZX had, which IMO, is when the original Z car line ended. After that, the Z was was more of a luxury touring/GT car. A sportscar should appeal to the pocketbook too, like the 240Z did, so I would say that eliminates the exotics for many of us. Unless it's in plastic or diecast metal, that is. thxZ Part of my collection of Italian Sportscars: