TomoHawk

If you any great pictures or views of fall foliage, you gotta come to Ohio...

I thought you were on two wheels for a second there.

Where do you get a map lamp with L.E.D.s in it?

They use diamond-coated wheels for cutting & carving glass, and GOOP will hold it very well.

Is the Step Lamp the one that goes in the door?

FastWoman, There is no drain, per se, but more of just a path for the water to drain. See a7dz's photos in #5

My mirror paint seems to have worn off. What would you use to repaint those mirrors? The SEM satin black stuff? I have a can of the black bumper paint on the shelf.

On my 280Z, it seems there are raised areas on the shelf there that direct the water to the corner and it drains behind the brake lamp assembly.

Are you referring to the cabin light on the roof behind the seats (dome/cabin lamp) or the lamp above the vents on the dash (map light)? AFAIK, You can get new replacement cabin lamp units, but not the map light. There are also L.E.D. inserts for the cabin lamp that is supposed to give more light, but I haven't heard of any kind of improvements for the map lamp. About all you can do is make sure you have good electrical connections with clean contacts everywhere. I use DeOxit 100 for the latter.

Do they plug the holes where the bolts were or leave them open?

If I can get some plastic coolant jugs (they are moldable with a heat gun,) I'll make a mock-up of my brake light tube idea, and trim it to fit between the cabin light and the glass.

It was the other way around. It flashed quickly once then on steady. It made me think the brake switch was glitchy until you fully pressed the pedal..

Can you see the enclosure (the box) in the mirror? I think I will not use the tube-like enclosure because it might be too directional, and only a car directly behind would see it. I would have to make a mock-up and check that. I've noticed certain cars have taillights that flash quickly, then go on steady. Is there a name for that?

I like the L.E.D. idea, especially for the fast on-time of the L.E.D.s but I'd add an enclosure of some kind, to keep the glare minimized. Probably a tube-like thing with rounded ends, like a squashed pipe. and the angled opening to match the window. Also, I would like to keep the whole thing no lower than the moulding for the cabin light, to keep the entire rear window clear.

The only "Bad" thing about the full cap is that you have to get the whole thing off to replace the light bulbs on the speedometer or tachometer.

Normal epoxies don't go to high temperatures, but there are some that will. You just don't find those at the local hardware store.

People notice my exhaust manifold all the time, even though t's so dark down under the intake. They suggest I get a new one, and have it aluminized or chromed. But if you do that, you might as well do the rest of the exhaust system too.

Did you know Mrs. K. is about 30 years younger? We got to meet her at the Ohio regional via skype. WayTo Go, Mr. K!

I'm not a fan of powder coating, so all I did to clean up my intake was to clean it by scrubbing with some degreaser then an etching wheel cleaner. It brightened up significantly and people noticed and liked it. I also enlarged the drain holes so they wouldn't get plugged so fast. It already has a heat shield, so I don't worry much about the heat from the exhaust. Do you have plans for the exhaust manifold? Some local rodders will blast it clean, then have it plasma-coated with aluminum, and polish.

Steve- How visible is your install to something like a Z car judge? thxZ

I agree, but it shouldn't make the bright spot go sideways when you go to the high beam.

I have a supply of both DeOxit 5 and DeOxit 100. I first use the DeOxit 100 to 'melt' away the corrosion on the metal part (pin/blade/slider) and then use the DeOxit 5 for lubrication and regular maintenence. I also used the 100 on all the connector pins on the connector rack (behind the glovebox) and it just improved things in general, starting with all the lights. It sounds like your problem may be mechanical, but keep the overall DeOxit treatment in mind for later.

The spot on my lamps are pretty much round, so aiming the light more to the right will only light up the berm, where you don't want to be driving. After i get a lamp out, we will see what can be one, if anything.

Is it possible to mount a headlamp at angle? When I put in the high beams, the bright spot goes up and to the left, say about 11 o'clock, which would definitely blind oncoming traffic. According to aiming documents I've read, the bright spot should just go straight up, as it does in my daily car. I think all I would need to do is turn the lamps a little to correct the aim, but is it possible? thxZ

The oem gas cap is supposed to have a vacuum relief system in it, so there's no need to have any other way to allow air into the gas tank. the carbon cannister is different thing tho.