TomoHawk

I'm wondering if anybody last a list or graphic/map of the ground connections on the car (280Z). Engine grounds ( alternator, injuectors, etc. front end (lights, horn) tail end (lights, fuel pump, gas gauge) Dash( lights) miss anything? While it's laid up & in the hangar, there's a lot of time for soaking & chasing- no driving until spring. Except it's cold.

The basic problem is that the Z (or 280Z, which has e.f.i.) wasn't really a sports car. It was sold as a "luxury sporty-type car." So the engine wasn't designed to have that much power; it was even supposed to have GOOD gas mileage, which also means no horsepower.

I'm SURE you'll be getting more (data/video/files, etc) just like me. I'm up to about 200 megs myself, and 1/2 of that is in photos & web pahes, I also have a 5 Mb database of indexed text stuff I've been collecting from everywhere. BTW, do you think you could zip & burn a copy for me, or could I d/l it myself? thx

Proxlamus- Here's a couple that might give you an idea of what I have. I cut the console off behind the switches on the front, and in front of the ashtray in the back. I might just leave the back part out totally, instead mounting a fire extinguisher. I'd be interested in a smaller handle, but so far the Dodge/Chrysler one is the best. no mods to the lever were made, and I just added the shifter boot myself with a custom frame around the bottom.

I had a picture of the new shifter handle in my photo gallery, but it's gone now. There seems to be a problem with the photo gallery.

WOW. I nominate Carl to write the book on this. How did they do the 'Z Across America?' Did they carry a torch or something? Maybe hand-off an old hood badge?

Alphadog is right- It's in OUR best interest to keep the dollar-value of the Z-car down, and the value Up. I think what I should be complaining about is the general disinterest of the car from the SPEEDTV commentators. They should be saying better things about the Zed. How about one of those video drive-bys like you may have seen of some of the cars being sold. thx :knockedou

biker- Polish the INSIDE?? I just thought there would be an advantage to removing the baked-on oil coating on the inside, but as long as the air can get up into the vent hose, I don't think any varnish will hurt- unless it flakes off and gets into the works. We used to paint the oil galley and the inside of the engine block ( and the outside of small engines) with an oil-proof enamel that allows the oil to flow back to the oil pan more quickly. On the small (2-cycle) engines, it's used to protect the outside, so the oil can be wiped off easily. Nobody will see what on the underside of the valve cover anyway.

I thought I had one around here somewhere....sorry.

Nothing wrong with it. Mine broke, so I thought I would replace it with something that looks a little more like a manual stick. I even had the guy at the tire store fooled! Now, I want to figure out how to adapt a manual shifter to the auto transmission.

Dude, You should replace that shifter handle. I used one from a Dodge Intrepid/Stratus, with the button on the FRONT! I'm looking at a Chrysler 300 shifter knob too. Both for auto trans.

I took the valve cover off to 'polish' the outside, and I noticed that the inside had a coating of oil 'varnish.' Would there be an advantage to removing the varnish? What is the usual way to do that? (FYI) thx.

A long as he mentions that the Z-car is the MOST POPULAR SPORTSCAR in the U.S.A. the Corvette people will go nuts over that. I did agree that the 2+2 Ferraris are (slightly) less desireable than the coupes, but, to me, as long as it has a cavallino ON THE GRILLE,and it comes from Modena, it's a Ferrari, as opposed to the ones with the stick-on hood badge.

Mr. Yates mentioned Hondas in the same comment! I mean that he said they woun't be valuable enough to see them at the B-J auctions in the foreseeable future. That much I agree with, and it makes me happy (no offense to honda people). Mostly because they still make those cars in quantity, and to me, a car becomes collectable as soon as they cutback or cease production. Even though some people occasionally use the term, "instant collectable," or whatever. No such thing to me. Yeah, it means us ordinary-types (are Zed-fans "ordinary?") can snatch them up for cheap, then get rich off the snobs later!

I agree, but as they say, "we have freedom in the country." Yeah, even the freedom to put your foot ALL THE WAY into your mouth. I think if enough people send emails or comments to SPEEDTV, then maybe they might ask him (maybe) to not make any mentions about the Z-cars at all, if not good ones. You think some 'anonymous' person could threaten with a lawsuit because Mr. Yates' comment caused his concours-winning car to sell for $10,000 less than what it was worth?

I had the auction on Yesterday (1/1) when they made that comment! I remember somebody (not Alain) remarked that more of them would have to get rusted away before they would get considerably more valuable. RUSTED!!?? So why do we go to the great lengths to preserve OUR CARS so they are rust-free or repaired? so we can give them away someday? I would suggest to everybody here to go to the B-J website or email them information@barrett-jackson.com, and also tell the speople at SPEEDTV.com the same thing, to complain about the deraugatory comments made by the on-air people about such a famous car! The MOST POPLUAR SPORTSCAR in the U.S.A!!

There's really nothing wrong with my unit, except it's a little gunked up & I wouldn't know what to clean to get it to work better.

I've seen the catalogs, thx. But I'd like to keep the period-looking radio that's in there. It's got two channels, which is perfect for the car, and I don't like to carry CDs in the car. thx

My 280Z has an AudioVox (pull-out) AM/FM cassette receiver, and I'd like to get it serviced/rebuilt. The tape player doesn't track right and it once tried to eat my tape. Are there any good places that work on 80's car stereo equipment, to send the radio while the cars laid up? I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. thx

I feel bad about not having an interesting story to tell. The few times I had somebody say something to me was more like, " I had one of those when I was young." Yeah, so? On the other hand, I'm not into name-dropping, so I take the badges off. I like not having to dig the wax out from the brightwork. Clean looks cool to me. I even took off one of the pinstripes, so there's only a single line left.

Remember that you're talking about a Japanese guy in Japan. The have certain rules about how to conduct yourself. One point is why they created the 'Datsun' name, in case the cars were a flop. It might be that he WASN'T ALLOWED to have a Nissan car of his own.

Carl, I'll send you my spare white-out pen. It's great for those typos you make on the screen.

Bill's point was right. The PROBLEM is our own economy! If we eliminated ALL the imported GOODS, and instead concentrated on doing busines within the U.S., then prices of domestic products would go DOWN, and prices of foreign stuff would go UP. Another reason why imported stuff is cheaper is that people in other countries are willing to get paid minimum wage for what Americans get $20/hr to do. Those foreign companies put those profits back into the system to further improve their products. why do you think people want to emmegrate to the U.S.??? To buy imported cars?? No. For the higher pay & living standards. It's a conundrum, that we revere our Japanese cars that were built and imported with so much respect and admiration, and we turn up our noses to all the ricers who are doing the same thing to their Hondus, Lexus, etc. Of course WE think WE'RE different, because we're dealing with historic or antique treasures.

Isn't it funny how you appreciate it when your wife "Gets you a gift?" WHO is actually PAYING for it, her, or you? I would assume that if she got it for you, then she's got a job.

Did anybody get any Z-car related gifts for ChristmaZ? I was hoping for the A&E Z video, but got "Bagels for a Year" from Einstein's, which is just as important.