Oiluj

My worst was a used, early 80's Toyota Cressida. It seemed like the fuel injectors were normal wear parts with a 8,000 mile life span. Was very surprised given it was a Toyota. Dumped the car after 2 years.

Dave, Count me in for one as well! When do you want the check?

Nice work. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. Post some more pics when it's been buffed-out! I painted a car once and was worthwile experience. It came out OK, but I found out I'm much better at prep than painting... Come to think of it, that's still true today, 25 years later!

Arne, I echo duffman's appreciation. Thanks for all the effort! Julio

All I can say is wow!... The engine's not my cup of tea, but the level of detail is amazing.

Just got back from a week business trip to Israel. Saw a few BMW 2002's, quite a few 318's, a couple Porsche 914's and Opals from the 70's, but not one Z, (of any kind). Were Z's exported to the middle east? I can say that the few 70's sports cars & sports sedans of this time period looked to be in pretty poor shape, so if they were sold there, they may have just rusted away...

Sorry to hear that. Been there before. If you can, wait till spring when the sports car market is stronger and hopefully the economy improves so you can get a better price.

These joints are just spot welded and filled with lead on S30's, (or at least thru late 1972 production...). If they are run hard on rough roads or have upgraded, hi-torque engines, cracking of the paint in this area is not unusual. Any good body shop can remove the lead and weld a full bead on the joints, eliminating this issue.

Dan, if your bumpers are straight and chrome good, (or re-plateable), you might consider selling them and use the cash to buy fiberglass bumpers, since you are going to paint them anyway. That way someone who needs metal bumpers gets what they need Besides, fiberglass is easier to paint then chrome. Just a thought...

Jon, Thanks! Now I know which tranny to look for...

Typical suspects are the U-Joints on the half-shaft, driveshaft or mustach bar bushing(s)

I did a search and read about 30 different transmission posts and have a question. It sounds like to 280Z (thru 78) is almost plug-n-play into my late 72 240Z, (just switch-out the speedo gear). The 80-83 280ZX 5 speed requires more modification. Is the ZX tranny better? I like the idea of a simpler conversion, but is the 280Z tranny have any issues? Thanks!

My Rebello 2.4L conversion to 2.8 L stroker dyno'd at 212 hp w/ 197 ft/lb of torque. That's with the stock manifold and twin SU's. I figure it will be about 150+ hp at the rear wheels.

Don't need to park next to the rat rods as the MGA is gone now. After 17 years I sold to a guy in Holland to make room for the 240Z. There's only so much usable space in my 2-car garage... One bay for the car, one bay for project space. Like the MGA, my 72' Z will be a respectible driver, but definetly not show car quality.

Reading the rules reminds me of why I only ever entered my MGA for casual juding in the driver category. (See attached pic). Even in the "driver" class, class winners are often trailer queens with documented mileage that were never driven. These cars were purchased and restored with the singular goal of winning best-in-class at club shows. Just a bit too anal for my taste... From my perspective, cars are meant to be driven, usually resulting in visible road wear. I love looking at pristine cars, but have more appreciation for a well maintained car that is driven frequently, but will never win a trophy...

Simple. Payback...

Back in the early 80's, my first Z, (73'), had the points come apart once 20 miles from anywhere. I always kept an old, spare set in the car. In 15 minutes I was driving again. Same car had an alternator failure that led to low voltage and loss of power, but it got me home. My 2nd Z, a late 71' never let me dow in 8 years. Expect the same from my current 72'. They are actually very reliable cars.

I can recommend Williams Auto Body in San Mateo. He is a Nissan / classic Z specialist who does very nice work. 1001 S Railroad Ave San Mateo, CA 94402-1844 (650) 572-1800 http://www.williamsautobody.net/ You can also call Honzo at Datsonville in Burlingame. He has a body shop up the street that he recommends. I saw a 240Z they did and it was fantastic! The New Datsonville 927 Howard Avenue Burlingame, California 94010 (650) 348-8856

Check the bullet plug connector on the light switch harness at the steering column. (Under the steering colum cover). On my 1972, it's the large gauge white wire with, (if I recall correctly), a red stripe. On mine the bullet plug wasn't fully engaged in the socket and I had similar symptoms.

That's the one weekend in October that I'm not free. Guess I'll have to wait till next year...

It's been 18 months since I got hergan tearing her down. Today she rolled out of the driveway for a "real" drive, not just a few blocks. With my wife in the passenger seat, we drove for 45 minutes on the closest windy road. Went up Highway 92 to Skyline, (highway 84), which is very curvy with multiple small elevation changes. The car drove great and handled like she was on rails. It was a great drive for breaking-in the engine. Lots of speed and rpm changes with a significant amount of engine breaking. Never pushed it hard, but did make an effort to load the engine in short bursts where possible. Also did a few hard stops to "bed" the brakes. Found I have a "squeak" in the driver's seat I need to eliminate, as well as a few small rattles, but other than that the interior seems pretty tight. She won't br truely complete for another 6 to 8 weeks, but she's driving! Will post pics as soon as I get the sterring wheel refinished and the HVAC controls installed.

If you can't find one locally, try ordering from McMaster-Carr.

Very Nice! Looking forward to seeing pics of the finished product.

Frankie, Like you, my brake problem is finally resolved. I gave-up and took it to Datsonville in Burlingame, CA. They couldn't get the rear discs to work either. I made an executive decision and had them convert back to the rear drums w/ new cylinders, turned drums & new shoes. Honzo at Datsonville in Burlingame re-installed the rear brakes and did a great job. Even painted everything! Now, if anything, it feels a bit over-braked, but that's fine with me. The system has 15/16" ZX master with Totota 4x4 S12 calipers up front. Wa-ay better than the stock set-up. Have an adjustable proportioning valve and after-market pressure check on the rear circuit to the rear drums. Pedal is firm and requires less pedal force with substantially more braking power. My wife will like that… Now I just have to: 1) get headlights working, 2) figure-out why she's not charging the battery 3) install a new muffler/resonator 4) complete the heater-A/C controls modifications 5) fabricate and install A/C hoses 6) complete A/C compressor brackets 7) install stereo 8) wire driving lights 9) get interor light to work with doors 10) fix small paint defects & 11) clean & polish her!

I feel your pain... Still having problems with my brakes also. Traced the problem to the rear circuit. Can't get the rear discs to pump-up, even though all the separate components appear to work. Decided to reduce a variable and go back to the rear drum brakes to get things working. Will figure-out the rear disc problem down the road. For now I want to get the brakes working so I can drive it and break-in the engine.