Poindexter

What I meant was that 1000 ppm = .001 in decimal, not percent. That's how many of the manufacturers state component weights.

Let's see, there's a nice grab handle on the passenger door, the pillar z badging, rear plate light...even the door panels might be good yet...there's almost always something worth saving in these poor old cars. Let them live on on other Z's! Now that's really a coil spring!

Nice, clean car. Enjoy her. I go to at least 2 different cruise-in nights locally per week. I love cars, talking cars and taking pictures of cars, so it's a natural, and luckily I have the time. So I just love cruise-ins and Shows too. I finally just went to my first all Z Show, the NJ Show a few weeks ago and it was great to be among "family". Usually, out of well over 100 cars in the places I go, I am always the only Z- of any era. Tons of people come by to discuss the one they had and had to sell, or the one that "got away". They usually have the most reverence, it seems for the older Z cars, so I'm glad to be there. Such adulation! I have actually been "chased down" only twice- both by other Z cars, and that's tough because I usually have my foot in it!

To "completion"- OEM- Re-web both seat-bottoms, install one OEM seatcover from another '71- using details, pix & info from Arne and others Install new antenna Repair clock? new exhaust gasket- still eminently drivable, just sounds/hisses like the little engine that could. Complete new weatherstripping install Paint touch-up Remove & reinstall badging for complete compounding/polishing before putting her up for the winter. Aftermarket- Install variable thickness (2-10mm) sound/vibration padding throughout tub and inside doors & interior panels, reinstall existing old diamond vinyl and carpet Install Dave's headlight & parking light wiring harnesses Install OEM-appearing fog and driving lights w/associated wiring/relays/switching Since I have driven her a LOT lately- including several trips of 500 miles recently, I think she's pretty close.

No. See first post and thread title. Only mentioned in passing (good info though) in Post #9. Or do you mean "original" as in throughout recent history as ZDDP came to be used more and known- ±40 years ago? I have seen that idea bandied about. I think it always was intended to be used through the life cycle- but absolute facts are tough to come by.

You're right Steven that it is increasingly difficult to find somebody with proven research or empirically-based information that has no dog in this hunt. I do think it's important enough to do this research as part of my looking into oils- both diff gear, trans and engine. I have read a lengthy bit on the standards used for testing. If the standards don't test for the results of what the ZDDP affects, then changing technology won't show any affect of course. I still think that many of the "white papers" posted by the people trying to sell the zddplus stuff is valid, especially the information on the testing "Sequences" as it seems to be intent on clarifying rather than selling. Of course I have no information if their stuff works, is therefore worth the cost or is just rat whiz. GM has apparently addressed the same concerns and has a similar mystical liquid for sale. http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief4%20-%20Oil%20&%20Additive%20Testing.pdf

Mainly from restaurant sourcing. I used to be a parter in an Irish Pub, and they have 4 fryers going all day and night, so that will be my primary source- they'll just give the stuff to me if I come and get it. This way my exhaust will end up smelling like cod or haddock (fish & chips), french fries or tempura, depending on which fryer they've emptied out. And I'll make deals with other restaurants locally and upstate where the Andes Mountain retreat () is. My version of SAC HQ. Or is restaurant oil considered differently- WVO (waste veg oil) versus bio-diesel?? Perhaps the terminology is wrong. We're also investigating conversion of home-heating boilers/water heaters too. I also understand that simple veggie oil can be had for under 50 cents a gallon, as a backup. Lots to learn of course, but the payback/break-even is almost immediate.

I chose the Mobil1 High Mileage 10w-30 for their additives then adding zinc as required. Does anybody know how to compare 1000ppm to percent? Doesn't that work out to .001%?? And isn't the optimum level higher- like .0018? I'm trying to find that figure again- it's daunting to find trustworthy figures- assuming one buys into the ZDDP concept- which at this point I do. Here's another comment from the zddplus website, which I am using as an untested source for forming the basis for some of my questions. In other words I'm vetting their results. PS- I think the "problem" is, that over 40+ years, as the engine and exhaust technology has vastly changed, so has the technology to study the effects of oils, and in fact so have the methods of how they produce them to such precision. Then there is the advance in metallurgy to be considered too. I can't imagine how current oils can possibly be best for our older engines- much like how the earlier dry-cells- those lunch-boxed sized mothers- which I remember using 40+ years ago when I was building radios and stuff with my Dad- no longer fit anything made today. A car battery-sized battery of then is blown away by the small Lithium ion cells of today- in every way, except weight! QUOTE-Directly measuring the amount of ZDDP in an additive is extremely difficult due to the mixture of different alcohols used in its manufacture, and the resulting range of atomic weights of the ZDDP molecules. The most common way to indirectly measure the ZDDP content is to use one of several ASTM test methods to measure the phosphorus and zinc content. Zinc can often be added to oils as an acid neutralizing agent, so zinc is not a reliable indicator of ZDDP. Since phosphorus is found in oils predominantly in the form of ZDDP, we use it as the measurement criteria a phosphorus test result as an indicator, the correct way to state ZDDP level is to state an amount of ZDDP that results in a certain phosphorus level. Phosphorus is also the element identified as most potentially compromising to the catalytic converter, so there is a maximum 800 ppm or 0.08% phosphorus level specified in the SM oil classification. SF oil was in common use back in the time of older high-performance cars with flat tappets and higher than current valve-spring pressures. The best heavy-duty oils of that time contained a level of ZDDP which resulted in a phosphorus level measured in the range of 1200 to 1600 ppm. Recent testing of modern SM oils reveals that many contain around 600 ppm of phosphorus. END

Thanks Mike. I searched for "diesel", which I thought would pick up any mention. Those threads were 2-3 years ago, and SO much has changed in the fuel world, so perhaps there might be more to say, and maybe better than resurrecting a several year old thread ? If not please just delete this post- no biggie. I really am going to do this- compared to some of the heavy projects people around here are doing, this seems downright simple- and cheap! Wouldn't a car starting without an engine then adding an L-24, or L28 sometimes work out the same as buying a rolling chassis then adding a running LD-28 engine, no? Change the fuel lines and bolt'er right on! LD28's seem to run around $3,000 ±$500 or so, same ballpark as an normally-aspirated model. I'm sort of looking that the equation of buying a "full car" versus buying a rolling chassis and adding an engine, the incremental cost/savings. Wouldn't the cost of an older but still "crate" RB-26DETT be about the same? I haven't seen enough of them to know. But then an RB in an HLS-30 body would then need the addition of full rails/welding, a new diffy/LSD and some suspension work too- at minimum? This diesel solution seems to be the best way for us to go, and sort of keeps it within the boundaries of this board- just a drop-in engine- same block and all. I wanted a fun Z project for this winter, just a clean driver with a nominal paint job, and somehow *another* 240 Series I with an RB26DETT just didn't really put me over the top, as exciting as it seemed to me before I found out about the veggiecar. Besides, adding another diesel car is PERFECT for how my family is set up- with big tanks and a bio-diesel home plant going in!

I just found this site- and I did search here for it and nothing came up- where the guy changed his engine to a Nissan D28 diesel, and turbo'd it. And the best thing is that it's a almost a drop-in installation!!! http://www.veggiecar1.com/ I have the LD28 Nissan diesel in my boat. So cool to have the same basic engine in one's car and boat! I love the idea of diesel-izing a Z car. Now I'm watching for these LD28 engines on ebay and other places, and I'm gonna find a nice Series One shell but with no engine, and build this same thing over the winter, as I'm moving to biodiesel for all of my other cars too- Mercedes 300CD-turbo diesel, and a 300D too. Going all the way as I don't think were ever going to see cheap gas ever again. Here's a couple of picture of this awesome theme paint-job, attached below.

Superstition sums it up quite nicely, actually. I do know that the oils "back then" (almost 40 years!- yikes!) had much higher levels of the stuff, but were also not as technologically advanced as today's lubes- and neither was the metallurgy, so who knows what gives for sure? I know it can't hurt, and I intend on keeping the appropriate levels, and so I'd just as soon not upset the apple cart. You are quite right that many more observations are needed to come to any absolute conclusion. I never actually "track race" my Z, although I'm sure how I drive is considered "hard driving", so I'll take it where I can get it. I change the oil at least before every season when it's running, whether I drive 1,000 or 2,000 miles, and never go more than 2,000 miles. An extra $25 or so is cheap insurance too. It never hurts to keep up with the latest "theory" going around- although this one does seem to have at least some basis in fact. All of this is moot, of course, if you don't remove the drain plug on odd numbered days, while jumping on your right foot to Motown tunes though...

Bust shmust :cheeky:...I would definitely suggest that you read the links in the cam wear thread from hybridz. It has links to that same article you posted about, many other empirical bits of knowledge, as well as several other very informative links. And the comments regarding the proper use of ZDDP in engine oils from one of the largest and most experienced cam makers in the world- the current head of Iskenderian are very telling. Depending on your driving style, the need for the extra protection offered by ZDDP may never come up..depending on the overall maintenance of your Z- over it's whole life too, it might never have any bearing- pun intended . As my Z came from a Nissan exec in California, who was scrupulous in the upkeep, but drove briskly I have been told, and I also kept up the rigorous maintenance, but I drive with a very heavy foot, shifting well up into the power band, heel and toeing too, keeping the revs in the optimal place for the upcoming conditions, I need all of the protection I can get. So it may never bite you in the parts- it might even be the luck of the draw almost as much as upkeep and driving style. Everything I've read says that the proper ration of ZDDP is crucial for these engines- not lower or too much higher either. Again, the hybridz thread contains almost every answer I needed to make an informed decision IMHO. It certainly solidified my decision to use one of the supplemental ZDDP additives- wither the GM or the one from the site, to bolster the concentration of whatever oil I use to the optimal level. I definitely do not want to worry about that. Last but not least, it certainly can't hurt!

She looks good, and I also love that color on the early Z's. But I think there are still a few questions to ask- 1) What's your honest level of mechanical mastery, and of similar work completed before- especially engine, welding and body work- and how is your tool assortment? Suitable workspace too- do you have the room to spread her out, clean her up (media blasting chamber, liquid cleansing station, clean spray area etc.? Is there still enough room to move about easily? Can you work on her year round- comfortably? If you have to do some work standing in the empty engine bay, freezing or roasting your bolts and nuts, er, zinc bits off () then that's another whole can of worms! Which leads to the next question- 2) What is your expectation, what you want to end up with? A driver? A pretty driver? Something to show off? Each level adds another $5 grand I would guess. Just the quality expectation you have for the prep and new paint job could add $5,000 by itself. Do you even plan on doing these steps by yourself? Paint prep can take forever, and it should take a lot of time done right. Isn't prep the most important part of the paint job? 3) What is your time frame? How much can you reasonably expect to put in each week? This also relates to your budget too. Might you be forced to do this over 2-3 years? Can you wait for super parts deals to show up? The state of the engine really plays heavily too, IMO. Do the numbers even match? And finally then the most serious of any potentially "fatal" flaws- rust in the expected or dreaded areas? Just off the top of my head... I like the idea so far- with a bit more information though. PS- can you grab the ash tray for me? jk

I didn't make myself clear. My bad. First off, none of these cars for sale is mine, nor do I have any stake in anything other than that car in my sig. The point I was endeavoring to investigate was the incremental value that a specific bit of work would add to a car. Much like "they" say you would get back, say, 80% of the cost of a pool were you to build one on your property, or 70% return on investment for a kitchen remodel. All new proper zinc bolts in the engine compartment- cost $350 = increase in value of a car perhaps as much as $500, for example. I'm using made up numbers- as I have no idea of the true values. Simply a basic ROI question. (Return on Investment) This of course leads to a better understanding of whole car values. Why one car can be worth $19,000 in one place, and $23,000 in another is one example of a simpler line of inquiry. More complicated - is it worth doing X work on a car if it will only yield 60% of X when you go to sell? What work will return more than the average cost, leading to a "master list" of higher-priority work that should be performed and what should be avoided. Another example- should I keep all of my old dingy engine bay bolts and hard fuel lines (yet 100% original from the factory floor) or should I replace them? How about hose clamps? How would that affect the value? I'd love to have nice clean parts up front- but not if it hurts the future value. I am kind of obsessed about keeping my current car as original as possible- or am I chasing my own tail, in that some things don't matter? I'd like to know that too. How does "original" affect values- in light of the old saying about how you can restore a car several times but it is original only once? I am trying my best to get a handle on the Z market- now, to create a long-term pricing history, to get a better understanding on the ebbs and flows of Z car values over time- and what specifically affects them, because I can imagine making a very enjoyable "retirement" business of restoring Z cars one day in the future- if the numbers can be made to work out. As a former options and stock trader, I tend to look at markets precisely, mathematically, coming up with some sort of valuation equation for appreciating versus depreciating assets. Most tangible assets can be put into those 2 categories- a most basic requirement for any business. And I have such a plan for a dream garage, but only if it can be made to produce some kind of revenue to help pay for itself- at least a tiny bit. These kinds of questions can be best answered most accurately by the core of very capable people populating this board who have a long and detailed experience in these cars. Many cars for many years. Their vast experience is priceless. I hope this makes things much clearer.

I have been doing way too much research on oils over the past few weeks- obsessive I know- but it really is one of the most important decisions to be made for our precious cars. I almost picked the VR-1 until I read this below on a very informative site- which may or may not have been mentioned here- it's early and I'm loopy- so sorry if this is a repeat. Quote from http://www.zddplus.com/index.htm tech brief 5- but the whole site is full of great information on everything to do with ZDDP, and oils in general too. These additives (or similar products- as I hear GM has an equivalent product) are engineered specifically to bring the Zinc and Phosphorus content up to levels palatable to our engines- and as such might be a fantastic thing allowing us greater latitude in our choice of oil, being able to supplement an otherwise excellent oil (whatever that may be) with ZDDP to achieve optimal levels. For the record I have no connection whatsoever with this or any other product that has any connection to our cars. Just the facts. And I reiterate that you all should read through the link Phred mentioned earlier. An *excellent* discussion on this subject, IMHO. QUOTE-"Racing oils are optimized for short-term severe duty as well as reduced oil drain intervals, in contrast to street-use oil that has been designed for day in, day out street operation with extended drain intervals. Especially in the case of vehicles which see extended periods of storage, it is important to remember that acids and contaminants in the oil are at work even when the car is in storage! In addition to very short oil change intervals, a drag racing engine may have a total life measured in mere thousands of actual crankshaft revolutions between rebuilds. In contrast, street engine may spin a many as 150 million times in 60,000 miles at 2500 rpm, or 7.5 million times per 3000-mile oil change at 2500 rpm! Obviously, the need for long-term protection of all components which rely on the engine oil is much more important in designing a lubricant for street use than it is for racing use." END QUOTE There is also a concern about the VR-1 formulation not having the additives that keep particles in suspension, something that is not as big a concern with racing situations.

"wolf! wolf!"

I dearly hope this isn't considered flaming. I am only calmly stating facts. 5 keys are offered at a BIN of get this........$500! Using these forums as a shill for unjust enrichment should not be permitted, I'm sorry. Isn't this specifically prohibited behavior? This is starting to resemble the SternFanNetwork!

I have been using the Castrol GTX 20w-50 forever, and had found nothing bad to report about it, but after hearing about the cooling effects, and slightly higher gas mileage offered by the synthetics- I researched the Red Line, Royal Purple and Valvoline Racing oils, as well as the Mobil 1 High Mileage, 10W30. I chose Red Line for their gear oils- as I stated in my earlier post in this thread- and I have been extremely happy with the results. As for engine oil, though, according the the Mobil techs, it has the good old higher levels of ZDDP that our engines need to thrive, and also contains extra "seal conditioners" to deal with the usually larger clearances our older engines have. And they promise it won't cause either leaks to start (unless you still have any cork gaskets or terrible past maintenance habits) nor journals to clog as the interior sludge becomes freed into solution and trapped in the oil filter- major concerns with these older engines. So I will be switching to it within the week- and keeping a detailed mileage log to track any changes in engine water temp, mileage, and start-up smoke - it looks like the back of Jeff Spicoli's van when I start up- if you know what I mean! :laugh: I will report back on my results.

Thanks a *million$* to all who posted some great pix! If you want to lose your mind try looking through this site- simply breathtaking some of the cars they have there! There must be some tie-ins to the Amelia Island Concours, with some of the cars inside. http://www.coachbuild.com/

I can't thank you enough! Both cars are beautiful, but I have to agree with you about the Phantom. I've never seen anything like it before. Those lines, those fenders, might be sexier than the E-types!

:stupid: fake photo ripped from jalopnik.com originally from: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://forum.autohoje.com/archive/index.php/t-7813-p-3.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djalopnik.com/assets/resources/2008/02/78_280Z_Nose.jpg%26num%3D30%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DG From either Brazil or Portugal originally.

What is that GORGEOUS silver car behind the 4-door Porsche in the foreground? Awesome pix. And Will, do you ever plan on creating a larger photo grouping, either here or on Flickr or Picasa? With 700 shots (this trip only) you could make lots of people very happy that couldn't make the trip!