Jetaway

All better now. Though quite the ordeal, some self-inflicted, most not. I knew it would take awhile because the labor required is early equal to that of replacing the pads and the front wheel bearings and separating something or the other from the rotor that had become quite fond of staying together. Took the rotor in to Brake Master's. Nope, won't machine it? Why? Nope, won't do it. Why? Cross-drilled and grooved. Why? Because they are cross-drilled and grooved. So why won't you do cross-drilled and grooved rotors? Eats up the bits. Asked: Do you know anyone who will work on them? No. Fine, so I go to Les Schwab's. They were OK with grooved, not so with cross-drilled. Bit may catch on edge and break the rotor. Grrrrr. Asked: Do you know anyone who will work on them? No. You'll have to buy new ones. "Not at $250 a piece, a mumbled." Went home to take my kid out for lunch and to mull over where to take them. Try every place in town? Try my luck at a performance car builder? Monkeys! I'll try Monkey's. No problem, $20 each. Now this is how to make sure you don't get my business. I can excuse the Les Schwab guy because for all I know he arrived in town yesterday. But the Brake Master's guy has been here since I got here 13 years ago. A friend of mine, in his mid-30s, and born here has told me that Monkey's has always been here. Allowing that very young children aren't that good at remembering things, I'd guess 30 years at least. Especially because he thought it was a Monkey zoo. No way in hell the Brake Master's guy didn't know of Monkey's and knew, at the very least, they worked on brakes and worked on just about anything. I don't think I'll be taking my business their again. Anyway: Shiny rotors (they look like the Motor Sport version) in hand, I return home to deal with a balky caliper. The piston wasn't frozen, but very tight. So I went to O'Reilly's and picked up a new one for $40.00 - $7.50 core charge. Yes, they had them in stock. Put it all back together, bleed the new caliper side. Come around to the other side, with an eight month old caliper and -- &&*! I had broken the S-shaped brake line that goes from the brake hose to the caliper. No luck anywhere finding that baby. Decide to bend it myself. Took awhile, like 4 hours, but finally got it. Wouldn't seal up on the caliper side. I figured the problem was a "nose" on the connector and carefully cut it off, screwing up the threads in the process. Cleaned them up manually and --- still wouldn't seal up. Screwed in the other end. Hung up maybe 2/3rds of the way down. Finally determined that the new-old caliper had stripped threads. Tried tapping it out. No dice. Capitulated and went back to O'Reilly's and bought another caliper. (Yes, if you are counting, that's three in stock calipers for a '72 in six months at O'Reilly's.) Bought more brake tube, gave it to Monkey's and an hour later they called with it. Had to bend it a bit at home, but it is a tricky arse curve, but finally got it in, topped off the brake fluid, bled master cylinder, left, right, and master again. The Z was out of action from Friday morning till Tuesday evening. I probably put 20 hours in on it including the running around looking for parts and service. But: No vibrations! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Chris

The Z Store / Motorsport has the following replacement strut with minor mods for $48.95. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/BIS/30-8303 I was on the verge of ordering one when I found a '72 strut at the junkyard. When it starts giving me lip, I'm just going to order this one. Chris

AC Cobra or Cosworth Vega? I've spent more time trying to come up with an estimate for the worth of this Scarab than is healthy. Share the sickness. What is a company-built Scarab? Multiple one-offs? A limited production new vehicle? A professional conversion? Your answer, I think, sets your estimate of its value. The best comparison I could come up with were the vehicles listed above, AC (Shelby) Cobra or a Cosworth Vega. Both took an existing chassis, and put in a more powerful, or at least more technically sophisticated engine (and a few, relatively minor modifications to the suspension and drivetrain to handle the extra weight and power). I wanted to compare original retail of the 6-cylinder AC (Bristol?) that was transformed into a Cobra and likewise, a stock Vega with a Cosworth Vega. Had a hard time finding those retails, so I settled for comparing the original retail of an AC Cobra and Cosworth Vega (not that easy for me to find) to estimated value today. For the AC Cobra I came up with $600,000/$4,600, a ratio of 130:1 For the Cosworth Vega I came up with $10,000/$6,000, a ratio of 1.7:1 (Fun fact I learned. The Cosworth Vega was the second most expensive car in the Chevy line-up, listing for $300 to $600 less than the Corvette.) Couldn't find any original retail on the Scarab, so I began with an estimated list for a 1972 Z ($4,000) and took the average of a 50% and 100% price premium (I know, 75%, just exposing my thought process) and plugged in the asking price. Scarab $300,000/$7,000, a ratio of 43:1. Seems a little high. AC Cobra and Cosworth Vega represent the alpha and omega of valuations. Maybe the MB Gullwing and a selected Ferrari or two have a greater, due to racing performance, historical significance and, well, the fickle finger of fate, have a "desirability" to, uh, what, rational valuation ratio, but the AC Cobra is right in their ballpark. The Cosworth Vega, through its association with the widely despised Vega, arguably has a lower than average desirability / rational ratio. The Vega was technically very advanced for its time -- perhaps too advanced and GM wasn't able to solve assembly problems before the name was tainted -- or maybe its being assembled at a plant still studied today as a textbook example of how not to run an assembly plant -- or both, led to today's under appreciation of the car. (No, I've never owned one. Had a Pinto for a short time. It, ummh, was not good, lets just say, not good.) The valuation of items at the very top of the market, any market, are better modeled with a power function than a linear function. Lets take the ratio of the square roots for the AC Cobra and Cosworth Vega. AC Cobra: 11.42 Cosworth Vega: 1.29 Simple mean = 6.35 Inverse of mean = .157 Estimate for Scarab: $7,000 / .157 = $44,585. Actually, this seems a little low to me, but the estimate is based on generic cars, so to speak. It looks in good condition, and if the text can be believed, it is in good condition. First one produced, company owner's car, 1/2 of all the stock used in publicity and promotions. I guess I could see someone going twice the generic estimate, putting it in the ballpark of $90,000. A special someone, but nonetheless not out of the realm of plausibility. But $300,000? I got doubts. Chris P.S. Watch it go for $450,000.

I'm with Ta240. I paid $4,700 for my 1972 three and 1/2 years ago. Not including tires, another $1,800 -- $2,000 in parts. Overall it's in the same shape now -- another 35,000 on the major components balanced by a lot of twiggy little sorting out of things that made it quieter, warmer, cooler, and better looking -- and if I had to sell it tomorrow, I'd be happy with $4,700. OK, happier with $5,000. But I'd be too nervous to drive it if it worth $12,000, which would be its value in 2018 on its way to pushing $20,000 five years after that with a relatively modest 10% annual increase in value. My general thought on investing is you probably shouldn't invest in something that is at risk of being wiped out by a drunk, a teenager talking on the phone, or a wind gust pushing a long-haul truck on top of it. But that may just be me. Chris

And that's all you need to know, buddy. Regarding drying out: When bought, the top wadding will usually be a bit on the dry side as the solvent has moved to bottom. I'll buy it, then turn it over for a day or two before use. Doesn't cause all the solvent to move to the top, but makes it easier to get to a dampened area for use. If the lid is kept on tight, the last bits of wadding will be pretty damp with solvent. Throw it in the new can to spread the love. Chris And no, I don't use it on my cereal for breakfast.

The AM/FM cassette player is what puts it over the top for me. Bet it's a Pioneer. Chris P.S. Saying its a Pioneer is no putdown. Back then you could spend a lot more on a car stereo and get a lot less than than buying a mid or high-end Pioneer.

From the craiglist posting: ++++++++ vehicle was restored 3 years ago was running like new what do u need? ++++++++ Front bumper! Oh, never mind. Chris, couldn't resist.

While some of our neighbors have the a/c on from mid-May to November, we do our best to resist the Siren's song, using the a/c maybe seven days per summer. I woke up this morning around 8:30, made some coffee, sat down to read the paper, and started sweating. I capitulated to the goddess of coolness and, as you may guess by this point, bagged the idea of hitting the junkyard. Maybe next weekend. Chris

The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. The heat, high 90s, is not that unusual, but the humidity is and dragged me down. Even worse today, so it looks as if my main girl, Stella, will be doing transport duties for the next week. Thanks all, the rotors shall be machined. They are non-stock, grooved and cross-drilled, which costs a bit more than standard, so even if I can only get another 20,000 out of them, it will be worth the money. Chris

Warped rotors? Even though the vibration is strong only when in gear? True, I didn't have them turned when I replaced the pads, with generic, six months ago, or ceramic two - three months ago but they didn't have any goofing. (Ruling out calipers as they were replaced when I put in the generic pads.) If warped rotors are the problem, that would be great. Parts or service pretty cheap, not that difficult to pull off of the car. I'm knocking off work early today, so I can start in on it in about four hours. If anyone has another viable possibility, please speak now or forever hold your peace (piece?). Chris

I'll probably be going to the junkyard this weekend and I can check for a 75 L interior panel. Doubtful they have one, but I'd be checking out a '75 for other parts anyway if they do have one. I don't know what they get for door panels, but take that, and a good estimate of shipping to you from the middle of California, (usually referred to as "Northern California," but actually within +- 30 miles of bisecting the state north to south) and what a box for such a freakishly shaped item is, and I'd be happy to get it for you. (Feel free to contact me privately on the price.) Also give me some idea of what condition, minimum condition it needs to be in. Chris

The Maquires stuff is good stuff. Use it on CD's too as the car environment takes a heavy toll. At least here in dust land. Just as some people shouldn't drink, I shouldn't use a buffer, and I've had good luck using, like Oiluj, good old elbow grease. Chris

Folks, I'm hesitant to post here because its not like my Z is by the side of the road somewhere, it isn't, its in my garage, but I do think I need to get this figured out quickly. 1972 240Z. Stock in any potential source of the vibration. Haven't done anything recently to the brakes, suspension, wheels, or tires. The vibration is noticeable if you are on the look out (feel out?) for it at around 30 mph, by 40 mph noticeable, by 50 mph annoying, by 60 mph getting scary. The vibration only occurs when the car is in gear and begins with the lightest touch on the brakes, its intensity increasing with pedal pressure. Occurs with gradual increase in pedal pressure or sharp braking. Doesn't seem to have an effect on stopping distance, nor grabbing / swerving, though I am not in the habit of nor do I think a full-on stop would be a wise move at this point. At speed, in neutral: smooth. Not like silk, there is a bit of a vibration, but probably no more than 50% of the cars out there, and not severe at all. Even the "rhythm" of the vibration seems different, with the in-gear vibration cycling faster, though this feeling may simply be the result of much greater amplitude. It may have started as long as 3 weeks ago, entered my consciousness as something amiss 2 weeks ago, and it was only a couple of days ago that I tried braking at speed while in neutral. Pretty sure the vibration is getting more intense with time also. The only thing I can rule out is the front brakes. I put in new pads and pins 3-4 months ago and pulled the wheels last weekend for an inspection and nothing seemed amiss. Now I at a loss to where to go next, and what I should be looking for, as the problem occurs at speed while I'll be looking at it going 0 mph in the garage. Suggestions? Chris

Previously I wrote: Now that I think about it, adjusting the mixture is the last step of my tune-up routine and I'm usually doing it between 3:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon. So I should be going the other way. Lean it out for the morning commute, back to setting for commuting home. Chris

Fellow-Z'ers. TomoHawk: Plasti-Dip works very well for side mirrors. I would have included a photo of mine, but it happened to be the one that snapped off that I posted about under "What Did You Do Today?" about a week ago. Go figure. And rest assured I respect the power of Never-Dull on paint. When using it for non-traditional uses, "being quick" means "as soon as the right hand puts it on, the left hand wipes off." ConchZ: I don't think the Turtle Was Liquid Clay Bar would do any better and is a lot more work for touch-up wax removal (like on the insides of the cowl air intake slots). I will give it a try on some larger problem areas, like what I assume is an oil stain spot on the front fender. Bluecrazy: It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who uses Never-Dull "off-label.";) Chris

Folks, Not real sure where to put this post, or for that matter, what to title it, but here goes. NEVER DULL: more versatile than you think! One product, Never Dull, you probably either use or have heard of, but do not use. It's the bottom-shelf metal polishing wadding stuff. Whatever its merits as a metal polish, it is the absolute best old wax remover that I've ever found. Wipe it on, wipe it off with a cloth. Considering how well it works on old wax, its probably taking off new wax as well, so aim carefully and given enough time, I wouldn't doubt it would start on the paint, so be quick about it. I've never had a problem with it removing paint, but I don't really give it a chance. (See before and after pictures of wax in the rear bumper crease photos.) It will also remove wax from rubber parts. It definitely dissolves rubber, though new rubber is much less affected than older, aged, rubber. I've used it on rubber and not had a problem, but the admonition above to "Be quick" applies doubly here. (See before and after bumper rubber photos.) Finally, under the nothing to lose category: Never Dull will blacken up old, worn out rubber. Yes, indeed, it will. I use it because my bumper rubber is, charitably, shot. I do not use it on good rubber, for that I use a product designed for use on rubber. PLASTI-DIP When I bought my Z, it came with ZX "Iron Cross" wheels. I thought it odd that the design on the center cap consisted of a polished metal "Z" against a backdrop of textured metal. Didn't really stand out that much. A few weeks later, I noticed the piece of crud that had resisted mild removal techniques was not a piece of crud but a piece of black plastic. AHA! That makes sense, the backdrop was originally textured black plastic. Now, what to do about it? Eventually I decided to try Plasti-Dip, a rubberized spray paint. A bit of fancy masking, three very light coats, and as you can see, three years later it has held up very well, and even reproduced the metal texture underneath. Didn't take much for the wheel center caps, and the rear valence was faded, so I painted it. Those white areas seen between the bumper and taillight leads to the caution below. I liked the look of a pre-72 gas door and as the one I had picked up was in a messed up blue, I sanded the paint off and painted it with Plasti-Dip. Maybe six months later while dissembling the dashboard area for some damn reason and a general cleaning, I Plasti-Dip'ed the metal panel between the padded dash and windshield. After 2 and 1/2 years, the color has held up very well. (Those white specks are dust.) I had spray-painted the wiper arms with basic black spray paint and while they looked good at first, they faded to a dull grey within six months. Still, I was hesitant about using Plasti-Dip because it doesn't form as hard of a surface as regular paint and I worried about it being quickly sand blasted off of such an exposed area. Still, after three or four repaints with spray-paint, I figured nothing to lose and took off the old paint and applied Plastic-Dip last March. I'm thinking that six months later, and while its garaged, we don't have clouds from April through October, its holding up really well. Looks no different than the day I applied it. The caution: Plasti-Dip does not play well with wax or polishes. Not at all. Those grey areas on the rear valence are wax smears inadvertently applied when I was trying to wax that thin piece of metal between bumper and valence. Not even the mighty Never Dull will get it all off. And that thin piece of metal remains unwaxed ever since. Give'em a try! Chris

Folks, Actually it was yesterday that I investigated why my rear defogger fans weren't working. Traced it down to the defrost switch (The built-in grid no longer works, so I tapped the fans into the stock defrost circuit.) Didn't have an appropriate switch laying around. Pretty sure I cleaned out the switch Jan. / Feb. of this year and second time is not usually the charm with old switches. Could replace with an ugly little basic switch, but its ugly. Status: No big hurry as likely won't need it until January. I may give it another go at a cleaning but I'll also put it on the junkyard watch list. Today: Washed car at 9:00 this morning, follow-up wax to one done two weeks ago. Chris

Yeah, its what you call the kick pod that I would be nervous about. But since it normally has a metal grill, no worries. Chris

Total stab: Could the maintainer be keeping the battery at a higher voltage than the car's charging system is putting out? Would that produce the drain that he sees on the ammeter? If so, is it nothing to worry about as the alternator will start charging once the battery voltage drops sufficiently or does the poor guy have some more poking around to do? Chris

More interesting stuff, Blue. If I'm reading this right, it appears that I should enrich the fuel mixture 1/2 a turn, maybe 3/4 turn, for my commute home. A 30 F temperature rise during the day isn't that unusual in these parts. Chris

Dave, Aren't you worried about someone's foot taking out that driver? Or did you pull the grill for illustrative purposes? Chris

NOOOOOOHHHHHH!! Don't do that! Magnets strong enough to keep your speakers in place will eventually demagnetize the speaker magnets. And although I suspect the magnets would need to be truly epic, it is possible that the frequency response could be dampened. Take a look at mine: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?32386-Audio-Systems&p=350915&highlight=stereo#post350915 Probably a bit more than you are planning on. I took the photo before I was completely finished and what is missing is a couple pieces of 2*4s that wedge the speaker platform against the lip at the front of the cargo space. If you look closely at picture #4 you can see that I ran aircraft grade wire from the speaker boxes to the shoulder belt anchoring point. In fact, I made another modification after a couple of months using small steel "L" brackets as speaker legs, positioned so that when the back of the speaker was against the shock towers the front legs were tight against the lip. A saner alternative to what I did would be to make a wedge shaped enclosure that fits snuggly between the cargo area lip and shock towers, or at least large enough (if you want a different angle for mounting the speakers) that you can wedge a piece of wood between your enclosures and the front lip. Use Mr. Velcro for a little more holding power. Finally, (salt over shoulder), you may want to tie the enclosures to the shoulder belt anchoring point to keep it from flying around in case of an accident. Chris

Pretty close, the line of ++++'s should go all the way across, actually, the sides should be steeper and more dunce-like. But will do, will do, and I learned something. No problems so far with the battery, hopefully it will last so long enough that I forget having almost killing it off. It won't hurt that for the next eight months, the likely temperature extremes it will have to deal with is 30 -- 90, with the likely highs dropping steadily to 75 in three, four months. Chris

A viable money for labor swap solution. But allow me to pitch the boxes, particularly their portability, one more time. 1) Doesn't work as a party sound central. 2) Unless one packs very lightly, the sound will be swallowed up by luggage on a road trip. Personally, I ceased caring about the first more than a few years ago. The second, though, is why I considered, but ultimately rejected a similar home-built system. In my case, I traded the luggage capacity in front of the rear struts (though can still get to the under floor storage compartments) for sound quality, but many people think I'm kinda nuts about audio anyway. Ultimately, sound quality in a car comes down to cost, compromises, and trade offs with each person having their own equation. "Sound quality" in the previous sentence might be rendered better as "audio satisfaction." My system sucks as a thumper, but I don't thump, so I don't care. Chris