peterc

Andy, Welcome to the club. It's always a great feeling to finally get the car that you've dreamed of for so many years. Once you get yours sorted out you'll be amazed by how well the car's perfromance and handling match its looks!! Sounds like you are familiar with getting your hands dirty. One of the great things about this club is the amount of information people posess regarding maintaining and repairing these cars, and how willing they are to share. So if you ever need any help, advise or commiseration, this is the place to come to. Cheers, Peter

Lee, Great cars man. You did an awesome job. Just curious though, why did you install the steering wheel upside down (pic #P1010008)? ROFL Cheers, Peter

I think Ed's right on the money. Using truck bed liner will waterproof as well as sound proof the floors, and far easier (I think) to apply. If I remember correctly HLS30.com has done this in his Z. Maybe we can get him to comment. Cheers, Peter

Larry, If you have a problem getting replacement bolts just do what I did. Get new bolts and nuts/lock washers of similar diameter and length. Lock the head in a vise and and put a nut on the other end. Then use a propane torch to heat the head end until it gets cherry red ( use the old bolts for reference). Clamp on a pair of vise grips on the nut and bent the bolt until it resembles the original. Cool it off in a bucket of cold water and you're good to go:love: . Cheers, Peter

Ouch indeed. Sure glad I didn't rush out and spend my paper route money on one . Not haven driven it I can't comment on its ride characteristics, however from what I saw in the video it sure looks like a plain jane performer. And the engine sounds terrible, absolutely terrible. Cheers, Peter

Bill, At the risk of sounding cold hearted the best advise I can offer is to cut off all contact with her. Let her know in no uncertain terms that you are not interested in her in any way and if she persists in approaching you contact the authorities. I had a similar situation when I was in college. A girl with severe emotional problems took a real liking to me. Turns out I was a dead ringer for her ex-boyfriend from home (I saw a picture of him and we definitely could have been twins), so she figured that it was only logical that I should take his place. Whether I wanted to or not! Any and all attempts to help her with her issues were misconstrued as signs of affection. Eventually I contacted the campus health clinic so she could get the help she needed and to be sure that everything was on record in case she actually did end up doing something drastic. So don't let her try and put any guilt trips on you. You are not the cause of her problems and definitely are not in the position to be of any help to her. The mere fact that she has feelings for you would make that impossible, even if you were a mental health professional. The best thing you can do for her is to report her to your local mental health organization so they can get her the help she needs. Peter

Koslov, Just to clear up any confusion, are you talking about the air dam (black) or the bumper (silver)? The air dams are available form a number of sources, new and used, and will fit a 1977 Z no problem. The silver bumper, as Enrique stated, is from an early Z and with very little modification will also fit a '77. As far as what to buy, part of the answer depends on whether you prefer to buy something already 'finished', ie; that you don't intend to make any modifications to. Or if you'd prefer to get something that you can tinker with, ie: modify to your personal desire. And that all depends on how much you like to tinker with cars. Some guys prefer to just drive and pay for any/all repairs and mods. Most of the people on this site however, are inveterate tinkerers. Mostly because they love working on cars and Zeds are wonderfull to work on, and some in part because they can't afford to pay others to do the work for them (and I'm one of them ). Zeds are very modifiable and used parts are still in reasonable supply and relatively cheap. As to brands, ie: Chevy v.s. Datsun, well again thats strictly a personal choice. Nothing against early American Iron, but not my cup of tea. In my book brute strength and big noise can never overcome bloated weight, lousy handling and poor braking. I prefer light, agile, quick and sexy looking. To me that pretty much sums up what Zeds are all about. Cheers, Peter

You and MrsChino are some lucky! Nice way to spend a weekend :love: Cheers, Peter

$3800 isn't a bad price at all if the car is in good shape. Parts aren't the killer here as you can pretty much swap from 1970 through 1983, though later is better. And there is a reasonable supply of donor cars available (more so in the US). So the thing to watch out for, as previously mentioned, is rust. You don't want to spend big bucks making the body solid enough for the road. Cheers, Peter

Kosov, As mentioned here by others, rust is the main concern with any Z. If you possibly can, get someone that owns a Z to look it over for you (I'm in Ottawa, if thats anywhere close to you). They will know all the places that rust tries to hide in Z's. If you have to do extensive body work, you will go through your $7K real fast if you're not doing it yourself. You didn't mention what the asking price is, but it would have to be damn near perfect to fetch $7K. Also, don't consider it if you intend to drive it in winter. With the amount of road salt we use up here it will dissolve before your very eyes:finger: . On the other hand, dollar for dollar you can't find a better, more enjoyable sports car anywhere. And if you do buy one, you can't find a better site for help and information about Zs than this one. :love: Cheers, Peter

Steve, Point taken, and we'll find out soon enough. As i mentioned, this spring I'll see how the steering feels with power assist as compared to without, and I can compare them both to the steering in my '72. On the other hand how realistic the '72 vs '83 comparision will be is questionable due to the weight difference. Damn, now I have to drive them even more . "Sorry dear, I can't help you with the housework. I have to perform an important experiment with the Zeds." Cheers, Peter

Good luck on the trip, sounds like it will be a blast. Great advise from everyone here. Check out as much as you can before you leave (hoses, tires etc.) and replace only what you really need to (definitely change anti-freeze and oil and brake fluid). And making sure you can loosen/remove the wheel lugs will save you a lot of frustration if you have to change tires on the road. Definitely the most important is the AAA card or something similar. A tow any distance would chew through that $300 pretty fast. And better add a cell phone to the list, the AAA card is no good if you can't call them . The only suggestion during the trip would be to take things easy. The faster you drive the harder and hotter it is on all components. More likely something will break, and if something does break, it'll be all that much harder to keep the car under control. (this from a guy that wound up in a race (155km/h) driving home an '83Zx that had sat in a field for 6 years) :stupid: . Cheers, Peter

Hey Steve, Seems we're both right. According to my Haynes manual the 79-81 NT's had recirculating ball and '81 turbo and all '82-83's had rack and pinion. Cheers, Peter

If I remember correctly clamping it down will compress it so there's little or no gap. Cheers, Peter

Hey Makdiesel, I have a 1983 ZX. When I got it one of the power steering hoses was split so badly that power steering fluid would pour out onto the ground faster than I could put it in . I didn't bother to replace it as, like you, I preferred the road-feel that comes with unassisted steering. As for driving characteristics, the steering is VERY heavy from standstill. Getting into and out of tight parking spaces will do wonders for your biceps. If you decide to go this route you will quickly learn a steering technique form the old days. Use the clutch. Once you get the car moving, even just a little, you greatly reduce the effort required to turn the steering wheel. Takes a bit of time to get used to but it works well. Once you're under way you won't notice that the steering is unassisted. Having said all that, personally, I'll be replacing the hose when I put the car back on the road this spring. The ZX has rack and pinion steering, so road-feel is only slightly compromised by the power assist. And even with the slip-clutching technique, it does get somewhat tiresome having to muscle the car every time you start and stop. If you want to see what the difference is all you have to do is remove the power-steering belt. It won't hurt the power steering unit or the steering rack and its easily reversed if you don't like un-assisted steering. Cheers, Peter

Hey bobkat, Just a couple of thoughts. There is a cold start valve (like a fuel injector) located just behind the Air Flow Meter which spritzes fuel into the intake manifold to assist in cold startups. It has the same electrical connector as the fuel injectors so you should be able to spot it fairly easily. If this isn't working you will definitely experience the symptoms you describe. Two possibilities for this are a malfunctioning Thermotime switch or bad injector. First see if you have voltage going to the injector. Remove the electrical connector from the injector and have a friend start the car. ****WATCH OUT FOR THE FAN AND FAN BELTS ETC**** Use a voltmeter to see if you have power going to the injector (should be 6 volts). This should be a steady 6v until the car warms up. If there in NO voltage then my best guess would be a wonky thermotime switch which is located above the engine coolant temperature sensor at the front of the engine head just below the valve cover. The thermotime switch remains closed, ie, sends voltage to the cold start switch until the engine reaches a preset temperature. If you have power going INTO the thermotime switch but NOT the injector then there is either a short or the thermotime switch is shot and needs to be replaced. If you HAVE voltage going into the injector, then you have to pull it and see if it's working. It is pretty easy to remove (2 screws) but be careful not to tear the gasket. Stick the business end of the injector in a clear plastic or glass bottle and have a friend start the engine (engine cold). If the injector does not squirt a nice, steady, even spray of fuel then it is shot and needs to be replaced. Hope this helps. Cheers, Peter

Maria, SBlake01 pictures show exactly how the wedge works and where it goes. Like some others here I have been hesitant to use a wooden wedge in case of splintering. I found that a common plastic tent peg (the ones used to secure tents to the ground so they don't fly away) work exceptionally well and eliminate the risk of splinters getting into the engine. Cheers, Peter

Dan, I have one out of a '78 280. I don't know if they are the exact same beast, but this one sounds identical. T-handle with black push button on driver's side of the handle. I'll see if I can find it in the garage and take a few pics. for you. Cheers, Peter

Michael's right. I knew I was forgetting something. :stupid: If you don't change the front and side valences the new bumper won't fit or look right. Cheers, Peter

Carl, Didn't realize that Mikey the bidder was our Mikey :stupid: Cheers, Peter

The method of installation is different for the front and rear bumpers. Front: Remove the front shock mounts and use the solid metal mounts from the 240 instead. They will bolt right up where the shock mounts used to and the bumper will fit exactly as it would on a 240. No wide gap. Rear: Yes you do have to collapse the shock mounts if you want to avoid a wide gap. To do this loosen the small screw in the middle of the bumper mounting plate of the shock mount. This is the hydraulic fluid fill point for the shocks. With the screw loosened give it a few whacks with a small sledge and the shock mount will collapse (and may well leak a little fluid). Retighten the screw when you have them collapsed. Please note that the mounting bolts on the bumper will NOT line up with the holes in the shock mounts. You will have to use a piece of flat steel (about 1" wide by 1/4" thick) long enough to attach to both bumper shocks. Once you have it attached to the shocks line up the bumper (make sure that the gaps where the bumper attaches to the SIDES of the rear quarter panels are equal) and mark where the bumper attachment bolts meet the steel bar. Then drill appropriate sized holes in the steel bar, and you're ready to attach the bumper. ALSO!! As Bambikiller240 points out, the 240 bumpers offer much less protection, especially with the shock mounts collapsed. Personally, however, I feel the improvement in looks is well worth the decrease in protection. Cheers, Peter

, Do you suppose that the current bidder ($98.00) realizes that it's a model and not real??? ROFL Cheers, Peter

Dan, Can't help you about the turbo but $25 EACH seems rather high for testing. I had mine checked and cleaned for around $50 total. And that was for 7 injectors (don't forget about the cold-start injector). Did that quote include labour for removing and replacing them? If so, get a price without labour. They're a breeze to remove and replace. If you can't find anybody cheaper you could always test them yourself.. 1/ Remove spark plugs. 2/ Remove the high tension wire from the coil AND the distributor (you don't want any possibility of sparking. 2/ Remove 1 injector at a time and adjust it so that it will squirt into a clear plastic 2 Litre pop bottle. 3/ Turn the engine over for 10 seconds and observe the flow pattern. If there is a noticable difference among the 7 then they need cleaning or replacing. If the squirt/flow patterns are similar and all are squirting around the same amount then I don't think this is your problem, even if they are not a matched set. Does the car run differently at start-up vs warmed up? Possible thermotine switch or cold start injector issues? Same crappy performance regardless of engine temp? Compression is fine. So, maybe timing, airleaks, bad gas? Car sat for 2 years, did you change/purge gas tank and lines, change gas filter? Did you pull the dizzy cap and check for accumulated dirt and crap? Cheers Peter p.s. I got $^!# arse lucky with my '83. It sat outside in a sand quarry for 6 years. When I went to look at it for the first time I happened to have a spare battery and a can of quick start with me. As I intended to use it strictly for spare parts I thought "what the hell" and hooked up the battery to see if it would roll over. It turned over real easy and ran fine as long as I kept squirting quick start into the intake. Went home, got a fuel pump (off a '78) and an air tank (2 flats), went back and ended up driving it home. Even got into a race on the way back with an '82 2+2, but thats another story

Ya when it comes to electrical issues, Haynes can be less than illuminating. I have an '83 ZX, but don't tell anyone, 'cuz around here they think they are a POS . 1/ Have you ensured that you have power TO the switches? 2/ Have you pulled off the door panels to inspect the wiring harnesses and motors? 3/ Have you tried running the motors directly off the battery to ensure they are working? Assuming that both windows stopped working at the same time, and you have power going to the switches, and the motors/wiring looks o.k. and the motors work off the battey then the likely culprit is the circuit breaker. Page 245 of Haynes shows a circuit breaker right next to the passenger power switch (top of page, in middle), with YR and WL wires attached. This is to protect the motors and switches from power overloads. Could either just be burnt out from 22 years of faithful service, or there could be a short somewhere that 's tripping it. This circuit breaker should be located under the dash near the fuse box on the passenger side. Haynes doesn't show it and I'd go look for myself, but it's -25 in the garage, (-30 outside with windchill), so unless you want to wait til spring you're on your own :classic: Good luck, cheers, Peter

Hey 4, Having been on the wrong side of hit-and runs myself, as well as a few self-inflicted injuries when I was a poor student (now I'm just poor ), I have to agree with Ed. If the insurance implications are negative, i.e. making a claim will affect your rates, then fixing it yourself is a real cheap alternative. I'm assuming of course, from the pic, that the damage is only cosmetic and that the car's mechanicals were not damaged. Once you remove the bumper, and broken lights, the fender will be relatively easy to straighten out and repair. It may not look professional, depending on your skills, but then again its an old car that only cost you $1k in the first place, so it's not supposed to look concours. Pick up replacement lights and bumper from the wreckers and you're back in action. Hell. if you're completely unable to do ANY body work yourself, just rplace the broken lights and you should be legal to drive, unless there's a dress code for cars in your state. Cheers, Peter