Zed Head

One of the big problems with our automated world is that we forget where those automations came from - people. Why don't you send a message to a people and see what they say? Probably better than pissing a people off, as your first "new member" action, I'd guess Although, it looks like they might still use paper mail. People writing on paper, inserting in envelopes, applying stamps and waiting. Bizarre. You'll probably get your info in the mail. http://www.zonc.org/ Bottom of the page. There's also Facebook, and Twitter, and various other electronic alternatives. "ZONC PO Box #184 21001 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Suite A4 San Ramon, CA 94583"

The base circles aren't as small as some ground cams. When they grind a new profile over an existing profile they cut some base circle off. You can measure the cam lobe height also to see how close it is to factory specs. Not sure but I think that factory cams were cast to shape, forged, then ground. Or maybe just cast and ground. But not billet. That's why your Potter cam is so smooth between the lobes but the factory shafts are all gnarly.

Too much information. What was supposed to happen, in your opinion? And how fast? And how long did you wait?

Water ****. Noticed in another thread that **** is okay in the title but not in the body of the post. But apparently only in this one -

Similar -

"Original" is the undefined part here. How will anyone know? If somebody could get a copy of the catalog saved, and some other documentation, it would help. Was there a Scarab "factory"? I think it was just a shop that modified the cars, right? Drop your car off, get it modified, get it back. Or did they buy the car, modify it, and sell it as a finished product? Did a Google, and it looks like it was actually three shops. Is Brain Morrow still around? http://datsunforum.com/the-scarab-legend-the-original-hybrid-datsun-z/ Edit - a few more clicks and I found that I have created a circle. I imagine that with some click-work on eBay and Craigslist a person could collect enough parts to make their own Scarab. A receipt or build-list from Scarab Engineering would really add to a car's cachet. Good luck Randalla. A few more bits. We could @ these guys and probably blow up this thread. But I'll stop now, I've learned enough. - http://www.zhome.com/rnt/Scarab/Scarab.htm Here's a page from a book with some wrongness - https://books.google.com/books?id=99gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=Brian+Morrow+scarab&source=bl&ots=xTkZJtUsFK&sig=O6L5rMWjd2NMTt5jja5k_EXl8xc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiThYqVxqTUAhWJLmMKHZDpAbkQ6AEINjAD#v=onepage&q=Brian Morrow scarab&f=false This conversation has happened before - @kimberly

Not ignoring you Dave WM. He only talked about replacing the MC so the assumption, maybe wrong, is that he didn't mess with the inside stuff. Another reason that I might use a shim is that several people have had problems adjusting the adjustment on the booster rod. It tends to get stuck. Sometimes really bad. Fender shims might be about perfect. You could loosen the nuts, let the MC push out to where you can just feel it touching the booster rod, then slip the fender shims over the studs and clamp it back down. You can get a whole box of various thicknesses at Harbor Freight, and thye're u-shaped so that you can slip them without complete disassembly. A little bead of sealant across the top and sides to keep water out and you're done. Big picture, if it works but you still don't like the shims you can take it apart and do it "right". At least you'll know what the problem is.

We're all on the same page. If it was mine I might just build a shim, loosen the nuts and slide it in between the booster and MC. Easy and same end result but you get to keep the new parts.

Sounds like you didn't adjust the booster rod to fit the new master cylinder, and the piston in the MC is pushed forward, blocking the fluid return hole. A fairly common problem. You need to remove the MC and shorten the booster rod. Or shim out the MC. Here's a picture from the FSM. With all of the various aftermarket parts though, you kind of have to adjust by feel, or take measurements. I don't think that their "B" length works for all MC's.

What do you mean by "perfect clearance between pad and rotor"? I don't think that there's a clearance spec. And did they stick from the start or after you drove it? Do they stick so bad that they get hot and the car won't roll? Or do they stick when you try to turn the rotor by hand with the car still n the air? Need more detail.

This source says that GM used that code on 327's and 350's. So that fits. 3970010 http://www.nastyz28.com/sbchevy/sblock.html Where's texasz? He was going to have his site back up in a little while. @texasz

You can probably get that price or higher from somebody who comes out and inspects it in person. The key, I think, is to make it easy to do. Tell people where the car is located (Northern Idaho is a whole different world from Southern, Eastern or Western), all the details of how it runs, when it's available for viewing, are the tags/tabs current so it can be driven, will it do a long drive with no problems, etc. Could be a fun road trip and a ride home in a "new" Z. You gotta give that critical information though. Looks like Idaho carries over previous brands (obviously, from the picture) - http://itd.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/SalvageFactSheet.pdf

To be clear, all I'm really asking for is documents that describe what's what. All that's clear now is that the first V8 Z cars were commercialized by a company called Scarab. If all y'all Scarab guys don't save the documentation you'll be left with an oral history.

Where? Can I come over and peruse your literature? Kidding, I don't want to come over. But if you want to copy and post it that would be fantastic. Why would somebody remove all of those parts and replace them with stock Chevrolet parts? The only "proof" you have that you have a 370 HP Scarab motor is roller rockers under the valve covers? After 40 years? Are the parts you sourced "Scarab" parts or replica parts? Seriously, it looks like you have Scarab stickers on the body with replica parts on the engine. You dissed the guy that wouldn't open his hood but you have some of the same problems. An unknown engine in a 280Z body with Scarab placards. Just trying to figure out how to tell a "real" Scarab from a replica Scarab. If there was some documentation that said "this is how car number XXXX was made" and replica parts were used to restore that would be one thing. But with no documents, just the metal placards on the body that say "Scarab", really, what is it? Scarab's fault really, if they didn't document their work. It's interesting, I just don't know what's real and what's hype.

Thanks, that sounds like quite a ride. But I think that you're missing my point. I was trying to help you, I wasn't looking for help. In the world of buying old things, provenance is a critical part of value. My point early on in the thread was that there's no easily available record of what a Scarab actually is. Without the "official" records, it's just a few guys telling the world how valuable their car is. Where did you get the "370 HP" information? As I said way above, I'd love to learn more about these cars but, to be frank, if you Scarab owners don't lock the information down, and make it available, pretty soon you'll be four guys talking to each other. And your picture above shows a plain old chevy small block 4 barrel manifold, not an Edelbrock Torquer, on the "before" picture. What happened to the original 370 HP Scarab engine. Did they record engine serial numbers with the car sales? Just trying to understand. Help me out. With the help about Scarab history, documented. texasz's (allan?) site is still down - http://www.pape.ws/allan_and_rosanne/Z-Car_Stuff/Scarab/

Scarab makes their own bellhousing? Or do they just brand a GM one? Still be nice to see some Chevy stats. That's what Chevy world is about, things like 202 or 194 heads, 4 bolt main blocks. Dual plane, single plane, high rise manifolds, M22, M21, Rockcrusher transmission, etc. Without those facts, it could be a 305 with a Saginaw. Not clear why Scarab is special or cool, besides being first, without some numbers. No offense.

Somehow the title ended up in his name. So, to the basic question - I would just list it on Craigslist and/or here. How much was it going to sell for the first time, on the sale that fell through? The reconstructed title is not a huge deal to some people. As I said above, it's not a collector year, it's an "own it and drive it" year. Somebody will buy it. Shorten the backstory to "it has a branded title after being salvaged" and spend your words on describing how it runs and overall condition, mileage, stuff like that. It's just a 1978 survivor 280Z, with decent paint. $3000 - 6000 maybe? Depending on engine condition and other details. 5 speed or 4 speed? Does it grind? How does it drive, etc. By the way, I have one of those gauges on a T at my sender just like that one. It even looks like the same brand. Probably some local dealership put them on or a shop.

Firstly, the guy is not me. Being near Portland Oregon, with a Z, I don't want any confusion there. I don't see how she could "transfer ownership" to you without your consent, or your signing of papers. And the "reconstructed" part would come from the form that she or whoever filled out, I believe. Sounds kind of like the original guy wouldn't release interest, so she went another route. Maybe unintentional, but kind of "sketchy". The car has a scary background, somebody could come out of the woodwork and claim it. Don't want to mess up your efforts but I can see how somebody might be nervous. Does the title say "remanufactured" or "reconstructed"? Still not clear there. If I read the rules right, I think that she would have had to get a salvage title first, claiming it as an Abandoned Vehicle, then a reconstructed title. http://www.odot.state.or.us/forms/dmv/229fill.pdf Interesting story. And you must have a nice phone to dictate all of that and get it in to text so clearly. Could you post a picture of the title? Might clear some things up.

That sounds right. OReilly Auto concurs - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?year=1973&make=Nissan&model=240Z&vi=5142641&keyword=wheel+lug+nut

I posted the Oregon state links because the OP said this is an Oregon car - https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/docs/vehicle/trsalvage.pdf

The gaps on the passenger side are off and the paint looks mismatched. Like it's had some accident repair done. Seems pricey for a plain old survivor 1971 240Z, but your local market, time available, and plans for the car need to be factored in. FL cars are probably all pretty rusty. If you can travel, you could probably find a North Texas or Midwest car that's in better shape for cheaper.

Need at least some of that backstory. And as far as I can find Oregon doesn't use "remanufactured" on their titles. Maybe "rebuilt"? "Reconstructed"? Not sure. But, anyway, all it means is that at the time of damage, the insurance company "totaled" the car. Could be as simple as the paint job cost more than the car was worth. Not a huge deal if the backstory is known. 1978 is not a collector year, at this point in time. If you don't know the backstory then a future buyer's imaginatin can go crazy. Maybe it's a Hurricane Katrina car... http://oregondriverslicense.org/titles/salvage-title.html Edit - more official sources - https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/docs/vehicle/trsalvage.pdf http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/docs/vtrh/chapter_j.pdf

Here's an alternate method. Chop saw, metal blade, and some hardware store parts. Load-wise, I think the end result is about the same, but you do lose the rubber damping on the ends, so only the center mount is damping vibrations. Only adding for future searchers. For those that don't have a welder, like me.

You'd have to find somebody with factory installed struts, never removed. Mine were, seven years ago, but I can't remember the oprientation The insulator rubber is compressed unevenly when installed and it will take a set. I've noticed it on all of mine. If you get both sides installed the same way you'll probably be fine until the rubber "resets". I think that nubs are vents or sprues for casting. Could be wrong but I don't think that that giant chunk of rubber is a precision part.

Overkill, but you could put a jack under the nose of the diff and put some lift on it. Disconnect the bottom mount so that you don't damage it. Won't be surprised if you can lift the back of the car off the ground with it. Assuming that the mating surfaces were oil/grease free. I'm surprised sometimes that we don't consider the surfaces when bolting things together that require friction to do their job. I'm sure that you did but it's often overlooked, with greasy parts assembled and bolts/nuts torqued. You might even use some Loctite or similar to buy some shear strength if it slips a bit.