Mark Maras

We do have a great deal in common. July 7th. 1967. One month after H.S. graduation, 18 years old. I was driving a Euclid (no power steering) dump truck in a rock quarry. Thanks Dad. Simple job, transfer rock from the blasting zone to the crushing operation and dump it down a steep hill. Backed into position to dump, raised the bed and the crest of the hill caved in. Over backward we (the truck & I) went. When the dust settled and I pushed the seat off of my body, I was looking at the sole of my boot and it was laying in my armpit. I remember thinking "I'm not that flexible." Broken femur. 2 1/2 months in the hospital, leg in traction, flat on my back, period. All they'll let me do is sit up. Hottest Summer on record. No AC. Friends would smuggle in ice cold beer and combustibles. Never smoked out a hospital room though. We were much more discreet. We thought the Nurses didn't know. Yeah Right! The younger ones said keep it down to appropriate levels and times. The older nurses just scowled to show their disgust. Leg didn't heal in the 2 1/2 months. Next was a Hip Spica Cast. Body cast. Armpits down to the toes on the broken leg, down to just above the knee on the other, with a brace in between. No flexibility whatsoever but at least I was home. 2 1/2 months in that cast, leg still had not healed. December, Swedish Hospital, Seattle. A bone graft from my hip and two plates screwed into my femur and I was free at last. The settlement said to me "GO RACING". Bought a rolling dragster chassis and a trailer. 144" wheelbase, front engine. Halibrand mags, M&H Racemaster wrinkle walls, quick change early ford rear end with a one piece open tube axle. Spokes up front. Found a 327 engine built for a Jimmy 671 blower cheap. Found a 671 and manifold cheap, a few odds and ends and it was off to the Saturday night drags at Thun Field in Puyallup with a friend who had a blown 289 dragster. Sooo many memories.

Many possibilities. Closer to the source of the "good stuff", High demand meant higher prices and nothing really good travelled East after the "LEFT coast bought it all. We were pissed when Columbian Gold hit $50.00 an oz. But we still bought it. That was about the time people started growing indoor crops around here.

Many possibilities. Closer to the source of the "good stuff", High demand meant higher prices and nothing really good travelled East after the "LEFT coast bought it all. We were pissed when Columbian Gold hit $50.00 an oz. But we still bought it. That was about the time people started growing indoor crops around here.

USA model? Or are you referring to a real Fairlady. My early 71 has a turn knob but no lock.

Cliff " It was just a flesh wound." Thought I would pull this out of the medically related relics of my life. Yeah, there's more. What a Summer it was. 1974. On the job injury, time to spare, steady pay still coming in, my first sports car, my new best friend, Max. A Springer Spaniel puppy. Portland International Raceway was 20 minutes away, Weed was $35.00 an oZ, and I was single. As the song said, " Those were the day's my friends, I thought they'd never end." Apparently they haven't.

Gavin The early doors with the turn knob had a key lock? News to me. Do you have any extra locking knobs or are they extremely rare. I have an early door with the hole. I always wondered why Datsun didn't include a lock set in the knob. Now that I know they did, I wonder why it wasn't included with the U.S. models. Maybe Australia's image, at the time, influenced their decision. Were there any other countries that you know of that got the locking door?

I've tried to figure that improvement? for years. I think you're right. The problem (if there was one) was probably directional. I've always run early 4 screw carbs with equal length tabs and never noticed a problem.

There was a tiny bit of nail left. The Dr. said if it didn't come of I would have a horn growing from my fingertip much like Zed Head's Grandpa. Dr. wanted to take it down to below the first joint. Talked her into leaving as much as possible. The joint doesn't bend very well yet. Probably never will. Dropped a 327 block on that one in the sixties. Not my first rodeo. Missing most of my right big toe too. That happened back in the seventies shortly after I got my first Z. I remember complaining to the Dr. that my foot kept slipping off the brake while novice racing. He built a stainless steel plate formed to my foot that would slip into my shoe to help out the braking problem. Worked pretty good except the pedal feel in my foot went to zero. According to Cliff's chart I was an A before. Kathy might disagree. She'd drop the C from Charming. She might might be more accurate. She usually is. Some would say there is a pattern here. I'll quote Red Green to respond. "If it ain't broke, you're not try'in.

Good timing for this thread. I wasn't going to mention this until I saw that bumper sticker. It happened about 4 months ago. Gone in an instant. Ouch! Poor communication while working on heavy machinery. A friend asked me how often I had used that finger in the past and did I believe in Karma? HMMM? Yeah, I remember using it more than I should have. Certainly won't be used for that ever again. In old days it was reserved for anyone in front of me, when I wanted to go fast. Which was anywhere I could.

HLS30-00012. The Holy Grail of Zs.

No doubt. My kids all drive older cars because they like my free labor. Deep down, I still like want to see points in my dist. and carbs on the manifold. I suppose I could bring myself up to date a little, because, after all, "I'm a man. I can change, if I have to, I guess. "

Nice parts chaser.

All the old ones I've seen reminded me of a tire carcass. Cords and all. I think some sort of reinforcement (tire cord) would be imperative, although a hockey puck would be less work. I'd head down to my local tire shop and see what they have in their junk tires that might work. Maybe a piece of sidewall from a truck tire. You might get lucky and spot a gator on the side of the road. They worked well for resoling sandals in the 70s.

Hi Mike The harmonica I bought was from Guitar Center. I didn't know if the club would receive any funds from my purchase but since I was ordering a harmonica I used the pop up ad on the club site instead of G.C.'s website. Glad that it helped out. I'm curious if you can track the incoming funds from purchases like my previous one. Mark

Many members, including me, have found a fifty-fifty mix of acetone and auto. trans. fluid to be an excellent penetrating oil.

Likely a 73 or 74. I think I see flat top carbs. It's a bargain at $200.00. Around here that car would normally go for Oh, around $500.00 - $700.00. Sorry, I couldn't resist. You've all finally discovered the PNW to be the next honey hole for Zs and especially parts. The West coast was flooded with Zs in the 70s. We were close ports for Japanese imports and a lot of them are still here.

There's going to be dollars involved, directly or indirectly. I can think of many reasons why someone would put this together. A couple of good ones but most of them are bad. It'll be interesting to watch it and see if his motives are pure. I'm not betting on it.

It should be possible to hot dip galvanize a Z tank if was meticulously clean. One would have to be sure the lines were blown out with compressed air as soon it comes out of the zinc tank. The fuel tank would last longer than the Z body if it was galvanized and would be better than the original coating. (If there was one.). But theoretically, it's possible to galvanize a Z body too. Rain? What rain!

IMO, if you're going to work on the trans, clutch and oil pan, pull the engine and trans as an assembly. By the time you remove everything underneath to pull the trans and loosen the motor mounts to fix the pan gasket. there isn't much more to do to pull the engine. I've done it both ways. I'd rather drop an engine and trans in from the top, than stuff a trans in from the bottom. In my younger days I could do either method easily. Not now though. If you do pull the trans only, be sure you have enough clearance under the car to allow the height of the bellhousing to clear the underside of the car. It's a common dilemma.

I didn't grab the $600.00 Z in Vancouver. However, my brother lives in Centralia. Probably the only person there that drives a Model A rat rod. Might be time to pay him a visit. HMMMMM! He has storage space. Lot's of it. Covered. He's single. Zed Head. You are one of the "trolling voices" driving my schiZophrenia. Honestly though, I appreciate it. The voices started in the summer of 73 when I sold my 69 SS 396 Chevelle and bought my first Z. Remember the gas shortage? The first piece that I saved from HIRO (my 71) was the air pump and all the extraneous B.S. that went with it. Still have it. (there might be a pattern here) I had sellers remorse only once when I saw the identical model Chevelle sell at Barrett-Jackson for $67,000 a few years back. The raw acceleration of the 396 was fun but Zs in corners are much better. The shed is done except for paint. Now I have to keep Kathy out of the loft. I already have a Z stash up there. I think I'm safe, she's afraid of heights.

I'm reasonably familiar with the SW Washington but I don't remember Kingston being there. The only Kingston I remember is across Puget Sound from Lynnwood, North of Bainbridge Island. That would be up in Mike's territory. Just a ferry ride away.

Even with the sunroof it's a good deal. Besides, here in the P.N.W. a roof skin patch panel would be easy and cheap to source if you couldn't live with the sun roof. The rest of the car looks pretty good.

The original equipment had a separate switch for the antenna. The radio had no control over the antenna.

All U.S.A. Zs had power antennas as standard equipment. I'm unsure of the others.

So, How far past the end of the barrel does your "muffler" extend and how effective is it? I'm assuming it's a 22 cal.