Mark Maras

Moog and Timken are good replacement brands. I would also add Spicer u-joints to the list.

I think it was Wheee that had a great solution (pun intended) for cleaning up sending units. Submerge the sending unit in undiluted CLR for 24 + hours. I had one that was so crusty that the float wouldn't move. That one took about 48 hrs. in CLR. The sending unit came out free of corrosion and the rheostat worked great.

Good advice. I'm surprised at the color variation in the plugs. Especially #5 and #4 since #6, #5, & #4 all run off the rear carb. @jalexquijano Is there always that much difference in #5 & #4 plugs?

Mark, The owner (Dean) of the 76 's phone # is 770 403 3887. I doubt the parts that Jai needs are build date critical.

Good question. @Redwing Jai, it would help if we had the vin # or build date from RedBird.

Just got a heads up from Jai. If all goes according to plan she and Greg (gwri8) are going to look at the donor car today. Anyone have suggestions about what extra small parts she should consider getting while she can, aside from the required body parts. Suggested items so far are the ECU, console that she mentioned was cracked, turn signal switch. This opportunity is too good to not include as many small parts as she can.

Excellent. I recently saw a 240 in Portland that looked pretty good rust-wise except a hole in the left quarter panel. I'm guessing the rust in only one place was caused from sitting with that side exposed to the elements over the decades. I've not used Tabco panels. I'm assuming that a good donor car panel may need less massaging to get it perfect but may be more difficult to source. Good luck.

Yeah, clean them again. You've already discovered how it will run with fouled plugs. New plugs would be better.

Carbon on the plugs acts like an insulator. What does it feel like when it's at 2 1/2 turns?

Replacement sheet metal panels are avail. at tabcoparts.com or a donor Z. How does the rest of the car look?

Especially if you can find a Z hoarder's parts stash that needs organization.

Haven't heard from him in a while but as I recall, @rossiz mounted his relays inside.

You might want to slip jack stands under it and check the torque on the pan bolts first. "Upper pan" was just a lame, vague description of the source of the leak. That guy missed his calling. He could have been a politician.

Single model year, limited supply. Might take a few extra years to catch up to 240's and 280's in value, but it will. Five years ago I don't think many of us would have believed anyone if they had told us what the 240 prices would be today.

The hatch , tail lights, and fuel lines all have seals that can allow exhaust to enter the cabin.

Are you sure the gas smell is coming from under the hood or could it be coming from the fuel lines tucked behind the rear panels? Does the amount of gas in the tank affect the gas smell? Fuel leakage under the hood is usually easy to see.

The lower compression on the first three may be from lack of oil in the cylinders. If you started the test with a dry number one cyl. , by the time you got to number six, oil was circulating and you likely had some oil pressure.

I think I'd try a cooling system flush. At higher RPM's the engine logically produces more heat. Members who have pulled the freeze plugs in the block have reported vast quantities of grunge in the coolant passages.

I'd pull the valve cover and crank it over in stages (to prevent overheating the starter) until it gets oil pressure while watching for oil circulation to the cam and valve train. It also would be a good idea to check rocker clearances before starting. The thrill of firing up an old engine and hearing it run good gives me goose bumps. I love it.

I've used Greyhound Package Express to ship large items like hatch glass. It was about $65.00, Portland to Denver.

Don't know the extent of the damage yet, so no list yet. I'll try to find out when RedBird is going in for an estimate. I hope Jai @Redwing can get a list from them. I'm sure the body shop would like to have a source for parts.

The measurement in post #5 shows the top of the fingers being the reference point.

ZH. Do you have any of the pieces that Jai, @Redwing might need for RedBird? I've been in touch with her, getting more info on the damage. She mentioned that the right side bumper mount was collapsed. Sounds like she might need a right bumper shock along with the other obvious things. I don't think that there's any damage to the door or under the hood. Jai's going to send more pics soon. We'll know more then.

I gave up a 69 SS 396 Chevelle when I bought my first Z. A lack of raw acceleration was my first impression but I soon learned that a Z has all the power it needs, plus a little bit more, for the street. I found that the fun of rolling in and out of corners far out-weighed the fun of straight line speed. Plus, in stock form they're very reliable.

Reminds me of a t-shirt that said, "I may be old but your music still sucks."