charliekwin

Right, with the rebate, the Suspension Techniques kit is actually cheaper than MSA since I won't have to pay taxes or shipping. Johnc on HybridZ recommends 240 kit for the 280 because the sway bar passes behind the diff. I'm not sure if it'll make a noticeable difference the way I'll drive it or with the springs/shocks I'm going to use.

The Vogtland and Stagg combo was $314 shipped and too cheap to pass on, so they're on the way. Other items on my shopping list: - Strut boots (http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=502693&cc=1209260&jnid=421&jpid=1) - New bushings (http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-7-18102R-Master-Datsun/dp/B000CN9AY2) - Sway Bars (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/stq-52095) -- after some reading, I've been led to believe the 240 bars are better for the 280 Anything missing?

I've been spending most of today trying to talk myself into spending the money on coilovers, but it's hard to ignore the Vogtland + Stagg combo on eBay for under $300 if the Stagg parts are Good Enough. That price difference would pay for at least the carpet, seats and dashboard, and probably a bunch other stuff I want/need. It's also cheap enough to drive 'em till they break, then replace with some better parts if I feel the need to. New sway bars and bushings were already on my suspension re-do list as well. Thanks for the input, I've got a little more to think about.

I like that they have a bolt-in option, but they'd still require cutting and welding the struts, right? That's not something I'm capable of doing, so I'd have to find a shop to do it, which means added cost. And honestly at $1200, they're already a bit more than I was hoping to spend. A Tokico HP + springs setup would probably run in the neighborhood of $650-700, but will probably also require purchasing things like strut boots and bump stops. I haven't priced out all the other bits and pieces (and I'm not sure exactly what will be needed), but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being another $100-200. The BC option looks like it includes everything I need, so would bring the cost difference down enough to start considering it. I might have enough crap around the house I can sell on eBay to fund it

I've decided that replacing the suspension in my 78 is the first big job I need to tackle. Would love to get some advice or suggestions on my available options. Sorry this got long! First, some goals and intended use: The car is/will be my toy, so I want something that'll be good for canyon carving and some, um, generally spirited driving around. As much as I like the idea of having something capable for a track day, I've never taken any of my cars to a track, and I wouldn't expect that to change for a while. I want to have a drop of about 1", mainly to fill the wheel wells and improve the stance a bit. I'll be getting wheels eventually; probably something like XXR 537, sized 16x7 and/or 16x8. Don't want to roll the fenders or get flares. I'm currently driving a bone stock 2007 G35s, which is good enough that I haven't felt the need to modify it. I had a 1996 Maxima that had subframe connectors, sway bars and Tokico Illumina shocks and springs, which I was quite happy with. It's been a while, but I remember that riding and handling comparably to the G. If I can get a suspension combination that can keep up (or beat) either of those, I think I'll be happy. I've looked briefly at coilovers, but the cost and work involved make that a non-starter. As far as I can tell, there's a rather limited set of choices for shocks and springs: Springs:Eibachs ~$225, 1"drop -- seems like the default option, but maybe only for lack of options. A lot of people seem happy with them, though I've seen reports of sagging rear ends and other funny results from the drop. Vogtland ~$200, 1.25" drop -- kind of an unknown quantity for the Z cars, but reports on Vogtland springs from users on other forums are generally good. A couple of Z owners have said they've ordered them, but I haven't found reviews. Shocks:Tokico HP ~$410 -- I was happy with the Illuminas I had before, and never made any real use of the adjustability, so these are an attractive option. But they're the most expensive, by far. KYB ~$230 -- supposedly not for use with lowering springs, but seems like a lot of people get away with it. Stagg ~$110 -- another unknown, but the cheapest of the bunch. There's a number of negative reviews out there, but if they last for just 10000 miles, that'll still probably be 5+ years. I'm wary of these. There's an eBay listing for Vogtland springs and KYB shocks for $375 + shipping, which is the direction I'm currently leaning towards. Are there any other options I've missed? Are there other combinations (particularly the Tokicos) that are worth the extra money?

Tangentially related, but if you haven't seen some of the crash test videos from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, there's a few of them on Youtube and they're fascinating. It's nothing short of a miracle that anyone who was in one of those death traps managed to live to tell about it.

I'm in the Pasadena area, which is about as specific as I want to get on a public forum [emoji6] , but happy to connect via PM. I should probably look into any local Datsun clubs on the area. I feel like it runs alright. Seems like it has a little miss or hesitation every so often, and it shakes a bit, but it's never died or stalled on me and pulls pretty well, so perhaps I'm just overtly critical of what a 40 year old motor should be doing. I have a short clip of it idling in my Boondoggle thread. Edit: and I'll be sure to keep water away from the motor!!

Absolutely. The smog tech actually said he thought it would pass right after I pulled in to the shop, since it smelled so bad the first two times. (Hat tip to the tech, who was nice enough to drop the $30 pretest fee today, which was a nice gesture. He was asking questions about the car and what I'd done to it; I think he liked having a customer he could talk shop with.) Plus, no more headaches after being in or around the car for 10 minutes. Carbon monoxide is no joke! I think all the changes actually ended up leaning it out about one click too far, so I'll play with it a little more this weekend to see if I can get it dialed in "good enough" for now. Also decided to wait on interior for now in favor of re-doing the suspension. It needs it.

A big thanks for all the help! The official test is wrapping up, but now I can finally get it registered and titled and actually drive the thing. Until it gets taken apart, that is [emoji4] It's beer time!

BOOYEAH!

Appreciate the help, and glad to know I wasn't of the mark here. I did some gentle bending and was able to adjust the contacts and confirmed with the multimeter that circuits stay open and closed more like they should. Currently getting a smog pretest to see how the numbers look.

Hi everyone, My '78 has been running too rich to pass smog. I've already gone through and replaced the coolant temp sensor, added a thermostat (a PO had removed it), replaced filters and plugs, replaced a few dodgy looking connections and tested fuel pressure. It seems better, but by my highly-unscientific smell test (and headaches I get if I leave it running for too long) I think it still needs work. This morning, I ran through the whole list of tests for high CO in The Bible. I think I may have found my culprit! The throttle valve switch test failed. Any pressure on the throttle showed continuity between pins 3 and 18, which should only happen at WOT. I popped off the case, and the two contacts seem very close together. Before I start futzing with it, I'm hoping someone will confirm that: 1) This is indeed something I should be futzing with? One of the plastic clips had already been snapped off and the connector clip was bent, so I'm rather certain a PO has had their fingers in here. 2) The best way to go about said futzing? Atlantic Z says to loosen the screws and rotate the box, some other people have physically bent the contacts. How much distance between the two should there be? Results of the other tests, in case they have any value: 1-6 (coolant temp sensor) -- 2905 ohm (~65 degrees F) -- pass 1-4 (air temp sensor) -- 2870 ohm -- pass 1-1 (idle throttle switch) -- no continuity with throttle, continuity without throttle -- pass 1-2 (full throttle switch) -- no continuity without throttle, continuity with any throttle depression -- FAIL 1-3a (AFM) -- 183 ohm -- pass 1-3b (AFM) -- 187 ohm -- pass 1-3c (AFM) -- 103 ohm -- pass 3-2 (air regulator circuit) -- 12V -- pass 1-8 (air regulator & fuel pump circuit) -- .5 ohm -- pass 2-3a-f (injectors) -- 12V -- pass Many thanks for reading!

Turns out that Pep Boys' crummy loaner was missing an o-ring, which explained the miserable compression test. For $19 out the door, I got my own from Harbor Freight. Much more appropriate results the second time around (bottom set of numbers is with some oil in the cylinders), at least in the neighborhood that I'd expect for a 37 year old motor: 146 -- 145 -- 148 -- 145 -- 141 -- 145 160 -- 165 -- 171 -- 182 -- 175 -- 162 The plugs, from 1 to 6. I replaced the plugs maybe 6 weeks ago, so they have a few hours and barely any miles on them. Obviously I'm running rich, and 3, 4 and 6 look like it. 1 looks the best. I'm not sure about 2 and 5? And, FWIW, here is a video of the car idling. There's a tick that I'm not sure if it's supposed to be making, and it has a kind of ...syncopated... sound to it, more easily noticeable in the exhaust note.

Sludge stays, then. I had my wife floor the gas while she cranked it. I think that's good enough? More work? I'm just hoping to get one project finished without it creating two new ones! ::

I used the pressure gauge that Pep Boys loans out (http://www.pepboys.com/parts/tools) and did check while the engine was warm. With the exception of cylinder 3, they all test pretty close, so I won't fret too much about the low numbers, but the increase after adding oil is disappointing. If I can still pass smog with the engine in this shape, I can live with it for a while and swap or rebuild sometime later. Valves (somewhat surprisingly!) were well-adjusted, Only two of them needed adjustment, and both were only off by 1 thou. What of the sludge? Leave it or clean it?

The quick recap on the last week or so, in which little may be going my way toward the end. First the good stuff. My current garage work/storage area has been pretty pitiful, so I got a little something for my birthday to help with organization. Thanks dad! Also, the battery ground was in terrible shape, so I dug up some old 0 AWG welding wire and some lugs I had leftover from the audio install in my G and redid that. And that's about the end of the good stuff. Moving on. When I went to replace the thermostat and coolant temp sensor, I found that the housing had been cracked and epoxied back together with the same stuff that was used on the fuel tank. The housing is discontinued, but it doesn't seem to leak, so I guess it stays for now. A previous owner had also removed the thermostat entirely. Replacing that and the sensor seems like it's getting the engine up to a better temp and (based on smell and fingering the AFM) I think it's leaned out a bit. Now for the ugly. I ran a compression test. From 1-6: 75, 70, 55, 70, 70, 65 psi. I think I need someone to hold me. I've never done a compression test before, so there's a possibility I did it wrong or maybe the gauge is off, but those numbers seem outlandishly low. It puts out smoke at higher (~4k) RPMs, but seems to pull pretty well. I put a bit of oil in #5, which bumped it up to 100, and went on to valve adjustment. After pulling off the valve cover, I found a whole mess of sludge up there. I'm tempted to try to clean it up, but my gut says it might be better to leave it alone so it doesn't get dislodged. Thoughts? I'm going to re-run the compression test after the valves are done and hope to see better numbers.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5023724981.html Has some modifications, but generally looks to be in pretty good condition. $6500 seems like a steal!

Thanks for the insight Zed Head. I checked resistance at the ECU and the numbers are at least in the right ballpark. I have to hunt down a thermometer to get actual coolant temps and will check again to confirm, but considering the ECT is $13 and an Amazon Prime item, I may just get a new one. Engine temp gauge never seems to go more than about an 1/8" or 1/4" past the 120 degree line, which -- if that's low -- I guess could also point to a problem with the sensor (or a stuck thermostat). Fuel pressure gauge is also on the way after a goose chase in which I learned that none of the major auto parts stores carry those. And finally, I cracked open the AFM, which was...interesting. I've done some looking around, and I think I might have a 280zx and/or a remanufactured unit, because the counterweight doesn't look like any of the pictures I've seen of other 280z AFMs. Fingering the AFM helped lean it out, but didn't seem to make it otherwise run much better. Pushing it towards the rich side immediately made it worse so I must be on the edge with the mixture right now. I won't make any adjustments to the AFM until addressing the other things, though.

The smog testing adventure continues. Took it in for a pre-test today and failed again with similarly awful numbers. Good news is that at least the EVAP leak was fixed by all the work on the fuel tank. Also had a new cat put on, so at least that's legal, but not fixing my emissions issues. Plugs, air and fuel filters as well as a couple hoses have already been replaced. It runs very rich, which the sniffer confirmed as well. Earlier in the week I checked the coolant temp sensor, and the resistance across the terminals looked pretty good. The connector looked bad and fell off when I touched it, so I replaced that as well, but apparently that wasn't the quick and easy fix I was hoping for. I'm working my way through the bible now, starting with checking the fuel pressure. I know the AFM has been opened before (it's been re-sealed), and knowing how other work on the car has been handled, my suspicion is that it's wildly out of adjustment. Any of the gurus out there have additional suggestions?

Being in Fresno, Craigslist is a great option. I don't imagine you have a big pool of local buyers, but being right between LA and the Bay Area opens up both of those markets while being far enough away to not have to deal with tire kickers.

I'm probably as far from an authority on this kind of stuff as can be, but I spent several months scouring ebay, craigslist and the like in southern CA looking for cars. Any good looking 240z that was around $7,500 or less was getting snatched up almost immediately. $15,000ish seemed to be the neighborhood that many people with well-restored (based on pictures, at least) cars were looking to get, but I saw a lot of those cars linger for some time before disappearing. Anecdotally, and probably not news to you, but it sure seems like interest in the Z cars is on the upswing right now though, so if you don't need to sell it, the car may well appreciate in the near term.

I'm on the hunt for a new shift lever. I have a 5-speed '78, but I'm led to believe any of the Z shifters should work. Yours available?

Don't have a whole lot to contribute, but just wanted to say that I love looking at stuff like this if for no other reason than it's that much beyond anything I've ever tried to do in any of my cars. I was happy enough having mine start after re-doing the fuel tank. I hope to get to do even half of this kind of thing one day!

So fuel tank restoration is the newest entry on my list of Things I Never Want to Do Again. One of my failures on the smog test was an EVAP leak, and since my garage had been smelling like a gas station, that wasn't a surprise. I dropped the tank, and it was pretty obvious why (I hope, at least): the sending unit o-ring was missing, there was a hole punched in the top of the tank, and a previous owner had put on a patch of unknown quality. Great. Better go learn how to deal with this. Thanks to the helpful posters here, the other Z boards, and across the internet for all the tips and how-tos that have been published. First started rinsing with water, and the rust started coming out. Had I known how much there would be, I would've done a better job trying to catch it. This is maybe half of it. Followed by throwing in 88 nuts and getting my workout for the day. All 88 came back out. Then rinsed with muriatic acid and followed that up with some diluted naval jelly. Flushed with water and acetone and it looked pretty good inside. I thought I took more before pictures of, well, everything...guess not. Here's the after. I debated for a while about what to do with the inside. Heard good things as well as some warnings about using Red Kote, but decided it was worth the risk. I made a point of blowing out everything with compressed air and draining thoroughly. It looked nice when it was all done (take my word for it; the photo got corrupted). On to the outside. Wire wheeled all the old paint off and filled the holes with JB Weld, which I hope will hold. Then tried brushing on some Eastwood primer. The instructions say to spray it, and it looked kinda lousy, so I went to Harbor Freight, picked up the $15 HVLP gun and set up my very makeshift spray station. For my first time every spraying paint, I think it came out pretty well. But I maybe just got lucky, the finish coat didn't look quite as nice. Washed all the rubber bits with soap and water and hit them with some silicone spray. Sending unit (with gasket!) was cleaned and reinstalled. Tank is ready to go back in. With everything torn apart,I figured it was prudent to replace all of the old fuel and EVAP hoses and cleaned up years of accumulated gunk. And then everything came to a halt, when I couldn't find the drain plug. I'm pretty sure my 3 1/2 year-old helper absconded with it. Thanks for the fast shipping zcardepot! So everything went back together with a minimal amount of cursing and I put a gallon or so of gas back in. It started and ran, so hooray for that. There's a gas station a little less than a mile from my house, so I went to fill it up and promptly ran out of gas a 1/4 mile in to the trip :: Next up is a new cat so I can hopefully pass smog, get a title and actually drive the car. Then maybe the dash, because this whole mess of harness that isn't connected to anything just fell out of it.

First annoyance of my own making came when trying to finish up with the fuel tank. Here's one of the straps, which I sprayed with two coats of Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black and the accompanying primer. They looked nice, until I put a fuel-safe adhesive on there for the insulating straps that then dissolved the finish coat. I tried some 3M 90 on the other one, and the same thing happened. The primer is fine, but the finish seems like it has no adhesion to the primer and could be peeled off in sheets. I'm not feeling good about buying all that paint, and more than a little concerned about how the tank will hold up now, plus I'm running out of glues to try. Maybe silicone adhesive and hope there isn't enough gasoline to break it down?