mdbrandy

Anybody been following the NOS "D" hubcaps that have been showing up on e-bay one by one? Somebody got the bright idea to sell them individually instead of as a set, and they are bringing $300-$400 apiece! Glad I already have a set. This hobby is going nuts! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7923383849&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7923383041&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT And I've seen several others lately go in the same price range...

Well, one more braided radiator hose lost, and the auction's not even over! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7921735399&sspagename=ADME%3AX%3AON%3AMT%3A2 I have to leave for the weekend in an hour, so I decided, what the heck, I'll live like I have money and throw a $150 bid at it before I leave, and see if anyone tops that in the last couple seconds. Well, it's ALREADY up to $155, and still 6+ hours to go! I just can't compete with that! Sob. Gripe. :mad: :eek: :tapemouth

Glad to help. That's why we're here, right? I wish I had more time to work on #215 - maybe in the spring. I drive the 280Z as my daily driver. It's kind of nice to have one of the "most advanced" of the original Z's as my daily machine. Might get old futzing with carbs and stuff on a daily basis (although a lot of our members do it without trouble). I haven't been able to find out yet how many more '78 280Z's were made past mine before the ZX's started, but it can't be too many, since my car was made in May, and the ZX's came out in mid '78. Mark

Having worked on Rusty Z's since the late 70's, I used a whole lot of WD-40, with very mixed success. When I started taking #215 apart, I asked the same question here, and was led to PB Blaster or Kroil. I tried Kroil, and I will NOT go back to WD-40. There is no comparison on the effectiveness. Before I received the Kroil (mail-order), I also tried some penetrating oil from the local hardware store. Worked better than WD-40, but still nowhere as well as the Kroil. Haven't tried the PB. Mark

It sounds like its talking about two push-pull ventilation knobs under the dash on both sides about where your knees are. you pull/push them to open/close the underdash passive ventilator ducts. The drivers side one is near the hood release knob. And you won't get the drivers side of the dash out very far without disconnecting the speedometer cable. FWIW. Mark

I *think* it happened in '77. If memory serves (and as the years go by, it serves less and less), my 1975 280Z had a full size spare. My '78 does not. There are a lot of changes between 75/76 and 77/78, so I suspect the change came in '77.

You have a PM.

Man I wish you were closer. I have been looking for a 240SX as a 3rd car (I already have a 280Z and a 240Z project), and this one would be cool! But I was looking around $2K, and while I could probably come up with another $500, I probably couldn't find another $800 to ship it. Sigh. Good luck.

Well, I get to retract my thoughts here as well. I went out and checked the brake fluid this morning, mostly because it's a little unnerving riding around with that light on all the time. Well, the front MC reservoir looked a little low, so I topped it off. And the light went off! So, even though the fluid level was "between the lines", the low fluid sensor turned on the light. I guess it's good to know when it is starting to get a bit low, before it actually gets below the "empty" line, but it wasn't THAT low. Anyway, so much for relays and parking brake switches.

I believe POR-15 is an isocyanate-based coating, and breathing the fumes can be very bad for your health, even if you are outside. I'd wear a respirator.

And yet, that quote normally is applied to situations where a job needs to get done, and too many people want to manage instead of work. Here, we just need to get along well enough to disseminate good information to each other and have a good time. If people would just remember that there is no way in this life that you will 1) like everyone you meet, 2) get along with everyone you meet, 3) agree with everyone you meet (and vice versa to all three), but that you can still have a good time, we'd all be better off. Correspond with those you like, find interesting, and can learn from (or teach), and ignore the rest.

There was some arguing on another thread, and he didn't like it. (About posting non-Z pictures in galleries.) I put forth no judgements, but that's essentially what happened.

I suspect one of two things. If it is that relay that I was talking about, then it just managed to "unlatch" and you'll see the problem again. That happened to me too. A few weeks ago, the light stuck on, but then went off and acted fine for a couple weeks. Now it won't go off. If it had something to do with the Master Cylinder caps, then your messing around with them, and near the clutch has caused something to connect that was stuck open or something. Maybe it was the caps, and you solved your problem by a process of knocking them around a bit :eek: . Interesting to see if your problem comes back. Let us know.

Clutch cylinder? As far as I know (at least on my '78), there is not electronic sensor for the clutch master level. Does yours have a sensor cap like the Master ?!? That would be a new one on me :cross-eye .

With no rust, and in the midwest, it'd be a shame to part it out. You probably could get more for the parts, but it would take you a long time. That's what Bob Zola is doing - no one would pay his asking price for his very nice series 1 car, so now there are parts all over the US. However, he is an experienced ebayer that has all the time he needs to wait and realize good prices on his parts. I even own a few of them now . So part of it depends on what you think you want for the car, and how much time you're willing to sell parts. Wish I had another garage bay. Where's Ligonier?

This part of the midwest doesn't have many twisties to drive. Lots of flat roads that go in a straight line. Salt too. However, the people are great, and the living is good. Tornados are a lot more focused than hurricanes, too!

The brake caps are a possible source of the problem, and I'm not sure about brake imbalance. However, on mine, I know that the problem occured one day as I was pulling up the e-brake. I pulled up, the light went off, and then came back on. I released and pulled up, light stayed on. Coupled with the face that I now have no voltage to the e-brake connector, and I'm led, for now, to that relay under the seat. I've actually popped the wheels looking for leaks, and the Master cyl. levels are fine. Could still be a failure in those caps, but I'm betting on the E-brake/relay system right now. When I get the chance to pull the passenger seat, we'll see.

From your profile, it looks like you have a '78 280Z, right? Well, so do I, and I have exactly the same problem as of about a week ago! I was looking through the schematic yesterday, and the brake trouble light circuit is a little more complicated then I had originally figured. The wire to the e-brake switch should be always hot from what I can see, and when you pull up on the handle, that completes the circuit to ground. (I have 0.02V on that wire - looks like a problem.) When you let the handle out, it breaks the circuit. Now, the ugly part is that there appears to be a relay under the passenger seat that controls this circuit. The 12V line that goes through the E-brake switch is one side of the relay. So, I'm figuring the relay is stuck/bad. However, you have to take out the passenger seat to get to it, which I have not had time to do yet. Hope that helps a little! Mark

I've been doing some web searching, and I found the Nismo stuff and the ARP Mazda stuff. Looks like I have some research to do. ARP is supposed to be good stuff from what I have heard. I found the Nismo parts at both nismoparts.com and courtesy nissan's web site. The nismoparts site had that "set" for $61 and change, whatever that means, and courtesy sold them individually for $6.15 each. If the set is 10 studs, then that'd be about the same. I shall do some e-mailing, and look into the other brands. I'll take out the original studs in the hubs I'm going to use tomorrow so I have something to compare to. Thanks.

Sure would be nice to have all the threads engaged... There are no vehicle inspections here. And I have locking center covers anyway, so they wouldn't be seen unless the covers were removed. But, since I'd probably be buying new ones anyway, I can get ones a bit longer to "finish off" the threads in the nut. Don't really have the option of forking out $400 for new tires to replace ones that are almost new right now (about 5000 miles on them). What are the "best" studs to get? Mark

Advice needed. When I got my 280Z, it had ARE wheels on it, and those required about a 3/8" spacer with them to clear the spring on the inside. Whoever installed the wheels and spacers also installed longer wheel studs to get the job done. However, those studs look like they might be a little short. See the pics attached, where the nut doesn't quite catch all its threads on the studs when tightened down. So, does it look to anyone like this is an unsafe configuration? I am currently rebuilding a spare 280Z front suspension (tie rods, ball joints, bushings, shocks, springs, wheel bearings, paint, etc.), so now would be a very good time to get longer studs. If that would be a good idea, where would you suggest I get them? In about 1987, I was rolling down CA highway 5 out in the middle of nowhere in my 1975 280Z, and 3 out of four wheelstuds snapped on the right front and left me stranded (I think, but couldn't prove that a tire place had air-wrenched them and cracked them), so I'm a bit paranoid about wheel studs. Thanks.

When I buy a tool that works as advertised, I am always happy in an amazed sort of way! This tool is a godsend! After a 12 ton Harbor Freight press did nothing more than bend the pin end, this tool did both sides in about 20 - 30 minutes, with only a little sweat! The other two rear suspensions I have to do this on now will be cake! Thanks!

My oldest has one more eagle required merit badge to go, and his eagle project. He's 16.5 years old, so has a year and a half left to do it. My middle scout just made Life last week, and he's only 13, so plenty of time. The youngest is only a Tenderfoot right now, so there's a long way to go. Plus he's in gymnastics, which will interfere with scouts, so he'll have to make a choice in the next year or two as to what he wants to do.

Dude, your post title sure got my dander up until I opened it! I've seen this one before - pretty funny. Being Committee Chairman of our BSA troup and having 3 Boy Scouts of my own, some of it even rings true!

Something seems to still exist that is possibly calling itself MidwestZ, but as to being in business - you can't BE in business acting like whoever is behind the current debacle.