SteveJ

Images of lug nut styles.

When you put it that way, it makes a lot more sense.

Steve, I went with the 11 inch rigid sleeve, too. It comes up to the right height for a re-upholstered seat. I've had the roadster belts in my 260Z for over 6 years. I installed the WELR belts in the 240Z 10 or 11 years ago. Between the two, the roadster belts work better, especially for the Z cars that don't have the pocket in the floor. Edit: I forgot that in the past I suggested buying the extra hardware kit. I used some pieces from it to make the installation go more smoothly.

There is a Georgia Z Club meeting today, so I drove the Z to work. I told one of my coworkers to park next to me.

Jim, there is this, too. http://www.zccjdm.com/catalog.php/azcarbum/dt93862/pd1790406/280Z_TO_240Z_FF__RR__BUMPER_CONVERSION_BRACKETS_

I'm in love, Guy.

It looks great in person, too. I got to see it yesterday.

The Z car community in Atlanta had a great turnout at Caffeine and Octane today. Every generation was present (including 3 green 280Zs). If you are anywhere near Atlanta, you need to join us some time. You can find my Z car photos from today here: https://georgiazclub.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/z-cars-at-caffeine-octane-56-photos/

I finally mounted the 240Z style rear bumper on the 260Z. I bought the bumper brackets from @DatsunSpirit. I did need to slot the brackets slightly. For that I took a rotary rasp to the brackets. It didn't take long for the holes to line up perfectly. I measured the location for the mounts on the quarter panels and drilled holes. At that point, it was pretty much just tightening up the bolts. However, I did have one minor scare. To bolt on the right side quarter panel mount, I needed to remove the access panel in the wheel well. As I started to loosen the lug nuts on the right rear tire, I found one just finger tight. That may explain the vibration I have been experiencing over and above the issue with loose driveshaft bolts. I hope to get some photos posted tomorrow.

He is taking an extended internet break. He was hoping to come down to God's country this spring and visit me. I have an original 240Z tire & wheel that I bought for him.

That must have been pulled out of the bottom of Folsom Lake during the drought.

I have to admit that I haven't been able to get comfortable with the new format, so it has cut back on my posting.

Let's welcome back @NCLarry to the world of Z ownership. He bought a 280Z today.

No, but you'll find plenty that do on eBay. Also at Z Car Depot: https://zcardepot.com/interior/door-parts/door-locks-cylinder-lock-w-keys-70-76.html?search=door+lock

He doesn't always clean the part...

One of the members of the Georgia Z Club bought a short block (IIRC) from Al. He's still getting the car together. I'll try to remember to update on how that engine turns out.

You might try joining ZONC (http://www.zonc.org/) and finding another member with a 280ZX turbo. I would not be surprised to find a shop in Northern California that specializes in Z cars, too.

Wow. I bet you are about to burst with anticipation.

Fortunately for me, the problem was fixed by correcting my first suspicion. However, Cliff (@siteunseen) & Bruce (@Captain Obvious) gave me the input I needed in order to have a path to keep looking in case my first suspect wasn't the root cause. Thanks, guys.

Diagnosis confirmed. I did a test run, and the car is back to running like a scalded dog.

I used it up on that fix. BTW, have you ever noticed how much gasoline attacks nerve endings on sunburned skin?

And.... After doing car repairs, the first rule of troubleshooting a new problem is to inspect the stuff you f***** with. Pay attention to the bend radius.

Fortunately, it is. I'm looking around the house right now, trying to find any energy I can use to go out and work on the car. After I get the car up in the air some, I can maybe get a clue. The good thing is that I stocked up on fuel filters a few years back, just for such an occasion.

He hasn't contacted me in a while, so I don't know if he made that trip. I'll check at the carburetors, but it tends to pull nicely in the lower gears.

Background: I removed the rear bumper from my early 260Z. In order to do this, I had to drop the tank. The larger vent hoses had been replaced some time in the past with regular fuel hoses. Before putting the tank back into place, my friends and I replaced the 5/16 inch lines and fuel filter, the 3/8 inch vent hose and the 1/4 inch vent hose. Apparently I cut the 1/4 inch line a little short, but we got it to the expansion tank. I put the fuel back into the tank and filled it later in the evening. Today I was driving the car around 60 MPH when I noticed a change in the exhaust note going uphill. This was accompanied by a lack of response when I pressed on the gas pedal and some decrease in speed. I stopped the car for a few minutes and tried to get back onto the road. I drove a couple of miles on a surface road. At first the car pulled fine uphill, but it did start losing power later. The engine recovered, and I tried to continue my trip. The ramp was downhill, and the car accelerated nicely to about 74. That was followed by an uphill stretch. The car was losing power and would not respond to throttle inputs. I got off at the next exit, and when I pushed in the clutch, the car died. It restarted immediately, but hesitated a lot. I drove the car around for the next hour to detect trends. It would do okay on the surface roads, even going uphill around 65 or so, but it would lose power going uphill on the freeway with a characteristic lean sputtering sound in the exhaust. I'm going to put the car on the lift and look for kinked fuel and vent lines. Are there any other suggestions from the peanut gallery? Thanks!