SteveJ

Jamie, I'm not sure what clips/plastic you're talking about. Can you post pictures of the ones you have?

Considering Tony5050 hasn't been on the board in almost 3 years, who knows if he even still has the car?

Okay, the cylinder numbers refer to the block and not the distributor. Number 1 is the front cylinder, and number 6 is the back cylinder. Having said that, it looks like you have the wires in the right place. Search around here. Blue has posted a picture on numerous occasions showing the correct firing order. As for your other question(s), both bolts are for adjusting the timing. Think of it as fine and coarse adjustment. Usually, you put the fine adjustment (smaller movement) in the middle and use the coarse adjustment (larger movement) to get you in the ballpark on the timing. Then when you're close, lock down the coarse adjustment, loosen the fine adjustment and finish setting your timing. Lock down the fine adjustment, and you're done. Now, for your homework, research setting the dwell on points. Hey, it's an excuse to buy another tool...

The kit in the second picture can be found on the MSA website. The car in the third picture has 240Z bumpers and an air dam. You won't find many vendors for body kits out there, especially reputable ones. MSA is one of your best bets.

Go to Zcar.com and search for posts made by Tony D on smog checks. He has studied the rules thoroughly to make sure he passes. Unfortunately, a Google search of Zcar.com leaves a LOT to be desired. Definitely get a pre-test before you hook up for a test that counts. DO NOT get labelled as a gross polluter. I am a little confused, though. Why are you worried about a California smog check when your profile lists a Pennsylvania location? Edit: This link could help.

D'oh! There goes the American in me. The OP could get the same ratio from a 280Z 5 speed.

Doing the math: 2600/3000=.86666 From the link I posted, that would be a 280Z 5 speed.

Here's the link you want... Edit: By the way, in case you didn't figure it out from the chart, the drop is dependent upon the transmission.

I'd have to agree with Dennis (aside from tuning carbs on a FI engine ). Tune the engine properly first. Read the FSM on the proper techniques to tune your engine. Change your driving style to shift sooner. Easy on and easy off the gas & brakes. Those will make much more of a difference to your gas mileage than headlight covers, especially since the headlight covers do nothing to address the fact that the rest of the front of the car isn't very aerodynamic.

My first suggestion is to make sure you have properly bypassed the seatbelt interlock relay. Search on here. I know I've done some posts on that. It can be as simple as putting in jumpers to fool the seatbelt circuit into thinking the seatbelts are buckled. If you are more adventurous, I have attached a drawing from the FSM showing what wires need to be jumpered out to bypass the interlock relays. However, you'll need to match this up to the full wiring diagram to know what wires to jumper. Can you post a picture of the relay that was chattering? I have found that there are variations in component placement in the 260Z that I haven't been able to account for by the early/late designations.

If the door locks automatically when the door closes, the problem is likely that the door mechanism has lost a tension spring. I had a similar problem with my 260Z. I purchased a used door mechanism from Zbarn and noticed the spring that was missing from mine. I was able to fabricate a replacement spring easily. While you have your door apart to remove the mechanism, it's a great opportunity to replace things like the window channel insulation.

Les, I know someone who might be interested in the butterscotch. When do you think you might have pictures available? I'll be sure to steer my friend your way. Edit: Of course, I could have taken a closer look at your website and found it myself.

Adam, here is a good reference for the heads: Datsun Z Garage.

Austin, if you do take him up on the offer for extra parts, I'll pay shipping costs for you to send me the 260Z carbs.

You're not getting political in the sense that some people will get carried away with on discussion boards, and you are correct that it's hopefully good news for owners of older cars. I saw this yesterday, but I'm skeptical that this is the final word on the subject.

As I mentioned before, I have installed aftermarket seatbelts in my Z cars. I bought them from a company called WESCO Performance. The model I used in the 260Z was WELR-N, Roadster seatbelt. The retracting mechanism mounted high, near the hatch, while the bottom was anchored on the floor. I opted to buy the extra hardware. That made mounting the center portion of the belt a breeze. I'll post some pictures later.

Is it a must to have seatbelts from an actual Z car? I've had excellent results with aftermarket seatbelts. I take it that you have a 2+2. The seatbelts are different between the coupe & 2+2.

Closer to you: Mike McGinnis at Banzai Motorworks. The foam is excellent. I just did my seats this week.

I would use both penetrating fluid & heat. Let the fluid soak in some. Heat it with a propane torch, and hit it again with the penetrating fluid (non-flammable). Repeat the cycle a few times. Then attack with vice grips or left-handed drill bit if you have room.

You might want to consider replacing the master cylinder, as well. Make sure the lines are nice and clean, too.

Thank you. I think a big part of it was having good help. That made things a LOT easier.

I did the driver seat in the 260Z today with the help of my next door neighbor, a fellow car nut. My head brushes the headliner with the thick foam in place. Both of my Z cars had worn out seats, and I had no idea what new foam was like (other than in a new car). Even my wife seems more willing to ride in the car.

Were you running an ethylene glycol antifreeze in the cooling system? If so, was the smoke sweet smelling? White smoke is frequently coolant related. A few of the causes include a block that wasn't decked properly, a warped head, an improperly torqued head, or a bad gasket. I'm not really an engine guy, so take it for what it's worth.

The passenger seat is done. I think it looks pretty good for a beginner using parts from different sources. The seat foam came from Banzai Motorworks. The seat covers came from Black Dragon Auto.

Fortunately, it's quite a bit warmer in Georgia, so a simple kerosene heater works for me.