SteveJ

While walking around the parking lot for Caffeine & Octane, my friend (and fellow ClassicZCars member) Pete said, "Hey, Steve. A Z the same color of yours just drove into the parking lot." I strained to look, being about 4 inches shorter than Pete and having trouble seeing around all of the open car hoods. I finally made out the roofline of the Z and noticed it was smoking badly. I split off from the group and went around on my own for a few minutes. I found the smoking Z and met its owner, Steven. He lost the alternator belt just before getting to the meet, causing the car to overheat. I told him where the nearest parts store was and let him know I had tools to do the job. (I like to carry a set of tools with me in case someone needs them.) I gave him my number and a card for the Georgia Z Club, then I continued on my way to take pictures. I met up with Steven again over by the group of Z cars. Another GZC member had a spare belt, and spots were opening up in the lot, so Steven brought his wounded Z over. I dug out my tools and a pair of work gloves for him to use, and he got the belt on. We talked about putting tension on the belt, and I came up with using the tire iron from a Z to get the tension. It worked perfectly for him. Next, I told him that we needed to check to see if he got enough tension on the belt. I didn't have a tool to check the tension, but I did have a multimeter. I told him to start his car and take it up to 2K RPM. The voltage at the battery was 14.1, so it looked good. He topped off the coolant, and the Z crowd stood around talking for a while. Before he left, I suggested that he burp his cooling system. Boy, did that cause a mess. Anyway, Steven was stoked about strangers helping him so much. He was saying he was definitely going to check out the GZC. It felt great helping out a fellow Z car enthusiast. Also while at Caffeine & Octane, another GZC member gave me a turn signal switch to rehab for him. I got it torn down and back to working. I started a new blog for my Z car stuff, and I plan on posting the pictures and writing up my work on the blog soon.

It also looks like rust on the driver side rocker panel. It's been listed for quite a while. At the price he's asking, it will probably stay on the market for a long, long time.

To expand upon your idea, Phil, how about a 5 gallon bucket and an immersion water heater? Worried about volume? Add a couple of bricks to take up space in the bucket.

The location of the back screw isn't quite right, but look on page EF-19 of the 1974 260Z FSM. You can find it on the XenonS30 website. IIRC, the American flattops are not quite the same as the flattops in other markets, but the manual may help you anyway.

A relay would not be stock for the parking light circuit. Dave Irwin has been selling a relay modification for the parking light circuit for years, though. A previous owner could have bought the kit from him.

1. Don't pull the cable off of the battery with the car running. You can kill your ECU. 2. Get a proper multimeter if you want to do electrical troubleshooting. Don't use the voltmeter in the car. If you were using a voltmeter instead of your gauge, 16 volts is too high. The voltage regulator in the alternator is gone. 3. Use the FSM for electrical diagnostics. The guidelines in the manual let you test the car without risking the components.

He half-asses most of what he sells. I wouldn't buy something from him that touches a moving part. If you want a decent head, consider Datsun Spirit. I have seen Eiji Hosomi's work. It would be worth your while to contact him if you need a head worked on.

Actually, there is a 5th fusible link. Most people forget about it, just like the 5th Beatle, but it's there. Unfortunately, I don't know what color/rating it is.

Yes, there used to be a kit for doing that. No, I wouldn't do that to my cars. Then again, if you saw my cars you'd ask what I'm doing with them period.

Here's another theory, Carl. Quite a few parts changed from the 240Z to the 260Z. There could have been supplier issues with the interior parts, etc., that could have slowed production.

12/73 vin 15896

It can be fixed...with the guts of another. PM me for details.

74-76 doors should work for you.

It's not an uncommon problem. I've seen many threads where people have suggested replacing the back of the switch. I'm glad you got it fixed.

I saw some more on Google Shopping & Amazon, too. There are some Standard Motor Product diodes that look similar. You may be able to get dimensions on their website.

Did you bypass the ballast resistor?

I haven't run across a wiring diagram for the relay circuit. I pulled out the connection between the alternator and voltage regulator in my 73 a few years after I put in an internally regulated alternator. I didn't even realize what it was for at the time, but I did notice that the battery stopped running down. I would imagine that the logic would be the same as for the 260Z. However I don't know if they used the same kit.

Sometimes "because it can be done" is enough of an answer. Maybe the owner just wanted to do something unique. Maybe he just wants to wrench on something other people wouldn't touch. It doesn't matter. I loved seeing something that I haven't seen in person before.

Carl, I guess that late 90s concept is coming back to life. I remember when Nissan surveyed Z owners about that concept. I guess a lot of us didn't like it because it disappeared quickly. I thought the back end looked rather awkward, too.

It depends. Was the fuel pump added by some jackwagon who didn't know his head from a hole in the ground? Was the fuel pump installed in accordance with factory directions? What wiring modifications have been made to the car? The factory's implementation of the electrical fuel pump involved the addition of two relays. One relay coil energized with the starter, and the other tapped in between the alternator and voltage regulator to power the coil. If either coil was energized, the circuit was completed for the fuel pump to get power. I can't think of any way the factory method could cross-connect with the headlight circuit. It smells like an idiot with wire strippers to me.

Here is their website: http://www.caffeineandoctane.com/ It's the first Sunday of the month. The next one is December 2. I usually get there around 7AM, and the main lot is full by about 7:30. The location is at the corner of Windward Parkway and Deerfield Parkway in Alpharetta/Milton. You take GA 400 to Exit 11 and go west for a couple of blocks.

Essentially, yes. The guys in my usual crowd were talking with the owner when I came up. One of them told me it was an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) from a B-52.

Being the first Sunday of the month, I got myself out of bed early (thanks, in part, to the two four-legged alarm clocks asking for breakfast) to participate in the ritual Caffeine and Octane. Fortunately, with the time change, many other S30 owners were also able to wake up early, too. We had ten lined up (with one Z32 breaking it up right at the end). That's the most we've ever had gathered at one time for Caffeine & Octane. We were discussing turn signal switches, and I ended up testing a couple of switches for club members. It didn't hurt that I was taking apart a turn signal switch earlier this week to study its function and to clean it up. There were the usual exotics and beautifully restored cars from the 50s & 60s in attendance. However, a ratty-looking 280ZX seemed to garner the most attention. The video at the link will tell you why.

According to the drawing in the FSM, the lines go to the common point. However, you can easily verify this. Use a multimeter set to resistance/continuity. Place the lead in the common port on the common point, and place the other lead on the other side of the diode. You should need no resistance. Reverse the leads. You should see infinite resistance. If you see no resistance both ways, the diodes are bad anyway.

Amazon has some 10A diodes here: http://www.amazon.com/Volt-Schottky-Diodes-Solar-Panels/dp/B0056RHMCG/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1351959697&sr=8-17&keywords=diode I'm not sure of their physical size, though. You may also want to consider getting a soldering heatsink. Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-ST-23-Heat-Sink/dp/B0002LLWIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1351961829&sr=1-1&keywords=heatsink+soldering If you get it, you may want to use a small file to notch one side of the clamp to stay in place better. I'm not sure of any specs on the existing diodes, but you found the right page in the EE section. Just point the end of the diodes with the line toward the common point. Also make sure you have a hot soldering iron to melt the solder quickly and minimize the amount of time you're applying heat to the diode.