SteveJ

IMHO more highways should be patrolled like this.

Download the FSM.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?38232-78-280z-heater-valve-needed!&highlight=heater+valve

If you hadn't posted your rant, I would have. To continue along with the rant... Yes, I bought second hand belts before I found sources for new seatbelts. Since then, I have replaced the seatbelts in both of my Z cars, and I'm glad I did. For those who are curious I have a couple of threads on replacement seat belts. I don't consider myself an expert, but I did have two really good experiences with the company I bought the belts from. Consider it this way. If you saw that your tires were cracking, would you just paint them black and keep driving? The S30 isn't nearly as rigid as any car built in the last 25 or so years. Do you REALLY want to risk your life with old seatbelts?

Yes, you'll need inline fuses. Fuse each power wire separately. A 10 AMP fuse will work for each circuit. I replaced the plug and the relay. Before you know it, it won't be much less than Dave's upgrade...

Yeah, I tried to warn you... For protecting the wires, I suggest 3 steps. 1. Heat shrink around the wires 2. Grommet at the hole (Find an any home improvement or auto parts place) 3. Liquid electrical tape applied liberally after getting it wired to seal between the heat shrink and the grommet.

That looks about pig rich to me.

Don't try to diagnose a lot when you're in the middle of another project. You can get confused easily. Get the car painted. Clean off the grounding areas well, and get everything connected. After that, let's see what you have.

I bought the BD relay kit. I replaced most of it before installing it. The relays are non standard. You should at least replace those with more typical relays and bases. (found on Amazon for pretty cheap) You'll also need to install your own fuses because the kit doesn't have any.

You found about as cheap as you're going to find them. They are also as rare as hen's teeth.

You should have no problems bleeding the brakes with the motor off.

I have to admit that my philosophy is to go cheap on the car stereo since it is exposed and vulnerable. I'm not such an audiophile that I have to have a top notch system in my car. Plus, it creates less of a worry that someone is going to break into my car, causing me to have to spend money to repair it.

Find the part numbers in the link below. There were threads on here about some being available in Canada about a year or two ago, but I doubt they are available here.

Don't forget the hose clips. They get old and rusty.

I like what Carl Beck wrote here and here.

Jalopnik is starting to get my respect... Scroll down to the third paragraph.

Subscribing to see if Greg is able to get the dimensions to post...

Are you talking about getting the kits and doing them yourself? That's about $30 or so for the two kits.

I don't think that Ztherapy will rebuild the flat top carburetors. They deal in the round tops, though Bruce could easily correct me on that point. I have a spare pair of flat tops that I plan on rebuilding. (Thank you 260 Z for your generous gift.) I figured it would be a great way to learn more about them. Rebuild kits are available.

Words of advice: Put the year and model of your car in your posts. Better yet, put them in your signature. You can find that under the UserCP menu. Take the center console off and look at the dimensions. Take pictures while you're at it. The more pertinent information you include in your posts, the better off you are. Are you familiar with car stereo terminology? Most car stereos are referred to as single DIN and double DIN. I'm not sure when that standardization came out, but of course, our Z cars were not designed with those types of stereos in mind. Many of us have modified the center console to fit single DIN stereos. I recently fitted my car with a single DIN stereo that only has AM/FM, but it comes with front AUX input, USB, and possibly even SD card. Since the music is still digital format, the sound quality is pretty much the same as a CD. You can re-record a thumb drive. It can hold much more music than a CD, and you don't have to worry about it melting inside your stereo on a hot day.

I'm voting on Urban Legend. I recall a story over at zcar.com of a guy tearing up his transmission when he towed the car, but that was because an idiot friend put the car into gear. As you said, the transmission does not pop into gear.

If the wheels get turned more than a couple of degrees, you'll get into trouble fast. Just lock the steering wheel? Those locks break. Keep the non-turning wheels on the ground or flatbed.

By the way, what I did was after removing the linkages from the motor, I blasted out the 30+ years of grease and grime with brake cleaner. After that I used the white spray grease. I was very pleased with the results when I was caught in the rain.

No, it's not backfiring and misfiring because of the emissions equipment. It's backfiring and misfiring because the car has not been maintained properly. For a good head start, read the FSM. Link is below. Go through the diagnostics and fix what is wrong.

I've seen plenty on eBay from Nissan dealers.