kenz240z

Hi Andrea, You might check www.eastwood.com for sanding blocks and other body repair supplies. They have just about everything you need for doing body work. Another source for tools is www.harborfreight.com. Harbor Freight mostly sells tools made in China. But hey, Harbor Freight, along with Walmart, has done more to bring China into the 21st century than Chairman Mao ever did... I have been pleased with most of the tools I've bought there, such as hvlp paint guns, strut spring compressors and other various tools. Like your step-dad, I am more familiar with the older 4 barrel carbs. But like most everyone else here, I suggest keeping the SU's. They are actually much simpler to work on and have only a few adjustments, whereas most 4 barrels have many more adjustments to get them working good (I have an old Chevy to satisfy my 4 bbl cravings...). Either way, I know you'll enjoy working on your Z. With a little time, effort & money you'll be rewarded with a great little sports car that is fun to drive! Kenny P.

Wow... To be honest, the guy doesn't seem to understand that it is the military that protects his freedom of speech. He mentioned that it is a right, and not a "gift" that the military gives him. Well, without the military, all of the folks out there that want to see America wiped off the planet would come in and kill everyone. There wouldn't be ANY rights for ANYONE because we'd all be DEAD! Now, I don't always agree with the foreign policies of our government. I'm not sure why we have to act as "world police" in so many areas. But, I am a firm believer in a strong military and I salute every soldier out there, whether they served in peacetime, whether they fought for their country, and especially those who died for their country. I served 6 years in the National Guard and was lucky to never have been called to active duty, as it was during the first Gulf War. I have to confess, I met young men from all walks of life when I went through boot camp, but there were many, including myself, who were college students. Trust me, no soldier wants war, but when it comes we should all be thankful for their willingness to fight and uphold the freedoms we all take for granted as civilians. A point to ponder...no country lasts forever. Just look at history to see how empires greater than ours have fallen. How much longer will the USA last? No one knows the answer, but without the American Soldier defending our borders it wouldn't take long for our enemies to come in and wipe us out. Kenny P.

Don't give up yet, there's something else you might want to check. I had similar problems with my '73 when I first bought it. The car had been sitting for seven years. I replaced plugs, installed a new battery, a new fuel filter, changed the oil, put in new points, rotor & distributor cap, new belts, new hoses, etc... I even took it to a local Z mechanic to adjust the valves and balance the carbs. Even so, my car was hard to start. I would have to tap the gas pedal while turning the key to get the engine to catch. Even then it would only run for a few moments. After repeating this several times the car would either start to run (poorly, though!), or the battery would be dead from the many attempts to start the car. I was having similar problems with fuel delivery to the rear carb. I could cover the carb throat and it wouldn't have any effect on the way the engine ran (which was poorly!). I pulled the coil wire and pulled the fuel hose to the front carb and when I cranked the engine over it would pump gas. When I pulled the fuel hose to the rear carb and repeated the test it would pump fuel, but not as much. This was all very perplexing... I ended up replacing all the fuel lines in the engine bay to no avail. When I was lucky enough to get the car running it wouldn't accelerate very quick, and the engine would die after driving for 5-10 minutes. I checked and re-checked everything, to no avail. I finally "discovered" that the electric fuel pump mounted back by the fuel tank has a filter in it. I removed it (got covered with a bit of gas, be careful!) and found it to be clogged up with a brownish powdery substance. Never figured out exactly what it was, but probably related to the car sitting for 7 years. Any way, that helped a lot, but the car still didn't run like it should. Acceleration still wasn't that quick and the car wouldn't go faster than about 55 mph without losing power. On a whim I replaced the fuel filter on the right inner fender again and the car has run great ever since. I guess the filter I put in there originally must have gotten clogged up, too. So, in my case, even though I verified that fuel was getting to the carbs, the two fuel filters were clogged up enough to make the engine hard to start and prevent the car from accelerating or going very fast. You might want to check out the fuel filter in the electric pump and also the one in the engine bay. Hope this helps... Kenny P.

You might want to check the bump stops on the front & rear struts. If they are deteriorated or gone that would contribute to a pretty good jolt when you hit a bump in the road. If the "clunk" comes from the rear of the car it could be a bad differential mount. It would probably be wise to check the engine mounts and transmission mount, too, as the rubber can come loose from the metal part of the mount. Kenny P.

Ricklandia, The packaging for Mcquay-Norris ball joints I ended up using said they were made in Japan. FWIW... Kenny P.

I had the same problem with a pair of Meyle ball joints I got on ebay. I ended up with a pair of Mcquay-Norris ball joints that I got at the local Autozone. They fit perfectly. Price was about $36 each. Here's the link to the info I posted about my ebay ball joint experience: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17621 Kenny P.