Bambikiller240

Optimism is a wonderful thing, when tempered by realism. Here is to your Victoria Secret fantasy. If yours comes true, then maybe my similar one will be next. But that car........................................needs buyer with truely "rose colored" glasses.

Ray Charles?

That is what I perceived your message to be. No harm, no foul as far as I am concerned.

I think some of you folks are being a little harsh towards MikeW. Maybe he should have ignored the post entirely, but I don't feel that he deserves to be labled a snob by you guys. If you want to help "silent", jump on in and do so, but IMO y'all should ZIP IT when it comes to labling other members in any way. PERIOD!

It could. But it could also be a sticking Thermostat (more likely IMO).

Looks like a friggin doorstop! If it wasn't for bad taste, some people wouldn't have any taste at all.:sick: :sick: :sick:

Nate: If you don't yet have Wick Humble's "How to restore Z Cars" book, I'd recommend you get it. It has many helpful nuggets of information. FWIW, your timeline of being done by mid-July sounds like an impossibility unless you have very little work to do on it, or have nothing else to do (like a job, or a life) except working on the car all day, everyday (and night). Of course, I don't know you, or your car, but I have done what you are going to be attempting, and it took me well over 6 months to get it all done. Maybe I just work slow.

Kats: Are you flying the 240Z to the Z Car National Convention in Long Beach, California??????

Just did a search on "Datsun 240Z" and looked through 10 pages of stuff. Couldn't find them.

It sounds more like you have Clutch, or Clutch Release (Throw-Out) Bearing problems rather than Transmission problems.

Try Chloe at www.midwestz.com If it is available, she can get it.

One thing to think about is..........Drakes Beach is often cold and grey, all day. Santa Cruz ican be that way also, but not as often from my experience. Both are nice places, but FAR different from each other.

Robert: I don't know if you are aware, but there are two bolts that can impact the timing of the distributor relative to the crankshaft. I suspect from your description of the timing situation that you encountered this weekend, that one of these bolts is adjusted to it's maximum and locked in place, while you are then required to remove the remaining bolt in order to approach proper timing. I will try to get some pictures for your reference on this matter. Probably will be Monday or Tuesday before I can get them. Headgasket leaking could certainly cause rough running. 130 is low if all others are near 160-170 What are they all reading). Any sign of water leaking externally (to atmoshere)? Is oil turning into pudding? Don't give up yet.

As of now, No. Still haven't had money or help to get my SU carbs sorted out. I really wish I could attend. Anyone in the East Bay area really know SU's and be willing to check'em out, show me how to set them up? I'm tired of not being able to drive the car, but money is an issue in regard to sending it to a shop.

That is my recollection of a previous discussioin regarding these cars on the IZCC mail list. "I think" that is what Carl Beck indicated. If I am recalling 100% correct, it was suggested (by various participants) that the only way to be certain if a car was in fact a Factory Black Pearl, was if the paint type and color was Factory OEM "everywhere", all accessory items were present and verifiable as original OEM. No painted pinstripes, 280zx-t engines, aftermarket mirrors, sunshades, etc. Pity that Nissan didn't keep better track of stuff like this. Here is a little info from Zhome.com INTRODUCTION: The 1978 Black Pearl Edition 280Z was the first black Z Car Produced. It was actually a test market device to determin if the color black should be added to the Z Car model line colors. It was so successful that in 1979 with the introduction of the 280ZX Datsun featured their all Black 280ZX's in their "Black Gold" ad.'s. We know what at least one Black Pearl Edition with the "SPORTS APPEARANCE PACKAGE" was sent to each Authorized Datsun Dealer in 1978, with the larger volume Dealers receiving more than one. Thus at least 850 Black Pearl Editions with the SAP were produced and most likely something closer to 1200 or 1500 of them. We have no offical production figures for the number of cars which received only the Black Pearl Metalic Paint (but not, the Sports Appearance Package.).

I believe that it is the place that rents Z cars which was featured in some newspapers a while back. Ther is a thread about is somewhere in the forums.

Of course he can do whatever he wants to his car. Don't think anyone said he couldn't , or shouldn't unless I missed something. BUT, I 100% disagree with your statement quoted above. If it is modded in anyway, it is no longer an original BP. It WAS a BP, and may at some point, be restored to be one again. Just like other variations of S30, there are specific criteria to be met to be considered a BP BTW AFAIK, the serial numbers of Black Pearl edition cars are not traceable.

From the attachment posted by Stephen, it looks like the pinstriping is a decal or vinyl stripe kit. Maybe they are still available from Nissan. In order to maintain the value of the car as a "Black Pearl" edition 280Z, the paint will need to be the exact OEM color, AND exact type of paint (Enamel, or whatever), and the exact stripe kit would need to be on the car. Just painting on replicas of the stripes isn't going to do it. You would also need to have the exact Racing Mirrors supplied by Nissan, and the exact same Rear Sunshade. The important word here is EXACT. Anything less makes the car a replica at best. I'm not trying to discourage you, but in the collector car world, this is what is expected, and it is why so few of these cars survive today, and why they are more valuable than a regular 280Z.

The only way it will stay a Black Pearl 280Z is if you change NOTHING, and restore what is currently missing from your car that was part of the Black Pearl package from Nissan. Change the engine (or anything else), or fail to restore what is currently missing and all you have is a modified 280Z.

Oh, and Page 29

Page 30

The only references to a date that I find in my book are on Page 28 (attached)

Here is a pic of the cover of my manual with the P/n enlarged.

The wider you go, the more important it will be to make sure that the wheels have correct offset and backspacing.

I have never owned or driven a Hyundai, but I have noticed that the cars come with a WARRANTY that is arguably one of the best available in the US. Interesting that the manufacturer now stands behind their cars in this manner. I do know people who previously owned a Hyundai in the 90's and the car was indeed a CRAP car, but sometimes companies do change (usually when they are forced to do so). Remember, the report is about new cars (2004), not 95's, 99's, 01's, or even 03's. Perhaps this company has seen the light and realizes what it needs to do to be successful in the US market. JD Power & Assoc. seems think things have changed. For anyone who is interested in the report referenced at the start of the thread it can be found HERE on the JD Power website. Of course, some of you may have access to more data than JD Power was able to gather on NEW Hyundai cars.