240ZX

Ed, really nice work on the front cover! I'm one of the guys who went for a drive in my Z toy. Early Saturday morning, on one of my favorite sections of blacktop, I came up on a black firebird, just prior to the downhill (lots-o-twisties & smooth pavement) section. As soon as the guy sees my Z he starts to pick up the pace. Well, before we reached the the bottom of the hill, I figured the guys was going to have an off road excursion at any moment. Mind you it was a brisk pace, but nothing I would consider pushing it. Anyway, the guy kept it on the road (my 240 a consistant car length off his butt with ease) and made it to the bottom. I had my little bit of fun, but the guy in the firebird just kept on it all the way in to town....oh well!!! Now I don't advocate playing too hard on the street, but it sure made my day (got my adrenalin fix). What a great way to start out a weekend. Oh! By the way, we were the only two cars on the road. That's how I started my holiday!

I suppose when you have a lot of intense (as in Z fanatics) people communicating with each other, your bound to have an issue or two. For what it's worth. I once heard a saying that goes like this..."If you don't have anything good to say about someone or something, don't say anything!".

Tom, Those kind of crimped hose fittings are only good for one time use. They are not a reusable type hose end.

What ever kind of issues, be they fact or fiction good or bad, concerning the product Armor All.....The point is; the stuff is like EScanlon says (HEROIN to vinyl), if you don't continue using the stuff it will suck the life out of rubber and vinyl. No one needs a bunch of technical data to prove the point, just experiece! I visited the Armor All web page and read thier claims, unfortunitly there are no warnings about the results of discontinued use....go figure!!!! Did you read the headline about the freak who used Armor All on his blow-up doll.....he heard the product sucked! (a little humor)

Yah, isn't all about the MONEY. I mean, who cares about safety when you can make some MONEY? It seems that it's the popular trend, unfortunetly. Greedy greedy people, my my my!!! You would think that with the significant increase in revenue, generated from the cameras, the Highway Patrol would be recruiting new officers. Lets just abolish all speed laws and let the best drivers win. The rest will take care of themselves.....(pipe dream!!!)

I think the second thumbnail Alfadgog posted says it all! Come on now, which one do you think looks way better? Certainly Nissan never compared, well maybe they did, the two cars side by side. I've always believed that during the design phase of a new car or motorcycle, the Japanesse are so proud of their work and great design that before completeing it they start celebrating by pounding down the good old rice wine.....hic, hic, hic. Once they're thoroughly slousched, they finish up the effort. Remember this the next time you indulge in saki. Can you imagine if the new Z had the similar look of the old Z.....kind of like what Ford did with the new GT40.

I'm with Walter and Carl on this issue. Please don't force me to wear a helmet, I'm smart enough to know that I should, all by myself!!! Isn't this supposed to be a free country? So why does the government keep nibbling away at our right to free will??? I quess it's safe to say we need to get ourselves a little more informed on issues before we VOTE! (hopefully your all registered voters) As most will probably agree, it doesn't take much brain power to figure out that if you hit your head on the pavement, at just about any speed, you will sustain head injuries....duh!!! Everyone has heard of the DARWIN AWARDS......these champions are the result of thier own stupidity and I would quess you could find, in this group, a number of the non-helmet and non-seatbelt wearing crowd. Enough said already!

280z, I know some do not like the full dash caps, for fixing the cracks, but if you are a pretty good craftsman you can get these puppies to fit and look great. With mine,it took a number of times putting it on and taking it off, with minor tweeks in between, to get it right before securing it. The only way to tell it is a full cap is the have the door open, where you can see a small seam, but not very noticable to the untrained eye. These units are far less expensive than a new or refurbished dash. Just some food for thought!

Ed, you sure have good taste. That red 240Z looks sharp! It looks so much like my Z I had to do a double take. Wait a minute...it is mine!!! Regarding the spoiler, yes they are pretty vulnerable and I have had one nocked off by a silly wabbit years ago. With my Z sitting pretty low I do have to be very concious of where and what I drive over. Speed bumps and steep driveway entrances/exits are a big no no!!! But as was once said....if you want to play, you got to play! If anyone has questions about my Z, feel free to ask, I like sharing info to help out other Z car freaks.

Stephen, There are as you know many things to address while setting up suspension for competition. One item you may want to investigate and do is to replace all your old rubber bushings with polyurethane. You will be quite surprised with this improvement. Also, what about your tire/wheel setup...another biggy! Brakes, coilovers, tubular adjustable transverse links, etc., etc., the list goes on and on. But depending on what class you run, rules will dictate what you can and can't do.....check them first. Anyway, hope this helps some and wecome to ONE GREAT Z SITE.

I agree he and his interesting bikes will be missed..........maybe some of the folks that refuse to wear helmets will get a clue from this unfortunate incedent. Come on, what was this guy thinking anyway, he had on a protective suit but no helmet!!! Sorry to say, but the guy was just stupid and paid the price!

IMO, Armor-All does exactly the opposite of what it tells you it will do! It seem to suck the life out of vinyl, not refurbish it. Oh yah, it looks good when you put it on, but as mentioned previously, once you stop using it you're in for trouble. Not a recommended product. My 2 cents worth..........

Thanks for posting the part number for the Mallory Unilite Keith! And if I remember correctly, this is the unit with vacuum advance. Defenitely a nice touch for the engine compartment.....I sure do like mine!

Mickie, If you have local sources for the RB26DETT and not for the SBC, definately go for the RB. I guess it all boils down to cost, because both motors can deliver plenty of HP. In the states, most will go with the SBC due to cost and availability of parts. But hey....an RB26DETT would be way kool, yes???

Craig, when I was doing the electronic ignition conversion I first wanted to go with the ZX distributor but had trouble finding one that wasn't worn out. Tried rebuilt units but all 3 units tested the same.....the centrifical weight mechanism were worn out. I got tired of looking so I finally went with the Mallory Unilite. I had heard the same stories about them but was set straight on that issue......there were some reliability problems with the early issued units. However, the current units are very reliable. I have had zero issues with the Unilite since I installed it in 2000. Looks good too!!! If anyone is looking to buy a Unilite, buy it from SUMMIT RACING. Their price is about $150.00 less than MSA! I'll have to look tonight for the part number and post it tomorrow.

James, I don't know if I would call it the best way, but I just used compressed air after washing the inside with solvent. I also fed a SS wire down the lines to make sure they were clear. Hope this helps a bit. Remember to check for debris in your tank as well!

Just a little reminder on cleaning your fuel and brakes lines. Double check to insure all lines are clear of stuff that may restrict fluid flow. No sence in doing all that work to make them look good, install them, and then discover there is some sort of restriction in the line. Better to clean twice and install once!!! Also, regarding the fuel circuit....double check your fuel tank for old build up and or debris. The tank is usually the source of stuff restricting proper fuel flow, as it travels down your REALLY CLEAN lines. Again, just a friendly reminder!

Craig is correct with what he said about fuel pressure and SU carbs. As I understand it, it's a matter how much pressure and how long the needle/seat can properly regulate fuel coming into the float bowl, when subjected to pressures beyond their design limits. As an example....if the needles/seats, on an SU, were designed to handle 30 psi, we would be using pumps that meet that need. What do you think guys?

beandip, the answer to your question is yes. That is the reason I went to a gear type pump. I got fed up with the constant thumping, buzzing, what everyou want to call the sound that the articulating pumps make. I even went to the trouble of using an isolation type mounting, but the damn think was still too noisey!!! Mind you, the gear type pumps are not silent. However, once the L28 is running, I can no longer hear the fuel pump. I can live with that.

3 to 4 psi is all you'll want for carbs. I've been using Mallory unit however, I have the early SU carbs and have replumbed the fuel lines on the engine...no more ugly stock fuel lines with the orifice type resticker fuel regulation. Take a look at my picture gallery. I'm also using a Mallory gear type pump mounted next to the fuel tank.