nwcubsman

Congrats. Your Z looks great. Can't wait till my project looks so good.

I agree, no need for an R200 unless you are a serious racer with a built engine. The R200 needs the mustache bar from a 280Z to install. Some say the truck front diff, when installed in the back will whine, due to being "broken in" spinning the other direction. To get the stock gear ratios, you'd want a 3.9:1 rear diff. Assuming your 5 spd was from a '82 or '83 ZX. If you want a zippier car at low speeds but higher RPM on the freeway, the 4.11 or higher. Some have installed the Subaru LSD R160 with 3.9 or 4.11. It usually is strong enough to handle the load most of us will subject it to. If you are frying your tires on a drag strip, not the best solution. Modifications to install are unknwn to me. As to your question of having new gears set-up by a mechanic vs. finding a complete unit. The mechanic will be about $200 if the man I consulted with is typical. Plus gears of course. A different diff is less money and time.

The folks at MSA should be able to match a set for you. Arne replaced his brand new Mulhollands with the KYB. The Mulhollands were too stiff for him. They were similar to the Tokico HPs. Send him a PM and see if he will sell them to you. I know he was thinking of putting them in his yellow car, but he'd probably sell them. Better hurry, Arne doesn't mess around. If he has 2 hours, he'll switch them out.

Austen, I need to clarify my earlier comments, and make it a bit more positive. I read on the datsunsnw.org club website, that there is no registration on the day of show. That doesn't mean we are not all welcome. Just that I won't expect to be in the competition unless I pre-register. I agree with Arne, in that I am not interested in a trophy. Frankly, the quality of cars are such that I stand no chance of a trophy anyway. But meeting all you Datsun/Nissan fans are what makes it a great time. Having your/my car there makes it great to keep a picture in our minds, down the road when we chat on this forum or by e-mail. Seeing the work done and the progress made is really cool and makes for easy and entertaining conversation. I encourage you to make the trip, it is one of the largest events in the NW. And by you starting this thread, maybe we should put together a dinner for Saturday night for all who want to attend.

#1 visited site in this household. All you Z lovers are the best. You really help keep up the enthusiasm.

Yes, I have changed out the front bushings, except the steering coupler. That is where my question is aimed. Sorry if I misunderstood your comments.

Haven't registered yet. Not sure if I will or not. Seems to be so hard and fast, rules wise, it just turns me off. Thinking I may pass and do the Blue Lake thing instead. I would probably show to view the scenery tho. The show 2 years ago was really laid back. Not that the visiting and seeing old friends isn't still good, but the lawyers have taken over.

I'd love to hear your results in feel after you finish the steering coupler. I decided against changing it because I thought the damping of the rubber would be preferred. Please let me know your first thoughts. Much harsher?

If you are going to powder coat, there is a chrome powder coat also available. (Not quite the same as chrome palting) Depends what your engine bay looks like now and your plans for the future.

You should talk to Mike. Mine is the $30.95 version. I get all the numbers. ;~)

Sounds like I'm a bit late, but here is the page from my CD.

The dizzy from the '79-80 ZX is an easy fit with the 240Z wiring and then you have easier tuning than with the 240Z distributor and a good advance curve.

I think Saul at MSA gets plenty of feedback on those as a pair. He should be able to advise you properly. I went with the Tokico springs and struts and they work together well, as to height. The problem you've found lies with springs designed to be run with non gas charged struts. With the gas charged struts, the height balloons. Here in the NW corner of the country, we've had quite a discussion running on cutting down the Euro spec springs to run with modern struts. Beandip cut his springs 2-1/2 coils to bring down into the lowered state, you are going to get with the Eibach. If you consider doing this, you'll want to PM Beandip, because the amount cut down is different front to rear.

Arne, Seems I have heard this recently. Thanks for having lunch with me yesterday.

I think in this case, Arne is correct. MSA offers custom spacers with all their Konig wheels. There simply is not enough of a market to make zero offset wheels. The costs are high when the volume is low. That is why Panasports (and their ilk) seem the go to wheel.

These are polished. I'd think todays wheels would polish out better than vintage wheels.

Go get an alignment and be sure everything is in its place. If it is, the worry is gone, unless strictly for resale. The Metal Ready will take care of any minor oxidation that takes place in the next day or so. You'll want to etch the metal anyway, prior to PORing.

There you go, why not add a sign that says "To steal me, push this button >" Why do you expect people to advertise their security device. Think Man, Think!

You know Escanlon is an enthusiast I respect alot. He knows his finishes. Pay attention to what he says about POR15 being poisonous. It can be nasty stuff.

Graham, You know there are alternatives to POR15. I have used POR and it is a good product. But you had better plan on buying Metal Ready and Marine Clean as well. It is a time consuming and expensive proposition. Not to mention that you had better buy the smallest container you can, because there is a likely chance that you'll never open the container again. Even if you put plastic wrap under the container. You cannot use it in an area where sunlight will be in contact, as the UV rays will alter its color/finish. Or else you had better put another product over it. And investigate the process to do that, cause it doesn't seem other finishes would stick to it. Now, I'm not trying to downgrade POR cause, like I said it seems to have done a good job in my automotive application. I just couldn't get it off my garage floor. I have also used Zero Rust. It comes in a spray can and it is much simpler to use. It has a matte finish, but there is a clear you can also use. The thing I like is that you can put a topcoat over it without any problem. It also has done a great job on my suspension components. I am planning on using it behind my bumper to seal the bracketing and cover it with a silver Krylon. When I had my rear bumper rechromed, the chromer told me my bumper was the best condition he'd seen from a Z. Still, when he was grinding, it would spark out when he was over the bracket. Water had gotten in behind the bracket and done its thing. The bumper turned out great, and I plan to protect it in case I ever go through this again. Anyway, I think Zero Rust is easier to use, it adheres well, and when I researched it on the web, I saw evidence that in a marine environment, it worked as well or better than the POR15. I picked mine up at Industrial Finishes, but I believe that Salem Auto Parts stocks it. Not sure what colors. There is someone in Portland that stocks every color, but the name slips my mind. I could find it for you if decide you need it. I just thought I'd put in my 4 bits worth, since everyone seems to be a big fan of going to the extra work of using POR. Good Luck!

The kicker to what you decide as a disabling device is to never discuss what you've done. As long as people know what device you've got, loose lips can put you in danger. The worse thing you can do is post it on a forum.

As Arne mentioned, the E-88 started in '71 and was used through '73 at least. It is the 280Z heads that had the bigger valves. The E-31 simply ran a higher compression ratio. My concerrn would be with what is lurking inside the oil galleries inside the head. Since you don't know who rebuilt the head, they could have media blasted it to make it look pretty and some gunk is still in there. Rusch Motorpsorts, who specializes in porting Z heads says great pains must be taken to clean the of chips once it has been machined. That doesn't even count shot blasting.

The console should be the same as '72. How could I forget the carbs and things. Only took me 9 hours to get it all swapped out! The cars weight was up for '73. Not sure how much, but mostly due to the things ZIII brought up. Plus the bumpers and bumper filler. Spacing of the overriders changed let alone the overriders themselves.