2ManyZs

Well, it seems I was wrong in my assumption the plastic rim wouldn't take a stain. If it does that's great, now you can make your rim any color you want. I was thinking it wouldn't be porous enough to take a stain. Now, if you don't like the color you can choose a different shade. Just one question Marty, what type of stain did you use?

Motorsport Auto has the hoses you need, and the price is not too bad. Victoria British probably has the same ones for about the same price. Some of the hoses are very expensive, others are not. The most expensive ones are the vent lines to the gas tank, most of the underhood hoses are fairy reasonably priced. I would suggest you replace the check valve also if you replace the vacuum hoses to the vacuum booster at the same time. Be sure to mount it with the arrow pointing towards the booster or you will not have any power assist on the brakes.

My opinion of them is that look good on a Z. But, are they legal in Kentucky? Here in Virginia they are not, don't ask me why, but they will not pass inspection and you can be ticketed for them. Stupid law but one you should check into before you buy them. The only problem associated with the headlight covers is that they can fog up. I don't care what the law says but when I get my 71 back on the road I'm putting a set of the fiberglass ones on it, painted to match the body, and am going to use Dzuz fasteners to mount them so that they can be removed at night. Not that I plan to drive the car at night, but it might save me a ticket. If cars can come with hidden headlights like Corvettes and older Miata's I see no reason for them to be illegal. Just because I have to manually remove them shouldn't mean they are illegal. Or maybe I just like fighting city hall.

I don't know the name for the appropriate tool, but I normally use either a cotter pin puller or a pair of long needle nose pliers (whichever I can find first) and have used a small pick with the hook on the end. There is a bit of room if you push back on the door panel, enough to get a pair of long, thin needle nose pliers in there. They also work well to re-install the clips as you can hold it firmly without it popping out of the groove on the handle.

Probably not. The drop was probably when the thermostat opened for the first time. If the temperature then stayed at the normal reading the thermostat is probably OK. BTW, nearly all thermostats when they fail will stay closed, causing a boil over. There are new thermostats on the market that if they fail they will open and stay open preventing overheating. A drop in coolant level indicates that there was air trapped in the system somewhere and when the thermostat opened and circulated the coolant the air escaped through the radiator cap. Simply add a little more coolant and re-check it after a short drive.

Well, when you take off all the smog equipment you have no place to run the vent on the valve cover. On a stock engine it is run back to the intake, to "recycle" the gases from the crankcase. Some people have been known to use a filter like this on the rear diff. vent and some even put a filter on the transmission vent too. The main advantage to put a little air filter like this is that not only will it keep any sludge from being pumped out of the crankcase it will also keep any dirt or dust particles from entering the engine and contaminating the oil. If I'm not mistaken, during deccelaration you can pull a bit of vaccum in the crankcase so it is possible to pull contaminates into the valve cover. Besides, they look cool.

Are you talking about the air filter he has on the valve cover?? Instead of running the vent line back to the block he just put a short section of hose and used a filter on that.

I'm not sure what you mean by the thermostat not opening up. I can guarantee that the thermostat opened up if you ran the car for an hour. If the thermostat hadn't opened up you would have fried the engine. The themostat is closed when the engine is cold, then when you start the engine it begins to heat the coolant in the block. When the coolant reaches a certain temperature (governed by the temperature the thermostat is supposed to open) the thermostat will slowly open to allow coolant to circulate through the radiator. The thermostat will then begin to slowly close up to slow the flow through the radiator so that the coolant doesn't cool off too much. A thermostat is constantly fluctuating the size of the opening in order that the coolant remains close to the temperature that the thermostat is set for. In stop and go traffic this keeps the car from overheating and also over cooling. The engine needs the heat to allow for complete combustion in the cylinders while not over heating and ruining the engine. The thermostat will stay at the same opening while cruising down the interstate at a steady speed, but any variation in terrain or throttle opening will cause it to start varying the restriction again. If the thermostat were to open fully then close fully, the temperature of the coolant would not remain near a constant temperature. It would hit a peak, then drop very sharply to a low, then gradually rise to a peak again. This is not how an engine is designed to operate. It needs the temperature to remain at or near a constant temperature to run at peak efficiency. Older engines like the L-series prefer a cooler temperature(160-180 degrees) while todays newer engines are designed to run at higher (180-200 degrees,some may be higher) to promote better combustion to meet todays emission standards. I just thought I would add a little here since it seems there may be a lot of people who think a thermostat opens and closes completely. I had a "mechanic" at the local Dodge dealer argue the point with me when my last pickup started having a problem with a large fluctuation in engine temperature that I said wasn't right. His "explanation" was that the radiator was so large to cool the Cummins engine that this was normal. I promptly explained that I had been driving tractor trailers for almost 20 years and this was not normal. Needless to say I got a new thermostat and the problem was solved.

The spokes should be a black semi-gloss according to the resto article in Sport Z magazine. The rim is a molded plastic with the color in the plastic, it's not actually wood so a stain probably wouldn't work. After sanding the rim smooth it is covered in a semi-gloss clear lacquer to give it the right amount of shine. The issue is the fall 2001 of Sport Z, you might try to see if it is still available to be ordered as a back issue.

I can't say for sure since I can't seem to find my 280's stock wheel, but I think they all mount the same so it should work. The shape of the pad I think is a little different though. If it's cheap enough I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.

As far as I know it should work, might be quite a bit of work trying to remove the old vinyl from the 240 though. Most people put the later carpet sets from the 280's in their early cars so I see no reason why the opposite won't work. It definately will make your 280 unique. Good luck.

Well, I don't know about shops in your area, I'm up here about 60 miles north of Staunton. You probably could find out through the Tidewater Z club, or if I'm not mistaken, I think there is one in Richmond isn't there? You could try the Z Club of Northern Virginia also. I personally like the idea of the POR-15 better than undercoating as it is not as thick and it is a designed as a rust preventer, and it is harder and probably less prone to let moisture in and trap it underneath. I just got some but it sounds like it may be difficult to do without making a mess in the garage (I'm good at making a mess, bad about the clean-up). Eastwoods has a product now that is very similar to POR-15 so that might be an alternative. I guess the main deciding factor will be how much you are planning on driving the car. If you plan on driving it a lot then I would suggest at least doing the wheel wells, it all depends on how much work you want to do. My car is going to be mostly a garage queen so I'm not going to put any back on, the original undercoating is in good shape for the most part so I'm just going to seal and paint over it. I'm wondering how much might have been left on your car, or if it was taken down to bare metal before it was painted. jcdozier, I don't know why you follow my posts. Maybe it's because I sit here and spend too much time on the site waiting for the weather to improve to where I can go work on mine again. From your posts I've read you can take my place, you have just as much good info to share as I do. So, crack your knuckles and get ready to type a lot, summer's gettin close.

If the paint on the underside is in good condition without a lot of chips and you don't drive the car daily I think I would leave it alone. If the car is stored inside and only driven occasionally it would probably be a waste of money. If you do drive the car quite a bit you might consider putting some type of coating inside the wheel wells just to make sure you don't have any surface rust popping up from rock chips. You could brush on some POR-15 and then either wet sand it down or use their primer and re-paint the fender wells in body color. Or you could get some of the brush on bed-liner coating and put that in there. In fact, I think I just saw some advertised you could mix your body color paint with to color match it to the car. Now, if I could just remember where I saw that advertised.:tapemouth BTW, I found where I saw the tintable bed-liner kit. It's in the newest Eastwood catalog. It's a bit expensive, but it might look fairly decent since it could be color matched. It's made by SEM.

I guess there are points for and against a re-build. Are you concerned about keeping the car original? Is the engine the original numbers matching engine?? If the answer is no to either question the next logical thing to do is find out what is wrong with the one you have now before making any plans. Oil consumption is most likely worn rings. However, there could be other problems associated with it such as cylinder bore wear and/or scratches. Perhaps the best thing I could say is do a compression check and/or leakdown test to determine how bad the engine really is. It could be you could get away with nothing more than a cylinder honing, new rings and bearings and a gasket set. In this case you might only pay half of the price for the reman (or less). Or it could also mean the engine is so far gone a reman engine is the best alternative. If it is not the original engine then the points I made are moot, if they will give you a decent core price for what you have, get the reman with the warranty and get back on the road.

A V-8, even a stock 305 Chevy has as much hp and more torque than you could get out of a Z engine. Torque is what you need for acceleration, hp just keeps it moving. Jags That Run has a V-8 swap kit that will give nearly 50-50 weight distribution, and yes the V-8 could possibly end up being lighter. If you really want V-8 power the only way to get it is with the V-8. You could use a 300ZX Twin Turbo engine, but it will not have the torque of a V-8 and the cost will be astronomical compared to a V-8 swap. There are millions of V-8's sitting around, you can pick up a reman long block Chevy 350 for about the price of a good header for a Z engine.

Well, as for the parts take a look at www.strictlyz.com, www.zparts.com for a catalog, zparts.com there are many suppliers where you can find the parts you are looking for. Many of them are listed in the web-links here. The only way to use a 300ZX transmission would be to use a 300ZX motor, they are not compatible with the inline six. A 280ZX transmission will work with little trouble though.

A stock L-28 from a 280 is 2.8 litres, the 240 engine is 2.4. You will never get anywhere near 4 litres from an L series engine. A 3.1 stroker will cost you in the neighborhood of $4,000-$6,000 if it is done right. Yes, a Toyota Supra engine has been used in a Z, but then again price is a major issue. If you want V-8 power you will need a V-8. It will be cheap (V-8's are everywhere) compared to your ideas for an engine swap. For about half what a 3.1 stroker will cost you could have a V-8 in the car. Check out www.hybridz.com for any info you need for a V-8 swap, we at this site tend to stick to original Datsun engines. I'm not being rude, their site is all about engine swaps and mods, and if you need to know what you can expect to pay for a V-8 swap they will know, and weight is not an issue. A V-8 with aluminum heads and intake will weigh less than the stock L series.

It is possible too that the adjuster is not backing off the shoes enough. If nothing else, drill out the hole in the drum a little bigger so you can see for sure. It is also possible the drum is grooved to the point the shoes may not clear the ridge unless the adjsuster is completely bottomed out. Another problem area is where the drum meets the axle flange, the drum being aluminum corrodes against the steel and can make it very difficult to pull the drum. If you get it off, take a file around the axle flange to clean it up and also on the drum to make sure it won't hang up again if you re-use the drum. Another thing I happened to think about, and it sounds like a dumb thing but it has been known to happen. Before trying to remove a drum, I always take the pin out of the emergency brake cable. If the e-brake cable is out of adjustment it could be holding the brakes on somewhat. Of course it goes without saying, that the e-brake should be fully released too. Don't think this hasn't happened before, it has, if the handle is up even one notch it could be applying the brake enough to make it almost impossible to remove the drum. You would be surprised how many of us have gotten in a hurry and forgotten to release the hand brake. :tapemouth Of course, a lot of people probably won't admit to this.

If my car looked as good as his, I for one WOULD be riding around blowing my horn and thumbing my nose at lesser cars! BTW, those tires look good on the car. Take the cover off the column and I think it's possible to see how far out the pins are, make sure they just stick out far enough to solidly contact the turn signal return. If they are too loose, you might try a dab of silicone on the end of the pins to hold them in place. If I remember right the ring they mount into is plastic, so if that is the case the holes may be wallowing out. I might have an original wheel here somewhere, I'm not sure if my parts car still has the original or not, so if you need parts or a spring let me know.

I have raced against those darn rotary engines and as much as I hate to admit it, they can make something like an RX-3 scream. Anything that small, that can take a brick like an RX-3, and make it move like they do must have something going for it. I will admit, the last generation RX-7 would have been on my wanted list if it had not been for the price. But then, if I had that kind of money laying around, I probably would have bought the last of the 300ZX Twin Turbo's and had something I really wanted. A small compact engine like that in a Z does sound interesting. With the power available, and the lower center of gravity it might be something a lot of people will sit up and take notice of. But with the number of rotary engine swaps I've seen done to 510's I'm starting to wonder why there haven't been more of the later engines put in a Z. :eek:

The diff was moved back to correct the problems with the half shaft angles. As far as I'm concerned there is no bad Z car from 1969-1978. Why do I say that? Simple, take any year car and with a little work you can mix and match parts from all the years and end up with a ride that will satisfy most anyone. The later year cars 1974 1/2 to 78 came with electronic fuel injection and ignition, but it's still possible to convert them to early carbs. The main thing is to find a chassis that is as rust free as possible (for a car that 24-33 years old) with as many original parts as possible and start to build the car you've always wanted. From stock original to "boy-racer" to all out race cars, a Z is hard to beat for the simplicity and relatively low cost. As far as reliability is concerned, a well cared for Z will probably last for as long as you are willing to maintain it. Try to find a car that has not had too many modifications done to it, nothing worse than trying to fix up someone else's mistakes. And don't jump at the first car that catches your eye, there are still enough Z's out there that more often than not, you will see something later that may have been the one you really wanted.

I doubt you'll get much more dirt in the air filter if it doesn't seal the way mine did. Actually it might allow more air into the filter so maybe it isn't a bad deal after all. Of course, just because mine didn't allow the cover to seal against the backing plate of the air cleaner doesn't mean yours won't, it may have been just a little variation in the filter when they made it.

I couldn't find the box it came in but the filter has a number C165A8 on it. Hope that helps. BTW, when I put the filter in the stock air cleaner the cover would not close completely, I guess the filter is just a little to wide or the gaskets are too thing. It only had an 1/8 inch gap, but it just looks a little funny if you look at it, otherwise it's hard to notice.

Well, the conversion has been done numerous times in a 510. I don't know that I have seen one in a Z yet. It does sound interesting though............. You'll have to let us know how it turns out!

Well, perhaps there is such a thing but it may boil down to whether any major damage is done or if it is so slight it doesn't hurt the engine. I believe it would all have to do with valve angle and size versus the piston deck height. It would be possible to make a "non-interference" engine into one with little problem. Head decking, cam change with more valve lift, piston dome or pin height, rod length, stroke, larger valves all figure into the equation along with quite a few other modifications that are possible. I believe the totally stock L engines would possibly be in the non-interfernce category, but that doesn't mean that the valve won't hit the pistons, it may be that they don't cause any major damage. I don't think I have heard of anyone breaking a timing chain on the L engine and having any major piston damage. It is possible the piston deck height is low enough as to not cause any damage. But if you take a stock bore L block and put larger valves in, the valves will hit the block, therefore the block needs to be "eyebrowed" between the cylinders. So in that regard there really is no such thing as a non-interference engine.