2ManyZs

Here's the link Enrique was referring to, the ignition upgrade is half way down the page. http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/engine.html

Of course, the type of induction system is the biggest indicator of how much polishing you can do to get the most out of the engine. MPI fuel injection such as the later 280's would benefit greatly from a fully polished intake and exhaust since the fuel is injected into the intake port itself. The more air velocity into the ports would really wake up an L-28 with FI. Carbs are a different story, a lot depends on the runner length, diameters and such. It all depends on the induction system on the vehicle in question.

T-5's were the only manual transmission offered in the Turbos with the F-54 block..... The first years production in 82 I believe were only auto's since they didn't think the 5 speeds would hold up to the torque until they adapted the T-5's.

If it will run if you hold the key in a certain position in the switch, I'd have to say it's in the switch itself. It is probably not making contact in the run position. If you can get your hands on a used switch just to try, it's worth a shot before you spend the money on a new switch if for some reason it isn't the switch. Especially since a new switch is $105....

He's thinking of the 280 turn signals, perhaps he's using the MSA front bumper cover which you can't use the stock turn signals with? Yup, just looked at his gallery and he has to convert to the 280 turn signals with the bumper cover.... It's been a while since I saw anoyone advertise the clear lenses for the later cars, hopefully Troy can help him find a pair...

Try Too Intense Restorations. Troy may know of a supplier, as he is one of the last to have the clear lenses.... other than him, I don't know where you would look. He may know where you could look if he has no way of getting them. BTW, remember to tell him you are a member here. Just so he knows his advertising is helping his business as well as our club.

I've seen a couple with a vinyl roof. I think most people realized it just didn't fit the car and was nothing more than a fad that ate up cars in the long run. They truly are nothing more than a moisture trap....:tapemouth

The 82 should have a F-54 block with either a P-79 or P-90 head. The 280Z should be an N-47 on an L-28 block. Nothing wrong with either one, but the F-54 block is a bit stronger due to the siamesed cylinders. $400 for just an engine would be on the high side unless it's complete with the intake and exhaust intact. For 400 you should also try to get as much of the FI wiring and ECM if you can. You should be able to find an F-54 in a wrecking yard or pick and pull for about the same or possibly less. Look here for more info on heads. http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/heads.html

Been a while since I saw a Z with a vinyl roof. Too bad it hadn't stayed that way a lot longer.....:sick: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2404131359&category=6187

Hmm, looks like a Pekingese to me... either way, if it's a $^!# Too or a Peke, you don't want it.:devious: Yappy lap dog..... I was out shoveling snow yesterday and a beautiful Siberian Husky came over the snow pile and then didn't want to leave. Layed down in front of the kitchen door and cried to come in... Don't think my dog would have understood....Finally told it to go home and it trotted back down the street. Kinda ironic, during a snowstorm to see a Husky out running loose...

If it were a spun bearing it would be a loud knocking. Sounds to me like a valve/piston/wrist pin problem or the cam is wiped out.....:disappoin

And I thought my favorite of peanut butter on banana bread was strange..... Wonder what happened to the old standby of chocolate chip cookies went..

After talking to Burt in the chatroom last night, we have concluded it's a loose battery cable, bad battery cables and possibly a battery problem in a nutshell. Still a possibility of a bad alternator and regulator, but until he gets new cables it's hard to tell.

No problem Rolf. Yes, that's a white 240 under that pile of snow....:cross-eye It's a storm to be remembered, that's for sure. It started Friday and is still flurrying. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 inches. One town not far from here got 35 and another has 37 all in one storm.:tapemouth The really bad part is we are expecting warmer temps starting tomorrow and by the end of the week the temps are goin gto be in the 50's with thunderstorms possible by next weekend. Next will be the flooding we usually have after a big snow storm like this... I've got heat in the garage as well, just don't fell like shoveling a path to the door, I've shoveled enough this weekend....

The "rear differential mount member installation nut" torque is 7.5 to 9.5 kg-m or 54.2 to 68.7 ft-lbs. I'd go the same with either type of bushing...

Sounds like a hell of a deal, doesn't look too bad either... As long as there are no "hidden rust surprises" I'd jump on it!:cheeky: Only thing I'm not sure about is the T-5 Borg Warner, they weren't known as the best shifting trannies. But hey, it's in there and you can alway find a 5 speed ZX tranny later... Maybe your "accident" may have worked out in your favor. The parts on this one are worth the purchase price.

First things to check are the suspension bushings on the control arms, mustache bar, and perhaps the diff mount. You should also check the mounting nuts on top of the strut housing to make sure they are tight. Something else to check would be the gland nut on top of the strut cartridge to make sure that is still in place( just look through the spring coils) as they have been known to loosen or strip if the suspension has been bottoming out. More than one bad bushing can cause the noise but since you say it affects the handling, I'm inclined to look towards the strut mount, the control arm bushings or the strut cartridge gland nut. Take a good look at all the mounting points to make sure all the bolts are tight as well.

Hey, you didn't even give me enough time to get the pool going....:cross-eye At least it isn't yellow....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2403902583&category=6775

$499.00 Buy it Now price is not bad for a set of springs and strut cartridges.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2403568107&category=33590

It's usually a good idea to replace both at the same time for one reason. If one of them has detiorated to the point it needs to be replaced, then the other is not going to be in any better shape. Think of it this way, you would normally replace all the spark plugs at the same time, not the just one or two that are showing wear right? Or replacing the brakes pads on one side of the car and not the other. Replacing all components in a system ensures you don't have a weak link that is going to cause trouble later... The kit from VB probably only has new seals for the piston and a dust boot. No reason you can just use the kit, but most people prefer new over rebuilt for longevity, or replacing with new and rebuilding the old for a spare is never a bad idea.

I'd say keep going with the 280. You say you've already spent 3K on it and it isn't done, which means you'd be lucky to sell it for half that in it's unfinished state. If you buy the 240 for 2K that means you are out 3500 and have to start at the very beginning again. You'd end up spending 6K fixing the 240 if you go the same route you are going now, which means you have then spent 9500 and you'll have just as hard a time selling the 240 for your investment as the 280. Changing cars in the middle of a resto doesn't make much sense when you think of it in terms of time lost as well as the money you could end up losing. A good 280 done right will bring as good a price as a shoddy job on a 240. So do it right and either enjoy the car, or sell it and then start another project... A nice 280 recently went for almost as much a one of the Z store resto's on Ebay, so it is not so much the car as the quality of the car. Unless perhaps it's a 280Zx....

Yes the control arm will drop down as far as you need it to if you unbolt the sway bar end link and the steering arm that the strut is bolted to. You got someone who can step on the brake while you try to take the lug nuts off? Or didn't you think of that yet?

Can you jack up the car with a bottle jack under the frame rail? You should be able to remove the tire then and take the two mounting bolts out of the bottom of the strut? This will let you drop the control arm enough that you can get to the mounting nut on the ball joint and replace the joint. You will only need to disconnect the sway bar end link and then the two large bolts that connect the strut housing to the steering arm and you can swing the control arm down and work on it from there. Two more bolts out of the ball joint mount and you're almost done.

Welllllll, that was my point... No sense in polishing the valves if you aren't going to do the complete job. Head and intake come before the valves, so if the head and intake are stock, the valves have no need for polishing. A good port matching should be one of the first things to be done IMO. If you decided to do a complete head and intake polishing later, then the valves would need a bit of attention to complete the package.