2ManyZs

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

That is almost an impossible question to answer. There are just too many brands and tread patterns to say that one is better than the other. And if you stay with the 14 inch rims the choices are somewhat limited in that a lot of the better tires are no longer avavilable in 14 inch sizes. Check out the Tire Rack web-site at www.tirerack.com They will have quite a few choices and they have users ratings on each tire, then the tread pattern and price will be your deciding factors. They have a very in-depth comparison of tread wear, traction rating, etc. so the choice will be up to you depending on your needs and budget. Good luck. Even with a lot of manufacturers no longer offering some of their tires in 14 inch sizes there are still a lot of choices on the market.

Any electric pump should work, however you may have to do a little work to mount it since it may not just bolt up to the stock mount. Just make sure to put a pressure regulator in the line and make sure it has the right inlet/outlet line size. I guess the only thing to consider is how much you want to spend. You might call MSA and ask them if the 60 dollar pump they have will work without the manual pump and go from there.

Well, IMO the best spring for what you want would be the Eibach progressive rate springs. I believe they only lower the car about an inch and the highway ride should be close to stock. The rates rise on the springs the more they are compressed so unless you are cornering hard they should ride as well as the stock springs. Stock springs that are cut will give you the same ride but when you do that you lose too much suspension travel and IMO that isn't acceptable in that a Z suspension doesn't have too much travel to begin with. The progressive springs cost quite a bit more than a single rate lowering spring but if highway ride is the most important quality then the extra price will be worth it. The single rate lowering springs usually cause a bit harsher ride in daily driving. Struts are a matter of preference and budget. I have used KYB gas struts and have no problem with using them again. The Tokico's and Koni's might be better but you will pay a bit more for them. Adjustables really aren't necessary on a street car unless you plan on autocrossing it or just want the adjustability.

The clicking sounds like the pins that turn off the turn signals when the wheel is turned past a certain point. They could also be part of the horn problem if they are pulled out too far and touching the horn ring or possibly the wire that goes to the ring. As far as how it is set properly, I can't say for sure since it has been years since I messed with a stock wheel. I do know I have had the same problem in the past, and it just too a little tinkering with it to get it right. Try pulling the wheel and pushing the 2 pins back in just a little, it sounds like they are pulled out too far. This may cure the horn problem and it may not. The spring is somewhat self centering, in that I don't remember there being a certain point that it sets into the hub. You could also check that the plug where the horn wire plugs onto isn't bent out too far.

I have a K&N filter that fits in the original air cleaner but I don't know what the part number is. I'll have to look around and see if I can find the box it came in. It may take a day or two to find it in my "little shop of horrors".

I think I posted a reply to someones question about how much suspension improvements can be done to a Z. I touched on the point that most people overlook the brakes even though they are right there in front of them. It doesn't make sense to make a car go fast and handle really well if you can't stop it. At the very least, a decent set of pads and shoes, a good bleeding of the whole system and a set of stainless steel brake hoses is the very least a person should do. While we are on the subject, a lot of people may overlook the vacuum hoses from the intake to the mastervac and the check valve. If they don't look too good, replace them. They are cheap insurance that you will not lose the brake boost. If you have ever tried to stop a Z from high speed without the vacuum assist you will know it is a hair-raising experience, ask me, I know. Yes, the rear brake cylinders can be a PITA to replace, but once you do it, it will be much easier the next time around. The front calipers are simple to re-build and they are not that expensive if you just want a set of reman calipers.

I didn't know there was such a thing as a non-interference engine. I've seen timing chains break on everything from four cylinders to V-8's and they will all slap a valve if it breaks. I've seen some Chevy V-8's bend every one of the exhaust valves at the same exact angle when the timing chain let go.

The main reason the electric pumps were first put on the 73 and later carburated cars was to help cure the vapor lock problems they were having. You can use either/or when it comes to pumps. My advise would be to use a good electric pump (doesn't have to be the most expensive) with a pressure regulator and do away with the mechanical pump. Just get a block off plate and take the mechanical off completely. It is a bit redundant to use both IMO. I'm not positive about this but I think you should run somewhere between 7-9 psi fuel pressure, but you might want to check with someone on that. I think you may have float problems if you run with too much fuel pressure.

Well, it is quite possible you have just forgotten how hard they steer at low speeds. I did after not having a street car for about 6 years. Like EScanlon said, check your tire pressures first. Try about 30 to 32 psi and see if that makes any difference. You could have other mechanical problems. One thing could be the steering rack. It could be binding due to wear or it may be that it needs to be greased. There are two small pugs on the front ot the rack that can be taken out and 1/8 inch grease fittings put in. Try that, put a couple shots of grease in and see if that helps. It could be that the upper bearings in the strut are bad too. They are located between the strut mounting plate and the upper spring perch ( I recently took the struts apart in my 71 and the bearings were full of rust and grime). Take the bearings out and clean them thoroughly and pack a little wheel bearing grease in them. While you are checking things out it probably wouldn't hurt to check the lower ball joints, tie rod ends and rack bushings, a combination of these worn parts could contribute to the hard steering.

Try this link. wwwmalvernracing.com I think they still carry Mikuni/Solex carbs for Z's. Won't be cheap though...........

Sounds like it may be out of time. Either the timing itself is out or maybe the distributor is out of time. Sounds like it tried to fire when the intake valve was open, that may be why it forced fuel out of the carb. Try re-setting the timing, or it may be just as well to re-set the distributor and go from there. It may be 180 degrees out. Bring it up on TDC on the compression stroke and take off the distibutor. Look at the drive gear. It should be just a little past lining up with the bolt holes(about 10 o'clock) with the larger side of the drive gear up. The drive gear keys into the distibutor one way. The tab that goes into the slot in the distributor is off center. When you pull it off you'll see what I mean, it's kinda hard to explain if you can't think of the proper terms. BTW, there should be a picture showing the proper alignment in the service manual. Haynes, or factory either one.

Well, sounds like this could be more trouble than just a coat of primer/sealer and body color. Maybe I'll save this for the real "rust buckets" in the yard and not put any on the 71. I guess under the battery tray wouldn't be a bad idea, but as far as trying to spray or brush it on the whole undercarriage, I think I'll pass on the clean-up.

Well, it seems that I am right about the choke cables on the early cars, but not on the 73 and later cars. I guess it has been a while since I have been under the hood of a 73, about 18 years in fact. It seems I have played an April Fools joke on myself.

Well, I guess it is possible someone may have "boogered up" the hole in the firewall. But IMO you should try to use this as you need to have the cables as straight and parallel as possible. You should just be able to unhook the cables at the carbs and feed them back through the firewall and then back out to the carbs. You have two cables of unequal length, so it's possible one cable is binding up and not going thru it's whole range of motion compared to the other one. That's why they should be straight and parallel. This might be why one choke is not opening or closing properly.