SteveInOakland

If black is OK and you aren't a purist, you can get decent-looking upholstery-style vinyl, with a little texture and a cloth backing, at a fabric store -- cheap. $6-8 per yard where a yard is maybe 54" wide. Even if you don't want to put it where the diamond stuff goes, it can be useful in a restoration -- like for those insulated panels on the inside of the firewall.

If anybody gets over there I'd be interested whether the turbine wheels mentioned are still there. Thanks.

Anybody know anything about this wheel? Width? It's a 14" diameter. Seems to have a maximum of fins. Thanks for any info. Steve.

Looks great, I know exactly why it's what you were looking for. There are also some Clarion models with pretty similar look that do turn up occasionally. Steve.

Fan, I bow to your expertise. However -- are you saying vapor lock was not a problem on the 70-72? Steve.

You can be sure that it was installed by a dealer due to factory directives, and those for the vapor lock fix. If you're only going to drive it short distances in the temperatures mentioned I don't think you'll experience vapor lock even without the insulation. Please note: during the late '70s I experienced vapor lock a number of times (1972 model without the fix) when ambient temperatures were not terribly high (example: month of December, nighttime, Alabama). This after continuous driving for a number of hours. As I understand it the electric fuel pump that came with the '73 was also for this purpose. Installing a larger fan, from a 280, is another suggestion I've seen. If you remove, I would put on a mask and rubber gloves, hose down the engine compartment afterwards, and then get in the shower. (I had a basement full of asbestos insulation removed by licensed removal contractors.) If the fabric over the top of your insulation is deteriorating badly (and if the insulation is in fact asbestos -- which I think is very likely), the asbestos fibers may be starting to come loose. That would be bad. One thing that would probably work better and be safer than getting a replacement insulator, would be to cover what you have with duct tape. Steve.

Best wishes, my friend. Steve.

Yeah, I saw that myself. The $600 parts car posted the same day also caught my eye somewhat.

Thanks for the report. Sounds terrific.

Ed, are the JC Whitney seals that you bought, the ones in your link up top? Thanks.

If it was me, I'd either stick with the slot mags or use straight silver-colored Panasports. If you lose the slot mags, I too am interested. Steve. In, yes, Oakland.

Good luck, Ed, this whole thing is a bummer. And Ed? Take your time... Steve.

OK, noted. It is a requirement in Calif., the way I understand it. If it isn't where Kurt is going, so much the better for him. Steve.

Hey Kurt, If you tow that with a dolly (two wheels of the Z on the ground), it has to be registered with current plates. 1500 miles without seeing a cop would be a long way. There's a great site on the Internet where users rate long-distance tow services. Many of the ones with high ratings have sites that can give you an instant quote. For a good service to tow that distance, it could probably be done for $600-800. That may or may not interest you... Steve.

PS: Ball joint nut: 40-54

Clymer manual says this: Transverse link (i.e. control arm) to ball joint bolts 35-46 240Z 44-51 260Z There's a procedure for checking the ball-joint end-play, which I can supply if you need it. (Part of the inspection of existing joints.) Assembly: Install the ball joint on the transverse link. Tighten the installation bolts to specifications (per above). Install the knuckle arm on the ball joint (Fig. 21). Tighten the nut to specifications and secure with a cotter pin. Figure 21 just shows a torque wrench on the nut where the cotter pin goes, but I can post it if you need it. Steve.

Got Pertronix from carshopinc.com -- seemed like a good price, fast delivery too. Steve.

Yes, the car is a '73. It has the original engine (block) but the guy I bought it from installed the 4-screw round-top SUs and the manifold shown. From all the good stuff you guys are telling me, it's clear that he probably bought them together and just bolted the whole assembly onto the head of my car. Anyway I'm sure you guys are right that it's an early-style manifold. Also, I studied the ZTherapy photos a little further and my heat shield is clearly the earliest type. Montoyafan, this thing you describe -- "Also 1971 Z's (I'm not sure about 1970 Z's) had the water pipe that loops around the back of the engine and connects to the back of the manifold by way of a short hose" -- that's on my car. You can see the manifold connection, the hose, and the start of the water pipe that runs behind the engine, in my second photo. Thanks to all for all the help! (Looks like I leave things as-is.) Steve.

Terrific answers from you both, many thanks for your help. I'm still having trouble determining which manifold I've got. On ZTherapy's photo, one part of the linkage (?) is marked "welded" on the 70-71. But which part? Also the "narrow pad" caption doesn't clear anything up. --Does *only* the '70-71 have the vacuum tap for the brake booster where that's shown? Because my manifold has that. You can see it at the upper right of the first photo, black hose with wire-type hoseclamp, disappearing out the right of the frame. Thanks again for the help. Steve

The car I bought has 4-screw SU's and the '72-type intake manifold with ports for coolant to enter and exit. See thumbnails. I'm wondering if, for sure, all 4-screw SU's are earlier than the heated models. In other words, is there such a thing as a 4-screw SU with passages for the coolant. If my carbs lack those passages, is there any point at all to routing coolant into the manifold? The car might in fact run a little cooler if I simply closed off the ports--larger percentage of the total coolant then sitting in the radiator. ?? Thanks for any thoughts. Looked at ZTherapy photos but couldn't quite determine about the 4-screws.

You mean the transmission end, the end shown at bottom of your photo? The old one has that black rubber washer/grommet kind of thing, the new one doesn't? If that's what it is, you should be OK. I just went through this, putting in one without the rubber piece, where the old one had had one. I took the rubber off the old one and used it. No leaks or anything, cable works fine. I also don't think it's mandatory that you have that spring like stuff wound around the outside, on the transmission end. At the speedo end, as long as the threads match up you'll be fine. Hope that helps some. Let me know if I understood the question right. Steve.

Definitely look for the rust mentioned by Gogriz. There should be a plate on one of the door jambs, where the door closes, that indicates the manufacture date. You can find the VIN there and on the dash as you look through the windshield. If it has more than 5 digits following HLS30, and it's a 240Z, then it's a 1973. Otherwise, it's 1970-72. If it has vents on the rear hatch between the glass and the latch, it's a 1970-71. Stock, the car does not have anything like 280 HP. I don't have the exact number at hand but it is right around 150. The 4-speed is an excellent transmission. Unless you plan to spend hours on end cruising on freeways, you shouldn't miss 5th gear too much. If you do, it is neither hard nor expensive to add a 5-speed, which could come from a 5-speed-equipped 1977-78 280Z or a 280ZX. If the 240 in question is an early car there would be some minor sheet-metal mods needed to accommodate the shifter. Good luck, Steve.