Hard start - just tuned and it won't fire!

[geezer]

If you just paid this shop to tune your carbs and no other changes have been made by yourself, I think I would drop it off at their shop and let them correct the problem, unless they only warrant their work until your out of the driveway. Only they know what they have done thus far. You stand the risk of compounding the problem by going over their work and then having to explain what you have done, possibly voiding any guarantees from them.

[ZAutobahn]

Make sure all the connectors on your coil and ballast resister (and the - lead going to the Distributor) are good and tight. The blade connectors on these can get loose with time and also corrode.

I would be VERY surprised if you have a vapor lock problem. I've had two 240-Zs and neither of them ever had such a problem (and I lived in Southern California for years with them, and even now in Chicago, I drive in 100 degree heat in City traffic in the summer with no starting problems).

When everything is right with the SU carbs and your ignition, an early Z will start as if it is a new computer controlled, fuel injected car. When it is cold and hasn't been run in a while, it might take a few seconds of cranking to get fuel to the carbs and then fuel vapor into the manifold, but then it should start right up and run great. And when the engine is warm, it should start instantly. In either situation you should never touch the gas peddle. There is no reason to. Just use the choke in cooler weather when the engine has been off for a few hours or more.

Another thought: If you have the original points type distributor, the problem might be with it. When I had the original distributor, the car become very inconsistent. It would run great, and then run terrible, constantly missing on various cylinders. And every time I checked the points gap and dwell, it would be different than the previous time. It turned out that the distributor's drive shaft was worn and the shaft was wobbling about, causing totally inconsistent point gap. I solved the problem by buying a used 280ZX Electronic Ignition Distributor - one of my best investments ever.

Good luck to you!!!

Best wishes,

John

ZAutobahn