i noticed that my plug wires have "yazaki 1971" printed on them. i figure they're original. although the engine runs fine, should i replace them? do they wear out over time? any signifigance in having original plug wire for a stock zed? ( like having original braided hoses )

If you are keeping your Z stock and plan on showing the car in that class. By all means keep the wires. In this event I would take them off the car and store them for use when you show the car. Contact Arne, he has a all original early '71 so equipped. Actually I think he pulls the whole Dist. and the original head lights for the same reason. I think he has about 65K on his Z and he drives it all the time.

Gary

Drove it to work yesterday, in fact.

Yes, I have the original dated plug wires in storage for safekeeping. Right next to the original gray-green distributor cap, metal cooling fan/clutch, AM radio and antenna, Koito headlights, and 40 amp alternator. I've been known to reinstall some of this stuff for shows, but for normal use I have more modern replacements for all this stuff. But I wouldn't get rid of any of it, as it's all very hard to replace these days.

what about braided hoses? would you take them off and save them too?

No, the braided hoses are gone. They were rather hard and brittle, so much so that I knew that I would never re-install them. But that's about the only OE parts that I haven't kept.