I did a very stupid thing. I dropped a bolt and shorted out the little box on the firewall near the heater hoses. When I started the car and went for a test drive it got so hot that the wires glowed red and smoked! I thought I was going to burn the car down.

I've looked all over the FSM and I can't figure out what this little box does.

Anyone know?

I guess at this point I have to unwrap the wiring harness and see how bad the damage is. I'm thinking that I should check my fusible links as well. I thought that they were supposed to burn out when a short like this happens. I've only had the car a couple of weeks. Still working out what the PO did to it.

Got it. It's the throttle opener relay. I was doing a round top conversion and forgot I was using the 1972 FSM for my 1973Z. It's in the 1973 edition.

So what exactly does that relay do? I have roundtops on my '73-does this mean that the relay does nothing anymore?

That is why I keep a fire extinguisher in my cars. I've had to use it before (from my own mistake), and it kept me from losing my Z.

So what exactly does that relay do? I have roundtops on my '73-does this mean that the relay does nothing anymore?

As I understand it the relay has no use if you removed the emissions stuff during the round top conversion.

Thanks, Steve.