Gift or Burden - We shall see....

[Free280Z]

I have been driving it around it is running good. I have to save up some money and put brakes on it. Then it will be on! Once I get the brakes straight I will start to work on the suspension..... or maybe put the 5 speed in it. Here are some pictures of the '77 that I had laying around.

[grantf]

oooo save those bumper ends!!!

[Free280Z]

You can't tell from the picture, but the bumper ends are cracked in the accordion section in a couple of places so I didn't save them.

I didn't even think of using a rattle can cap to cap the fuel tank! That is a good idea.

Time has passed and I got a large gift card from where I work so I was able to put brakes on it about three weeks ago. It went better than I expected for the car's age. But before that, a buddy helped my put some strip rubber in the rack and pinion mounts and it really drives a lot better. It's not enough to compensate for the tire's 14 year old flat spots but it took the shimmy out. I had been driving it around town on the hand brake just to keep everything working. I haven't had any fuel issues, yet, and the pre-pump filter is still looking good. I have put about 25 miles on it lately now that I have full working brakes! woo hoo! I tell ya, even though the suspension rebuild will have to be next, it drives and has the road feel I hoped it wood. Oh yeah, right after I put brakes on it, I put some used tires on it. That was like stepping into a different universe as far as road feel goes. mmmmm round tires that have been balanced....

I also did some research here and replaced the coolant temperature sensor and am getting a LOT better gas mileage. Runs better too. I'm still tracking down a weird miss though. Idles smooth as cat tihs when cold, then it warms up and get an intermittent miss. I am initially going to look into air regulator issues, fuel pressure test/fuel regulator issues and a possible vacuum leak at the evap canister. Other than that, it runs great going down the road. Man is it low geared though (coming from a modern car perspective), but you roll into the throttle and it just goes! It really scoots off the line if you get on it. It's three speed automatic transmission shifts high too, that just makes it sound cool what with a couple of holes in the muffler. Should it have to get to 4500 rpm to go into third? I bet y'all that have Z's that in very good working order have a hell of a time driving around.

Well that's the update. ON TO THE PICTURES!!!

[Free280Z]

Notice the color difference once I cleaned them with mineral spirits

[Free280Z]

ooooo, I messed that up. Y'all know what your look'in at though.

[Free280Z]

This is the initial scene, not much Cow Bell.

[Free280Z]

Messed that one up too. Check out that old caliper! One pad has no friction material left. I went cheap with the parts for economy reasons and figured the initial front pads were sacrificial anyway as I had no money for new rotors and bearings.

[Free280Z]

The picture above that has the caliper on the stove illustrates how clean you can get them if you wash them with a brush and mineral spirits and then wash them in soap and water. I baked them at 200 degrees when the wife wasn't looking (as if she uses the stove) and if they are truly clean a little fine surface rust is unavoidable.

Directly above, the third picture is supposed to illustrate ANTI-SEIZE EVERYTHING.

I find it trippy that the rear wheel cylinders have one piston so it has to slide back and forth for pressure contact. Now, imagine me, a complete N00b, putting the wheel cylinder one and trying to figure out what is wrong. IT SHOULDN'T MOVE!! Yes, it should. Really ingenious, saves weight and performs the correct function. That is why the dust cover is so big. By the way, if another N00b is reading this a little silicone lube at the right spots really helps getting it into place. That and not forgetting to put it on when you install the cylinder.

[Free280Z]

I have the old girl humming along now.

[Free280Z]

I was looking into why it runs good cold then doesn't. I put in a new cold start valve, that helped a lot, the old one was leaking steadily. I had the great idea of adjusting the AFM. If you don't hold on to the "gear" part in the back you make more work for you self when you loosen the bolt, ask me how I know. Nmad! I finaly got that worked out.

I found my nemesis! The rubber elbow that is attached to the automatic transmission for vacuum signal from the intake manifold had a big crack in it. I replaced it and got good engine running and the transmission now works correctly. Now I have a weird "reed" sound at idle, like "errrrrrrrrr"(imagine a clarinet, I think its in the key of at idle. If I adjust the idle up it goes away, if I adjust to low, it goes away. I think I need to take it apart and clean it. I need a new Idle Air Regulator, I have the classic "turn in off and if you start it again soon, it acts like it is missing for 20 seconds then smooths out" issue. I had already cleaned it. Need new one.

I recently took the car on its first interstate shake down cruise. I was going 70 in line with traffic. I was pleased with how if you breathe on the accelerator you will pass all those cars. On one "passing event" I looked down and was going 110, I should have been paying attention. I recently bought a front/rear rebuild kit form ZCar for the suspension. I am saving up for the struts and stuff. I bet that will make one lleh of a difference going down the road.