Restoring a 1977 280z! (My first z car)

[Zed Head]

I see it now.  I'd forgotten how all those throttle linkage parts fit together.  Had to go open my hood to refresh.

 

It would be interesting to see the rest of the system to see how it all works.  There must be a mechanism in the vacuum can and an electrical switch somewhere.  Do you press the throttle to where you want it and lock it?  Is it just a throttle lock or does it have some sort of speed-based adjusting mechanism using engine vacuum?  

 

More stuff to cause problems...

[Jacob Grimm]

Patcon: yeah there is a cruise control switch hanging out of the left side of the steering wheel. I'll probably just end up taking it all off.I'm not one to use cruise control very much

[Patcon]

I had an add on system on my 240z when I was in college about 25 years ago. It helped reduce but not eliminate tickets.   There were 2 magnets added on the driveshaft 180 degrees from each other. They were epoxied and wrapped with tape. There was a sensor close by that picked up the magnets rotation like a modern ignition does. When you got to the desired speed you hit the "set" button on the control switch. The under hood cruise control module would then modulate the throttle linkage to maintain the driveshaft speed per the magnet pick up. The brake and clutch had switches that disengaged the system when pressed to prevent runaway acceleration. Worked good at the time but the control was not very elegant. The beaded chains gave adjustment so slack could be removed.

 

 

The controls looked like this, about 2-3 inches long and an 1" across. Look for this unit inside the car. Trace it from the cruise control module...

[Patcon]

It's nice to have on loooooong trips, like Toronto 2016. I just added it to my daughters BMW Z3 for trips back and forth to college...

[Jacob Grimm]

And here it is

[Jacob Grimm]

When I get paid Wednesday I'm gonna start ordering parts!!! I hate having to wait so long to start working on it. One of the first thing I have to do is get a locksmith to make a new key for it though :/

[rcb280z]

I'd get rid of it too. Just more things to go wrong. Probably doesn't work anyway.

[Captain Obvious]

I spent a bunch of time taking optional stuff off that my previous owner had put on. So on my list... I guess I forgot about that one so I added it to my list of SOP.

 

Stuff will be out of place. Stuff will be missing. Stuff will be wired wrong. Stuff will be put on backwards. Stuff will be leaking because it's too loose or too tight or because it's standard thread when it should have been metric. Stuff will have been modified and/or added that wasn't done right or are just things that you don't want or need.

[EuroDat]

When I get paid Wednesday I'm gonna start ordering parts!!! I hate having to wait so long to start working on it. One of the first thing I have to do is get a locksmith to make a new key for it though :/

Im just wondering how you are planning on making your shopping list? Other than the usual like oils and all the filters and don't forget a Fram G3 fuel filter for between the tank and fuel pump. The obvious missing parts are easy, but things like brakes and such. Have you done any checks to see what condition its in?

Until you pull things apart you don't really know what you need. For instance the rear brakes would need new wheel cylinders for sure, but are the shoes and drums still servicable. My car was sitting for more than 20 years s when I did mine and I ended up replacing everything, wheel cylinders, spring kits, shoes and hydraulic hoses, but kept the drums.

When you find a radiator don't forget new hoses and a thermostat. Might be a good idea to (try) remove the old thermostat. If the bolts are corroded solid and break off you could end up buying the housing as well.

Finding a good working AFM will be probably your biggest challenge. There are lots of different model numbers to choose from and I don't know what the difference is between them all except the fuel pump contacts in the pre august 1977 units. MSA sell reconditioned units on an exchange basis, but they are pricey if you don't have a servicable core. If you check the link you will see the list of variants available http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic17b17/11-3040

If you look closely at the second photo, you will also see the 7 pin connector has all 7 pins. The later version only has 5 pins the fist two blank.

You will also need the rubber boots (before and after the afm) to suit your model.

In your first post you mentioned you miss an a/c compressor. If I look at photo #5 in the first post I can see it under the throttle section of the intake.

[Jacob Grimm]

The shopping list will evolve as I work on it obviously. I'm already resigned to the fact that in probably going to have to replace everything brake and suspension related. I want to get it started before I worry about what comes next though.

Edited August 17, 2015 by SnakemanJake

[Martzedcars]

Nice find.. but are you shure you own the car.. ( I read .. no title?)  It would be a nightmare when one day there comes a person with the owner papers just after you finisht the restauration..  Here in the Netherlands... we have another system but please asure you OWN that car..

[Captain Obvious]

That's a great point. I had intended to say something about that too, but forgot.

 

"No there is no history for it unfortunately. The guy I bought it from found it in a repossessed house covered in dust. The title is lost, and he said he did some research on the title and it hasn't been titled since 1978 in Florida."

 

I don't know what ownership paperwork looks like in OK, but here in PA you would have a very hard time proving that you are the rightful owner of that car. And as Martzedcars suggested above, the "real" owner of the car could show up with paperwork proving he's the owner and if you cannot provide a title to combat his claim, then you're out of luck. As unlikely that is, you wouldn't want that to happen.

 

Here in PA, you could use a car like that for parts to fix another  car, but if you're planning to put any of the parts containing a VIN on the road, you better be able to provide a PA title obtained through the DMV.

 

So, before you go dumping a lot of time or money into that car, you might want to dig into the administration a little. And unfortunately, because of the state changes between FL and OK, it sounds like would be some interstate conversations necessary.