Ok, my new Z does not like to idle and I suspect that the carbs may not be adjusted quite right. Is this an easy thing to adjust or must you be a carb expert? I have a mostly '71 with round tops and a header (the only non-stock part I know of).

Go to www.zhome.com

If you search through, you'll find a good article about tuning up the SU's. It's really quite easy.

Or got to: http://www.sonic.net/~kyle/

Under "Tech", then "SU carb tuning". Kyle (who is a member here (but mostly on the email list)), has put another good article on tuning.

Just make sure the first thing you buy is a UniSyn, for synchronizing the carbs.

I have not had time to mess with any adjustments yet but I have noticed that it also backfires and bogsdown a bit when you press on the gas (I noticed this when it was "cold", as if 95F outside is cold). Anyone got any ideas what may be wrong?

Have you checked to make sure there is oil in the dashpot dampers of the carb domes? My starts to bog like that when the oil level gets low in the carb domes.

Also, make sure your points are gapped correctly and that your timing is relatively close.

threw the carbs means that they are running lean and threw the exhaust is runing rich

what i would do since the carbs are very simple and easy to work on is take the domes off and clean the carbs out well.

make sure your pistons arent sticking, put the lot back together.

make sure that your floats are set properly, then start to tune in your carbs.

also one other thing to do is check your timing and make sure that it is also correct