zbane

Though in all honesty, can everyone here say that they never did anything stupid behind the wheel? I know I have. My sister and I used to take the family car out and put it through its paces. It was a 1977 Buick LeSabre 4 door with a 5 liter V8. I can tell you what it's like to fly through the air at over 90 mph, using an elevated bridge as a ramp, hitting the gravel road hard enough to catch air again on the rebound... (we watched far too much Dukes of Hazzard). And that's just the beginning. (I'm not bragging, BTW. I know now just how stupid some of my antics were. I do feel rather lucky to have survived some of them, completely and totally unscathed and for the most part ticket free. Not everyone realizes in time, and that is part of the problem) It doesn't take a sports car to bring out the stupid in people. It takes age and experience to reign it in. There will always be incidents like this, and it doesn't please me to be such a pessimist about that. I applaud all the efforts made by the police, car clubs, student organizations, parts manufacturers, race/drag tracks, etc. who try to get people of all ages to organized, "safe" venues for high speed fun. At least we can hope that some of these peoples friends will stop racing, now that they know it can happen to them after all. But there will be those that say "I'm racing this one in memory of (insert name here)."

and took photos of the T shifter from both. Also got myself a rally timer... The photos with leaves are from the 2 seater (donor of radio console and rally clock unit), the other is from the 2+2. Just so you know, the 2 seater required my climbing through the hatch so that I could muscle the driver door open (pass was locked). The interior was filthy and full of leaves and nettles, even though it was sealed as tight as could be. The 2+2 was clean inside, free of plant life; yet has had the passenger side window down for a very long time... I'll be going back eventually for both diffs and one rear bumper.

Yes, this will be shipped tomorrow, minus the radio, dirt, cobwebs, and cig butts that were in the ashtray. I spoke with the mechanic and told him about the faded color, I imagine that there is a SEM product that will match-it seems to be a standard version of Navy Blue.

I'll take a look at the donors in town. They may not be blue (don't remember), but they will work... I'll post photos of the yard cars consoles once I take some. For reference here is a shot of my interior.

Will do. Anyone else have any requests for parts I should take a peek at?

Went to my pick'n'pull yesterday to pull off a fuel pump; ended up taking home a bit more that I'd been planning on, but the price ended up being about right... The place has had 2 '81 S130's sitting around for quite a while (I've posted about them in other threads), and the yard owner just doesn't seem to care about them. Works for me. Both are automatics, and the one I pulled the pump from appears to have the R-200 differential. I would assume the other has the same (way too many weeds/thickets/thorns to investigate, otherwise I'd have grabbed it's fuel pump as well). So, yes, 30 bucks got me a fuel pump (cleaned it before taking the photo), two dizzies (both E12-92, unfortunately-but for parts and such), a set of Z centercaps that were just too nice to leave there, and a set of six spring injector connectors to replace my crumbly originals.

So are you considering putting in the engine and harness from the S130 into the S30?

The turbo models exited on the left side, as did the later NA models, though I don't recall which year it switched.

Your stock zx should still prove a quick little monster. I would suggest that you start by checking all your vacuum lines, change the plugs (if needed), fuel filter, get a cone air filter, check all your electrical connections... Basically, do a good quality tune up, including checking your distributor and coil... How are your shocks? If you squat on a quick start, you need new ones- change those and the car will FEEL quicker and handle better. When was the last time you checked the brakes? You may find that a caliper is sticking (and driving with your brakes on slows you down, don't ya know). Yes, this is a quick multi directional ramble, but these are all things that could be preventing you from reaching you stock potential. Just remember this: our S130 body is the heaviest Z beast the L series had to move around. We are not fast by today's standards. Plain Simple Fact. But put us on the twisties...

Since all it takes is a tap, I would imagine that you've got a loose connection or corrosion in there. May as well start with the easy possibilities and go from there.

After the metal ready, I attached the hinge with more JB then shot the piece with Rust Converter primer followed with rustoleum primer, then rubberized undercoating, then two coats of rustoleum enamel. I did the same to the engine bay, aligned the piece and marked where holes would be drilled. After tapping a hole into the metal, I dremeled the indentations until they were large enough to accept the screws. It's by no means perfect, and it is obvious that it's an amateur job when up close, but it does the trick and looks much better than it did before.

All Z cars seem to be rather prone to rust, we all know that (generally from personal experience), and for whatever reason we all share issues with the battery tray. I knew that mine was rather bad, and finally tried to do something about it. First off, I don't have many tools. I have no welder, not even a power drill. Being both tool-less and generally clue-less can (and does) cause problems. Remember, I'm the one that pulled off the fenders just to change a headlight... So... In my case it was actually good that my tray was so rusty, it made it much easier to remove with a hammer, my tire iron (chisel), and dremel. The S130 battery tray is supported by a solid piece of metal that does a wonderful job of collecting leaves, pine needles, and dirt between it and the inner fender area. No amount of coercion will get all of it out, and I knew it would be getting bad in there and I had to do something about it sooner or later. Besides, the top side was already missing some metal. Might as well get to it. Once I got the tray out, I decided that I would attach a hinge on the inner well that would allow me to periodically clean out the aforementioned area. The bottom edge would be attached by screws, using the holes where the pop rivets/spot welds had been. In order for this to work, I had to trim some of the metal off the bottom edge; the wiring harness wouldn't allow the unit to pivot up as I wished, so I cut a bit off. Using the part that I had severed, I fashioned a bridge to connect the area that was completely gone from rust. To attach, I used good old JB Weld. Before doing that I stripped off all the paint (it was only primered underneath), used metal ready to neutralize the rust that was there (it took several treatments, even after I had sandpapered quite a bit off).

Find an original at a Junkyard, clean it up and use it.

Here's how it should look, FWIW

Just be sure to use care when disassembling the dizzy-the magnetic ring (pictured) is fragile. Also, if it's been sitting for a while, don't plan on just opening it up. You will most likely have to hit it with penetrating fluid and let it work for a bit...

For me, the Do Not Call Registry has worked, though in all fairness I've used cell service exclusively (no land line) for a couple years and as of this day, there is no cell phone phone book for the telemarketers to get a hold of.(and I hope it stays that way, though I've heard rumors otherwise). When I did have land line service, it bothered me to no end getting solicitations from charities and political groups. They should also be required to abide by the no call list, in my most humble opinion. Hopefully, Canadian brethren, your list will help cut the telemarketing down. Just check to see how often you need to "reregister" your number, and how long it takes for the list to be distributed to the marketing agencies. Here (as I recall) there was a 3 month grace period (perhaps the government only compiled/distributed it quarterly?). Keep a record of when you registered, who calls at what times (get a name and employee number if possible), and fill out the complaint forms immediately. Here there is/was a $1,000 penalty for every call received after your number goes into effect. Regarding the junk mail. Yes, I hate the stuff to. Image the waste we could cut down on without all of it. I spoke with the Postmaster at my local Post office about it, and she said that without the bulk mailers, postal rates would simply skyrocket. I suppose she was right, but I would love to have my name taken off the list (it's most always addressed to david ward or current resident). How "they" (a business I've never dealt with before) got my name and address is what bugs me the most...:mad:

Sllicktops are indeed hard to come by, and are the preferred version for some due to the additional structural rigidity and lightness gained by not having two pieces of glass over your head. When the 350 came out, a friend of mine here drove his 1990 Z32 to the dealership to compare the two side by side. After he had taken the 350 out for a test drive, the salesperson asked him if he'd like to trade in his "old" z for the new one. The answer was a resounding no. The Z32 had more usable hatch space and was much more comfortable to drive (at least for him). Oddly enough, the salesperson agreed and said that that wasn't the first time he'd been told those exact two things by other Z32 owners. (edit: Thanks Stephen!!, to much typing, not enough thinking)

When I first got my s130, it had an aftermarket fuel pump on it, and it worked fine for the first 2 years. It gradually began to whine, at first intermittently then pretty much all the time. Since it had done well for who knows how long, I purchased an Airtex (perhaps the same as you have bought) pump to replace it from the local chain store. It worked fine for about 8 months before it started whining, then screaming as it ran. You might not have the same experience with yours, it seems to be a hit or miss sort of thing. Use it for now, and start scavenging junk yards for a true replacement. By the way, the parts store will not honor the 1 year warranty unless you have the protective screen on the input end of the pump; they didn't bother telling me about this part when I bought it, and there is no such part for sale or included with the pump. Bit of a catch 22.

How about making your own new clear covering? Anyone remember Makit and Bakit kits? As I recall, the clear crystals melted clear. If you were to remove the cracked clear coating, one would think that you could carefully fill/cover the metal button with the clear crystals, put the metal disc in the oven, and melt away. The only problem I could foresee would be that it would melt flat and not have the crown (if they have a crown, that is).

Ok, this one isn't mine (it's currently attached to a 70 on ebay). It is rather unique, to say the least. I guess some people really do grab the bull by the horns after all!

I'd lean towards the Skyline myself. Think of it as keeping it in the family! (variable all wheel drive would be a safety plus). The mini cooper is incredible! I'm 6'4" as well, and loved the fit and drive of the cooper S... 60 mph in second gear without even noticing... That is a car I could get into a lot of trouble with The S2000. That car made me very unhappy when it came out, as did the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky. I was/am simply unable to get into any of those three cars, let alone drive it as my legs are too long. Beautiful cars though. Of course you should take them all out for a test drive!

That's one of the cars from the collection of 30+ z's from a few posts above, it would appear that the owner is perhaps trying to sell them one at a time. In the second photo (showing hatch), note the black z on the upper right- what rims are those? Think about how long those cars have been there... I wonder how many rare parts are in that collection (pantera deck, the turbo setup on this car...) It would be wonderful to go visit, and even better to bring them all home!

I'm coming over! When can I move in upstairs?!?!?

I recall some time ago several members were searching for butterscotch interiors, and that many folks are looking for the 2400 valve covers, crack free dashes, and everyone wants NOS bumpers (in the box, even). So, I was looking through epay, and came across this listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1973-Datsun-240z-project-or-parts-No-reserve_W0QQitemZ330270124105QQihZ014QQcategoryZ6187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 1973 240z, VIN: HLS30171658 BIN: $1,600 From the sellers description: Seems to me that this car has quite a bit of good stuff going with it and should be bought...

So the tank line was clogged... Have you taken the time to check the integrity of the rest of the fuel system? There is a small screen on your fuel pump-could be getting clogged. How old is the fuel filter? Could be full of same crud. Electrical-how are all of your electrical connections?