zKars

The good news here is that it really doesn't matter if your timing is exactly to spec or your idle sf 750 or 785. Tune it so it runs nice for you (starts easy, idles nice, gets the power and drivability you like). There are plenty of interacting parameters that make getting eaxact factory specs quite tricky with 40+ year old parts. What matters more than anything is that your distributor advance mechanism works well and as expected, which is a another way of saying "to your liking and engine performance design". You'd be hard pressed to tell if your car had 5 or 10 initial advance, but you will loose power if you don't get all the advance you can handle (engine design and specifics of your gasoline determined, but 35deg total-ish) by 3000RPM -ish and that it comes in a nice linear-ish and consistent manner from idle up to that RPM, with load compensation via the vacuum input, which of course requires a car with no vacuum 'irregulaties'. That's up to the dizzy mechanical and vacuum advance and the overall condition of the distributor and engine. There are many options to get the advance curve you want/desire. Most involve money.

Oh sure, I just passed through Cashmere last week on the way back from ZCON. Why didn't you tell me you need Trans mount bolts? I could have brought you some nice OEM ones.... Best of all I finally found out about "Aplets and Cotlets". Totally mystery to me up to that point. Now I'm completely hooked. I'll mail you two bolts/nuts in exchange for a "care package" from that store! K? (I can just hear the frantic googling "ap and cot is a what now?" )

"Bidding starts at $6k" and the bidding ends at $0.6K.... who says the progression has to be positive?

I beg to differ about idle adjustment. The top center idle adjust is used only during the high-RPM (3K or so) carb balance check after setting idle RPM and balance using the idle screws on the individual carbs and inter-acting linkage. It does make it tougher to set your idle when that's all you want to do, as adjusting each carb's idle also affects balance. Whatever works for you though. And I see 750 RPM @ 5 deg as the idle spec in the '72 FSM for USA and Canada spec cars.

I can tell you the bolts are 12mm x 1.25 threads. Length you can get by measuring the distance between the outside of the on-car flanges and adding an 1" or so. Use the strongest (highest grade) bolts you can get like grade 8 (SAE) or 10-9 (JIS). The stock bolts use a self locking nut. Just to be clear, the ZX line started in 79. Did you mean 78Z or 79ZX?

Congrats to the bidder who won them just now! $75.01 got 'em.

Wow! plainly with that amount of support and cars (and hence people), there should be LOTS of help putting on the 2016 convention, right? (he said from 3000 miles away...)

I swear that blue square thing upper right where the battery should be is a modified tupperware container. Likely storage for water or methonal injection. Well, at least it has a life time garantee!

Stanley, how did you know those were my three favorite Z's at the show? Kats, it was extremely cool to finally see your car in person and notice all the details you so lovingly described to us here over the years. Thanks for making the effort to bring all this way. I am most happy to read that you actually drive it more than just on special occasions! "I have been driven this car like a daily driver even in the rain,I have never had a problem of driving it." I could not imagine pouring all that time and love into a car then just watch it gather dust. I hope to hear more stories of the adventures you will have driving it in the coming years.

Steve: The bracket is welded to the tubing. There is supposed to be a temp sensitive valve at the back of the manifold (turns off the flow when the engine temp is hot), then a bit of hose to the hard line. If any of that has been "modified" then the fitment is going to suffer. I have a few of all the bits and pieces that are supposed to be there if you want to look at how its supposed to be set up.

I can't help but admit this is a bit self serving, but how many of you routinely check the datsunclassifieds for parts your are looking for? I tend not to post parts for sale here, but just did post one over 'there' and wonder how active sales are? I will not post a link to the ad in an effort to convince you that this is a valid question that deserves some feed back. Perhaps admin Mike will appreaciate some discussion here. I really like the hybridz approach of just having for sale and WTB ads just be part of the daily posts that come and go. Since I always start the day with a "what's new" click, it would be great if any new ads on datsunclassified where just a simple part of what appears.

Montezuma, you can be assured that the effort, time and care put forth by you and your team and the quality of the events, will be what is remembered about this event, FAR beyond ANY of the negatives. I think I can say from all of us from western Canada that we had a fantastic time and greatly appreciate everything that was done.

We are here and have seen it in person. It is incredibly well done. Not sure I love it, but I definitely like it a lot. Best thing that ever happened to a 2+2. Congratulations to all involved.

Steve, so are you staying long enough to drop in at ZCON down in COOL San Diego this week? Get out of Irvine man! ZCON is reason you're not seeing any Z's. They are all getting primped up (or tuned up) so they can go on a date in SD later in the week.

First welcome to the forum. I'm pretty sure you don't need to change the bell housing at all. All the ZX trannies fit the early Z's without modification (as far as bolting to the block goes). The bell housing switch thing involves using the later 240sx "C" type transmissions. The rear crossmember won't bolt in nor will the driveshaft. You need the T5 driveshaft for its front yoke, and your old drive shaft for the diff end flange and a driveline shop to merge thoese two and make something the right length. The rear cross member will need a bit of a welding job to make it bolt to the trans tunnel mounts. Be sure you take the throwout bearing collar from the T5, and make sure to get a clutch pressure plate and disk for the T5. Common wisdom here (no personal experience, just parroting) suggests that T5 ain't the best 5 speed choice of all the available options. Reliability and gear ratio's seem to sited in most of the discussions that I read. The Nissan trannies tend to come out on top in most surveys. All that said, if you know where it came from and trust stories of its past life (like mileage), then it will work just fine and likely go forever on a stock 73 engine.

Progress!! Excellent Smithers... You definitely damaged the nut start threads with all the previous skewed starting attempts, and you've improved, but not perfected them by getting that store bought nut on there. Now get well hydrated, eat a good meal, listen to some James Taylor ballads, get real mellow and then go put it all together. Whether you think you can or can't do this, you're right, so think positive!

I'd be making darn sure that the one that's spot welded is actually holding the insert in that tube tightly! I know you're in a spot, but if that insert is loose, and can bang up and down inside the strut tube as you drive, it will hammer that barely hanging on gland nut out in no time flat and you and maybe someone around you will be in deep do-do...

Just a bit of news about this Z. It was sold at the auction to a local Calgary buyer, who then recently sold it to his neighbor. The new owner contacted the Z club looking for assistance as it is in need of a few things, and I was able to help him. I directed him to our fine forum, hopefully he will chime in shortly and introduce himself.

Oh crap, thanks a lot. Now I have to go look at mine before we leave this weekend for San Diego just in case! As if I don't have enough to do already.... At least I know what to do with the open hole

I have the vintage air Gen II system in my modified Z motor with a lumpy idle. It idles just fine when the compressor is on. The load with the compressor on is not significant. If you put too much Rxxx refrigerant in the system, and the pressures are too high, and the compressor makes noise and overloads, THEN maybe you will problems with idle. but if its filled properly (ask me how I know....) then it works like a modern car. At worst you might have to is turn up the idle speed a bit. Remember that a fan on the AC condensor rad is critical if you are going to spend a lot of time idling in traffic. Don't rely on the engine fan to help with that.

Dang headers. Always getting in the way. The threads are 10x1.00, not a common bolt size. Buy a chunk of premade brake line with 10x1.00 nuts from any old car parts store and sacrifice it to get a line nut off (maybe ask if they have loose 10x1 nuts) and get it working in the threads. THis will act as a clean up, then try your brake line again. I guess buy two, so you can bend up a new one if you need to. Doesn't have to be the exact same shape or length. Could even use a SS flexible line with two male ends. Got a speed shop nearby? You have to have a flare tool to cut the existing line and put a new nut on. Easier to just buy a generic new line and bend it up to fit.

Hey Ed, glad to hear you're still thinking Z cars and expanding the applications. The 74-78 Z's with FI all use a single wire from the coil "-" terminal to the ECU pin 1 as the ignition trigger, so technically as long as the coil output is "the same", then using an 123 dizzy shouldn't cause an issue. Practice may differ from threory as usual, but I'll bet it will be okay.

I HATE brake nuts. Of all the threads I've used brake line nuts cause the most grief. Alignment is key. Loosen the other end of the lines where they going into the distribution block below the master to get the sloe you need. And or remove the bolt that attaches that block to the engine bay so it gives you room to move there too. Do NOT remove them or you will have the same problem. Maybe remove them, bend the master end a touch, then put it back on the dist. block end and try again. I say put the master back on the booster adn tighten it down, since its too long already, being loose makes the alignment even worse. Be careful with any lubricants, just put the tiniest dab on the threads as Jim suggested, don't get any where you touch it. You can't afford any loss of torque or control. And don't get any on the mating /sealing surface. Good luck. Try taping your fingers with something high friction before trying again or at least a latex/nitrile glove.

Not mine and don't know the seller. Just spotted it this AM. Looks pretty darn good and price is very very reasonable too @ $6500 CDN (about $1.25 USD...) 1978 Datsun 280Z - Excellent Condition & Nothing to Fix | classic cars | Edmonton | Kijiji

A tough and common problem. The solution many choose is to put a right hand end on and change the tie rod to a right one as well. Both sides are exactly the same except for the thread. Just have to find an alignment person who can handle moving his wrench in two different directions to set the toe in.