geezer

It appears the easiest solution would be creating more clearance between the swaybar and the driveshaft. I think I would try unbolting the mustache bar, lower it, remove the large rubberized washers and place two adequately sized washers/spacers inbetween the frame and rubberized washers. A few taps with a hammer & chisel will remove them. Possibly an additional washer on the GM mount would help create more clearance also. This is just what came to mind reading this thread, I haven't experienced the problem but I am using an R200 Diff in my 240Z which is configured exactly as you have in your pic.

Just to clarify. This is what I'm sending, correct?

No, they are W/B, W, L (blue). The connector should look like this (pardon the poor drawing).

I sure hope I haven't misled anyone. I took the time to dig my original 10/70 dash out of storage. I found a blue wire with a female bullet connector that would accept a blue fused wire with a bullet connector on the radio and also a 3-way inline connector for the radio. The antenna switch connector does match up with this radio. This wont present much of a problem for me but now I'll have to re-evaluate what I have to offer John. In the first pic of this thread he says he needs the connector with the arrow pointing to it. I have that covered. I wonder when they switched to/or from the 4-way connectors?

Mike, it is a four way connector and the blue fuse wire is one of them. There is no bullet connector. I managed to get a couple more pics with dead batteries. The terminals are positioned two rows of two. The colors are W,W/B,R/L & L. Bear in mind, I do not have another on hand to compare with and this may not be correct. This is just the way mine is. Time to dig out a wiring diagram? I don't think the diagrams even depict the connectors IIRC.

Unfortunately, I need to get batteries for my camera, but I managed to get a few shots before they died of the antenna switch connector and power connector coming from the radio. I have a few loose harnesses I can check also. Edit: I checked a parts harness and found both of the proper connectors you would need for connecting the antenna switch harness and the radio connector. Also, I can let you have the antenna switch jumper in the first pic, if you want it. That only leaves the connector coming from the radio, if you don't have it. I may have that here also, I'll look. You will only have to supply your own wires and splice into where yours were removed from.

Hopefully, someone with more knowledge than me weighs in on this. I'm not sure but I think these knuckles are cast steel. As such you should not have any problem as long as you allow it to cool slowly on its own. Because it will attach to the tie rod end which allows flexible movement and has adjustment for length, I don't think it is neccesary to get it perfect anyhow.

Your best bet for a permanent solution, would be to bring it to a shop, so they can MIG weld the holes. Then you can finesse the welded holes with primer and spot filler before painting. If you have a friend or someone other than a pro weld up the holes, make certain they remove the neg. cable from the battery before any welding is done.

Correct Tomo, I suppose that would prevent fuel starvation even if the system was inop.

I understand the concern of undercoating concealing developing rust beneath it. I think we have all at one time or other had the opportunity to scrape off old undercoating. Some of it adheres well and has protected well but some of the cheaper varieties are easily removed and reveal that moisture has gotten underneath, become trapped and allowed rust to develop. It is also a favorite method of hiding rust or shoddy work. I know, I would be wary of buying a used car with a fresh, heavy coat of undercoating. For a weekend, summertime, non-daily driver, I would prefer no undercoating at all. POR would be a good choice and would also allow periodic inspections without rust being able to get under it. Another option, I am using on my non-daily driver Z is a spray bedliner. I am planning on using it sparingly in certain areas, just because of my concerns of adhesion. Time will tell how well it works. I am doubtful that it will perform as well on a gravel road also. I have a Shutz gun but am unfamiliar with the 3M product. Looking back, I have never had a bad thing to say about 3M products and should have bought shares in the company.

I think I would spend the $35 if neccesary, to maintain the integrity of the system. I don't have an FSM for '78 either but I do know that the evaporative emissions system changed in '79. I gathered this from what little information I could find. I wouldn't be concerned with liquid fuel getting past the seperator as it is designed to only allow vapours to continue on to the carbon canister. Any liquid fuel is returned to the fuel tank. If you bypass the system, one of two possible problems could arise. Your fuel tank will not vent properly, possibly causing a fuel delivery shortage and depending on how you circumvent the system, it will vent to the atmosphere. There are different procedures for testing '76-'78 models and '79-'88 models. All the illustrations I found are generic in nature. I couldn't find a '78 specific illustration that explains the differences but did scan the procedures for each. The first scan comes from a Chilton's manual. The second and third scans are taken from a Haynes manual and explain the evaporative emissions system but again, it is not year specific and is a generic description.

With the amount of force required to bend that knuckle like that, it would be a good idea to check closely for other damage. It looks like someone planted it on a curb or something. To me, they both look to be the same later type. If you can't find a good used driver's (left) side knuckle locally give me a shout. I hate to break up a pair though.

She is coming along beautifully Mike. It sure helps to start with one in such good condition. I find it a little unusual for a finish panel to have this writing on it at all. You would think that it would have been completely removed going through the phosphate and rinse processes. It is common practice to use white chalk for marking defects and instructional information on any bare metal surface that will be visable on the finished car simply because it is easily removable. But what be the fun in that all these years later?

It possibly messes with the radio reception of the Z on the far right also. That would explain the extra stout antenna.

Nice! The trans mount or some other method of maintaining the tunnel width is a good idea to keep in place until the floors are welded in. How is the weight balance while turning the car? It looks to be a little on the roof heavy side.

I would do like previously suggested and have them checked for warpage and also cracks. Just use that yellow book, get on the phone and see who can do this for you. Sanding them will likely increase the amount of runout.

I just want to prevent someone else from having to do what I did. I bought two supposed 280ZX distributors which both had the E1280 module, that proved to be different in many ways. It was necessary to use both in order to come up with a working distributor. It would be beneficial to know the differences, models used and origin of the distributor before buying it. I still am not clear on this. For example, while researching the subject, and an old thread, I found this: "Between 1979 & 1981 Nissan put ten types of distributor in the ZX’s. The D6K8-22, D6K8-26, D6K8-02, D6K8-03, D6K8-05, D6K8-06, D6K8-07, D6K9-09, D6K9-10 & D6K80-03 in the non-turbo L28e engines." I still don't have my microfiche here to look it up. Hopefully this thread will shed more light on the subject and help Nate get the right one.

I'm fuzzy on the details now but did save that pic for my own use because I had two ZX distributors with different bases. I know Jeff had to swap out the bases (as per the pic) to use on his LeMons car recently when I loaned him my dizzies. There is a thread on the subject on HybridZ where I pilfered the pic from.

Nate - Be aware of the different orientations of different base mounts. In the pic below, the one on the right is what you need.

Thanks for the clarification Mike...but #3 - the "state of Ontario"?

If originally stock equipt there are quite a few differences. They are listed in an old thread here somewhere. The alternator had a higher output rating (to cope with extreem cold), I think possibly the battery was likewise different and I can't remember offhand all the other differences. I have run across some obscure differences looking through parts catalogs.

Yes, as far as I know all vehicles that were originally built with the model designation (HLS30UN) destined for Canada did not have the reservoir tank for 1970. It became a federally mandated regulation for the 1971 model year in Canada when the cars were registered. This served to tighten up what could be considered a '70 or a '71 in Canada. All the parts books for 1970 recognize the difference.

I can't see the picture you linked to but can comment on question 1. The biggest problem with attempting a bare metal finish on steel would be the inevitable corrosion that would occur. The rate and severity of corrosion would be dependant on ambient atmospheric conditions. If you clear coat the steel it really wouldn't be a "bare metal finish" any longer. Also, in order to promote adhesion for the clear coat, the metal would first need to be treated. This will etch the surface, altering the finished look you are after. Even then I'm not sure if just a clear coat would adhere permanently to the surface or not. Thats why "paint systems" are used, building from bare metal to the finished product. There are some nice chrome look paints available today but would be very expensive to have applied properly. I had this pic of a "chrome like" paint finish saved, for no other reason other than I liked it. The second pic of the perimeter patrol vehicle is an example of what a bare metal finish would eventually become, although that one was made to look like that. Myself, I kind of like it and have wondered what a Z would look like done up like that.

I've never seen Snake Skin Green Pearl in person. From the pics it looks like it really pops in the sunlight. I agree, those are very tasteful stripes. Very nice!!