TomoHawk

This is probably unrelated, but my engine stalled yesterday, waiting at a traffic light. Motorists were not happy, but a bunch of big guys (off-duty firemen, I think) jumped on the car and pushed it to a nearby parking lot. while waiting for a flatbed, I was checking things, and noticed that there was a loose nut on the distributor junction block (near the coil- mine is a 1978.) we tried to tightened the nut to start the engine, then loosened it until the engine stalled, so we are sure that was the cause. There were no lock washers on those nuts! installing split-washers were my first thing to do today.. Zed is now happy How did they loosen over the winter?? Those nuts are, I think, the only things I haven't restored or replaced with new un-corroded ones. I think I will invest in one of those tool rolls this summer. even my small visegrips would have fixed the problem.

When did they let you out of the hospital? j/k

Thanks for the note. IIRC, on Windoze XP, you can update Internet explorer only to version 8. You need Win 7/8 to go to a higher version on IE. In any case, I use FireFox, and I like it better than any other web browser.

I found this when I was just browsing some surf music. I thought somebody might be interested. It's for vintage carburettors, but it might be useful for blasting small spots on the body, or other small parts. And, even thought it says you don't need a blasting cabinet, I think even a cheaply made one would help keep the dust to a minimum, even though you can just wash the soda dust away. Could you use anything else besides baking soda? Salt is more abrasive, because it has a cubic crystal shape, but it could also become corrosive. I think salt would work very well, if you were careful. AircooledTech's Tools-On-The-Cheap - DIY Soda Blaster

I used some Bar's Leaks I my car a couple years ago when there was a small leak down low (from a rock?) It sealed up and I did some long trips since then and even a few runs down the drag strip. I noticed that it first discolored the coolant from yellow to tan/brown, and instead of a fine powder, it was little tiny blobs, but it has since cleared up. I haven't had any cooling problems, AFAICT, and the engine goes just as it did before the leak. the only difference is that there is now a lower grille to keep the rocks and stuff out of the lower radiator area. I even found a paper napkin there once!

Thanks. I thought the fuel hose would have a readable part number on it. What's a G3, the paper filter in the cheap transparent plastic can? BTW- when I cruise through the JY, I take a small notebook, and write the vehicle's model & row # before I even start digging though the vehicle. Before taking a part off, I record some details about the part, in case the number is rubbed off or something is damaged. I will even record the location of a vehicle if I think it might have something I might want later, and a note about what was interesting about it (like an Audi A6 with fuel hoses that have threaded flare fittings.) We need to get a comprehensive compatibility database going! Not just specific items to replace factory parts. I'm sure there's enough in people's note to get a good start on one already.

Oh Captain, my caption... Could you summarize the whole thing for us? I mean the parts you used. This is the kind of thing you'd see on the AtlanticZ tech collection. This ought to be a 'sticky' here or go into the technical section, if we have one. I'm sure there are many that have their own "HSM" for "Homebrew Service Manual."

There must be thousands of fasteners from 1.5mm to 18mm. You probably should first place limits on the sizes, say from 3mm to 12mm, or to catalog only certain areas, like the engine-only, or suspension-only, so you can make the task a manageable one.

NO worries, mate. Women also say that or have people tell them that their life is over, because they are pregnant. It's hardly the end of their life. Rather, "it's the first day of the rest of your life." We have 5, and my dad couldn't run his construction company without 4 people (plus 4 bookkeepers) that worked for free! Until I left for college...

That's not right at all. Fatherhood is a responsibility and a great joy, so there's nothing unhappy about it, and you're not losing anything because if it. Your life is not over, it's just beginning, and it'll be fuller than ever before. We had triplets here, and everyday was like a celebration.I'd like to see every person gt married and have a child.

How about I-70 or route 70? It goes across most of the U.S.A. and it's still there, unlike route 66. It's just not a road like route 66 is. You gotta work a Z into the title... We should move the movie talk to another topic.

I'm going to use a canvas bag for a while, until I get my tool requirements condensed. I've been buying mini- or combination- tools when I go buy tools. The only thing I'm still wondering about is how to store the little sockets. I keep thinking of a clear tube with screw-on endcaps. The tube could also hold bulbs, fuses, zipties, money, etc. Actually, I have a tub that I take on trips. I can put all kinds of bigger stuff in there like a radio, TP, towel, gas/radiator cap, plastic bags, FOOD, etc. It fits n front of the passenger seat, and has velcro pads on the lid to keep stuff from sliding around. I even cut a hole in the lid to stuff things in without lifting the lid. then you go through the tub at the hotel or rest stop, and remove trash or snacks. Yeah- Don't forget to put some cash or coins in your bag. I have a leather checkbook cover from the Salvation Army store that I keep in the glovebox; it has some money, the registration papers, car club card, McDonald's gift card, etc. It's stylish too. Mike- With all the digital stuff people are incorporating in the car, like the distributor and HellFire, how would you put a notebook PC in your tool roll?

someone here once said that they put a piece of tape on the speedometer face with rebuild: 79,000 or something like that. It seems like a good way to remind yourself. You could also stick it on the glovebox door so it's not easily seen.

Is there something to light up the famous "Dukes of Hazzard" lamp? I think that would be a kind of altitube (AGL) sensor.

No gay guys, but I'll promise to smile a lot. Plus, I'll drive my 280Z, an you can have a 240Z. I don't watch "shows," so it'll have to be a movie. The girls will have to stay home with mom & dad. A few loose ends leaves an opening for a sequel.

Yeah, it went with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman... You gave me an idea! A movie starring an S30 (or two!) where guys dressed in straight-leg jeans and button-front shirts drive around the country looking for virtuous things to do while saving girls and being rewarded with a cold beer, electric guitars and cool Rock music. They always foil the attempts of politically-correct morons, get the trophy for road racing, and always drive off into the afternoon-sun. Like a cross between a "Herbie" movie, James Bond, and Clark Kent. :rambo: :cheeky:

That's because society as a whole has lost the meaning of things like 'Freedom" and "Liberty" and how to use them responsibly in everyday life. They get their "facts" and "morals" from TV and tabloid magazines. instead of from "The Good Book" and people insist that you become "politically correct" to make everybody happy. If it's "All about You," then you ought to see people getting chastised for most any little thing, starting with simple courtesy sand respect for your fellow American. I also keep the receipts for the Z; the ones that are involved with significant repairs or improvements, for when I feel the need for some antique car insurance for the FULL value of the car, not just what the insurance company feels they will pay for minor repairs.

I hate to say this guys, but an "expert" told me that digital EFI won't make your (antique 280Z) car a better performing car until you install a "stick"- pointing to the shifter. I indicated that I already have a custom shifter. The expert made a few comments about my IQ, then informs me I need a manual transmission to make the car "perform." This was at a local cruise-in, after a number of Z- "tifosi" shared their stories of how they had one and it was a street killer (and they rolled it in the end.) Said expert also drives a car with a Chevy V-8 engine with a carburetor. HA HA HA HA HA HA JA JAJA KA BA BA! *snort* .

What's the hump for? If there is nothing there, you could hammer it flat. Hopefully it's not a motor. Real sportscars "don't need no stinkin' power seats."

I thin I finally got my blown fuse problem fixed: The marker lights would go out at random times while driving, usually at dusk. I noticed a smoke-smell occasionally when I have the outside lamps on, so I kept an eye open for the cause (probably a corroded connection.) Another symptom I saw was that the fusebox cover (the broken one I use while driving) was deformed in one place, over "Tail lamps," so I replaced it after a good spritzing with eOxit 100, and kept an eye on that too. Then finally while I had the glovebox out to service the firewall connectors I tried the lamps and actually saw the fuse burn! I replaced it again and tried the lamps again- burning tail lamp fuse! With that and the smoke I saw earlier coming from the area last fall, I supposed the glovebox lamp had a corroded connector, so I unplugged it, replaced the fuse, and turned on the lamps- no burning fuse... So now I'm testing the lamp to see if it's shorting somehow. The bulb has corrosion around the base, so I will installed a fresh bulb. I will test it with a sacrificial wire and the car's cattery, and if nothing lights up (burns/melts) I will presume the problem is fixed and put everything back together. Now I just need a new supply of 15A fuses, and to grow some double-jointed arms, so I can unplug the stock ignition box and hook up the GM HEI module. It's been raining already some, and with the shortage of salt during the last winter, there wasn't much used anyway, so the streets are ready for Z, albeit with an extra shirt or a jacket.

Are the speakers in the headrest noticeable? Speakers in a headrest are fine for a convertible, but if in a closed-coupe, and there are holes, it would look odd.

I"m interested in seeing how the wire repair worked out in the long run. IMO, locks take a lot of abuse and wires bend, so I would expect the wire repair to fail. I think the only real solution would be to use locks made of a much more durable metal so the keyed holes don't wear out, or to redesign the locks so the arm is attached in a better way.

I noticed my title had a section where you could record an odometer change. OTOH, isn't it nice that the odometer only goes up to 99,999? Mine says the car has about 12,000 miles right now.

That's a good question: What conditions do you have to satisfy to be able to reset the odometer to zero? I suppose you just need a total restoration of all the mechanical stuff, like the engine, transmission, and suspension.

There were definitely zero people interested. Apparently, people prefer to sew their own 'bags' instead of getting a professionally-made, well-designed, tool roll with a custom-embroidered Datsun logo.