TomoHawk

Me too. $200 will buy gas for almost the whole summer.JLP- Please keep some motes, and let us know how well your treatment works. Most people would be satisfied with the patina for normal driving and probably only do it for something like a car show.

It's a shame there isn't a movie where the hero or main character (or subordinate character- we don't care!) drives a Z for the most part of the story, like in the movie Smokey & the Bandit, and does a few interesting things besides jumping a house or crashing a fence. Maybe something like Bo & Luke Duke? OTOH, the ZCON is coming in late summer, and it could be the perfect occasion for such a movie. I'll bet we have one or two Hollywood-connected people here.

Is that electrical connector Banzai offers the correct one? On my 280Z, the washer pump has a 2 pin AMP connector, similar to the side marker lamps. I cut the connector off to attach to a new pump I bought from an AP store.

I looked into this some and did some thinking about the thing too. Basically what you have is an oxidized plastic surface; sort of like rusted metal. By using the peroxide & oxy mixture, you are basically removing the layer of oxidized plastic, and that makes the thickness of the reservoir wall thinner. Sure it might look like new, but what do you do the next time it starts to look milky or opaque? You use more of the solution to 'melt off' the oxidized stuff, and the plastic gets thinner yet. Eventually you will have holes in it. So what you really need is a way to convert the stuff on the inside surface back to a transparent or translucent plastic- essentially restoring it to a like-new condition. Either a restoration product or a transparent coating is needed here, not an "acid." But without knowing exactly what kind of plastic it is, you are probably doing it more harm than good. Even my polymer Chemist friends can't suggest anything but to 'polish off' the stuff to get back to the original plastic.

I definitely would not recommend burning the vinyl off. I just screwed the thing to the edge of the bench (or a 2x4, or piece of thick plywood- something with weight or clamp it all down) and carefully use a scraper/putty knife with high heat to get it off. Then use solvent and a wire wheel to de-rust. I used the spray-on truck bed coating, as it comes out looking just like vinyl and won't peel.

I like your idea of Club displays with the videos. Have you been doing that for long? It's a good idea to show off your club when you go to event as a club. Usually, I see clubs at events, but the cars are scattered and there is no collaboration- each person is there only for himself, or to display things only for his own car- not even a hint of a club affiliation.

For future requests, you need to include some details about the car, like the manufacture date, to get relevant responses. On the later years (mine is a '78) there is a lower cover that goes along the bottom edge on both sides. The first picture is the left lower cover, except the left end was broken off, and the second picture is the same cover when installed. There is a similar cover for the right side. Its function is to obscure your view so you don't see the wiring and such below- from a normal viewing angle. 'If you are asking if there is some kind of kickpanel for the side where the fusebox is; there is none, AFAICT, but you are welcome to fabricate one, and I'll buy a copy.

I still prefer a wrench with a good, long handle. The last thing you want when you're trying to get the tire hanged on the side of the road is to slip & bang your knuckles or break a stud. Steve- Maybe this picture will help you: It looks like there are couple tube-like things under the strap.

About those tool kits... I viewed a few on eBay, and besides the regular parts, I saw a couple red tube things. They rethe same color as the drive handle for the hack. Are those supposed to be extensions?

OK, since there is not much (or any) negativity about refinishing a set of rusty tools, I think I'll look into getting them coated or plated. Maybe I'll go through my box of leather renants and make up a spiffy bag or roll to keep it in.

NOT aftermarket tools. What I mean is that you could clean up and powdercoat these OEM tools, or even get them plated.

How would you guys feel about the tools if they were powder-coated or chromed?

If you go that way with the unlimited rules, it's called drag racing but you couldn't fit two on a sheet of plywood. Oil pans should be about the most you could do with that concept.

OK, so it's SO simple. The "experts" say you should just go buy a new one, so..... All you need is a time machine, go back to the 1970s, and get yourself a NEW bottle!

I am also a member on the Meguiar's website, so I posted this question, hoping one of their experts could recommend something. I did get a reply from a "detailing expert" who simply just says that you can't polish it like a headlight lens, so "just buy a new one." I wasn't aware the coolant reservoir was relate to the headlight lens. 40-year-old new plastic bottles?

When I first started reading about this sport, I also thought that oil pans could be used, with similar rules. That way you might be able to build one that looks like a car. The only thing that would be different is the width of the lanes.

I think that when Spring comes around, I'll head over to the JY and look at some valve covers- it's cheap entertainment& exercise. I think all I'll need is a set of 1/4 inch sockets, hex wrenches and a ruler.

It's all just for fun really. It must've been something to be there when the first guy pulled out his racer and a strip of plywood to let it roll... The rules vary from place to place, but it seems you are usually allowed to cut the length only, not for modifying the cover's design (you must leave the gasket face intact.) Otherwise you could join pieces from several covers to make a wider one. I think there are some even races that have powered racers, using electric or CO2 or something. An obstacle course maybe?

Americans will race just about anything, huh?

I once saw an infomercial for a pneumatic car lift that you hook up to the exhaust pipe.

There is a new kind of automotive sport that I've noticed recently, called Valve Cover Racers, or rocker box Racing. It's like scouting's Pinewood Derby, but instead you use a valve cover with wheels on it. The general rules are that you can use just about any valve cover you like, with a maximum length of 24 inches, a width of 10 inches, and a weight of 5 pounds. Some competitions have themed races, like Ford or Chevy, or they may have different classes like stock, modified, or anything-goes.

I always thought the fog lamp switch on the 240Zs looked like a hot water spigot... I suppose you'll have us broiling chickens on the intake manifold while driving home from work too?

I think dry walnut shells would do a better job than coffee grounds in water. The idea with that is to slightly smooth or polish the inside surface. You could make the plastic "clear" by just filling it water, but as soon as it dries, it will show the aging again.

After a little research.... One person use Coffee grounds & water. the grounds were supposed to be a kind of abrasive that didn't dissolve, like salt or sodium bicarbonate.

That's a pretty big jar you'll need to immerse the entire washer reservoir- probably a two-gallon one. I suppose you could just do one side at a time? I saw a short YouTube video on this, and the person left the plastic part only party-immersed in the solution, and could see the line where the liquid was. I wonder if Meguiar's or some company like that has a product to clear up the UHMW plastics.