Zedyone_kenobi

I thought you may be looking into the ZG flares. I have never seen them, but I wish you luck on your project. LONG time subaru junkie here as well. Sold my 06 STI to get my 240Z. Still have the outback XT. My last 8 cars have been subarus since 1999. My NASIOC name is SCRAPPYDO

Let me know which forum Frank, I am always interested in peoples reactions to my thoughts... I will be heading to TWS after I take my baby in to let Awesome Z get it a run down. Just want to make sure its doing what its suppose to. I think I have all the major gremlins licked, but having somebody with expert ears can let me know if I am missing something..

IT most definitely has fender flares...The stock valance is easy enough. He removed the vertical bumperettes and painted the bumpers flat black. Unlike some, this Z has had its flares blended in. Very tasteful if your into that. WOW, you have a lot of questions there. I think a day or so on HybridZ.com will help you out. Yes they can be heavily modded cars. Swaps from RB series engines to V8s are all too common. The stock R180 diff found in the early Z's is plenty for an L24, but the R200 is much stronger, and can take the abuse from everything, even V8s. Most people do not removed the independent rear suspension for a solid rear axle, as most people like the way these cars drive. And a solid rear axle is not good for much other than drag racing. The straight 6 is buildable, but like any 2 valve head its going to have limits in NA form. Like the old addage goes, "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go" Any engine is capable of making much more power, if you wallet is deep enough. The stock 240Z engine had 150ish HP. That was good for a high 7 to low 8 second blast to 60. Not sure about the quarter which is what you were probably talking about. Do a search on 240Z stats and you will learn a lot. The stock L24 is very reliable, in fact most L series engines are very capable of going 150000 miles with little wear. Anything I Missed...

Looking forward to it Frank! Just waiting on the UPS man!

In her Z cave of course

just out of curiosity did you mean series 1? If so, then we would need pictures to be able to give you any useful information, also, what is the VIN?

I dug up this article I wrote for an online forum that was going down hill with wanna be magazine racers and a new wave of immature types...hope it merits a read. I have always been a gear head. I can remember loving to have hot wheels with me wherever I went. I use to read every article on every car in every magazine I could get my eyes on as if my very being was defined by my encyclopedic knowledge of cars. The sickness began the first time I let out a clutch and felt the inertia of a flywheel propel me forward in what seemed like a rush of unabated joy and excitement. That feeling is still rooted deep in my being. As all things evolve, my knowledge of automobiles grew and changed based on need. I learned to turn a wrench on cars out of a need to get to work and school. Just keeping things running was a challenge and an education. Cars can teach you everything from humility, to economics, to shame, to pride. From my hand me down salvage title Datsun 510, to my moms 83 tercel, to my lateral G inducing 74 Trans Am, all the way to my STI, each car has taught me valuable lessons and were instrumental in shaping my views on cars and people along the way. Sure there were also other cars along the way that were notable, but I when I look back, I can still recall my Datsuns vague 4 speed and its impossibly narrow bias ply tires. I can still remember rebuilding my moms 83 tercel carb. I will never forget my 74 trans am and the countless hours adjusting the valves and working on the engine of what was still the fastest straight line car I have ever been in. Currently I am in my STI, which is no doubt the best all around performance car I will ever own in my life time. Each was like a chapter, and I can easily divide my life into what car I was driving at the time. Basically cars are as part of my psyche as hemoglobin is to my blood. I am a car nut. And I would wager many of you are as well. I remember a time when I would argue over tenths of a second and lose sleep at night if I did not pull on that Mustang like I thought I should from the light. I can recall days of building small blocks to be able to beat the guy in town with the hemi, whoever he was. I would obsess over every little detail to the n’th degree from wax to air pressure. I can recall a day when my happiness was directly tapped into the way my car was running that day. Many a night I spent pissed because I bogged a bit on that one race. I see people on this board doing the same things I use to do. Arguing to the death about this car is faster than that car. And this car can out corner that car. When in the end, it really just does not matter. In the end you drive home what you can afford and it’s just fine. You can easily make do with less if you had to. But we don’t want to. We are car guys/gals. When a car guy ages, a few absolute truths become more and more apparent. This is wisdom that cannot be just read, it is something that becomes true and one day it hits you in a moment of clarity. Now this is only for real died in the wool car guys here and all the rules apply in varying degrees, but the best I can figure, here they are: No matter how good of a driver you think you are, there is somebody else that will be better than you. No matter how fast your car is, somebody else’s car going to be faster. There is an inherent beauty to buying a car and learning to drive it stock, as the further away you get away from stock, the more lopsided and unbalanced your car can become. If your enjoyment of your car comes from the opinions of others, then you will never truly be happy behind the wheel. And if you’re not happy when you drive, you have completely missed the point of driving. There is a bus waiting for you. The fastest way to enjoy driving more is to become a better driver. Realize that you are probably the cars weakest link and work on getting better. Every step you take towards becoming a driver takes you one step away from being a commuter. The amount of HP your car has does not directly equate to the amount of fun your car is to drive. I hear all the bickering of people on this model STI vs this model EVO X, it echos back and forth the ghosts of conversations of the 04 STI vs 04 EVO, and the Bugeye vs RS. It’s always the same argument over and over in which there is no real winner. There are only people who place large amounts of their happiness on a cars performance numbers printed in a magazine. I have been there, I have held up my copy of motor week defiant to anybody who would not sing the praises of my 1999 Integra GSR….VTEC yo. It is just an argument not worth having. Get in the car, turn the key and enjoy the music. Learn what the car has to teach you. Long before I knew what Pwned meant. Long before I could even has a cheeseburger, I was a car guy. Before I put on my first flame suit and disagreed with a moderator the first time, I was a car guy. Before I even ’ed I was a car guy. All those who magazine race for a living need to realize that in 4 years it won’t matter. Enjoy what you drive and learn to appreciate it for what it is. The measure of your worth is not measured what you drive, more it’s measured in how much you enjoy driving. Cars come and go, and today’s magazine queen will be tomorrows 5th place comparo result. The auto industry always puts out bigger, better, faster, meaner, pricer, etc. Nothing is stagnant. Enjoy the now, the present, and don’t sacrifice it over what will be here tomorrow. Before you prepare yourself to do battle and argue over a tenth of a second here or there, ask yourself if it really matters. In the end of a day, the guy who enjoys his car the most is the real winner. My slow poke datsun 510 taught me that. It was slow, and I knew it. But I never closed the door and walked away without a smile on my face. Much faster cars never brought me that much joy.

UPDATE: my exhaust is now fully planned out. I am purchasing an ANSA tip from WingZr0 this week and will be keeping my stock header. I will have a new aluminized pipe run from the header to the ANSA. I may or may not put a resonator in there, not sure if its needed. But should have that done in a couple of weeks.

Are those ANSA tips mnadkaw, how do they sound???

As said before, you must be honest with yourself. Do not underestimate how long things will take. something that looks like a 1 hour job can easily turn into a week long endeavor. This is how projects cars get lost and sold for parts. What your looking at here is not simple refresh, its a car that needs attention on every single level from electrics, to mechanical, to paint, to fluids. You have to ask yourself some real questions... What can I do, am I good at mechanical things, am I pretty savvy at paint and body? How much money can I set aside to do the work, 10-20k dollars is not unrealistic by any means. Keep in mind that number is not for a show quality car, we are talking about a decent looking daily driver. How much time do I have? Do I have a PERMANENT space to work on the car? When would I like to have the car completed? If you truly want a Z, and I understand your love with them, as they were my all time favorite car growing up, then this will be a long love affair filled with swearing, tears, blood, and finally joy. But ask yourself this. If you just want a Z to drive and enjoy, then this resto may not be the best choice. You have ALOT of work ahead of you. To answer your question, what should I do first, the answer I would suggest is, make sure you know what your getting into. That is the first step. For what it would take you to fix this one up, you could buy a VERY nice 240Z for yourself to drive worry free for years. Granted this one has family significance, but I have to ask you this. Do not take offense at this, but if the car is so important, why is it in the condition it is in now? Perhaps a family event caused the car to be sidelined, but either way, letting emotional attachments to a machine can often lead you astray of realistic goals. My advice would be to let the car sit where it is and save up 8-12k, and then go find you a nice Z that you can drive, learn about and work on.

It would probably cost about 100 bucks to ship it. they weigh on the order of 140 lbs. If you do not mind Arne, think about what would make you happy, and we can talk to see if we can come to an agreement. Shipping would be a huge hastle for you, and I understand if you would rather not. But PM me when you have given it some thought. As usual, thanks for your time and consideration. Stephen

What coil did you use with your Mallory Jack T. The PO of my car has a Bosch coil that I am sure is up to the task. I currently run a pertronix on my car and it starts and runs fine, but funny things happen to my tach beyond 5500 rpm. I am wondering if my tach has anything to do with it.

I am looking for an early 4 speed tranny for my 71 240Z. I would like to have one as a spare for future plans that are in the works. Does anybody happen to know where I can pick one up? the local pick a parts are pretty bare.

Need to hear these and see pictures. I am contemplating ordering these. I have a 6-3-2 header on my car from MSA, so this would bolt right up.

When you order the ITG's from MSA they come with the holes needed to mount to the SU's. And thats it. THe orange air box on your stock 240Z has ports for your carb vents, your valve cover, and your tank vent. I had to find ways to run those lines. You can see my initial attempt at connecting the carb vent holes with a single piece of tubing with a vented connector in it. I am not happy with this setup, but mechanically its functional and will not hurt anything.

Your point is most likely correct. I have tokico struts and springs on her for now.

Fair enough...Can the moderators move it to my other thread?

Thanks, the garage was a labor of love... still have some plans for vintage art on the walls.

Took her for a drive this evening. Both sides settled down about an inch and they are a half finger width within each other. She looks and sits level now.

Hey Frank, you dont know the half of it. I am planning on making the Z Christmas party, its in my neck of the woods. So I can get the wife and baby to show up as well. How have you been?

Well after a 15 mile jaunt this evening, my car is very healthy indeed. I managed to fill her up with gas, take her to sonic and just stretch her legs a little. Its amazing how well she drives. My clunk for all intensive purposes is gone and in order to hear anything bad I have to something really violent in first gear to hear anything. Every other gear is quiet and smooth as a mouse. My car feels more solid now than it ever had. I am very glad that I replaced all the Ujoints and other bushings while I was in there. The car sounds and feels wonderful. And finally she is at rest back in the garage. Waiting for the next round of elective surgery Whats next. May check out my my tach goes all crazy when I rev her past 5500. Or I may fix that shift lever that spins in my hand. Either way, I think I am going to enjoy driver her a bit longer before I put her back on those ramps.

I am a cow.... hahah.. no I am an average 190 lb 5' 10" dude. Nothing crazy on the thin or fat side. turn ons include fast cars, space shuttles and the letter Z

Thanks D. I need to drive it again to see what she is going to do first. I was going to replace those bushings since I already had the front diff crossmember off. So it would have been very easy to just replace the rears. We will see.... I will write back later to let you know how she drove.

it really depends. Most LSD have a break away torque that will allow one side of the diff to turn at a different speed than the other. How hard did you try to turn it? its not uncommon for some people to make a 'poor mans' differential by welding up the cogs inside of it.