Zedyone_kenobi

2008.5 Mazdaspeed3 Just sold my STI

I still have not measured any of my gaps, save one. I held a tape measure from the front of the center valance where it meets the side valance and measured up to the corner of the hood. It was 17 inches almost exactly. I still have some adjustment left as well.

WILL do...I have to do some mothers day stuff for my wonderful wife, but I will get you a picture today.

Well I am looking at it, and there is no easy way to unbend it. The center support is basically a small angle cut piece of channel iron. And the moment of inertia is way against me. I think it will take a SUBSTANTIAL amount of force to move it.

I took these this morning. I think that the center support has been bent upwards a tad. THe bottom has indications that a load has been applied from the bottom. Go figure what it was. I have decided that I do not want to risk bending this back. It could weaken the spot welds holding it on. I have some stainless sheet metal in my garage. I am going to fabricate a plate to connect the center support to the front air dam. Its a bandaid I know but it will work satisfactorily for the time being.

pieces of the puzzle are unraveling... THanks for the warning, my old air dam would not clear the ramps without a 'preramp'. I think I have some 'negotiating to do with my center support. Pics with the details asked for are coming. I do believe that I have a tweaked center support. I may need to tweak it back down.

I checked my center bolt height off the inner surface of the valance. Its about an inch. So one would conclude that my center support has somehow been moved up. However, and this is where it gets interesting. The little bracket that is on the front of the center support holds the grill in perfect alignment. So how can that be in perfect alignment if the bracket has been moved up an inch. Its a puzzler. Now one thing I noticed is that the bracket on the center support has two welded nuts to it. Mine uses the bottom nut. I wonder if I were to 'adjust' the center support down an inch if I could use the top hole and still maintain the grills alignment. This is getting to complicated... we need pics!!! This picture shows the bracket that holds the grill clearly. That hole on top could be used if my center support was moved down a tad. This is currently what the center valance looks like now. Its actually not bad right now, but the center bolt in the valance is about an inch down from the hole in the center support... perplexing isnt it! :stupid: For the life of me, this looks right. I may have to fabricate some sheet metal to make a bracket that goes from the center support to the valance. This car may have more of a history than I was told by the PO. I really LOVE project cars, this is part of the fun. OH, and if I have not said it. Thanks to everybody for your help and advice on this. THe true measure of a forums worth is in its members, and this forum is one of the best on the net.

You know I was thinking the exact same thing. When I attach the sides it hangs about perfect, but when I try to secure the center bolt, it gets all screwy. So either one of two things happened. My center support is too short. Or, my center mount is up too high.

CArl, if you look at the three attachment points on the inside of the center valance in your picture. How far from the flat surface is the welded nut? I am now wondering if the height of my attachments is different. I can get it bolted on now, after losening up all the points and doing some wiggling. When I do not attach the three inside attach points, the thing looks perfect. When I attach them, it gets all bow'ey. I am going to tackle it again tomorrow! Cheers. THanks for everybodies help.

Well, now thats strange. Mine is definitely 39" across, but when I bolt it up looks bent and distorted. I have welded nuts on the end of my center valance. Not captive nuts. My center is welded on as well. Let me remeasure just to be sure... You can see from the picture its just not going to fit.

Just measured. Mine if taken form end to end is 39" I feel like a dope... Wasted 125 dollars on the part, and 250 dollars in paint.

I cant tell by your picture Carl, does your center valance have nuts welded to the ends.... going to measure mine now.

I thought about that, but the problem is the corner valances are a perfect fit now' if I move them at all, its in the direction of badness I may try that though if my center piece is the same length as a stock part.

Well if you measure your center valance's length, and its the same as mine, then I have 'splaining to do.

This is my problem. With the two corner valances perfectly aligned with the wheel well and front of the scoop, I installed the center valance again. I got one side installed per print, the center support, but when it comes to the other side, I am about 1/2" to 3/4" too long. Anybody have a center valance that will fit a 71 240Z in good condition. You can HAVE my old front air dam.

Let me run out there and check Arne, I used the small hole in the bracket.

Update: The Z is coming back together slowly. I managed to take off early today to get some time with her, and installed the driver lower valance and the center valance. Pics below Its taking me forever, as I am cleaning all the threads and POR-15 anything that even appears like it has rust on it. My next POR job is inside the bumper as recommended. One question though. I always thought, the lower center valance was pretty flat. I have the one with the holes and retaining nuts attached to it as 26th Z described earlier. But it appears to curve more than I thought. Is it possible this is the wrong center valance? Arne, when installed how long horizontally is your center valance, as you have a 71 too correct? Disregard that drop of tranny fluid in the background I seriously think I have a european center valance, and I am betting its too wide for my car. If you look at this image posted earlier, you can see the center valance is straight to the corner valances, not curved like mine. Its also apparent it follows the bumper curve, which this does not appear to do. I am getting this sinking feeling I just payed 250 bucks to get a part painted, and its the wrong part. If this is in fact true, I may have to have a word with my vendor who sold me this as fitting a US built 71

All these old cars, if only they could talk, the stories they could tell.

Horseless carriage was awesome for me.

I sort of agree with Bruce here. 36 year old rubber is just that... 36 year old rubber, I don't really care if it was kept in a air conditioned garage for 36 years. Things dry out.

17,600 is a decent showing these days. I wonder what the reserve was.

just a side bar, I do hope he gets top dollar for it. I think the automatic will hold it back from that 19k asking price though.

Geebuz, that could be my car, right down to the ANSAs so thats what my car would look like without the front chin spoiler.

I actually want to change my vote to Miata as well. It has Many of the same characteristics of the Z, right down to copying the good European designs. I cant think of a better future collectible. It has all the right pieces there. And just for the record, yes, I do stare at my Z for untold minutes.

its better to run a narrower super sticky tire, than a fat less sticky tire. You did not say which general rule