ALConfederate

My Z's not in the world's best shape, either. I'm finding spots where Bondo was just slathered on, one-half to three-quarters of an inch deep in places, over improperly-prepared metal, with the predictable results. I've got a hole in a floor pan. All this is going to take time and money to fix. (My Z is one of those where the For Sale ad reads, "just needs a little TLC", where TLC stands for "tons of loot and cash".) But I'm finding the more work I do to her, the less I want to sell, despite what I'm finding. This car's going to be a learning experience for me, and at the end it will be something I can enjoy. At the end of the day, isn't that what it should be about?

I've got one off a '77. PM me with your best offer.

You did. I remember it quite well. Studioti, you get that one off E-bay? What was it going for?

Then I would certainly look at that booster. First make sure it's getting vacuum, then check to see if there's a hissing sound when the brakes are being applied.

No, I'll tell you what I'm thinking -- I'm thinking a starter gear and a flywheel that, for whatever reason, aren't meshing right. The Bendix turns just a little and then everything binds. Of course, I'll be the first to admit I don't know if that's even a possibility here. But I don't want to discount it, either.

Does the '71 240 have power brakes? What your car is doing sounds suspiciously like what happens when the power booster has a vacuum leak in the internal diaphragm.

So is the starter trying to rotate at all after the initial quarter-turn or does it just crap out at that point?

Yeah, that's the very first thing I'd look at. Let us know how it goes.

If it's any consolation I've done things like that too. I tore up a C5 automatic that way. Hey, I thought it was a part I would never need for a valve body upgrade. Boy was I wrong...locked the transmission at 65 MPH and totalled the car. I'm glad, though, that you remembered and will be able to fix it easily enough! Dave M.

If that won't work I've got one off a '77 that I'm probably never going to use. If you think you're going to need it (and it will work...), PM me and we'll see what we can work out. Dave

Here the local AutoZone carries an STP and a Fram element for no more than $7 or so.

Yeah, true, but why get technical? Dave M.

I hate you. It's going to be at least three weeks, if not more, before mine is road ready. Actually, congrats! That's what it's all about!

Okay, now that the simple stuff is out of the way, let's get to the fun part. The references for the following come from the '72 wiring diagram found here: http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/wiringdiagrams/72_240z_wiring.pdf 1) Have you checked for voltage at the fuse? 2) Power for both circuits routes through the combination switch (I believe it's a green wire with a blue stripe in and green/white out). With the switch off, check from green/blue to ground and verify voltage. Turn the switch on and check for voltage at green/white to ground. If no voltage, do a continuity check between the green/blue and the green/white with the fuse pulled and the switch on. 3) According to the wiring diagram, the dashlight circuit comes off the front/side/rear markers through a rheostat (dimmer switch) Look for voltage here. Disconnect the wires from the switch and see if your sidemarkers work. That might help you isolate exactly which circuit it is. Something may have shorted out at either location, it could be a bad switch, or it could be a bad ground. If none of the above checks helps, you're going to have to trace the wires, looking for a dead short or a loose/bad ground. Refer to that wiring diagram on the AtlanticZ site. I hope this helps you. I also hope someone with more practical experience on the 240s chimes in with some suggestions. Most of what I know about electrical testing comes from chasing faults around in 220/440 VAC pump control panels.

Okay. One thing I've learned about fuses is that they can be tricky little devils, and you can't always tell by looking if they're bad or not. Get your meter out and check them, just to be sure.