FastWoman

Olzed, I'm not saying there isn't a hazard from a rusty body. Your story about the Mini is sobering, to say the least! But here in the US, rust isn't generally an issue of concern to inspectors, even though it perhaps SHOULD be. Annual inspections are required in most US states, with a list of items that must be certified good. However, in reality these items are just glossed over. Here in Virginia, we pay $16 each year for an inspection, and there are quite a number of points on the inspection list. See here: Virginia State Police - Safety Division There are no subsidies, so the business doing the inspection must make a profit off of the $16. That means the inspections are cursory at best. Sometimes the car will go on the lift (if it's an older one), and usually it won't. And even when it goes on the lift, the structural integrity of the body is not an inspection issue. The only rust related inspection issue I see is holes in the floor pan that might let exhaust gasses enter the cabin. On that point, I had a friend in Texas who had a very old rust-belt car (from Massachusetts). If you were to lift the passenger side floor mat, you could see the ground whizzing by through a hole about the size of a cup saucer. If so inclined, you could put your leg through it and stand on the ground. Even THAT was not an inspection issue! The car passed inspection every year, with an almost obligatory headlight adjustment ($7) and an occasional wiper blade replacement. I once had a structural issue in a rust-belt car. The engine subframe had rusted to the point it was no longer sturdy. An inspector caught it and suggested I replace it (which I did), but I didn't fail the inspection that day.

I'd bet good money that the rich running problem is the coolant temp circuit -- a bad connection or too high a resistance. Mine had a resistor wrapped up inside the fuel injection harness by some prior mechanic. Anyway, if you have a bad connection (infinite resistance), you'll definitely get black smoke!

The stuff reminds me of Arco Graphite motor oil. I used to run the stuff in my RX-7 and then for a short while in my '75 280Z before it was discontinued. It had graphite suspended in dino-oil and came out of the bottle jet black. It was great stuff, but it would occasionally freak someone out (because they thought I never changed my oil). Anyway, the hexagonal boron nitride additive would have essentially the same crystalline structure as graphite and work the same way. I don't know about the other additives. So based on that, it sounds like interesting stuff. (Too bad the Arco Graphite isn't sold anymore. I think it was a marketing disaster, but it had its loyal following. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.)

Mike, interesting! Thanks for the short history of Z shunts. And that's a nice little fuse block for $30. The only thing scary about it is that they describe "anal" fuses. Hmmmmm... I think maybe a flux capacitor should be mounted just below the thing. Oddly, they are available on Ebay. They're a bit pricey (and of course tacky), but I'm tellin' ya', if I had a Delorean, I might be tempted. Hyper, yes, it's OK to do away with the ammeter and install a voltmeter. Then you'd also remove or abandon the shunt and any ammeter wiring that might go to your dash, depending on year/design.

Well... maaaaaaybe! But if you do repair some of the metal and slather it with a bit of Bondo, you can also take it to the cheapest paint shop (Earl Scheib, Maaco) and have them hose it down with whatever color you like (suggest yellow to match the engine bay) for a few hundred dollars. Or maybe they're more expensive now. Of course you get what you pay for, but for this car, it might be the ticket. Sloppy, don't be distracted by that HLS0019 (another thread) that has only half the remaining metal that yours does. That car is special historically, because it was the 19th Z off the assembly line. If it didn't have an extremely early number, it would be pretty worthless, except for parts, of course.

So you keep all the metal around the VIN plates, and you keep the engine (or at least the short block). And you replace everything else! But... Very cool find!

Here's the thread on mine, BTW: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/electrical-s30/35588-upgrade-fusible-links-circuit-breakers.html (The title of the thread is misleading, since I went to fuses instead of breakers.) Scroll way down for pictures. I also did a headlight relay upgrade, diagrammed in that thread.

FAIW, here's an external ammeter shunt, pre-made: Stewart Warner Ammeter Shunt 413717 | eBay If you substitute the shunt strip from the ammeter in your dash, the gauge readings should be correct. And of course you could make something like this pretty easily. Search Ebay for "external ammeter shunt" for other possibilities, including some $5 made-in-China units.

Thanks, Mike, but mine is already done. It looks cool, too, but not THAT cool! I think wiring the ammeter shunt in series with the cable I describe between the starter and the maxifuse block would achieve the same thing. It would account for the total current budget to and from the battery, minus what is dumped into the starter. It would be roughly equivalent in function to what you have diagrammed. As Hyper has re-diagrammed, the ammeter would not read current to the ignition circuit. If the ammeter in the 240 is wired like most ammeters, I suppose your main supply wire goes into the dash, connects to one post of the ammeter, conducts to the other post via the shunt (which is bolted between the two posts), and then makes a return loop back to the fusible link block. Is that correct? (I wouldn't know, because the '78 280Z has a voltmeter, not an ammeter.) If this is your situation, you can rewire your ammeter as follows, thereby reducing voltage drop and lightening up on wire requirements: First, remove the shunt from the back of the ammeter, and transplant it to run in series with the cable between the starter and the maxifuse block. Remember that it will get warm/hot, so be mindful of the materials you use to make the mount for the shunt. After you've done that, run a couple of small gauge wires from the two sides of the shunt to the two sides of the ammeter (which becomes a simple galvanometer without the shunt attached). This eliminates the current loop to the dashboard and back (and the corresponding voltage drop). My '66 mustang had a very clever way of measuring current. It used the main supply wiring as the shunt, and it ran wires from the two ends of the supply wire (e.g. on the starter and on the fuse block) to the galvanometer ("ammeter"). This is a fussy sort of configuration and requires the right gauge of supply wire to create the right voltage drop for correct ammeter readings. But by eliminating the shunt, they eliminated just a bit of voltage drop. They eliminated even more voltage drop by shortening the main current path. And it worked fine. Very clever!

$100 for rattle-can beautification sounds like a good plan! G'nite, and pleasant dreams!

Whoa! I'm impressed! Check your notifications, Chas...

Oh, and there's a product called Ospho that will neutralize the rust and slow it down a bit. Use it to "convert" the rust before you paint. And don't go crazy sanding away rust, because you might end up sanding holes into your car.

OK, well, first off, CONGRATULATIONS! I mean that, because you love your car, and that's what counts. I'm a bit weird, in that I can look at a heap of rust and appreciate the lovely machine underneath. However, really, DON'T go throwing money at the body. You'll just be wasting it. The car is already rotted. You could easily spend twice what a nice Z is worth to restore it. Don't! You don't owe the car anything. I'm just being honest with you. If you want to make it look less rotted, give it a bath, scuff sand it, mask it off, pick up a bunch of Rustoleum at Home Depot, and spray away. The rust will reappear, and the car will keep rotting, slowly. However, it might look a bit more decent. I might suggest a semigloss or satin black which might give it a bit of a "rat rod" look and hide the rust patina. And it's easy to match black to black. Most of all, just have fun. Oh, and don't worry about the ZZZAP! Any ZZZAP value, if it was ever a ZZZAP, is gone.

Hyper, I'm unfamiliar with the 240 wiring, but I did my '78 280 rather simply, somewhat like you show. I attached a second battery cable from the starter post to the maxifuse block. I then had one fuse for each circuit (mostly white and white/red wires -- the later 280 having about 6 circuits, as I recall). Then I added a back-feed circuit just for the alternator, with a generous ampacity of fuse -- 80A as I recall. I connected this circuit directly to the alternator with a new, heavier gauge wire (6 awg, as I recall), stripping out all the awful (factory original) mess of branched white/red wires. I think I used my 8th fuse position for my stereo system. Mike, I think that looks like a modern, digital flux capacitor! I assume the digital display gives you both voltage and amperage readings Very slick.

I agree with Jeff. I'd enjoy driving it, but I definitely wouldn't put any money into body work. It would be far cheaper to buy a very nice Z than to fix that one up. But have fun with it! When you find a better one, consider buying it, and sell that one for what you paid.

^^^ Nice!

Oh, and seriously, if you want a change of pace, go give a 1st gen Miata a test drive. the Miata is perhaps one of the best "Italian" cars you can buy, in a way, but with a much better engine. It's a very cheap addiction. The 1st gen models are at their trough in value, only starting to round the curve into collectable status. The best year is thought to be '94: Larger/better engine with the MAF sensor (not the earlier AFM), better body bracing, real oil pressure gauge (not the lying dummy gauge). (Mine's a '94 -- in red, of course.) You can pick one up in GREAT condition for maybe $4000. If you want a fixer-upper, you might pick up one for as cheap as $500, or even free to a good home. Get one now, before all the tooner kids molest and abuse them! (Rear wheel drive = good drifting car.) Oh, and aside from the 9 @#$%ing coolant hoses, (one of which is commonly referred to with an expletive), and the cam angle sensor O-ring that likes to go out and drip oil into the transmission bell, it's a pretty decent engine to work on. I find that my Z and my Miata get along very nicely together, and neither one breaks the bank.

Oh, and FAIW, I owned one of these too: https://www.google.com/search?q=jaguar+e+type&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hiHhUsKIDubbyQHz04Bg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1084&bih=692#q=bmw+z3&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgdii=_ ... in Dakar Yellow! Oh, what a gorgeous machine! And I sold it. The reason? Every time I wanted to remove a finish screw, it cost me $1.25 -- the price of the stupid little plastic finishing cap that snapped over the special screw head. Then I had a major safety system malfunction that could have injured me severely. I had that fixed, and then the steering angle sensor at the bottom of the steering column went out. That was $700. Tires were $1200 for the cheapo ones, and their tread warranties were only good for something like 20,000 miles. I could see the car would be like a gambling addiction! Moreover, I didn't see any way the safety systems (airbag, antilock brakes, dynamic stability control) would be sustainable into the future when the car became an antique. And then the engine was too powerful for the unibody, so that the differential mount would eventualy give way from metal fatigue. Issues, issues, issues... So I sold it for what I had into it. It was a fun car while I had it. The best thing you can do, in sizing up this Alfa, is to join an Alfa list

OK, I admit it's a very cute little car. It looks quite a bit like a bimmer. Before you buy into a different car model, just be careful to size up the support, whether it be parts or fellow enthusiasts to advise you. That would be my objection to the E-Type. I mean... come one! It's drop-dead gorgeous! However, parts are more of an issue, as I understand it. Furthermore, it's not the sort of car I could feel comfortable driving to the grocery store. I'd end up looking at it a lot in the garage and finding excuses to make little roadtrips on the parkway. I sold a gorgeous 1966 Mustang that was too perfect to drive. It was not a fun car, because I was too terrified to scratch it. The Jag would be somewhat the same, unless it were in less than pristine condition, in which case it wouldn't make a good DD because of parts issues. The Pantera? That would be a brief fling. It would be another jewel in the garage (like the Mustang) that I would soon realize is no fun to own. So I'd fix it up and sell it. The GT2000? I'd do an all-out restoration and sell her for top dollar, and she'd be a fond memory for the rest of my life. But frankly, after all of this, I'd return to the Z. And if/when the Z becomes too old to be a practical DD, with parts support (and people support) dwindling I think the Miata will be my car of choice. I own one now, and the little car is a real kick! However, the Z is one of those "just right" cars. But yes, I can understand your love affair with the little Alfa! Do what sings to your heart!

Hey, 100% seriously, there are folks on this site who no longer have their Z's or who want to buy a Z someday and haven't yet found one. So you're certainly free to hang around! I do have to agree with Blue, though. I see nothing particularly lovely about the GTV. I guess it's OK. Do you have a pic of what you're talking about? In my own case, if I were to find one of these, I think my lip would tremble a bit, but I would still maintain my composure long enough to realize my Z is a more practical DD sort of antique car: https://www.google.com/search?q=jaguar+e+type&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hiHhUsKIDubbyQHz04Bg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1084&bih=692 There's one of these next door, and I wouldn't turn it down if he offered it to me for a good price: https://www.google.com/search?q=jaguar+e+type&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hiHhUsKIDubbyQHz04Bg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1084&bih=692#q=detomaso+pantera&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgdii=_ And if I found one of these in a barn somewhere, I know I could absolutely not control myself. I'd sell my Z and one kidney to raise the funds: https://www.google.com/search?q=jaguar+e+type&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hiHhUsKIDubbyQHz04Bg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1084&bih=692#q=toyota+gt2000&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgdii=_ ... but I'd still hang around, because I have a lot of great friends here.

I think it's great the owner is turning a wrench on the car a bit himself. I have nothing against pro mechanics when you're over your head, but I don't think it's possible to "bond" with an old car without first turning a wrench on it. At the very least, the owner needs to look at the 14.5V reading on the instrument panel and think, "I did that!" I can't remember whether you replaced the engine harness connectors, but in case you didn't, they're cheap and readily available in the aftermarket. The old ones can be pretty deteriorated. Happy to have helped you out!

Backfire making an engine run better? That might be a myth born in Hollywood -- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang sort of stuff. Or maybe a good backfire might have unclogged a carb jet back in the day. However, with a modern(ish), fuel injected engine, backfire is never good and never helps the engine run better. A good, hard rev, on the other hand, can blow the crap out of your cylinders and un-foul your plugs, so that's a good thing. But not the backfire. BTW, backfires will traumatize your AFM, sometimes bending the vane! Fortunately the '76 has the backfire valve in the vane, but that still doesn't make it bulletproof. A backfire (meaning through the intake, not out the exhaust) means your engine is running extremely lean. Your test drive should tell a lot about the fuel delivery. And the pot will probably tell a lot about your mixture. BTW, it goes without saying that you need to eliminate any intake leaks as a first step towards getting the mixture right. You also need valves in proper adjustment and your timing set right. You've already ticked proper fuel pressure (at least idling in the driveway) off the list, so you know your FPR is working correctly. Then after you've done all this, that's the time to tweak the mixture with the pot.

Yes, mine is wired entirely under the dash. Doing it like siteunseen, it does not matter which wire you plug the pot into. BUT... If you're suddenly having to limp home, the pot isn't going to help much at all. It's still a fuel delivery issue. Furthermore, if you have inadequate fuel delivery/pressure, you're not going to get a stable tuning with the pot. You have to fix the pump first, if that's indeed an issue. Strap a fuel pressure gauge to the windshield wiper, and go for another 0.1 mi drive!

As I recall, it's ECU pin 13 to CTS to ground. The pot would be inserted between the ECU's pin 13 and the CTS. That said, don't ASSUME your fuel supply is good just because it checks out at 36psi in the driveway. If you find yourself in a barely-running, limp-home situation, it's not a CTS resistance issue. It's most likely fuel supply.

Yes. I had two fuel pump problems. The first was a crusty/melty connector problem. I replaced the connector. Then my pump faded away, so I replaced it with a new, OEM pump (expensive, but worth it). In hindsight, the fading fuel pump problem might have aggravated the melty connector problem (excessive current draw). However, with both issues fixed, I have plenty of fuel now, and my engine runs great.