Gary in NJ

The battery Positive (+) goes to the B (battery) terminal on the solenoid, and the Black wire (spade terminal) goes to the S (switch) terminal. The negative (-) from the battery gets connected to the starter near the ring gear (top left of photo). In the photo below, you'll also see a yellow wire that goes to a connector and then to a black wire with a ring terminal. That to gets connected to the ( terminal too.

Do you know your current set-up? Are there any know problems that need to be corrected? It would be helpful to know the baseline. If you are running a stock suspension, simply replacing worn parts will have a huge effect on ride compliance.

I just used more words;)

Place a multimeter on the output of the alternator and see if the readings are equally erratic. If so, the problem is most likely a bad regulator. If the reading is smooth, the problem is your gauge or the wiring leading to the gauge. It could be as simple as a loose connection.

Ah...wow.

The syncrometer I use for my motorcycles gets connected to vacuum ports on the carbs. How do you connect those to your Z's SU's? I only have one vacuum port on my front carb (connected to the vac advance).

The point is you don't tune to carbs to achieve a particular flow (measured in kg/h or lbs/h) but to have the same flow. You can use any carb sync tool, but the flow values are only used for reference to compare the flow of the other carb.

That's what I call a fundamental transformation. Nice job bringing that car back to where it belongs.

The weight would be kg/hr of air. Bruce is correct, there isn't an optimum figure as our carbs are variable venturis. What is important is that they open in unison, hence the use of a uni-sync rather then a synchrometer.

Well, according to Carl's website (zhome), the last '72 built was -100155 in 8/72. Series IV cars (1973) start at s/n -120000. There are a number of cars in the registry with sub-120000 vins listed as '73's.

OK, so I added my car to the registry. Here's an oddity, my car a 1972 240Z s/n HLS30-91415 lands smack in the middle of the 1973 cars, yet its build date of 07/72 clearly places it amongst the 1072 cars. I wonder what the delay was between the build date and the serial number.

Or as I like to say: Buy once, cry once. And... If you need one, buy two.

Like the line from one of my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd songs "you're not doin' bad, you're not bad at all". It looks like most of your ills are at the surface, and that is good news indeed. With a little effort you might have yourself a good 20-foot car.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?p=333171#post333171 Bounce, your mechanic may be giving you sound advice. Based on the pictures from the thread above, you wouldn't want to invest in that car as it stands, especially if the frame is in the same condition as the body. However, if you enjoy driving the car and it only needs a few dollars here and there, I would perform "normal" maintenance. What is the condition of the frame? If the frame is structurally sound, I would invest to keep it running. Maybe even do a "cosmetic" restoration. But if the structure is the same condition as the body, tread lightly. Don't go overboard on a car whose last ride might be on the back of a flatbed truck. As they say in the medical field, you may want to tag it DNR.

A leakdown test (or differential compression test) can tell you specifically where a compression leak or problem exists. For example, if you provide a reference pressure of 70 psi @TDC, and the cylinder can not maintain 67 or more psi, you have a leak. If you hear air escaping through the exhaust you have an exhaust valve issue. If you hear air escaping through the crankcase ventilation system, you have ring blow-by. This type of test is more involved then a simple compression test, but is much more useful for diagnosing problems.

Looks like Diseazd is a good candidate for the position.

Yes, there is a difference between believing that you are deserving a car and EARNING a car. Please pass on the congratulations for attending such a fine institution.

Dangit! Sucker punched again by the spambot.

Good looking family. Be proud that your daughter sees the value in owning a classic car. So many kids today think they "deserve" a new car.

That is a rare ZX indeed. Most were sold with every option box checked (because that's how Nissan shipped 'em). It looks great in all of its 80's glory.

There's your problem.

Those numbers look unusually low. Was the engine working at all? I ask because I do not believe those values would support combustion. Do you perform the test at WOT? Is the compression check gauge in proper working order?

When I was a young lad I worked in an auto parts store. If you get yourself a job at a real old-school auto parts store as a counterman, you'll be amazed at how much you learn about cars. Moreover, you'll be in constant contact with mechanics of whom you can ask questions. I had a '69 Camaro and a '71 240Z when I worked as a counter man and learned a lot about keeping those cars alive and well.

If paranoia was a legitimate reason to replace things, I wouldn't have enough money to pay the mortgage on my house. If it's not broke, don't fix it. The gauge that sits above your radio, the ammeter, is your window to a properly working electrical system. As long as the needle continues to swing to the (+), your alternator is making power and the regulator is regulating how the power is delivered back to the battery.