Gary in NJ

Yes, my thought is no. If you're a hell'va body guy with unlimited time and money, it could be the perfect car.

Delayed reaction?

That's really in great condition.

Nope. The Z4 Coupe is too expensive (40K), too heavy (3100+). The M version is more in the wrong direction. Remember, the 240Z was all about an affordable, lightweight sports car. The Z4 is neither. The FT-86 is both.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Datsun/Nissan to revive the 240Z. Your best bet is to get on a waiting list for a Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ. That's what I did (BRZ).

You now have the only Z with Daytime Running Lights. I see you becoming very acquainted with a multimeter.

Sweet Jesus that's a nice looking Z.

Yes, but the stripes are in the wrong direction and there are no stars. But "Union Jack" is a cool name.

The S30 was a true world platform. You have to take-off your red, white & blue glasses when responding to international posts. The OP does not live in North America. Outside of NA the 260Z was available from 1974 to 1978.

Which is it, a 260Z or a 240Z? Second, the odometer in these cars only have 5 digits (6 including the tenths) so a claim of 51,000 miles is likely BS unless the owner has documentation to prove it. Lastly, NO ONE can provide an indication of value for a car without detailed photos.

We usually allow one numpty question, then we get out the flame throwers.

The octane at the pumps (what you see on the yellow sticker) is the average Research Octane Number and Motor Octane Number. The RON number is the higher of the two.

Octane is a fuel additive to reduce the rate of self-ignition in an engine. People tend to think that a higher octane fuel has more potential energy (power) then a lower fuel, but it simply isn't the case. A higher octane fuel allows for an engine to run higher compression and an advanced ignition timing. In the most simple terms, the higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns (this is overly simplified, but it helps to illustrate the point). An engine that has been designed to run on high octane fuel (high compression) will run the same on low octane fuel, up to the point that cylinder pressure and temperature requires the slower burning fuel. This point is usually at high RPM or high load (WOT). Modern engines are able to detect detonation and/or pre-ignition and retard the ignition timing to such a point that the engine isn't damaged. I've seen an example of an Audi A4 2.0 turbo where using high octane fuel the engine produced around 200 hp on a dyno, and was only reduced to 195 hp on 87 octane. So it's not a significant difference. The fuel injection system in the 280Z is unable to detect knock. It would be safe to use 87 RON+MON /2 in the engine as long as you avoid high RPM operation and high load conditions. Retarding the ignition timing by a few degrees would also help.

Welcome to the club. I too was bit by the Z bug while in college...30 years ago. Some kids never grow up. It's awesome that you were able to track down a single owner car. Please post some photos.

The correct order is shown in the photo Blue provided: 1-5-3-6-2-4 CCW In the photo/diagram you provided you show an order of: 1-5-6-3-2-4 CCW And if you have misinterperted the photo you may have: 1-4-2-3-6-5 CW Reorder the cap to the proper firing sequence.

A large source of unthrottled air will usually give you a runaway idle. You may have an air leak somewhere. The first place I'd check is where the carb mounts to the manifold.

Can someone explain to me how an SU get's "choked down" by a UniSyn? The SU is a constant velocity design. Put any type of restriction before the carb body (whether a unisyn or a synchrometer) and the airchamber piston is going to adjust to the necessary height to maintain the proper airflow. Obviously both tools work well. It might be helpful to the OP if we state WHY we prefer one over the other. Here, I'll go first: I' damn-near 50 and I can't see for sh!t anymore. The Unisyn is easy to read. That's about the entirety of the difference. Anything else is just nonsense. The two tools do the same dame thing but present the data in a different way.

I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. It is ONE tool used to tune the mixture. I use this, along with my ears. If one is looking to extract every last bit of horsepower out of their Z, a Colortune is ineffective and crude when compared to other methods. However, I'm not looking for maximum performance, simply a smooth running engine. In that context the Colortune gets me to a 90-95% correct position, and my ear and experience gets me to where I want to be. To abolish a Colortune to the bottom of the bin because you have a more precise (and expensive) method is quite disingenuous to the average weekend wrencher. I payed $30 for a Colortune and have a Z that runs to my satisfaction (which I have to admit, is a very high standard). I can complete a full sync (including the time to remove and replace the airbox) in ten minutes. In that regard I think the Colortune is an effective and worthwhile tool.

If you have limited experience working on the SU's, I would strongly suggest getting the Just SU DVD from ztherapy.com. It could be the single best investment you'll ever make in your Z.

Anyone who puts a vinyl roof on a Z (or any car for that matter) should be sent to prison, without any hope for parole. Those who afix faux convertible top to any vehicle should simply be shot. To answer your question, vinyl roofs were sold as an dealer add-on by men wearing plaid suits and wide ties.

Uni-Syn is the easiest and best bang for the buck. A Colortune is nice to have too.

Simply outstanding.

It looks like an outstanding parts car for $600. Heck the uncracked dash is worth that alone. But unless you or someone close to you has outstanding metal working skills, that car looks about 10 years too far gone.

This. Any other method is potentially asking for trouble.

If you don't have a remote start button, you can always use the ignition key (with the plugs removed of course).