DougV

That sig is old and a quote I used to giggle about. No hidden or non-hidden meanings there.. I'll be fine, I'm sure.. especially if I can find a new home for my Z. It'll buy me a couple more months of job search at the very least.

Alas.. still no work out here.. going broke... can't pay mortgage.. so the Zcar has to go. So.. it's a '78 280z, HLS30-468771, with 109910 original miles. It's all there, I believe.. almost everything works very well... even the factory A/C. Has a split sunroof with passenger side missing. I made a replacement out of Plexiglass and sealed it, but it has a similar appearance to the glass side. I replaced the timing gear and chain recently, as well as a head gasket, no leaks. Still burning a little oil.. probably the valve seals that I didn't have the patience or tools to redo. All the interior gadgets still work, gauges, flip-down map light, clock, etc. It's got good tires on it and tracks fine. I drove it from here (las cruces, NM) to Abilene, TX with no troubles. It does experience some vapor lock at extreme temperatures outside and it still runs a little warm on occasion.. I think it might need a radiator. The interior is in fair to good condition, blah blah blah. Come see her, start her up and go for a drive.. I'd bring a trailer if you've got to take her a long way (because of the getting warm and possible vapor lock) unless you're not in a hurry to get home.. as letting it sit for 10-15 minutes usually results in ignition again. Could be something with the electric pump but I'm not really in a position to start replacing stuff again. I need to get $1800 for the car, and that's a FIRM price. Hell, ANY car out here with working A/C is worth that. Feel free to CALL ME (I don't have much time for checking emails or forums now that I'm on a desperate job hunt.) to discuss viewing/purchasing options. There are pictures on the forum of the car, but I can email you some recent ones if you need them. Doug 575-405-0360 Please, serious inquiries only and only if you can have the money within the next 2 to 3 weeks. I need this car to sell and I'm sure whoever buys her won't be disappointed.. there's only ONE place with any rust to be concerned about. There's a spot on the cowl coming thru the paint that I must have missed. The other spot is under the hood in front, on the inside panel by the left headlight.. about fist sized.. one layer rusted thru.. the backing layer looks okay.

*Sigh* Figures...

Hi, guys. It's been a long time, but I need some more advice. I think I already know the problem, but I need to confirm it before I go tearing into my Z. First of all, the Z has been running better and better. I now get full RPM range when I want it, and the majority of the power I've been missing seems to be coming back. I think that whatever funk was left in the fuel lines or the gas tank has finally flushed out of the system. That, and I started getting gas at the slightly more expensive gas stations. I had my radiator cleaned and I replaced the water pump a few months ago because I was having cooling issues, but I realized it was because of a different problem. The problem is.. I noticed that after a few weeks of daily driving, the temperature gauge begins to go a little higher and higher... so I check the coolant level to find that there's not a lot of coolant in there. Weird, since there are no leaks of any kind, and the temperature isn't going over mid anymore. (until the coolant is low again) The overflow tank is always at the same level, so what's the deal? So, my guess is that there's a small leak in the head gasket, and water/coolant is burning off in the cylinder. I do notice in the morning now that it's cold, that when it cranks, it wants to hesitate in one spot, probably the wet cylinder, and when it starts, there is vapor, mostly white coming from the tailpipe, and a little drips out of the small leak in the exhaust 'header'. That, and it smells sickly sweet like antifreeze. So the question is.. can I use a product to seal it or is that for idiots who like to clog up their engine with gunk and really foul things up? I'm sure you're going to say 'Take off the head, rebuild it, get new seals and gaskets, check the rings and bearings and put it all back together again.' right?