5150 will

Absolutely STUNNING!!! Make sure you post pics when she's all done and back together. If it looks that nice now, I can't wait to see it cut and buffed. Really nice work.

So yesterday I decide it's time to change out all my coolant hoses and heater hoses etc. I got the "while I'm at its" so I buy a new thermostat. The one I was going to replace turns out to be a Nissan O.E. brass type 180 degree. My local dealer wants $28.00 for a new one, so I bought a replacement at O'reilly also 180 degree. I install the new one and my car immediately reads hotter on the temp gauge by probably 20 degrees from at least two needle widths left of center line to 1-2 needle widths right of center line. I think, well, maybe I've got an air bubble. I leave the car on my driveway which is a pretty good incline and then jack up the front just to make sure with the car running. confident I have no air in the system, I button it up and take it for a drive. Temp stays solid at about two needle widths above center. Not happy with this result, I bring it home and swap out back to the original and my temp gauge goes back to where it has always been? What the.....

Cozye, That's some really good looking work. You will be way proud once she gets shiny.

Leon, I'm using the stock manifold with the original collector pipe. He cut the original collector pipes about 4" or so downstream and welded the new pipes to them. If I ever decided to go the header route, it would be really easy to add it in but my engine is stock, so I don't see much need for a header.

Leon, no videos but I could try and get a short clip tomorrow. Like I said, it is a little loud when you are on throttle hard, but cruising and fwy speeds are not bad. No droning at all

24oz- My guy replaced everything from the exhaust manifold back. As far as the story goes, kinda O.T. but the lady I got it from bought it from original owner in '73 with a little over 7k miles on it. She and her husband, her mostly, drove it up until about '87 and just under 81k miles. They ended up buying another car and the Z was relegated to barn storage. Lady's husband was a mechanic by trade and kept the Z in awesome mechanical condition. Husband passed away about 6 years ago. Fast forward to Sept 2010 and I was selling a '77 280z and my secretary sees it. She starts telling me about a good friend of her's that has a '70 or'71 240z she has had in storage for a long time and she wants to sell it. I got her number she says she needs to move the car from the place she had it stored(now outside, but tarped) she tells me how much she loves the car and wants it to go to someone that will bring it back to life. She tells me where to go see it. I check it over thoroughly and give her a call back. She sells it to me for a GREAT price and I go pick it up with my daughter on a friends trailer the next day. It is rust free(really) and runs great now. I've got all the original manuals, original radio, some maintenance receipts($9.84 for a valve adjustment in '73 at the dealer!!!), and every registration card back to '73. Now all I have to do to fulfill my obligation to the lady I bought it from is take her to A&W cruise night in Lodi for a burger!!! Looking forward to it.

I just used two long glasspacks

When I got my car, my twice pipes and glasspacks were pretty well toast. I liked the way they sounded, but way too loud since one actually had a hole in it and the first start after 23 years of storage pretty much blew out any of the rest of the packing. I had a guy here locally do the work for me and I'm quite happy. He ran the over under section a lot tighter than the original set up and it sounds really nice. Maybe a little loud on hard acceleration for some, but at cruise it sounds fantastic. I'll post a couple pics

I put mine up on Modesto C.L. if you guys know of anyone who might be interested. I'm gonna keep the slots that are on my car for now and use the Libre cash to help fund a new exhaust.

JohnnyT, I agree with that for sure. I know they are worth what somebody will pay for them and all that. I guess I should have asked what a reasonable starting point should be. I suppose I'll finish polishing them out and put them on CL and see where it goes

I only have three of the center caps that are original but need new center emblems, no biggie there as they easily peel off. I spent a little while polishing one of the wheels the other night and I was amazed at the results. Just need to get after the other three now...

I have a set of 14" American Racing Libre wheels I'm thinking of selling. Three are Very nice and one has a few blems on the bead I think from a tread separation and the tire went down. Anyhow, what do you guys think these would be worth realistically? No pics as of now.

Steve, the water park Oakwood Lake, went the way of houses that never really got built due to the housing bust. Those were good times there though.

James, I think that is a little too close for comfort. If you have any deflection in that fan, the new radiator is toast IMHO.

If the reaction disc has fallen into the booster it is kind of a pain, but it's FREE. I'd look there first. If you separate the master from the booster you should be able to GENTLY move the master enough to at least see/feel if the disc has fallen in there.

Depending where you run might depend on where they class you. They may let you run in the stock class but I would believe that the springs and 15" wheels put you somewhere else. If you want to just go out and have fun who really cares anyway right? I find that if you have "obvious" mods you will be classed appropriately. If you appear mostly stock they'll probably put you in stock unless you kick some "regulars" butt who complains

Dean, I used to go through the same stuff when I had my FFR. The one's who used to pi$$ me off are the people who'd say, "That's one of those Factory Five Cars" like it was a bad thing. Clueless. I haven't had the Z out enough yet to get too many Q's.

Thanks Bruce. I think it'd be a good time to caravan with others that are going.

Arne, I'm pretty sure my daughter and I will make the trip. I think it'd be a good time and I've got tons of vacation time to burn this year....

When I bought my carbs from Bruce he mentioned a show near Portland in June. I'm thinking that I may make the road trip and I was wondering if anybody from the Bay area or the valley ever goes?

Tim, are those 8" wheels?

Arne, I agree. I've currently got the P/S 14" slots on my car and 195/70/14's. If I change wheels I'll eventually go to a 15 or 16x7.

Thanks for all your input guys. Gnose, I want to keep my car a little closer to stock and I think coilovers would be a little too radical for my goals with this car. If I was going to do some hardcore auto x or lots of track time with it then I'd consider that option. I've got a disposable(sort of) Miata for that kinda fun:classic:

That 260 looks like it might be more in the ballpark. When/if you look at it make sure you do your standard rust issue check. Try to find out if it was stored inside. It looks as if it probably was from the pics on C.L. There will be no smog required for a '75 and older year model vehicle. In looking at it I would say it's probably an early '74 just due to the bumpers. I find that sometimes people on C.L. don't really know everything about a vehicle they are listing.

I think you could do much better for $5500. Be patient. There are quite a few Z's in the Bay/Sacramento area that I've seen for less money that seem a lot nicer than that one. That cheesey paint job would be enough to make me run for the hills.