Walter Moore

For what it is worth, either Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 are too big to be really useful on a 32 bit machine. You just run out of memory really fast because a 32 bit OS can only address about 4GB of ram and the OS by itself sucks up 1.5 - 2GB. Upgrading an older XP box, that is almost certainly 32 bit, is going to be a problem down the road. New software is always written for the "power user". If you buy a new computer at a mass market store it will come with Windows 8, or 8.1. If you get Windows 8, 8.1 is a free upgrade. We use 7 at work, and our church has a bunch of new 8.1 computers. Both are usable, but 8 is not my favorite. At home I run Ubuntu on an old 1GB net-book with no problem. (Ubuntu is a form of Debian Linux.) It is a free download, but it isn't as novice friendly as Windows. On the other hand you could always buy an Apple...

I had a similar problem that went away after I had new tires installed. I believe that it was less the tires themselves than the high speed force variation, becuase balancing the tires didn't have any effect. For what it is worth, the shop where I had the new tires installed used one of the new Hunter balance machine that in addition to measuring imbalance can also measure the force variation of the assembly. High force variation is hard to correct, because you have to dismount the tire and rotate it on the rim then try again. (It is mostly trial and error on old wheels, particularly after they have been repaired.) Before the new tires my steering wheel just buzzed on the interstate. Now it is smooth as glass.

Ok, here is a basic question: what is the condition of the distributor? Are you using vacuum advance? If not is the breaker plate locked down to prevent it from moving? What year of ZX distributor do you have? The later ones can have an enormous amount of vacuum advance, and if the breaker plate isn't locked in place it can move and shift your timing by up to 30 degrees. Speaking of the distributor year, the late ignition module retards the timing somewhat. There is a thread on that somewhere....

There weren't very many people killed in the "exploding" Ford Pintos either. In fact the one lawsuit that set the whole Pinto recall in motion involved a drunk driver traveling over 80 mph who rear-ended a car that was stopped at a red light. That doesn't change the fact that the car was intrinsically unsafe. It takes a pretty specific, and unusual, series of events for a faulty ignition switch to cause a fatal wreck. As for the original question: A large percentage of G.M. sales are driven by employee and supplier discounts. Retirees and their immediate families can continue to use the employee discount for the rest of their life. When you factor that discount into the picture it can make a G.M. much cheaper than the alternatives. The way that system is structured there could be 5 to 10 people eligible for an employee discount per current/retired G.M. employee. That market alone keeps the wheels greased so to speak. (Some years G.M. gives retirees discount deals specifically intended to be given to their friends, etc.)

If I had the money, I would be right there with you. I am convinced that long term FI is the path to more power and ease of operation.

I had a radiator shop in Frankfort IN boil my tank clean and then they put some kind of sealer inside and out. I doesn't leak, and I don't get any dirt in my fuel filters, so they must have done a good job. (Dave's Radiator & Auto Repair) They have repaired some radiators for me over the years as well. (Including the one in my Z) It would be a long trip from Ft. Wayne, but surely there must be somone near you who offers this service.

My wipers will do that if you turn the switch off at the wrong time. It seems like I have to turn them off on the down stroke to avoid the problem. But then I have a 1971 240Z, with only two speeds. The 260Z is more sophisticated, giving it more failure modes.

Nice car. I hope you get lots of good use from it. I haven't personally test driven one, because I am afraid of what might happen.

I have not seen this issue on a Z, but on several other cars I have owned the brake rotor has worn to the point that the braking surface is below the height of the center hub,and the side of the pad was rubbing on the edge of the hub area. This produces a squeaking sound. If this is the problem you just need to replace the rotors and the pads.

Current bid is $6760. It isn't a concourse restoration by any means, but as a running survivor it looks OK to me. An inspection of any car is always a good idea. From what I have seen on the show, this looks like a car that they are just flipping without putting anything into it at all. If they had touched it, it would be black with a big block V8 crate motor. :sick:

I predict that one of the teams will win.

No, the hot rod idea won't work because a small block chevy wouldn't fit.

Actually, I polished the original threshold plates that came on my car several years ago and they still look great. (better than the paint anyway... ;-)

The real problem spindle pin removal is related to the locking wedge bolt in the middle. If someone has overtightened that wedge, or tried to drive the pin out without removing the wedge, the pin will be swagged into the housing. In that case I really doubt that any threaded pin puller is going to break it loose. It was all that a 30 ton press could do to push the cut-off center section of my pins out of the housing. If I ever have to do this again, I will save myself the time and trouble of trying to pull them intact. Just buy new pins, cut the old ones with a SawsAll, and press out the remantants.

My number 6 cylinder (the one closest to the firewall) on my E31 head was eroded to the point where the exhaust seat was nearly falling out. The shop I went to welded it up and ground it flat while doing the other work.

When I had my head redone the shop told me that the old seats had to be cut out, and that as a result they had to be replaced with larger seats and intake valves. So I bought the 280Z intake valves and seats. (44mm I think) This shop pretty much exclusively worked on aluminum cylinder heads. They had big ovens to heat them up so they could remove and install the seats, guides, and other steel parts. The machinist told me that if you get the head hot enough and give it a solid tap, all the steel parts will just fall out. ( He may have been exaggerating. )

Mine seems to work fine. In fact I just edited the page a minute ago.

I have been running 10W30 motor oil in my SUs for several years. I started with ATF, but it ran like a cold Ford. (The engine would lean out and almost stall on sudden acceleration). The 10W30 may be a bit heavy, but it is easy to get and seems to do the job.

There is no technical relationship between the offset of a wheel and the depth of the lip. (There may be a coincidential relationship for a particular manufacturer) So I don't know how anyone could answer your question. A zero offset wheel will extend further out of the wheel well than one with a positive offset, but I doubt that you could tell a 6mm difference from a photograph.

I think in the U.S. it is closer to 90%

Too much current through those wires. I have forgotten, were they connected to something?

We have some recent experience with that haven't we...

They were sold as an after-market replacement, mostly for use in California and other states with strident emissions control requirements. They are rarely seen anymore. I am sure that someone knows how to set them up, but with the low hood on the Z the airflow path isn't very efficient.

I have the 3.36 with a close ratio 5 speed out of an 83 S130. I also still have the original L24, which has less torque and develops it at a higher speed. First gear is too tall, and 5th is unusable below 60mph. But in between, it works fine. I just have to stay one gear lower than what everyone else tells me works on a given stretch of pavement.

Glad to make your acquaintance.