Captain Obvious

Just a public service announcement to make sure we're all talking about the same stuff... This is silicon bronze: But THIS is silicone bronze: I'm Captain Obvious, and I approve this message.

Yeah, I couldn't tell if they were on a cell phone or not, but whatever the deal was, I was happy they drifted backwards just a little bit when the light turned green and they let off the brake. Just enough to get them to realize they were in reverse. I wanted to hit my horn to try to get their attention, but was afraid that it would make them think the light turned green and make them stab the gas harder and quicker. So there I sat... Looking in my rear view mirror thinking that I had a couple feet I could use to back up closer to the car behind me if necessary. Anyway, it turned out to be a non-event, but just that this shite is happening day after day after day. As for the cell phone stuff, I don't think they can legislate it out of use. It's already illegal most everywhere and not much has changed. I know people who won't text while their car is actually moving, but at every red light they're checking their phone while stopped. They say "I wasn't driving, I was sitting". I think if the car is on a public road in traffic and you're sitting in the driver's seat, then you're "driving". And to support that argument... It would be illegal for a twelve year old kid with no driver's license to do that. Regardless if the car is moving at that instant or not. Why? Because he doesn't have a driver's license. Enough ranting... So nobody can pull me out of my abyss trying to come up with that movie scene? I just spent another half hour looking for it. One car is sitting still and another car comes up next to them in the other lane. There are teasing words exchanged, the light turns green, and one of the cars goes forward while the other goes backwards and slams into the car behind them? And I think you were supposed to think it was funny that the other guy did that? Like he was the "bad guy" in the movie? Is that the antagonist? Protagonist? Where's @siteunseen when you need him... He's seen all the same stupid movies I have.

Tenacious D would call it a Tribute.

So I have some errands to run today and take the Z out. I take my still camera along with me because I figure that since this might be the last time I drive the Z this season, I might take a nice pic of the car at a park or something. They are going to be salting the roads again soon and figure it would be nice to post a pic on maybe my last drive of the season. Anyway, I'm still running yesterday's near-miss over and over again in my head, and I pull up to a traffic light behind this car. Yes... They're sitting at a red light. In reverse. Waiting for the light to turn green so they can stab the throttle and fly backwards into the front of my Z because they forgot they were in reverse : Thankfully, when the light turned green and they let off the brake, they noticed their error before tragedy happened, but I'm really starting to wonder. I don't know if everyone is just crazy due to the holiday season or what, but I'm wondering if I should just park the Z now. ** Fifty bonus points for the name of the movie in which a similar scene occurred. I spent about a half hour searching for it, but just can't put my finger on it. Driver had backed up for some reason and subsequently forgot the car was in reverse... Another car pulled up next to them and taunted them into a race? Light turned green and they slammed into the car behind them. What was the movie???? Not American Graffiti. Not Hollywood Knights. Not Porky's. Not Animal House. Just can't come up with it and it's bugging me!

Thanks for the input guys. And yes, the smart phone features are lost on me, at least until or unless... well you know. So how about some input on features and failures? What is some of the stuff that makes one a great choice over another? I've heard the cheap-o cameras are useless because they aren't wide angle enough. wheee! , What's a snapshot button? Just the ability to take a still pic from your phone? SteveJ, And the shock sensor thingie... If it's running constantly in a loop, then what's the shock sensor for? Is that for when unattended like in a parking lot or something?

If I have to pay more to get my antique car bumpers chromed in exchange for my kids having cleaner water to drink, I guess I'll take that tradeoff.

So I almost lost the Z this afternoon. I probably would not have been hurt, at least not seriously, but the car would have suffered significantly. With that in mind, does anyone have a recommendation for a dashcam that they like?

Well my sample size is definitely too small to be reliable. I'm comparing two 77's to one 74 and one 73. I've got one of those cheap digital angle gauges... Should be good enough to check for castor differences between my car and my buddy's 260. Maybe I'll do that next time the two cars are together. Thanks for the input guys.

Looks great!

I really don't think so. I don't think that tension adjuster really adds that much friction. More just to keep the rack loaded under all conditions so it's not so floaty? Mine is adjusted according to the manual and the spring is not binding. Other than that, I don't think it's that much of an impact. To be honest, it really feels like a caster change from the previous years. Like I'm really having to lift the front end weight when I get the wheel cranked off straight ahead. I know they changed a lot of the sheet metal stuff in 77 and the 77-78 cars look similar from the outside, but are very different cars underneath the skin. I wonder if some of those changes affected the steering feel. The FSM's say the caster and king pin angle and all that is pretty much identical to the previous years, but I'm skeptical. I need to find a 76 close by to compare it to.

Thanks for the confirmation on the 78. So according to the parts breakdown, all of the 240's used the same rack gear and pinion gear set from inception until summer 73 (7307) when both the rack and pinion gears changed part numbers. And then from that point forward until the end of the run in 78, everything used a new pair. In other words... The 240's used one set of rack and pinion gears, and the 260s and 280s used a different pair. At the same time is when they changed the whole rack housing to the newer style with the wider bushing groove. That could certainly explain differences in steering ratio or L-L between 240 and everything later. But based on the part numbers, I think the 75 and 76 steering is identical to the the rest of the bunch from 74 through 78 and there are some documentation issues that make it seem like they are different. I don't think they are. And.... None of this explains why my steering is so much heavier than my buddy's 260.

Yes, lock to lock can be different from ratio. The stops are on the rack. The rubber washers bottom out on the ends of the rack housing at each lock. I was just doing lock-to-lock because it's so easy and clean. It's nowhere near the whole story, but one that I can do now without getting under the car or taking anything apart.

Oh, and you guys are the best!

So we got a 72 at 2.7 and every year 280 comes in at 3.1 (assuming 78 is the same as the rest). Thanks for the data points guys.

Yup, That helps! Thanks! 72 manual says 2.7 (assuming the units in the FSM are incorrect), so you are right on. Doesn't answer the question about why my 280 (with harder compound touring tires and a higher steering ratio) would be harder to turn than an earlier year, but it's confirmation that something is different!

Wow. Instant service! I'm honored!

Yeah, I don't know what's up with the 76 spec in the FSM. It seems pretty clear that they believe the ratio in 76 to be 15.8, but I'm not sure I believe that. It was eighteen in 74 and eighteen again in 77, Makes me doubt that the two years in between were that different. And for the L-L numbers in 76, I wonder if they were intending to have a different spec for the 2+2, but forgot to label it as such.

Yup. Just like that. Turn the wheel all the way to one lock and note the position of the wheel and then count the number of turns until you reach the other lock. I did mine in a parking lot moving slowly (so I didn't rip my sports-aged shoulders out of the sockets), but you don't really even have to be moving to test it. You can do it sitting still in the garage.

I thought my Z driving season was over a few weeks ago because we got a bunch of snow and they salted the roads, but it has rained and rained (and rained) since then and washed off the roads. So because of that, I've been taking full advantage of the late season opportunities to drive my Z. While out yesterday, I measured my steering wheel turns lock-to-lock and got just over three. So that confirms the FSM is correct on that spec at 3.1 turns L-L for my 77. Can someone with a 240 or 260 measure their turns L-L for comparison? As a side note, every time I put the Z away now, I park it "as though it's the last drive of the season". At least now, I'm doing it intentionally instead of being surprised by the snow last time!

LOL!!! 'Tis but a scratch.

bat'leth http://www.startrek.com/database_article/batleth And just from the category of "Good to know": United States[edit] The legality of the bat'leth in the United States differs between states. In 2009, a bat'leth was used in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in two armed robberies.[30] The Colorado Springs Police Department said that it was a deadly weapon.[21][36] In New Jersey, bat'leths are considered weapons and are liable to be seized. The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered and seized a bat'leth as part of a cache of weapons in connection with a $4 million Medicare fraud investigation in 2010.[37]

Cool. Glad to hear you are narrowing in on the root problem. So if you measured 25 GPH with the only restrictions in the line being a filter and a couple feet of hose, then I can certainly believe that number will go down even further when you have all the piping in place. And then there's the fact that some (most?) fuel just get's routed back to the tank. @GGRIII has gone through two different electric pumps in his car. Don't remember which ones they were, but I'm thinking one of them was the Holley red? I do know that he pulled the first pump and replaced with a second, but I don't remember if it was a delivery issue, or simply because the first pump was so durn loud. Hopefully he'll see the tag and chime in here to provide some input.

And since the new owner is a member here, make sure they understand that the long standing typical behavior of bashing the previous owner simply will not be tolerated in this case. I got your back!

LOL. Well if talking about sports is frowned upon, then you may have just tipped the boat!!

Sarah, Wow. Seconded. So sorry to hear you won't be a Z owner anymore. I've greatly enjoyed all of our interactions and hope we can continue in some form in the future. I understand the need for attention on other facets of life and here's to hoping that life's priorities are achievable to a happy balance. Enjoy the sailing waters. Bruce