Captain Obvious

Mak Never heard that, but I like it. I was just figuring that you're only ever going to have to do this once, I would have designed for overkill. Even though it's not a "safety part" like seat mounts, crash safety, or suspension integrity, the cost of failure is pretty high. It'll rip up the underside pretty good if that thing goes out. On the good side, (depending on how loud your exhaust system is), you'll most likely hear knocking around before an all out failure. RE the other comments, siteunseen and I went off on one of our all too often ADHD inspired Blazing Saddles excursions. Sorry for the distraction. Rossiz was going original classic and Cliff and I went with the satirical irreverent version.

Your leak detect efforts sound like they're working great. Holding vacuum undisturbed overnight is the litmus test my HVAC buddy goes by as well. Good luck with that step.

I've got the whole system from my old 74 and my goal is to adapt that to my 77. I don't know what differences there were from year to year, but I'm hoping there weren't significant changes from 74 to 77. I think my evaporator has a little copper line coming off it. Is that the thermostat you're talking about? I don't have any pics of this stuff, but I'll try to snap some when I get a chance. My thinking on my system install is that about the only stock parts I really really need is the evaporator expansion valve stuff and the condenser. Those are the things that are highly physically fit intensive and finding alternatives would be a real pain. I'm thinking that mounting a compressor from a different car is a bracket making exercise that I can handle. And the controls part is also something that I don't think needs to be stock. I don't plan to use the whole vacuum controlled stock system. I'm planning to stick with my manual control system and have a separate way to turn the system on. Of course, I only know enough about HVAC to be dangerous...

Couple comments: That throttle speed screw looks like everyone I've ever seen. If that pic is recent, you still have a BCDD. I can see the wire is still connected. I assume you capped the AAR port on the top of the TB? Looks like it's open in the pic. "Eventually your plugs are going to fowl" - What's the matter Colonel Sanders?

Beautiful. I've always loved the look of those headlight covers. The Grow Warehouse - Hydroponics and Organics - In Colorado. Owned by Cheech and Chong?

Thanks! Yeah, that's pretty much the version I remember. I never heard the scientist version. I mean, It's poop humor... Why try to Classi it up and involve scientists?? So I'm not sure that's not the first joke I ever heard, but that's about when I made the leap from "What's black and white and read all over?" kind of joke that your teachers tell. This is the first one I remember that came from friends, not authorities. The first one I didn't just smile from because I "got it", but the first one really laughed at.

Haha!! First jokes! I don't remember all the details of my first joke... All I remember was the monkey trying to put the cork back in.

I've got my dash out for the off season working on the Escort heater core install. But one of the other things I'm going to start on is adding A/C. I'm going to put the evaporator in this time before I put the dash back into place. That'll be my first step. I'll be going through the exact same thing you are in the future. I know I don't need it like you do, but I want A/C. I'm going to have a bunch of questions about parts availability...

Chewing gum in line?????

Re hatch logo arrangements - Do you have any M6 logos? If not, I vote for the last one. Re the drive shaft coupler - I don't know what thread inserts would add there. Honestly, I was never completely comfortable with the choice of aluminum for the coupler. I know it would have been more difficult to work with, but I would have used steel for the whole thing.

Cool. I love it when a plan comes together. @TomoHawk, there has been all this discussion since you started the thread. You get yours apart too?

I would love to see this thing in person. Too bad we're on opposite coasts. If I make the trip, it won't be until it's done so I can drive it.

Trouble I tell ya... Trouble. I got your backs, but remember that I'll be wearing beer goggles too. You look maahvelous!!

Bang bang, Vroom vroom?

Reminds me of something I saw on craigslist... There's a Roadster for sale nearish me. At least that's what he says it is... Kinda hard to tell from the pic, but at least his asking price is realistic: https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5990416097.html

Yeah, I can see that. That's what I was thinking when I said it was faster. Just listen for the beep instead of waiting for the display to settle. I'm not judging. And that brings up one of the reasons I don't like autoranging... It takes longer for the display to settle because it has to first figure out the correct range and THEN display the value.

A perfect, irreverent, questionable judgment, barely legal, authorities attracting... storm.

Yes, that's the one. We need to keep the two of you apart. I fear it's a perfect storm...

Personally, I'm not a big fan of auto-ranging. I've found them to be annoying. And I don't think I would use a "continuity" setting much either. I just use a low Ohms scale. What is "continuity" anyway on a meter? Some arbitrary threshold below which they sound the beeper? About the only advantage I can see is that it might be a little faster than waiting for the reading to settle?

HAHAHA!!! I didn't think of that. Yeah, let's hope Sharpie isn't an etch resist!

I'm not going to take my battery terminal off to put tape on the posts every time I park the car. Needs to be something that I can do discreetly and easily. "Easy for the owner to use while making it difficult for the thief to detect, disable, or bypass."

One other detail for now... I don't have the flat tops for that car. HE has the flat tops for that car. And they're ON the engine. Modified flat tops with some custom improvements:

About time you started posting! The short story here is that I unfortunately had to relinquish ownership of my father's 260Z because I wanted to drive a Z car again before I joined my dad in the hereafter and I wasn't sure I had it in me to go through the amount of time, effort, and expense to finish that project. Thankfully a very long time buddy of mine GGRIII (Gary who some of you met in Toronto) had coveted the car ever since the first day he saw it on a fishing expedition and jumped at the chance to buy it. I'm embellishing a little of course, but the good part is that even the car isn't under my ownership anymore, it's still "in the family" and I still get to have a hand in the reconstruction. GGRIII thankfully has more resources to work on a project of this magnitude, and I'm thankful that my father's old car has found such a wonderful loving home. I bought my current 77, and Gary bought my 74. I am honored! My dad is honored! And I can't wait until I get to drive it again! The car has gone from this running and driving rough example: Through this: And this: To come out the other side as this: Not done yet, but this is the fun part!

Wait a minute... I just took a quick look at mine, and the screw goes all the way through. So if the collar is threaded on the FAR side, then there shouldn't be any burrs. It just passes through a hole in the rod and picks up the threads on the far side. And the collar is split. I can't believe you can't just tap that thing off. Famous last words from someone who hasn't tried, right?

Yeah, then there might be a burr on the shaft as well that might complicate matters. Let's hope they put a flat spot on the shaft where the setscrew contacts to account for that. Pet peeve of mine - Setscrews directly on shafts with no provision for dealing with the burr... Hopefully they didn't do that.