mrorange

Hi! My name is Nic. I'm originally from Fairbanks AK, where my Z is living and I go to hang out in the summer, but i'm also going to school in Portland OR. It seems like a lot of forum members are from Oregon and the Portland area which is awesome. I'd like to move my car down there eventually but being a college student and moving all the time I don't have anywhere to keep it down there. Plus I worry about the damp. Fairbanks, while cold, is very dry. I have a currently red, originally white, at least third hand 1978 280 (vin 430458 for those who like to keep track of those sorts of things) Which i got royally screwed over on in the purchase of but I love to death anyway. Halfway driving it home from Anchorage (350 miles away) it died and long story short, 4 grand, (paid three for the car) 2 and a half months and a reman head, new rings, rods, pistons, crank, alternator, water pump, fuel pump, valve job and a now excellent working relationship with a great local machine shop later I've got a delightful rebuilt engine :stupid: . But hey, at least my numbers still match. Now it's just on to the frame rails (mostly holes) bushings (crunchy) suspension (thunky in one corner, maybe just a gland nut?) exhausty smell (I hear that's common) and various other fiddly bits that come with owning a classic. But I love it, it runs and drives, the paint's not half bad and I'm learning a lot (which was the point), building up a nice set of tools, and having a blast. I've been lurking on the forums the last year or so looking up solutions to various problems I think I might have and this seems like a really awesome community. I'm heading back to school in a week but I can't wait till I can work on it again and hopefully be a more active part of this forum. Anyway, here's a pic of the Red Menace I took last summer. Hope everyone has a great day, and maybe i'll see you on the road sometime. -Nic

So glad I found this thread. I've been having a similar problem (ticking after warmup) with my '78 280. I've had suspicions about my exhaust, and now when I get back to where the car is this summer, I'll know what to look for! What a helpful thread and awesome example of the community here. Registered just to say that