z boy mn

Hi Ron, I do see that the products are different, so it looks like I need to do some more research before trying one out. The Pocketfinder version looks simpler to me, and a lot easier to hide in a vehicle. It just needs power. Plus, I liked the long battery life (it does say it sends an alert if the main power is disconnected), so Derek you if something has happened in your scenario. BTW, I didn't think the cost ($300) was that high, especially if it works like it says--who knows, maybe it would reduce my insurance even. Ron, I totally understand your preference for your own company's product, but have you personally tried these devices out on your vehicles? I'm sure we'd be interested to know what you think. Derek--another good option is to fabricate up that ejection seat! ;-)

I just posted some info on a company I found on a more recent post, and then I got interested in the idea and did another search and found this thread. I was exploring the idea this winter (on my winter project list) but also heard about the failures of the low-cost devices, and so I think something that can survive on it's own for a bit if the car is picked up by a wrecker is a good option. As others have pointed out, it also has to be global in case the car is taken overseas or just disappears. I don't think this is a big issue in MN yet, but as these cars become more valuable, leaving them on the street is going to get more and more tempting for people who know they can sell them quickly for an easy profit. (I do have a cut-off switch hidden on mine, but it'll be easy for someone to get around if they simply tow the vehicle somewhere and dig for it.) Also, I wonder how easy it is now to "launder" these cars. You can buy VIN plates, for example...or just make your own. I've got a 1971 Series 1 (by a month), and I'd like to keep it, but dogs are too much work. So, in addition to the suggestion by rc240z, I'm going to look into this company: http://pocketfinder.com/gpsvehicletracker/. I'll probably try something this summer and post about how it goes. If anyone else tries something, it would be a great thread for those of us looking to protect what we have.

Another option is made by a company called Pocket Finder. They have small devices that you can attach to pets, cars, etc., and you can track them, their speed, and set up alerts, etc. The key-fob variety would work short term, but the vehicle one installs off the car's power (and has a back-up battery so if thieves remove the battery it still works) so you never have to worry about it. There is a monthly subscription fee, which keeps the ap active, but it might do the trick for what you're looking for. Their address is: http://pocketfinder.com/ And the device for vehicles is at: http://pocketfinder.com/gpsvehicletracker/ I'm considering one for my Z as these things are getting more and more valuable and are quite easy to steal/jump/tow, etc.

Thanks, RyanT67, I checked out his stuff and it looks beautiful. Unfortunately, for now it's out of my price range but I did see some videos on making your own air box from carbon fiber and/or fiberglass. A fun view. As an update on this topic, I'm leaning toward the 1" horns as they will offer a lot of clearance and also some benefit stil. I talked to a representative at Carburetor.com and they also have a reasonably favorable exchange policy so it could be I order multiple sizes and find out which works best with the filter. I'm not sure I'll rent more dyno time with the different horns installed, but that's the best way to find out for sure. I'll try the "seat-of-pants" dyno test to start...and I have an air/fuel gauge to help monitor how the fuel is burning. Finally, I found an article about air flow hat wasn't exactly helpful to a non-engineer but an interesting read on fluid dynamics as connected to air horns. I'll attach it. RET_Bellmouth_Sept.pdf

Thanks, gnoze, I was thinking the 1" (26mm) would be a good middle ground and give lots of room inside the air filter, and it's right in the middle of what you experienced, too. I'm running a stroker motor with a ported p90 head, mikuni intake, headers, and a mildly agressive cam. I also had a crazy idea of maybe looking for a way to "make" a bigger air filter by gluing two together (a 3.5" and maybe a 2") to make a thicker one, but I think smaller horns are going to be more stable. Finally, I did measure the length of the runner, including carb to the head, and with the 2.5" horn it's 12"-13" (some have said that 12" is ideal)...so this going to a 1" horn till seems within the margin of what's OK.

Looking just to optimize what I have without any heroics. Filtering air is important as it's mostly a street car I'd like to last a long time. I decided to try this route when I looked at the K&N filter at the end of the air box and it was all beat up from the engine shifting during revs and banging against the hood, etc. The dyno results were convincing, too, as I suspect the air box isn't flowing air like it should (I built it and it's basically just a box).

Hey all, I posted something similar just now and had the exact same observation. After a lot of reading, the technology of keeping the air horns seems to warrant figuring out how to make them fit into the air filter housing. I'm definitely not an engineer, but as was mentioned here and other forms, the variables concern runner length, air turbulence and "flow," and also the issue of resonance. If I remember correctly, the longer the runner the better the set-up is for low-end torque, and the horns both condition the air going in and help balance the air coming out when valves, etc. open and close. I did finally find a site which sells shorter horns. My post earlier today was about how short I should go to get the most benefit. I'll post the link to the horns and my post as a cross reference...maybe I should have posted the question here, idk. Air horn options: http://www.carburetion.com/sitesearch.aspx?category=DCOEstack&Title=Stacks for Weber DCOE Carburetors Previous post on same topic with question about clearance: http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/56876-recommended-breathing-room-for-velocity-stacks/

Hey everyone, I am replacing my air filter set-up on my Z, which has triple Weber DCOE 45s on it and need help selecting the right air horn (velocity stack). I'm moving away from the airbox that uses a single 3" inlet and moving toward individual filters for each carb. I understand the carbs will be sucking in warmer air even with the heat shield, but some time on the dyno a while back taught me the car preferred warmer air as long as there was plenty of it. So, I have the stock air horns (velocity stacks) that came with the DCEO 45's, which are 2.5 inches tall (outside the carb) or 65mm, and even though I got the tallest filter available, there's only .5 inches between the end of the horn and the filter housing. The horns come in a variety of lengths, starting at .5 inches all the way to stock, 2.5 inches, in .5 inch increments (except for 2.0"). I did some reading here and in the books I have, and the conclusion seems to be is that longer is better (for both air compression issues and breathing), but I can't seem to find a practiced recommendation for so how much space is needed? Most discussions recommend "1" or more" but how much is "more?" The next size down is 1.5 inches (38mm), which would give me 1.5" of clearance...or should I go all the way down to 1" (26mm) for 2" of clearance? They're NOT cheap, so I'd prefer to just buy one set. I've included some links below: Cheapest and widest selection of velocity stacks: http://www.carburetion.com/sitesearch.aspx?category=DCOEstack&Title=Stacks for Weber DCOE Carburetors Example of the air filters I have: http://www.carburetion.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?part=99217.532 Any help or suggestions are VERY welcome!

Hey Terrapin, sorry about that. It was my post, somehow it got quoted or something? Obviously, I'm not a computer expert! I've also been contacted about the springs, could be they leave MN soon! I'll try to correct my post above to it's more clear. (FIXED!)

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but I have a set of stock springs that have not been on the car in ages. They're from a 71, but haven't had a car sitting on them for the better part of 30 years. I don't know if metal fatigues or wears out when there's no weight on them, but maybe they would return your car to its original height? I installed Eibachs a few years back (and I like them), but the PO had race springs on the car (which were awful). You can PM me if you are interested. Otherwise, I know there are spring boosters you can get that you put between the coils; maybe you could test these to see if they help. Seems that if the spring is weak, though, they'll just cause it to sag in a different area.

I have your first option installed on my '71, and it works just fine. But, to be clear, with the progressive springs it's not like the ride is "soft" and luxurious. Even with the Tokiko shocks set at "1" (the softest setting), the car rides a LOT harder than my 1987 Toyota Camry! That said, when I move them to "5", it holds the track really well on those days I can take it out and really run it. Since you're going with MSA, I added the sway bar kit (front and rear) and even though the front bar is a lot larger than stock, somehow the ride with them on is better than not. Plus, a huge difference in the corners in terms of lifting and stability. I can't speak to the coil-over option, but the welding was beyond what I could do on my own so I kept it simple. BTW, I also added the MSA camber bushings to help with alignment, and while the changes are minor, the flexibility to adjust those settings was significant for the time/money invested. Finally, keep in mind that tires make a huge difference, too. I've got 225/45/16s on, and they work pretty well. When they're inflated to daily driving pressure (~38) the ride is pretty decent, but for the track the best setting (for me) is around 43-45, and that's pretty stiff on the roads. There are lots of tire options, just be sure to include this in your thinking as you make your plan. (Plus, what Zkars said.)

I had a leaky o-ring a couple years ago, so I replaced it from MSA and all was fine. Then, this year, the washer/rubber gasket around the (+) electrical connection started leaking like crazy, and I did try a repair with something like the JB Weld, but it's tricky as there isn't a lot of room on the inside of the sender. After some fiddling, I just ordered a new one from MSA, a new rubber o-ring (you have to get one that's fuel rated), and a lock ring. I think everything came to about $70. It took a few minutes to put in and no more leaks! Here's the sender...the o-ring and ring come up as well. In truth, my o-ring and ring were probably just fine, but I hate mucking around with leaking gas, and I wanted it fixed. It is. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/11-3271

Jason's Dad, I'm sorry for your loss, and sifting through these parts must be hard. If it helps, the Z community could really benefit from your labor and efforts. I parted out a car a couple years back. It was one I had purchased and was destroyed in a shipping accident (I made them deliver it anyway). As others have said, it's a long process and there isn't much resale value in a lot of the parts, but even over the last 5 years parts for Zs have really dried up. Try finding a window regulator now, and all the after-market shops tell you "no" and you might get half a hit on ebay. If Jeff G can help, that's great, and folks here will help too in terms of pricing, etc. Starting with the larger items seems the way to go. I know, for example, I've been looking for a hood latch now for the better part of a year with no luck (unless I want to spend crazy money on an old rusty one). So, there are lots of us out here...we're just all over the place. To finish the story, I did manage to part out every single usable part from the wrecked car--a lot of them I just gave away to young people for shipping costs who were starting on their first Z. One guy in the cities turned the engine into a rip-shorting turbo monster, for example. It's gratifying to see these cars on the road and much appreciated by new owners. Therefore, thanks for your considerations in this difficult time.

Yep, what Captain Obvious said. It was a sheet of aluminum and I cut it out and bent it before welding the seams. The "Stroker" nameplate is stainless, but that's all I had lying around otherwise I would have done it out of aluminum as well. It came out really cool so I attached a photo here. The strut bar on the other hand, I did mill out of a solid chunk of aluminum (3"x3"). It was the first time I had operated a mill, so it took weeks and weeks (and a lot of chips) to get it to fit properly. I think it looks kind of cool, though, better than the oversized "lunchbox" for an air cover.

Grannyknot--it was my first gig at fabrication. I designed the on Solid Works and cut it out on a CNC table. I had to keep the design simple as my skills are pretty crude. It works, though, as I wanted something that would come off quickly so I could synch the carbs in a hurry.

I did not replace the clutch packs as the whole lsd unit was new. I did learn in my research process, though, that they weren't easily available so I'm not sure how I would have gone about replacing them if they had needed it. There's a local machine shop that could have made them, and that probably would have been my best option. It sounds like your lsd is new, too, or at least has very few miles on it. I don't think these parts go bad with time if they are stored properly. As for cost--yeah, it's expensive and partly why I did mine over time. Finally, this is a great site with all kinds of resources. I use it every time I do an upgrade of have an issue I can't figure out! Welcome to the group!

I am not an expert, but last fall I had my Z on the dyno and found that taking off the K&N air filter on my airbox that services the Webers added 10HP. So, there is some restriction no matter the claim they make. I'm too chicken to run around without an air filter, though, so I put it back on after we got the car off the dyno. I can't say what they filter out or if I oiled the filter properly...just what I observed. I figure the filter does more than the screens you can put on the air horns, but I don't know this for sure. Anyone run just the screens? Also, the box lets me collect air from in front of the headers. BTW, you can't really see the air filter in the photo, it's at the end of the hose in front of the radiator. I've since moved it to the end of the airbox thinking the hose might be adding some restriction, too, I just don't have a photo.

I have an oil cooler on my car (it came with it), and my only complaint is that it works too well! It didn't come with a temperature valve, so under normal driving (it's mostly a daily driver) I had a hard time getting the oil above 160 degrees. I found simple solution, though, which was to just block it off with a piece of insulation, and now the oil runs at the same temp as the engine (about 180). On the track or when I really push the car, it keeps the oil around 200-210, which I think is OK. I do have a larger 3-row radiator, but no special oil pan. The car did come with a racing pan like the one at dpracing, but it had clearance issues with the steering rack and the tranny, so I took it off. (It could have been modified it to fit better, but I didn't think it was worth the trouble considering how I drive the car most days.) If I had to do it over again or lived somewhere where it was warmer (I'm in MN after all), I'd consider the oil cooler, but I'd definitely get the temperature valve...something like this one: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/17-8057.

I don't know anything about the OBX LS options, but I can say that a year later I'm really pleased with my 4.11. I've had it on the track a few times and it really makes a huge difference even though most of it's life it's a daily driver. I did have an issue initially because the backlash on the pinion was WAY too tight (it calls for .0012-ish and mine was at .0001-ish). Once that got adjusted, I used Royal Purple diff fluid but the clutches were so tight it clunked still on hard corners. I called Royal Purple and they suggested adding more slip additive, and that did the trick. While I'm happy with the result, I can see why the OBX could be a good option if it holds together. I think I had about $500 in parts (bearings, etc.) to overhaul the diff itself, and I had a new LSD to begin with from a 240SX from the PO. Those two bits added to the shop charge to adjust the backlash and it was an expensive option (luckily it took about a year so I didn't notice as much!). Good luck with your quest, and let us know how it turns out!

Sorry I fell asleep on this one, John, especially as you're so knowledgeable. I added a resonator first (not sure the size now), but the drone was still pretty bad. It did seem an odd way to make the car more comfortable, but for a strange work-around, it did the trick plus added some zip.

I was running a 3.90 open diff when I first got the car. It definitely had some advantages as it was turning about 2500 at 60mph on my 5-speed (from an 1982/3 ZX). The problem for me, though, was that because of my 3" exhaust, the drone was unbearable just at that rpm, and it was a little pokey off the line and picking up speed as the powerband my my 3.1 stroker doesn't really kick in until 3500 or so. When I upgraded to an LSD, I swapped to the 4.11, which pushed the rpms to about 2950 at 60mph. Gas mileage got worse by a hair, but it is quicker and more agile plus the drone went away, so I'm happy. I don't drive this car long distances, mostly to work and back (15 miles one way), so the mileage didn't make any real difference. I also understand that these engines don't mind running at a higher rpm, so I"m also not worried about wear and tear (I only put 3-4K miles on it a year anyway). BTW, I had my car on the dyno last fall and before any real tuning my numbers were almost exactly the same as yours. Good luck with your decision!

I did what Grannyknot did, as my rheostat knob got loose and the dash lights flickered a lot or were just out. So, I just bypassed it tying together the two wires on the switch (so I didn't modify the original wiring harness) and I'm certainly not blinded by the gauges on the dash in any way at night. I did try to remove it and repair it at first, but it was so hard to get to that I just about decided to pull the whole dash...and then came to my senses. Bypassing definitely was the right option for me.

Good news in a way, everyone--thanks for your comments. I did watch the video a few times. It would be cool if it went up on it's own, but as long as it doesn't fall back down on my head I guess I should be happy! The video was fun, too; I didn't know, for example, the Z was the first car with such a method for holding the tailgate open.

Hey everyone, I just got done watching an episode on the development of the 240Z on the Moto-Man YouTube Channel, which includes an interview with the designer. One of the things in the video is the rear hatch strut shock absorber, and I noticed the one in the video seems to lift on its own (see the 14 minute mark) and I realized mine has never done that. The shock absorber does hold the hatch open, but I have to pull it up. Maybe I need a new one? MSA has them (http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic02o03b01/30-8303) though they seem kind of expensive ($49). Has anyone tried these or other solutions? You can watch the video yourself, here, if you have some spare time.

Thanks again everyone for your help. I just wanted to update folks that I found a fabricator with a press and he added a degree or so to each bend...it took just minutes. The result is the new bar is now the same size as the stock one, and as we didn't heat it or anything (it had been manufactured in a press in the first place) the spring function should be the same. I've added a couple photos to show the difference. I'm still going to grind the tabs a little so they're not so pointy as I do have it jacked up fairly often and I'd rather not have them dig into the struts every time. As John suggests, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal to leave it, but I like it better when things line up more (plus, it will make it easier to install). I've kept MSA in the loop so maybe they will adjust their specs I'm not sure.