Hardway

A big thumbs up on a job well done! Glad to hear she fired right up and sounds like you are going to have her back on the road soon.

Thanks for the info guys. If I go with a steel piece of tubing I may take it down to the corner exhaust shop and ask if they can bend it. My tubing bender does it go up to 1/2" The idea of soldering 2 tubes together seems like a good idea too. I will keep everyone posted with what I decide to do.

It depends on the lighting. My 240 is color 112, Lime Green. Check out the pics below of it in and out of the sun. Take your paint samples and look at them in the sun as well.

Thanks for the info guys. I looked in to the external hose spring, they say not to bend beyond 90 degrees. I have tubing bender so I think I will go with 1/2" aluminum or brass tubing. Now I just have to find it and buy it.

Resurecting an old thread. I like the idea of using an RX7 pump on my carb'd 240z. I have stock twin SU's and my car currently has a small canister pump like the one listed below. I am doing a full fuel system rebuild and restoration and the pump is annoyingly loud. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Chevy-Dodge-Ford-Saab-Toyota-Pickup-Truck-External-Electric-Gas-Fuel-Pump-/230795876920?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1981%7CModel%3ARX-7&hash=item35bc819a38&vxp=mtr I would like to replace my canister pump with an RX7 pump. Is the pump below correct for a '81 RX7 and to be used in my application? It looks a lot like an in-tank fuel pump but is designed to be run externally. Even looking on the parts store websites do not call out which one is correct for a carb'd vehicle as it lists both exact kits. http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTER-P60504-Electric-Fuel-Pump-/170830783182?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1981%7CModel%3ARX-7&hash=item27c64ee2ce&vxp=mtr

Agreed, BBC Top Gear rocks. Clarkson and those guys make a great show. Look up some of Clarkson's older videos on You Tube. Its funny to see him when he was thinner and had more hair, lots more hair. HA! My wife likes Top Gear too and we plop down on the couch and devote an hour to it. In addition she likes Chasing Classic Cars and sometimes gets in to Wheeler Dealers on Velocity. Great to have a wife that likes some of my car shows!

Nice pics of the Chushman scooters! Definitely don't see at too many shows.

[quote name=a couple of pics of my neighbors z car. The guy just had the entire engine rebuilt but hes just leaving it sit there for a long time. If my neighbor was neglecting a 240 like that I would be making an offer to buy it!

So is this a case where the chain guides are not in the correct position causing the tensioner not to be able to take up the slack? Is the chain too long? I see you are driving home the fact of installing the chain first before the guides and the tensioner. Most people I can see would think to have all those items in place before installing the chain.

I have read seveal posts regarding people replacing their vent lines and not wanting to shell out $50 for the preformed 5/8 vent line with the 180 degree bend in it. I see people have used 15mm or 1/2" steel tubing, bent it, and then inserted it in the line to achieve the bend. I am curious, can aluminum or brass be used instead of steel? I know copper cannot be used due to the reaction it will have with the fuel. Just looking for a softer metal to work with as steel will fight you for every inch.

I used Uship.com and Black Rock Logisitics was the company that picked up my bid. The driver was a solo operation but super cool, timely, and took care of everything. He made sure that not only my 240z got to me in good shape but as well as the extra body panels and box of parts the sellers gave me.

Just from your description they may not be salvagable. If the plastic rear panels are crumbling toss them, they are too fragile to fix. If your door panels are complete but moldy you can mix is a solution of 1 part clorox bleach with 3 or 4 parts water. The bleach will kill the mold on contact and then you just wipe it away. If they clean up well they may be worth trying to resale. Some pics would help in better answering your question.

I agree with Wade. Also, old Porsches used L-Tronic EFI as well. If you can find an old school european auto repair shop it might be a good place to start if you are looking for a shop. If your car is just running rich, there are write ups on how to adjust your AFM. I would be interested to know if you have tried opening it and looking at the board. Even on the AFM you say has a dead spot, it may just be debris or something on the surface that the arm swipes. Check out the link below from Atlantic Z. Don't be afraid to dive in to your EFI. They really are not that complicated and very rarely can you break it. http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/afm/index.html Another area to check is your coolant sensors. On a 280z there are 2, a Thermotime sensor and temp sensor. Someone in the past may have gotten the plugs mixed up. Check a service manual and confirm they are hooked up correctly. Also, use an ohm meter to check the resistance of each sensor. If one or both are bad that could be causing your car to run rich too. Keep us posted on your findings.

I bought some plastic push in style caps to replace the mix matched caps on my Applicance wheels. Post up a picture of the style you are needing and the dimensions. I will see if mine are like it.

$4200 for a solid true "turn key" ready to enjoy 280z is a deal. Is it a 4spd or 5psd, a '77 could be either or. I sold a rusty '77 280z a few months ago for $3200. It ran like a champ, the interior was nice as the PO had already spent some money on it but it needed well over $3K in paint and body to make it right. You just need to find some time to go drive it, snap a few pics, and report your findings. There are still a lot of 280z's out there so if this is not "the one" another will come along.

I don't live in CA but have had experience getting EFI cars to pass smog. First and foremost, have you had your car tested and what were the results? Is your car running properly? Is the EFI system stock or modified? If someone nearby cannot come and help you post up more details about your situation and the members on here can try and help.

Hey guys, apologies for not posting back sooner. Work has been super busy. Carl, are you saying I should have 6 short studs and 10 long studs? If so I have exactly the opposite. Your post made me go double check what MSA sent me and I have included the pic below. I actually have 17, 10 short, 6 long, and 1 that is kind of in between. Any other thoughts or ideas?

I picked up a 6 into 1 ceramic coated header from MSA along with their stud kit and washers. The kit includes 10 short and 6 long studs but no instructions on which ones go where. I am sure the longer ones go where the intake sits on top of the header flange and where do the washers go. My '72 240z has had a L28 long block swapped in to it and several of the bolts holding everything together was mix and matched. Does anyone have a diagram on which ones go where?

One word... Perfect. As others have said the execution is just beautiful. A great balance of modern custom touches with the seats, billet pieces, etc but still maintaining the classic look. Plus, having the 240z bumpers on the 280z just shows that is how they should have come from the factory. I don't know if I would spend $50K - $100K on a 280z but I would give good money for one similar to that one.

I used uship.com and had a great experience with it getting my 240z shipped from Marshall TX to Austin TX, only about a 5 hour drive. I put out a flat offer of $500 for shipping the car, 2 doors, and an extra hatch. It was snapped up in less than 5 minutes by a guy with Black Rock Logistics. He delivered the car door to door, was on time, and super cool. Based on what I heard from the sellers that he picked the car up from he was the same with them. All in all a very positive experience.

Glad to hear your son is okay and no one was hurt. Rust free good condition body parts are getting very hard to find, at least in TX they are. You are in CA so things may be a little easier out there. As others have said, the radiator core support is going to be the hardest as it will either need to be straightened or cut out entirely and replaced from a donor car. The car is truly your son's car based on your signature. My .02, Put the repairs on hold, have your son save his money and buy a used Honda Civic or an old truck. If he is driving to school he is either in High School or college. Not saying your son is a bad driver but he is surrounded by many who are. Keep the Z as a toy/weekend car. Let something else take the punishment and abuse of daily use.

My vote would be for the Datsun classifeds and Craigslist for several reasons. #1 they are free, #2 you can post plenty of pics, and #3 the both get a lot of traffic. People that are serious about buying one those trucks will be looking on the Datsun classifieds first and CL second. Take some good pics of it and provide an honest description and it will sell for a reasonable price. Good luck with the sale.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I would be looking at have all 3 style tanks made since there are people performing true restorations. Good points on the price vs. demand. I know some other parts houses that gave reached out to businesses to have parts made. I will see what I can come with for us.

Thanks for the info guys and the link SteveJ. I will continue to investigate my options but all of this is good to know. In regards to the clothes dryer eating socks, my uncle always says, how do you know you did not gain one? :0)

I wasn't sure where to put this so I thought it would get plenty of traffic here. Pretty much as the title states. I continue to read threads about members efforts to restore their 40 year old fuel tanks and or track down a used fuel tank. I have looked around at all the vendors and no one seems to offer new fuel tanks for our cars. Seeing that the fuel tank is not only a key piece to the operation of a car but also the safety of it I believe a stronger focus is needed here. If a new properly fitting and correct looking tanks were available, how much would you pay for one? Gas tanks for all kinds of American muscle cars are currently reproduced and offered at reasonable prices in my opinion ($200 - $400). Has anyone already investigated asking any of the major parts houses about having new tanks made for our cars? Just curious here as I see a potential opportunity to help all of us.