MikeW

Here's a picture I took of one at the Mitty a few months ago: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/data/3315/Mitty04-29_022.jpg

I believe I paid $70-$80 8 or 9 years ago. I know a lot of people seem to complain about MSA prices. Perhaps all of these people could do the rest of us a huge favor by going into business together and selling parts at steep discounts.

MSA: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SFC04C

Welcome, Armando. Your English is fine although your caps lock key appears to be stuck. Can you post some pictures of the car you are interested in buying? The original engine was a 2.4 liter straight six. Many owners have swapped engines in these cars although this is the first time I've heard of someone downgrading the performance. Most engine swaps in a 240Z are to 2.8 liter engines from the 280Z/ZX models while others go for a V8.

I've successfully used this kit from Eastwood to remove fairly deep scratches from my windshield caused by the PO running the wipers without blades. I bought a cheap variable speed angle grinder at a local home improvement store and it worked well.

How deep are the grind marks? It's possible to polish some things out.

They have at least one and it looks nice to me: http://www.sfzcc.com/forum/garage.php?mode=view_gallery_item&type=garage_mod&image_id=154

I'm afraid you'll find that most Z car clubs these days are dominated by 300s and 350s; my club is the same way. That doesn't mean that people there don't appreciate our older cars. It's just a matter of how many cars are still on the road after 30+ years.

Welcome. This looks like it might help you out: http://www.sfzcc.com/

Another good point. In my case the two previously layers of adhesive probably prevented this.

Good point. One concern, however, would be to not stretch it too much. I'm wondering if the stretching I did previously while tucking in the perimeter contributed to it coming loose in the middle. After all it's a flat piece of vinyl being attached to a concave roof surface. A couple of other notes: I wore a respirator while spraying the glue as a lot of fumes can build up inside the car. Also, I just now finished the two rear corners and didn't have to remove the quarter window trim completely. Instead I just took out the coat hangers and screws and was able to bend the plastic enough to get the headliner in place.

I just re-installed mine for the third time so I'm getting to be an expert. It's actually not that difficult to do by yourself. The reason that I had to redo it twice is that I must not have used enough glue the first two times as it started sagging from the center. You'll need to remove the plastic trim that the dome light is in and probably the quarter window trim before getting started. Like Gary, I marked the center of the front and back. Positioning isn't absolutely critical as there's at least an inch overlap on all sides (I got my headliner from Too Intense - others may vary). Because of the way the headliner is tucked in around the entire perimeter it's not important to get the glue close to the edges. I first got the front center mark tucked in above the rear view mirror and then pushed the entire front edge in. After verifying that the rear center would line up with the middle of the dome light I opened the hatch and climbed in. At this point the entire front edge is held up and the rest is hanging down resting on the seat tops. I then used my can of spray-on headliner adhesive to thoroughly coat both the headliner and the roof. Because I was spraying it in between the two surfaces from the back it was easy to avoid getting glue on any other part of the car. This time I used a lot of adhesive and made sure that it got good and tacky before pressing it up into place. Based on my past experience getting the center thoroughly attached is the most critical part. Once the headliner is glued into place it's just a matter of going around the perimeter and getting it tucked into place. I used a thin wooden shim that I cut off and then sanded a rounded working edge on.

Actually that's even stranger since I wasn't thinking when I asked about the amp meter. I'd forgotten that the oil pressure gauge shares the same housing as the fuel gauge. Does your fuel gauge work? How about the temperature gauge? I suppose at this point you'll need to start with the basics. First, I'd check all of the fuses.

Does the amp meter still work? Since it's a common gauge I wonder if that's reason you're having a problem.

I would expect to see things like spares (fuel filter, fuses, distributor cap, rotor, belts, etc.) along with things to fix wiring problems (multimeter, spare wire, connectors). Don't forget some duct tape. I can't picture very many roadside situations where you'd actually need to use a lot of the heavier tools that you carry for junkyard visits. Perhaps in addition to a list of emergency tools we need a list of actual incidents where something went wrong and you were able to fix it on the side of the road. My only successes have been related to the fuel filter getting clogged and an electrical problem where the battery was not charging and I was trying to drive after dark. 20 years ago I had the U-joint nuts come loose at the front of the driveshaft and I could have fixed it on the side of the road but had no idea that was the problem so I got someone to tow me.

Hey, I wear shorts year round here in Atlanta as well - even to work every day.

Unfortunately I had to pay someone a lot of money to fix mine (as well as paint the car).

Either the strange extra plate under the gas cap neck or the fact that he's wearing flip-flops while working on the car.

I guess so because I've done that myself. I've even got the mushroomed pin on a shelf in my office to prove it. When I think of this category I tend to first go with wiring problems and improperly used Bondo. While I've never knowingly butchered any of my wiring I do admit to putting some Bondo on my car 20 years ago when I was 18 and didn't know any better. It's since been replaced by properly welded patch panels.

What about CO: CURRENT OWNER DUMBASSERY?

Palm trees in Pennsylvania?

At least you now know where on the pulley the notch will be since it will have close proximity to the pointer. Once you find it I suggest putting some white paint on it. If the engine is currently running you can use a timing light to help find the notch as it will certainly be within the range.

What size wheels and tires are you running?

There should be certainly at least one mark. On my 240Z there are multiple notches on the crank pulley and a single timing pointer. I believe that on later cars there is a single notch on the pulley and a timing pointer that has multiple markings in 5 degree increments. Can you even find the pointer? Do you have a factory service manual or even an aftermarket manual?

I first saw them in Zurich in 2000. My wife and I thought they were interesting so I took a picture of her standing next to one. I can't determine when the first production vehicles were made. The history section here does not have enough detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile)