MikeW

I started the spreadsheet in the first place after repeatedly failing to get my car listed in the other register.

Yes, a database would be far superior and ideally it would be hosted right here on this site. When I brought up that idea in the past it never got any traction. I wouldn't want to have to register a new domain and pay for server hosting.

I say go ahead and add it. To me the more information the better. I suppose some people might be concerned about privacy but other than the engine number and build date none of the information gathered is something you couldn't record from a car in a parking lot. It's not like we're storing names and addresses and license plate numbers.

Yes, fortunately or unfortunately the spreadsheet is open to anyone. I created it so that people can maintain their own data without having to depend on someone else to maintain it for them. Other people have taken it beyond what I started with by adding new columns and even color coding. If some data is bad it's quite likely that it was an accident by someone not being careful. It is possible to go back to older revisions of the spreadsheet but it would probably be quicker to fix mistakes as they're spotted.

Have you thought about how these panels would be covered? I doubt most people here would care what the non-visible portion is made from and plastic would have some advantages over the original panel. However, people would certainly want them to look original when installed.

The combination switch is notoriously flaky over time. For a long time I had to turn mine on and off several times to actually get the lights to come on. I eventually took the switch apart and repaired it. I also installed Dave's relay harness to avoid the problem in the future. The fact that you have relays already hopefully indicates that your switch isn't getting damaged more through use but it may have already been borderline. If the switch turns out to be the problem the fix is easy - I posted instructions here almost 5 years ago: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17688

Mull was my first thought as well. He's also member here and coincidentally lives in Sweden. As far as I know he currently holds the record for resurrecting the car that started out in the worst possible condition. He created an entire thread here of his progress with lots of incredible videos of his work. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17399

In addition to not using too much adhesive be sure to use enough and follow the directions carefully about letting it get tacky before applying the headliner. I did mine all by myself but had to redo it because it started sagging in the middle. I must not have used enough adhesive or let it get tacky enough.

It doesn't seem like your ordinary lowlife would even know what those were. I hope it wasn't someone with prior knowledge of the business involved ...

There's only one wire going to the switch. The barrel switch itself is grounded in the hole in the door jamb and the switch is normally open when the door is closed and the switch is closed when the door is open. It won't work at all hanging out. As E already explained you may just need to clean the hole to expose clean metal. You could also probably use a rolled up piece of sandpaper if you don't have a brush that will fit.

In your flickr gallery there's only one shot of rust and that's of the headlight: http://www.flickr.com/photos/76280z/3850802953/ That's certainly going to need new metal and I'm not aware of a patch panel for that area. I'd have to see more body pictures to see what else they might be balking at. A typical insurance work body shop simply doesn't do that sort of thing so they may be doing you a favor - they're probably not qualified. From the rest of your pictures it appears to be that you've done a lot of great work already so you shouldn't get discouraged. I'd find a shop that specializes in restorations and make sure it's done right - even if you can't trade air time for it.

Don't know that I'd try a tow rope without working brakes if you also can't downshift to use engine braking since the clutch is inoperable. That could be a disaster.

Welcome. Post some pictures if you can.

When I saw the title of this post I thought for sure it was spam advertising a way to get a fake driver's license or something over the net.

People will argue over that single word used to describe the car. Instead of trying to use the proper specific word to someone who's asking why not show them all of the pictures of the progress and describe in detail everything that you've done. It sounds to me like your work has been far more thorough than most so you have no reason to be intimidated by the elite purists who claim it's not restored if it has one part that's not quite correct.

As I recall when I got my kit it had two R side door strips even though one of them actually had the L part number on it. Hopefully you've got everything you need and then some ...

For what it's worth I'm fairly sure I saw this car at Road Atlanta a couple of years ago at the Mitty. It was actually running and being driven but it was in the same bad shape that it's in now. I recall some discussion at the time about the true model. Some knowledgeable people didn't think it was a JDM car but possibly from another RHD market. I don't recall what made them think that, however. The VIN should be stamped into the firewall if it's not in the other obvious places. Edit: I may have seen the car earlier as well. This one certainly matches the description: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13941

How many pieces do you have? Where did you get the kit? I remember the same precision kit matching the diagram. It looks like it has 16 pieces (counting pairs for L and R but not the adhesive).

Perhaps this catalog diagram of the precision kit will help: http://www.blackdragonauto.com/icatalog/z/full.aspx?page=59

Hopefully that's 39 paid for 240-Z otherwise it doesn't add up.

Dave's point about priming the carbs presumably only involves getting the float bowls full faster if they are low. If the engine has run recently it should start right up in either case. Unlike fuel injection which requires the higher pressure of an electric pump the mechanical pump just has to be able to pump enough volume to keep the bowls full. Unless the car hesitates under a heavy load then the mechanical pump by itself is sufficient.

I'm glad you got it figured out and that the fix was easy. Another thing to mention for anyone else having similar problems is common to all cars with carburetors: if the engine hasn't been run for a while it's simply harder to start as it's likely that fuel has evaporated from the float chambers. It takes a while for fuel to refill everything. Fuel injection has a clear advantage here.

You didn't mention the choke at all but that's the primary thing to consider when starting cold. It's possible that the choke cable needs an adjustment. I'd have someone else sit in the car and move the choke lever back and forth while you observe their effect at the carbs. I doubt the damper oil matters very much but 20W is the factory recommendation anyway so it can't hurt. The thermostat has zero impact on starting as it doesn't open up until the car has been running long enough to get warm.

The vacuum is generated directly by the effect of a dropping engine piston sucking air through the intake manifold and therefore through the carb. Here's one explanation: http://www.zparts.com/zptech/articles/mal_land/ml_sucarb2/SUcarb_111601b.htm

If there truly is fuel in the float chambers then you've narrowed down the problem considerably. Usually it's a clogged filter or fuel line or banjo filter where the fuel comes into the float bowl. It's possible that the small fuel hoses you mentioned are still a problem even after cleaning. You can get new hoses from ztherapy.com. When you said changed all fluids I assume you have fresh fuel as well. Stale gas can definitely cause it to not run.