Smokey

Saweet!!! I want one!

Yes, I am talking about the half shafts. Didn't even think about the actual drive shaft, although that could also cause some thumping. Since you have new U-joints there, that should be just fine. I thought of a test that you could do to see if you have enough slop in the rear end to cause excessive movement. With the car in gear and the parking brake set, you and a buddy get behind the Z and start pushing it in a rocking motion. While the car is rocking, you should not see any front to back movement on the rear wheels relative to the fender openings. Then try the same trick with the parking brake off. With the car in gear, you should still have a lot of resistance to the rocking motion. If you hear clunking, it is likely your half shaft U-joints.

Check around the wheel well opening front to back, and top to bottom, and inside out. With the suspension so bad in the rear, you will be getting more movement front to rear than you would normally. This is supported by the toe issue you mentioned. When you are decellerating or braking, the diff will put a load on the wheels in a different direction then when its under power. This could be shifting the wheels and causing them to come in contact with some part of the body. You will notice scrub marks if this is the case. The tires you are using are both wider and taller than what was there before which would support why the new tires caused you to hear the noise. The smaller tires wouldn't be big enough to make contact. It might also be your U-joints on the rear axle going bad. The extra mass of the bigger tire could have put week joints over the edge. They would make a knocking sound under different loads similar to a CV joint in a front drive car when turning.

I have started to wonder the same thing. Looking at the pics, it looks like one piece with the fender, maybe just molded in. I would hope that they are just the buckets so they could be changed out and reverted back to the original round lights. I feel like a Jeep snob right now talking about round vs square lights. The round are just so much better looking IMO.

I'm working this weekend, or I would have to think about it really hard. I could grab a quick loan, fly down, and drive up....if we can put the points back in and get it running. That would be a long trip to NC though. Lemme see what kind of options I can come up with.

I just bit the bullet and looked at your repair log and checked out the pictures. If she didn't have the square headlight buckets I would be on a plane to Houston now. The first Z that I ever saw was in high school. It was a 280Z, silver, with the same spoilers front and back, fender flares, and deep black wheels. I drooled over that car for 3 years till it graduated. I've been into Z's ever since. If I had the money, and a way to easily get there I would so take it off your hands. Your asking price is a bit steep though (for me that is). If you are offering a "just for me" special, I would love to discuss it more through email NCPhotoTrekker@aol.com.

I agree that the shop should do the fix for you since you didn't request that they fill them. On the other hand, putting the emblems on is as simple as finding the right location and using double sided 3M foam tape. That is what holds on most of the emblems on cars these days and is very resiliant. It is thin enough not to be seen. This would give you the option of removing them later, or doing a custom mounting location for the hatch emblem. Just a thought. I would be weary of drilling holes since that will break the paint seal, and could potentially lead to rust if not properly sealed back up when the emblems are installed.

You should hire out a photographer to snap pics of your car which can be printed and hung in the garage. That will make it personal to you, and feed into your Z's want to look at itself when resting. I would love to come out and do a photo shoot with your Z, but I am nowhere near Houston. I could get your some tack sharp 17x25" prints though.

Jared, I'm in Winston-Salem, and work in Greensboro. You will probably be coming through my zone on I-40. If you see a slick top city police car on your tail, its just me checking you out.

Congratulations on finishing your project!! I'm sure that it will do well at the Nationals, but even if it doesn't I think that you have a 10/10 winner on your hands. I'm not much on swapping engines but there is no argument that you have a very capable car here that is in every way better than the factory intended. I have enjoyed reading the progress on this car and can't wait to see the professional pics. I would love the chance to fill my lenses with this car...but I'm not quite close enough to make that happen.

Just to add my two cents, Z's in the SE are getting harder to find in rust free shape. If this one has no rust, and the motor and other mechanicals are as advertised, it will get that price I imagine. Personally, for me in this area I would expect near that price for this car. If I had it to spend, I would jump on it if you declined. Try offering $9,000 if it all pans out the way he says.

You need to get that bird crap off the windshield!!!! You will have your work cut out for you, but if you can pull it off, it will be a nice addition to any collection.

You know....I'm not a fan of the ZX bodies, but that is a very nice one! If it were a 5spd, I would have at least a fleeting thought of trying for it.

If the rust is bad enough, you need to deal with that before adding the go fast goodies. All that money you are wanting to put into mods will be wasted if the unibody car is not solid. I imagine that the rust you are talking about is on the floor pans. Your racing seat might fall through if you don't have good solid floors.

I'm not in the area so I can't really help on that end. However, if it turns out you can't find a good shop, here are some things that you can look for to determine if the car is in good shape. Exterior: Look at the condition of the paint. Old paint is better because you can really evaluate what is under it. Look for small pin holes, these will indicate rust on the inner part of the panel....will have to be cut out to be fixed. Surface rust with no holes is likely just on the exterior of the panel. These cars like to rust from the inside out. Areas to really look at for rust....anything that is not glass, plastic, or rubber. Pay attention to the dog legs, rockers, cowl, hatch area. Use a magnet to check for bondo, especially on a newer paint job. If the magnet don't stick, there is lots of bondo....probably a quick fix that you will have to address later on. Interior: Pull the carpets up and check the floor pans. They will likely have sound deadener on them so poke around with a screw driver. Check the firewall on the passenger side to see if the heater hoses are leaking. Pull the spare out and check the well area. Look at all the jambs, the trunk jamb is a particularly bad place to rust due to exhaust fumes. Engine: Check the bay for more rust on the frame rails, and pay particular attention to the area under the battery tray. If there is rust here, it is likely due to battery acid which can't be repaired by normal techniques. It more than likely has seeped between the inner fender and firewall. If this happens, you are looking at a structural point that will need to be fixed by a competent shop or can be done at home with proper tools and knowledge. Not for the faint of heart....I've seen repairs for this estimated at $4000+ and there is no direct weld in panel. Fabrication is the answer unless you have a donor car. Make sure that the engine is cool to the touch at this point. Check the oil, smell it. It will indicate if the maintenance is up to date on the car. Look at the everything and make sure that nothing is flopping around loose. This is a good time to look for previous body damage clues. Make sure that the front of the car fits together tight without wrinkles. Under the car: Look at the floor pans again. These are common rust victims and are easy to replace. Check the wheel wells front and rear. Rust will usually eat through close to the fenders here. On the front, look at the frame rails and the torsion bar mounting points from the bottom. Take a screwdriver and poke around here as well. These don't rust from the outside, they die from the inside out. It will look solid, but you will be able to put holes in the metal if rust is present on the inside. Pay particular attention to the area under the batter on the passenger side on the back end of the wheel well. Again, you will be able to see if the battery acid has seeped inbetween the firewall and floor pan. If you see rust out here, you should back away from the car in my opinion. Be cautious of fresh undercoating. That is an old trick to hide rusted areas and clean things up for the sale. Old paint and dirty undersides are the best indicators of the condition of the car. Start it up: This is where the cold engine comes in good. You will be able to tell if it starts easy, and if the choke works. Pay attention to how it does warming up, and how it performs at operating temperature. Don't let the seller have it idling for you when you get there. They like to do that "for your convenience" so it is ready to roll for the test drive. In actuality, that is a nice trick to mask cold start issues. The owner knows how to stand on one foot, scratch his head, and manually crank the motor with a rachet...but doesn't want you to see this ritual. He will, of course, turn it off while you are looking at the exterior. When you crank it for the drive it will still be warm and easy to get going. Other than that, look at all the normal things. Suspension bushings, links, blah blah blah. Make sure that doors and hatch open and close smoothly without binding. Turn on all the lights and wipers. Give a good smell and see if you smell burning. This could indicate an electrical problem. Good luck, I hope it works out for you. I'm starting the process myself.