ninjazombiemaster

He would do the prep, repair the minor dings, etc. But I'd have to buff it myself. Only problem is he's not willing to touch the rust - no matter what I pay him. My father is a Mechanic, and the fellows shop is directly across from him. They do body/paint work and mechanical work favors for each other all the time, and I've known him since I was probably 12. So he'd give me a deal.

Exactly. Being 20 and living on my own in the city, it'd take me months of saving. So there's a time factor either way. May as well save a grand and do it myself. I just don't live somewhere spraying is an option. Very nice! I worry a little about some of the hard to reach places in achieving a smooth gloss finish. However, I'd be repainting the same color, or as close as I could so maybe it wouldn't be much of an issue.

Thats correct. Most of what I read suggests it costs around $200 to complete a car. Still beats the $1,200 my buddy quoted me for a repaint. And that's the friend price. Indeed it is the blue and white striped car. I was skeptical until I saw its results, and the update on how it looked after 3 years. I was skeptical on how glossy and smooth it could be, and how it'd hold up. That car looked fantastic. The job wouldn't be in the near future for me, since I don't have a garage atm, or a second car. But its definitely something I'd consider.

I did a search, and couldn't find anything on this.. Anyone seen this before? The end results are very promising, and it seems like a viable option for a paint job on a budget. Rickwrench, Alfa GTV, Falcon Squire, Corvair

Hes got a 280z with EFI. It should be much less effected by altitude. No worries. I live in a valley with many steep hills, and this has all been valuable information.

Yes, I get it. It was dumb and dangerous. If I ever find myself in that situation I will act differently, however, what has already happened cannot be changed, and was in a moment of emergency I wasn't prepared fully for at the time. What is important is I learned from the situation, and everyone came out okay.

I'm a young driver, and a lot of this stuff isn't taught in modern drivers ed classes. They just assume you'll be in a new enough car for stuff to just work all the time. They don't even teach manuals these days. Don't know where I heard it, but I was always told to keep the car out of gear - because replacing worn brakes is less expensive and easier then replacing a worn clutch. Perhaps that information was incorrect.

Here are my favorites from Butterfield.

Good thinking. Bruce might have some ideas. Its just the normal 180 Nissan thermostat if I remember correctly. That'd put halfway at 215 degrees. I have a small crack in the exhaust manifold that may be party responsible. Isolating the exhaust would probably be effective. Haha, yeah. Only time I wish I had it is parallel parking, but I prefer not having it. It really is a beautiful canyon though. I have a minute so I'll see if any of my other photos turned out. I am considering an electric fuel pump. Although I don't seem to have vapor lock problems, the added pressure won't hurt, and will make certain.

Performance on the way up wasn't great. But I'll give that a try and see what comes out. I don't believe I've ever experienced vapor lock, surprisingly. My car always starts, no matter how hot. Even when my engine is over 200 degrees, and its 100 outside. Sure does make me want AC, though. On that note, though - is it normal for the Temp to sit roughly halfway? My gauge goes from 180-250. My friends 280z would only reach a quarter of the way up. I have the aluminum radiator upgrade, as you can see, and I'm all topped off as far as coolant goes.

Its manual. I thought engine braking was reliant more on vacuum than the compression and was negligible in effect when the engine isn't running. Fuel looks clean. My tank should be in good shape, filter is spotless. I'm blaming the carbs at this point. Next day off I have, I'm gonna re-tune them and see if I get any insight.

Hey Guys, I met up with a fellow Z driver and drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon, a 15-mile run southeast of Salt Lake City with a total elevation change of over 4000 feet. We were up for a good cruise, and trying to get some sweet photos. Here's what I managed with my phone. We also took another drive through Butterfield Canyon, a low elevation canyon near the copper mines in the southwest region of the valley. I haven't gone through the photos there yet. It was raining, and made for quite an exciting drive through wet, narrow, tree lined roads that are not common in Salt Lake. My buddies car is a 280z, NA. We purchased our cars about the same time last year. Its amazing how different they sound and drive. His engines tone is very different, much quieter, revving at a higher pitch, but idles at a lower drone. Mine is very loud, and sounds more like a gigantic lawn mower. His suspension, chassis and clutch are much more rigid. My car is soft in comparison. Neither of us enjoyed driving the other's car. His actually felt slower to me! But who knows. We didn't drag race.. Anyway, back to the story. Once we reached our turning point in the canyon, my car made it about 10 feet down before my engine died. Must've been the elevation. I turned the key - and nothing. Here I am, rolling down the canyon with my engine totally dead. Now, its all downhill, pun intended from here. It didn't hit me immediately, but without my engine on, it has no vacuum; Without vacuum, brake boosters cannot function. Here begins a 4000 foot descent down a 15 mile canyon with no power braking. By far, one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had. While I could slow the car manually, not nearly as quickly as the driving conditions necessitate. Nevertheless, keeping my head calm got me safely to the base of the canyon, where my car started suddenly and continued with no further issue. The entire experience was captured by a dash cam.. although it looks much slower in the video than it felt in person.

Makes good sense.

Someone ripped my hood emblem off my Z. I believe the clips on the underside are still intact. I know there are a few on ebay for the tune of $40, but thought I might see if anyone has an extra laying around beforehand.

I got spied by a silver 280ZX. When I went to my car for a lunch break, I found a 240z HotWheels with a note written on it. The note said, "Keep it in your car & check the back" and on the reverse side, "I love your 240! I had this lying around and thought it was relevant! - The Silver 280ZX" Only with a classic car can you leave your window down, and people give you things - not steal them.

Just wanted to close this up. I tested the systems and determined it was the alternator. I was able to find an Ultima brand alternator locally, and put it in the same day. It did not fit initially.. I had to shave of a bit of metal to get it mounted. Just a warning to anyone purchasing that brand. I spent a little extra to get it local, but overall the cost of the repair was under $40. Other than the size issue, it went smooth and was a nice reminder of how easy these cars are to work on... For the time being, I am staying on an externally regulated system. With the new alternator, the electronics run better than they ever have since I bought it a year ago.. and the engine is actually louder! Makes me wonder if the weak alternator was actually shortchanging my ignition system. Either way, its running good again. Thanks for the help.

Thanks guys. It runs well enough to get it to the shop tomorrow, I'll give it all a try.

Good catch. I guess that's probably a no-go then. Datsunzparts.com has accurate replacements with the rails for a little over $100 more. Probably a better route.

Wouldn't that be more likely to cause battery and accessory failure than a dead battery though?

Like many Z owners, I really ought to replace my floor pans.. I've noticed that Rock Auto sells "Classic to Current Fabrication" floor pans for $100 a side, so $200 for a pair. Here's their website. Rust Repair Panels | Auto Body Parts | Replacement Floor Pans Anyone have experience with these? Are the comparable to the $300 set from MSA, or is it better to spend the extra $100 (or extra $200 for the premium version)? I have a pretty small budget. Originality is somewhat a concern, but less so than functionality - In the case of a floor pan, especially.

I've seen 'em at rock auto for under $20. Part # 4313.

Solid advice. I've been charging it at night in my place and reinstalling the battery every morning. Gets me to work and back. I'll get it to the shop Monday and test it, then order the part. At least it still runs. Its really weird how the ammeter goes nuts when my RPMS get high. I took a video, but haven't had a chance to upload it.

Perhaps long term. But this is my only vehicle and I need it back on the road yesterday. At least manually charging it should suffice for the weekend.

Sounds like the smartest course of action is to charge it somehow and try to test it. In the long term, I'd like a bigger alternator, but right now my focus is getting back on the road, so if that means a new regulator, then so be it. They run about the same price on RockAuto. I'll check on my setup after I get off work and make sure I even have an external regulator. I'll post a picture, too.

Yeah. I was gonna have it checked this morning, and then the battery died.. hah. So now its stuck in my parking space until I can find/buy a huge extension cord, or get lucky and maybe it turns over enough to start. Edit: Ninja'd the ninja - I agree. typically when driving it stayed positive, but idling or driving at low RPMs for extended periods with a lot of things going on pushed it in the negative. Its been a nuisance, which is why I'm going bigger with the repair.