Carl Beck

I really wish I hadn't looked at that picture - - - I "refreshed" my webers, engine and engine compartment about 17 years ago..and they are over do for a rework now... I forgot how good they looked then... another summer project ... FWIW, Carl B.

I have a Jim Cook intake manifold - to mount the super-charger to the L24/28 - just in case you find a supercharger. $175.00 + shipping/boxing etc.

Oh yea .... that's what I need:tapemouth

This may help - http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/69-83TrannyShifterDrawing.jpg FWIW, Carl B.

Thanks Mitchell / Mike W. I'll have to go look again at the stock pedal assembly - but I think I understand... FWIW, Carl B.

Could you show us more about how the throttle cable was installed... what it took, or how it was modified - to hook to the accelerator pedal etc. thanks, Carl B.

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche died Thursday in Salzburg, Austria at age 76 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46966251/ns/business-autos/t/ferdinand-porsche-sports-car-designer-dies/ The Automotive World has lost a very good man. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Chase: The Devil is in the details - or in this case the value is in the details. How about providing more details or detailed pictures of your 72 as it stood when you bought it. Some 240Z's are worth $2500.00 and some seem to have been sold recently for $16,000.00 to $18,000.00. Here is a 72 with 131,000 miles - that sold for $10,100.00 E-Bay Item 190657808359 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/190657808359?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm570.l2736%26_nkw%3D190657808359%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1 The buyer has been looking for a good 240Z for two years now... Again - an original owner, well documented example.. in really good condtion. Someone on this forum - from Texas - recently stated that they couldn't find a rust free 240Z in Texas..How long ago did you buy your Z? FWIW, Carl B.

80900-E8801 Door RH White - - up to 6/72 80900-N3304 Door RH Beige --- 7/72 forward Call it dirty white if you like - almost everyone does - but Nissan called it Beige. 73 Model Introduction FWIW, Carl B.

I can't understand why some people insist that the mileage is not correct. 31K documented miles, then stored for 25 years - - sounds like that would be pretty easy to check - Look at the documentation and call the original owner. The engine compartment is way to clean and original looking to be a 131K mile car. I don't find this to be unusual at all. I bought new seat covers and door panels for my Blue/White 72 - a few months after I bought it new. I figured at some point I'd want to or need to replace a white interior. For that matter I have all new interior panels for my White/Red 72, on which I am the second owner. One Original Owner here in this forum - is finally having his Z restored - and many of the NOS parts were purchased by him 30 years ago. It wasn't a matter of need - so much a matter of forward planning. FWIW, Carl B.

If the car checked out to actually be rust free and had 31K miles... Cleaned up and put in fine running condition - - - it could easily be $14K to $16K today. Even as it sits with some issues related to how it starts and runs; and some cosmetic issues ...I'd be a buyer in a heart beat at $8K to $10K. If I looked it over and under - carefully and really really liked the car - I'd pay $12K.. I would always be willing to pay a few thousand dollars more - up front - for a solid, unmolested, stock/original car... Especially if I planned to refresh or restore it. To me - "The CAR" is more important than "the Deal". I've seen many guys pass on a near perfect car - just because it wasn't "the Deal" they wanted. Then they kept looking for a year or two or three more.. all to save a couple grand. That's fine if it is "the DEAL" that one is looking for. When I find the right car - I buy it. I don't have years to wait for a couple thousand dollars. {not in todays money}. Seat upholstery - left sitting in storage - and left to collect dust/dirt - the threads can and do rot. So even if the vinyl is good - they start to split at the seams. Kept clean and cared for this doesn't happen. I agree - looking at the rear - the tail light finisher has been refinished - and it looks like overspray on the muffler. The front bumper is missing rubber trim and the rear bumper has a dent in the center - no big deal - but you can spend a couple grand getting them made perfect again. What to take note of - while you are looking the car over. Make yourself a WRITTEN LIST to take with you - if you don't - you'll remember things later that you wish you had thought of while you were there. You get to talking to the seller.. and things drop though the crack - you get distracted - - -TAKE A WRITTEN LIST.. and check each thing off as you look with a critical eye. I won't list the usual things like Glass, Weather seals/gaskets, condition of the paint & trim, condition of the interior plastic panels, condition of the suspension bushings, condition of the suspension components {clean/black or covered with surface rust etc}, age of the tires, all associated original documentation like Window Sticker, Bill of Sale, Owners manual and Service Booklet {stuff that comes with low mileage one owner cars), original exhaust system in place, etc etc..... but some minor things that can cost a lot of money - specific to the 240Z's now... - look at the chrome trim on the tail lights - is it perfect or pitted? {NOS set $1200.00} - look at the rear wheel arches - are the original spot welds there - or covered over? - look at the dash - - any cracks {NOS Dash $1800.00} - look at the door panels - if they are in as new condition - could save you $650.00 or more - look carefully at all the weather stripping - with 31K miles it should all be just fine... - look all the wiring harnesses over - make sure they aren't hacked or repaired poorly - - everyone else can start adding their specific items to look at... good luck, Carl B.

I do not know about the UniLite with Vacuum Advance, which it sounds like you have from your description. I'll mention this just in case someone else here knows for sure. The Mallory Unilite without vacuum advance comes with a "timing key" - which allows the owner to set the initial advance timing in the distributor {shown as degrees of Crankshaft Advance} from 20 to 28 Degrees. Your problem may be there as well. See: http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/MalloryDist.htm Set Up Instructions from Mallory are at the bottom of the page. FWIW Carl B.

Hi Fallguy: Just to be clear - do you mean that the color code tag says "638". If that is the case - then my guess would be that some previous owner replaced the original tag. I've never seen a 1977 280Z that was stock or original with the Black Metallic paint. I'd look up under the dash - under the sound/heat insulation - and see what color is there. To the best of my knowledge here in North America - 1978 was the first model year for Black. FWIW, Carl B.

I've seen that happen when someone put the one way vaccum check valve in-line - backward. I've seen that happen when 38+ year old vaccum hoses cracked lengthwise. Just make sure you have good vaccum supplied to the booster first. Does the car have a new looking Brake Master Cylinder by chance? Inproperly installed/adjusted - the push rod can stop short of applying full pressure as well. FWIW, Carl B.

I ran Goodyear Eagle GT's with Raise Outline Letters for years - loved the way they handled and looked on the Z Car. But they are no longer available in 195/70/14's... Your Goodrich T/A's look great. The front end of the Z not only "looks" light - at 60mph+ it feels light without an air dam or Spook. The body side molding - may not look too good - but I've found that cars with it from the Dealers - have far fewer and more minor door dings - than the cars that didn't have it. Fine to take if off today - just don't park in any public parking lots... Good luck with the project.. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Brian: Thanks for the very interesting story and great pictures. Speaking of Z Visitors - A fellow Z Car enthusiast from NZ, Steve Chong and his wife visited us here in Flordia a few years ago. They really wanted to see a Shuttle Launch, which was of course delayed - so they extended their vacation a bit. Nonetheless it was great seeing them... If you get to the US - be sure to stop by... FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Rich: Congratulations!! You rightfully have to be very happy with that showing. We are all proud of you!! Thanks for posting the pictures - there are some wonderful cars there and The Z Belongs in such company!! I think that most of the larger and better known Concours Events - have the experience to assure that our Wives are happy to be there. Great that you could enjoy the event and time together. Oh.. yes.... 2 show quality "D" hubcaps for $160.00 - you should count him as a sponsor. ;-) So what's next everyone? Carl B.

Hi madkaw: Just another input: The Holley 12-804 {that steve91tt recommended} is the fuel pressure regulator that was used by BRE on the Baja Z back in 73. Matter of fact the same one is still there working just fine today, and the new one's are still the same. Holley sells both the 12-803 {higher pressure 4.5-9 psi} and 12-804 {low pressure 1-4 psi}. They are identical with the exception of the pressure relief spring rating. Holley also sells a rebuilt kit with new gaskets and both springs for these regulators. If you want single lines going to each SU or each Webber etc - - you can mount the regulator on the firewall on the passenger side - put a fuel pressure gauge on the left and an outlet on the right - that feeds a Fuel Distribution Block on the drivers side. You can get fuel distribution blocks for 2 or three outlet lines. http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Fuel-Distribution-Blocks/Product-Line/Mr-Gasket-T-Style-Fuel-Blocks/?autoview=SKU So if you do change from two SU's to triples - all you need to change is the distribution block. Or just start with the distribution block for three carb's - and use it with a fuel pressure gauge in the center and outlets on each end to the SU's. I'll mention - that there are two ways of using a "return". First is to return the fuel from the regulator back to the tank. That is provided to let the pump run at its most efficient level. Many regulators have a return built in. The second type of return - returns fuel not used by the carb's - to the tank. That is done to keep the fuel cool in the lines and at the carb's. So the purpose and/or type of return has to be kept in mind. With a good heat shield between the carb's and headers - most of the time you don't need a return. However - in many area's of the country - or with less than good heat shielding... some applications benefit from the increased fuel flows using a return after the carbs. {like the original fuel rails used by Nissan}. FWIW, Carl B.

So sorry to hear that - it is a real bummer to say the least. If it was stored - it sounds like rodent damage to the wiring... maybe? Hope it isn't too extensive.. Carl B.

Hi Lee: That is a mounting point for service jackstands. There is one at each wheel. Here is an example of the application from McKlein-imagedatabase.com This is what the BRE Baja Z's look like: BRE BAJA Z - Model by Rick Correia

Hi Will: This is the type of car I love doing a refresh or full restoration on. Looks all stock and original - hasn't been mutilated by multiple previous owners. With 77K miles it is just now getting broken in. Of course Blue/White is my favorite color combo. Mine is a 72 and I have just under 80K miles on it. I would say that your first task - and the highest priority - is to remove/stop any areas of rust. Rust is the major killer of these cars. To make them light weight - they were built with relatively thin sheet metal - once it starts to surface rust - the rust eats though the metal quickly. So get out the wire wheels, wire brushes and sand paper - clean as much as you can off - then treat with OSPHO to kill the rust. Then prime/paint the spots. Do it now while many of them are small.. After that - I agree with the others - do small things one at a time. Keep it stock... drive it for a while on the weekends... If you are like so many of us - you'll wind up doing a full Refresh or even a Restoration and keeping it for the next generation... FWIW, Carl B.

Hey Rich - THAT'S GREAT!!.... Way to go!! Carl B.

Are you asking about painting the outside of the tank, or using POR-15's product to seal the inside of the tank? A pint will cover the outside of the tank... just make sure you spray whatever top coat {paint} you plan to use - on - while the POR-15 is still tacky..

Post some clear pictures up - that show the details of the car - so we can see what it should be worth to a person that wants to restore one. Then you'll have an idea if you could profit from selling it, then pick up a less expensive rolling shell to modify or build. It's your car - but it is also your money. Better to start a modification with the best and least expensive rolling shell you can find - then put your money into the modifications. Why pay Classic Car premium prices for a shell? FWIW, Carl B.