Mark Maras

327 with fuel injection heads, with an automatic?. OMG where would you start. IMO this one will never see the road again.

Gotta love creativity. He must be a relative of Red Green or a member of the Possum Lodge.

Has anyone tried Versimold for tail-light gaskets or bumper covers? It looks like it would be a great alternative for the rubber parts that can "nickel & dime" your budget. Mark

Having installed a 73 radio into my 71 years ago, The face plate will have to be changed to a 73 also. Sorry, I don't know if it was an early or late 73. As I recall it was a straight forward swap. No wiring issues. But as I sit here & remember, I should have had issues with the antenna switch, I think, by the time I swapped radios, the original antenna had been vandalized twice & I replaced it with one that had a spring at the base, eliminating the switch by the radio. Mark

My dad used a spray bottle with water in it to check plug wires. Start the engine, turn out the lights,& mist the wires. If they are bad, kick back & enjoy the light show. Much better than getting shocked & banging your head on the hood, Mark

The fuel pressure to the SUs should be 3-3 1/2 psi. No more than 4, Mark

You'll need to tell us how light you want to go. Myself I've always wanted to have a stripped Z for the street but loving to drive a Z year round, a heater is a must & the list goes on. I'm torn between fun & creature comforts. You'll have to consider what you want to keep depending on your wants & needs. Mark

Nice score with all the goodies. If this Z is as "rust free" as it looks from the pics, it has spent it's life in a well protected home & you've found a rare one. Everything you've heard about the liquid sunshine in the Northwest is true. I doubt some areas in a Z ever totally dry out even in late summer, Congratulations, keep it dry & enjoy. Mark

I'd go with an L24. Bolt it up & drive it. No screwing around modifying this & that to get it to run. Being in college, you'll need a reliable car that won't take up your time & money. Mark

I agree, a good used engine is not that hard to find, Pull the valve cover, spark plugs and give it a compression test. You might even find a club member that has a spare. Mark

I've used water activated fiberglass mat, avail. in the plumbing section of Home Depot, to temporarily repair an old leaking hot water pipe in my house. It is made for leaking pipes & marine applications. It held up to the heat & pressure just fine. Might be one of those repair items to tuck into a tool bag too. Mark

Mine was a project with "a little" rust. Now I understand that the PO meant the HOLES in the floorboards, fender well & hatch sill-plate had "little" rust. Welcome to the club. Most of us have experienced or are experiencing this same challenge. It's part of owning a Z.

What a beautiful Z. So nice to see a Series 1 (or any Z for that matter) with no rust. Thanks for sharing the pics. Mark

(I will never buy a partially restored car again)! I feel your pain. My 260 project had 2 previous owners. Neither owner got it on the road, although they did a lot to it, all of the previous improvements I've found so far have been done half-assed. By far the most aggravating is chasing fasteners. It takes so much time. Countless hours & miles to find minor items. Too bad someone doesn't offer a complete fastener kit for these cars. No matter the price it would be worth it.

It's possible there is a short circuit somewhere in the system if it's not reversed polarity during the install. Which wire was glowing & what caught fire. Before hooking up the battery, I would pull all the fuses, turn all switches off. & check the spark at the battery with a quick tap of the cable on the post. Everything OK? Then proceed to plug fuses in one at a time & recheck the spark at the battery. Keep in mind all these spark tests are shade tree mechanics at best. A multi-meter is still the best way to attack this problem. Also look carefully at the fuse block and connecting wires for heat damage.

Or Boring, Oregon if you're not.

The bumper will come later, maybe. This is a case of "as long as i'm in here". Any cracks in the FG or bondo over time? This spot on the body seems like it is one of the few areas that don't have much flex in it. Any idea what the hole in the rear valance is for? Mark

I'm doing the bodywork on my 260, finally got around to the rear. The lower valance panel has a factory hole on the left side, directly below the reverse light, app. 5" x 1 1/2" I'm curious what is the function of this hole? My 240 has no hole & in the dim recesses of my memory, it seems as if 280s had more than one. Also, I want to clean up the area behind the bumper & put 240 bumpers on it eventually, What is the best method of filling the recessed area, behind the bumper, that is dotted with welds & holes. Seal it up & weld a piece over it or fill it with a fiberglass product. I'm thinking layers of mat and cloth or stranded jelly. I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks Mark

IMO the answer is lighter wt. oil, The clutch adjustment should be checked, but I doubt that is the problem because the problem goes away when the oil heats up & thins out. I'm not knowledgable about oil but if the synthetics are thinner, I think you'll feel the difference. Mark

The rear end in my71 that, I drove quite spiritedly for over 20 years, didn't howl or clunk. All the clunks and vibrations were eliminated with u-joints, drive line & half-shafts, many times. Maybe I just got lucky & got a good one. I certainly wasn't easy on it & it was probably the most neglected item on the car. Mark Now I'm curious if the 260 is going to howl or clunk when it goes on the road. Damn, I've got enough to think about as is.

Thanks, I was trying to come up with an easy explanation. Nice to know about the Q-windows, Mine are about to come out. Mark

Beautiful car. I don't recall any orange ones coming into Portland back then. Totally off the subject & coming from one who is thumping, priming & sanding Z sheet metal at this time, What in the world is sitting on the roof of your Z & please tell me that it wasn't dented as it appears.

My early 71Z & early 74Z are both the same. Reversed on the right. If the windows are interchangable, as in one part #, they are etched on the same side, If I were to swap the left & right windows, the etching would remain the same. Reversed on the right side. That is if they are interchangable?

Interesting, I stopped by O'reilly's & looked at their weatherstrip this weekend. Most of it was open cell but there was a pack of closed cell adhesive backed on the shelf nearby. It was on the same aisle as the paint & bodywork supplies.You may want to take another look. Honestly, It looks made to order for the fender application. I'm going to use it

Love it, I like the styling more than the 2+2