Mark Maras

I think I'd try a cooling system flush. At higher RPM's the engine logically produces more heat. Members who have pulled the freeze plugs in the block have reported vast quantities of grunge in the coolant passages.

I'd pull the valve cover and crank it over in stages (to prevent overheating the starter) until it gets oil pressure while watching for oil circulation to the cam and valve train. It also would be a good idea to check rocker clearances before starting. The thrill of firing up an old engine and hearing it run good gives me goose bumps. I love it.

I've used Greyhound Package Express to ship large items like hatch glass. It was about $65.00, Portland to Denver.

Don't know the extent of the damage yet, so no list yet. I'll try to find out when RedBird is going in for an estimate. I hope Jai @Redwing can get a list from them. I'm sure the body shop would like to have a source for parts.

The measurement in post #5 shows the top of the fingers being the reference point.

ZH. Do you have any of the pieces that Jai, @Redwing might need for RedBird? I've been in touch with her, getting more info on the damage. She mentioned that the right side bumper mount was collapsed. Sounds like she might need a right bumper shock along with the other obvious things. I don't think that there's any damage to the door or under the hood. Jai's going to send more pics soon. We'll know more then.

I gave up a 69 SS 396 Chevelle when I bought my first Z. A lack of raw acceleration was my first impression but I soon learned that a Z has all the power it needs, plus a little bit more, for the street. I found that the fun of rolling in and out of corners far out-weighed the fun of straight line speed. Plus, in stock form they're very reliable.

Reminds me of a t-shirt that said, "I may be old but your music still sucks."

I think I'd start by looking for a bare wire(s) down by the gas pedal and or throttle linkage. I'm wondering if there's a wire hanging down from under the dash that got the insulation scraped off and was grounding when the gas pedal was floored in the beginning and has gotten worse over a short time. Good luck.

Don't know if it would be legal but IMO the third brake light should be yellow and come on when the throttle pedal is all the way up, making it a deceleration light. In theory, that would give the driver behind a warning that one is slowing before braking. The 1/2 second or more warning would eliminate a lot of rear enders. When I was drag racing. we found that it took a 1/2 second after the light to get the car moving. Reaction time, clutch pedal travel, mechanical clearances and traction all added up to a 1/2 second. If we left when the last green flashed on (Christmas tree lights were a 1/2 second apart) we always were first off the line. Seems like that time theory would be applicable to braking too. But then, I've always questioned whether a third small brake light really does much good.

Probably wouldn't make much difference in the wintertime but being a 1/2 - 3/4 qt. low on oil in hot weather would raise the engine temp.

I've always adjusted the chokes so the cables have a slight arc in them when the choke is off. The arc in the wires, where they connect to the carb. linkages, ensured that the nozzles were all the way up. I never thought to check to see if the nozzles were all the way down when the choke lever was pulled. Didn't have any trouble starting the engine, even in freezing weather. Watch your nozzle position when the choke is on and off. They'll tell you what to do.

To quote the Black Knight, "It's just a flesh wound." It was just a finger tip. Plenty more where that came from. I was modding a chain link weaving machine at the time. Unfortunately, my Spanish was worse than the operator's English.

Reminds me of a warning that I remember in a heavy machinery operation manual. "Any primary adjustment (singular) will be followed by secondary adjustments (plural) to compensate for the primary adjustment." That tidbit of info turned out to be the most helpful sentence in the whole manual. I, of course, had to find out why.

One other thing that kinda made me cringe is that last sentence, post #1(if we had #s). "The thing spins easily when cranking." I hope that's a good thing. Probable good thing is, if there is air going in and out of the leak, there's still a piston going up and down in there. I'd start by pulling the valve cover and plugs (how does # 6 differ from the others), turn it over by hand and watch everything move, including the pistons and check the valve lash. Look for pieces of metal. Rarely does a machine make a loud band without leaving evidence.

It's the "loud bang" that bothers me. What in the world caused that? When did it occur? Start up? Engine warm or cold? RPM's when it occurred? Any recent work on the engine?

I think you meant "Go, Jim, ( @S30Driver) GO." This is his chance to catch up with Cliff.

It may be the bargain of the year. I can only drool when I think of buying a complete 280 for that price that seemingly needs little work.

I'll bet Jai (@Redwing ) went outside to see if RedBird was still in the shelter.

Before your mechanic starts changing nozzles and needles, I highly recommend you run the factory nozzles and needles first. They are great for street driving and it's likely you'll have less tuning and mixture problems. After it's running well you can always try different combinations. Nozzles and needles are an easy swap.

Scrap value. It was just few years ago that most of us felt the same way about the 260's and 280's. It's the "Things, Stuff and Junk Theory." We buy things, things, over time, become stuff and eventually become junk. But the process reverses direction, given enough time. Junk gains value until it's stuff, and eventually becomes a thing once again. I see the ZX replacing the 260 in the red-headed step child role. Not a bad thing at all, at least it's part of the family now. When all the 280's have been gobbled up, the ZX's will be next on the menu. Get em now, while they're still cheap.

Rust is the nemesis that plagues all Z's. Body condition is the first and most important thing to look for. Everything else pales in comparison to rust. The EFI seems to be a common problem on 280's too. At least until it's sorted out. Then it seems to be reliable. Suspension and steering components (bushings, tie rod ends, shocks, etc.)usually need to be refreshed.

Gotta love a story with a happy ending. Thanks for sharing.

Tis just a flesh wound.

Think termite mounds. Oops, misread your post, you said spit.