rossiz

yeah, water gets in and the scoops get dirty inside from the carwash and driving in the rain, but they drain out just fine. i stressed about it for the first few weeks and eventually just let go of it. every few months i'll pop off the covers and wipe out the scoops - it's no big deal. but my car is a dd, not a showpiece...

the kit i got provides two options: some double-stick tape and wide clips (like hazmatt shows) or smaller clips with sheet metal screws. i started with the stick-on system and mine didn't stick - the covers aren't a perfect fit (slight warp) so they put constant, light pressure on the adhesive which pulled them off. i then went to the drill-in method and they've been fine since. i am considering doing the door-trim trick now though, as the brightwork would look nice on my dark green paint.

does look nice - the black rubber trim doesn't sit perfectly and the edge doesn't keep a nice straight line. i'm impressed you got the door trim to go around the sharp front corner, did you use heat?

looks nice and clean - i like it. on my 78 the majority of problems were at connections - all the various plugs that allow the loom to be split up into sections for install. since you're replacing everything, did you just forego all these connections, or did you use new/refurbished plugs?

lots of threads out there on this issue, and lots of opinions on what sounds best, fits best and performs best. i went with a local muffler shop that fabbed up a great system to my specs for about the same $ as a complete pre-made system - i've got a thread on here somewhere about it... take a think on this option, as you'll be able to make it exactly how you want it, more than likely you'll get a better product (pre-made systems can be a bit thin) and you will have perfect fit. i'm very happy with my setup and it felt good to have the car up on a lift and lay out the path, hanger type/locations, muffler & resonator size/position and spec the tailpipe in polished sst.

such a good feeling to be running clean eh? well done!

such a good feeling to be running clean eh? well done!

since i live in an urban area, and the original engine proved to me that i could always find a tow (plenty of rides home that first few months) i decided to ditch the spare and lowered my rear deck all the way down - i have a thread on here somewhere describing the process. i used some rubber washers at the high points and cut some 1" pvc pipe into spacers for the low points to support the deck, and added a hinged front area to access the tool case compartments behind the seats. the couple of inches gained makes a huge difference - especially back at the hatch where the original deck was designed to allow for a couple 8-track tapes... i'm quite happy w/the result and have room for all my tools in the compartments, room for a jack, lug wrench, tire plugger kit and compressor in the (reduced height) spare tire well and have no trouble bringing home groceries for the family

since i live in an urban area, and the original engine proved to me that i could always find a tow (plenty of rides home that first few months) i decided to ditch the spare and lowered my rear deck all the way down - i have a thread on here somewhere describing the process. i used some rubber washers at the high points and cut some 1" pvc pipe into spacers for the low points to support the deck, and added a hinged front area to access the tool case compartments behind the seats. the couple of inches gained makes a huge difference - especially back at the hatch where the original deck was designed to allow for a couple 8-track tapes... i'm quite happy w/the result and have room for all my tools in the compartments, room for a jack, lug wrench, tire plugger kit and compressor in the (reduced height) spare tire well and have no trouble bringing home groceries for the family

since i live in an urban area, and the original engine proved to me that i could always find a tow (plenty of rides home that first few months) i decided to ditch the spare and lowered my rear deck all the way down - i have a thread on here somewhere describing the process. i used some rubber washers at the high points and cut some 1" pvc pipe into spacers for the low points to support the deck, and added a hinged front area to access the tool case compartments behind the seats. the couple of inches gained makes a huge difference - especially back at the hatch where the original deck was designed to allow for a couple 8-track tapes... i'm quite happy w/the result and have room for all my tools in the compartments, room for a jack, lug wrench, tire plugger kit and compressor in the (reduced height) spare tire well and have no trouble bringing home groceries for the family

since i live in an urban area, and the original engine proved to me that i could always find a tow (plenty of rides home that first few months) i decided to ditch the spare and lowered my rear deck all the way down - i have a thread on here somewhere describing the process. i used some rubber washers at the high points and cut some 1" pvc pipe into spacers for the low points to support the deck, and added a hinged front area to access the tool case compartments behind the seats. the couple of inches gained makes a huge difference - especially back at the hatch where the original deck was designed to allow for a couple 8-track tapes... i'm quite happy w/the result and have room for all my tools in the compartments, room for a jack, lug wrench, tire plugger kit and compressor in the (reduced height) spare tire well and have no trouble bringing home groceries for the family

if you mean the large one that attaches to the back of the air filter housing, it's essentially always open to the atmosphere - just inside the line of the filter, which is irrelevant from a vacuum standpoint. unlike the efi system, the carbs can't see any pressure/vacuum other than what runs through them or the intake manifolds/balance tube.

exactly. there's a reason there are so many on the road - it just does it all effortlessly and engages neither the senses of the driver nor those around it. perfect getaway vehicle!

my neighbor (old guy constantly puttering in his yard) is always asking when i'm gonna be done working on my car (and yes, there's a sense of sarcasm in his voice). he always shakes his head when i reply "never, i hope!" fact is, if i wanted a car that i was "done with" i'd buy a camry. other fact is, when i do something on the car, it STAYS done - unlike his yard work ;}

I used self-adhesive neoprene foam tape around the duct openings as the oem's had disintegrated to dust. works well and easy to keep in place. You can order the stuff online by the roll in various thicknesses and widths - useful for lots of applications.

Nice work Jim! It's been a while since I did mine and I have to say the seat heaters are a fantastic creature-comfort - I use 'em just about every morning when it's chilly (I commute early) and they are a treat on my old back. Looks like you got the exact same kit as I used - surprisingly affordable for what you get. Did you cut the seat pan foam to keep the height down? I found that the seat bottom foam was a little taller (an inch?) than the original, totally worn-out setup and my head is just a bit too high up - makes me bend my neck at stoplights. I'm jealous of the leather, it looks gorgeous. I'm contemplating swapping my oem's out for Fiero seats as the Z seats are just not comfy for long commutes - will definitely go with real leather vs. the vinyl this time! Keep up the great work - love seeing the results.

i re-did my headliner with one of the vinyl z kits - the foam is pretty thick, maybe 3/8 or so. it's a miserable job because the interior of these cars is such close quarters. i did mine with all the interior pulled out, seats and everything, which helped a little. couple of tips: i applied a layer of sound mat (the foil faced sticky/rubbery stuff) to the underside of the roof skin and it really quiets the ride - the roof is like a drum head if possible, get someone to help from outside the car reaching in - i ran out of hands a few times and some cursing was involved do a dry-fit and plan out how you're going to do the final install - the glue is a one-shot deal, no repositioning available. i wound up fitting the liner in place, holding it with tape, peeling back one side, spraying the glue, rolling it up to stick, then peeling back the other side and repeating. it's tricky - try it a few times w/out the glue. have some tools handy (roller to press the vinyl in place, tool to tuck the liner under the perimeter lips) - and i mean handy as in inches away, you don't want to have both hands pushing up to hold things in place, your head stuck to a glue patch and your foot caught under the clutch pedal and your tool an inch just out of your grasp... use the entire can of spray glue to get really good full coverage pull all the trim around the perimeter and tape/mask off the top of the windshield to protect from overspray wear a hat; the glue-covered underside of the roof skin is closer than you think. don't ask how i know... in the end mine came out pretty nice - not perfect, but much nicer than the sagging, filthy original i pulled out. i don't have any inclination to do this job again.

i agree that it looks really nice compressed - especially with the revised rubber bits. i think if you made a custom set and pulled a mold you'd have quite a following of folks who would want to do the same... fwiw the bigger bumpers are a huge improvement in strength over the 240 ones - if you pick up an aftermarket 240 bumper (futofab or black dragon) they are essentially trim strips, super thin and wouldn't do a thing in the most minor of bumps. when i took off my 78 bumpers i was surprised how heavy they were, with the reinforcing in the back. so you just might get the looks and the protection with your mod.

not sure how sarah would respond to this one... but then she has a pretty good sense of humor. if you have some time & patience you could pull a mold off the stock rubber ends, modify to fit the new config and cast a new set from silicone. materials not too much $$ and could be a fun project - maybe even make a few sets for others if they come out well once you got the mold. IIRC there's a pressure release screw in the end of the gas shocks which, once removed should allow you to push the bumper in to whatever depth you want then drill in a bolt as granny suggested.

i pulled a set like that off my 280 and can attest to the following issues: distorted rubber seal = leaks (had to fill w/silicone) popped up/damaged the sst trim insets scratched up the hatch glass at the mounting points rattled incessantly not saying louvers in general are a bad idea, just be careful how you go about it. i've found i don't miss them at all from a glare standpoint and the car looks cleaner w/out them imho.

wow, so sorry to hear - puts a lot of things in perspective. while you may not get all your investment back (hard to do on these cars) i'm sure folks will chime in with suggestions to help you sell it. hope things brighten up and you find a brighter path forward.

it wasn't legal in any vehicle - still isn't, kinda follows the same rules as ALChol.

only details i have to offer: it's legal in seattle now.

you may want to consider getting some stainless steel carriage bolts, nuts and washers (i think 5/16, but better check) and in 1 min. on the polish wheel they'll match the chrome beautifully and you won't wind up w/the typical rust around these fasteners. chrome bumper bolts just never seem to hold up - once you torque 'em the chrome cracks/flakes and they all rust much quicker than the bumper. also, consider cleaning the back/inside surface of the bumpers and spraying in a coat of good black epoxy paint. the bumpers always seem to rust out from the back, probably because they hold moisture/dirt at the rougher interior surface. i had a beautiful new futofab front bumper that got dinged after a few months on the car and when i replaced it i noticed slight surface rust starting at the back side. mine is a dd and i do drive year round in the seattle rain. just a couple tips to keep it looking sharp for years to come.