the_tool_man

Yeah, plain ones like that are around. But mine had plastic "washers" of sorts trapped under the nuts that looked like they were intended for a cover to snap onto. Sorry I wasn't more clear (edited original post to clarify).

Hi all: I've been under my car off and on for the past couple of years redoing the fuel system. When I disconnected the wiring from the OEM pump, the terminals were covered in what looked like polyester body filler (Bondo), which I had to chisel/sand off. Beneath that were plastic washer-like pieces that appeared to be meant for a cover to snap over after the wiring was connected. I'm thinking that Bondo wasn't factory, lol. What did the factory use for a cover? I looked for some sort of rubber boot, but didn't find anything that looked like it would fit. I could glob on some RTV. But I figured I'd ask here first.

I think the rack is $50 extra: https://www.harborfreight.com/wheel-dolly-storage-rack-64496.html

Those are nice! I hope I don't use dollies often enough to justify $600 for a set though. We just had Charles' cheap wheel dollies and my cheaper ones. Mine were nearly useless, as they were taller and had no side guards. They would squirt out from under the wheel if they ran over a hairline crack in the pavement. Thankfully, even when one got trapped between the body and tire, no apparent damage occurred. Charles' were better, remaining steadfastly in position. Honestly, I don't think any dollies would have been without issue, as we had to move the car over a 1/2" step from driveway to garage floor. It took an abundance of ingenuity (mostly from Charles) to get it in there. Mine were these: https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html Don't buy them. They're awful. Like I said, I'm lucky it didn't dent the fender when it squirted out.

When I first noticed them stuck, they were only dragging. It was possible for two people to push the car. I disconnected the cables and with the help of a friend, pushed the car back and forth to try and free them. No joy. Unfortunately in the intervening time since then, they have become too stuck to push. I hired a tow truck to move the car to my new house, and he had to literally drag it out with a winch. No lawnmower I have access to is going to free them up! I'm in the process of moving, and may not get to it for a week or two. But I'll have another look at the drums to see if I can execute the process in the FSM. The key will be seeing if I can apply enough torque to rotate the drums into position. BTW, this seems like a good time to give a shout out to @Patcon, who came to my new house that cold, dark night to help me push the car into my garage. Not only were the rear wheels locked, but we couldn't get the ignition key to free the column lock (this car hates me). He was able to remove the column lock through an elaborate, technical process I've been sworn to keep secret under penalty of death. Even so, it took wheel dollies, a jack, and a tow strap using both our trucks. But we got it in! Thanks man!

Hi all: I made the mistake of leaving my '77 parked with the parking brake for a few months. When I released the handle, I found that the shoes were stuck. I had planned to free them by driving the car once I got it running. But I need to get them freed up before that now. I tried disconnecting the cables, which did nothing. I don't see any access to the interior to adjust or move anything. What have you tried that works? I did pick up a spare pair of aluminum drums. So if I have to cut them off, I will. But I'm hoping for a trick that gets them freed nondestructively. Thanks in advance.

Thanks! Actually, I reached out to, and got a reply from the Upstate Z Club (Greg). He gave me two names. One is Japanese Auto Specialties in Greenville. They have a first-gen expert to does one car at a time. I'm on his waiting list. Second guy is retiring, and referred me back to the guy at JAS. So that's encouraging. Charles is asking around for me, too.

Hi all: I bought my '77 in original, but non-running condition several years ago. I sorta got it running, but it's never really run well, either due to fuel delivery issues, or possibly a bad ECU. My latest round of effort was basically a total overhaul of the fuel system, from cleaning the tank, to replacing everything else. This dragged out over years because I'm sick of working on it. Now I'm moving, and will lose the one-bay garage space I've been keeping the car stored in. At this point I'm ready to acknowledge that I'm just not cut out for a project car. I need a running Z, and want to find someone who can get my car roadworthy again. Any recommendations?

Evaporust FTW. It does not remove material like acid would.

Rarely is so much effort and skill expended on such an ill-conceived concept. I simultaneously admire it and hate it.

I had an opportunity to get a close look at some gas pumps being installed a few months ago. With the covers off, I noticed there were only two supply lines for the gasoline side of the pump. I asked about it and was told they mix regular and premium at the pump to make mid grade. Indeed, another station confirmed they only have two fuel storage tanks. I don't know if this practice is pervasive (I'm in the SE US). But if so, mid grade has some ethanol in it.

That's almost certainly the same car. Same wheels and paint for sure. I think the wing and air dam are the same. He had louvers on the rear glass, which I think I see on the car. Anderson is small now, and was much smaller then. The odds of two identical Z's, so heavily modified, in the same town has to be nearly zero. That's cool that the car still exists. I always wondered what happened to it.

The paint job on that car looks familiar. I grew up in Anderson, and had an acquaintance who had a Z back in the '80's. I've long since forgotten his name. But IIRC his dad owned the service station we used a lot. I'd see the car there pretty often, being worked on. He painted the car a couple of times. But the last time I saw it, it was black and red just like that one. Could it be the same car? I drove a 77 Celica GT back then, and was always jealous of the Z.

Welcome back. I'm in Spartanburg, not too far away. I posted a link on your classified post, to an ad for a car for sale in Rock Hill that may have a decent roof. It looked rusty, but not perforated. I'm in the same boat. My 77 has a sunroof. But I've managed to obtain a relatively good roof panel for when I decide to fix it.

I saw an ad on FB Marketplace for a guy in Rock Hill selling a 260Z. It was really rusty. But the top looked useable. I asked him about something else, and he wasn't interested in parting it out. But by now he might be. https://www.facebook.com/groups/386021341481608/permalink/4960925640657799/?sale_post_id=4960925640657799

If you're talking about the screwed-on panel on the passenger (RH) side of the car, that is by design. It's an access panel for getting to the filler hose connection on the fuel tank. You really only need it when reinstalling. But you really do need it then!

It physically fits. But I haven't finished with the fuel system rebuild and other stuff to get the car started. So I haven't driven the car with the damper installed as of now. Honestly, of all the things that could go wrong with my work, this is the one I'm concerned about the least. This is a simple part that is physically identical to the original one. Unless I happened to get a defective one, I'm pretty certain it will work.

It is a huge amount of work. But it is already paying off. You'll end up with a beautiful car that makes you happy. That's all that matters. And don't worry about over-posting. These updates are very informative to those of us who aspire to your skill level.

To clean the tank without blasting, I built a tank rotisserie, and used that to spin the tank while cleaning it out. I used muriatic acid, diluted 50/50 with warm water, twice, followed by a neutralizing wash with baking soda and water, followed by numerous rinses with water until it ran out clean. There are a number of other threads describing the process. For media, I counted out 150 machine nuts (it's what I had on hand), and dumped them in the tank before cleaning. Afterward, I shook the tank around and made sure that 150 nuts came out. ?

Well said! Carry on.

You didn't ask...but I have mixed feelings, honestly. I like the idea of adding an image to the underside of the hood. But that particular image, used for the Japanese War flag (Jyūrokujō-Kyokujitsu-ki), would seem to be a bit controversial, given its history in WWII and other conflicts prior. Personally, I'm not bothered by it. But I know some people who probably would be. And I wouldn't want to offend them, not out of fear, but out of respect. As an analogy, I'm from the southeastern US, where the old "Stars and Bars" confederate flag is still flown in some places. But knowing how many people perceive it as a symbol of racism (rightly or wrongly, not looking to stir up a debate here), I'd never consider using it on a car (unless I was recreating the 1969 Dodge Charger, "General Lee" from the "Dukes of Hazzard", lol). It's your car. Do what you want. It's executed beautifully. But be aware of possible negativity at shows.

I've had the fuel tank out for de-rusting and cleaning for some time now. I finally got my son-in-law to come over and help me reinstall if. I could get it mounted by myself. Or, I could get the fill hose on the tank nipple by myself. But I couldn't do both simultaneously without help. Sorry, no pics. Still need to finish chassis-side fuel hoses (with see-through filter), hook up the new fuel pump and replace the ignition switch. Then it's ready to fire up again, and will hopefully run right.

I'm curious to see if this discussion gets anywhere with tangible results. I hope it does. This kind of request comes up on other forums with much larger viewership (Mustangs, for example). But few people dyno test multiple exhaust systems on the same car. And it's pretty common for there to be other, competing priorities, such as cost, fitment and sound. So it's usually "I bought XYZ and I like it" from about a dozen people. Still, I'm looking forward to the results for when I upgrade mine.

I have a later copy that lists more 280Z stuff. Haynes is usually one of the better non-OEM books. But on important specs, I always check against the FSM.

Any particular reason to use S197 Mustang 5-lug brakes? The Fox body SVO Mustangs had rear discs with 4-lug. It's a popular swap to use SVO or T-bird Turbo Coupe rear brakes to retrofit discs to other Fox body Mustangs. These parts are still pretty common (probably available as a kit). Might be worth checking to see if they'll fit.