ramsesosirus

Well just an update; Went ahead and bought a Glass Pack from Jegs for under $20. Had to use various exhaust fittings/clamps to get it in place (the hardware cost more than the glasspack....). Only drove it once last fall after the glass pack, but it seemed fine, maybe a little bit of exhaust leak, but that could be from the broken manifold stud as well... Once these potholes are fixed, the Z is ready for some cruising! Example of our road conditions this year (worst I've ever seen, just bent my DD S10 rim on Saturday on one.... the Z would get high centered in some of these no joke!) They actually closed a mile stretch of road cuz it was so bad. Some guy took this video as well https://geekologie.com/2019/03/holy-smokes-omaha-nebraska-road-thats-mo.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geekologie%2FiShm+(Geekologie+-+Gadgets%2C+Gizmos%2C+and+Awesome)

Thanks, no prob. I've got that winter bug as well... been the worst winter here in decades, and now the potholes... oh the potholes.... everywhere. The Z won't see the road for a long time. And my daily driver is literally rusting away by the day lol.

It's worth at least trying if you're looking, you aren't finding NOS Z parts anywhere else! I've had great luck on facebook marketplace, you just have to be cautious.

I agree. I converted quite a few of the stock bulbs to LEDs, the license plate lamps being one of them. Got mine from super brite leds .com also. They are nice and bright white. Almost too bright, I covered half of the lens with electrical tape to "dim" them. The brakes and tails are the Sylvania "ZEVO" bulbs, which are great for $20 a pair, and are just as bright if not more than the stockers.

Stumbled across this on facebook marketplace. A guy in Kansas called "Chuck Norris" has NOS fenders and quarter panels for a 1977 280z. If anyone is looking or could afford them, here's a chance that doesn't come up often! If you search for 280z in marketplace, it should come up. Wish I could... but too $$ for me now.... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/359869077955150/

Those tanks must be how you know so much about car restoration and general "fix it" knowledge... I can't wait to see that green color sprayed and shining in the sun! Mine is a dark green, and the sun really makes it pop with some hues of blue! Z's look great in dark green

So much awesome in this thread... Which green are you going with for the body? One of the original Datsun color codes? Or something custom?

I might take a 2+2 if it had that feature...

I had this same problem when I converted my 280z to the 240z bumpers. The rear fit great, but the front had this same gap, even though it lined up from the center. I don't know what year the bumper was... but my solution was the cut a "V" in the very center of the bumper (on the top and bottom), align it on the car and "bend" (massage) the bumper until it was pretty flush. Then I welded the new "V" together (it later broke, due to my incorrect welding technique but that's another story). I painted the bumpers black since the chrome was faded anyways, so it's not really visible.

I think I read once that the tractor sending unit will work, you just have to bend the float rod a bit? Mine leaks... I just keep it below 3/4 tank for now. Or maybe it was a forklift?

Here are some pics I got showing what broke, and what is left under the car. Also, a bonus picture of my new custom painted Michael Myers mask, to get everyone in the spirit! (New movie comes out on Friday!)

Thanks. Yeah I just stumbled upon glass packs while doing research, they're definitely affordable (and not much more than it would cost to just use a pipe etc...). I'll post some pics tomorrow morning, my apt. lost power due to the snow (heavy snow dropped a power line?) so I can't open my garage right now. (I'm at the library). I think retaining some sort of pre muffler/resonator is the best option, might even improve the sound a tad.

Took my stock 76 280z out yesterday for the possible final ride of the year, added some stabil and gas. aaaaaand it snowed today.... Anyways, as I was driving, I hit the accelerator pedal pretty hard, and then I heard clanking and it was loud, it was clearly dragging something. Pulled over, and the whole exhaust had nearly fallen off the car, it was only being dragged under the car thanks the the rear hanger. I took the hanger off, put the exhaust in my car, and limped home. It was very loud. I was lucky I had just tightened one of the hangers, or I'm pretty sure I would've ran over the exhaust and left it in the road... which would've been much worse lol! Of course a cop was driving right next to me, but I was content knowing that my exhaust system was sitting next to me in the car, surely they would just warn me in that situation haha What happened is the weld at the resonator broke. So what I have on my garage floor is the resonator and the pipe inside the resonator (which is now separated, due to the weld breaking) and the pipe that goes to the muffler, with the muffler still welded to the pipe. I can re-use the pipe/muffler section just fine. BUT the resonator is obviously done for: Unless I can weld it back together? Anyone have a pic of their stock resonator? I can't figure out which side has the protruding pipe? I could have it welded at work. I can either try to find and install a replacement resonator, which I can't seem to find? Or some use a section of pipe or flex pipe from the parts store and clamp it together. I mostly just don't want to run it as is with the gas tank being right there where the exhaust is currently exiting.... BOOOM! Any advice here? I don't want to ruin the sound stock Z's have by not installing a resonator. I don't care if it's a little louder, this just my fun project type car. I also don't want to spend much, really just looking to keep it going as is, I'm happy with it. What about some sort of glasspack? They're not too expensive. Would replacing the resonator with a pipe ruin the sound/performance? I also have presumably the entire winter to fix this, so I have time to consider the best options. Thanks!

I wonder if it's the stock engine? I'd like to try to do some doughnuts like that hahaha

My car's power antenna was gone when I got the car. I did pick up a "universal" power antenna I found at a thrift store for cheap, and it's brand new. Not sure if I'll even install it, I usually take the antennas off my cars for looks and cover the threads with a vacuum cap. I usually use my MP3 player for music anyways, no antenna required. Were you able to control the original power antenna? Or did it just go up and down as it felt was required? Also, what if you have an aftermarket stereo? I assume the power antenna control, if it existed, was on the original radio?

You may be right, @Dave WM , I just know that little vacuum leaks can wreak havoc for some components, which is more likely on old/brittle lines. I would certainly replace the associated hoses while I was at it, if it is affordable.

Also worth looking at the vacuum hoses for it, a leaky one would also effect it. I just installed a reman booster and new master cylinder not too long ago. Might be worth the peace of mind if your MC is suspect. Rear wheel cylinders are also notorious for leaking when old. FYI

I got one from autozone for about $100. Advance is out of stock (it shows them, but you can't put it in your basket). The core was $20 I think, but I kept mine since I'm weird like that. I think my problem was that the plunger thing fell inside the booster, but I just went with a reman one since a 42 year old booster could prob. use it.

Haha thanks. First I need to find a car and move into this apartment and pay off that dental bill... then the WORLD! Unfortunately, as with everything, it's always about money $$$. If I had the money, I'd be able to start some businesses, haunted houses, Halloween stores, get a production line for some of the stuff. I will crush Spirit Halloween! Halloween is an 8 billion dollar a year industry- surely I can think of a way to get a piece of that... back to the lab...

Haha, great. I had some a growling dog/wolf sound too, over by the "hound of hell" by the devil... but it died real quickly. I even scared a few parents, mostly with the Nun from The Conjuring, which I don't think you can see if the pictures... here she is. She's actually very scary in the movie "The Conjuring 2", which I've only seen clips of. Might even compete with the Exorcist lady for scariness. And her "theme song" is "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (Christmas song) which really ups to creepy factor (It's in the movie, not my idea unfortunately..). Valak's theme song youtube Several adults asked if she moved, and I said "not until dark!" hahaha it's just a styrofoam head painted by me, with a nun costume, on a lamp stand.... I've become very resourceful since I've gotten the Z! And here's a few more Halloween photos, while I'm at it...

Thanks guys, I make stuff for it all year. That clown was some kind of mask, that I repainted. It's been chilling right outside my room for a few months, and he's still there right now... I can't look at him for too long! And found a costume/mannequin for him. He had a balloon on Halloween haha! I got a lot of it last year on clearance, 50-75% off (Stuff is expensive...) Yeah, really wish I would've got some night pics... the lighting really does make it! I started doing it a few years ago for that same reason, I loved seeing the decorated houses when I was a kid. I wish I could leave it out longer, but theft and vandalism would be likely... I'll probably stop thinking about Halloween until about April, then start getting excited for it again. Not sure I can top this years though, unless I get a bigger yard! The only thing that is hard to get right is the fog, since any wind ruins it. Oh I do need to add more sound effects though, my battery powered MP3s didn't last very long. Thanks

My other hobby is Halloween. I set up at a family member's house since I don't have a yard. And their neighborhood is like the biggest Halloween draw in the city. Most of the stuff you see was "custom" made by me, or assembled from bits and pieces. At least one of those monsters was made using an old Christmas tree stand lol. Some others used old fan stands. I set all of this up starting at 6 am Oct 31. We had over 650 Trick or Treaters. It was cold, 25 F and light snow. Then I put it all away after, passed out with extreme soreness at about 10 pm. I'm not 18 anymore hahaha. My DD Tahoe also broke the sun shell at noon (transmission, lost R, 2, and 4), after picking up some dry ice and balloons. Not sure I'm going to fix it, time for a new daily... that's what's really scary! Sorry I didn't get any night/lighting pics, I was too busy scaring kids as Michael Myers. But I had lots of blue LED floods, amber LED candles, and lots of red and fire n ice light for the gates of hell. And two fog machines with chillers.

My DD 99 Tahoe's transmission broke on Tuesday. It's a 4L60e, and from what I've read, it broke the reaction sun shell (common), resulting in a loss of R, 2, and 4. I literally JUST put a new water pump and radiator in last week. To fix this, I'm looking at around $2000... probably too much to put into an 18 year old car with some other issues, and 215,000 miles. Actually that is a lot of miles to get from an auto trans. Any advice on reliable DD's? I would like a truck of some sort. In the past I've owned: 91 Corsica, 96 Cougar, 85 Prelude, 91 S10, 87 Monte SS, 3 90's Camrys, the Z of course, and then this 99 Tahoe. My budget is about the same as the repair, $2000-3000, which isn't much I know. But the most I've ever paid for a car was $5000 for this Tahoe 3 years ago. $ is tight since I am moving in 2 weeks. We get pretty bad winters around here sometimes (Nebraska), this Tahoe was my first with 4 wheel drive, and it was awesome! I've driven all kinds of cars in the snow: FWD autos, FWD stick shift, RWD autos, RWD stick shift, etc... I can fix almost anything myself, but the trans is kind of where I draw the line, if it were the Z I'd spend the time rebuilding it, but I need a vehicle since I am moving into a new apartment in 2 weeks. I took apart an old TH350 from the Monte one time, just for fun. They are pretty complex, but I'm sure I could do the Z's if I had time and went slow. Thanks!

I can attest that grounds can be tough, sometimes it looks clean and good, but doesn't work. Sometimes it's covered in paint or rust, but it works fine... Had a ground issue with my headlight conversion, just needed to clean/sand the area a little bit for a good connection.

I used one from advance about 7 years ago. The prices have gone up quite a bit (for all radiators, it seems). It mostly fit in place, had to massage it a little. Mine is an auto, and I really like how the Z's used rubber hose instead of the flared metal lines for the trans cooler. Those things are hard to line up and easy to cross thread. Only downside is the petcock drain is on the bottom of the radiator, as opposed to on the side. It kind of rubs against the skid plate.