SoCalJim

I have the original spare wheel. The spare tire and the Japanese air have left the building.

That looks great, go z racer, go!

I’m pretty sure I just pushed it out by hand.

My driveway-to-street transition is a concern. My wife’s Volt is low and also has an air dam. We have to back out “just right” to avoid scraping. As for your exhaust pipe scraping, maybe our friends in Japan (see below ?) have the right answer. I guess the air dam and spoiler reduce lift / increase downforce at each end of the car. I’m not sure how much lift at each end of the car is inherent in the Z’s design. For fast highway cruising or canyon carving, I wonder if the basic Z design needs these aero bits. And, is added aero more important at one end or the other, or are both required for balancing the forces on the car?

Nice looking Z, siteunseen. Do you ever have any issues with your front air dam making contact with curbs, driveways, etc.? If I ever decide to add a rear spoiler, I’d want to balance it with a front air dam.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Great work, Sled!

Welcome from another ‘75 Z owner!

Welcome, stick figure! What’re you going to do to your ZX? Stock resto, restomod, renovation with some mods, etc.?

Not like it...love it!

I hope this gives your customers some motivation to hang in there!

Matthew, I hate to say this on a Z car forum, but your budget would, for example, land you a pretty nice Miata vs. a clapped out Z car. Food for thought, and best wishes on your search!

I concur with Mike. You’ll have at least $20k-$25k sunk into that Z to renovate it. Maybe $10k-$15k sunk into it (including purchase price) just to make it a halfway reliable driver. I bought a ‘75 Z about 1 1/2 years ago in NorCal for $6700. No rust, except a little surface rust on the interior at the firewall and a bit on the underneath side of the car. It had been sitting for 16 or so years. Just to make it a reliable driver, it would’ve needed fuel lines replaced, gas tank cleaned, and new tires installed. Of course, I jumped right away into a major renovation of the car instead of just making it reliably roadworthy. ? Let’s just say it hasn’t been cheap. ?

Yep. ?

I replaced my pump motor last year. If I remember correctly, I removed the rubber holder and pump motor together as a unit, and then separated them afterwards.

I had problems with a dual mass flywheel on a 1995 Porsche 911. The rubber that should've kept the two metal sections apart had failed to do it's job, and the flywheel would make clunking (metal on metal) sounds as load on the flywheel changed while driving. In my opinion, the single mass flywheel is simpler and the extra drivetrain noise, when the drivetrain is in good working order, isn't a big deal.

Probably the same as what you currently have. That’s what I’m going to buy.

The stock clutch kit through Amazon looks like a good deal!

Thanks Leon! I’m going to stop thinking!

Thanks guys. I’m probably overthinking this. We have San Francisco-type hills around here and I guess I can adjust my use of the pedals to avoid stalling with a bit lighter flywheel.

I was thinking more about this, which I guess is a dangerous thing. Anyway, I live in a pretty hilly area and I wonder if I’m asking for trouble by having my flywheel machined down to 18-20 lbs. At the time I would have this done, I’d install the close-ratio 5-speed & 3.90 diff that are sitting in my garage. Do any of you have any thoughts about, or experience with how drivable a Z would be in a hilly environment with a moderately lightened flywheel?

Matthew, regarding your question about my MG Midget experience, I'd say it was a pretty good car, and fun to drive. However, when I owned it, back in the 1970s, it was very small compared to the other cars & trucks on the road. And, there were no SUVs, and a lot fewer trucks to contend with back then. Today, my 280Z, which is a lot larger than a MG Midget, looks very small compared to the vehicles that I have to share the road with. I'd be very, very reluctant to drive something as small as the Midget on any major highway. I hope this info helps you in your decision making.

Matthew, my first car was a MG Midget. As long as you drive responsibly, the choice of car shouldn’t matter much. It’s all up to you. The weakest part on any given car is the “nut” holding the steering wheel. ? If you have a need for speed, there are track/autocross opportunities out there, although they may require you to be at least 18 years old. Good luck with whatever direction you end up going. ?

Perfect!

Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm only thinking of reducing the weight to 18-20 lbs. I'll ask TEP if they would do that for me.

What should I look for and/or what questions should I ask a machine shop to gain confidence that they’re the right shop to lighten a flywheel for me? I’ve never gone to a machine shop for work before, and if I can find a good shop in my area (south Orange County, CA), I’m going to get the flywheel lightened when I pull out my 4-speed and install my 5-speed tranny. Thanks!