Pace

Almost forgot I had this thing. Pulled it out to change the oil and let it warm up. It responded in kind with a dead tach. ?

Currently it can't make it to the nearest auto parts store. ? But you're welcome to swing by and critique it anytime.

Coming up on a year without an update: oops. Not much to say. Unfortunately with a newer job and Covid, the BP has pretty much sat. Since the weather wasn't as hot yesterday, we did get it started and backed out of the garage for a much-needed oil change. It still had year-old oil mixed with Marvel Mystery Oil. I didn't want to do too much with it since the crank pulley issue is still present. But it got up to operating temp with a short drive around the block. Fuel pressure still looks good at idle and under free-revving, but it does start to miss under load once things have warmed up. This also seems to coincide with a build-up of pressure behind the fuel cap. I guess I need to get a few things in order so we can further explore this issue. Side note: Even with monster truck suspension, the 280Z is laughably tiny next to our Jeep.

Small update: found some time on Saturday to focus on the S30. I had previously picked up some small things from Z Car Depot a few weeks ago and was eager to do something with them: new water temp sensor & nut for the gauge, thermostat, antenna hole plug, and an inline fuel pressure gauge. Honestly, it's probably been two months since the Z was last started, so I wasn't entirely surprised that it didn't want to start right off the bat like it usually does. It turned over but wouldn't start. I checked a spark plug and found it to be dry - decided this would be a good time to install the fuel pressure gauge. After hooking it up and checking for leaks, it turned over again but wasn't building much pressure (<6psi). Thinking the fuel level may be lower than we thought (fuel gauge doesn't work) I opened the gas cap to listen for sloshing and noticed a large build up of pressure release from the tank. This reminded me of a similar issue a friend had with his Montero in the summer months - so I replaced the cap and turned the key once more. It started right up and fuel pressure showed to be >38psi while idling and higher when revved (pre-regulator readings). So we now suspect that the evap lines from the tank need to be checked/cleared out. I also borrowed a timing light and was able to check ignition timing on the engine. Unfortunately the crank pulley marks are way off from the marker on the block, even after adjusting the distributor all the way. I did some brief searching and came up with a few likely causes: 1. a slipped crank pulley (this one does have a decent amount of wobble while running) 2. the oil pump spline gear being a tooth off from the distributor? 3. a hidden adjuster on the distributor bracket that may allow for more adjustment being off. With some of the sketchy "solutions" a previous mechanic has done on this car, I'm questioning his/her competence with things like this. So I wouldn't rule out any of these possible culprits. Our next step will be to pick up a TDC stop tool and measure things ourselves. Any thoughts or input? The engine does start and run, but is noticeably down on power compared to how it should be: even with the leaky exhaust manifold & valves that probably need adjustment.

He did a good job! It's not the prettiest for now - I forgot to order the powerbraid sheathing. But more importantly, it works. The antenna hole will be plugged temporarily. I think I found a short "stubby" metal antenna that will work in place of the retractable version. And thank you. It's a bit rusty and has a long way to go. But it has potential.

A bit of progress from this past weekend. We finally found some time to tackle replacing the worn/broken EFI connectors in the engine bay. Got to everything but the AFM. I also swapped in a new coolant temp sensor for the ECU. This made a noticeable difference in how it started when cold (less turnover time) and allowed the engine to idle a bit smoother: somewhat sewing machine-like we noticed. It still isn't 100% and I've got a laundry list of things to rule out. But we took it around the neighborhood and even got it out on some of the higher speed busier roads: 40mph, woo! Unfortunately, about halfway to the nearby Autozone, it started to misfire and stutter under load. So we turned back. I'm borrowing a fuel pressure gauge to make sure it's getting enough fuel and will probably be checking/replacing the AFM wiring next. I've also bookmarked a few things in the EFI Bible to check out. Sunday's work was a bit of backwards progress: I got tired of the sharp hazard that was the cut/pinched antenna mast. So I tore apart the rear half of the interior to remove that for the time being. Found a touch of thin flaky rust in the inner driver side rear wheel well (not surprising) and lost about a half dozen plastic rivet pins to the quarter panel abyss. I also found a couple old Datsun space-saver inflators... or make-shift CO2 bombs as my SO reminded me. Those have been relocated to a shady spot away from the cars for the time being. I've also removed the hazard switch to clean and refurbish. The turn signals work, but hazards are non-existent. Pretty easy to see why with how corroded the rocker inside was. The little light bulb was also burnt out, so I'm trying to find what size/style to replace it with. Other than installing new tire & detailing, I'm not planning on doing much work to get our Z31 ready for ZCON. So I'm hoping we can spend a bit more time on some side projects with the S30 in the following weeks. Stay tuned. Doing wiring work. EFI wiring old & busted. Sorry about the blurry pic - I was feeling a bit over-caffeinated. Part-way through install with new connectors. Sharp object hazard removed. Temporary hole. The cubby-hole find. Getting a closer look at it. Broke one (!) bolt while removing the raised floor brackets. So frustrating. Sitting pretty-ish.

No mechanical updates. Life and work have been busy with other projects unfortunately. We're currently replacing the top boards on our deck: exciting... I recently got involved in the growing local z car club so we hosted the year's first "tech day" at our place. Got to see a few other S30s up close and get some ideas for our own.

No progress on the S30. But we finally got a warmer, dry, and sunny(!) weekend to get some work done on one of the daily cars. So the Z cars got a bit of sun. I'm sure you can tell which one didn't want to start. Lol. I guess it has been a few months since it was last started. I also have a hunch that someone left the hood popped after showing off the engine bay a few weeks ago.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas & new year. Here's a small but encouraging update. I ended up buying a Centric 8" (by the company's words - it was still the proper 8.5" size) brake booster advertised for '75-78 2-seaters. Rock Auto had a couple left, so I jumped on it. While not as nice looking as the A1 unit, it actually fits. The vacuum port is straight, as it should be, although I was a bit annoyed that it's a plastic piece instead of metal. Either way, the booster is in and works. Brakes feel a lot better for their age & condition. Suspension is laughably soft and boat-like. It also feels like the flywheel still has a bit of rust on it, but is getting better the more it drives. There are still a few things I would like to have done before we take it to get a much-needed alignment and actually drive it outside of the neighborhood. Exhaust: I believe I have a deal lined up on a 6-1 header (in exchange for my spare Z31T axles). Also will probably pick up the "premium exhaust" from MSA to go with it. I noticed a couple puffs of exhaust leaking out from in front of the rear wheel well while it was idling in the driveway. Suspension: I currently have a set of Tokico HP struts and matching ST springs along with various poly bushings to be installed. We also somehow ended up with a set of Tokico springs. I need to order strut mounts for the front and rear - so I think the "street camber" kit from MSA should do the trick until we move on to something better. Also looking at picking up the boxed diff mount from Technoversions. Engine: I have a new water temp sensor for the ECU to install. Side note: is it not commonly referred to as a CHTS like later models? I think this will help with our odd idle: since replacing the brake booster, it now idles about 900rpm during warm up, then drops to 750rpm where it starts to miss and sound a bit choppy. Obviously there are plenty of possible culprits, so I'll also go through and re-check timing, vacuum lines for leaks, etc. Wiring: Some of the EFI connectors are broken or have torn boots. Probably contributing to the idle issue I mentioned. I've got my eye on a kit to replace those and upgrade to modern "quick disconnect" connectors. I'm sure we'll find more things in the process that need attention. I also want to address the issue with the crispy and failed headlight wiring. It already has H4 headlight housings, so I'm thinking about swapping in a set of LED headlight bulbs to lower the power draw once we've repaired/replaced that section of wiring. Eventually I'll swap over the Maxima alternator from the Z31 to this, but it otherwise seems to be doing fine with the stock alternator.

Good idea. I had forgotten about them. Hopefully MSA has some of the older style if they stock A1 Cardone. I spoke to someone at Z Car Depot and they were able to confirm they have the older style (correct fit) from their supplier.

Small update. Work has been keeping us busy and we had to set aside some time and funds for our Jeep - we had a little too much fun offroading. But we finished a few small things here and there while the weather was nice. Replaced the broken pin in the connector and swapped in electronic flasher relays, so it now has properly working turn signals - no more super fast flashing. Hazards aren't working, so my guess is the switch needs some cleaning or replacement. The driver's side headlight also (finally) died while testing various lighting functions. I noticed the wiring to it was pretty bad and it's not a surprise since someone swapped in H4 housings at some point. So that will also need attention later. New vs Old: You could really tell the difference between the hefty electronic relay and the feather-light thermal relay. The next step was to get the brakes working properly again by replacing the worn out brake booster. I noticed inventory for the 8.5" version has been dwindling online and in parts stores, so I took a leap and ordered a replacement from Autozone. After getting the original booster off, it was evident that was the source of poor brake pedal feel & performance: tipping it to one side allows old nasty brake fluid to pour out the vacuum port. Someone replaced a leaky master cylinder a while back and neglected to replace the faulty brake booster apparently. This could also be the vacuum leak affecting the ideal - although probably not the only one. And of course the A1 replacement booster that came in doesn't fit. I initially noticed that the vacuum port is on the opposite side, which seems to be the norm for aftermarket replacements. However, this one has a 90* bend instead of the straight design. Additionally, the studs appear to line up with the firewall but will only go through halfway before stopping. I measured and found that the cylinder in the middle is just barely offset (also slightly bigger) and doesn't allow for the booster to mount up as it should. So I checked inventory with another store and they have one exactly like it - no thanks. A quick online search found a couple posts at the end of this thread about someone else having the same issue: https://www.zcar.com/forum/10-70-83-tech-discussion-forum/377474-brake-booster-won-t-fit-3.html So I'll be returning this booster and ordering a replacement from Z Car Depot after the holidays. And onto the big news: we were not planning on getting different wheels yet. I honestly wanted to get the Z back on the road first and work out a few issues, possibly even start on some body work, but this was too good of a deal to let go. Someone posted a set of SSR Longchamp XR4 wheels in 15x7 with a 0 offset for a good price semi-locally. After confirming some details with the seller, we drove to Junction City, KS to pick up the wheels. Also had a chance to stop for dinner at Q39 in Kansas City on the way back - they have awesome BBQ if you haven't had it. Back home and after quick wipe-down: they could do with a bit of a refinish. We'll probably clean up the hardware, repolish the lips, and touch up the black paint. As we suspected, our measurements show them to actually be 15x7 +10 (for the stepped lip pair) and 15x7.5 -5 (for the slant lip pair). The 175/60/15 tires on them are trash (both in fitment and condition) and will be swapped out for properly-sized tires. So pay no attention to those. Since the weather was nice yesterday, we decided to roll the car out of the garage for a quick test fit. I was thrilled to find that the wheel sizes/offsets were closer to what we thought. For the laughs: it's currently sitting at monster-truck height (after removing the bumpers) and the tiny tires only exaggerate that effect. Front fitment: I'm thinking a pair of 10-15mm slip-on spacers with longer wheel studs should allow for the wheels to sit flush with the fender. I should've measured the distance from wheel to fender but forgot. We had a good laugh as a riced out NA Z32 decided to buzz us from the roadside as he went past. Rear fitment: Pretty much spot on, so I'm leaving it alone. Tire sizing is proving to be a bit difficult. I didn't realize the options for 15" tires had dwindled so much recently. So now we have to decide if we want to try to fit a decent 205/55/15 summer tire or go full stupid with a 225/50/15 streetable race tire. I'm also open to suggestions if anyone knows of better options. Ideally, we would send the wheels off to be upsized to 16x8 with matching slant lips (and probably flipped hardware). Then I could probably get away with a 225/50/16 and have several more options. But that will have to wait.

Sorry about that, guys. I've rehosted the pics, so hopefully they'll show up now. Hoping I haven't accidentally booted the pics in my 280Z thread now.

I thought this ZX subforum could use another ongoing build thread. This is part of an already existing thread from another forum, so please excuse any grammatical errors from the adaptation. I've had this '86 300ZX turbo for nearly 9 years, so I'll try to paraphrase some of important details. Keep in mind that it's a driver's car. I do enter it in shows and try to keep it as clean as possible, but when it comes down to it, it is being built as a car intended to be driven and enjoyed on the backroads of the Ozarks. Another note: I posted this as a "period-correct" restomod, but it obviously has had some modern details added over time. The goal is to have an overall period correct theme and with some subtly upgraded safety and technology. A little background: I bought my Z31 in early spring of 2010 from a friend that had it as a second car. He was a fellow Z-enthusiast, so he knew more about it than your average individual. I originally intended it to be a cheap manual daily to drive while I put together an LS swap for my then-intended project car. Long story short, sold that car and everything to do with it and my 300ZX ended up being the project car. When I bought it: Standard "Hot Red" 86 turbo with GLL package (leather seats, digital dash, etc) and 5-speed. It had 155k miles on it and was pretty much stock. Also had an exhaust leak on the passenger side that sounded like a knock, but we narrowed it down to broken exhaust studs. I drove it off and on when the weather was nice for a bit over a year before the water pump seized. I was in school at the time, so the car sat in storage to be later addressed. In late spring 2013, with the help of my fiance Noah, I finally had enough garage space, time, and motivation to get the car going again. So we hauled it to the house for new timing belt kit, water pump, CHTS sensor, harness, replacement rear caliper, and some other common parts. Got it running the Monday before Branson Z Fest and took it to a friend's shop to get the broken exhaust studs pulled/replaced. Once that was taken care of, it was a lot nicer to drive. It apparently flowed better too, since the muffler split down the seam on the first full throttle pull. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a replacement muffler in before we had to leave, so it went to Branson with a loud crappy exhaust. The rest of our group seemed entertained by that, at least. The Z drove great on the way to Branson, at the event, and back - even on sub-par all season tires. So that summer I picked up a set of Hankook V12 Evo tires in the stock 225/50/16 size. This definitely helped to improve handling, along with new semi metallic brake pads and poly sway bar bushings. Unfortunately later that year the heater core ruptured, so the lines were looped to bypass it. Being a secondary car, it isn't driven much in the winter months, so fixing that wasn't a priority. And since it was a busy year with with graduation, getting married, and moving we weren't able to get much else done until early spring prep for Branson Z Fest in 2014. In preparation for that, we swapped in a set of low-mileage Shiro springs with Konis, wheel spacers to push the wheels out flush with the fenders, and took it in for an alignment. Still fairly stock, but slowly improving. I also spent a number of hours polishing the oxidized original paint to bring back that natural shine. After sitting in storage through the winter months, we pulled it out again in the spring of 2015 for the usual BZF prep. This is where things start to get more exciting. With school and wedding expenses out of the way, we had more time and money to put toward the car. So it was time to kick things up a notch: G2 Boostvalve MBC (highly recommended with their Z31-specific kit), simple Bosch boost gauge, Experimental Engineering solid tension rod bushing kit with new OEM rear bushings, RTPro nRCAs, aluminum 30mm Z32 front calipers with Brembo rotors and Stoptech pads, DIF stainless conversion brake lines, V2 rear diff mount, poly rear subframe bushings (not pictured), and ST/Mach 1 springs. We also gave it the annual oil change and detail to keep things clean and running smooth. Then it was off for an alignment (becoming an annual thing, haha). We had a great time again at BZF. Also enjoyed driving in local cruises and the Ozark backroads. But with improved handling and grip, it was evident the worn leather seats were not enough. So I found these Recaros and bought them off a local wheeler-dealer. Cleaned them up and had the small tears in the material repaired by a local seamstress. Shortly after, we received a package in the mail from a friend in Colorado. I had bought a set of blown out Shiro seats with rails/mounts from a guy in Colorado who was able to meet up with a buddy of ours. He then shipped us the rails/mounts and kept the seats for his own use. Got it all mounted and what an improvement from the original seats. Unfortunately one evening a neighbor backed into the Z while we were over at a friend's house. No note or anything, but the damage was minimal. Although it did cause some rubbing under hard acceleration. After getting some quotes for repair, I took it to a PDR specialist who was able to pull the dent to keep it from destroying the tire as a temporary solution. With the rest of the body still being 29 year old original paint, I didn't want to have one part of the car repainted and mismatch. The plan was for a full repaint in a few years anyway. So this will make do until then. I like to stay positive and think that something good can come out of a bad situation. And so an opportunity was presented to us. A fellow enthusiast and friend offered up a set of two-piece 16x8 SSR-Watanabe RS8's in need of refinishing for a good price. So we accepted the offer. Bonus: I ended up with my dream wheels for this car and got to learn about rebuilding them in the same process. We broke the wheels down to the centers and barrels for cleaning. The centers were sent off to be blasted and powdercoated anthracite grey, while we kept the barrels to be cleaned and polished. Once it was all back, we put them back together with new hardware. Props to Noah for all the hours he spent in polishing and refinishing the wheels. It's not a task for the faint of heart. BZF 2016 was quickly approaching so I gathered the last of the parts to install the wheels and some other goodies: CM Performance downpipe & test pipe, a lightly-used 3" MSA catback exhaust, Personal Grinta 350mm leather steering wheel, Works Bell hub & adapter, a Nismo horn button, and a replacement driver's window regulator. After measuring and some in-depth research, I was able to find a set of SSR center caps that would fit - Watanabe's choice of center caps was limited by the size of the wheel bore and I wasn't fond of the style that was available. I also located a set of lug nuts that would fit the theme of the wheels and hopefully reduce the potential of damage in installing/removing the wheels. Got that all fitted, along with new ball joints and tie rod ends, and it was time to take it in for tint and an alignment. BZF 2016 was more involved for us. We went earlier so I entered the Z31 into the show for the first time and Noah drove it in the autocross competition. We were rewarded for our hard work with first place awards in Z31 class for show and autocross. 2017 rolled around and our schedule was taken up by work and travel. So more time was spent accumulating parts for the Z and less time installing them. We did end up with a wrecked and blown 88T as a parts car to disassemble and scrap. The freshly rebuilt motor was locked up from a loose connecting rod cap that fell into the oil pan. The underbody also had a lot of "hidden" damage from what looked like a ditch. What a shame. We ended up keeping the rear suspension and brakes, along with sway bars, heating/air components, and several other smaller replacements and upgrades for our Z. The rest of the parts were sold off for other enthusiasts cars. Before and after disassembly: During that time we also acquired a few other upgrades for down the road: S13 rear subframe and suspension, Z32 NA 30A transmission and Z31 30A bellhousing, Isky 274/270 cams, poly steering rack bushings, Zspec engine bay hardware kit, along with an early 200ZR hood, single-piece JDM/EUDM headlights, and Fairlady Z badge from our trip to Japan. We were able to install an OBX helical differential, "Wackadino" ackerman knuckles, and install the emissions/idle block-off plates. BZF 2017 was a shorter trip for us. Having recently returned from Japan and with other upcoming trips, our time off work was limited. So we missed the autocross and drag strip runs. I didn't even have time to give the car it's annual detail. But we made it in time for the show and typical shenanigans. Ended up getting 3rd place among some much cleaner competition. Fast forward a few months and we were on the road to Austin, TX for ZCON. We borrowed a trailer from a friend to haul the Z down - there was no way we were going to endure a 9+ hour drive in mid-August heat without air conditioning or attempt to cruise the rough Oklahoma/Texas roads without breakdown. Our diesel Jeep handled the drive down beautifully with that massive trailer and the Z considering all the construction delays as we neared Austin. Then we enjoyed a couple days of visiting with old friends and making new, seeing a lot of cool Z cars - including some historic and newer models brought by Nissan's Heritage Collection - and enjoying local cuisine. We went to the Saturday show and entered without placement - more motivation for next time. We were also going to participate in the parade lap at COTA, but the 102* ambient temps were hard to bear without air conditioning. After waiting an hour in a hot parking lot and told it would be at least another hour before lining up, we decided to skip the parade lap to join some local friends for food and drinks. Turns out this was a good idea since the Z started to overheat once we got off the highway. Apparently the high temps were too much for the Z31's 31 year old cooling system too. Fortunately we weren't far from the house, so it never got too hot and was able to cool down shortly after. Later on it drove normally and fortunately didn't show any signs of damage. Everything else went smoothly other than a trailer tire blowout about 30 min after leaving Austin. But that was handled quickly and didn't delay us too much on the way back home. After ZCON we parked the Z31 in storage early so we could get caught up on a few projects, particularly our old Audi that has been sitting with a broken subframe for several years. Admittedly, we procrastinated and that took too long to get addressed. So with that car now running and rolling again, we brought the Z31 back home this past weekend to once again get it ready for the next upcoming Branson Z Fest. The "to do" list included: install new power steering rack and poly rack bushings, rear camber kit, stainless rear brake lines, cruise control module, new O2 sensor, replacement triangle window seals, replacement side mirrors, and swap over a few remaining parts from the 88T (sway bars, rear control arms and brakes with new rotors and pads). We also installed a new FPR, TPS sensor and harness, and distributor cap and rotor over the weekend. I'm also started working on something I've dreaded for quite a while. I've always been reluctant to open the hood at meets or shows: 30+ years of dust, dirt, and grime with a mix of dry/brittle stock wiring & components just isn't pleasant to look at. So between getting parts in and installed, I spent some time cleaning in the engine bay. We started with installing some matte grey allen bolts from the Zspec engine bay kit to remove some of the worn/rounded OEM hardware. IMO, it currently looks a bit out of place, but I think that will improve once we clean/powdercoat the timing cover, valve covers, and top plate. I also want to pull and strip/repaint the red charge pipe (that I've dubbed the "rice pipe") back to stock color and clean up the patina on the HKS blow off valve. That was a piece that Noah scored for a steal and "temporarily" installed one day. As you can see, I've got my work cut out for me. Haha. A bit more progress: pretty much finished buttoning up the last few things on the Audi for a potential buyer and had to take some time away from the cars for the loss of a family member. Got a few parts ready to go on the Z. Got the front end taken care of. New power steering rack installed with Gary Molitar's poly steering rack bushings and flushed the system. Huge improvement from the slippery rack that moved while driving (annoying and dangerous). Also leads to a cleaner garage floor since the old rack would leak fluid out when the nose was jacked up. Painted and installed the pass-through solid motor mounts (not pictured). Then swapped out the worn out transmission mount for the RTPro mount that deletes the OEM dumbbell setup. Ignore the mess from the old leaky power steering rack. Buttoned that up with a new aluminum under tray that we got from Zach. And it's back on the ground. Ready to be turned around in the garage and get started on the rearend. Post-BZF '18 update. Got a few more things installed, did a rush job on the annual detail since it sat for most of last year (only a post-wash sealant and wax this time), and took off work last Thursday and Friday for a long weekend in Branson. Always fun to catch up with the extended Z family and make new friends. We even came away with a medal from the car show this year. Noah took advantage of a one-day sale and picked up a Cusco strut tower bar for a deal. No complaints on my side. We also got a few things in the mail from Zach: including a desperately-needed replacement relay box label (not pictured yet). Installed that along with the 24mm/26mm sway bars I've had sitting around. Fitment of the Cusco bar as pretty snug with the pass-through motor mounts. I didn't realize how much taller they were than stock. And oddly enough the hood wouldn't shut until we removed the stock strut mount nuts. Also had to clock the HKS blow off valve to get the bar in place and clear the hood. Overall I think it helps to clean up the engine bay... or at least draws attention away from the hard-to-reach spots that are still dirty. I also scored a Z31 flag from a guy in one of the FB groups. Thought it would make a nice addition to the garage wall. Post wash sealant applied and given a 24 hour time to cure before waxing. I really like how Chemical Guy's Jetseal brand sealant works. It's old school compared to modern ceramic coatings, but still holds up nicely and really boosts the shine. Thursday morning we set off for Branson with some of the guys in the local Z club chapter. Stopped for breakfast in Eureka Springs along the way - I highly recommend checking out Mud Street Cafe if you're ever in the area. We got to Branson around early afternoon and spent the rest of the day hanging out and helping with the BBQ. The next morning we got together a group for a drive to Peel Ferry (the last ferry left in Arkansas) and took some of the fun backroads on the way there. Lined up for the ferry: After a hot drive (without air conditioning for most of us) we stopped at a small Cafe in the national forest area across the lake and then took a casual drive back to the hotel. Most of the cars were fairly bug-covered and in need of a wash from the previous night's shower, so we took turns washing off the cars. Picture courtesy of Westin Easley. Kitty litter not included. Cleaned up and ready for the show on Saturday. As Saturday morning rolled around, we lined up the cars at the park next to the hotel and enjoyed the weather and company. In the end, our 86T came out in 1st place for Z31 modified and we won the raffle for a set of bumper to fender braces from XenonZ31. So I'm pretty satisfied for how it did this year. Since we've decided to skip ZCON this year, I'm really aiming to get some bigger things done for the combined BZF/ZCON show in Branson next summer. And finally, we had planned on going to Midwest Z Fest. But with work, getting a new car, recent travel, and the power steering hose leaking like a siv, we unfortunately had to cut our losses this time around. Check out the event t-shirt. And that catches things up to the present. I've got some fun things planned to have this car ready for ZCON 2019 in Branson and the combined BZF show. So stay tuned.

That's quite the interesting tool, Captain. I'm hoping we don't need to mess with the AFM. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was already "adjusted" by a previous owner. That would be the only reason for me to calibrate per factory specs. The long-term goal is to ditch the stock EFI in favor of Megasquirt (or Micro if it can handle our needs) and ITBs. Nothing is set in stone obviously. I have a couple options saved, but currently have my eye on a set of OER 45s to go with a mild L28 build. But that's going to be down the road. So I might change my mind in the meantime. I broke a pin while cleaning one of the connectors under the dash that the hazard switch is tied into. In lieu of replacing and repinning the entire connector, I found a set of "Ford style" replacement pins at the local parts store that looks identical. Let's see if I can avoid making things worse.

Haha. Thanks for the input. You're correct in that all the above [probably] needs work. We've just barely scraped the surface on the mechanical part of it. I already have some replacement sensors - CHTS, water temp, cold start valve, and possibly the thermo time switch - on my list. Also going to replace a lot of the brittle/worn connectors. The timing on it is certainly out of adjustment: it wants to idle at a higher rpm. So I need to set aside a day to go through it and adjust/check things. Once that's all taken care of, I'll feel more comfortable with taking on the valve adjustment. The rest is just part of the restoration game. Oh, and yes. We did hold the throttle open during compression testing. Followed the outlined technique to a "T". The gauge originally read ~70psi across the board before we tried the wet test (and consequently did the MMO treatment). So I think we had a faulty loaner tester. I'm going to hold off on the next compression test until I have a set of NGK or Taylor wires and a better tester. The new Beck Arnley set we installed broke two boot clips after removing them a couple times. I accidentally omitted this part in my original post. I checked the voltage at the battery and it is at 14V while idling and accelerating, not the 16V that the voltmeter is telling us. The gauge reads neutrally when off, but as soon as you start the car it climbs and pegs out. So unless there is something else going on or I misread it, I'm assuming the gauge is faulty. The filter at the inlet on the intake was our temporary bandaid to get it to idle while we checked other things. The original hose was split. You're correct in that it is not tuned properly: we tried a new piece of hose and with it routed correctly, the idle rpms shoot up. Running the filter allows it to idle close to where it should until we can narrow down the culprit(s) and get things sorted out. I've got the FSM and EFI manual on hand. Currently we're looking at adjusting the MAF and BCDD to straighten things out. But I'm sure we'll find some other fun little things to fix along the way.