SteveJ

Check all of your electrical connectors and repair/replace as necessary.

Car and Driver took care of the road course comparison. For the past few years, they go to VIR for their Lightning Lap comparison. They used up the brakes in a 370Z and stuffed it. They did a post-mortem on the the brakes after that. The Mustang GT was over 3 seconds faster despite the solid rear axle. Of course, this is done at only one road course. YMMV.

Dave, I looked in my garage. I didn't see it in there.

Keith, Two resources that you should download include the Fuel Injection Bible and the factory service manual. You can find the FI Bible at Blue's tech tips (link below). The FSM is available at XenonS30. Look in the EF section to start. You should also search this site for a color version of the wiring diagram. I think there is one floating around for the 77. If you are patient, you can see what is powered by the key in the run position as opposed to the key being in the start position.

Hopefully this helps. This is taken from a wiring diagram contained in the 71 FSM Supplement that Dave, aka Zs-ondabrain, posted a while back. Positive for the ignition switch and for the headlights comes from the White/Red wire. The White wire comes from the battery, goes through the alternator and supplies the White/Red wire until the alternator can. First scenario - You start the car, turn on the lights and the car dies. The alternator/battery cannot supply enough current. (Shorted alternator or bad voltage regulator maybe?) Without enough current, the car dies. Second scenario - You move wires and replace connectors. Maybe you bypassed the alternator and are pulling from the battery only. Your headlights work and the car will run...until you drain the battery. Again, the voltmeter will give better information.

Hmm, this adds a twist and gets my wheels turning. I think I have a better idea of what's going on. I'll have to copy some information from the wiring diagram (at home) to explain it better.

Actually, it can come into contact with the hold down frame if not secured properly. That burns up the wiring fast. I found that out the hard way. The insulation idea is prudent IMHO. I have some left-over toolbox liner that could work for me.

This makes much more sense than the original problem description. The answer would be that you have a dead short somewhere between the fusebox and the battery. The real question is why didn't the fusible link burn out? Anyway, the ignition and headlights branch off the same circuit between the battery and fusbox. Therefore electrically they are the same wire. If that wire is shorted to ground, such as can be the case with a loose fusebox, the ignition and headlights would not operate properly, since the current from the battery is going to ground. If you break that contact to ground, the headlights would work, and so would your ignition.

The issue could be with your fusebox or the back of it. Corrosion can play a lot of tricks with the electrical system. You've already seen the effects of 40 years of aging on wires. Keep in mind that the headlights are on a completely different circuit from the parking lights. For the early Z cars like yours, the positive side of the headlight circuit does not even go through the combo switch. If there is a loose component (wire, fusebox, etc.), banging on the dash could move the component to make or break a fault. The back of the fusebox is NOT insulated, so there is the danger of a loose wire or fusebox wreaking havoc.

Welcome. I know there is at least one not too far from you. Look at the classifieds at http://www.zcar.com. By the way, you need to give a price range that meets your requirements if you want real help.

Art, That is a voltage regulator, and it will work on your car. Conventional wisdom suggests replacing both the alternator and regulator at the same time since failure of one can damage the other. In the past, I have been lucky in bucking conventional wisdom on this. YMMV. By the way, if price is a consideration, you might also try Rockauto for the alternator and regulator. Another course of action is to find an automotive electrical shop and having them rebuild your alternator.

Steve, Is the clicking coming from the passenger side near the kick panel? If so, that is the accessory relay. The only other relay in the cabin is the defroster relay. The nice thing is that if you can hear a relay clicking, you can also feel it. Put the car in Run and touch components until you can feel the tapping of the contacts opening and closing. If I'm correct, you'll see three blue wires running to it. I doubt that the relays in the 73 would be the cause for your car coming home on a hook. Edit: I took too long in composing this. From your second post, I'd say it is the accessory relay.

All auto parts places, Wal-Mart, and Tractor Supply Company carry replacement cables. Just check the lengths and ends of the existing cables and match them up.

That's pretty much it. Just select a range that is greater than 12 volts. Also look at these links for more information. The second set of links is for measuring resistance in a circuit. Knowing how to use a voltmeter and ohmmeter can get you a long way toward figuring out what it wrong with your car. As far as replacing connectors, I can't say enough good things about Vintage Connections. Del sells most of the connectors you need, as well as nice ratcheting crimpers and an extracting tool to remove terminals from the connectors. Now for the ammeter, if you start the car and take the tach up to 2000 to 2500 RPM, does the ammeter move? I would expect it to go toward the positive side.

Apparently you didn't cover all of the forums very well...http://www.zcar.com/70-83_tech_discussion_forum/datsun_240z_dash_board_removal_895483.msg2691452.html#msg2691452 Just sayin...

Art, One other thing to look at is where is the needle on the ammeter. If it's pointing toward the negative side with the car running, it means current is flowing from your battery (discharging). If it is pointing toward the positive side, it means the alternator is charging the battery.

In a stock configuration, the wires for the headlight circuit are not on the same connectors as the ignition. The only ways they could short is if the wiring was hacked or if the insulation had melted in the harness. Since the OP has barely done any diagnostics for us to give a reasonable suggestion, it's best to wait for good information before speculating.

Art, Do you know how to use a multimeter? If so take voltage readings at your battery 1. when the car is off 2. after the car has been started 3. at 2000 RPMs Also check your alternator and belt. Is the alternator turning? Does the belt have enough tension? In the early Zs like yours, the headlight switch completes the ground path for the circuit, so it isn't a short. Search around this site. Dave, aka Zs-ondabrain, posted a link for the 71 FSM supplement. That has the wiring diagrams in it. By the way, it is helpful for you to put the year of your car in your posts. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

Come on, Dave, it's only $650. I'm still thinking that the propane would work better. The link from the OP is a tool for a sealed fuel system. Smoke candles could possibly work. I used to used those in ventilation studies. They are a LOT cheaper, probably cheaper than what someone would charge to use that gadget. As I mentioned earlier, the big problem is the fan blowing the smoke around. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SUPERIOR-SIGNAL-Single-Wick-Smoke-Candles-3KLJ9?cm_mmc=Google%20Base-_-HVACR-_-Central%20Equipment-_-3KLJ9 http://www.professionalequipment.com/regin-smoke-emitters-3-minutes-5-pack-s104/hvac-sealants/?source=pegs&cid=PESEFGL

Just for a frame of reference, you couldn't have any unmetered air escaping since your intake isn't pressurized. It would be entering the intake. The smoke can work as long as the radiator fan isn't blowing it away too quickly. Another old trick is to use a propane or butane torch. Let the gas out slowly and move it around the intake. If you have a leak, the gas will richen your mixture, and if you have enough gas coming in, you will hear the RPMs go up.

Stephen has a point. If you thought it was a challenge figuring out the brake light circuit, imagine wiring the electronics in with a newer engine. It would also be without a factory wiring diagram to help.

If you want to do a swap, go to Hybridz.org. Just read a lot before posting questions. What's wrong with your L26 besides having Holley mounted on it?

You could consult with H4Lights over at zcar.com. That's his business.

What are you trying to order? There are other places that can probably provide the same things.

I had problems with loose bolts in the past. It can make for one heck of a racket.