dhomuth

A fuel/air meter with the temperature sensor working would be nice. A repair kit to replace the "chrome" strip about 1/8" wide along the top inside door panel. When the old ones weather and separate, the plastic underneath is gray. Wheel caps for the 77-78 Z mag OEM optional wheel.

I too have a Black Pearl that I've owned since new. Mine is somewhat modified -- I always wanted to have it done precisely the way I dreamed of having it. Should you ever need a set of the OEM Z mags the BP came with, contact me. I have a perfect condition set of them fully cleaned an polished. Originally thought I might keep them, but have been considering selling. Not cheap - but really good. I like your car. Take good care of it. "Keeping it for your kid" is always a really nice rationale too. Well done.

Get hold of Steve Epperly at Z Therapy in Salem, Oregon. Most knowledgeable, has a large boneyard and can help you.

Yeah -- but it's too spendy and I don't need all of it. Just need the one piece. I'll see if they'll sell it to me, though. Thanks!

Thank you. I will do so straightaway. Been quite busy of late.

Appreciate the suggestions. Nevertheless, what I Could do and what I Want and Choose to do differ. I want a piece that looks as though it's 31 years old but is still intact. That's what the car is. I don't wish to make a new one that will inevitably be mismatched to the rest of the interior. It's a Personal Preference thing. As for junk yards, pretty much anything older than 15 years old or so gets sent to the crushers. No money in them. Rarely see any early Zs any more, and even the ZXs are getting scarce. But once again -- should anyone stumble across this piece in a junk yard near their residence, I'd appreciate getting it.

Well -- don;t That beat all! Just now logged into my e-mail to find that the piece is n/a from Motorsports Auto as well. So the request is still out there. It's the vinyl trim that covers the wheel house behind the drivers's seat. Must be black and match the '77 and '78 Z interior. The trim piece from a 2+2 will also fit, so I'm told. Anybody got that piece?

Reasonable suggestion, but not Quite what I had in mind. I want a Real piece -- not something stitched together with vinyl that doesn't Quite match. This is a well-kept car and I've tried to save the original bits wherever I could. I'm not particularly interested in anything that isn's Just Right to my expectations. The Z Store still had the piece available. The RH side piece is n/a any longer. I ordered it this ayem. Price seems OK -- I may have to screw around with it some to make it appear appropriate for a 31-year-old interior. But it'll do -- the other side is still quite nice too. Appreciate the feedback, though.

Won't work. Different pattern and wrong color. Need to be black and from a 280, not a 240. But appreciate the response.

Apparently let the seat drop and it took a 90-degree tear in the vinyl. I'd as lief replace it than have a funky-looking repair, and rather than get a brand new one, I'd sooner replace it with one that looks like it might be 31 years old -- as the RH side one does. This is a Truly beautiful trophy-winning car, and doing it right seems important. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

My favorite comment so far at a car show was two 240 fans, one of whom said "Those heavy bumpers added an extra thousand pounds to the car!" I didn't have the heart to tell him....

Back in 1981 in Minneapolis, I was at a friend's house when a truly fetching young woman entered the house, wearing a halter top and shorts. She asked if that was my black sports car out front, and when I said Yes, she said "Well, you should move it because it's in a bad place and might get hit." Being the sterling personality I am, I held up the keys and said "Here -- move it yourself if you think it's a problem." She recalls vividly thinking, at the time, that I was a bit of an A-H. But she figured it was a nice car and she might give me a second chance. We celebrated our 20th anniversary day before yesterday. But better yet... Several years back, I suggested that perhaps I ought to sell the old Black Pearl I'd owned since new. It was tired, the paint was fading and maybe it was time. She said No -- that's the car that brought us together. What will it cost to re-do? I compared that (about $15k) with the cost of a new one (about $35k) and she said It's a No-Brainer! So now it's re-done, has been entered in 6 car shows in the past year and has garnered 5 trophies and awards. And she's all in favor of the upcoming improvements too! My first wife wasn't like that about the Corvette I bought when I got home from Viet Nam at all!

Due to an unfortunate slip by the fellow installing the seats in my '78 Black Pearl, I am in need of the interior vinyl trim piece covering the wheel well behind the driver's seat. Please reply by e-mail if you have one available at a reasonable price. Normal wear is acceptable - I've owned the car for 31 years. Thanks in advance.

Installing the 15" Konig Rewinds on my Black Pearl yesterday, and the wheel cap on the fronts (only) seems to be (a) too short to clear the dust cap and ( even if it did, the taper of the front spindle appears that it will interfere with the ability of the cap to "snap" into the wheel center hole. Is anyone aware of a solution for such a thing? I have heard there are thinner dust caps, but can't seem to find any. Or perhaps does Konig make either a different wheel cap or some sort of adaptor so the caps will fit. The car looks Wonderful with the wheels, but it'd be nice to cover the dust cap. Suggestions would be most welcome.