chickenwafer

This is the kind of stuff that really gets to me. What ever happened to "love thy neighbor"? I remember when I was a little kid, I lived in a culdesak. I was friends with just about every person on that street, over 16 houses overall. And not just that street- the streets parrell to it as well. I had more friends than I knew what to do with, and they were all within walking distance. It wasn't until I was a teenager and we moved into a ritzy community with a golf course and neighborhood association board that things started to suck. With the board, you had to file a motion just to plant new bushes! Bushes! Or flowers, or anything else. You weren't allowed sheds, storage areas, or decks larger than 40 sq ft. It was crazy. If you wanted a pool (I remember my dad having a fit about this), you had to have the board approve it, and then the board selected the company to install it. Then you had to pay a $600 annual fee to the board for just having the pool! And, you couldn't have it filled with water after labor day or before March 1st, weather permitting. It was redicuous. I remember we had this old retired couple that lived directly across the street. The old guy had nothing better to do than sit in his house and peer through the blinds and evesdrop on the neighbors. I remember my aunt came to visit once and parked her car on the side of the road (our side, not even his!) and he called the cops. They used that white chalk to mark the tires, and if you don't move the car within X amount of days it's towed. It was so ridiclous I couldn't believe it. Another time, I was about 15, I was in my driveway building a trailer for my lawn tractor out of wood (only thing I had at the time) with my friend. Of course, there was a lot of noise with all the hammering, and one neighbor from across the street came running out of house and started yelling that we were causing too much noise and he had to get up to go to work soon. He said he was going to call the cops if we didn't stop. It's crazy. There's more stupid incidences like these- like when one of my neighbors bought a new edger and decided to edge everybodies lawn without asking- or the time I was playing catch with a friend in the backyard and a neighbor freaked out because he thought the baseball might hit his house so he said I wasn't allowed to play anymore. Stories like these were dime-a-dozen, and you can bet I will never, ever buy a house in a neighborhood with a community board ever. Dave

I just can't get past the devastation in New Orleans. At first, I thought it was a little flooding and power out. Then I saw on Nightline the Hyatt hotel where one whole side had all the windows sucked out. They then showed the residential areas and the water up to the roofs of houses. New Orleans is actually below sea level, so when that levee broke it just trapped the water in. And the emergency pumps only pump the water into a lake that is feeding into the city, so it will just flood more. The water is still rising with no sight of it receeding anytime soon. It's just terrible. New Orleans a great, fun city and a business and culture hub of the United States. All the lost jobs, not to mention lives, are going to be a castrophy. The economic impact is going to be huge. Think of billions in dollars lost, and the countless lives. It's just terrible. The worst part is, we have no one to blame except mother nature. Who knows, maybe next Bush will launch a global "War against Mother Nature" regieum. At least until somebody tells him that mother nature isn't an actual mother......... Dave

I saw one the news last night and this morning the devastation left behind in the south by hurricane Katrina. I would like to extend my condolences and prayers to everyone who is left in the wake or has a loved one in the effected area. I know in New Orleans the damage is great, as well in other areas. Just want you all to know that everyone else is pulling for you. Hang in there. Dave

The only reason we're saying you're smoking stuff is because you are making no sense at all. You are either smoking the happy-grass or you are 6 years old using your dad's computer. Which one is it?

are you talking about sound systems or engines? So much confusion! I agree wtih SavannahZ, seems like you're smoking something else than just wheels.... Dave

A few days ago I was driving and saw a gold 280ZX 10th Anniversary edition in a driveway in my neighborhood. Pulled over and looked it- in absolutely possitive mint condition. No scraches, forget about rust, and not a single wear mark on the interior. The owner came out and we talked a bit- told him about my 260 in the garage currently being wrenched on. He is the original first owner and the ZX has only 26,xxx miles on her! His garage is heated and air condition and dust-sealed- how nice it would be to have money...... About a month or so ago I was with the Z in the driveway when a guy from a lawnmowing business who was mowing my neighbors lawn stopped and came over and asked me about my Z. Turns out he has an original Series 1 1971 240Z at home being saved from the wrecking yard. He also has a friend who has a 1973 240Z getting it's tired L24 rebuilt. Around here (rust belt), Z's are about as common a kangaroos so I was impressed to see this many Zeds around. When we all get our cars fixed up we're gonna cruise together- sounds cheesy but seeing 3 classic restored Zeds together on the road would be a lovely sight to see. I also told the guy about this site and MSA (he said he was having trouble finding parts) so he might pop up on here. Dave

A buddy of mine works in the tech department at a local Ford dealership and they got one GT in a few months after release. Price was $280,000 out the door, nearly double the MSRP set by Ford. He said it was being delivered in an enclosed trailer and then rolled into the showroom and roped off- no one was allowed to drive it or even fire up that 5.4 liter supercharged V-8 (that would be hard to resist!). I didn't get to see as it was sold within something like 5 days. But damn, talk about markups! I remember when the 350Z debuted dealers around here (Pittsburgh) were marking the base model up to about $37,000 and some even were hitting $40K. Now, around here at least, they aren't selling too well and prices have slumped to MSRP or even slightly below with inccentives. How the tides can change...... Dave

I agree, Nate. Nissan needs to seriously wake up. They're letting the inexpensive, rear-wheel drive market pass them up. The 350Z is hardly a contender when it costs $6k extra. Plus, it's HEAVY. Nissan needs to get back to it's roots and make a small, compact rear-drive chassis with a longitudinally-mounted big-bore 4 cylinder or a high-revving small-displacement in-line 6. Nissan can contend, if they would. BTW: Do they still make the RB25 or RB20 in Japan, or is the entire RB series discountied? Because if they do, that would be a perfect engine choice, and allow for a turbo model down the road. Dave

Since Bob Lutz's take-over of GM the quality of their cars has gone up quite a bit. The Pontiac Solstice was sent back to the production plant a whopping total of 5 times to get the fit and finish right on the car and to get the qualitly to a a place where GM was happy with it. I think the Solstice is a nice car, and it has all the ingredients to be a success, minus that Pontiac badge. A lightweight chassis with a responsive engine, quick gearbox, rear-wheel drive, and good looks. Plus, the engine is the Ecotec so there are already parts on the aftermarket for it, plus you know the aftermarket is going to heaivly supply it. But 18 inch wheels standard? That's crazy. Next think you know spinners are going to be optional. What is the world coming to? But I'm getting ahead of myself. I remember the Solstice concept, when it debuted, Dodge also showed off the "Razor" concept. It was another lightweight GT with the 2.4L turbocharged 4-cyl from the SRT-4 making north of 230-bhp and 250 ft/lbs of torque. I think it weighted something like 2100 lbs. No word yet if that concept is fairing to well...... But as far as calling the Solstice a Z, get real. The thing is a far cry from any Zed. It doesn't have the classic body lines and a long bonnet, which the Z exuedes. But fully loaded with all the goodies for under $22K is sure to intice some 50-somethings dealing with a mid-life crisis and a growing bald spot. My dad is currently going through a 7/10ths life crisis (I don't think he had a mid-life crisis, so I say he has a 70% life crisis just to eat at him) and he is considering a 2-seater sports car, the new 350Z and Mazda Miata inparticular. Maybe he can hang onto a couple grand and get a Solstice. Better yet, I should talk him into a used 240! Dave

I have a 260, which combines a little of both (but mainly the 240 with a stroked engine). The Z car is all about weight. Not power. If it was power Nissan would have stuffed some oversized V-8 it and called it a muscle car (okay, Nissan probably wouldn't go with an 8 cylinder, bu let it run). In my eyes, the Z was all about handling. It isn't going to win any straight-line drag races against cars of the similar era, but in the twisties it will run circles around, say a '73 Camaro. Those things used arcaric suspension and soft steering. The Z is what I like to call "pure". Just driver, engine and road. But the 280 is a great machine as well, that goes without saying. It's more refined, not as raw. And it's much better for a daily driver because of the fuel injection which makes it more reliable and gets it better fuel mileage (although a set of well-tuned SU's aren't too shabby in the MPG, espically when you have only 2.4 liters). The 280 is slightly bulkier, and I think doesn't have the same lines and body as the earlier Zeds. I think the best of both worlds is an L28 in a 240. The L28 weights much more than the stock L24, but the 240 has a more nimble chassis. Needless to say, this is a debate that will never be solved. Dave

Awesome car and well done! You certainly do pump the rest of us up! Amazing attension to detail, a first-class professional job. Your love for the car really shines through in your beautiful craftsmanship. Congradulations! Now crack open a beer and enjoy!! Dave

My first car was a 1974 Chevrolet pickup half-ton Camper Special with an 8-foot bed I converted to 4 wheel drive with front/rear lockers, 4.11 GM 12-bolt rear end, Turbo-350 automatic, 4 1/2 inch suspension lift and 38 inch off-road tires. That thing went anywhere. I bought her for (scratching head) I think $800 bucks and sold her 4 years latter for $3,900, but I had easily put 8K in her. The stock 350 Chevy motor had a low-end torque cam, ported heads, Edlebrock 650cfm 4-bbl carb with manual choke, Accel dist, custom headers and 3 inch glasspack exhaust pipes. Man when you stepped on the throttle and those second barrels opened up and the glasspacks were flowing you would have thought you stepped on the tail of a wild animal. Even with my mild modifications I still managed to snap a driveshaft doing burnouts. Sold her because some kid offered me good money for her and I had to cover medical bills and thing was a surpreme gas hog. My second car was one I was "forced" into, an "87 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z. I had never heard of them before I got the beater for 1K, and I was used to off-roading and driving big heavy trucks. So when I got this little turbocharged twerp I got my first speeding ticket, even though it isn't that fast. I eventually did some upgrades, naturally, including a new t3/t4 hybrid turbo and a front mounted intercooler. My best 1/4 mile time was 13.74, but I forget the exact trap speed, I'm thinking it was 97 or so mph, I'm pretty sure I didn't break 100 in the quarter. I eventually had a 3.5 inch straight pipe of that for a while (no cat and a very small race muffler) which made it sound like a banshee. I had her for only 4 1/2 or 5 years until some flapjack rear-ended me doing 55mph and bent the frame, so I parted her out selling the engine, trans, interior, etc. Actually got some good money doing that, but the insurance company ripped me off and only gave me $700 bucks for the car since I bought it for 1K and it was now older and more used. I think after that I was again "forced" into a phaze called public transportation! Dave

hey Nate, is that magazine a monthly publication or is it one of those under-funded mags that only produces a few issues a year? Otherwise I might suscribe. Have a web address?? Dave

Where the hell are you getting these numbers? First off, I said no stock CIVIC could rev to 9k from the FACTORY. The Si, as you pointed out, revs to 8200 rpm, not 9000. And, I'm pretty sure the B18C5R (the Integra Type-R motor) doesn't rev to 9k from the factory either, I think it was 8900 rpm. And, the S2000 (a car I wasn't talking about) peaked at a few ticks UNDER 9k, not 10k. I know this because when the RX-8 debuted, it replaced the S2000 as the highest-revving car for sale in the USA. The RX-8 goes to 9k. Sure, you could re-flash the ecu to re-set the rev limiter. I'm sure the stock B18c5r could rev to 9k without throwing a rod, but I wouldn't want to try it if I want my engine to last more than 50k miles. And, yes, valve float can happens in OHC engines but it's more likely to strike in pushrod motor because of all the extra weight and kenetic energy. A typical V-8 with an aggressive cam will experience valve float at about 6,500 rpm. Almost no OHC engine (if I dare so NO ohc engine) will ever experience valve float at that rpm.

I know old domestic iron is easy to wrench on and cheap to build, etc, but there are plenty of cheap imports (and domestics that qualify as sport compacts) that can run fast 1/4 miles for cheap. Case-in-point (I'll give 2 tastey examples). First is a 1985-1989 Dodge Omni. Buy one of these crap-buckets for $200 bucks at a junkyard and swap in the Turbo II 2.5 liter, 8 valve SOHC turbocharged in-line 4. Stock, it doesn't put up any pole-swinging numbers, only 150 or so ponies, but is manages nearly 190 foot pounds of torque (this is a later 1980's engine we're talking about). But, modified, the engine is an absolute beast. Swap in a 2.2L high-quench head, aggressive cam, and a huffing T3/T4 hybrid turbo and a front-mounted intercooler and you can run into the 12's all day long. Then, if you're feeling frisky, go for an even larger turbo and IC, step up the fuel system and engine management, and gut the interior to full race trim. And ta-da! The magic 11's in a domestic POS that cost less than 10 grand. And, it's FWD too. Second tantalizing example of cheap-arse speed: A first-generation DSM (or an all-wheel drive Eclipse GSX, Eagle Talon, or Plymouth Laser for those who aren't familiar with the Diamond Star Motor creations). One of these all-wheel drive imports can be had for under 4K. They use the fabled Mitsubishi 4G63 2.0 liter iron-block, DOHC, 16-valver with a stock turbo and intercooler boosting just over 11 psi. There are plenty cheap-speed ideas, including a $5 hardware shop-sourced bleed valve and vacuum line set-up to trick the turbo into giving you another 2 psi. But tuned, look out. These DSM's fly. I've seen some handily put down 460-hp to all the wheels and easily run into the low 11's if not the high 10's (with a gutted interior, weight reduction, and drag slicks to get to the 10's). But for 10K, I think you could easily get a first-gen DSM into the 11's. In fact, I know you can because I've seen it. Of course, you could purchase a '69 Chevy Camaro shell and drop in a Merlin 509 OHV crate engine that STOCK puts out over 500-bhp and 550 foot pounds of torque, put in a Richmond 5 or 6-speed gearset (or a GM Power-Glide if that's your thing), some stiffer rear springs and run C-14 race gas and spank the quarter mile in about 11 seconds easily. Also, I can't help but like Jason's point of view. Pushrod motor are cheaper and cheaper to make go fast because they have been around for 60-plus years, where as the OHC engine wasn't mainstream until the 80's (and even then it was only reserved for in-line engines, OHC didn't hit the V block engine until the late '80's and early '90's). Say Nissan made something like 400 million RB blocks, around the same amount of pushrod V-8's that are out there by Ford, Chevy, Chrsyler, Dodge, etc. They RB then wouldn't cost you an arm and a leg, and they would be easier to tune for cheaper amounts of money. It's the simple fact of Supply and Demand. But, of course, this is a mute point because history didn't work that way. What a shame. But I agree this argument will never be settled, like a turbo vs NA battle. It will never happen. But, that doesn't mean we can't talk about it and share our views so we can hopefully understand the other person. Who knows, maybe you'll get smarter if you pay attension. Dave

That's because Honda designs their motors for low rpm effciency and high rpm output- ala VTEC. That way, you get fuel milage and horsepower. BTW: No stock Honda Civic motor (B-series, D-Series, K-series, anything) ever reved to a factory-set 9 grand. And I vote for OHC. Why? Ever head of a little thing called valve float? Plus, I like having my multi-valve cylinder heads.

I'm pretty sure you have to use the starter motor and gear set from a manual. Is your 280 automatic in the first place? If so, you will need a lot of manual parts for the swap, including a clutch slave cylinder, clutch pedal and mounting assermbly, flywheel, clutch, driveshaft (i think), modified transmission tunnel, shift linkage, etc. It's a complicated but rather straight-forward swap. Dave

thanks for the lock suggestions, guys. I guess I better remove it. It's already been removed once (the key broke off inside the igition about 6 years ago and a locksmith came to the car and did it himself- took about 2 1/2 hours) so I don't know if he reinstalled the security screws or not. If he did I might as well go with Mike's idea and use a Dremel with a cutting wheel to cut in a slot for a flat-head screwdriver I get frustrated easily so this is probably the best idea. How much will it cost for the locksmith to fix it? Any ranges? Like between $50 and $100 bucks? Money is tight (it squeaks). But going back the firing order, I don't know how my oil pump shaft and dist alignment can be off. The previous owner is my father, and I called him up when I was having problems with the car and he said (to his knowledge) the dist or oil pump shaft has never been altered (he never did any work himself, so it easily could have by some mechanic in a hurry). He doesn't even know what the oil pump shaft is anyways, so it is very possible, he just doesn't remember it (along with a lot of other things). Anyways, I will get to the lock today and hopefully get it to a locksmith. Hope it isn't too much to fix. Quick question- are the ignition lock assemblies switchable between Z's? Like will a unit from another 260 (or any other Z) fit into mine so I can possibly just buy that from a parts car and not get mine fixed? I think they are interchangeable between 260's (I have a 260), but could I use a 240 or 280 unit? Thanks in advance. Dave

i set piston #1 at TDC and the rotor was pointing to where number 5 goes. I simply moved all the points on location counter-clockwise and it fired up right away. So I guess my firing order is one point off? Well, I had her out today and she quit on me about 800 feet from my house. Of course, I had 2 huge hills to tranverse so there was no way I could push her up there. I think I ran out of gas but I'm not sure. The kicker is the key is now stuck in the "ON" position of the ingition. I can't turn it without bending the key and since it's my only copy I don't want to break it. I will get a few spares made latter today, hopefully. But does anyone know how to fix the key lock? It's stuck pretty good, like it is in the lock position but the steering still moves freely. And I can still remove and insert the key even though it's in the "ON" position. I disconnected the battery to save some life because it doesn't have much to spare anyways. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance. Dave

ok bench racers, ingest this shot of stupid. I re-did the points to the proper firing order and the car WILL NOT start. Of course, on the wrong firing order, it turns over and runs perfect. Yes, perfect. It starts on a dime, drives good, still pulls hard, etc, but still has a large hesitation at low rpm (I can't give exact rpm figures because my tach is dead). Now, the correct firing order starting from the most left point and then going counter-clockwise is 1,5,3,6,2,4, right? I am going by the labeled picture Carl (aka Bambikiller) posted in another thread when I did a search this morning. One of my other car friends seems to think the timing is off but that shouldn't effect the firing order. I really have no clue what to do. Dave PS, here's Carl's picture:

thanks for the suggestions, guys. I know the previous owner didn't do anything to alter the car (although like you others pointed out I don't think u can alter the firing order without a new crank/cam/dist) but I thought it was odd the car was running fine with only 3 cylinders working properly. It started right up (which it never does) and ran fine without backfiring. The only problem was a massive hesitation under acceleration of any kind, no power at all. I would guess 3 cyl would be enough to move the little Z, but I can't say for certain. But, this is a mute point now because this afternoon I will re-do the points in the proper firing order and see what happens (fingers crossed). Hopefully she'll run as good as she did. Dave

Ok, this makes no sense. I redid the points on the dist today in the counterclock order of 1,5,4,3,6,2. Obviously, this is wrong as the normal firing order is 1,5,3,6,2,4. But the real kicker is this- the engine still ran with the messed up firing order (my guess would be it was only running on 2 cylinders, or 3 at best). But not only did it run, it ran great, minus the hesitation under acceleration. It started up like a dream and ran beautifully. It didn't backfire on idle (like it always does), and ran rather nicely. It's very odd. Tomorrow I will go redo the points like they should be and see what happens. Maybe I have a messed up a 260? The rotor can't be flipped 180 degrees because points 1 and 5 match, so I don't know. Any ideas?? Dave

Okay, I couldn't help the Frankenstein rendenition, but I thought it was suiting. My 260 finally fired up today after I re-did the points and put in some fresh gas. But, it didn't go without problems. My Z obviously hates me. During it's dormant winter life this past year, it has managed to stir up some new problems which I don't exactly care for. One is the engine runs like a blood-thirsty, menthonal-burning NHRA V-8 on steirods. It's LOUD. Extremely so. I don't mind it too much, but my neighbors don't care for it. And I know it's far from streetable. Plus, it's spitting smoke like a chimey. My first suspicions are a cracked exhaust pipe or some other leak either at a gasket or weld. Plus, it could be slightly pining due to the fact it's only 87 octane in the tank. I'm going to get some 96 ultra this weekend. Next set of problems: The tach is dead along with the speedo, but they still illuminate. I also think the fuel gauge is dead, but I don't really have enough fuel in there to test this theory. The Amp, oil press, and temp gauges still work, and surprizingly so does the original clock. Next: Interior fan motor appears to be blown out. Doesn't blow any air whether the switch is on A/C, vent, heat, or anything. Doesn't work reguardless of fan speed selection either. Is this common? Never really heard of it happening before and it's never happened to me. Do you think it might just be a fuse or it the motor shot? The only other explination I can think of for the blower motor being out is that the stereo is currently removed (along with the choke sensor light and hazard switch because the entire center dash console is out). Do they somehow complete a series curcit? Like if the stereo is disconnected does that effect the fan motor at all? I wonder..... And with the whole stereo fiasco- I sitll haven't found any wiring diagram to wire in my aftermarket stereo headunit. Talk about a thorn in my side. If anyone can help, please do so. I could really use a wiring diagram (if it labels the wire colors that would be great too). Also, the turn signals decided not to work either. Both don't work, but when you push the stalk down for the left turn signal it doesn't stay there- it just pops back up. When you move the stalk up for the right turn signal it stays there like it should, but nothing happens (on the inside dash indicator at least, I was alone so I didn't have a person there to tell me if the exterior turn signals were working). Discouraging, but at least she runs; sort of. She still needs new floorboards and framerails, a new driveshaft and u-joints, front fenders and rocker panels, bumpers, turn signal markers, brakes, and more but she's on her way. Hopefully I will get her going this summer. BTW: Any suggestions for how to fix any of the things I pointed out is always welcomed. Dave

rust is bad

Thanks for the advice guys, I know I can count on you. I don't about a full restoration, but I do want my Z to be a show stopper. Gleaming the sun and with the power to bite back. I'm looking at a turbocharged, fuel-injected monster of an L28 when I'm done connected to a 5-speed and lots more performance extras. I hope to achieve more than 320+ bhp and around the same torque figure when I'm all done after numerous amounts of drugs and money have been exchanged for parts. I plan on doing most of the labor myself, except for paint which I can't fully do (or body work). Anyways, thanks for the input and know it doesn't fall on deaf ears. Dave