240ZX

MikeW, I wound up going with the Mallory Unilite dist. However, and I'll have to look for it again, I aquired the Mallory part number and then called Summit Racing. They sell the same unit for about $375.00...........way better price than from MSA.

Bad260Z, 17" wheels work just fine on the Z car. If you have a stock spring setup you will likely need to stay with a 7" wide wheel. Any wider and you will likely need to convert to a coilover setup. Basically, the coilover setup uses a smaller diameter spring which allows for a wider wheel. You will have offset to consider as well. A stock issue Z wheel has a "0" offset. Since most of the 17" wheels are designed for front wheel drive cars and have built in offset, you will likely need to use spacers to compensate for the offset in the 17" wheels. Hope this steers you in the right direction. Also, you may want to browse the site's forum archives for posts on this subject .

At the 2000 Las Vegas show, I say a guy who had done the drip rail removel.......it looked very good. His Z is black with two white stripes running the length the car. Also, under the hood he has this big picture paint of a women or something....but you would definitely remember it if you saw the car. He had also seamed up around the headlight buckets which also looked very good. Each to his own I say!!!

Did someone say T-shirts? I wear a large, thank you! Great idea Mike. We all need to identify with.....................

There is available, a Nuclear Grade Anti-Sieze with no metal in it at all. It usually looks black. I've used the nuclear grade for years and have never had any dissimilar metal problems, that can happen when you use a copper based anti-sieze on aluminum, especially when you're near salt water.

Come on now phil359, There is a saying my friends and I use quite often....."The more you spend the more fun you have". Just kidding :classic: Rebello has other options for less $$$ too!

Phil359, You may want to give Rebello Racing, in NorCal, a call regarding your needs. They have a web site as well. Dave Rebello indicated to me a few months ago that for around $6k he will build you a 285 HP 3.0 including their modified SU's/maniflods. Just a thought!!!

Why would one want to install a set of abused pistons in an engine? Doesn't the fact, that the pistons are beat up indicate to you anything?

I agree with Tanny's statement. Come on, people have been trying to make others believe in their ways since the begining of time and to date these methods are not working.......HELLO PEOPLE!!! Get a clue, just love one another, no matter your color or beliefs, and f_ _k the struggle for money and power. The only power I want is to feel is my foot on the throttle of my Z.

My favorite roads for my Z.....................one's with corners and blacktop!!!

Remanufactured distributors..................can you say JUNK!!!! Especially from Advanced Auto The story is to frustrating to repeat.

Alot of guys use the PERTRONIX unit. It installs in your stock distributor and is a magnetic trigger type unit. I went for the Mallory Unilite setup. You may want to search the archives for details and or reviews.

Use SWEPCO 201.....you won't regret it!!!

Ok, I received the headlight kit yesterday evening and installed them. It was a straight forward deal with no mods required. The wattage of the new units are 55/60 and the OEM units are 40/55, if I remember correctly. Anyway, I did not use relays, as I felt my wiring harness was sufficient to handle the additional load. Be aware that when I went through the entire car a year or two ago I also made sure my wiring harnesses were in good condition. Basically repairing or replacing old corroded connectors and or corroded wires. Let's see....each headlight is on a 10 amp circuit and with a maximum wattage of 60w for the new units, that equate to a 5amp current draw for a 12vdc system. I think I'll be OK! I started the Z and turned the lights on high beam for at least 1/2 hour to proof test the install. Just before I turned them off, I went around and felt the wiring, connectors, and fuse box for any indication of excessive heat. All was well! I do think that if I had gone with headlights rated higher than 60w, I would have gone the route of relays. The light emitted from the new units is definitely whiter and brighter than stock. I'm pleased with the results anyway!!! Also, if you look at the new lamps straight on, turned off of course, you see an almost black lense with a silver center diffuser.......looks kind of cool to me.......maybe a little more modern if you will!

pharmer, Replacing your stock gauges with after market gauges is not always a direct bolt in and go deal. Unless some of the guys chime in here and add to your request, my suggestion would be to remove your dash (and boy is this a fun job), remove the old gauges, take gauge opening measurements, purchase the correct diameter gauges that you desire, and start figuring out how you will secure the new units to the dash. Usually it's a matter of a little sheetmetal fabrication skills. And besure to label everything you remove so you can get it wired up again to work. Taking pictures is good too! Also, while you have the dash out, inspect all the wiring, connectors, duct work, heater core, hoses and fan assembly. It's not a difficult job, it's just time consuming. Some of the items like the heater components should definitely be addressed with the dash out. You'll hate yourself if you don't take advantage of the opportunity. Oh! purchase a shop manual, it can help if you've never been through this exercise before. Hope this help you some what!

To Sblake01 & Daniel, Gentelmen, why are you guys saying I claimed a 10% improvemnt in H.P. (freed up HP) from an electric fan??? If you READ my post, I said that the total of the three mods I did MAYBE gave me a 10% increase. And I think that's a pretty fair SWAG. Give me a break guys....please don't vent your personal frustrations on me, I was just trying to help out a fellow member who had a question about electric fans.

Les, I have to laugh ROFL everytime I look at your avitar!!! It reminds me of a little kid about ready to pee in their pants. Oh yah, thanks for the links. Tom

Daniel, Easy big boy! I don't believe anyone is trying to out smart the engineers at Nissan. You have to understand that during the developement of any product there are always many compromises to be made to keep the product within a budget and within the scope of the effort. So, as with most cars you get, a lot of things that are not always the best choice but are the best choice considering the cost. Otherwise the original Z cars would have had a selling price similar to Ferrari or Porsche. Besides, alot of Z folks just like tinkering with their toys. Wouldn't you agree?

A valve adjustment and a compression test is a good starting place. It can indicate to an experienced mechanic the general condition of an engine. I'm not a turbo guy, but I would think that 300 H.P. from the 280ZX motor is certainly obtainable. Money makes horse power! Lots-o-money makes lots-o-horse power!!!

SER240Z, I have no drawing but a description. Basically, a relay has a high voltage side (+ and -) and a low voltage side (+ and -). The High voltage side typically takes power directly from a battery to the component you wish to energize. The low voltage side does nothing more than close the circuit on the high voltage side when you activate your switch, via electro-magnetic energy from a coil to close a set of contacts. The low voltage side is the coil and the contacts are the high voltage side. The whole ideal behind a relay is to keep high voltage wiring out of the cockpit. Hope this helps a little.

Hey Symon, Thanks for the input! Tom

Tourniqet, I put one of the electric fan kits, from MSA, on my 1970 Z. It is installed on the back side of my stock radiator, as per the Perma-Cool instructions. I used the heat sensor, provided in the kit, and figured the best location for it was right where the water enters the radiator from the engine. This sensor is installed by carefully pushing it in between the cooling fins of the radiator. The sensor triggers a relay to turn the fan on. The relay has an adjustment screw to change the temperature the fan comes on, also. How there are probably better units available on the market but for under $150.00 its was worth a try. I've had it in use since late 2002 and have been more than satisfied.....it's been working perfectly. I live in SoCal so it does get warm here (maybe not like Texas or Arizona). The radiator was recondition at a local radiator shop and I'm running a 50/50 mix of good anti freese and an additive I purchased from a Deisel Truck Supply house that is touted to prevent corosion build up, helps in wetting the coolant fluid (better heat transfer I think), and stops fungus growth!!? Anyway, I said all that so you have a good idea of my cooling system an to say this.......the only time the fan comes on is when I sit an ideal for more than a few minutes. The engine runs cooler than it ever has and I probably drive it harder than I used to. As far as why I installed an electric fan, to free up a little H.P.. How much H.P. gets freed up???? I thought a consevative quess would be a couple %. At the same time I also removed the mechanical fuel pump for an electric unit and removed the heavy stock flywheel for a 13 1/2 lbs. unit. I would have to crunch some numbers to get realistic but as a SWAG I figure the total H.P. that was freed up from all three mods would be maybe 10% Or, at best a 15 H.P. gain (freed up H.P.). Can I feel a difference? I would say most certainly I feel a difference over stock. As far as just the electric fan, I don't know. A wise old guy once told me this, regarding changes......"It's all the little licks that count" One of the nicer effects of the electric fan is that you no longer have to listen to the mechanical fan as you increase RPM.........you know, that FAAAAAAN sound !!! Would I do it all over again....absolutely.

Thanks for the input guys! The wattage rating on the bulbs I will be using are 55/60.....isn't that pretty much the same rating as the stock units? Incorperating a relay is definitely the way to keep the higher current out of the cockpit. Thanks again for your suggestions!