First Gen Z

Rocker arm noise is relative to valve clearance. Check the clearance to see if it corresponds with the cam grinders specs. The cam could be the cause of your low vacuum at idle.

If the car is an automatic the problem may in the inhibitor switch. If this switch is malfunctioning or out of adjustment you wont get power to the solenoid. It's what we Americans refer to as a neutral safety switch.

Check this site. Some interesting cars. racingjunk.com Search: Datsun

Most of the items you mentioned are fairly easy fixes. If you want only a daily driver then this car sounds like a good candidate. Any reasonably priced car of this age is going to need some repairs. With a basic set of tools and a factory service manual you can do a lot of the repairs yourself. The tools and service manual will pay for themselves almost immediately in labor savings. And you will be getting a bit of knowledge that is priceless. My daily driver is an 81ZX. It has a few imperfections but is a lot of fun to drive and is basically a very reliable car. The guys on this site will be more than glad to help with any problems you encounter. Take a look at the classifieds for parts. There are a lot of inexpensive parts available. Good luck.

How much time are you willing to spend, how much money are you willing to spend, do you have the skills, do you have the equipment, do you have the patience and perservence required? This car is going to require all of the above if restoration is what you have in mind. From an economical stand point I personally don't think this car is worth the asking price. Even if you wanted it for parts only, you would be hard pressed to break even after all of the unwanted parts were sold.

My 1981 ZX has the stock ECU and AFM and works great. The AFM has been adjusted as per instructions on the Atlantic Z Car site. You may want to play with the adjustment as a few notches either direction will make a difference. When you get yours set up you will be pleased with the performance increase.

It should be OK provided you don't hammer it constantly. The u-joints are typically the weak links.

Have you checked your fusible links?

Don't hesitate!!!! All of those parts will give life to many more cars. I've parted many old Z's and am much appreciated by those whos cars have been resurected.

I've had my sand blaster for 20 years. I say sand because it's the only medium I've used. I built my cabinet because after seeing what was available on the commercial market I wasn't impressed. My cabinet is 50" x 26" x 24" tall. The door opens from the front. I can blast just about anything off of a car. As for a useful shop tool, once you have one you'll wonder why you didn't always have one. If you hook up your shop vac be sure to clean the filter after every use. The fine abrasive dust created by the medium will eventually reach the motor and ruin it. I've destroyed 2 shop vacs in the years I've had mine. The different size tips are for different volumns of air and medium. Small tip for small areas, large tips for large areas. I've also found that it is very useful to wash the finished parts with mineral spirits before painting as very fine dust particles on the pieces will negate a good paint finish. A drier is also a good idea. And don't forget to maintain your compressor. They are a very faithful servant. They don't ask much. Just drain them on a regular basis and keep their filter clean. Mine is a Saylor-Beale and I've had to work on it only twice in 30 years.

The wheels on the orange car are Appliance Industries. I just sold a set to a friend who is restoring a 1967 roadster.

It's a real common dilemma with aluminum pieces that are held together with steel fasteners. Corrosion in the threaded aluminum bores locks the fasteners in place. Add to that the soft Japanese fasteners and you have broken bolts and studs. There are several methods of removal. Most are time consuming and tedious.

Hi David,____From the factory service manual section EL page 68 and page 128. The system consists of a switch located in each door, an actuator located in each door, and a timer located under the left side kick panel. It appears that the timer is below the room lamp timer and behind the ECU.

Hi Bill____Welcome to the site. You'll be surprised at how many people will read your posts. And no argument from me on the ZX issue. I own both Z's and ZX's. My daily driver is a 81 NA. It's a great driver and every bit as much fun to drive as the Z.

Don't bother with trying to change the fluid. Remove all of the brake pieces and replace them or rebuild them. After sitting for 12 years I'm sure that nothing in the brake system is still serviceable. Brake parts are relatively inexpensive and other than being a bit time consuming the total brake job is not difficult.

Any competent auto shop can do wheel bearings. If you would like to do some of your own work and save a ton of money then a "FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL" is going to be your best friend. It will pay for itself the first time you use it.

Check the classifieds. Lots of us advertise extra parts. I've parted several 280's and have more parts than I'll ever need.

Sounds like an opportunity to fulfill a long standing dream. If at some point in the future you can have two toys you'll be able to get another MR2. They will be around for quite some time. Z's are getting scarcer by the minute. If rust isn't eating them then crushers are... well, it pains me to even say it.

The rubber gasket is all that's needed. If done properly it will not leak. Be sure all of your paint work is complete before you spray that silicone on anything. If more painting is to be done use some other rubber lube on the gasket. Many different brands on the market.

If you aren't looking for absolutely stock original pieces paint and body supply stores carry a large variety of what you are looking for.

Vegemite isn't that bad if you chase it with a little Brasso.

I had a guy in a brand new Maxima pull up next to me and say, "Nice car,man". It's a great boost to the ego. And he was right.

Chris, Go to the WD-40 web site. Read the MSDS. I'm am most certainly NOT a know it all. When I make a post on this site I speak from 40+ years experience. Never in my life will I ever claim to be an expert on anything. I am open to learning anything and everything I can about things that interest me. By the way, Her Majesty looks great. With your knowledge I expect to see the most perfect Z car on the planet when this project is completed. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

You're right about the bow and arrow and the AK47. A nice clean head shot will result in the same outcome.