jonathanrussell

I think you can access from the bottom. When I can access the bottom of a rivet, I can usually clip the bottom off with a wheel or dikes. It may be tight and not possible but thought I would share the idea. Those rivets should be a small black plastic rivet for trim. MSA sells them.

That tank is an easy repair. My fuel tube was loose too...though not as disconnected as yours. I would remove the epoxy and send it to a radiator shop. They will re-solder the tubes, boil it out, and seal it if you want it sealed. Or, bring it home and treat and seal yourself.

Not sure of the cuttoff date but my 6/72 240z has the early and my early 75 280z has the improved, later spray bar. Both cars are lo mile original cars so I think the bars are original. I have found a few of the later improved bars on ebay. Here is the early with the aluminum (I think) blocks that fail and allow the spray tubes to become loose and leak. Early oil spray bar- Ebay Here is the later, improved. Later improved spray bar- ebay

So, I went through the same search for center caps for my dad's Black Pearl 280z and figured out that the caps for a later ZX wheel not only look better (my opinion) but they fit better and are available new (at least through the ebay seller below). Yes, they are pretty expensive and not original but for me, I decided it was the best option. 280 ZX Wheel Caps on Ebay I have several original caps that need to be restored and may restore them one day. For now though, I like the zx caps better. Best of luck...

I purchased a set but haven't received. Looks very useful. While I will continue to adjust floats by removing the domes, turning the nozzles down 10 turns and setting the fuel level at the top of the nozzle, it will be nice to test the result with this device....I think. Regarding adjusting the floats without removing the lids and bending tabs....I have been trying to think of a way to do that for some time but alas no breakthrough. To me, even if you had to remove the float...coming up with a more precise way to move the tab with a set screw rather than bending the tab would be great. On my way to adjusted floats I go through multiple cycles of bending too much, reinstalling, bending too little, reinstalling, etc, etc.

FYI, the NAPA brand DOT 5 fluid I use is purple also.

In general, I use DOT 4 in my z cars. I am refreshing an original orange paint 72 low miles car and really want to use DOT 5 (paint paranoia) but likely will use DOT 4. About 10 years ago, I rebuilt the brake system in my dad's original paint black pearl 78 280z. I used DOT 5 in the rebuild. The good- dad's car went through a period of 8 years where it wasn't driven once. When we started it up, it started right up and the brakes were not rusted, frozen, etc which is typical if DOT 3/4 doesn't get flushed every year or two. I did flush in fresh DOT 5 at that time. The bad- the pedal is a bit spongy (but not terrible). I would say that the brake pedal engages about an inch or so lower than a normal 280z with DOT 3/4 fluid and has a bit of sponge at full contact...in my experience. Also, I think the brakes are a bit grabby. Now, either dad or I drive the car at least once every month and I am considering switching to DOT 4 to solve the spongy brake. When I do this I will likely replace the Master Cylinder, open up all the lines and attempt to drain as much fluid as possible out, and then flush in multiple liters of DOT 4. I might remove / rebuild / clean out calipers and cylinders but haven't decided yet. So, in my experience DOT 5 has its place but if you care about having a solid brake pedal and want to do any spirited driving with confidence, I would suggest DOT 4. Still, I hate the fact that paint damage can occur. And, I am not talking about spilling a bit when I flush or refill; I am in control and careful then. What I worry about is a failing Master Cylinder seal. It is one of the reasons why I only use Nissan Master Cylinders (at least to date I have been able to locate) AND flush DOT 4 once per year.

Those jack stands are awesome. Must find some. They let you set the height exactly where you want instead of 2 inches up or 2 inches down. Exhaust looks great too. Congrats.

Really appreciate the overview @HaZmatt. Once you figure out which variable or variables change gives you the best balance it would be great to know your thoughts. Maybe it is a combination- solid hats, limited travel causing you to ride on bump stops, poly bushings, spring rates? BTW, your car looks fantastic.

I was scrolling through old suspension topics and it occurred to me that It has been a while since this topic has been updated. I would love to know how the BC coilovers turned out and how they have worked over time. @HaZmatt, would you and others who have installed these mind sharing the details about your kit (drop, spring rates, Swift springs vs regular, dampers, etc), how the installation went, and what you think of the driving results? Apologies if I have missed where this was discussed elsewhere.

I ordered and received from @EuroDat I received very quickly after ordering and paying. Brackets look great though I haven't installed yet. Plan to use on my 75 280.

Call me crazy but, other than doing the dogleg rust repair I would leave the paint as it is and drive it. I like the faded chipped but fairly complete paint.

Excellent outcome. Hope you enjoy your next project.

I would say....relax. You are the one in control. You are the one with the asset. I don't intend this as a criticism but it feels a bit like the buyer is taking control over the transaction. Just put an end to it by telling the buyer exactly what you require in order to complete the transaction and if the buyer walks, then fine; move on to Denmark. If you require paypal then require paypal. If you want full payment before you execute a bill of sale and / or sign over title and registration then tell him that's how it is. And, the deposit is required in order for you to continue with any steps in the transaction- no bill of sale or signing over of titles or registration should happen in the deposit phase. Just my opinion. I wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your auction price.

If at all possible, I would store the engine assembled. As far as lubrication goes, I would squirt some motor oil into the spark plug holes, pour oil over the camshaft lobes, rotate, and repeat every year maybe.

In my opinion, if your intention is to store the L24, I wouldn't do a thing to it other than keep it oiled, rotate / turn it occasionally, and store it in a dry place. In other words, I wouldn't refresh / restore it and then box it up and let it sit. This will allow the next owner, or another version of you in a few years, to have the ultimate in flexibility regarding what they do with the original engine. Enjoy.

It is going to be fun to watch your progress. I was noticing an earlier photo of your E31 head on your original engine: specifically the casting mark and its proximity to the head gasket. I would bet your E31 head has never been cut / milled - a sort of rare thing, at least in my experience. If I am right, and it comes off the block straight, it should be a great head for a nice stock rebuild / refresh.

I would buy a set...front and rear.

Captain, I ordered from Amazon and it was shipped from Corvette Central. Here is the link to the item on the Corvette Central site. http://www.parts123.com/corvettecentral/dyndetail.pta?catalog=0000050e&ukey=47275 Unfortunately I can't put my hands on the Corvette Central tape for another month to look for any numbers. I don't recall there being any numbers. I think the tape came in a nondescript ziplock bag. There may be a number on the cardboard roll the tape wraps around but I can't be sure. The Corvette Central tape definitely did not have any adhesive. I used the tape to re-wrap my 240z engine harness. I completely unwrapped the old tape (took lots of photos), and cleaned up any problem areas. The original factory tape was very much like the Corvette Central tape but with some sort of hardened adhesive like substance that had dried and powdered somewhat with age. It wasn't really sticky at all and was nothing like electrical tape. I was able to use Windex and shop towels to clean up all of the dried residue off of the exposed wires before re-wrapping with the Corvette Central tape. I am pleased with the results. The process of wrapping and overlapping and the natural clingy nature of the Corvette Central tape resulted in something that looks great (Factory) and seems like it will last at least another 40+ years. I have made the mistake of using adhesive electrical tape in the past and my experience has been that it turns into a mess quickly with heating and cooling. Hope that helps.

This is the tape I used. http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-Harness-Stick-Correct-Black/dp/B0029D6DA2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

For me, the 10mm method (without the engine running obviously) works and accomplishes a couple of key things. First and most fundamental, this method allows me to adjust mixture to around 2 turns down on both carbs and have an idle that is slightly rich based on a colortune sparkplug reading….plus other techniques documented where you lift the piston and analyze what happens to engine speed and recovery. Second, this method allows me to achieve a good colortune mixture off idle, at 3k rpms for instance, dependent of course on the needle profile being used. Also, if the fuel float level is set higher or lower, then it quickly becomes impossible (for me) to adjust the mixture to be more rich or more lean. And, if the fuel float level is set higher or lower, then a given piston/needle position ends up meeting the fuel float level at an unintended position. So, I am sure everyone has their own technique, and there are many, but for me this method makes logical sense in my brain and yields good results where mixture screw turns actually cause logical changes in mixture. I am no expert at all on the science and theory of how SU carbs work but I don’t really see how having the engine running matters. There is no fuel pressure once fuel is past the needle valve. The fuel float level should (in my mind at least) remain fairly constant as long as the fuel pump can pump enough volume to keep up with consumption…..but without overwhelming the needle valve.

My float setting experience is the same as what Rossiz wrote. After fiddling with clear tubes for quite a while, weeks actually, the only way I have been able to predictably set the floats is to pull the domes, turn down the mixture knob 10 turns, and set the fuel level to the top of the fuel nozzle. Yes, it is a bit hard to see but here is what helped me (and my soon to be 50 yr old eyes). Optimize your eye sight for reading. For me it means removing my contact lenses. For some it may mean reading glasses, etc. Use a flash light. Rock the car a bit as you lean over and view the nozzle tops. This will let you see the fuel moving in the nozzle. Squeeze the fuel hose that connects the float bowl to the nozzle. This will let you see the fuel level rise and fall a bit. Use an electric fuel pump. You should be able to run the fuel pump and not overflow the nozzle. The bending of float tabs, removing and reinstalling is a pain but eventually you will get it set. Small changes make a big difference. I have only done this with the carbs mounted on the engine in the car. Can't envision how one would achieve the same angles on a bench. The good news is that after setting my floats meticulously, I was able to adjust the mixture / nozzles around the 2 turn mark and get good color using a color tune spark plug. The car runs great now too.

You have a beautiful car. Those rockers are a disaster. Almost looks like the builder checked one wipe pattern of one of the good ones and then assumed the rest were okay. Equally concerning is the wear, gauging, ripples, etc on the rockers. Makes me wonder what the cam lobes look like. Makes me wonder whether all of the seats were replaced, the lash was initially set, and then no one ever re-checked the lash again. As the new seats become broken in the stems rise. When the stems rise the lash shrinks...or goes away. Was the lash severely low or zero when you checked? I wonder too whether zinc oil and molly lube were used. Great catch and decision to replace everything. Again....I find myself wanting to see photos of the cam lobes. Also, were the valve stem tips pounded any? Or, could the valve springs be binding at full lift...causing the wear? Seems like there would be other side effects though. Best of luck and again, beautiful car.

I have purchased several items from 240z Rubber Parts. http://www.240zrubberparts.com/ Motorsports Auto sells many items too.

I don't know anything about the quality and fit of this custom fuel tank but I run across it when doing Tampa Craigslist searches. It looks very interesting and I thought you might also be interested. http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/pts/5288489852.html