Jeff G 78

Shhhh. I get some crap, but I don't buy anything new so nobody really cares. The Ranger doesn't fit my needs and the Explorer is a soccer mom mobile. I'm still trying to figure out how to post the sketch as a picture rather than an Excel file.

Frank, Just for you, I made an Excel sketch. Now I just have to figure out how to upload it. I have to run out for a bit and then I'll upload it.

I'd love to, but I doubt Ford would let me telecommute. :disappoin Selling my house isn't much of an option either with our economy.

Today was the day my two Z cars were put to bed for the winter. Even though there will be a few nice days left this fall, I am already tired of scraping my truck's windows every morning, so my Z cars got tucked into the corners of my garage so my truck would fit. I have a 24x24 garage and with the right shuffling, I can fit two Z cars, a spare engine, trans, suspension, a snowblower, push mower, lawn cart, an engine hoist, my wife's 4Runner and my Tacoma 4x4. I really hate winter more and more each year. My toys are stored six months of every year.

Nice 260. Lose the whitewalls and it will look great.

Why do you think I said out loud? I knew SOMEBODY would do it. LOLLOLLOL

Remove radiator cap and replace the car beneath it. That car is Looooooong gone. Everybody needs a parts car or three. Remove EVERYTHING and keep for use on a much less rusty Z.

This question came up once before and I'll answer it now the same way I did then... Sing the ABC's song out loud to yourself and tell me how it ends.

I don't agree that a stock height Z is any different than a lowered Z for tire clearance. The tire goes through the same arc with either setup. The stock ride height might not rub in normal driving, but hit a big enough bump and you will rub exactly the same as with lowering springs. The only way to be sure you will have no rubbing is to remove the springs and run the suspension through FULL travel. If the tires hit, you have a problem. Look at post #19 in this thread to see what I mean. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35079&highlight=fender+lip My '78 rubbed really badly with 225/50R16 tires on zero offset 7" rims until I trimmed the fender lips.

If you aren't worried about originality, make an all new circuit using heavy wire and a relay. The lights will be brighter than ever before and you won't have the problem again.

Been there, done that, same results. I put those parts back in the box and replaced everything else. It's been fine ever since. Sorry, I can't help, but just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

No US-bound 240Zs came with rear swaybars, but the '73, I believe, had the brackets to mount a 260/280 style bar. The factory bar mounts in front of the axle centerline with the arms pointing rearward. The earlier 240's require an aftermarket rear bar that mounts to the crossmember support brackets behind the diff. Those bars have the arms facing forward. I have no idea what other markets had in '73. It's possible that they did start installing factory bars that year. We only got the real estate and brackets, but no bar.

I had to use ratchet straps to do poly/poly on my '78. To get the alignment correct I had to add a few washers to the LH TC rod which made it way harder to get the nut started. I did poly/rubber on my '74 and it was a bit easier.

'76 vacuum is different than '77 - '78. I'll see what I can find. I took some very detailed pics of a Blacl Pearl at the national convention a few years ago.

Just to be clear for future searches, only the 240Z Tokicos are progressive and have the issue mentioned. The Tokicos are linear for 280Zs and don't have the stacked dead coil issue.

My 260 has a huge rear bar to go along with the large front bar. A normal aftermarket bar set is 1" F and 3/4" R. My front is 1", but my rear is a bit over 1". The car is neutral, handles very well on the track and is super easy to control at the limit. YMMV.

There is a flexible wire harness clip on the body near the connectors. Simply hook the unused harness in the clip and bend the tangs. It can stay that way forever.

I *believe* the neutral wires are there on all cars, but they are only used on the automatics for most years. I've only had one manual box with a neutral switch, but I think they have all had the wires.

Look into crapcan racing. There are lots of races at the tracks you mentioned and teams are always looking for crew members. If you hook up with an established team, you will learn a lot and can easily get into driving at a reasonable cost. Because it's endurance racing, there will be a lot more time at the track and opportunity to learn. Don't let the format scare you away. The racing is very real. ChumpCar is a bit more conventional and competitive, but both are fun. There are quite a few teams that race Datsuns, but don't limit yourself. Get your feet wet with an established team and soak it all in. www.chumpcar.com www.24hoursoflemons.com

Read above raltz. They are likely the neutral switch wires. They are only used on a few years and on automatics.

With the key in the "on" position, touch the red/black wires together and see if the reverse lamps illuminate. It sounds like the reverse switch isn't connected. There is also a neutral switch on some transmissions which could be what you are seeing. The two switches look exactly the same and might actually be the same. The neutral switch is located close to the shifter, and the reverse switch is located near the fill plug.

Only the '77-'78 A pillar trim attaches with screws. The earlier S30 trim tucks under the windshield seal.

Looking good Guy.

I agree with Carl. You likely won't find a tank that doesn't need some work. Drop the tank, remove the sending unit and insert a few 2-foot lengths of medium-sized chain to help break up the crud. It really helps if you can do the cleaning on a gravel driveway because it takes a lot of water and makes a mess. Hose it out several DOZEN times with water or until the debris stop coming out. A second person REALLY makes the job easier on your back. Put a person at each end of the tank to slosh it up and down, roll it side to side, and shake it Next, buy two gallons of muriatic acid from Home Depot and mix 1/2 gallon at a time in with a few gallons of water. Be sure to wear a canister style respirator while using the acid. You WILL need it! Also wear heavy rubber gloves. Using several layers of plastic from a margarine container, make a cover that is the same size as the sending unit and attach them with the rubber O Ring and locking ring. Seal the vent, supply, return, and filler neck openings with heavy duty rubber gloves held on with duct tape and rubber bands and vigorously slosh the solution around and let it sit for a few minutes. Keep using the lengths of chain. Drain the acid solution and rinse again with water. Repeat as needed until every surface inside the tank looks spotless. Use a flashlight and small mirror to see inside the tank. Try to see in the corners too. Do not stop rinsing until the tank is clean! Once done with the acid, rinse over and over with water. Doesn't this sound like fun? You are now ready to START the POR-15 process. This process takes 2-3 days and should be done in the summer when it is nice and warm outside. The tank will never dry otherwise. Follow the POR-15 directions EXACTLY. Do not take any shortcuts and don't rush it. Get a cheap heat gun to aid the drying after the cleaning process. The tank MUST be 100% dry inside or you will waste a lot of time and money and you'll be further behind than when you started. The hardest part of doing a Z tank is the supply and return lines. They can and will be caked with crud and you cannot see them inside the tank due to the baffle. Use compressed air to blow them out. I didn't do a very good job and wound up with a clogged supply filter even though my tank looks like new inside. Make sure the lines are clear after you seal with the POR-15 as well. The sealer with clog them solid. If done right, POR-15 works great, but it is a LOT of hard work. It took me a full week to do the job right on my 260 tank, but my tank was NASTY as seen in the pics. My 280 tank wasn't nearly as bad, so I finished in about 4 days total. Here was my 260Z tank when I bought the car. It had been sitting for 15+ years This was what came out after a few water-only rinses Inside after hundreds of water and acid solution cleanings Inside after POR-15 cleaner and Marine Clean Finished product after POR-15 sealer. As you can see, getting the sealer to cover the baffle is a real job. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get it to cover the baffle due to the tank design. The important thing is to cover the bottom and the seams and to not allow any puddles to form. Here are the before and after pics when I did my 280 tank: This tank sat for about 8 years After water-only rinse Final result after POR-15 cleaner, Marine Clean and POR-15 sealer If this doesn't look like something you want to handle, let a pro do it. If you have any questions, let me know.

Welcome 5150! I STRONGLY recommend dropping the gas tank and cleaning it out. You will forever struggle with the gunk that is left behind after much of the old fuel dried in the tank. It should be an easy process since it's rust free.