Everything posted by Jeff G 78
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best spark plugs?
The general concensus is that NGKs work the best in Z cars. Buy the cheapo $1.49 BR6ES-11 (if my memory is right). Don't waste your money on anything fancy. Your car will only run worse with expensive plugs. They are so easy to change and so cheap that I usually replace them fairly often.
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Gunmetal Panasports
Thanks Nathan. Something told me that they would give the car more 'pop' than silver. I think they look great on the car. I agree that changing the color of new wheels is a bad idea. I would do it on old wheels that need refinishing, but not new ones.
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Gunmetal Panasports
I got mine last year. They were the last set left from K-Speed before he closed up shop. I paid $900 for the set.
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Seat recomendations
True Nigel1943. I am 6'-1" and have a long torso, so I am always fighting headroom with a helmet. I know guys that are 2-3" taller than me and can easily fit in cars that I have no chance in. The best example is the Ford GT. It's a sweet car on the track, but I cannot fit in it with a helmet. The shape of the seat keeps me from slouching and reclining back doesn't help either. I can do very short stints and then my back is shot from trying to twist just right so my neck isn't bent sideways. Other guys that are 6'4" with long legs fit no problem. :disappoin
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Bottom Plate to Differential Mount
It's a simple mass damper used to reduce driveline vibrations. Almost every new car has them somewhere. They are common on exhaust systems, differentials, and frame rails on pickups. By adding mass to a component, the vibration frequency is changed and certain error states are moved or eliminated. An exhaust, for example, might have a vibration at 3000 RPM - right at cruising speed. By adding weight, the RPM could be raised to 4000 RPM which is only briefly seen. The new NISMO 350Z uses them in the body and Nissan has been advertising them as a performance feature. In reality, all mass dampers are band-aids to cover up a noise or vibration issue.
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Can anyone recomend a good Jeep forum?
Try http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?Cat=&C=5 I'm not sure how good the Jeep forum is, but I go to it for the Toyota section and it is a great site. If nothing else, you might find references to another Jeep forum
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Nissan says: what's a 280z?
Same thing here in Michigan. I tried to order rocker arms and lash pads about 8 years ago and the parts guy told me that it wasn't worth his time to sell them to me. He didn't have the microfisch for the 280Z or the microfisch reader and couldn't look up the numbers. Ever since then, if I need a dealer part, I call Courtesy Nissan in TX. They stock an amazing number of Z parts and give club discounts. I usually have the parts within 4-5 days. They have a few Z parts on their website, but I always call them. They usually know what they have in stock without even looking the p/n up.
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Summer 07 issue of Nissan Sport
I got mine in the Detroit, Michigan area today. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I will for sure tomorrow. Thanks Art!
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Factory Restored 240Z's
Yes, it did exist and the cars were good. That said, there are MANY good non-program cars on Ebay, Craig's list, etc. Cars that are in great shape and need nothing usually go for between $10000 and $15000 depending on originality, collectability (low VIN), etc. If you want a perfect car, but don't want to spend quite as much, there have been several awesome 280s sell lately for less than $13000 with very low miles and pristine, original bodies. If you don't need an original, low mileage car, you can get one for much less and still get a car that needs nothing. Generally speaking, the early low-VIN cars bring the big bucks, but there are many cars that would fit your needs.
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blower blowing, no heat...
Sounds like a vacuum hose problem. Every Z I've owned has had cracked vacuum lines. I usually replace them all right away. Interestingly though, if you have floor only, you SHOULD have heat. Normally, when there is no heat, the problem is that all the air is flowing through the center top vents. You might have two issues. One with the vacuum system and another with the heater control valve, thermostat, or heater core. You might also do a simple check to see if the heater hoses are even hooked up to the heater control valve at the firewall. Start with the vacuum hoses. They need replacing. Once they are fixed and the air flows from the selected location, check the water circuit. When replacing the vacuum hoses, don't forget to check the rubber elbows on the vacuum bottle for cracks.
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Edmunds Nismo Z Full Test & Video
Just an FYI, You might want to update the link in the other 350Z post as well.
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Edmunds Nismo Z Full Test & Video
I'll have to try again at home. Edmunds videos always buffer several times and then crap out completely for me at work.
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Summer 07 issue of Nissan Sport
Nothing here in Michigan yet. I'll let you know when it arrives.
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rock auto
I bought Moog ball joints from them and everything went smoothly. They had the best prices as well.
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Whats your fuel economy?
My car with a 5 speed and stock gears gets about 22.5mpg in mixed driving. I haven't done a pure highway drive yet to see what it is capable of. See sig for specs.
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Car and Driver TV Program
Cool. That must be quite old as it has the TNN logo imbedded. Jim Scouten did C&D TV what, 5-6 years ago at least? I've met Jim a few times when he came to test our cars at SVT and he is EXACTLY the same guy in person. He talks just like that all the time and is a real nice guy. As you might guess from the voice, he's quite the chain smoker too. Another guy that's exactly as seen on TV is John Davis from Motor Week. He's a great guy too. Very friendly and funny. He is a BIG dude. He is usually standing alone on the MW set, so it's hard to tell how big he is. He must go 6'-5" and 280-300 lbs.
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Highly recommend it
What's the best grease to use for the wiper arm pivots? I need to do mine as well.
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280z saved from the crusher
We want pics! Congrats on the new acquisition.
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Rare 1975 280Z on ebay
Yeah, I was going to comment on the capitalization thing, but forgot. That was really weird. Who types like that???
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Rare 1975 280Z on ebay
Wow, that IS rare. Ever rarer must have been the L28 powered '89 ZX that the engine came out of. Why did he take a picture of a poorly cut piece of house carpeting? And why would somebody quit driving it due to the minimal damage done during the theft? A JY window can't cost more than $50.
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fuel pump options
I had triples on a '72 with a Holley pump and it was LOUD. After I sold the car, the new owner swapped it out because he couldn't take the noise. I think he went back to a mechanical pump and has been very happy.
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Opinions on this 1973 240z?
Since you're in TX, this car might fit your needs http://www.zcar.com/forums/read/8/1811301. I just came across it on zcar.com. It is around the same money and looks much better than the one you were looking at from the one pic he posted. It might be a POS, but it looks decent in the picture.
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Fumes are Killing me
Fumes get sucked in at every nook and cranny in the back of a Z. Replace the hatch seals, the tail light gaskets, the fuel hose grommets, power antenna drain seal, any rust areas, all wiring pass thoughs, etc. If you search here or at zcar.com, you will find more info than you can read through on fumes. The general answer to eliminating fumes is to seal everything in the back half of the car as though you were building a boat and were trying to keep it water tight.
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wheel opinions
No Tom, negative offset moves the tire and rim outboard. Positive offset moves the wheel spokes out which in turn, moves the tire and rim inboard. All modern cars use a high positive offset which moves the spokes out leaving more room for the knuckle. This creates less king pin offset and a proper scrub radius. In the case of these wheels, a +27mm offset will tuck the tires way in. Since they are so narrow, the tires probably won't rub on the struts, but they will give the car a narrower track width by over two inches versus stock.
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wheel opinions
You still have an offset issue. You should be using between zero and maybe +10 at most. As a 5.5" wide rim, they will be tucked way in with +27 offset.