Jeff G 78

First, a little background info. I bought my '78 280Z 17 years ago and due to many factors, it hasn't been on the road until late last fall. I rebuilt the engine years ago with flat top pistons and an N47 head. I have driven the car around 200 miles total over several days. I have the stock cam in the car right now, BTW, not the cam in my sig. When I rebuilt the engine, I bought new injectors and had them flow matched. The fuel tank has been cleaned and relined w/POR15 and the filter is new. Fuel pressure reads where it should per the FSM at idle, but I haven't tested it under load yet. The car runs decent when cold, but begins to stumble when warm and by the time it has been run for 15-20 minutes, it misses under load. When I pull the plugs after a drive, they show a lean condition. The ambient temp does not matter. It does this from 40F to 80F ambient (this is what I've tried - likely at all temps). I thought that the water temp sensor could be to blame, but it checks out per the FSM. If I disconnect the temp sensor at the bullet connector while the car is running, it nearly stalls and runs very poorly. If I run it that way for even 10 seconds, the plugs turn black and sooty. I let it sit overnight and checked the plugs after only a few minute drive before the car had a chance to fully warm up and they looked much better. I have checked all of the F.I. components via the FSM, and everything appears to be within spec. My vacuum is a tad low, but not terrible at 16 inches at 850 RPM. I have used propane to check for vac leaks, but didn't find any. If I pull the dipstick, or any small vacuum line, it drops RPM as it should. The BCDD also appears to be working, but might need some adjustment. The revs hang at around 2000 until the car drops to about 10-15 MPH. Does that sound right, or am I right in thinking that it should drop to idle sooner? Could the Aux Air Regulator be letting unmetered air in if it is frozen open? If so, is there an easy way to block the AAR without removing it completely and making a block off plate? What else should I try? I was thinking of adding a rheostat in place of the temp sensor temporarily to richen it up when warm until I figure this thing out.

I read and re-read the post and found nothing offensive or childish. This is a board for people who own 30+ year old cars, so it's likely that most if not all of us aren't afraid to get their hands dirty from time to time. Making a simple joke about tire changing abilities should have been safe around here. Now, if you had made it on a Porsche or Mercedes board, it might have been a different story. :tapemouth

I was just giving you a hard time Ron. I really don't need any body parts other than some nice 240Z bumpers for a swap someday. I'd love to go next weekend, but I have plans and have to be in town. Would you like to drag my Libre's to Toronto? I've been too lazy to run an Ebay ad. When you return, the weather should be better and we'll have to meet up. Good luck with the granchild!

Hey Ron, don't be hoarding all the good stuff! There might be some Detroit guys in need of body parts too. PS, do you know about the DAZCA show tomorrow? We are having a meeting/car show at D!ck Scott Nissan in Canton.

A spare wouldn't do you much good then anyway, huh?

Steven, with the notch up, the valves should be CLOSED on the #1 cylinder. With the valve cover off, both cam lobes for #1 should be up when the crank notch is up. The rotor should then be pointing at the #1 wire.

Sorry Chino, my comment wasn't aimed at you, it was just a general comment :laugh: I read stuff every day from guys saying they have rub because their car has been lowered. My point was just that the tires should not rub throughout the wheel's travel from full rebound to full jounce and through full turning in the front. I plan on removing my springs after I roll my fenders in order to easily take the suspension through its travel. I want to take care of the clearance issues one time and move on. Thanks for the heads up on the airdam. That's what I figured.

Congrats on the purchase! I was thrilled when mine showed up at the door. While the ES100s are great tires, I have heard and read that the ES100 tire isn't nearly as sticky as the Falken or Hankook, so depending on what you plan to do with your car, you might want to look at one of the others. I went with the Hankooks based on Car & Driver's test results. They tried 10 different performance tires and the Hankook came out very well considering its super low price. So far I haven't driven my car hard enough to asses them. It's running, but still needs some sorting before it sees any track duty. As far as the rub goes, I have heard the same reports as you. Some people get rub and others don't. I suspect that tire choice has a lot to do with it. Some brands run larger than others for a given size. My rub is more audible than anything. I can see witness marks on the tire sidewalls just below the shoulder, but no grooves or slices. They just look shiny where they rub. I also get rub in the front when I turn tight to one side, but that's just because my valance isn't lined up quite right on that side. An air dam will replace it soon. While we're on the subject of rubbing, I get really frustrated when I hear people say that they do or don't have rub based on their springs or stuts. The tires must be able to go through their full travel without rubbing! The spring rates don't matter. The fact that the car is lowered might mean that they rub sooner, but they will rub either way.

FYI, my rear tires do rub the fenders, so I plan on rolling the lips as soon as I can swindle a wooden baseball bat away from one of the neighborhood kids :bandit:

You COULD always go with 16" graphite Rewinds. They look great and are quite a bit cheaper that the Panasports. I would have considered them, but they weren't being made yet when I bought wheels last summer. Here they are for $600/set. These particular ones are silver, but they would probably sell you either finish. They seem to rotate the ads for the various colors even though the pictures are for graphite ones. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AE86-510-240Z-260Z-280Z-16x7-Datsun-Konig-Rewind-Wheels_W0QQitemZ200095198135QQihZ010QQcategoryZ43955QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Consider for a minute that you could get two sets of Konigs for the price you will likely pay for one set of Panasports :stupid:

They are not easy to find. I got the last set that K-Speed had before closing up shop. Someone on this site found them on ebay and posted a heads-up. I jumped at the buy it now of $900 which was a lot better than the $1300 that MSA wanted at the time.

I have seen pictures of what look to be progressive front 5020 Tokicos on a 240Z and I don't doubt the owners. All I was saying is that Tokico does not CURRENTLY make progressive springs. The rates came right from the Tokico. Of course, Tokico doesn't actually make the springs. They are a brake and shock absorber company. They are made to Tokico's specs my a small company in the Carolinas. Hopefully, I can get Geezer's springs rate checked soon and we will know exactly what the 5020F & R springs really measure.

I spoke with a Tokico engineer that I work with and asked him what the rates are for the Z springs. He said that the 240Z springs (5020F and 5020R) are 140 lbs/in and 165 lbs/in respectively and that the 280Z springs (5022F and 5022R) are 185 lbs/in and 200 lbs/in respectively. This info is straight from Tokico, not from a distributor, so it should be accurate. Since he only gave me one rate, they SHOULD be single rate and not progressive. I told him that some people claim to have progressive Tokico springs and others have single rate. He said that there is always a chance there could have been different specs at one time and some of those parts may still be in warehouses. He didn't say that this was the case, just that it's possible. I am working with Geezer to find out for sure what his 240Z Tokico springs measure. He hasn't installed them yet, so I will take them to work and rate check them. Hopefully, this will happen within the next month. I just need to drive across the border to Canada and pick up his springs. My 280Z Tokico springs are single rate for sure. I will rate check mine the next time I have some downtime and can pull them off the car. One more thing... I think Cethern quoted the something wrong above. He said that he thinks the REARS are progressive, but all the reports of progressive Tokico springs have the fronts as progressive and the rears as single rate. Eibachs, on the other hand, are single rate in the front and progressive in the rear.

Wow! That would be cool. That would make it much easier to see how close many of the VINs are to each other without scanning 13 pages of posts.

41 and living in SE Michigan

While I understand and appreciate Carl's point of view, I think it is important to understand that NOT EVERYBODY wants an original car. Yes, the carpet, wheels, and door panels are not "correct", but many of us would much rather have large Panasports, a 5 speed trans, and other non-original items than 14" steel wheels with perfect condition D hubcaps and period correct skinny tires. Just because there are much more original 240s on the market for similar money, it doesn't mean those cars are right for everybody. Maybe the high bidder WANTS a car with full carpet, a 5-speed trans, rear disc brakes, Panasport wheels and modern tires. He might look at a bone stock Z and see dollar signs for what he will have to spend to modify that stock Z into his idea of the perfect Z. I love to see a bone stock Z at a car show, but I wouldn't want to own one. My Z has mods that make ME happy. For some, a V8 swap makes for the perfect Z. Others might go for fender flairs, or a carbon fiber hood. My point is that $14,100 might be a bargain if the car meets the buyers needs and is as clean as the seller claims. A car show with only showroom original Z cars would be rather boring. When the majority of the cars have been modified in one way or another, it's obvious that I'm not the only one who appreciates well done upgrades.

I paid $725 for mine back in 1990. It was little more than a rolling chassis. Since then, I've put about $7000 into it - give or take a few thousand and it's not even close to being finished. By the time I do 240 bumpers, body and paint work, different seats, a stereo, and brake upgrades, I'll have another six or seven thousand in it. Those $10,000 "overpriced" 240Zs for sale all of the sudden seem like real bargains...

I think he wins the "Worst Wheels Ever" award. Early '80's 4 cylinder Mustang wheels just don't look right on a Z. Otherwise, the car looks like a fair deal.

I have always found that Redline MT90 will make Z trannies shift like butter. You might try that before looking for anything wrong inside.

My bad. Now that I look closer, I see the shape better. The angle of the photo made me think that they were Rewinds. You'd think I could tell what Panasports look like :stupid: You'll have a bit of work to do on the body, but from the pics you've shown so far, it looks restorable for a DD.

Looks like a great free car to me! The rust from the other thread appears to be mostly cosmetic. I think you can have a very nice Z with some work. BTW, the rims look to be Rewinds, not Panasports. Nice either way though!

We need pics! It sounds like you can't go wrong for free. Welcome.

Nice Z. I don't remember ever seeing sidepipes on a straight six before. Quite the artwork, too.

I completely agree Arne. I was going to add similar info, but got lazy.

Rust is the main enemy. Most Z's have it. Sometimes it's been hidden and sometimes not. Look under the battery tray, check the floorboards, take a very weak refrigerator magnet whenever you go to look at a Z and go over the entire body. If the magnet falls off, you have found filler. Keep a close eye on the frame rails where the tension/compression (T/C) rods attach. Look just behind the front tire at the frame and you'll see a rod that comes from the front control arm. The area of the frame where it attaches must be free of rot. Many Z's have rust at the bottom of the front fenders behind the wheel opening. The cowl drain dumps behind the fender in that area and causes trouble. Once you get past the rust issues, different Z's have different issues. 240's for example, will have various carbs. They either have round tops, flat tops, or have been converted to Weber DGVs or maybe triple carbs. Do a search and read up on the various carbs and what to look for. The 280s will have FI and should be fairly trouble free as long as the car is a daily driver. Cars that have been sitting are more likely to have corroded connectors which will cause all sorts of grief. The dash pad on most Z's will either be cracked, or cracked and covered with a dash cap. These can look very good if installed right. They come in half caps and full caps. Full caps are more convincing. My advice is to buy the best body and paint you can afford and don't sweat the mechanicals. You will spend less time and money on the engine and suspension than you will on the body and paint. Bumpers are expensive to find and rechrome, so look for a car with nice bumpers. Z cars are very easy to work on for the most part and don't have many weak spots as far as mechanical design goes. The best thing you can do is ask for help! There are plenty of Z folks in California, so if you find a car you want to look at, ask on this site first to see if someone can tag along and help you. After you have been coached and have looked at a few Z's, you will know exactly what to look for. Good luck and welcome!