EScanlon

Can you post pictures of those radio brackets you say are on the side of the radio? There were a couple of variations on the support bracket for the radio, so knowing what you have would help in telling you what / where to go. As far as the antenna, there IS a way of wiring a FULLY automatic antenna to work with our Manual Electric antenna wiring. E

I agree with Will, it's best to not vent the Freon in to the air, not only bad ecologically but also for you. E

I wasn't aware of this. Anyone have a picture? E

Walter: No offense taken mate. However, go back to my first post on the subject # 8 on this thread. And, as you said, no offense meant, but if you'll re-read it, you'll note that I'm not referring to the generic body-shop / man you are referring to. The main-stream body shop that you refer to, I agree with you, IS hoping to be in business for many years. Theyr'e in the business of getting repeat high-volume customers AND turning their cars around as quickly as possible to maximize their labor inventory (turn-around). In my post I'm referring to the CRAFTSMAN body man, who, in this day and age of fast part replacement and minimal repair is NOT in the mainstream bodywork business. I'm referring to the fact that today's bodyshops will replace your dented fender instead of bumping out your old dented one. It's a simple matter of TIME and MONEY. It simply takes more time to do the repair, than to replace the part. They BOTH need painting, but even there it's easier to paint a part that doesn't need a bunch of bondo, wet-sanding, red-cap, etc. before it's ready for paint. The new part just needs primer/sealer. Time as you know, IS money in the bodyshop business. A Craftsman will take the time to bump it out...oftentimes because there are NO replacement parts...and/or the customer is willnig to pay AND wait for that to happen. As you pointed out, the generic body shop is going for the high-volume business. The Craftsman Body Man...is not...in general terms. The ones I know, and know of, are into the beauty and level of perfection their skill can achieve...and their customers are willing to wait AND pay for it. You ARE right, they can't compete against your local Dent and Bump, but then again, they don't even try. They don't have to. What they do sets them completely apart from the generic shop. They are the ones that Main Street Hot Rod, or Golden Oldie's Car Club recommends and goes to....and wait patiently for their turn in line. Due to the age and availability of parts, our cars are NOT without their hidden problems and risks for the modern body shop. That is why, most bodyshops today will actually turn you away outright OR quote you such a high price that makes you think they're trying to rip you off. They're not. In the time period it takes to do the work on our cars to "satisfactory" (both yours and theirs) levels, they could have turned out 4 or more, other cars. As far as they're concerned, they would RATHER you took your business elsewhere. Don't go away mad, just go away. So, enter the Craftsman Body Man. He's willing to do the work, and may even be very reasonable in what he charges...but it's going to be on HIS time frame. Don't like that? You're welcome to take your car elsewhere. He's achieved such a level of expertise that people seek him out, and he has enough business WAITING for him, that he's not going to be hurting for the lack of yours. You mention MAACO, and Scheib, both excellent companies but it depends on the individual franchise for what you actually get. And even there, if you want bump work...you have to pay for it. There ARE franchises that are willing to take on the work, but even there they will be limited to the type of work they will and can do...efficiently. You wouldn't want to take your car there for a rotisserie restoration. My point in this whole post, is simply this. Our Z's have passed from the kind of bodywork we can expect at your "generic" bodyshop. Bluntly stated, they do NOT want us. We are, literally, a can of trouble waiting to erupt. With the hidden rust, known rust, lack of replacement parts, and generally OLD-SCHOOL technology, we are an anachronism they choose to ignore. If you go to a "generic" bodyshop, expect to NOT be attended to. MAACO/ Scheib will attend to you, but not for free. The Craftsman Body Man WILL attend to you...in his way. I was hoping to blunt people getting upset over this, which I understood to be the case. FWIW Enrique

Guys, could it possibly be that the guy mis-read his VIN as an "R" and not an "H"? Occam's Razor. My title for a couple years read "HL5-30".... My insurance picked it up, and then they added HLS30 at the end after I called them back about it, so then I was HL5-30-043274HLS30..... It took several rewrites and a threat of cancellation to get someone to actually listen and stop assuming.... The title, believe it or not, was actually EASIER. Showed them a picture....presto zesto... changed! E

Since you mentioned a short in the dash harness, have you checked to make sure that all was ok? What about your accesory relay? FWIW E

Well I misunderstood, and missed the "donor" part. OUCH! That's almost too nice to be a "donor"...it deserves a life of it's own.... But that's just my 2¢ E

I like it! A pearl in the clam chowder!! Congratulations. E

It's taken me a while to gather my thoughts and post my opinion regarding the "worst" of this club. I put it in quotes as I think they're, for the most part, minor items, with only one coming to mind as major. Minor points: Too easy to become a member. I agree with this and that's how I voted. Not that I'm looking to exclude anybody, but there have been times when if the system had a bounce back method where you get a confirming password / link sent to a verifiable e-mail address (no Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) which you then have to follow back and confirm data that you input before you can post would not be a bad thing. Too much security? I don't think so, especially if you note the amount of spam we've seen recently. How did they become members and spam right off the bat? There should also be a probationary time period / number of posts before you can include links and post pictures to your posts, and another for your own gallery. This goes hand in hand with limiting the spam we've gotten in the past. Additionally, the gallery should be a boon to those members that have been here a while. Storage space / bandwidth cost Mike in upkeep. Maybe it isn't a consideration, but it could be. Technical Articles Forum should not be open to posting or editing. Technical Articles should be submitted, reviewed and then either voted on, or approved before they get posted to that forum. Whether it's a panel of members that have been nominated, volunteered, appointed, it doesn't matter, but there's nothing to stop someone from not researching the prior articles and writing a "new" one that isn't really informative, nor even on a topic that would qualify as being worthy of inclusion. I'm not suggesting censorship, but rather that a "standard" be maintained. This helps all of us, and increases the club's prestige. As far as editing, if changes need to be made to an article because of new information that enhances or changes the information within it, then it should go through the same process as for submittal. Otherwise, we're at the mercy of those who would impose their revenge upon the club by removing / editing out articles and contributions that had been previously posted. Pictures on the Front Page viewable as thumbnails before they're approved. From what I understand, this is a software / programming issue. Lambasting Victor is NOT appropriate, as he does an excellent job (Thank You Victor! ), and anyone who does give him grief can take a flying tackle at a brick wall. However, my point about limiting when a poster can begin posting pictures would go a LONG way to alleviating the possibility of an improper photo being posted. If someone were to be here long enough to earn the privilege (and that's what it SHOULD be) to post pictures insisted on posting material that went against club rules / policy, then they should lose the privilege...period. I know that these "minor" points may cause somebody to argue "Free Speech!", but let me make a point about that. "Free Speech as a Right" is something that people have construed to imply that you can say ANYTHING ANYWHERE. That's not the case, AFAIK, ANYWHERE in this world. If it were, we wouldn't be looking for ways to cut off the spammers, nor monitor the pictures that DO get posted to the galleries. Even the posts get monitored and if it's objectionable there's the "Report Bad Post" button. If "Free Speech" were in fact Any "thing/where" then we could expect posts about a Mustang vs a Toyota, and other topics which may not be of interest to us. Major point: People failing to "close" the topic they posted on, that is FEEDBACK. This is simply posting back whether or not the help they've received helped them solve the problem or not. A thank-you would be nice, but most importantly, is the feed-back. Knowing your "help" was in fact -- HELPFUL, is the primary reason some of us bother to post it in the first place. I think that many of us who devote time and thought to the problems posted here, and then take additional time to post their thougths, pictures, diagrams, scans, etc. deserve the courtesy of being told whether or not their advise was on the money and, in fact, was the solution. Normally, when you're working on a car at a friend's house. Whether it's in his garage or in the driveway or stuck in the middle of the freeway, you have the feedback...from the car. When you're on the phone, you can either hear it or you at least get "That did it!". But here.....sometimes there is a reply that says..."Ok, it's fixed now. Thanks." but so many other times.....nothing. Then you don't know if the guy lost interest, fixed it, gave up took it to...., or blew you off because he couldn't explain the problem or understand what you were posting. To many of the "old-farts", as some of the young-farts refer to us as, this is simply ... lack of respect. Before you know it, they stop posting...after all who wants to spend time explaining something....if they're only going to blow you off. Remember, behind every altruistic motive, lies a selfish one. Whether it is your own satisfaction, or whatever, it doesn't matter, the point is that without satisfying that selfish motive, pretty soon, the altruism stops. That's why we lose older members. FWIW E P.S.: I guess you could also post my lengthy posts as one of the worst things here as well.

Excellent!! Some jumping around is to be expected, it does after all reflect the condition of the charging circuit and whether it's currently + or -. As long as it isn't jumping like if it were a metronome or widly swinging from one end to the ther then it's functioning properly. Note, even a little jumping can be normal, flick on the Hazard lights or Turn Signals and check it then. Glad you got it working. E

Ok, I give....you have an AC voltage alternator? J/K; Well, actually...not. You DO have an AC voltage alternator, but it gets rectified in the diodes inside it to provide DC. That may be the problem, but I'll admit I'm not sure. This one is going to require some research. E

The only reason I can think of to add that solenoid to the starter circuit is if there was a problem getting power to the starter.... Anyhow, see the attached photo. E

Welcome Pete! Looking at your profile, it looks as though you've started properly....mechanicals first then the interior and paint. Feel free to peruse and ask questions of what you don't see posted. Heck, even if it's an old, old post feel free to chime in with a question if it is related to the original topic. That way each topic has as many of the questions within it as possible. When you do post to an old topic, it brings it up to the "top" of the list and everyone can then look at it and expand on what's in it. Enrique

Steve: Good of you to give the "first hand" experience. I'm on the other side, people want me to do the work, but either are unwilling to pay me the money or don't want to get involved or don't want to wait, and that's why I don't do body-work for hire. Maybe I should have pointed out, from the body-man's side, the various combinations of the "Fast, Cheap, Correct; Pick Two" scenario. I'll list them in a different order than listed FAST & CORRECT: MAJOR $. If you're hoping to bump up in priority past one of the "regulars", add even more MAJOR $. CHEAP/CORRECT: LONG time...in fact, go buy a CD with the money you allocated for the repair, at least that way you'll get some interest out of it. FAST/CHEAP: Can you say "Steel Tape" or "Chicken Wire & Bondo Rust Repair"? How about cardboard stuffed behind the fender to minimize the bondo used to hide the hole? These all sound as negative, but the truth of the matter is that what our car's require isn't available easily, readily and cheaply....period. E

FAST CORRECT CHEAP Pick Two Only. === In most of the rants, I note that there's a hidden implication to get all three, while trying for the latter two only. Most of the advertised body-shops today are generally....parts replacers. Yes, they still do some metal bumping, bondo work, etc. but for the most part....those days are gone. The old school shop that would take the time to bump out your fender, smooth the metal, blend in the bondo, apply primer/sealer and then carefully blend in the paint to match the rest of the car....are gone. They still match the paint.....unless your car is more than a couple years old. Then they insist on a total re-paint because otherwise.... What's more, the insurance companies have gone along with it, and that's what's really funding the demise of the Craftsman Body Shop. The Craftsman Body Man doesn't want to go "By the Book", that famous sacro-sanct MOTOR time estimate of how long it takes to fix your fender, repair your door, replace your hood, etc.. He's usually in a class all by himself, and he knows it. His shop may be named "Velvet Hammer" or "John's Body Shop" or "Hill Street Repair", but it's not a shop that you just walk in, drop your car off and pick it up next week.....usually. The work these specialty shops do, is of such a specialized nature that it is usually only by word of mouth that you find out about them. They don't usually need to advertise. Their work speaks for itself AND most importantly, is highly sought after. Now, these shops have their "special" clients that routinely bring in vehicles that they've bought / rescued from barns, estate sales etc. and want them taken care of properly. These clients are the ones that REALLY fund their operation. As a result, these clients receive first priority rights and most importantly, the privilege of jumping to the top of the work list. The shop may still have some time left over, and that's where the average Joe can get his car in and have it taken care of by the old-school style of bodywork. But don't even think that he's going to be first on the priority list....unless he's paying large $ for the privilege. While you have ONE car for him to work on, and no doubt you don't want to pay large $ to get it done quickly, you will have to suffer the time wait. If you check with him OFTEN, he'll keep your car in work and you'll get it back done correctly as soon as time permits. The guy that drops his car off and says call me when it's done, is looking more for a storage place than "I want it back next week", unless he's the big bucks client mentioned above. So if you want a carefully executed paint job, or bump work, you have to find one of these specialty shops that caters to auto enthusiasts AND accepts walk-in clients. Then call and check on the progress, but don't become a pest. Ask to stop by and see the work, but don't nit-pick items you don't understand completely. Offer to hunt down hard to find parts, and you'll be a part of the repair process instead of the owner who doesn't know anything about how hard it is to find old/new parts but insists on getting the car back tomorrow. Time estimates, signing contracts, etc. are also something that you may find are simply NOT used and/or refused. Insist on it, and the craftsman will quickly refer you to ...good ol' Hank down the road.... who also does work...rescuing cars from the crusher and "fixin' 'em" for re-sale....to out of town buyers. Get involved in the car clubs in your area. Find out who they refer people to. Stop by and say hello...allow the guy to show off his work and you may find someone that you can work with, and most importantly get a satisfactory job out of. FWIW E

If you can "wiggle" your battery cables around, THAT'S more than likely the problem. As Stephen pointed out, check the voltages. I'm betting that you need to remove the cables, give the posts a good scrub with a wire brush (that's why they make that little post brush tool) as well as the cables and then tighten properly. If the cables are so warped/distorted that they cannot clamp down properly, or if the battery posts are so worn then replace the worn items. FWIW E

Quick question, what shape were the old tires in? Were they the original tires? If so, there's a member that may be interested in them. See if you can find out. E

If you're looking to replace your hood, you might consider if someone would trade you an uncut one for the one you have. But as Enigma pointed out, the hood is definitely a stop-gap repair to a problem that ensued from the extra smog equipment and the over-heating vapor lock problem. Once you remove all that other stuff, it may be that the hood becomes superfluous and you want to change it. There are people that thought it a ghastly repair and others that didn't mind it. Someone with a slightly / highly modified engine might be interested in using that for the extra room above the engine itself. As such, I have one car that would be a candidate for that swap. E

Jonathan: The two wires going to the Ballast Resistor are part of the Tach Sensor Circuitry as well as power to the Coil through the Ignition Switch. If you remove the B. Resistor without connecting those two wires, neither the engine nor the tach will work. But aside from that, the problem with ZGarage's diagram is that it is SPECIFIC to the One Wire Sensor Tach (280) and will not work at all with the 240 Tach (Coil Loop Sensor). This has been presented several times before and that distinction is something that needs to be noted as it causes problems time and time again. FWIW E

Could it be that you have the Mechanical Fuel Pump and therefore no need for the Electric, unless as Mike pointed out, you had Vapor Lock issues? That it is of a certain manufacture month is indicative but not definitive that it would / did have an item / option as part of it's construction. E

Whoa there SavannahZ....that set up won't work with a 240 tach NOR with the MSD coil. There's a notice within that article that spells it out: The Tech Article you posted Zack, has the correct connections for a 240 Tach and the MSD. E

As long as you don't sit there going "Vrooom!, Vroooom!" such that the neighbors and everyone else starts thinking you've gone off the deep end...you'll be pretty much like everyone else here. Bill on the other hand, sits in his car and goes "Vrooom...putt putt, Vrooom.... putt putt, Sputter, Sputter, Clunk, Clunk, Vroooooooom, ..... wheeeeeze ....thunk-chunk....which is why the neighbors think he's building an in-sink disposal machine.....with a spoon stuck in it. But even he likes Led Zepp. Now if you had said you were listening to some Arkansaw Blue-Grass Folk Medley...... J/K E

Ouch!! Yes that one White wire carries the full load of Positive voltage from the Alternator / Regulator directly to the fusible link right by the starter and from there to the whole electrical system. In essence your car's complete electrical system would have been operating on power from the battery ONLY. As to whether this could have fried something in the internal voltage regulator....could very well have happened. For that matter you might also have fried the V/R Adapter's Diode. Hope that's not the case, but you might be able to take the Alternator into a shop and have it tested and the internal V/R as well. Enrique