RatMonger

As a fellow resident of Fairfax, I make this recommendation for keeping the car: Register the car, pay the taxes, and get the antique plates. You were going to need to do this anyway, why not now? With the antique plates, you don't need to get a safety inspection. So once you bolt the plates on the car it will be legal to drive. At that point who's to say you aren't driving it? If you want to throw John Law another curve, move the car in the driveway occasionally. My friend's and I also have the habit of disabling a car in the driveway for extended periods of time, and I don't know of anyone who has been challenged to start or drive the car.

I have one of the very early MP3 head units from Pioneer, and have not had a problem with disks burned from Roxio, Nero or the embedded XP utility. I just burn the MP3 files in a data disk format. I'd be curious to know if the numbered folders are a requirement for the unit in question or a recommended organizational structure If your burning software can normalize the files, I'd recommend using that setting. That way your MP3s don't have vastly different volume levels. Normalizing further distorts the audio quality, but with the windows down and a turbo muffler I can't hear the drop. I like keeping the original ripped files in an archive and only normalizing when I'm making a disk.

Thanks for the input guys. I'm glad I didn't pay the Panasport premium. Although the guy that sold them was saying they were. I could get a set of Pana center caps and we could keep the rest between us. :cheeky: Anyway, as long as they balance out better than the 14" slots I'm vibrating around on now, I'll be happy. Any suggestions on how to check the runout before wrapping the rubber?

Greetings all, I picked up a set of rims recently that were supposed to be Panasports and after looking at the pictures on Panasport's site I started to wonder. The pics I can find have what looks to be the Panasport logo cast into the rim. Certianly not the same markings on the ones I have. The main reason I am trying to identify the rims is to determine options for finish treatment. I am leaning towards fully polishing the entire face of the rim which would involve sanding down the cast centers. If they are more valuable as they are I'd be inclined to leave them alone. Any input would be greatly appreciated. -Ray '71 240 (with tired slots)

Thanks Enrique, Unfortunately, I am sure it's not the splines in the handle. You've confirmed my suspicions. So, the search begins for a drivers side regulator for a 240. I've heard that these are interchangeable through the 280s with the exception of the 2+2s. Am I on the right track? (apologies, I couldn't resist) If anyone in northern Virginia has one they would be interested in selling, please let me know.

Greetings All, First let me say thanks for all the assistance. I've been quietly hanging around for a little over a year, and in that time you guys have helped me to avoid learning about my Z the hard way. Hopefully, some day soon I'll have enough experience to interject productively. Anyway, I am having a problem with the driver's side window regulator. It will not roll up. The last couple of times it did work there was a notchy feel to the beginning of the cranking. Now it catches a little, just enough to get the window up about 1/8", and then it spins. So, the question: are the regulators serviceable or do I need to replace the whole unit?

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When the only tool you have is a hammer, all of your problems look like nails A. Maslow Just because all men are created equal doesn't mean they stay that way. From the movie "As Good As It Gets": Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) on his technique for writing richly developed female characters. "I imagine a man and take away reason and accountability."

Greetings, I was in the process of replacing the water pump and snapped off the bottom of the two large bolts, one of the ones that goes through the timing cover into the block. So now, unless someone has a magic through the timing cover bolt extraction technique, it looks like I am going to have to pull the cover. I have a factory manual, but it is not much use for this proceedure. Can the cover be pulled without pulling the head and oil pan? If it can, what are the chances of getting it back on without it leaking. Are there any breakables to consider between pulling the bolts from the oil pan and front cover and applying the rubber mallet? Is there a better technique than the rubber mallet for seperating the cover? TIA Ray

Greetings, I've been lurking around here for about a year now, enjoying the heck out of the information and banter. Since I recently picked up my first Z, I thought it would be a good time to say hello. I purchased a Z after looking into a replacement for my daily. An 88 Honda Accord is the unflavored oatmeal of the automotive world: It gets the job done without style or inspiration. So, I added reasonable fuel economy to the list of requirements and ended up making a choice I couldn't be happier with! She is a '71 from Arizona. With the exception of a paint job and some non-stock interior work, she's unmolested and original (obvious repair items aside). The Z is a new experience for me. Previously, my vehicle preferences have been for American muscle cars and '78/'79 Ford Broncos. They have usually been big blocks (6.6liter or 7.3liter V8s) and a stark contrast to a nimble 240. The people who know me from assocations with the other vehicles might be suprised to hear that I absolutely love driving the Z. I sure that doesn't come as a suprise to anyone here. I'm going to be harassing the group with questions shortly. I'm hoping to not come off as too much the newbie. If I do, please don't hesitate to set me straight! Regards, Ray