2ManyZs

Besides the low volume production models such as the 432R's, the lowest VIN numbers of each models production, and the low volume "Special Edition" (Zap-Z, Black Pearls, ZXR's, and Anniversary Edition) model cars, I'd have to include cars that are still in their original owners hands. Cars with original paint, etc, which after 30+ years could be considered true "survivors"... Or, cars with a true racing history, whether or not it was amateur or professional racing and is still in its "as raced" condition. You could even say any car that still has its original floor pans and all chassis parts with no rust as a "rare" car as well. Or a car that has gone from Japan to the US, and back again more than once....In which case, I'd have to say Kats owns the "rarest" of all the members here, since his car is probably one of the only HLS-30 cars that now resides in Japan.

I wasn't speaking of your driving, but you never know what a previous owner may have done... I'd check the stub axle first, take the wheel off and see if there is any fore and aft play in the stub axle, or even up and down, which might show if you have a worn out bearing and/or a loose stub axle. Secondly, check all the u-joints, not just the ones on the half shaft at that wheel, since the vibration could be transmitted through the entire driveline if the u-joint is really bad and you haven't replace the suspension bushings yet, which would only amplify the problem. Also, check all the mounting bolts on the flanges as well.

Since you are quite sure it isn't the wheel/tire, then the next obvious things would be the stub axle, u-joints, worn out strut cartridge, worn bushings, or a combination of more than one of the above. I'd start with the strut cartridge, then go to the stub axle, then the rest of the driveline and bushings. It is possible that it is something other than these, which might have been a result of hitting a curb and bending the control arm, or something of that nature...

I believe that's a Jim Cook Racing piece, which I think has been out of production for a while. The biggest downfall of supercharging is that it takes engine horsepower to drive the compressor to help make the extra power, whereas, turbos run off exhaust gasses that use no power to produce the boost.

I think I'd make a copy of the police paperwork, and if you hear nothing in a week as to whether they ever apprehended the person, I'd hire a solicitor and sue him in civil court for damages to your vehicle. If the police don't want to do anything, I'd be willing to bet something would happen if a lawsuit were filed... especially if it was introduced in court that you filed a report with the police and they took a "who cares" attitude to what constituted a case of assault. Cases of "road rage" or whatever the idiots want to call it this week, have been such a problem in some areas here in the US, the prosecutors are really handing down some stiff sentences, and the police around the metropolitan areas have officers stationed in certain places looking for only "road rage" incidents and behavior that causes it.

Well, hmmm, if'n that's the case, I'd be more tempted to guess maybe the front end is tweaked a little. More than likely, in fornt of the rad support, where the bumper could have taken a little shot and pushed the whole thing donw just enough to cause the tension rod to put more pressure on the hood hinge than is necessary and that could be causing your problem. Did you try lining it up without the hood hinge tension rods installed? Just wondering if there might be enough movement in the hinge mounting plate, where you could line up the rear of the hood first with it latched, then line up the front of the hood with the hood mounting bolts on the hinge, then hook up the rods last.

What about the side to side clearance? I'm wondering if it might be hung up on one of the side bumpers or the inspection lid?

Yeah, I was thinking either Saab Sonnet or Opel GT when I first looked at it.:cross-eye

Most of the aftermarket "pedal pads" are just that, clamp on. I've got a set on the 71, and am not sure if they are gonna stay on long either. You'll find some that clamp on over the stock rubber pads(not the best IMO) and then there are those that clamp and sometimes bolt through the steel pad of the pedal assembly itself. I guess most of them you could modify to put a self tapping screw through the steel of the pedal, which IMO is the best way to go. As far as racing goes, I've seen guys use expanded metal, and even just welding on larger plates with a non-skid stick on tape material like you would use on a step in your garage.

Under 500lbs with 140-150hp makes for a hell of a power to weight ratio.... My Dad bought what at the time was a hot sled in 74, 68hp and almost the same weight, no suspension front of rear compared to todays sleds. Leaf springs on the skis and "bogie" wheels in inside the track. And we thought it would fly... I had it up to an indicated 70mph on the river once and scared myself... of course, I was only 15 at the time and had never gone that fast in or on anything before.... Used to be fun, if you didn't wear a helmet with a shield or goggles, and you put your head above the windshield, the wind chill would be so low, the water in your eyes would freeze. Talk about being "wide-eyed"..... 20-30 below zero and going 40-60mph...... ah, the joys of being young......

Before you buy a new master, try bleeding the master again. It's possible there is still air in the system that wasn't bled out. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to bleed all the wheel cylinders and calipers after bleeding the master cylinder. If, after that, you still have a mushy pedal, then the master is definately the problem. No sense spending money on a new master unless it's really necessary.

As far as I know, Dot 3 is still available.... And as far as the 280 requiring Dot4, the guy at NTB is full of it. They just wanted to justify charging you a higher price, that would be my guess.

If I still lived up north and had enough snow like we used to when I was growing up, I'd prefer one of these......:classic: Be a lot of fun screaming across a frozen lake with 140-150hp under the hood, back in the 70's we thought 65hp was a hot sled.... http://snowmobiles.polarisindustries.com/snowmobiles/specs.aspx?ModelID=8DD2AFFA-47DD-47F6-A563-9FC01BCC8A45

Hehe, now if we could get him to post his mugshot like the rest of us....... See if he's another one that looks like his pet like I was accused of.:devious:

Hey Ed, how about copying that post over into the tech articles, so it can be easily found for anyone looking for the answer to a question?

There's still a lot of shy ones besides Alfapuppy..... Ben, Mr. C, Daniel, Smokey, St Stephen, NorthernNJ larry, phi22b@ck, Dtsnlvrs, daddz, 240znz, MikeW, the list goes on......

Well, with what you have now, I don't really see a need for an MSD.... First off, which plugs are you running? If you are running BPR7's, you ought to go one heat range hotter to a BPR6ES and open up the gap to .040 and see how they look after running it a while.

Couple things to try before you spend the money on an MSD, which could end up being a waste of money... Have you tried a hotter heat range plug? And what are you running for plugs and plug gap. Have you confirmed that the timing is set correctly and the advance is working properly? Have you tried advancing the timing a degree or two? Are you running a stock coil or aftermarket? Aftermarket plug wires? MSD's are fine, but you will have to remember to get the tach adapter, or you will not be able to fire the injectors. I believe the 280's will need the magnetic trigger adapter, which I think is the more expensive of the two..... And, an MSD won't cure a problem with the ignition or fuel supply you may be overlooking. Be sure to check everything, it's possible it is a small problem with the AFM, or the ignition itself...it could also be a malfunctioning water temp/air temp sensor and/or cold start valve as well. You really ought to diagnose any possible problems with the FI system as well as the ignition before you spend any money, you may need to spend the money on something else besides an MSD to cure the problem.

You will also have to check your contact patch on the rockers when it is finished to make sure the correct lash pads are installed..... IIRC, the valve stem lenght of the 280 valves is not exactly the same as the 240 valves, so different lash pads will more than likely have to be used to correct the cam lobe/rocker arm geometry..I know I've got the lenghts around here to be precise, but I'm quite sure the 280 valve stem lenght is a bit longer if I'm not mistaken... There's a long thread somewhere detailing the proper contact patch and lash pads thicknesses etc... Here's the thread.... http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6342&highlight=Lash+pads

To just swap one for another is quite simple, only one wiring plug to remove(be careful not to crack the plastic connector or lose the wire that holds it), 4 bolts on the plate underneath and 2 hose clamps. There is one wire that will be attached to one of the hold down bolts that will need to be re-attached. It is advisable to completely remove the rubber boot between the AFM and the throttle body and check for any cracks, any cracks in it, replace it as it will really mess how you engine runs. Also, check the rubber boot between the AFM and the air filter as well. Motorsport Auto has replacements, and MidwestZ should be able to source them as well.

There is an article on the 280Z build up in the new issue of Sport Z. They are using the distributor out of an 82-83ZX Turbo because it does have the 360 degree optical trigger...and it has 6 windows for the cam signal. Now they also changed it with one from www.autronic.com as they were having trouble with it having too much resolution to work with their aftermarket ECU... which sounds like it's going to be a wild set up when they get it done... :devious:

I was wondering why he was smiling like that... must have been the hat he was wearing.....:devious:

Well, it's been almost 20 years since I tinkered with flat tops, so I'm probably not going to be much help in that department.... Here's a link to an old thread that might help you a bit... http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=42120#post42120 Oh, and if you don't already have one, a Factory Service Manual is going to be invaluable with any year Z... I know where you can get one in AZ for a fair price if you don't already have one. If you want his price list, Private Message me with your home e-mail address and I'll send you a copy with his contact info.