2ManyZs

The front and rear struts can be done while still on the car, however, not without unbolting the T/C rod and sway bar on the front and the sway bar on the back and unhooking the brake lines. You'll need to put a foot on the top of the brake rotor or on the hub to "persuade" it to go low enough for the top of the strut to clear the strut tower lip at the top. If you don't have access to a coil spring compressor, you can use one of my cheap tricks. Use 3 large (2 1/2 inch is what I use) stainless steel hose clamps, take them apart and thread them around 3 coils of the spring and tighten them with a socket on the 5/16 head of the clamp. They will hold if you use 3 of the best you can find. Compress the spring and get it off and then relaese the pressure as soon as possible. If you overtighten the clamps, throw them away and get another one, if you strip out the slots in the clamp overtightening them, they can and will let loose and you'll have a dangerous situation on your hands... or on your chin.... The reason I like using the clamps instead of the compressors is this, 9 times out of 10, the clamps try to turn as you tighten them, you run one down, then another and by that time, the first one is trying to turn on the coil. The hose clamps never do that... I've had more springs jump out of compressors more than once, one time it caught me in the chest.... hose clamps never have let me down yet.... Just be sure to use the heaviest duty clamps you can find and you should have no trouble.

Looks to me like someone was practicing their "body work" so they could sell a kit car or re-body kit...Like the kits you can buy to make a Fiero look like a Ferrari... yeah right..... I do kinda like the dash, but that's it.......

Actually a McPherson strut suspension is technically a coil-over shock suspension. What we are referring to when we talk about coil-overs are actually smaller diameter coil springs with an adjustable perch that replaces the stock non-adjustable spring and perch. The Illumina's are an adjustable strut cartridge (or technically a shock absorber), not coil-overs per se.... Many US cars use a coil spring that is sandwiched between either two control arms or one control arm and a frame mount, yet you can change them to a coil-over that is bought as a unit that replaces the coil spring and the stand alone shock absorber.

Here in VA we call an "adjustable spanner" a "West Virginia socket set"....... Only thing they are good for is square heads on drain plugs and dire emergencies...... For the line connection on the slave cylinder, if 17mm is too big and 5/8 is too small, use an 11/16. I've had hoses that have had different sized ends on them, even when using the aftermarket steel braided hoses... It's gotta be one of the three.... BTW, I just went out and checked all the steel braided hoses on the two cars and the ones in the drawers... all are 11/16.

If the 78 still has an N-47 head and the 76 has the N-42 the exhaust ports are different which means that the exhaust manifolds aren't interchangeable. Every thing else should bolt on with no troubles though.... N-47 had a round port exhaust and the N-42 heads have square ports....

And don't forget, the 77-78 280's also used R-180's.... The only rear in that group that might possibly have an LSD would be the 200sx after 1987, but that is up for debate.

Ok, here's a list of what came in what...... 3.36 R-180: 240-260Z manual trans R-200: 280zx 6/78-7/79 280zx auto's and 280ZX Turbo's 3.54 R-180: 240-280ZX auto's Maxima sedan, manual trans R-200: 280Z manual, 280zx Turbo 3.700 R-180: 810 sedan R-200: 280ZX manual 6/78-6/79, 300zx non-turbo and Turbo 3.90 R-180: 720 4x4 1/83-6/83 R-200: 280ZX n/turbo 80-83 200SX Turbo 84, 200SX V-6 4.11 R-180: 720 4x4 6/83-12/85 R-200: 200SX Trubo 85-86, 200SX n/t 84-88 4.37 R-180: 720 4x4 6/79-12/82 R-200: n/a 4.62 R-180: 720 4x4 Long bed 6/79-6/80 R-200: n/a Now all ya got to do is find them in a junkyard.....:cross-eye

Egad, how did I forget Meatloaf?:stupid: In the days before Cd's I had to buy a new cassette about every 8 months as I'd wear that one out....... Guess my favorite "driving" related songs would have to be: Seger- Turn the Page Hootie and the Blowfish- "Long Valley Road" Seger- Mainstreet

Hmm, thought so Enrique... The biggest giveaway was the C-pillar vents...hard to change them unless the whole rear quarters are changed to repair damage...well, then again, someone could just fill them with Bondo and use the early emblems I guess... This looks like one of those crossover cars that were built with left-over parts from the early cars and parts from the later cars. Vin number 23407 would put it as a 2/71 build date... which is about right for the changeover from "series 1" to "series 2" according to all the previous posts on the subject.

I'm with Enrique on his choices, plus 38 Special, Bob Seger, ZZ Top, REO, Bryan Adams, Eagles, and a few more I can hardly remember..... Ah, the "good old days"... biggest worry was how to pool enough money to buy a six-pack and put enough gas in the tank to cruise half the night....

Lot's of things pointed out already seem to indicate this is one of the "cross-over" cars.... Probably a mid to late 71 build date... The VIN number would tell it all. Mine is an 11/70 build date titled as a 71 and it has the hatch vents... so this one is more than likely a little later than mine... fairly sure it's not a 70 as stated. Even if it had a later build date in 70, it more than likely would have been titled as a 71 as it wouldn't have reached the US until 71 anyways...

Doesn't look too bad.... Couple things that would bother me though... One is the paint job, seems it was either a redo or orange car originally that had a rather sloppy re-paint in blue. Notice the orange showing in the engine pic along the edge of the fender and cowl. Engine compartment looks kinda grungy with what almost looks like a brushed on black paint job.... A decent paint job with any body repairs is going to be a major expense. South Florida might be nice to winter in, but cars do rust there due to the salt air and humidity as well. I'd have to look closely at the frame and underside before I could pass judgement on the car. If the price stays under ~5K or so, it would be a good deal... but the bid is almost 4K now and reserve hasn't been met.

Hope the seller doesn't read this, but a good E-31 is worth a hundred.... if you can get the motor and trans for less than 250 you'd be getting a hell of a deal IMO....

Couldn't you have made that Mike the Midget?:devious: :cross-eye

They should be in SoCalZ's gallery... they just got booted off the main page due to new uploads.... Then again, I don't see them anywhere... not even in the 2003 MSA show pics.....:disappoin

Lock set would work, but the iginition switch might require some re-wiring... not sure if it will work in all the cars as there were quite a few changes in wiring and most importantly the connectors over the years.

True, you got me there, but at least it's still recognizable as a Z.. better than some of the "things" we've seen pics poosted off...:sick:

A lot depends on which type of gasket you used.... if you used a cork and rubber gasket, you will find it will continue to compress and the bolts can loosen. That's why I would always suggest using a plain rubber gasket. You have to be very careful when using a cork and rubber as they will always try to squeeze out under the flange and cause a leak. Most gasket kits have plain rubber oil pan gaskets, but every once in a while you still come across the cork and rubber... same thing applies to the cam cover. You could always use some of the low strength Lock-Tite on the bolts, I think it's the blue... can't remember which color is which. That way, if you do have to re-tighten or torque, they will not be difficult to break loose so you can re-tighten them.

Yup, that's the Kaminari body kit... still looks like crap even after all these years....:devious: Why did they have to do that to a 71? Couldn't they have done it to a 280?:stupid: At least there are more 280's to go around than 71's.....:disappoin

Yup guys and girls, I goofed when I made up the poll....:stupid: Guess Mike can fix it to what I had intended....

Just wondering how many of us belong to Z car forums other than 240z.org/classiczcars.com

Wasn't that number 3?

Here's the link so you can download the L engine calculator... should give you all the info you want.. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1292&highlight=L+engine+calculator

That's one of the problems George, the club didn't have to supply the products, cafepress was supplying the products and having our logo's put on them..... Mike is selling the Microfiche CD on Ebay, but right now that's the only product we have....