Pop's Z

FWIW, I put the 4 pc. kit from MSA in my '73. There are some differences ie. no vent holes (but that's OK as they don't really do anything...there are no corresponding holes in the car body). I found that the fit was not perfect. You WILL have to do some trimming and some of the fastener holes don't line up as well. That being said, the panels are made of a thicker plastic, and they look quite nice when installed. They come in black, but I used a SEM spray color to match my tan upholstery. My old ones were covered in a velour material that was glued on and impossible to remove...the panels were also very brittle after 30+ years and broke when taking them out. The new panels were much more flexible. Cheers, Mike

I know it sounds simple, but have you checked your exhaust piping to make sure it isn't contacting your diff.? I have 2 1/2" piping and it comes real close to the diff. I had to move it a bit because of a deep vibration when accelerating hard. Just my 2 cents. Cheers, Mike

Duffman, I've got one. PM me with your address, and I'll send it to you. Cheers, Mike

I've got two just sitting on my work bench. PM me and you can have one. Cheers, Mike

DJ, don't go to all that trouble...you have a fresh air vent on both sides of the car now...just pull the knob out. Cheers, Mike

black

FWIW, I put a second roller to the rear of my '73. Found a pair in the junk yard. They work fine w/ less rattle than before. Also, when I first got my car I found both rollers in the bottom of the doors. Apparently they had fallen off at one time or another...windows really rattled w/o them. Cheers, Mike

Well now, I did exactly this. I removed the center section and glued the tweeters in with Permatex black silicon seal. I used Sony XS-H20S tweeters. They are 1 1/2" diameter and 29/32" tall. I ran the wire out where the soft duct meets the plastic one giving a little slack so I can adjust the air vents. Works great. Fit perfectly. PM me your email address and I'll send you a picture...I don't seem to be able to post any here...technologically challenged. Cheers, Mike

Hi Tony, Yes it's a rush. First gear doesn't last too long, and second doesn't either. Third and fourth gears are really where the power band works...just a massive push in the butt. I use the car mostly for canyon carving here in Colorado so it works out fine with the 5 spd. I also have a cam, and head work (N42) and a header so it really revs. That being said, I am pondering a 3:90 R 180 from the front axle of a 4x4 pickup. At 75 mph I am currently turning near 3.5k rpms, and I'd like to lower that a bit. 3:70 will work real well for you. As I said before the swap isn't that difficult as long as you don't remove the front yoke for the driveshaft. That's where the spacing/backlash is done. I had never done anything like this before, but it was no big deal. Be sure to look at the sticky on hybridz. Cheers, Mike

I put a KA R180 w/ 4:11 gears from a 200sx in my '73. It involved taking my original diff apart and removing the "buttons", taking the KA apart and removing the pinned axle stuff and replacing them with the "buttons". Not very difficult and allows me to use my original half-shafts. I replaced the side and rear seals, but not the bearings...these diffys are pretty strong. It's been working fine for 5,000 miles...no problems. I recommend you go to hybrid z and look up the "sticky" on differentials by our own John Mortenson. Cheers, Mike

I put them on my car when my wife decided that she didn't want to be a brake pedal pusher any more. They work great. You have to get two different sizes for fronts and rears. Get the one for the clutch, too. Get the catch bag. It makes the job easier. Be sure to check the levels in the reserviors frequently or you will have to start over (ask me how I know). I didn't even get in the car...I used a stick to push the pedal with. Cheers, Mike

Just for giggles, check your pedal travel. When I first got my car it was very difficult to get into reverse. After I brought the pedal travel into spec from the service manual it was and is fine. Just a matter of around a 1/4 inch was enough to do it. Good luck. Cheers, Mike

Hey Matt, FWIW, I blocked off my intake manifold with no issues whatsoever. It takes a bit longer to warm up in cold temps, but that's all. Cheers, Mike

Sarah is right in that these scurrilous ads do not belong on our beloved website. Mike? Arne? What gives? Cheers, Mike

My '73 has Colorado Classic car plates: ownership tax $15, license fee $147.67, road fee $23, Bridge fee $9 for a total of 162.67. At first glance this seems high, but the registration is good for 5 years...$35.53/year a good deal I think plus no emissions check. Cheers, Mike

Hi Wade, Your ride will be much firmer with urethane bushings. They will take all the slop out of your suspension. However, the down side is your ride will be more solid or even harsh which some find annoying. You will feel most of the road surface in your butt. They can also get squeaky when they need more grease. A new set of rubber bushings will put your ride back to stock. A new set of strut cartridges will also help your car reach the potential for which it was built...ie: to go around corners fast. Also I've heard that 280ZXs can have a butt sag the new springs can help. You can even get some that lower your car about an inch. You will be spending money, but doing the work yourself will help with the costs and you learn your car...oh yeah, I forgot the sway bars. Flat cornering is fast cornering. Consider doing a complete suspension upgrade. Costs less in the long run and those pickups? They won't see anything but your tail lights, and that not for long. Good luck, and have fun. Cheers, Mike

Hi Mike, How about some Rota RBs? I have a set in 15X7 with some Bridgestone Grid 109s. I really like the way they look and the tires' performance is great. Cheers, Mike

Hi Gary, Make sure that the pan is level around the holes. They can get out of shape and make the seal not work. You can use a hammer and a square piece of steel to do this. Speaking from experience, if you don't do this the pan will leak. I would not use RTV on the pan gasket. It could lead to problems if it gets in the pan/oil pickup. Use gasket adhesive instead and wait until it dries and the gasket is stuck to the pan and doesn't move. Are you trying to do this with the engine in or out of the car? If in, you need to get the car far enough up in the air to work efficiently. If out. flip the engine upside down if it's on a stand(beware of oil drips). FWIW this job is much easier with the engine out of the car and on an engine stand.Line up the 4 corner bolts first then do a few more opposite each other. Don't tighten them down until you have them all started. Tighten them down little by little and opposite each other just like with a cylinder head. Don't tighten them too much or they will snap off (ask me how I know this) making them a bear to get out. Follow the FSM for torque settings. My torque wrench didn't go that low so I had to guess. They really only need to be snugged up tight. Good luck. Cheers, Mike PS: do NOT use RTV on your rear seal, either.

Actually, I'm going there. Brian and his wife are meeting me and my wife at the airport in Auckland. Very stoked about returning to NZed. 10 for the winery sounds great, Brian. Two weeks from today..... Cheers, Mike

Brian, When I see you on the 20th I will show you a picture or two of my Zed when I bought it...white vinyl roof...1st thing I removed. Cheers, Mike

FWIW, to answer your question about the Carter fuel pump...that's the one I picked after reading Dave's site like you did. It works fine. I put a NAPA fuel filter between the tank and the pump. I did get a pressure regulator and mounted it after the fuel filter in the engine compartment. The Carter is a bit noisy, but once you get going the noise is drowned out by the exhaust/stereo. Cheers, Mike

Aren't those knobs on the early seats for adjusting the rake of the seat back? Mike

FWIW, I was a ski patrolman in the 70s and I drove my Z w/ ski racks to various areas here in Colorado. That being said...it was an adventure. I had 4 studded snows on factory steel rims and still it was an adventure. Light weight in the back, no lsd, heavy in the front. I learned a lot about slick driving. Back then salt was used with sand , today with the mag-chloride, etc. What the other guys said...rust will kill your Z quicker than you might think. Find yourself a used Subaru and put the Zed in the garage until spring. Cheers, Mike

FWIW, I put the SPAL kits in my '73. Fairly straight-forward install. Work great. Used Dave Irwin's instructions (check zsondabrain posts) Cheers, Mike

Try Oliver at Zspecialties. He can find parts when no one else can. Cheers, Mike