Pop's Z

That looks to me like an exhaust system copied from a Scarab. That V-8 car had stacked glasspacks and two more in the tranny tunnel. Is this a V-8 car? Cheers, Mike

Just a little rubbing compound and you're good to go.... Cheers, Mike

Blue, the drones would only be useful on the outside of buildings. Man down inside situations would not work so well. Poudre Fire Authority here uses drones for wildland fires and on big complexes like apartments, shopping malls, and large industrial complexes. An aerial view is a great tool for fire operations. Cheers, Mike

Grannyknot, our Spartans were "road delivered" by our mechanics so they were well on the way to being broken in by the time they got here. Also, I'm pretty sure the engines were run at the factory as the pumpers had to pass a pump test before they were accepted. So by the time the engines (in the fire service a truck with a pump on it is called an engine, one without is called a truck like a heavy rescue vehicle or an aerial apparatus like a tower or a ladder truck) were put into service they were ready to go. Hope this answers your question. Cheers, Mike

Very nice! On the Poudre Fire Authority here, we had a mishmash of various engines and trucks until our B/C went to a chief's convention and saw a Spartan chassis. From then on we bought only Spartan. It actually saved money as we had only to stock parts for one chassis instead of 5 or 6. Absolute quality. Congrats. Cheers, Mike

Come on Sweaty. If you are going to diss MSA with such venom on this forum you ought to have the courtesy to respond to James@ The ZStor. It's the right thing to do. He is trying to resolve your issue to YOUR satisfaction. Mike

Hi Dave, Pike's Peak Colorado? That's about 75 miles south of me. Beware Kansas cops especially on the back roads. Pike's Peak is now paved all the way to the top. I'll keep monitoring this thread so when you are coming out perhaps we can meet up. I would like to take a run up there. Also there are some very nice twisty canyon roads up here in Fort Collins plus 27 craft breweries . Cheers, Mike

Like I said before I'm grateful for MSA. They make it possible to keep our cars up and running. And they have always backed their products. Any problems I've had have been dealt with in a fair and quick manner.. I've been buying parts and getting advice from them since 2005. Cheers, Mike

Once again, Site gives good advice. It is possible to build a really good performing motor with mostly Nissan/Datsun parts. The datsunzgarage site he mentions is an excellent source of info on building horsepower. I used a ZX block because I found a rusted out 90K '83 car in a junk yard and bought the whole car just for the engine and 5 spd tranny. I paid $300 for the whole car and took it back to the j.y. after I removed the parts I wanted. Ended up costing me about $200. I was going to use the P79 head and modify it using the info from the datsunzgarage site, but got the N42 head instead because it was a great deal and all I had to do was bolt it on. There is another publication called "How to Modify your Nissan& Datsun OHC Engine" by Frank Hansowetz that has a lot of old school modification instructions, also. Keep in mind that you are entering the big money spending zone. It is not popular with wives or significant others. You can easily spend 4-5 figures chasing more horsepower especially if you have your motor built by Rebello or Datsun Spirit. They build great engines, but they are very expensive. This might be why some decide to put Chevy V-8s in their cars (sacrilege, I know...but if you choose to go that way check out hybrid z if they are still up and running as they are the way to go for modifying Z cars). However, before you do anything read everything you can get your hands on and that will help you make informed decisions. If at all possible before you do any modifications tune your car up and drive it. They are pretty fast in stock configuration. Good luck. Cheers, Mike

As Site says head work is not cheap, but that's where the most "bang for the buck" is. The reason it's so expensive is it is very labor intensive with hours of careful work by someone who knows what he is doing. I got lucky in that a friend of mine had done all the work and installed a Delta stage II cam. He sold it to me complete with an MSA 6-1 header and exhaust system for $800. He had moved on to turbo-charging as he had found a ZX turbo motor that had been removed from a car that had been stolen and wrecked new from a dealer. The motor and tranny had been just stored in a garage for many years. I put the N 42 cylinder head on an F54 block from an '83 ZX N/A. The combo of the N 42 head with the F 54 block produced a 10-1 compression ratio which requires premium gas. Cheers, Mike

You are limited by the E88. An N42, E31, P90 (with modifications) weould be better for more HP. Also you probably have dished pistons so your cr will be less than ideal. To get the most out of your triples you will need a stage II cam at the minimum and a different head and flat top pistons. Otherwise you are too limited by your current set-up. Just my $.02. Cheers, Mike

This response is why I am very grateful for MSA. They do things right. My experiences with them have been nothing less than positive. If it weren't for them rebuilding our cars would be very difficult. Thanks, MSA. Cheers, Mike

I also have two of the Kidde recall extinguishers. However, in trying to get them registered for new ones the required date stamp appears nowhere on mine. So the whole process grinds to a halt until Kidde answers my email about it. I'm going to keep the one in the car as the nozzle is not blocked, the powder is loose and I won't squeeze the hell out of it if nothing happens. Cheers, Mike

Also, you should take the extinguisher out at least every year (they are easy to forget until you need it) and do three things: first check the gauge to make sure it has a charge (it's a total bummer to need it-pull the pin-squeeze the trigger and nothing happens), second look into the nozzle to make sure it isn't blocked, and third turn the extinguisher upside down several times and bang on the cylinder with your hand a few times as the powder can get compacted and solidified over time with the same disappointing results as #1. Put your ear up to the cylinder to see if you can hear the powder move. I can't as, like most firefighters, my hearing is diminished from being around sirens, air horns, and loud diesel engines. These tips apply to all your fire extinguishers. You DO have one in the garage/shop don't you? A couple more things and I'll sign off: try not to breathe the powder as it is not good for your lungs...don't open the hood, shoot through the radiator, shoot from a distance if you can, start at the base of the fire and move up, and don't be a hero. That's what the fire department is for. They have the safety equipment and resources to get in close. If you don't get the fire knocked down move away and call 911. Be safe out there. No car is worth your life. Cheers, Mike

I put mine in the right hand tool compartment. I can reach it from the driver's seat without any contortions. As a retired fire fighter I wanted it handy, but having been to too many car wrecks where everything inside was tossed around I did not want to mount it out in the open. I cringe when I see a car with speakers on the tray behind the back seat. One wreck I went on was somewhat minor, but both people in the car were killed by the speakers flying forward and striking them in the head...very sad...young folks, too. FWIW, those plastic holders are notorious for breaking. They are actually designed to break away by a panicked person grabbing the extinguisher to use. Just my experience...$.02 worth. Cheers, Mike

+1 on the Nissan/Datsun 4X4 P/U. My friend Kenny and I found one in a junk yard in Greeley CO and removed it then put it in his '73. Had to change the flanges, but it worked. Unfortunately I don't remember the year, but I think it was mid '90s. Cheers, Mike

You have opened a really OLD thread. Arne is only here occasionally as he is now into Porsches. He did a very limited run of these and they are most likely no longer available. Sorry about that. Cheers, Mike

Yeah, me too. After the fourth time it took my friend with the lift about 6 hours total to R&R the tranny, replace the seal and put everything back. You used a GLASS jar??? Holy crap! I would have broken that right away. Here's to no more rear main seal leaks. Cheers, Mike

If you are having issues like this it makes more sense to fill the radiator with water and no coolant. Much easier and cheaper to deal with. Ask me how I know. Just my $.02 Cheers, Mike

I just replaced my rear main seal for the 4th, count 'em 4th time due to moronitudeness on my part. Last time seems to have worked as I have taken several spirited drives and NO LEAKS! I used a 3" pvc cap as a seal setter and it worked perfectly...Home Depot $1.97. I also made sure to have the seal flush with the block, but not indented. That was one of my mistakes. The other being I could not get it in straight. The pvc cap solved that problem. Hope yours is OK. Cheers, Mike

In my humble opinion you would gain very little from the installation of the K&N filters. If you go with 2 separate filters you would have to figure out a new routing of your pcv valve, too. There have been several posts here on the usefulness of K&N filters. Most folks think they are a waste of money. And don't forget you have to clean and oil them with the "special" K&N products (more $$). There is more than enough things to maintain on these cars without adding to it. As Site says new air filters are available from Nissan. It has been my experience that with as few miles as I put on the car (2,000/year) they last a long time. Save your hard earned dough for other stuff. Once again, my $.02. Cheers, mike

You won't gain any HP over the stock filter. If you are looking for more HP Datsun L series gain the most through cylinder head work and a higher lift cam. Just my 2 cents...been there, done that. Cheers, Mike

Just get a wood block and tap it with a hammer. Should come right off. Those spacers are tougher than you might think. I'm sure others will have their methods, too. Good luck. Cheers, Mike

My '73 came with a white vinyl top over brown paint. It was peeling up in several places so I removed it and had the whole car repainted metallic brown. I think it looks a lot better. Getting the glue off was a fun task. I guess you could say I'm not a fan of vinyl tops. Cheers, mike