=Enigma=

Hey fellow Z heads. It's been a long time since I logged in here much less made any posts. I thought I would check in to see who is still here from the old crew of 10+ years, actually it's been almost 20 since I first posted on this site come to think of it......and say hello to those who are new since I was last active here. SInce then I've gotten married, have 2 grandchildren, moved from Santa Cruz, CA to Auburn, CA and switched companies and focus. I haven't lost the bug but life, family and career had to take priority for a while, however I'm planning to dedicate more time to the hobby and hope to start reassembling the Z and get it back on the road in the coming months. Actually. I have both the Z and a 1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 to get back on the road and both need some electrical and mechanical work. Wish me luck and more importantly the time and dedication to get it done. I hope you're all doing well and spending plenty of quality time with your Z (and your families 😉).

An amazing man who gave so much to the racing industry. He will be missed.

I haven't spent much time on here over the last 10 years due to life changes and let my subscription lapse at some point, but appreciate the work you put in to keep this thing going. Based on that and the desire to see this site continue I just re-subscribed. The truth is that I get way more out of this site on the rare occasion I visit than the cost of 2 double cappuccinos per month. Thanks! Adam

I just got done reading this thread in it's entirety and WOW, very nice job Rich. This just might be enough to inspire me to finish up my own refreshtoration. I'm sorry I missed out on the auction though, but I really don't have room for another car either.... Nice sale price btw, especially considering the economy and the fact that the engine wasn't rebuilt.

Beautiful job Eric. Thanks for sharing the process. Your comments brought back memories of crushing my thumb with a ballistic piston. Even though I knew beforehand to watch out for that based on other posts here, it still got me. Sadly, I didn't think to get the halves plated and I'm one of those who "painted my way to glory".

Great parts, nice guy, but don't expect much in the way of responsiveness. Go into it assuming it will take 3-6 months from your first inquiry to getting your parts. At least that was my experience.

I just wanted to say hi to all my long time Z friends. I think it's been nearly 6mo since I visited the site. Work and school have kept me extra busy with little time for extracurricular activities. Anyway, I hope you're all well and still rollin' in your beloved Zs. Cheers, Adam

Sounds like a blast. I wish I could be there too but the Z is still not back together. Parts delays, work, school and home maintenance are all working against me. Damnit! I'll get this friggin car one the road one of these days. I'm not defeated yet.

Nice find! Congrats. Good thing I didn't see it on Craigslist or wherever you found it, otherwise my 4runner would be out in the cold. I picked up my 4/73 one owner car in the Bay Area as well. It came to me in Metallic Brown with Butterscotch interior, 78K original miles and the only mods were the round tops and matching air cleaner housing, and exhaust from the manifold back, but that was a while ago and I've done a bit to it since then. As far as value goes once cleaned up and gone through mechanically (hoses, bushings, struts, brakes, etc) it should be worth between $6-10k depending on the location and model year sensitivity of any prospective buyer. That said, I would consider this one a keeper. Oh yeah, welcome to the Butterscotch (saddle) club.

I'm sure you'll find an owner for it pretty quick around here depending on what you're asking for it. We have a classified section that would be the most appropriate place to sell your wares. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the site.

Nice work Dave. Your level of innovation is very inspiring. I was actually pondering what a nicely done custom semi-stealth fiberglass quarter rear speaker panel might look like and now I know. Let me know when you're ready to come down to Santa Cruz and start work on mine.

If I recall correctly, broken ring lands are often caused by excessive pinging or pre-ignition.

Not something I would choose for my own Z, but very impressive work nonetheless. Nice job. Now all you need is proximity alarm, a pitbull, 357 mag, and locking car cover to keep it from disappearing.

This has been covered ad nauseum. A search of the archives will get you the info you're looking for. Search for keywords honda, motor, fan, blower

The electric fuel pumps found on the 73 and 74 cars are but one of a series of potential modifications designed to address issues with vapor lock, and/or percolation due to heat soak in the mechanical fuel pump and fuel lines. The first caused a lean condition and the latter caused a rich condition and as well as overfill the float bowl resulting in raw fuel being spilled out into the air cleaner. All bad things. These things were really only an issue with the bulkier and dreaded flat top Hitachi carbs. These have mostly been replaced with the more popular round tops as a quick fix, or to avoid the final mod which consisted of installing a special hood scoop that required cutting holes in the hood. Not a very attractive mode IMHO. Finally, I seem to recall hearing that the wiring for the electric fuel pump may have been present on cars earlier than 73 but I don't know when that started or why it started prior to the 73.

Pacers are so ugly and unusual they're actually kind of cool, but yeah, I get what you mean.

I got home from a trip today and there was a gift waiting for me by the door. Woohoo! Thanks Arne for all your hard work on this. I'm going to put mine in storage until I decide whether I'm going to replace he front windscreen just live with the pitting.

Beat me to it. I'd rather replace nrake pads than a clutch anyway, especially if I have to pay someone else to do it.

I chose to follow the "Period where is shows, and modern where it goes" model. Simply said, my goal is to preserve the classic looks, lines, and upgrade those components which enhance the performance, reliability, safety and enjoyment I derive from the car. I'm trying to resist the urge to do a motor swap and keep the L6 as long as I can because I love the sound and the grunt, but those S13 turbo swaps are really making it difficult stay the course. So far I've replaced the springs with Tokico reds, installed poly bushings all around, upgraded the brakes with Toyota S13W calipers and 84' 300ZX vented rotors up front, and 240SX calipers and 84' 300ZX rotors with MM bracket in the rear, SS braided brake lines, 77' 280Z 5spd, R200 3.90 diff swap, 280ZX Dizzy, MSD 6A Igniition and MSD Blaster coil, Taylor plug wires, Momo Monte Carlo Zebrano wood steering wheel, gold Konig 15x7 wheels, 225x50x15 tires, period ST front and rear sway bars. Still sitting on the bench is the RT diff mount, OEM headlight covers, and full PDK Fabrication strut brace system front and rear, 300ZXT CV axles with MM billet stub axle flange on the way, hopefully.

Nice work man! I wish I had the time and patience for something like this. I've subscribed to this thread to follow your work and look forward to seeing your progress.

Why ask for this information when it was readily available on your door plate? Did you have some reason to doubt this info?

Carl, I may have that Ski Rack Adapter along with the original installation instructions you're missing. I'll see if I can find it in the stash and post some pics when I get some time.

Looks to be a pretty nice car overall and I believe $4000 is fair for a nearly original 260z with little to no rust. The undercarriage looks pristine and I"m sure there are plenty of buyers who will appreciate the benefits of that alone. The one thing that might keep you from getting that number is the dash and the auto tranny, although the latter could also be considered a plus since autos tend to be driven a little softer than manuals. One modification I would make to the ad is the descrition of the seats. They are not "like new". Instead, I would state the the vinyl is in excellent condition, (assuming that it is) but the inner foam needs to be replaced and is readily available from multiple sources. Good luck with your sale.

Have you looked at the info plate on the door jamb, or is the reason you're asking because that plate is missing?

Aw man that really sucks. That is definitely not the kind of "genious" you need helping you work on your car. I hope you withheld the beer you brought down for him and chugged it yourself to help you calm down. Buddy or not, I think I would would have lost it.