BadDog

That sounds like a blast! I've always wanted to get behind the wheel of an '02. And you're right, no use in messing with a good runner. That's why I waited 2 years to strip and paint my 240 Keep up the good work and keep us posted! -Ken

bpilati, what springs are you running? How long have you had the GR-2's -Ken

*sigh* it all brings back so many fond memories... I'd like to find my old 318ti some day or pick up an old Z3 (even the 4-banger was a blast to drive)... but then again I *have* an old sports car to play with, and a very reliable and all-weather-capable affordable new car for all other driving duties (the new Legacy's are VERY nice... about the closest thing to BMW-ness out there... probably why lotys of people say "Subaru wants to be the Japanese BMW"). Still, if I had the $$ and the space, I'd have some BMW's in my stable: 318ti Sport any Z3 any 7 a 1st-gen 5-er and a 2002tii for good measure ;-) Oh, and Yes, at the time, my 318ti cost less than (and 323i cost ~ the same as) a loaded-up V6 Accord or Camry!

Like I said, its too bad we're not closer, sounds like it'd be worthwhile to look at :-\ I always loved my bimmers but unless they bring the 1-series here I can't afford them anymore bemmerguy714, you're so signature is so spot-on. I can't tell you how many times I was minding my own business, cruising along the freeway at 75 mph, when someone who was previously going a few mph slower than me until I happened to pass by them, suddenly felt the need to not be passed by a bimmer and was compelled to floor it, only to slow down again a few moments later, and repeat the cycle. Hardly eve happens with my Subaru

Are you going to get the KYB GR-2's? I haven't seen "regular" KYB's or KYB AGX's (adjustable) available for the 240 anywhere. Are they available for the 280? FYI the cheapest price I found on ST springs was JC Whitney, ~ $160...

Nice... keep up the progress posts :-) And if I was closer to Indiana, I'd seriously look at that 7 for my step-son. Oh well :-)

I'm in the market too so I called Tokico last night for a definitive answer: for 240's they are progressive front, linear rear. Spring rates are 120/140. The tech guru/champion racer in our local club isn't crazy about progressive springs, he likes the ST springs with regular KYB struts, but those old KYB's are NLA :-\ I was gonna go with the Tokico HP package but now I don't know.... maybe those repro Euro springs? -Ken P.

Thanks for the tip Jim, but since the access hole next to the plate is ~1" and the plate's little bracket that keeps it from falling out of place is in the way, I can barely get a fingertip on either nut, let alone thread another nut onto the screw This is all good info in case I ever do need to cut a bigger access hole though -Ken P.

Well this weekend I finally had the chance to tackle this. I had a hard time finding a decent nut (no bad puns please ) at the hardware store to go with a close-to-correct screw. SO, for each nut, I ended up getting 2 different-sized washers and JB-welded the nut to a small washer to a bigger washer so I'd have enough surface area to JB Weld each assembly to the backing plate. I made these up last weekend and let them harden all week (JB is supposed to cure 16 hours for maximum strength). I went out yesterday AM and found a couple lengths of old speaker wire kicking around in my garage. I used some that had a diameter of ~ 1/3 the inner diameter of the nut. I fed the wire through the door jamb, the backingplate,then out a factory cutout. Then I tied a knot in the wire behind the nut, and applied some JB Weld that I had mixed up about 15 minutes before-hand so it was nice and tacky. I snaked the nut up throught the factory cutout and it went right into place on the first try. Using speaker wire let me pull it up nice and snug. A little JB weld squished into the threads of the nut but I was able to clean it out with a q-tip. I then repeated the process for the inner nut, this time with no mess. I was originally going to clamp the wire in place to hold the nut firmly against the plate, but couldn't do so without some sideways forces in play. Once I was sure each nut was secure and centered, I left it alone for half a day, then put a small heater nearby to heat it up a little for a few hours. This morning I checked it out and everything still looked OK. I took out the wires, and tries it all out. I adjusted the striker plate, and it took the screws AOK. I closed the door, had a huge gap and re-adjusted. Door was a little recessed. 3rd adjustment was AOK and the JB'd nuts still held. Guess I'll see this spring and summer if it lasts! Hopefully it does, but if not my next step is not to cut a bigger access hole just yet: I'll take the opposite tack of this first attempt, and JB-Weld some screws from the back of the plate, and use a couple nuts on the striker plate. I figure there will be JB on the head of the screw, plus some JB on the first couple of threads to hold the screw in place. But time will tell -Ken P.

I concur, Enrique is a HUGE help to everyone here. This isn't the first time he's given me terrific insight into an issue, and it probably won't be the last BTW Mike the silicone sealant idea sounds like a good twist on Enrique's method for this particular application. All that's required is to hold the nut in place duringadjustment etc and not crack loose from repeated door closings. Oh wait, it probably wouldn't hold up to the torque of tightening and loosening the bolts during adjustment though... hmmm And I've seen "solid" thread repair inserts too, but only on the web. I'll try E's JB Weld solution first before I try any thread repair on the backing plate.

I should be soon, Enrique. I have to find time to do it, but she's not scheduled to be back on the roads up here in NY until Spring -Ken

I know exactly what you're saying E... although I forgot to add that I wouldn't weld it i.e. if I had to result to cutting that section open, I'd replace that receiver plate with something a little thicker and stronger, and *maybe* have my step-son (I'm no welder!) weld a couple bolts on at the same time because Yes, it's important to keep that adjustability in there!

E, you're exactly right! I was pondering this today over lunch and I thought well I just need away to feed a nut up onto the back of that plate, and I'll do it just like you said, which is the same way we used to run long shots of Cat5 through ceilings, over high walls etc. Hopefully it'll last at least through 1 driving season at a shot... if its not too much of a pain the a$$ then I won't mind doing it every winter BTW you haven't seen pics of her since I painted her this past summer, have you? I painted her and got her back together with a couple weeks to spare before the national convention in Syracuse, and then won People's Choice Daily Driver Which is also why I am not too anxious to go cutting any access holes, even if I can cover them up I'll do that only as a last resort. If it comes down to that though, I'll surely use mriz's idea and put something substantial back there! -Ken P.

Ed, as far as a helicoil goes, I'm not sure if there's anough metal there for it to sit on (the plate's not very thick) and I've read that helicoils tend to get worked loose in an application like this... plus I've never used one! Dave, that's a darn good idea! It should accomplish the desired result! Arne, the receiver plate (at least on my '73) is "captive" in that it sits in some kind of cradle inside the door frame, but it can move <,>,^,v so as to properly adjust the door latch/striker/thingy. This all came about (again) because I had a lot of wind noise (and occasionally, water!) leaking in at the top of my door/window frame even though I have brand new seals (door was not flush with the body when shutting it all the way)... -Ken P.

Thanks for the quick replies guys... after buying the car almost 4 years ago and finding them stripped, I had to re-tap them once already... and through the removed dogloeg panel, I can only get a finger on a corner of it. I see no way to remove the plate out of that area, let alone get it back in. I was hoping to attach a couple of nuts to the back of the plate. I can't fo it with it in place because of the metal that surrounds the plate. I guess I'll have to *try* the JB Weld or something....

Problem: The receiver plate inside my D/S door jamb has stripped bolt holes for the bottom 2 bolts. Since I can't find any way of removing the piece to replace it or repair it, I'm wondering if I can *carefully* fill those holes with something like JB weld and re-drill and -tap them. Does anybody have a better idea? -Ken P.

alternativez: Good luck with this project! As a past owner of BMW's (they've gotten too expensive for me - maybe I'll be a bimwad again when/if the new 1 or 2 come to our shores), I've thought that putting a BMW 6 in a 240 would be a killer way to have a truly unique "hybrid Z" without altering its character too much. I've mentioned this to other Z owners over the last 4 years since I got my 240, and nobody else seemed to think it was a worthy idea. Seems like anybody looking to swap something into a 240 wants a small block or some variety of Nissan JDM turbo-charged supermotor. Heck with a late 90's or early 2000's 2.5 liter, one would end up with roughly the same displacement and still have a straight six, but with a very reliable and free-revving ~200 HP. I image the weight wouldn't be far off either what with BMW's use of cool alloys and all. Again, good luck with your project. I hope it all works out well. You're a true pioneer :-) History: '97 318ti, 00 323i Sport, 01 Z3 2.3, 00 323ci, 01 323iT -Ken P.

I would probably say "yes". And there are nice block-off plates available to cover that spot too :-)

They look real nice! Now I know exactly how they'd look on my car :-) FYI we have the same exhaust tip I've told my wife before that if I ever get new wheels for my Z (or get really really really tired of cleaning of my current wheels) that I'd get something like your new wheels. Also an FYI for anybody looking for a "performance" 14" tire: Sumitomo makes a decent tire in the stock/OEM size. I bought a set for my stock wheels before I bought my current wheels. I think they were GTZ's er something, they were quiet, stuck like glue and were summer-only (not all-season). Plus they were only like $40 a piece :-)

Ewww, lovely! Well thanks for the heads-up! :-) -Ken P.

Yikes! How does a failing mech. fuel pump manage to leak oil?

My first Z had side pipes on it... '78 280, 5 speed. I was 18 in 1989. The car was black, with "true" wire wheels (no chrome dish behind them, just open spokes like on a bike) "Z" spinners, and louvers on the side and back windows, an MSS front air dam and MSA California-type rear wing. It looked awesome, and the way it sounded, people always asked me if I had a SBC under the hood The car didn't have any badges, and those not "in the know" would ask invariably ask if it was a) a Ferrari (!) or a Corvette. Unfortunately, within a few months the bondo on the rotted-out rocker panels cracked and broke from the vibration of the pipes where they were mounted, which was an inch or two higher than yours... -Ken P.

Thanks guys, that's all good info... I think I need to a) take a 2nd look at that dead-end wire. There's 3 wires coming out of the fuel pump, I think that was the top-most of the 3 and decide if its worth bothering with. The car doesn't starve for gas ever, and no vapor-lock issues (knock on wood). I think my mechanical pump may be wearing out though because I think its the source of a loud whir-ticking noise that changes with engine speed (in-gear or in neutral, clutch in or out) and I've checked and double-checked my valves and header. -Ken P.

Thanks Ed. I'll have to take a second look at the electric pump: the other wires just looked like ground wires to me, I figured the long one (going underneath the car along the driveline tunnel and then up the firewall over the D/S and then cut) was the positive power lead. Now I'm wondering what that wire's for I guess I could just bypass the electric pump... isn't there a fuel filter in there though? Is the filter in the engine bay "good enough"? -Ken P.

At some point in ancient history, the wire from my fuel pump was cut. The mechanical one seems to work just fine with no starvation or vapor lock issues, but our club's tech guru thinks I should either hook it back up or bypass it because the mechanical pump has to pull fuel through the non-working electric pump. I found the fuse for the fuel pump, and it looks fine but I can't figure out where the wire from the fuel pump was hooked into the electrical system. Both ends of fuse lead back into bundled wiring and (apparently) back over the the P/S footwell junction blcok/connectors/relays. The long wire from the fuel pump up to the front of the car comes up the P/S firewall, then over the hood latch area, across the top of the firewall and ends up in the area of the windshield washer bottle/pump, where it just stops, looking like it was cut. I tried rooting around the interior to see what it might have been connected to, but I've found nothing. Any ideas? -Ken P.