zgeezer

I need suggestions as to what a reasonable economical strut insert should cost: also, what brand? Ten years ago, I installed a set of Gabriel gas shocks on all four corners. Installed and forgotten. Yesterday, I dismantled a front strut to repaint and discovered that the insert could be compressed with the palm of one hand. After four cycles, the strut regained some resistance, but it is still less than 35#. Measured on my bathroom scale. I'm looking for other strut inserts, but my budget is no more than $200 for all four corners. Does anyone have any brand recommendations. This is not a track car, it is a Gen III swap. Most of my driving is at slightly above speed limit... 70-80mph out the 10 to AZ or up the 395 to Reno NV. I'm looking for more of a "GT" ride again not a Track Car. This Z is not lowered and runs stock springs. My other ride is a MazdaSpeed MX5 (Miata) and I'm hoping for a much "softer" ride than that one. My tires today will be 205 x 14 and might go to 205 x 15. I'll keep the tall sidewall and don't expect to be running anything lower than 60. All suggestions welcome. g

Hmmm, and I thought that was just a ploy by various racing bodies to legislate the rotary out of contention. I remember Vacaville quite well... lived there for a number of years just off Main and Kentucky, taught school at Vanden, racked up 300 hours puddle jumping from Nut Tree Airport to dirt strips in Dixon and Rio Vista, and got absolutely wacked at Putah creek (now, that is an interesting name and spelling). Stop by every now and then to eat at Murillos. Just like we used to in the early '70's. Still in business, no change in seating and still great food. Good place to live, I can envy you. G

Not a problem, here's the kit. Not quite cheap, but fun back in the day: 1 RX100 + 13B+ 5sp manual + Racing Beat intake, matched headers, exhaust port plugs, light flywheel and bridgeporting = 195 hp (or so) out of 1.3 liters. There is NOTHING in this world that sounds like an uncorked rotary at about 8,000 rpm and climbing. I'm sure a four rotor could break windows at 1/2 mile. The problem at the time was keeping them together for anything over 50,000 miles. Gas mileage was something you could write home about.....something along the lines of that 440 Monaco cruiser the CHP was using. g

I'm in the same boat. I can accept gas mileage "around" 30mpg. I am looking very closely at the Fiat Abarth (160-170hp Fiat 500) which doesn't look too shabby. However, my last experience with Fiat was a 124 Sport Coupe delivered big time on the fun things of driving, but electrical reliability sucked. So did the dealer installed A/C. We'll see. Both Ford and Chevy have I4 Turbos in the works. A turbo Festiva might deliver gas mileage around 30+, but I don't think you'll see 35 with any of the non Fiat Turbos. Consumer report just came out this month with their take on the best and worst cars sold in the US. You might want to look at it. Both Subaru and Mazda come out on top for best build and reliability. Not a big surprise. G

At or near that price, count me in. g

Here you go. Safety Wire Jig. G

Clean it up and increase the WTF factor by 10. $16K is too much for my blood. Performance with "only" 210 shaft HP? If this 210 shaft HP is rated in the manner of electric motors, then there will be good performance there. Are turbines rated at "stall"? Interesting car. g

The answer is no. There should be no gap at either the top or bottom. To my eye, it looks as if someone dropped the mustache bar and did not reassemble the top and bottom "rubber washers" (the pieces that have all the bumps on them) correctly. IIRC those drop down and fit into the rubber bushing contained inside the bar. Drop the mustache bar and take a look. G

To me, it would depend upon what your daily drive is, how you define "reliability" and what your tolerance is for breakdown might be. I might also add, will you have backup transportation? My DD is a MazdaSpeed Miata, which to me is the functional equivalent to the Z. I expect to use the Z as a DD, but everything in the Z will be new, with the exception of the engine and trans. This includes the rear stub axles, which are not easily replaceable in Bridgeport CA or Quartzite AZ. I wouldn't worry too much about the parking lot rash. If that is a problem then you should be considering a good trailer for your Z. G

Ok, one of our local wrecking lots has a pretty complete 1989 Supra Turbo in the pick and pull portion of their lot. There are some items missing, but the engine is complete with exception of the belt guard that would say something like 7GTE . Everything topside looks clean...no apparent oil blow out. The permanent marker on the side states that the engine is "bad". The owner of the lot does not know what is wrong, stating only that he was told when he picked it up that it did not run. Five minute visual inspection did not reveal any holes in the block or pan and a fairly clean undercarriage. Intercooler has some wear and tear, but is not beat up. All piping is complete and turbo is in place. I think this would be a good buy for anyone wishing to update a non turbo Supra or someone who is willing to take the chance that everything is trash and intends to rebuilt. No indication of mileage. This is located in the Coachella Valley. If you have interest in this send me a PM or call "Brent" at Desert Truck and Auto in Indio CA and drop my name (George) on him and ask him how much. If your interested, better move quickly as the last few 7GTEs have been stripped fairly quickly. Sorry, no photos. G

I'm missing the green lens in my instrument panel.... and I'm not really interested in LEDs. I found this link that sells 1445, mini bayonet Globe.. G31/2 .. 2.5 watt green colored bulbs. The problem is that they are 18 volt. This site provides lighting for model railroad buffs... Lionel light replacements. 2000 hour life expectancy. So, what are the expected results from running 18v lights on a good 12 v system? Very dim lights? Longer bulb life expectancy? Fire? Immediate desire to collect Lionel trains? Other than LEDs has anyone found a way to either use the standard 1445, replace the stock green lens, or another source for green tinted 1445 bulbs? g

The tube is plastic and it appears that it is cut to fit the depth of your particular tank. It measures the difference in the pressure change within the tube as the fuel level drops. I remember that Ford fuel gauges for decades were offset.... the 1/2 full needle point was located about 3/4 the distance of the gauge. In other words, the needle would move 3/4 the full range of the gauge to measure that last 1/2 tank of gas. Non linear. g

I think this might work with s30 fuel gauge: ohm range 0 -90 (with others available). Apparently, this was a new product at the last SEMA show. I can't find a price listed for it. G:rolleyes:

If this is a learning experience and you have the time, then the better repair would be to buy the dogleg panel, cut out the entire original dogleg and reskin. The problem is that when you find a "little" rust in the outside, you will have a lot more inside. The class act is inspect the inside of the rocker panel: dentist's mirrors, strong light, enter from inside under the sill cover (there are a number of 2 inch or so holes that will allow you to use a flexible light and mirrors) and replace what must be replaced. There is a thread on this site that addresses that replacement using 3M panel cement... yep, they glue'em together these days. I have the same issue: small rust pinhole on the middle of the rocker panel about 8 inches north of the left rear fender flare. I expect to cut into the rocker panel from the inside across from the rusted area and open the sill. I expect to sandblast the rust from the inside and then use POR and a woven fiberglass mat from the inside as the cure. Sounds a bit shadetree (and probably is), but it has worked for others. POR recommends this as a cure for pin holes and other rusted out areas up to about a 25 cent piece in size. You can look here to see comments from another forum. G

POR 15 does require some thought in application. I left mine z in POR for 7 years out in the sun... it did change color. POR sells a filler primer called "TieCoat" which you can spray or brush directly on cured POR 15 and then apply any color coat you wish. If you go this route be sure you wash, dry, and other wise really clean the surface before you apply TieCoat. I painted my Z with TieCoat over POR 15 and then left it out in the low desert sun for another 5 years. I did have some small delamination between Tie Coat and POR 15 in areas that I were difficult to reach to clean. I am now sandblasting two fenders as preparation for body work; POR stands up quite well to the HF gavity feed blaster I'm using. g

Found this on a Mustang forum and a similar comments on a G8 site. Solo touts their "j" tubes, which are two capped pipes welded onto the tail pipe.... see the last photo of their G8 converter kit. I think its here. Here is a JDM Honda HKS version: go down to posts # 5, 6, &7. Any comments? B

I've had an R180 in my garage for the past several years. I think it is a standard 3:36. $50.00 by PayPal and arrange your own shipping or pick it up in Indio, near Palm Springs. If you're interested, I'll pull the inspection plate and make sure all the teeth are in place. I think this came out of my 71 Z. No "half shafts", but those are available locally if you need a pair.. g

IIRC, If you have a complete genuine early maxima kit, you should have Nissan parts which would be cast caliper mounts labeled "L" and "R" . The mounts are installed on the opposite side of their stamp: "R" will go on the left side and "L" will bolt to the right side. Your calipers will then be on the front leading edge of the rotor. Swap your calipers so that the bleed valve is on top. At this point, look at the angle the emergency cable mount bolted to the caliper forms to the brake disc. If it forms a sharp angle forward, then you probably have maxima calipers for the same year as the mounts. The next item to look at is the flared end of your brake line; the end you have screwed into the caliper. The flared end you have may be designed for a drum brake master cylinder and may not be the appropriate flare for your calipers. If it is not, then you must either create an adapter to fit between the caliper and your line or build a flex line with the correct fitting for your calipers. G

If these are still available, I take them. Pay by PayPal. G

That portion of the cv axles that fit into the differential have different spline counts and length from that of a CLSD. The original CV axles are the same length as the CLSD version. g

Any one have John's Ls1/280z Air Conditioner Compressor and mounts for sale? Cash or PayPal. G

Anyone have JTR's radiator mounting brackets for sale? Cash or PayPal. George

This is not a problem. A heat gun will work; but, block it up in a sunny spot with some weight to hold the curl down. It takes some time, so keep checking it... "time" = two weeks in my case. g

It is a good question for anyone who intends to build a California smog legal car. The JTR manual pretty much describes how the Datsun system works. My LM7 truck engine has what appears to be a computer controlled solenoid on the top of that tall intake manifold. It appears to control one plastic line that runs to the truck's evap canister. The second hand ebay special loom from some builder in Mena, Arkansas does not have a fitting for the solenoid; sooooo, I think mine must be deleted in the CPU. The idea of driving around with an open vent tube does not thrill me. I would like to hear from other LS1 swappers who retained the smog stuff. G

Interesting thread. Traffic laws serve a number of purposes. Yep, even the safety of all of us on the road......some times. But often the stop is simply a means of transferring some of your excess cash over to the state. I drive Interstate 10 and 395 in California all the time. I-10 is 140 miles of speed trap from the CA/AZ border at Blythe through Palm Springs. The CHP feeds primarily on truckers, but are not above biting a 4 wheeler every now and then. They deny it, but the CHP does have a quota to make. This is simply income pure and simple.....safety seems to be a secondary item. This end of CA is 90 miles away for two foreign countries...Arizona on the East and Mexico on the South. If you enter California from Arizona...18 wheels or 4.. you have a 70+ speed limit. The minute an 18 wheeler crosses the Colorado River the limit drops to 55 mph.... and yes the CHP are right there ticket book in hand and the first question is "Show me your log book". Every little town North on 395 has a 25 mph speed limit, Red Mountain, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Independence, Olancha, Bridgeport, Lee Vining, and Coleville; the CHP writes speeding tickets to help support these folks. Don't breeze through these towns at 35mph...ever, even at 1:00am. Experienced officers develop a sensitivity as to whom might be involved in criminal activity... and then use any shop worn excuse to perform a stop and a search. So.... what sets you up for a stop? One is the car you drive and whether or not you "fit". If you are young, white, black or brown, and driving a high end sports car...Porsche Turbo ... for example, you can expect to be stopped more often that this old scrawny balding white guy. After all, if you are driving an expensive bucket of bling then if follows that you are probably selling dope. A stop is in order....God only, or really expensive attorney, can help you if they find anything. If you are really old looking and driving that 2010 Cadillac Sedan de Ville at 55 mph in the number 2 lane, you can expect a stop and a competency check of sorts. In California, any officer can pull your driver's license if, in his sole opinion, you are "too old" to drive. If your CDL states your age to be 80 and you're stopped driving 90, it's a good bet you'll be walking home as your Cadillac is being towed. So, how does one drive fast in California and survive without tickets. First of all, don't be stupid. 120mph in traffic will not only save you some time but it will also earn you some time... literally. Drive nondescript cars: I live in a PT Cruiser Turbo HO and a MazdaSpeed Mx5. Do buy a good radar detector, but don't hang it off your mirror or stick it on your windshield.; you will be surprised to know how far away an experienced office can spot those things. Be a smooth driver and don't dodge in and out of traffic. Drive at least one half mile ahead and be alert to everything around you. Correctly adjust both side mirrors.... your Z doesn't have a passenger side mirror? Better get one. A correctly adjusted side mirror will cover your side quarter blind spot and allow you to see both adjacent lanes about one mile back. Keep your head on a swivel around on and off ramps. You would be surprised to know how fast a ChP Mustang, Camaro, Interceptor or Dodge can get up to your speed coming off an on ramp. In my view, the real value of the detector is not to spot that white Camaro on your bumper, but to give you warning that a radar gun is operating over the hill or around the corner... before you actually come into line of sight. A common tactic for ChP in my area is to park just off an offramp and observe traffic. If they spot you, they will give you about 1/4mile before they hammer off the ramp... they often will merge into traffic in excess of 70 mph..and overtake you not directly behind you but along side you. I've watched a CHP Camaro hang in along side a kid driving 80 for about a mile before stopping him. The kid never saw that white Camaro with black doors cruising along side him and about 15 feet back. Easy stop.. not an alert driver. Ooops, looks like I got off on a bit of a screed. Oh, when you are finally stopped and the officer asks "Do you know how fast you were going?... Remember this is loaded question and there is no way you can answer or not answer it without implicating yourself. But, you really should answer. My stock reply is something along this line.."Yes, officer, I was on cruise control for 77 mph". When he replies "Let me show you 88mph on the gun", take a look at it and sheepishly ask the officer if your new oversize tires you had installed last week had any thing to do with the speed. This is a form of negotiation... In California you want the ticket to be less than 10 miles over posted 55, 65, or 70 mph or if you were really flying, under 100mph. G