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I'm not surprised at all. My cousin's F15 had a sticking hydraulic valve which got that treatment regularly. His solution in the end was to use it like one of those in-wall timer-switches in your house, where you turn past 2 then sent time. Push hydraulic pressure past 60% then set as desired. Wanna see the pics I got at EOR? -Eric

That reminds me of the F15 that lost most of a wing, and still landed. Here's a video from Discovery Chanel of the story. Keep in mind there are no videos of the event, everything is dramatized except for the photos at the end. They also get several facts wrong. The landing hook should not have broken, it's designed to withstand repeated use at 300 mph, such as on an aircraft carrier. Also, the 'rocket' analogy is only sorta close. The fuselage creates much of lift the F15 uses, specifically the areas above and below the air intakes. The outboard wings are mainly for maneuvering and weapons storage. Also, the navigator was actually an instructor, who wanted to eject, but the pilot regained control and decided to try and land, not knowing how bad the damage was. It's worth it to watch the video to the end just to see the pictures of the damaged craft with people standing next to it. That's a view you very seldom see. Most of the time it's just the aircraft in the foreground, or a closeup of a person peaking out of a cockpit. The sheer size of a fighter jet is amazing. My cousin was a crew chief for an F15 (he's now an instructor) and I got to take a close look at his plane. Wow, amazing, and hands down THE most comfortable seat I've ever been in. I want one for my Z. -Eric

All the 10th Anniversary ones are the same scheme. The ebay one is in Canada, the one I posted in Oakland, CA, and the one you posed in San Antonio, TX. So it seems three are known to be for sale at the moment, asking between 6k and 25k.

I look at most classic cars, even excellent original condition ones, and think the same thing I tell all my friends who want to drive something beautiful. An old car is an old car. Rubber deteriorates over time and needs to be replaced, stuff fails. Even (sometime especially) just sitting a car will get to be in pretty bad shape. They're going to take work, and money. Now that car stored in a museum is most likely a 100% different story. A temperature and humidity controlled environment will not it's toll on a car like a garage will. The fluids were most likely prepped for long term storage and display as well. I'd really like to see highly detailed pictures of the sway bar bushings. See how rubber under constant stress has held up. -Eric

I'm impressed by this guy. Didn't know the 280ZX came with a tilt wheel. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1023483602.html If he gets that much, then I should be able to get at least 10K for my Z31.

While browsing around the net, I came across this method of balancing a drive shaft. It was on a Mercedes site, and I know many of them use two-piece shafts, but I'm wondering just how well it would work for Zs. Put the car up on the lift with the wheels free. Clamp two hose clamps on the driveshaft with the bodies 180 degrees away from each other. Start the car and run it up to 30-40 mph. Touch the spinning driveshaft with a piece of chalk taped to the end of a broomstick handle. Stop the engine and examine chalk mark. The chalk mark would indicate the "heaviest" side of the driveshaft. Rotate the two hose clamps bodies towards each other to counter balance the "heavy side" of the driveshaft. Repeat the chalk test/hose clamps rotation until the chalk makes a circle on the driveshaft. Apply weights or just leave on the hose clamps. So I'm guessing the shaft would wobble enough to touch the chalk right at the heavy point. When you get a nice even line all the way around the shaft it's balanced. Does anyone like the idea of leaving hose clamps on a part spinning that fast? -Eric

And which one will get you in more trouble with other people for locking in the car for an hour?

That's gotta be a photoshop job. There are no bullet holes in the sign. Or the range.

Yea, there were different caps, with different filler necks. The later ZXs have a unique one that always gives the smog people heck because they can't test it or pressure test the fuel tank. However there were only two or three keyways (different key blanks/cuts) that were used in the entire Datsun line, until the mid 80s. S130Z, that's the exact gas cap I have, and it uses the older keyway, same as the 280Z. My ignition and door/hatch locks use a key with more wafers.

When the ZX switched from the six tumbler lock to the seven tumbler (or was it five to six?) in the door locks and ignition, Nissan didn't re-make all the gas caps, they still use the older keys. So the keyway that fits the older Z cars also fits the gas caps, while newer cars have two keys. The cylinders for each keyway are interchangeable, and auto parts stores sell both, so you could put the older keyway in your door locks and ignition and key it all the same, if you wanted. I don't know about putting the newer keyway in to a gas cap, never tried. Give the previous owner of the car a call and see if they have the gas cap key. If not, at least yours is unlocked. You can take it to a lock smith shop and have them make a key for it. As long as it's removable from the car it's easily disassembled and re-keyed or simply measured and a new key cut. With the fuel thefts around here, I'm glad I have one. Always remembering to lock it once it's fully screwed in keeps me from leaving it places. -Eric

The Jag's have nice cross-flow DOHC (still 2-valve per cyl) heads with three nearly identically shaped and spaced intakes. The large angles in that manifold could very well create turbulence with that size SU, causing the piston to misbehave.