thnikkamax

Very nice.. just what I was looking for.

I have searched several phrases to find this out and I find situations that are similar to mine, but just not quite the same. What I know: - My car is a 71 (6/71 if that matters) - L28 swapped in, A/C and almost all the smog equipment omitted. Basically just the essentials remain. - Shocks are Tokico Blues, installed the HZ3015 number in the front, the HZ3016 were left for the back - Springs I bought are used from a trusted shop.. they are black, one set of springs is taller than the other. - Shop labeled the tall ones as Fronts and so I installed them as such, leaving the shorter springs for the rear. - These black springs themselves (not the drop) were about 2 to 2.5" shorter than stock but you could feel the stiffer rate. - At stock, the distance from the edge of the fender to the top of the tire is 2.75" - I installed the tall ones on the front, and now that previous measurement is 3 1/6" (taller than before). Onced I noticed this I did not install the rears to make sure the car settled a bit so I can judge whether or not I like the drop. - By eyeballing it, the fronts are linear, all coils compress at about the same rate. Emphasis on the eyeballing of it. - 160 miles later, they've settled at about 3" (still taller than before). I have the time to install the rears and see how that goes, I just want to avoid an interruption in cruising time if I can troubleshoot this before wasting more energy on it. My questions are: 1) What is the likely brand of these springs? 2) Are they installed backwards? 3) If the tall ones definitely do go on the front and the shorter ones definitely do go on the back, can I assume that cutting them will not disrupt much performance? 4) How many coils can I cut off the front and rear for this setup? I know this is odd, but I will seriously snail mail a $25 Macy's gift card to whoever can answer all these questions... even though that only buys you a pair of socks at that place. :-/

yes it's an S30, a 71 with the engine and most of the electrical of a 76. And all three things went out at that same time.. I can care less about the reverse lights.. the speedo/odo worry me more. All I really wanted to know is if there was a connector down there that could be replaced or if it was the whole cable. I have a box with like 3 gauge clusters & harnesses so I'll trial and error the whole thing tomorrow.

The title says it all... a few hours ago I changed my gear oil, and when I was down there I noticed a small leak coming out of what i'm assuming is the sender for the speedometer/odometer.. i tightened it up a bit and shortly thereafter speedometer, odometer, and reverse lights stopped working. It's dark now and I live in a pretty bad hood to be getting under the car at this time of night.. just thought I'd throw up the quick question since "speedometer odometer reverse" yielded no results in search. Any input out there? Gracias!

Mine used to be a 97 Maxima SE 5spd.. black on black, and oh so sexy. Started misfiring like crazy when she hit 255K miles in July. Been driving the ol' L28 powered '71 240Z ever since. When I got it it was fairly complete, just minor things were loose here and there, electrical was everywhere though. Regardless, it is by far the most cost-efficient vehicle I have ever owned. I'm knocking on wood, but I have yet to encounter a problem that I can't fix with the standard issue toolbox I carry around.

Ok let me know how it goes. I only ever use my Zed for cross-county (read county not country.. hehe) driving and never plan to drag or auto-x so I was hoping the Tokico Strut/Spring package would be the way to go. I've read a lot of people sectioning struts with that specific package but I figured it might be because they were optimizing for auto-x/track. I need to read some more, I suppose. Have you gotten the RB-R's on there yet with the new ride height?

Most excellent detail! I'm partial to this setup as I have 16x8 RBR's as well.. but they're +04mm offset, which I guess means I'll clear the strut seat better than the +10's. Do you anticipate any rubbing problems with the lower setup? One more thing, although I did speed read this whole thread, I don't think I caught whether or not you mentioned why you didn't section off the struts. Looks like you only cut the bumpstops and that was it???

This problem started shortly after this idiot I call "myself" let the lights on and the battery died. A few days later, I noticed that the starter would take a few tries to spin completely. At first it would just click, but then it would start cranking but really slow as if the battery was close to dead. Jumping the car did not help at all. Replacing the battery helped just a little but it still took a few tries to get the engine fired up. Feels like everytime I try to crank it I'm abusing the battery. I cleaned the grounds, sanded them a bit and used electrical parts cleaner on anything I thought could be related. No difference. I tried installing a relay mod that I found from a google search, no difference. What I don't get is that I have done zero work to anything electrical in a loooong time, then what could it be that started causing this? A recent dead battery? A few more symptoms, both battery posts get really hot. So does the starter motor and solenoid, and this wire between the solenoid and the starter gets super hot and starts cooking.. lots of smoke. I'm wondering if I should just replace the starter.. but I have one from a 71.. would that fit the 76 L28? Help!!!

UPDATE 2: Yeah...... the custom adjustment bolts I was making, priced out to about $40ea for stainless steel (multiply by 4.. haha) but understandable because they were all aircraft grade aluminum, and pivot ball joints were used... so i'd rather get the cheaper looking turnbuckles for $2ea or less as seen in the pic with the Pontiac.. I'm going with the closed ones though, and then i'll send them out to get powdercoated or anodized a certain color to give them some coolness points.

Thanks to speedgato and 240Z2NV's pics.. Here's the progress on my Adjustable AND Universal Flat spoiler http://forums.hybridz.org/showpost.php?p=943192&postcount=15

UPDATES: 1) The visors are a no go.. hat a set of extras and it would require you to send me your hardware so that I could re-do them. 2) Center Controls Console - Vacuum forming tooling is still in the works, we're making a mahogany tool instead of aluminum. This means that the finished part MAY have some tool lines in it (from the wood segments), but at least they'll be straight lines so it won't look that bad.. plus I found material with texture that matches the interior!!! A/C will definitely be ommitted. I can only make 1 tool, that is all I'm being allowed to waste time with. 3) SCCA Legit Flat Adjustable Spoiler - YUP, it's adjustable now! I'm making my own adjustment rod assembly with brackets that will also be adjustable (up and down movement) when attaching to the spoiler. This is so you can mount the brackets on your car (almost any car I hope), then adjust the spoiler vertically until it sits where you want on the car. How do I compensate for the curvature of cars??? Simple, a thin rubber lip about 2" bonded (not screwed or riveted) to the bottom of the spoiler so you get a clean mount without gaps on the ends. You'll need to cut out a semi-circle to clear the hatch button. Sketches coming soon! Now, the spoiler is the project I'm most excited about, and I've spent enough time that I know I'm going to AT LEAST make one for myself for sure. If i don't reproduce it, I will release component part numbers, drawings, and dimensions for you guys to make your own. I do want to mass produce if it's a truly universal spoiler application though. Current Spoiler Details: * 0.1875" Thick Kydex Plastic Spoiler. The melting point for the 0.125" material is 160 degrees farenheit. This should stand up better to the heat but I will have it on my car a few weeks in the heat to see how it reacts. * (4) Vertical brackets to support the height of the spoiler to prevent a lot of flex. 4 locations is better than 3 in case you're mounting this over a center brake light strip, * Face of spoiler is currently up in the air... see below... NEED YOUR HELP: I am about ready to order my components for the adjuster rods.. I don't want to buy something that's already out there because I have a huge budget here at work, and a McMaster-Carr account That being said, the SPOILER HEIGHT can be dictated by the min/max lengths of the adjustment rods. I am using right/left threaded connecting rods so the wing can be adjusted without removal.. only monkey wrench needed. I have two options: A) Adjustment rod assembly is 4.8" at shortest, and 5.8" at tallest, Spoiler face is 6.5" Adjustment rod assy is 6.8" at shortest, and 7.8" at tallest. Spoiler face is 8.5" I don't want to overhang the spoiler too much from where the brackets end up the vertical. The adjustment rods look prettier on the taller version lol... but I remember the 7" Spoiler fuss from the wind tunnel tests topic posted to this site. I guess I can make it 7" and leave 1.2" overhang. F-it.. I'll R&D both... Here's my inspiration: http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn83/240Z2NV/Other/?action=view&current=SpoilerBrace1.jpg Thanks to speedgato, and 240Z2NV's pics

I wonder if those brackets are custom made, or if they can be purchased somewhere. Those were the brackets I was referring to except the slimmer struts would look nicer. Also, would three of those suffice? I think that would be enough to hold up the wing and support it. I'm also leaning towards the thin strip of rubber to prevent air from escaping at that point.. bonded onto the fiberglass as well. Good thing is it can be easily painted to match body color. If i can't find a hardware solution that works, and can be replicated easily to distribute, then I'm just going to make a fixed version just like speedgato's except fiberglass because that's what I got.

I'm currently making a mockup of this wing and I, too, would like to make it adjustable. What do people think about aircraft grade prepreg fiberglass, thick enough to handle the force? Would make it easy to bond on the brackets that the NASCAR style adjusters can attach to so you'd have a nice clean surface. I like exactly where speedgato's wing sits, I need to fab up some brackets and figure out those adjusters. Might end up just making it to comply with the Auto-X rules similar to the pontiac wing posted in this thread.

also, I am dying to make that wing that I posted.. I'll try to figure out a way to make it removable too.. I just need a template for that shape!!!

I saw from the other thread that you sent it over to the CF guys. I think I'm going to stay away from large items at first. I'll let you know if I ever decide to go with the large 1pc splitter. Our machine shop is getting slow too, but not slow enough yet to sneak in custom projects. The windows seem easy, but the thickest lexan we have a ton of is .125 thk. Doors, hatches and hoods are too big for our vacuum formed machines And the splitter, as I responded to Challenger above, I want to stay away from that huge one for now. I def am aiming for a thick plastic angled at the edges.. 2pcs so they can be small enough to ship easily. These would obviously be more cosmetic than functional (if at all), but that's why I'd go the plastic route because fiberglass or cf down there can make a person queezy. Armrest is done so that can be the first to start producing once I figure out a price. I'll post a pic of it and let you guys decide what it's worth to you. See above for the splitter and large items. I'd love to, but I think those are too ambitious for now. I see the demand so it will stay in consideration. The center console will probably be the first vacuum form item to get produced.. I'll post pics later of my mockup. The hardest part of it is since it's angles inward towards the bottom then it's tough to make a straight face of it. The vacuum draw is no problem, I'm just wondering if it will have to sink in so much that it will be too deep inward. I'll post pics of that prototype towards the end of the day, but as is would leave the stereo opening in tact, and would require ommission of A/C & heat system. I don't have A/C or heat in my Z so this is why I made it this way.

I'm another one of those folks who also works in the aircraft industry and we're slooooooow right now.. to the point where i'm considering making vacuum forming tools during night shift for small plastic parts if the demand is there.. I'm already working on a foam tool to make Lexan shells for those RC Drift cars. Hell, we already have the lumber to make the friggin molds.. and as I started typing this it was 3PM with everyone gone home for the day... all these 5-axis, vacuum form, and layup machines just sittin here... hmmm.. haha (i'm here til 5:30.. salary.. sucks) Anyway, I need to make a flat wing and a flat front splitter for myself, but would love a template if anyone has one. I have that Xenon air dam with the brake cooling ducts, and a 240Z if you have a template for the rear wing similar to the one below... I really want to make a rear wing similar to this: Found here: http://forums.hybridz.org/showpost.php?p=761135&postcount=2 To keep it fair for myself and for those who will actually buy, I will only make things that I will use for myself so I'd have a product to show before taking money. And no CF, I don't want to hijack the projects from those other guys that are also in the process of making custom parts. For the fiberglass I'll check how many layers we can start with, it will be oven cured prepreg that we buy in bulk so the price will not include materials & labor as much as it will include how many 12-packs i'll need to buy for every person that knows i'm doing this. I just had them make me a flat 14.5" x 5.5" panel from nomex honeycomb layered in between the prepreg for my armrest (they potted in inserts that took the same screws it came with) .. that plywood that comes in there completely cracked to hell. Anyone interested in those? I had our tedlar ladies glue the leather onto it instead of stapling it back like original. Here's of what I'm thinking of making for myself: 1. Armrest panel (done, glued cushion back on instead of stapling) 2. Flat rear wing 3. Front splitter, but entertaining the idea of the smaller 2pc instead of 1pc (like here http://www.mfdhk.com/newitems/size_2/UNIVERSAL_SPLITTER.JPG) 4. Paintable visors, or visor covers that can utilize existing hardware 5. Plastic 240Z center console shroud with opening angled to fit a screen and stereo below it (I'll make swappable attachments that can be used for gauges, switches, or maybe just a blank panel you can use to do your own cutouts.. i already have a prototype using a cut up stock panel but i want to do it right and make a vacuum formed shroud out of .090 thick material) 6....

it was interesting to find this.. I also work at an aircraft interiors manufacturer and we're slooooooow.. won't hijack this though, just bumpin it to kee the CF alive.. we don't do CF. I'll post my own separate thread...

Sorry for bumping an old thread.. I'm glad a lot of others have done this too.. my Z will end up looking very similar to DavD3's except I actually am going to let the "stubs" continue into the grille area, but I'm leaving the uprights on the bumper to close it off there.. I got them cut already, just need to paint them to match my gunmetal Rota RB-R's will post pics to this thread when I get it done this weekend! Next will be sealing off the headlight buckets, and adding grille-mounted headlights!

Guys, just to give you an update on this, I ended up finding out that whoever had taken apart the throttle body to clean it reassembled it with the notched post backwards. All i did for now was instead of the throttle sensor connector facing northeast, it is now facing northwest and zip tied in place.. Ha! Looks like that post is 90 degrees turned from where it's supposed to be. No hesitation at all. Thanks to all who burned some serious brain cells along with me trying to figure this out. Sometimes it really is the dumbest most simple things. Glad I didn't burn my wallet troubleshooting though.

Guys, This is more of a wiring issue than the actual ol' temp sensor on the Z's. I have this VDO Cylinder Head Temp Gauge that I want to mount on my dash. It was mixed in with a box of garage sale parts I bought months ago. I figured I'll just use it, but the only problem is that it only has the 4 loose wires. 2 of the wires are for (+) & (-) for the backlight. The other two wires were supposed to go into a connecter that then connected into the Temperature Sender (see below) If you blow up the picture, it looks like it's a simple wire assembly. Does this look like something that can be made from scratch? A specific wire? Any diodes or other thingamadoodads that might be in there but I'm not catching? I guess I could pay $25 for it and wait 3-5 days, but not if I can make it at home tonight with what I have. This slides onto the spark plug so the ring gets pinched between the plug and the head. Thanks guys!

I cleaned every contact I could and checked the boot.. the boot is new, no cracks at all in it. Cleaned the AFM, and got as much carb deposit off of anything that looked like it had it. BUT I did not pop the cover off because it looks like it's usually glued on. Doesn't even look like it should be removed. There's what looks like a regulating valve screw on the AFM, I turned that all the way clockwise and that actually alleviated the problem a little. Didn't get the chance to take apart the fuel pump to see if it's clogged in some way, but I would think if this problem were fuel related that it would sputter at any RPM or throttle position, right? I'm going to check out per the FI bible where all these dead hoses need to go. I didn't check every single hose, so I'm hoping that is the last thing I need to check along with the pump just to eliminate all of these possible culprits.

Will do.. after work I'll take the boot out and check it. Do they sell those types of boots at local car parts stores?

I got lucky with a nice 71 240Z and the N/A L28 put in it. I have 6 to 1 headers and 2.5" piping.. so what is recommended? The 2.5" piping that I have is welded onto a very ricey sounding exhaust.. I don't even know what kind it is but I'd like something deeper and more intimidating than what sounds like the common SoCal Civic hatch.. lol. Any recommendations? I really need to pull this fartcan off the car ASAP

Thanks for all that info.. I was still typing my response to woldson when you posted. The accelleration is better colder than after I've been driving around for a while. In the morning I warm the engine up to normal temp, then driving through the streets it only sputters in first from a stop, the rest works fine. Then down the freeway several minutes later at the exit, it will sputter in 1st as normal, then it will start sputtering at the beginning of every gear change on initial throttle. If I increase throttle it will pick up almost as if I;ve gone WOT. I have a free weekend from any other obligations so I'm just going to take everything apart and clean it all to be on the safe side. New hoses included. Many thanks to both of you for your help!!!

Can I use carb cleaner inside the AFM? or are you talking about pulling the plastic cover off and spraying the electrical with contact cleaner? Also, I noticed one thing when I opened her up this morning again. Take a look at the first picture in my initial post. That device at the top the manual says is the Air Regulator. I noticed I left it unplugged and the car was running with no difference. I also unplugged the connector on the left side in that picture with no difference to car/acceleration so I must replace those.. the greenish/bluish one in front of the hose. (also in that pic take a look at that small hose in the center that the previous owner sealed off.. what is that hose for?) Now when I pulled the end off the AIr Regulator, the connector was attached to a sensor that looked like a long rectangular plate wrapped with a coil. There was some oily gunk on that plate. Is it OK to spray that sensor plate with carb cleaner as well as inside that air regulator? I think this is what's causing the stall when I connect that large 1/2" I.D. hose to the cover breather I"ll check for vacuum leaks tomorrow on my day off. I've seen a lot of similar problems, but the difference about mine is that the car runs great at higher RPM.. lots of power. I'll also take apart the fuel pump to check it for gunk buildup.. got to put a clear fuel filter in the line somewhere to see what the flow looks like.