Leon

I had the same starting problem, I bypassed the interlock and wired in a $5 relay. No problems since. As far as bypassing the factory fail-safes, I did it to have pump priming capabilities for starts after long periods of sitting. Then, shortly thereafter, I completely removed the factory electric pump. I've been running fine with the mechanical pump ever since.

When I first got my early 260Z, the tach did the same thing. The PO wired in a starter button, but it was done in such a way as to short-out the instrument panel! The tach was fried and would go to 8k with ignition ON. It worked sometimes, but randomly. A $25 280Z tach from ebay solved the problem.

I do. I'll make a list of stuff if/when I decide to part-out. I don't want to muddy up this thread.

Sweet! MJ + EDIS really transforms the car and makes response much crisper. Sounds like you're almost to the end of the tunnel. I haven't played much with my tach yet, but I do have the diodes on hand to make it work. Just haven't done it yet...

I've got nice, clean doors, but don't have matching keys. Re-keying the locks isn't a big deal though, just remove them and send 'em off to a locksmith with the key. Easy-peasy and inexpensive! The doors are on the shell I've got for sale, so I want to hold off for a little bit before I totally part it out. I'm on the Peninsula. I can give you a holler if/when I decide to get rid of them.

I did the something similar in my early 260Z. If you look at the wiring diagram, the jumper bypasses the cut relays and runs the pump all the time with key ON. This also takes out all fuel-pump shutoff devices in case the car is in an accident, thus the pump will keep pumping fuel even with the engine dead, the car upside-down, etc. As you will find in the FSM, cut relay #1 deactivates the pump if engine speed goes below 400rpm and cut relay #2 kill the pump during cranking.

Early 260Z owners must doubly-make sure to do their research before buying parts!

It sounds like a good idea but man, people would thrash the s*** out of those cars! You'd have to have some serious insurance coverage... Yeah, just let me know, she's all yours.

Thanks for the tips! I'll let you know but I have some buddies that have trucks (Silverado, F150, etc.) if it comes down to that!

Sure, how about I just start a Z-car rental company!

Oh, Alabama. Makes sense... :lmao: Sorry, I HAD to do it!!! I'm fully prepared for a stereotyping counter-punch based on my location.

I'd love to have that info as well! I've been working with approximations.

Will do! The 4Runner tows great. When we moved back from SLO, we rented a big Uhaul trailer and towed our house back home! It was scary at first because the tongue wasn't loaded enough and I had some serious swaying going back down the back end of the Cuesta Grade, scared the crap out of me. Had to stop at a gas station, almost empty the trailer and repack it... I have no doubts that it'll tow the car fine, the issue is the space for all the parts. Unfortunately, some Z's fall into resto-purgatory (e.g. my shell). Others are lucky enough to be worked on. At least you're working on it! Come out and drive my Z sometime.

"Ol' Dirty Buicks"?

Have you checked float levels? Does your cold start system work ("choke")? If the float bowls are empty and fuel lines dry, it'll take some time for the mechanical pump to prime. Once the car is running, check for vacuum leaks.

V8 with ITB? Must. See. Video! Great work and nice documentation.

Awesome, you're almost there! Remind me, EFI or carb?

Same here.

I think the 4Runner is my best option if I don't want to rent a tow vehicle, unless my buddy wants to volunteer his '89 7.3 Powerstroke! Maybe I'll just put a hitch on my 260Z... The bigger challenge will be fitting the extra wheels, 2 engines, 2 transmissions, air dam, carbs, etc. somewhere. As for pics, I suppose I can post the ones I got from the owner of when the Z was complete and in the UK. They're not the greatest quality but you get the "picture" :

Windows 7

Totally with you there, Brady! It's an uncurable obsession addiction disease.

I can't enlarge most pics using IE9 or Firefox, nor can I open them in a new window.

It depends on engine configuration, but something like that. Yes. No. Your Z came with a cold-air intake from the factory. All you'd do by putting on the super-dooper ebay intake is increase noise. BTW, this has all been answered probably a billion times over. Take your time, read and research. Use google to search this site for topics that interest you. I'll put you much farther ahead.

No pictures of the new Z, but there will be. I have to pick it up first! That would be a good question to ask Jay Leno. Well you see, the Z is a "vintage" sports car and the S is a "modern" sports car. They're completely different things. But seriously, I love both cars and have no problems with keeping up maintenance, driving them, etc. I drive each one to work once a week and the good ol' Accord picks up the slack. Weekends are for the fun cars. There are not many cars out there that I really, truly want to own but the Z and S both fit my desires. I also really like the first-gen BMW M Coupe, and E30 M3, or maybe... At this moment, having a couple of 2 seaters is not a problem and the fiancee is fine with it. She's a huge dog-lover and has turned me to the "dog-side" as well. In the meantime, she's developed an appreciation for cars and understands my passion. It works both ways! Honestly, I'd like to have a running Z so I want to keep the orange one until at least the "new" one is on the road. Once it's on the road, I may consider selling the other but who knows. I've got a lot of time and sweat into my orange Z so it's a bit hard to let go. When it comes time to start a family, I'm sure my paradigm will change.

I was just thinking today about how I want to go about towing. I suppose there are a few options. One is to drive down there in the fiancee's Subi Outback, stuff Outback full of parts, rent truck+trailer and tow the Z home. Another is to do the same, but rent the truck here so we don't have to drive 2 cars back home. Yet another would be to borrow fiancee's mom's 2001 4Runner and rent a trailer in SLO. Pack the 4Runner with parts and tow the Z home. I'll make a FS post for all the parts I'm getting rid of once I can catalogue what I have. I may have some extra valves...