Tony D
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Posts posted by Tony D
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" So about four months ago a friend at work came up to me. He told me his daughters boyfriend had 2 78 z's for sale. Of coarse both ruff projects, but $800 for both with clean titles what could it hurt."
Oh yeah....this is how it starts...
This is how it starts...
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Check that rear tranny mount well when underneath, that was where my thrumming vibratin was coming from, tail shaft was moving putting angularity in the card an joint...and vibration!
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"Clapped Out?"
Mechanical integrity in steering and brakes apcan be had for $1,000 tops...
Which again goes to the "extent" of the project...if Willwoods are on the menu anyway, who cares if it's "clapped out"? They're going to go anyway!
Any Nissan Engine under 300,000 miles is likely fine, other than the water pump.
That about leaves ball joints and shocks...again "extent of the project"...
The "project" must be well defined before specific items can be considered.
There are always diamonds in the rough and barn finds... They are the exception, not the rule...
But with the population of Z's out there being so much Higher in CA, so are the possible diamonds and barn finds...
Someone one day will open a blue 48' HC Container in Perris CA and have to go change their pants...
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I just shipped an 85 380SL Mercedes from Port of LA to Rotterdam, $1,100...
Overland transport can vary GREATLY in price month to month due to fuel prices alone.
I'd be leary of any unbonded or uninsured transport offers (unless you are towing it yourself!) I know of one instance of two " friends" using a tandem trailer...one driver made a wrong move, ripped the hitch off the truck, and thrashed the front most car on the trailer.
Since the driver of the truck at the time had his car on the back...he simply pushed his car off, and went on his merry way leaving the truck owner to deal with the mess he made saying "I don't see how this is any of my responsibility, your truck, your trailer, your car!"
DIY, or go,with a pro. Frankly the prices stated for transport barely cover fuel costs of a solo endeavour... So going with unbonded transport is foolish money "saved" IMO...
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They didn't, Speedhunter's did, and having talked with RA about other US-Sourced cars in their inventory and not coming away with anything other than "we liked this car, bought it because we think we can flip it" from the owner... I have a hard time believing they changed their tune.
Again, typical fanboy palaver from an Internet flashy photo site looking to fill white space...not Chronkite reporting on Vietnam casualty counts.
Speedhunter's treatment of other cars is similar in the past. Like I said, I have already set up the appointment...I will be talking to the principal of RA sometime this year.
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I mean, outright you're stating "they're telling lies"... Well dude SHOW ME WHERE!
That is NOT the story I got about the RED car...while if you look at a certain website, you MIGHT be interested to see how THEY hype it!
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"It's a lie, a dishonesty, a fib, for Rocky Auto to say that they built that car."
Not to be blunt r foul, but show me where the hell that's PROVEN WITH A VERIFIABLE QUOTE!
SPEEDHUNTER'S offers it as "Rocky Auto's Latest Offering" and AGAIN I see NOWHERE a quote from ANYBODY at Rocky Auto CLAIMING THIS!
"If they were advertising "cars that we liked and bought and are now reselling", then everything you say about ownership would matter."
Fact f the matter is, and the reason I am SO INSISTENT about this is, having SAT IN THEIR SHOWROOM and talked previously about the RED LHD SUPERCHARGED CAR this is EXACTLY what was said to me!
They liked the treatment on that car (who the hell built it, I have no clue, but it's an AZC Intake) and they bought it to use at shows to draw eyes (I think I mentioned this previously) and that at some point they would like to resell the car and buy something else interesting.
So in fact, as apparently I am the ONLY guy here who has talked with these guys, and now people are quoting Almost VERBATIM what I got out of them last year...maybe NOW you can see why I have a hard time believing the demonisation of the guy when indeed what I got from him was, indeed "we liked and bought and are now reselling"
So while most here want to NOT give them the benefit of the doubt, and cast them as evil bastards stealing credit...Because you dont now them, never met them, never went to their place of business... speaking as someone who HAS and come away with the above posited impression... Indeed "the stuff about ownership" does come into play...
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You don't need the BOV to dump the capacity of the SC... You just need it for that quick dump to get your throttles from being blown open so you hit 70kpa and the normal SC Bypass can open up...
I think the dynamics f the drop-throttle situation (positive displacement) is causing the issue. Dump the positive pressure overboard, giving the bypass internally to the SC time to react, and you keep your ITB'S...
I want I say resize the effective size of the diaphragm actuator on the SC Internal Bypass so it works more reliably at a higher kPa, but since you confessed to having a 1" Bosch already laying around what do you have to lose by trying it and seeing if it helps the internal valve work better?
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Just had a lady inherit a 73 from her father...orange 73 with 140,000 miles on it. Original radio... She's fishing for $13K...
Nice car, original with smog DGV's on it...
Colton Car, inland valley low humidity, no rust.
PM and I can forward the e-mail that came into our clubs e-mail server.
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I have some Holy Milk flowing man, it's Brazilian style, let me convert you while I flock your dashboard!
Come to SoCal for milk and honey, huh...
I got your Holy Brazilian Milk riiiight here!
But beware, Ze Germans might take it!
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Those boys down at the Wauna Mill got PLENTY of what you need, and got it HOT to clean that block out really fine...
If they don't the guys at Camas Mill do...
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Has anyone kept track and plotted all the Tony Ds that exist in the body of one man?
I am an incredibly diverse ecosystem...
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" They sue, just like us, if someone steals their creations. "
The BIG problem, and I think the ROOT of the issue here is nothing was STOLEN....
He bought it. Which, if you read my points earlier....kinda changes stuff. Those of you referring to copyrights and etc referring to 'creations' seem to miss my point earlier about Henry Ford and ZZ Top Eliminator, et al... That's just as stolen from that standpoint.
What happened in "Yojimbo" was not that they took his film, and put their name on it (distributed by Miramar---which is basically what looks to be the case here...)
What happened was the IDEA for the film was stolen without credit being given, or royalties paid. They then proceeded to make an IDENTICAL creation, and bill it as their own.
Not what happened here... The idea wasn't stolen, the car was bought and paid for (and I don't know about you guys, but I don't have a royalty or license agreement contract I sign when I sell a car, and I HIGHLY doubt this builder did, either!) Now, it's halfway around the world for 3X the money and someone's pissed about it.
It's supposedly about the theft of the creative juices that went into it (which I haven't seen any evidence of as yet....)
But I suspect it's sour grapes over the possible thought someone would sell the car for 2X what you asked for, and couldn't get. Let's be real about possible motivations here. Were RA selling the car at a loss, would the PO offer to give them the $$$ to cover their poor 'investment'? Or would they be of the 'you bought it, you own it' mindset. Honestly answered?
I'll ask some questions when I'm in the area. I'm curious. But being at arms length to all parties involved, and happening to have an in to speak with one of the concerned parties supposedly being a SOB.... I'm curious as to what the REAL story is, and not what some internet hawker fanboy site says to fill white space.
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So no "Blowoff" actually in the line between the two... The SC setup I got on the 240 (in post 71) used the (surprised me) same bypass valve as is on the current supercharged Stillen 370's. Bosch Unit, I would think that would be a more reliable way to quick-dump the pressure on drop-throttle and positively activate the supercharger bypass to stopp parasitic lag.
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You can get hot-tanking done in L.A.!
$150 though...
They're out there, you just gotta look. For that kind of money....welll... Lets use the CPI adjuster to rationalize it back to our same fee from 1979!
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And, Kiwi, you are condemning Rocky Auto "for what they are doing"....
Based on inferences from what a THIRD PARTY has said, without seeing a SINGLE quotation from the principal involved at Rocky Auto!
Heresay!
I would tend to stand more on the builders viewpoint side of things had Speedhunters QUOTED someone from RA in their palaver.
But fact is, they didn't!
So I don't think I will join the group jumping off the bridge on the "that rapacious thieving no-good son-of--bitch Rocky Auto Bastard" inner tube until I at least see something credible to justify it.
At this pont, not being a big joiner of causes...all I see is a guy brokering cars.
And one that didn't get what he initially wanted, now somewhat upset that the prospect exists that someone else MIGHT (car isn't sold yet as far as I know... Not uncommon for cars like this to sit for years in Japan...)
Now, worst case...what if Wantanabe bought he car to draw in customers and has it in his showroom with "Rocky Auto" stickers all over it? He is the seller... And to a Japanese buyer, (and this may be the root of the ego thing here as nobody likes to realise their own irrelevance...) do they even know or for that matter even CARE who built it...other than Rocky Auto, who is selling it to them now, and who pledges lifetime of service support on the vehicle?
Everybody step back a few steps!
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Like I have repeatedly stated, sounds like everybody here is getting worked up over what SPEEDHUNTER'S said on their inter webs page.
Nowhere have I heard what WANTANABE-San said.
In fact, I have sent correspondence to my distributor there... I WILL visit Rocky Auto on my next trip, and am already formulating the questions I will ask.
AGAIN I state some people here need to watch "Corvette Summer" again as they obviously relate to Mark Hammil's character.
I am still putting this down to western application of ego to rhetoric on the Internet meant to fill white space and nothing more.
Next time I see something OTHER than Speedhunter's Typical fanboy palaver online, I'll make note of it...
My point being since day one was that they are NOT Walter Cronchite, or Edgar R. Murrow steeped in journalistic integrity, and HAVE been known to (uhm, ahem, urr...) "embellish" when needing to fill space.
In western black-white verbiage, some would say "they make crap up and lie" --likely this is how it would be characterised in Texas.
Now, if you can see my last two sentences sat the EXACT SAME THING... you get my point.
If you DON'T see that, likely you never will, and are likely misunderstanding the way things are done regarding this stuff in Japan.
Kurosawa sued because someone stole his IDEA and sold it as their own. Violating copyright laws.
Those don't apply to individuals customising cars unless you are well known AND CAN PROVE DAMAGES!
So you show me he damages if everything being said was ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
WHAT DAMAGE OTHER THAN EGO HAS BEEN PERPETRATED?
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Indeed if he plates closed it should pop the bypass. If you have a tight spring though....
And the bypass, do you mean on the SC itself? That's just pressure ratio relief when the single body before the SC closes and so you don't make a 5:1CR across the SC trying to pump -15psi to -3psi (6"HG or so) at idle...making r 450F+ SC discharge temps!
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Only goes after some things. And as an acid, that includes the metal of your block.
If you can get the block REALLY caustic hot tanked...that is the way to go!
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#1 reason people don't complete a project s paying too much for the donor car...
Beware..
There are non-running, or poorly-running 280's selling for 1/6 that price in LA.
Depends on what your plans are for a project.
Stick in a set of seat covers, carpet kit, and buff the paint and drive it...
Or
V8 conversion with all that entails.
One, running is a necessity, as they both will get all the same interior and exterior baubles...
But for the other, even an engine in the bay may be a detriment!
Define the project goals, before looking at prospective clients as possible donors.
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Hell, for that matter...if the OP wants a 76 280 with factory air...bring a trailer and $2,500! Plenty of overhead to repair/modify/register/transport under the $6,900 asking price. Heck, I might even go back to the US to broker it!
I gotta move some of this crap out of my yard!
LOL
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Buy a cheaper one and mod as you like. I got mine 1 month ago paid $1600 280z 1976. Rusted frame rail and some rust spots. Planning to spend another 4k and my car will look pretty good. You get the ideas.
You probably overpaid by about 100% in LA with frame rust, and a car needing a smog!
I could have sold you a 76 with NO RUST for $2,500... Did you want it with, or without factory air (GT one of both!) and a freshly rebuilt five speed... One of three bough out of a shop in Riverside that closed some years ago, mechanics lien cars...Wizard of Z's. picked up three 280Z's for $600, one of which went on to be "Mr Hankey" of LeMons Fame, inspiring at east three rule revisions...
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I just spent $5,000 on a 9/71 240Z, most I've ever spent on a Z-Car.
Came with a pickup bed full of parts incl two blocks (original numbers-matching L24 is one, Comp-Prepped N42 is the other, spare for the one currently in the car), three heads, complete Isky cam setup new in box... Basically anything taken off the car for replacement by a modified or high-performance part was kept and put in storage and came with the car. I haven't seen such a nice set of original SU's in years!
Rust Free Simi Valley car from the son of the original owner, including all documentation.
Still think that SoCal trip is "hassle" and not worth it? Renting a tow dolly and Enterprise van would have cost me an additional $2,200 to the East Coast... I lay money the buy is a better deal renting the van, trailer, and. Paying the $800 in gas, plus a couple of hotel nights than just about ANY 280Z on the East Coast for comparable money.
Craigslist listed vehicle. EVERYBODY that called them tried to talk them down on price. I paid asking, no questions asked. That's when they said "I hope you have a big truck, there are a lot of spare parts that come with it as well..."
In the end, they were willing to come down and offered $1,000 of the price back to me since I had registration in CA to cover ($608), plus I didn't hassle them on the asking price whatsoever. I didn't ask for the money, they just blurted out "I forgot to tell you about all those back fees, here, you should have this back for the fees!" It was awkward, but I really appreciated the offer, it helped immeasurably with all that went on that day (broke spring shackle on Rusty Shackle Ford, bought in December BACK EAST!)
Funny how people give rebates when you treat them like humans with dignity and integrity. They truly were sad to see their 240 go after all these years. So really, it wasn't $5,000... I got a rebate! Still the most I ever paid for a Z... So yeah, the prices ARE rising...
All that being said...the car in the OPis a 240! And COULD be as rust-free as a comparative CA car if it was inland and didn't make it to the beach that much. Humidity near the coast can be insidious, and these cars rot inside out...with perforations in mid-panel... If the car is documented to be "inland Mobile" and didn't spend a lot of time getting flooded in the past few hurricanes (I'm not joking, GET UP UNDER THE DASH AND LOOK WITH A FLASHLIGHT!!!) then the price is not "expensive" and likely the 95% "solid" rust condition can be comparable to a CA car in similar environs of the Cantral Coast, or San Diego... Could be good, could be bad.
But compared to an inland CA car, with its life in the desert...almost ANYTHING is "rusty" by comparison.
I would likely take that car if inspection panned out, play up the rust and the "undesirable 1973 Model" aspects and try to get it closer to $4,500-5,000. The value and selling prices for 240's is indeed up, but the economy is still down...and pricing should reflect that!
vinegar therapy - rust removal inside coolant passages
in Cooling Systems
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I have used Sulfamic Acid, which is about 0.77¢ / LB, but it ONLY attacks calcium.
After mixing water in solution I will run the engine at temperature for a while...
Then chelate it wit Caustic Soda...
The Sulfamic acid takes out the calcium from bad water, the caustic takes out a lot of the black crap and rust.... Though the head can suffer from such harsh treatment...
Haven't had the time to make a hot burner...got a 1/2 55-gal stainless steel drum and a Wilden Teflon pump to circulate it... If I can figure a bolt-on head fixture to pump hot caustic through the block in a reverse flow direction I think the results would be pretty good without having to make a whole hot tank. The issue of the core plugs does rear it's head with this option as well...