Tony D

"1. We were all beginners at some point in our life. At least some of the new posters, even the ones with dumb questions now, will eventually overcome and meaningfully share in the common hobby that binds us together. While I have no desire to rub internet elbows with a bunch of 'ricers' on a regular basis, does a legitimate desire to protect the Hybrid Z temple of knowledge justify kicking sand in the face of every 17 year old who just purchased a rusted out 240Z and wants to know how to wire his starter? " If one were to say "Yes" would that make them a bad person? Seriously, what's wrong with keeping your mouth shut and LISTENING? Because one exists, does not mean one MUST make one's presence known. Because you get here for free doesn't mean all questions are welcome. Everyone is welcome to learn "but please don't hold up the rest of the class"... Today's educational system is mired in feel-good "everybody has a voice and that voice is special" --- as a result the PROCESS OF LEARNING has STOPPED. It's not about LEARNING now, it's about making everybody feel special and valued, without any hurt feelings. Pish Posh---you want that go back to elementary school! Is it kicking sand, or is it teaching proper social interactive skills and respect in an advanced FOR ADULTS learning environment? It seems for those defending or advocating the right of people to ask basic questions on a forum dedicated to ADVANCED knowledge and the furthering thereof that it's "kicking sand"... To those here wishing to further ADVANCED knowledge, and not rehash the basics ad-nauseaum... the advice to keep it quiet or go elsewhere in find it is just reminding people to have respect for their time. The old saw "We were all beginners once" may be true. But if we are to accept that, then conversely the thought that the majority here when beginners knew when to keep their mouths shut, OBSERVE, and when making a query respected the people they were asking enough to at least ask a GOOD question. Asking a bad question wastes everybody's time. As a beginner, the person's time to waste is YOUR OWN---spend it looking for the answer. If you can't find it here, go elsewhere and search some more. Yes, we were all beginners once. And we knew how to respect everyone's time. That's what's lost. As I said above: "The IGNORE" function is mightily powerful. I, for one, am going to use it. I am using it. The board looks better today because of it! Please don't ask a bad question then get MAD when people IGNORE you! Forever. THINK about what you're going to post. THAT IS ALL THAT WE ARE ASKING! How hard is that?

You' ve never filled out a California State Income Tax Return, have you?

I believe a Linde agent should be able to be located in...ahem..."France"! Xenophobically speaking, it's more palatable than calling BRITISH Oxygen Company (BOC)...

Dry Ice is EXTENSIVELY used in Europe as an "environmentally clean" alternative! Any Linde or BOC office should be able to sell the media, or direct you to who has the service available. Check with large electric motor overhaul facilities for people providing field cleaning services. Siemens was the contractor we used in Poland (subbed from services UK) The non conductive nature of dry ice cleaning suits it to electrical windings and other places... Along with all the VOC elimination green party nannystate crap... http://www.pclicc.co.uk/Services/cryogenic-cleaning-dry-ice-blast-cleaning http://www.roteq.com.au/teq_clean.asp http://www.cryonomic.com

"Generally"...

About the walls

We're in a recession, nobody has any money! Oh, waitaminit...

Having met the Principals and enjoyed tea with them at their offices, the Rocky Auto guys are typical of a high line specalist shop. "Most of our customers drive Bentley, Ferrari, or at least GT-R!" Yet these people want an early S30, or Skyline KenMary / Hako... Many NBA Bentley Drivers own an S30?

This is a matter of scale. I know more than one individual in Europe and Japan with what THEY consider "Acceptable, Clean Drivers." One was bought out of California for $5,000 on E-Bay. That was the STARTING point. €50,000 later it's once again driving. Having been "cleaned up". People say JeffP is crazy with over $75,000 spent on his car in 20+ years of ownership. Imagine that commitment to do it in four years, or two, or within the first year of receiving it from the port! If you can afford to have a luxury appliance such as a Z in many places, you have the means to properly care for it as "cost of entry" to drive is so high. All a matter of scale... We won't get into independent engineering review, certificates of road worthiness, MOT Inspections and various mechanisms that insure that ANY modification to a vehicle is one in a sound and responsible manner...which is the norm down under and in Europe. You guys complain about a $6 inspection or a $60 Smog Test...how about "you have to tow your car home from the test site as its declared unroadworthy due to braking effort on the front wheels offered by more than 3%"?

And as for "nobody makes them there is no market" -- B.S.!!! Almost EVERY part available for a Z in 1970 is still available in Japan. People in the UK regularly buy from there. Japanese will manufacture or reproduce as long as someone wants ONE. Priced accordingly. Problem is in America everybody wants their million in a day and they are not willing to wait. NOS lenses $2,000? So? What's your POINT? If your registration is $2,000 a year, then $2,000 for a set of tail lights doesn't seem so bad. It costs ¥6,900 to fill a tank of gas in Tokyo... $75. My plate fees are $48 annually, and it runs $63 to fill up... I guess using the registration/taillight sliding scale then I'm ENTITLED to tail lights at $48 a pair. America now competes globally for products, resources, and jobs. Time to crawl out and come into the real world, desire and expectation of a captive market in the hugeness that is America is an illusion long past. Many are just now realising this. Some still live in the past... Also consider this: Yen is not 336 or 268 any more. The cost in Japan in YEN for these items has remained relatively constant. They have no inflation. What cost ¥45,000 in 1984 is close to ¥45,00 today. That $30,000 Classic 1972 Vette you just bough, unrestored, beat but running would only take $13,500 but in reality was selling for only $4,500 at that time. I won't get into the politics but "no inflation seems to be a good thing"!

"respect and appreciation of the marque in the shared common culture of that country" Americans bought Fatsuns because they were CHEAP! Nothing more. What's the latest Chevy Chevette Auction price you've seen? Pinto? Rambler? Nash Metro? Stock Vega? COSWORTH Vega? Corvair? All "cheap American cars" which remain cheap... The Datsun is in the same class. It's why I usually only sell into Europe or Japan. Few Americans appreciate vehicles, and more importantly the value of a person's TIME put into them... Either working on it or finding it. Typical rationalisation: "But you only paid $400 on EBay, you sniped me at the last second. I'll give you $450 for it! (Their diseased mind thinks this is ACCEPTABLE!) Same parts, on offer to someone in the UK who wants the parts for their car (not NEEDS, just WANTS--as in discretionary spending) says: "Those look like the e-bay set, boy I wish I'd put my offer on those...here's the $2,000 you wanted...could you ship them, and do me the favour of calling it a gift and valuing it at $500?" Sure, no problem, and I'll even include the e-Bay ad as provenance of the $400 for your taxman! Second thing is COST OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP -- in other countries, the COST to own a car...ANY car is STRATOSPHERICALLY HIGH compared to the USA. You simply don't have slack jawed minimum wage dropouts owning cars like you do here in the USA. As a result, you don't APPRECIATE what you have, and feel ENTITLED to keep what you got virtually free forever! Minimum entry into new-car market in Japan is 1.2 million yen I think. Like $10k. On top of that, you will have inspection/plate fees of $2,000 annually...OR MORE. See those cars with red diagonals on the plate and no stickers in the windows? Temporary transport plates you get at LTO. Pay a fee or three days and go to the car show that weekend...as there is NO WAY it would pass official inspection. The people who buy these cars overseas appreciate them for what they ARE, and not just "the cheapest thing they can afford". I often say "I look forward to the time when the costs get to the point when the only people who have S30's, are those who appreciate S30's! That is the case almost everywhere in the world but the USA. In both Japan & Europe there is a STRONG culture of preservation of heritage, and appreciation of craftsmanship. Both are minimised in the USA. As a result, you get what we have here being discussed now.

Read Gerárd Metrál's book, he suggests putting leaf springs and truck axles into fires to soften them, making them suitable for use in Clandestine Weapons Manufacture. If anybody asks the debris looks just like that...instead of unfinished barrels, etc! Fire is not good uncontrolled....

Yeah, normally aspirated 300+ HP 8500 RPM L28's often run single Solex 28PICT's off 63 VW's...

Heat soak on the carb bodies from Sam-side exhaust is a FAR larger factor in low-speed driveability! Routing return fuel through the stock Mikuni Cooling Bodies on the bottom of the carbs helps IMMEASURABLY. it's like Mikuni knew what they needed for a daily driver, as the PHH'S was an OEM Offering on Millions of Toyota DOHC vehicles through the 60,s, 70's, and into the 80's! Nothing like that for a Dell or Weber.... A One Gallon cool-can filled with 7# of ice usually lasts a tankfull blasting across the desert then into towns where you have to live in stop-n-go... Put it over the starter, make it from a water cooler and coil of copper pipe! Frigid Gas on a hot day...nice!

I think the sequence of events described is backwards here, but is on the right track. Phosphorous & Zinc have been VERY EFFECTIVE additive package elements from day one. In the early 90's phosphorous was removed from large industrial engine oils because of it's tendency to poison catalysts... And HERE is the key. The EPA MANDATED 100,000 mile Catalyst Life, and emissions compliance. AS A RESULT OF THIS zinc & phosphorous were removed from LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE lubricants. (You note the emissions regulations for heavy duty trucks...which the recommended oils come from are quite different!) As OEM's experienced the first wave of 100% failure rates in testing, the engineering alternative to using a 100,000 mile/10 Year Emissions-Compliant Oil was to rollerize the valve train. It was the EMISSIONS REQUIREMENT that drove Zinc out of the Oils, and rollerized valve trains are the result...not vice-versa! Poisioning of catalysts is the issue with the additive package...

from excessive flatulence

Powder oat on Aluminium usually has a profile achieved by media blasting, and typical mild acid washing rinse before operation. Every Aluminum Alloy Wheel out there nowadays it seems is powdercoated. Just about anyplace can do it. I've always been partial to wrinkle-paint.

I don't know anybody that has run it that way due to pressure regulation issues. If you run a return system, you get hot gas I. Your tank if you run any significant time. Most high end systems run a return system, regulating backpressure on the carbs to allow full pump output to go to the carbs unrestricted (same as a non-return system) but without the drop-throttle float overwhelming high-fuel bowl level rich condition (leading to puddering and fat reapplication of the throttle)...

You can't tell the difference between ITB's and Triples. They sound identical. You haven't REALLY looked on You Tube then... Search there on: "Bad Day At El Mirage" And "9300RPM+ Shift Points" By user "DemonoidCFH" Or just about anything on user "Andrew Flagg" You Tube Channel... But the audio is better on DemonoidCFH's videos. If those aren't WOT Runs, I don't know what is! I like "Bad Day" as a perfect example of what should happen if Jetting/Fueling is correct: you put it in the wrong gear (5th at 1,000 rpms for example) and it doesn't pop, shudder, cough, buck, or spit, IT JUST GROWLS and accelerates gradually till your airflow/camming/engine dynamic package gets back into proper synch and it starts pulling/accelerating like it should.

Ahh the days of perception of misfire, countless Top Gear WOT Pulls, reading individual EGT's, and maybe a Colortune angled so your passenger can call it out as you drive with the hood off at dusk! Or better yet, sitting in a car with a removed back window, a notepad, and the boot lid removed watching SU Stations while listening with a mechanic's stethoscope for detonation...

Personally, I like the interior...

The Beck people make a 904 Replica suitable for historic racing. Oooooh! I remember the R&T issue featuring the 904 and thinking "63mph...IN REVERSE!" I watched some at Spa 6 Hours two years ago... Infatuated. If this proves to be a modern version, in true to spirit of the original, things are looking up in the car world indeed!

To think...perpetual!

My buddy paid close to $2500 in 1979 dollars for rust repairs on his Michigan Owned 1969 Corvair. In 1989, I paid $1,600 1989 Dollars for my 1966 Corvair Corsa Turbo Coupe. When my bud saw it, he informed me "I suck!" Additionally, the engine had Isky Cam, 0.060" Overbores TRW Slugs, and a balanced / blueprinted bottom end. In 1979, in California...those cars were between $50~$1,000 maybe! We could have had "Tony & Torre's Most Excellent Adventure" driving that car back for the difference in purchase price of the car in CA, and JUST THE RUST REPAIR COSTS on that Michigan heap! The Internet make it too easy to find cars. People are just afraid to leave town and pick one up. Worst case: you take a Greyhound home and got to go back later to get it.

Jenvy makes nice throttle bodies. The cam specs you gave are useless in assisting sizing or prospective power delivery points. Without that, you can't really decide properly.