jhm

Ken- That is one AWESOME looking vehicle....thx for sharing!! r/John

This may help solve some of your problems. Have used these folks before and they are GREAT to work with. Good luck. "http://www.datsunstore.com/index.php/cPath/118?osCsid=73d8a78ee0c13ed57bbec3c8b2e8c955"

Nick- Nice looking seats -- they remind me of the late '80's Prelude seats, which are some of my all-time favorite OEM seats. Good luck with the rest of the install and be sure to post more pix of the final result! John

Ryan- Slightly off topic, but I have been following your build thread for a while now and I have to say that I am completely blown away by the amount of effort, time, expense and attention to detail that you're putting into that car. The final result will be simply AMAZING! Can't wait to see it when it's finished (is a resto-mod ever TRULY finished??). Good luck with the rest of the build and keep the updates coming! jhm

This is probably one of those questions where there really is no right or wrong answer. I guess an automatic would be more "drivable" if the driver were not comfortable with a manual transmission. Alot of high-performance Z owners prefer the feel of shifting for themselves, and controlling the engine's revs and powerband. Guys that are going more for straight-line performance will usually choose an auto for the faster shifts. I think generally you'll find an automatic setup may be a little lighter and more compact than a 5- or 6-speed setup. Finally, an automatic MAY be a little more gentle on your drivetrain (driveshaft, u-joints, rear differential, half-shafts, etc) than a manual, but that's purely personal opinion in my part. Do some searching in the "Drivetrain" forum, and you'll probably find more info than you could possibly hope for! Good luck and happy motoring.

I also used Spectre products for my cold air intake: low profile intake plenum, 4" ducting, and the largest cone filter they make. I could've also used their $20 aluminum elbow, but used a $4 PVC elbow from Lowes instead because I'm such a tight-wad. Good luck with yours!

The new ride is looking so fine, Dave....nice work! Those seats are SWEEEEEEEET. Looks like you're not wasting any time digging into her. Good luck with the rest of the build! John

Beautiful build...simply awesome!! I have to ask what is that spiffy bracket you're using for the alternator? And it looks like you're installing A/C as well? Nice! Good luck with the rest of it and happy motoring!

Check out Z Car Source. They usually offer good used parts at a big discount vs cost of new. http://www.zcarsource.com/content/p/9/pid/58284/catid/7797_7811/Ignition_Switch_w_key_70_78_used There's also always guys parting out their cars in the 'Parts for Sale' section of HBZ. Good luck with it!

If you're able to hook the gauge to the sending unit, drop the sending unit in a pot of boiling water....the gauge should read 212 deg F. Obviously, this technique requires that the gauge and sending unit are properly powered and grounded (i.e., you'll probably have to rig temporary hot and grounding wires from the car to the gauge and sending unit in order to conduct this test). You can do a variation of this test with a pot of water of various temperatures and a thermometer. This allows you to compare the thermometer's readings against those of your new gauge. Be careful not to let the sending unit touch the pot itself....might result in a higher reading than the boiling water. Also, I'd be careful to keep the wires out of the boiling water...could lead to a short, and the insulation could somehow get damaged. Hope this helps.

The new wheel looks good. The recommended torque for the steering shaft nut is 36-51 ft-lb. For future reference, one can usually remove the steering hub adapter just by leaving the steering wheel bolted to the adapter, removing the central steering shaft nut, and wiggling the steering wheel back and forth until it comes off the steering shaft. It's always worked for me....have never needed a puller using this method.

Here's mine. Mid-90's (92-96) Prelude seats in my late '74 260 (has the same catalytic converter hump in the trans tunnel as the 280). The earlier Prelude seats (late 1980's-1991) will work as well, and have a nicer look (IMHO) than mine; but can be hard to find in decent condition. Very easy install. I cut off the Honda rails, fabricated cross bars from steel flat bar, and bolted onto the stock Z rails. Seat are light, comfortable and supportive.

The fusible link is the item with the dirty yellowed (once was white) square plastic cover. I think everyone's addressed its replacement adequately. The other items outlined in yellow on your picture are the A/C relays. Yes, you can remove them if you have no need of A/C in the future.

Hardwyre- As we all know, these old gauges can be highly inaccurate....but if we assume for the moment that yours is accurate, you've used approx 1/3 tank to go 90 miles. Doesn't that equate to roughly 19 mpg? Regarding your original question, I think the answer's 'yes'. Most engines will run most efficiently with advanced timing, provided they're not advanced so far as to cause pre-detonation. Seems like there's a few threads on this subject in the 'Ignition and Electrical' sub-forum. Good luck with it and happy motoring. jhm

Thx, Glenn. $35 for a nice-looking wheel (shipped) is hard to beat!! I've been driving the car with the APC for a week now and I really like the look and feel of the new wheel. I probably wouldn't have tried it without your input on your own experience with APC, so thx again for your help....you da' man! John

http://www.brokenkitty.com/zcar/zcar.htm http://www.jagsthatrun.com/ http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/PRC01

Sounds intriguing. I'm sure you'd get a big interest if the prices were right. I might be up for some cool tail light lenses myself. I'm wondering if your post would get more attention in the 'Group Buy' or 'Vendors' sub-forums? Good luck whatever you decide!

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=1068505#post1068505

Nion- Thx for the post; I'm sure you'll be glad to get the old girl back on the road...she's a nice clean-looking ride. I like the dual exhaust setup! From your CarDomain photos, I noticed you've got the late-'80's Prelude seats, which I think are the cat's meow! I looked for a pair for several months before settling on a pair from an early-'90's Prelude ($60 for the pair, including rails...no complaints). Good luck with getting the car running again, enjoy that beautiful SD weather, and happy motoring! r/jhm

Hey all- Most of you probably know all this, but for those that don’t, here’s some useful info on Grant and APC steering wheels. If you’re a fan of Grant steering wheels (as I am), APC offers a range of additional wheels that are compatible with Grant hubs and mounting kits. They are also super cheap! Yes, they’re certainly not as well made as the high end wheels; but they’re hard to beat for the price. I recently ordered this one from eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/steering-wheel-hotrod-ratrod-custom-apc-grant-w-horn_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a03be7224QQitemZ180451439140QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories I’ve had several Grant wheels in the past, and I’ve always liked the D-shaped Formula 1 styling, so I thought I’d give this one a try. Pics 1, 2 and 3 are show how it came to me (3 day shipping, by the way!): Pics 4, 5 and6 show my old wheel with the Grant 5-bolt mounting kit: If I wanted to, I could have even used the Grant horn button, but chose to use APC’s horn button and center pad for a more finished look. Even the horn buttons are pretty much interchangeable between Grant and APC. See pics 7 and 8. Pic 9 shows the wheel mounted for initial test fit... ....and pics 10 and 11 depict the final installation. I should mention that if you choose to use the APC center pad and horn button, you’ll quickly learn that the horn will NOT work unless you solder an additional lead from the button’s spring contact to the mounting hub. This additional step is necessary in order to complete the ground connection that’s provided by the black ground wire on the Grant mounting hub. No biggie, especially considering the low, low, low purchase price!! Feel free to ask questions and happy motoring!

http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html

HILARIOUS!!! Thx, Roger!

Some guys swear by the stuff....personally, I've used it with mixed results. You can put it in your tank when you fill up, or dump it straight into the intake system with the engine running. Best result I got was putting 2 cans into a full tank on my 2000 4Runner (110,000 miles). It improved the mileage by 1-2 mpg.

cmbromme- Don't know if you've found the info you're looking for....but I just did a quick search on "turbo" and "twin turbo" in the Chevy V8 forums, and got several hits. Here's one (excellent) example that may help you get started on your project: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=143571&highlight=twin+turbo As jc052685 stressed, it's *really* important to decide on your goals for the car before embarking on a project of this magnitude and expense. Good luck whatever you decide, and be sure to keep us updated as your project progresses! jhm

Yep...like Stravi said, just pull 'em out. They are neither threaded nor notched. They're held in place by an expansion fitting....they pop in and out by hand.