jhm

Like BRAAP said...."drop the tank!". There's really no way around it. FORTUNATELY....it really isn't that big a deal and you only need to drop the tank a few inches -- no need to completely remove the tank. First, MAKE SURE YOUR TANK IS ESSENTIALLY EMPTY. You will see the wisdom in this once you start getting into it. There's a drain plug at the bottom of your tank. You can usually drop the tank enough by simply removing the two lines in the front of the tank and the big fat filler inlet hose. Remove the two small lines first, lower the tank a couple inches to give you enough room to reach up between the tank and the fender, then remove the filler inlet hose. Lower the tank a couple more inches and you should have sufficient clearance to remove the bumper mount. While you're at it, this is a good time to replace your rubber fuel lines and fuel filter. Good luck and enjoy your new shaved-look rear valence!

Had the same thought when I was wiring up my circuit breakers. I would think that you'd be fine with the soldered wire ends as long as you can sufficiently tighten the terminal nuts. Might help a little if you can put lock washers on (not the single-split kind of lock washer, but the kind with dozens of little splines sticking out). Sorry if I'm not correctly describing the lock washer; it's been a long day...

570- With respect to your differing hose outlet sizes, there are several places that market hose splicing kits -- JTR has a really nice kit. Or, you could fab your own. Or, you could solve your problem like I did with a radiator hose filler like this one from Summit: "http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MOR-63740/" It has the added advantage of enabling you to easily purge your cooling system of any trapped air. Hope this helps. jhm

You may want to get an independent confirmation that the alternator is overcharging. Places like Autozone and Pep Boys provide free bench-testing for components like alternators, starters, etc. Next, you mentioned that you removed the external regulator.....but are you sure that your new alternator is internally-regulated, and if so, is it working correctly? The bench-testing I mentioned above will include testing the regulator. Finally, are your yellow and white wires large enough to carry high amps? (I think 12-gauge is the norm for the charging wire leaving the alternator.) Also, are all the connections clean and corrosion free? Finally, are you sure that there are no shorts in the system? If you answered no to any of the above, that may be the root cause of your problem. Hope this helps. Be sure to post your results and let us know how it goes. Good luck and happy motoring.

Another plea for help, folks.... Can anyone identify this air dam, and more importantly, a source for such an air dam? I've checked with the owner and he's not sure what brand it is (it came with the car when he bought it). I seem to recall that this style was popular in the '80s....very basic vertical air dam with stiff rubber skirt. If I'm not able to locate one commercially, I will probably attempt to fab one in this style. Thx in advance to anyone that can point me in the right direction! John

cynus- Great looking upgrade! Very nice design and execution. I have to confess that I had been meaning to post a similar thread for a while now -- just never got to it. I recently replace my old (crappy) fusible links....went the circuit breaker route, and chose these: http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/p183.html A little pricey, but hopefully will last forever (certainly longer than me or the car!) I chose 80 amp and 50 amp units. They're dustproof, waterproof, and can be manually tripped to act as a master disconnect. I mounted them inside the engine compartment relay bracket -- it's finally good for something since I had already removed the myriad of factory relays in there. Might I suggest that this thread be moved to the "Ignition and Electrical" sub-forum? (Mods, SysAds?)

John Scott- For further clarification, I believe the air plenum is a unit by "Spectre Performance". They've got a pretty good website: http://www.spectreperformance.com/#HOME Several places like Autozone and Pep Boys carry their stuff. Slopoke- It looks like you might be using 3" ducting for your cold air intake? If so, I wonder if 4" tubing would help your motor breather better. Just a thought.... The build looks like it's going really nice -- great job!

Sorry, guys....I should've also mentioned that this problem only recently popped up (after I replaced my cruddy old fusible links with circuit breakers). TR has already given me some helpful info, but I'm still open to any and all suggestions/tips/advice/recommendations!

OK, gents.....I've searched high and low; and while other folks have had similar-sounding problems, I haven't found any info on my specific dilemma. For example, TrumpetRhapsody was having identical symptoms with his car, but that turned out to be the ballast resistor -- N/A to me because I've got a SBC w/ GM HEI (and obviously, no ballast resistor). In short, my engine will crank just fine when the key is turned to the "Start" position, but it won't fire up. However, when the key is released to the "On" position, the motor will usually fire (and run fine from then on). For some crazy reason, I'm getting good spark in the "On" position but not in the "Start" position! I have a 1974 260Z w/ a late '70's SBC equipped with a GM HEI distributor. I recently upgraded the HEI with Proform ignition module and high output coil. I had previously removed all of the engine compartment relays, so my problem shouldn't be related to a bad relay (at least any of the relays under the hood). So any ideas??? Even though I don't think it would be a bad ignition switch (since it cranks the engine just fine), I've dismantled and cleaned the switch -- it didn't help. Again....good battery, supposedly good distributor, and good spark in the "On" position, but no fire in the "Start" position. Help!! Thanks in advance to all. r/John

RSKDSK- Don't know if you ever got all the info you were looking for, but I've got a late '74 260Z as well (produced Sep 1974). It came with the large bumpers (see attached pix), which I have since removed. Not only do I prefer the cleaner look w/o the bumpers, I reduced the cars weight by over 100 lbs. As Rolling Parts suggested, if you're really intent on going with the original (large) bumpers, you should look hard at refurbing your current bumpers. It's amazing what a difference you can make with some sandpaper, paint, and universal rubber bumper trim. Good luck and be sure to post your final results! r/jhm

JSM- In my (limited) experience shipping large, bulky, heavy items, Greyhound has been the cheapest route by far. Two years ago, I had a rollbar shipped from AZ to VA -- it cost approx $45 via Greyhound. Additionally, since Greyhound is a point-to-point delivery, you usually don't have to worry about packaging the item as carefully (i.e. "bullet-proof") as you would if using a standard shipper like UPS or FedEx. Good luck! r/JHM

LHD- +1 on what jt1 said about the 4 speed at highway speeds! If it's the car I'm thinking of (purple car up in Penn or MD -- can't remember where exactly), I think you're probably getting a very good deal. I seriously considered buying that car about a year ago, and talked with the owner quite extensively. He seemed very knowledgeable and honest about the car's history and condition. Besides all the engine work done to the car, it has some other nice/unusual features....pantera hatch, g-nose, Recaros, roll bar, and some kind of fiberglass/cowl induction hood if I recall correctly. I seem to recall the car originally came from CA or CO, so there's a good chance that it's relatively rust free -- give a good inspection to the floor pans, frame rails, and fender inner tubs to confirm. The main reason I didn't buy the car is that it already had alot of work done. I was in the market for more of a project car, to allow me to restore/upgrade as I went along. Again, if we're talking about the same car, I think you're getting a heck of a deal. Good luck and be sure to keep us posted, and welcome to HybridZ! jhm

I'm assuming you checked the obvious (e.g. bulbs, fuses, etc)? If not, do this first. You say your tail lights work, but the brake lights don't? Many times the problem is a bad ground in the vicinity of the affected area. There's a ground wire for the rear lights inside the hatch, right behind the spare tire well. Even though your tail lights are working, I'd check this ground wire to ensure it's got a good connection. Also, check your harness connections (to the tail light assemblies) and bulb sockets while you're back there. Unplugging your brake light switch will NOT ensure that brake lights stay on all the time.....rather, that ensures that they will stay off all the time. Plug it back in and check the operation and adjustment of the switch. The switch can be adjusted closer or further from the brake pedal. It should provide a solid connection across the two leads when the brake pedal is depressed. Sometimes a simple cleaning, lubing, and adjusting of the brake light switch is all it takes to get the lights working again. Good luck and be sure to post your results!

If I recall correctly, the 280Z voltage regulator is mounted on the engine bay relay bracket, just forward of the battery. It should have a 6-prong plug connecting it to the wiring harness. You can take your alternator into many auto parts stores (e.g. Autozone, Pep Boys, etc) for FREE bench testing. I'd try this first if you think you're having alternator problems.

Check your flasher relay. There are two mounted next to each other on the side panel underneath the dash (on the driver's side, just to the left of your left knee). One flasher is for your turn signal; the other's for your hazard lights. Very cheap to replace -- I just got a new flasher for my turn signal at Pep Boys for $2.99. Also check your bulbs. As Zedman mentioned, a burned-out bulb may sometimes cause system problems. Finally, check your connections under the dash. The two connection points that come to mind are: 1) the turn signal connection on your steering column (3-prong plug) and 2) the harness connections under the dash on the passenger-side. Ensure all connection plugs are firmly plugged in. Good luck and happy motoring.

http://www.activeforever.com/p-1641-cool-or-heat-seat-cushion.aspx

...or Arizona Z Car...

$300 for a muffler seems pretty steep. Seems like you could get a nice stainless unit for alot less. But what the hey...if you like the look of CF and you think this is a good price for what you're getting, go for it. Like everything, it's a personal preference thing.

I've always had good luck with MSA, Z Car Source, and Z Specialties. http://www.zcarparts.com/ http://www.zcarsource.com/ http://www.zspecialties.com/ Additionally, look at the HybridZ classifieds....there's always a bunch of guys parting out their vehicles who would be glad to get your business. Finally, don't ignore places like Pep Boys and Autozone. They usually have a decent selection of generic fasteners, clips, etc.

You bet....happy to help. One last thing to check if you're having electrical problems: check your harness connections in the junction block next to the relay board. I had a heck of a time tracking down a problem with my emergency flashers....turned out to be a poor connection between the plugs at the junction block. I cleaned up the contacts, plugged it back in, and no more problem! Good luck and happy motoring.

Juan- Another option for your consideration....my rear battery is mounted in front of the passenger-side rear wheel well. With my rollbar, this turned out to be the most secure mounting location. You can't be too careful when mounting your battery -- in the event of a hard panic-stop or (heaven forbid) a head-on collision, your battery will become a 40 lb projectile if not securely mounted. NEVER NEVER NEVER rely on the canvas strap that comes with the battery box; it will do NOTHING to hold your battery in place. (Saw a guy do that once with his trunk-mounted battery, and the strap just popped like a cheap balloon the first time he had to brake hard.) I used the original battery platform in the engine compartment as a platform for my hot post -- used a battery firewall terminal here. Places like Summit and JEGS offer several kits at decent prices. One word of advice I'd offer is to use a good quality sealed battery like the Optima. Costs a little more up front, but a good investment over the long term. Good luck with your project and happy motoring. jhm

I'll take a stab at an answer....I'm sure someone will chime in if I misstate anything. To my knowledge, there is no independent headlamp relay. The system is wired directly from switch to headlamp, via the fuseblock and fusible link box. The ground is established through the combination switch on your steering column. As far as your left headlamp problem goes; if you've already ruled out the obvious suspects (poor connection at the headlamp 3-way plug, the sealed-beam unit itself, etc), then your problem likely originates in the combination switch. Check that all connections are clean and corrosion-free. Ensure all solder points are securely soldered. One other thing that might be causing you fits is broken or damaged wire somewhere in the harness -- easy way to check this is with continuity tester (e.g. testlamp or voltmeter/ammeter). Good luck -- electrical gremlins can be a pain to track down, but relatively easy to fix once you've isolated the problem!

I believe this is the correct relay diagram for a 260.

Yetterben- As I was fabbing up my plates, I was thinking "I really to to make some templates for anyone else that's interested". And of course, never got around to it.... If I get motivated in the near future, I'll pull out the pieces and make the templates and post an update. While every car will vary from model to model, the templates may at least give folks a starting point. jhm

Too early to tell. Just installed it recently and haven't had much chance to drive it. I know of other installations where this intake has worked well. Happy to report back later after I know more.