waynekarnes

in the 70's watched a guy in a body shop, chop the top on a 55 chevy. he laid a rope soaked in, i think denatured alcohol, on a line he marked on the windshield. he lit the rope and let it burn. i don't remember for how long. after it started to cause the plastic between the glass to shrink, he pulled the rope off. he then took a diamond encrusted drill bit and drilled a series of holes along his burn line. i think they were about 1/4 inch apart. he then reheated the glass with a torch, not enough to cause any action in the plastic between glass layers, but definitely too hot to touch. using the same drill bit in a sort of router looking devise, he cut between the holes he drilled, then ground and polished the edge of the glass, with a hand held grinder. i have no idea what this does to the temper in the glass. i might cause the glass to loose the ability to break into tiny pieces of cubed glass. in other words, it may no longer be safety glass. ohh, i remember that he told me he broke a few windshields, not everyone works. think he said he believed caused by preexisting small rock chips, or cracks he didn't see, that we already stressing the glass.

years back, one of my uncles chopped the top on one of those japanese challengers/charger or what ever dodge/plymouth called em ... someone rolled it ... he bought it to see test his skills ( retired and bored. friends said car couldn't be saved ... was rolled the same day it was sold brand new. think it had maybe 100 miles ). anyway, when he repaired the roof, he decided to chop it. this moved the roof back a bit ... he laid the top of the windshield down, inside, under the roof. tilted the roof towards the hood (slightly higher in the rear than in the front), filled the area above the windshield ( between the roof and windshield ). then put a dark band across the windshield. it was really subtle, the lines were perfect. unless it was parked next to a stock one, no idea that almost 2 inches were missing off the top.

smog legal requires .... in california ... engine same age or newer than the vehicle. can't put truck engine in passenger car, can't put passenger car in truck. the smog equipment must match which ever is newer ... as Tim suggested, as we don't have to test 74 and back at time of registration, you may do pretty much as you wish. that said, if the cities are looking at adding smog checks to their drunk stops. the road blocks that stop drivers checking for drunks, will soon include smog inspections. they get federal money to do this ( for now anyway ). so far, i don't know of any city that is doing this, as the test requires a road side dyno ( yes, i have seen one on a trailer, the chp was flagging cars and waving em in, here in santa clara county ... may have been a test only to see how badly traffic got backed up. what percentage of cars failed, maybe a feasiblity study ???? ). if you pop a 65 327 in your 72 240z, it will be fine, unless you get a peace officer with a hard on for you. yanks the hood, does a quick look see ... notices different engine ... 1st will check to see if you have receipt for engine ( stolen ??? ). checks year ... hmmm ... not legal in ca. engine older than chassis. may issue a fix it ticket, may impound the car ... depends on officer ... may tell you to pull it over have it towed home. it is NOT legal to operate that car on any highway in the state of california, as it can't be registered that way ( older engine than chassis ). as for your crate engine ... they have stamps on the boss up front ( GM engines do, anyway ) ... CS or something like that ... check here for a partial list of these codes http://www.minuit10.net/EngineCode/chevy/CE-CMJ.htm... these numbers indicate factory installed engines, crate engines ... or dealer installed replacement engines ... go here and check the codes .... find out when the block was cast. http://www.nastyz28.com/sbchevy/sblock.html your crate engine will have casting markings on it, to indicate when and where it was made. the heads also have castings that show when they were made. the chp knows all this stuff, or they have a guy who does ... if your block is legal, no issues as long as you have the smog that matches then engine or chassis ( car ), which ever is newer. i think Tim has an on going post with the smog info for the state of california. suggest a search using "smog california" as the keywords. i know you were wondering about the crate thing as it may have never been assigned to a chassis that's why you need to check the numbers on the block to see when it made. to beat a dead horse ... same or newer than your chassis ... good luck with your swap ... plenty of good advise here ... remember the search engine ... it's chocked full of info ... sometimes it's hard to wring it out of there, but it's usually there. and always remember, i'm full of crap and my opinion doesn't count for anything

if you are thinking of a dune buggy check out these sites http://www.manxclub.com/ http://www.dune-buggy.com/buggylinks/Off-Road_Buggies/index.html http://www.blindchickenracing.com/ http://www.vwtrendsweb.com/features/0405vwt_hotrod/ for vw bugs ... http://www.cbperformance.com/default.asp http://www.blindchickenracing.com/How_to/280Zbrakes/280zbrakes.htm http://www.vwsites.com/classic_beetle.php there are probably hundreds of vw sites on the web blind chicken racing is one of the best ...

quote: Personally, I'd get bored running 1/8th mile. But if it's close and good for tuning, what the hey! Luckily I have 2 1/4 mile strips within a 1/2 hour of where I live. Pete, interpetation is everything ... just like reading things into the bible code, and nostardama, one needs to check all the signs and hints, to discover the hidden meanings of the message. Personally, bored, close for good I get the hidden message you are sending me ... last time we wrote, you indicated you had to bump the price up from 2500, to around 2800, maybe 3000. i can get the check in the mail ASAP. are you still at the same address ? should i fly out and drive home, or use a transport service. thanks for the secret coded message, one i know you intented for my eyes only. sorry to hear that you are now bored with your z and, closing your interests for it. but, it is of course, after waiting, i think 5 years, this is very exciting news to me ! i can't believe it, my hands are trembling and heart is singing ... i envision my 1st trip will be down highway one, the pacific coast highway. start in frisco and head south. no worries, i will take excellent care of the z !!! feel like i just won the lotto ... wayne

hmmm, once again, paid for something i apparently didn't get. at the post hole the cement must have sank down along side the existing 4x4 when the cement was poured around it. at the post i measure down 12 inches and still have cement. i paid for 4 to 5 inches thick of cement. i dug at the edge, where it meets the fence separating my neighbor's yard from mine. cement is only 3 inches thick. you think this will support those posts, with a 12x12 plate ?? ... i was hoping, if i did this to hinge the gate off just one post. an 8 ft post, with a cable off the top to support the far end of the gate. i'm afraid with only 3 inches of concrete, won't be enough to support the posts. i'm thinking, 12x12 1/4 in plate with 4 bolts ... posts 8 ft tall, 4x4 inches , 1/8th thick wall, rectangular post. i see no reason to use a 1/4 inch wall thickness on the posts. or am i wrong there ? if the cement isn't thick enough, i'm back to sticking em in the ground ... perhaps ... a thought ... maybe sink the metal posts a foot or so in the ground, through the plate, and weld the post to the plate ??? i might end up having to shim the plate, as where the posts are, the ground isn't flat ... thanks for the advise, much appreciate it ... please add any thoughts you might have. wayne

you think that the metal plate bolted to the cement with anchors would support a 45 lb 5 ft tall gate ? one on each post ? i had given that some thought, but was afraid the plates would come loose. what type of Hilti Bolts would you use to hold that plate down ... i went to the web site, they offer about 12 different type of cement anchors. i figure some sort of a bolt system ? i had considered bolting those metal 4x4 supports to the slab. the type used to attach a post to cement, in my case the 4x4 slips through into the hole in the bracket into the existing 4x4 hole the cement, where the old post used to be and, then 18 to 24 inches into dirt below the cement. thought if that bracket bolted to the slab, the redwood post sank into the dirt, bolt through the bracket, oughta hold the gate ... maybe not ... thanks, wayne

hello, Dan is correct. the posts are part of the driveway to the rv pad. they used to hold the gate and part of the fence in front of the rv pad. i used a hand saw and cut em off flush to the cement. was the only way to get that 10x16 tuff shed in the back yard. now i need to get the gate back in place. if i could burn em out ... that's what i'd do. drill some holes, fill em with charcoal lighter fluid and light em off. there are no posts to grab and wiggle, as they are flush with the concrete driveway. so far i have drilled down the 16 inches that my bit reaches, still hitting wood. off to sears for an extension for the bit. it's one of those bits that looks like a slotted ( carded ) screw driver, used for boring holes. bit keeps drifting and i hit the cement, so the bit is more burning it's way through tahn cutting. need to hit it with the dremil . 10 bucks for the bit, think 15 for the extension. right now, if i can't come up with a better plan, i t hink i am looking at 4 to 5 hours on each post ... there are only 2 of em. the third 4x4, i paid for redwood, contractor back 9 years ago cheated me, used pressure treated fir ... termites ate that one away. don't know if that's a good thing or not ... Dan, i had considered using a hollow 4x4 metal tube, hadn't thought about an I beam. i was thinking, with the tube, fill hole with cement and the cement would fill the center of the tube. i was thinking a tube as then i'd have 4 sides to drill on ... plus it won't lean. but ... if i don't have enough room, there won''t be any cement around it, just in the center ... maybe a 3x3 metal tube ??? that should hold a redwood gate, yes ??? hammer a rebar into the center of hole in the ground and then 4 more on each side of the 3x3 square steel tubing ??? ahhh more engineering on the fly ... thanks, wayne

bought a 10x16 foot tuff shed from my bro. moved it to my house ( doesn't come apart, moves same as moving a small house ) . put it in back yard. gate in front of rv pad and part of the fence had to come down. unbolted the hinges holding the gate ( redwood fence and gate ). used a hand saw, cut the redwood 4x4 posts flush with the cement. shed and trailer fit between my house and fence separating my yard from neighbor's. the remenants of the posts are roughly 18 to 24 inches in the ground. about 9 years ago, i had the driveway widened from 2 cars to 3 wide and an rv pad ( 15 x 25 ) added along side my garage. the fence and gate were existing. to clear the new cement, the contractor used a skill saw, cut off the bottom of the fence boards, cemented around the 4x4 redwood posts. the cement is about 4 to 5 inches thick. so there is say 2 ft of post in the ground and another 4 to 5 inches of cement added to that. i need to get those old posts out, so i can put my gate and fence back up. i bought an inch and a half wide, 16 inch long, hole boring bit ( not a hole saw ). i spent 2 hours drilling and vacuuming the sawdust out ( if i don't vacuum, the sawdust turns to powder and lubricates the bit to the point where it won't cut ). i'm attempting to hollow out the post and maybe get the sides to pull away from the cement. after 2 hours, i'm about 3/4 of the way there. i can get an extension for the drill bit to get down deeper and modify a tube to get deeper in to get the saw dust out. figure at this rate ... gonna take me 4 or 5 hours. any one out there got a better idea ??? i can't burn em out ( city codes ). thought about renting an auger and fence post drill, but that's around 80 to 100 bucks for 4 hours. 4 hour min. 100 bucks to rent a cement saw as well. any thoughts as to how to get em out ?? other than what i'm doing now ? plus any advise on replacing em ... i figure, pour a little cement in the hole, too much and i won't be able to get the new post in as excessive cement won't be able to get out ( think a piston in a cylinder, trying to compress water ). wooden shims around the sides of the new posts. can't have the post wobbling in the hole in the cement, as these post have to hold the gate and the fence. the gate is 9' 6" wide, two sections, split down the middle. made of redwood, fairly heavy. suggestions ??? thanks, wayne

i agree with your snow ball concept. if i had just gone for body work and decent paint job, i'd be driving mine, instead of looking at in the driveway. instead, custom body work and other modifications. shop got sold in middle of the work. z towed and dropped in my driveway half finished. i ran out of money, so it's gonna be sitting for a while. too many big ideas and engineering on the fly. now, i happen to like the z with and out the flares. take a look at Peter P's 240z. no flares and it has to be one of the finest looking z cars on the face of the earth. the car is flat out elegant. speeder's flared z is one of the sharpest i have seen. i can understand wanting to flare. gain tire clearance and the z lends itself so easily to flares. the right size flares really enchance the lines of the car. my 83 cents of opinion is ... practicality and money ... if you mini tub or do nothing, you will soon be driving your z car, instead of throwing money at it and still not being able to drive it. as you say, flares will snow ball into different wheels, tires. bigger brakes, modified exhaust, body mods to match the exhaust, suspension changes calibrated to the new brakes, rerouting brakes lines custom made of stainless steel, flatten and smooth the underside, new ground effects ... i say, put it back together, drive it ... enjoy it ... if in a couple years, you wished you'd mini tubbed or flared it ... tear it down and do it then ... it'll give you something to do when you get tired of the z, instead of selling it. i vote, melt the snow ball, put the z together and drive the wheels off of it ...

exciting times ! unfortunately, link says, page not found. would like to see your run down the 1/8th ... 112 mph on the 8th ... that's flying ...

for some reason, thread notices are coming sporaticly ( that can't be spelled correctly ). i get some notices, others i don't. yeah, the opposed engine in the subaru, the 80's vw vanagon, and the chick's porsche, the engine has a box of water around it. the water cooled opposed are called boxers. the chick's porsche is called a boxter or is it boxster ( ??? ) in reference to the water cooled boxer engine. the regular air cooled opposeds are just referred to as engines or air cooled. for most people born before '69, when one hears, vw engine , most think air cooled. i always think "bug" when i hear someone say, volkswagen. i never automatically think of any water cooled product, when i hear or say volkswagen. most of the people i associated with that drove bugs were at least 5'11". quite a few friends with bugs were over 6'2". my son and i will start on his 72 baja bug, here when i get it back on the rv pad ( put a 10x16 ft tuff shed in the backyard, had to move everything out of the way ). my son is 6' 2" and 237 lbs. fits in there just fine. i believe the bug was designed for people of that stature. Originally Posted by datsunlover Really funny to see a 400 pound 6 foot 6 guy in a bug! Does it lean over on that side? Mine did when I used to take the really big security guard from work to the bank. funny story along those lines ... at least i think it is .. well, maybe a little ... back in 73, i worked at a texaco station. a short, balding man, college professor type, jacket with the leather on the elbows, smoked a pipe, used to come into the station in his 66 karmann ghia for gas about 2, 3 times a month. he always had his wife with him, a rather large woman. she was always very pleasant, chat a little as we washed the windows and checked tire pressure and such. she never got out of the ghia, but we knew she was a big woman from the way she filled her side, and partially flowed over into the driver's side. oddly enough, the ghia sat evenly, never leaned downward, as one might expect, towards earth. as i said, if you saw him in the ghia, she was at his side. after about 2 years of him coming in for gas, one day the phone rings, it's the guy with the karmann ghia, he says his regular mechanic has moved, an old family friend, and he wants to know if we service foreign cars ( remember back then, there were more american cars on the highways, most shops REFUSED to even change the oil in a foreign car )? told him, sure bring it in, we have the oil change kit in stock and can get what we need for a tune up from A+M motor supply in los gatos, we do em all the time. about 45 minutes later, the ghia pulls in the driveway, no wife in the car, passenger side, there was about 5 inches of air between the tires and the lips of the fenders. looking dead on or from the rear, there was about a 30 degree rake to the car, much higher on the passenger side. seems she had gotten the karmann ghia as a high school graduation gift or something, back in 66 or 67, from her parents. he and the large woman had gotten married right out of high school. he showed me pix of her back then ... she was one of those hot cheerleader types. slim and trim. she was in an accident of some sort, affected her thyroid, causing her to balloon up in weight. 1970 or so, her parents passed away. because the ghia was a gift, she kept it ... when she could no longer fit behind the wheel, the husband had it modified to keep it from sagging, that way she could still ride around in her beloved karmann ghia ... Dennis Allshouse, the owner of the texaco, was so touched by that, he gave the guy the oil change for free. those two in that ghia, the story behind it, Dennis tossing in the oil change, are one of my more fond memories. since then, though i've yet to own one, karmann ghias have always held a place in my car loving heart. funny the things that make you attracted to one car over another. have your bro watch himself in the parking lots ... them bugs are fun to do donuts in, but once they start, the bugs tend to want to keep making donuts, until they flip up on their roof. ( i have no experience in this matter at all )

does driving conservatively increase the miles per gallon ??? yes ... back in 81, in my 79 5 speed zx, bone stock GL, if i heavy footed it, i got 13 mpg around town, stop and go on expressway to work, everyday, 16 miles one way. that was spirited sprints between lights ... when i took it easy, shifted at around 2500 to 2800 rpm, mileage went up tp 17 mpg. i saw an occasional 19 mpg. that was around town in true stop and go, miss every light, sit for 2 an half minutes waiting for light to go green, 39 lights from home to work. 39 lights back home. freeway avg. 29 mpg with cruise set at 65, on a trip down 5 to pomona, got 32, with the defroster on ( means air compressor is running to dry the air ). i think the denser/cooler night air made a big difference in the mileage. if i ran at 70, 75 mph, mileage fell to around 25, at 100 mph ( yes ran a 1/2 tank at a steady 100 mph on highway 5 ), mileage was 19 mpg. this was with the air on. so, yes, your driving style influences your mileage ... for decent gas mileage, you want to get into high gear as soon as possible, without lugging or revving the engine beyond the middle of its torque range. lugging an engine, and not getting it into the proper temp operating range are two of the worst things one can do to an engine. short ( less than 10 minutes ) trips on a cold engine, just tear em up. water and acid damage to cylinder walls, bearings, most moving parts. combustion causes water, when engine gets to correct operating temp, the water burns off, doesn't combine with gases to form acid. acid trips are bad for your engine.

john muir's keeping your vw alive. subscription to hot vw magazine ...air cooled ( not to be picky ... boxer is water cooled, water is in the box ). a good engine is the 1641 .. stock block accepts 88.5 barrels. if want to spend more ... 1776 .. 1835 cylinder walls too thin ... 1915 ... way too thin ... bigger than that use a stroker crank ... barney's makes a kit to boost the heater/defroster output ... there are kits to add discs on the front and rear ... all kinds of parts ... so many you could almost build a new one from scratch. use a timing light to time it ... ear timing usually ends up with too much advance ... burns the valves and over heats the engine ... number three cylinder runs the hottest ... adjust the valves every 3000 ... better loose than too tight ... no oil filter, drop the screen and clean it ... i'm rambling ... good luck with the bug ... i think your brother is going to enjoy it ... wayne

they may never know the joy of being thrown over a set of harley handlebars trying to start it ....

i know what you mean ... i stopped looking at the clock, tossed the calender, and now just go by what my bank account says ... no money, it's gonna be a bit longer ... that way i'm not worried about how long it's taking ... rather, when i have the money, it gets worked on ... that's the deciding factor, not time. otherwise i get pissed at myself and start thinking of unloading it ... see you at Black Hawk oh, i just tried the alcohol in the milk jug ... need a longer match and more alcohol ... it really does take a whole pint ... or perhaps a smaller container ... maybe a 16 oz orange juice bottle ??? i got the screech out the bottle but no movement with about 3 oz of 91% rubbing alcohol ... plus need longer matches ... vapor lit off right away ... lost a some hair off a couple fingers ... Jon, you need to post better instructions LOL

you won't be able to paint into the pin area of the hinge ... this is most likely where the SQUEAK is coming from ... you wouldn't want any of the paint type rust preventatives in the pin area of the hinge ... it would freeze the hinge ... i would suggest a good cleaning solution ... get the rust and crude out of the pin area ... maybe brake kleen, justice brother's, a penetrating oil ... wd 40 is a cleaner ( not a lubricant ) ... when using these products, protect your paint with good tape and a plastic coated paper of sort ... aluminum foil also works well. once you believe you have the pin area clean, you will need to lubricate it ... teflon based, silicon based, i use white lithium in a spray can ... a friend of mine uses graphite ... lock lubricant ... it has a light oil and fine graphite that acts as a lubricant the oil keeps it from rusting ... if you want to paint the hinges on the car, with a rust preventative ... there is a can of compressed air that one can add their own paint to, making their own can of spray paint ... i think prevail is a name brand of this product . eastwood carries em. you can spray rust bullet without a special thinner ... get yourself a prevail can, add rust bullet ... have a spray can of rust bullet ... clean up the hinges, get as much paint off as you can, give the por15/rust bullet metal to cling to. use vaseline on the hinge pins to mask it from the spray ... use alcohol on a lint free rag to wipe off any excess, properly mask off your doors and fenders, then spray the rust bullet on the hinges ... if you prefer por 15, buy the proper thinner, use the same system, spray the hinges ... with a high quality brush you can probably paint em without leaving brush marks ... almost sounds like i know what i'm talking about, don't it ...

rent a tandem trailer ??? tow yours and mine :-} what's the progress ??? is it that close to being finished ?

screwing around or cleaning the grille ... i'm beginning to wonder if i should let Skylyn play with you at the Z meets you going to blackhawk this year ??? http://www.tech-consultant.biz/zonc.org/05blkhwk.html

you do not have to remove all the rust ... what you want is to remove the flakes, get to a point where you have just surface rust ... commonly known as sweat rust ... the roughness of the sweat rust will allow the POR 15 to adhere just fine ... Paint Over Rust ... is what the POR stands for ... i have used the POR 15 and rust bullet ... both test out by independent labs to be excellent ... here's link to por 15 http://www.stoprust.net/ i prefer the rust bullet ... less prep, less work ... easier to work with ... link to rust bullet http://www.rustbullet.com/?Source=Overture&ovmkt=U9GQ0GJUN19NF5RO5VJGJBDIK4 racerX body man appears to favor zero rust link ... http://www.zerorust.com/index.htm as far as the Zedd Findings floors ... contact them and ask for advise on installation ... i would imagine that you'd weld them in place and then coat them with your choice of rust preventive material ... i think that in the FAQ sections of the links i posted, may answer the question of welding through or applying material to freshly welded panels, probably find the info in the FAQ section .. as far as eastwood's product, rust encapsulator ... and advise on welding, fabbing, rust prevention, ect ... check out their forum at http://forum.eastwood.com/forumdisplay.php?f=4 hopefully you may find what you are looking for at one of those sites good luck, wayne opps almost forgot .. .please use proper safety precautions ... this stuff is more dangerous than we think ... to your lungs, brain, skin, and eyes ... wear long sleeves, nitrile gloves, high quality air filter, and good eye protection. all of that stuff sticks to everything ... be prepared to only use a brush and related painting equipment once ... if you get it on your clothes, it's permanent ... on your skin ( can you say, tip of your nose is itchy ??? ), it takes weeks to wear ( it won't wash off ) off. if it puddles through a hole in the floor, onto the driveway ... it will be a permanent part of the driveway ( the voice of experience ... it's been over 3 years and it's still there ). again, in everything we do ... think safety, your family and friends want to see you healthy and in one piece when you're done working on your projects or just crossing the street

i agree ... the chrysler fire power or the aston martin vantage are more along the lines of what a generational 240z should look like. the 350z has no lineage, other than parent companies ... but, as suggested, it's not related to the 240z, it's nissan's mitsubishi eclipse ... i feel no kin to it when i see one ... just another nondescript blob rolling down the road ... i liken the 350z to the 78 through 82 vettes ( that said, i do like the 82 ) ... i'm a vette fan ... but, chevy quit making vettes between 78 and 82. real vette fans refer to corvettes of those years as plastic pigs ... i think of the 350z the same way ... Z in name only ... but ... as nissan surveyed past and current 240z owners, testing the waters for likely buyers ( then failing to deliver what they hinted at ) ... presenting the 350z as the grandchild of the 240z ... one wants to think, that the people buying the 350z might know something of the 240z ...

Alex, is that carb cleaner ???

the latest and greatest crowd, no respect or even knowledge of heritage. just wants a "hey look at me" car ... probably never lifted the hood, wouldn't know how to check the oil ... but, i'm betting he can play a dvd on the media system ... LOL 8 tracks ... hell, i once had a car with a 45 rpm record player under the dash another one ( well it was my younger bro's but i drove it, he had his 1st car at 14, but no lic ) it had a 4 track tape player ... muntz stereo pak ...

thanks for the support !!! smog guy says the check engine light came on and went off while he was testing when i drove it home, only about 2 blocks, the check engine came on when i started it and went out .. like normal ... Tony, the guy buying it, tells me the check engine light came on about 4 times while he was test driving it ... i drove it about 6 miles, and we swapped seats ... test engine light never came on while i was driving, nor had it ever in the past ... i had forgotten, one odd thing that did happen ... after the test ride about 20 miles ??? we returned to my house ... we lifted the hood, the vac hose to the egr valve had come off ... 3rd time since i've owned it ... fit seems tight ... hose was still connected during and after the smog test ... after it failed ... Tony asked for the codes ... tech says didn't have any ... now, we saw him under the dash, he kept going back and forth between his book and the interior ... he may have eventually been in the console ... after around his 10th trip, i wasn't too sure where he was ... we were behind the car watching ... but, when ever he found what he was looking for ... that's when it started surging and the exhaust got rich ... after it failed, drove it home ... let it idle for maybe 6 to 10 minutes ... normal exhaust ... not rich at all ... this is why i think he screwed something up in the ecm, causing it to go into limp mode ... Joey, Cyrus, thanks for the offer of the use of the shop and code detector and advise, awful nice of you guys !!! much appreciated i've already cut the deal, my word and a handshake are a bond. Tony, offered that if he gets it fixed for less that 800, he'd like to pay me the difference ... bring total back to 2000 out of his pocket ... after it failed the test i had told him he could take it for a grand ... i didn't want to mess with it ... at that point, Tony told me we had agreed on 2 grand ... his mechanic suggested anywhere from 300 to 800 ... 1200 and 800 makes 2000. he offered me 1200 ... 200 more than i had offered it for ... so, there's a chance he may pay me the difference. i figure i'd be out that money should i fix it ... so works out the same to me. if i didn't have to pay the dentist and had the money, i'd take you guys up on the offer of helping me get this all figured out and if the tech screwed up, file a report ( Tony says his friend/mechanic advised him, should he find the tech screwed up, he will report him ). ohh and as is typical, the dentist found more wrong under the crown than he initially thought ... so costs went up another $500 ... $1700 ... insurance is paying 380 of it ... rotten luck ... i'm just burnt out on things going wrong ... had a deal for body and paint on the scarab z ( spent the money i was gonna spend on body work instead to buy the fiero ) ... friend of friend ( buddy at work ) ... repair all the rust ( minor ) ... shave all the chrome ( including around windshield and side glass, smooth body to glass like a late model ... bodyman's idea ) shave door handles, install remote door release and alarm, drop gas tank, notch it, put battery in rear ( custom box fit into the space cleared by notching the gas tank) remove batt tray, vents on the front fenders, flatten power bulge and add custom hood scoop, weld and smooth the seam between the sugar scoops and the front fenders, custom one off hand made grille, custom hand made turn signal lights in grille, french the antenna, install and mold MSA II aero kit ... they offered to make metal flares ... turned that down ...meant replacing the brand new wheels and tires, to fill the flares. once all that was done ... custom paint job, painter said, when done, no one would be able to ever tell what the original color was ... mechanical and electrical parts were on me ... all the rest, body and paint, they were going to do for $1500 ... using it as sort of a " look at what we can do" when people came in the shop. i had to remove everything that was bolted/screwed on, and gut the interior. 6 to 8 months into it ... 50% finished ... silent partners force the sell of body shop ... new owner ( old high school friend of my friend's friend .. these guys are in late 30's early 40's ), agrees to let em finish the z. 3 weeks later, 5:30 am, i go out in the rain to get morning paper ... z is sitting in the driveway ... no hood, no grille, no side glass,pieces of the msa kit shoved inside, key in ignition switch, sitting in the rain ... my friend knew nothing about it, called his friend, knew nothing about it ... were gonna go talk to new owner ... told em never mind, just get the rest of my stuff and let it go ... that was about 6 months ago ... no money ... z sits in driveway .. anyway .. disgusted, fed up and busted ... time to thin the herd, damn my luck as far as cars go anyway ... i do appreciate all the hands that were extended to me, great group of people here !!! THANK YOU EVERYONE !!!

thanks for the info ... you are probably correct ... he connected some sort of jumper under the dash. he was digging around under the dash for about 12 minutes, kept getting in and out of the car ... looking under the hood ... crawling under it with a flash light ... looking at the sticker under the hood ... shining his timing light at either end of the engine. he told me the idle was too high and he couldn't check the timing ... wasn't high when he pulled it on to the dyno drums ... was fine until he got under the dash ... as i said, once he plugged in ... it started running super rich ... and the idle running up and down ... looking at the spark plug wires .. they go to an HEI distributor .. i don't think individual coil packs ... it's an 88 pontiac fiero gt 2.8 liter V6 ... fuel injection, 5 speed. think i should call the smog people ???