A to Z

WOW, you have really gotten after it! Massive amount of work done. I bet you're tired. very pretty. GOOD JOB!

04-13-2025 TURBO PROJECT UPDATE: so now I am in the world of carb, carb, carb. I must have taken the carb off, changed jets and re-installed about 10 times today, I didn't keep count, but at any rate it was a lot! I got tan idea from another guy to use "Chat GPT" and when you give it all your information, you would be amazed at how well it can give you an idea on tuning everything in! I did manage to drive the Z to the nearby gas station to get some gas....and although it wouldn't idle without giving it gas, and it was rich, once I got into the mid range circuit of the carb it started running better, when I hit wide open throttle the sound, everything changed and it roared like a wild beast! seat of the pants it felt like 300 h.p. or close to it. I......Couldn't tell the boost, my AEM gauge is wonky....., it had to have been over 10 psi it felt like, FWIW. Then I heard a loud "POP" and the engine died. I pulled over and checked everything and everything seemed ok. I started it back up and drove it back home, and it didn't pull like that first time, but wasn't sure why. Later I was running it and watching it, and I could see a burning charge coming out of my main turbo coupler! So, the POP was the coupling giving out. No wonder I can't get it to idle. BUT, CHAT GPT gave me a lot of experience with it, and it is now sitting with a 47.5 pilot jet in it. I just ordered the coupling, so God willing we will give it a go at a later date! Here is a crummy pic, but you can kind of see how my customer center dash piece turned out.~Joe

My BIG pilot jets for the HSR carb arrived today.....at some point the beast will have enough fuel to idle! cheap at amazon! No name China made, but they work.

for curiosity, on an HSR carb, the pilot jet for idle sprays into the bore right behind the needle. here is a pic. When I looked online I couldn't find a pic anywhere.

04-09-2025 TURBO UPGRADE UPDATE: So, I started the day by pulling carb off and changed the pilot jet out to 37.5 and then dropped the needle back to the stock range and put everything together. she still won't run! so i put the largest pilot jet i have in the carb a 42.5 with the air screw all the way in she runs great! but won't idle. There is still not enough fuel to idle, so I have to pump it, and so i got it running, and then I leaned out the door and sprayed starter fluid on places where there could be a vacuum leak and I found 3 places. Then I decided to get some permatek black gasket maker and run a bead on those spots then wipe it clean. once it is dry enough i will try again. Right now, with the 42.5 pilot jet AND the choke pulled she ALMOST idles! it's a big engine, so she wants fuel! Right now she will start without starting fluid using the 70-accelerator nozzle. so, iII went ahead and ordered some pilot jets that are even richer which will be here in a couple days off of Amazon. For the first time in 5 months the car left the garage and i was able to sweep it out and put the Z car back in the garage with the tail facing out. Laugh if you want but after 5 months of mental hell that is a huge deal! i almost have her ready to go! can you believe she likes a 42.5 pilot AND choke?!? but still wants more to idle on her own. 2.9 litre, she wants fuel! After letting hte gasket maker harden up for an hour, she still wants more fuel, so when the Idle jets come in we will continue to feed the beast until she will idle on her own! SO cool to actually get her out even if just in the parking lot.....progess is progress. FWIW a neighbor commented on the car while it was out. Sent from my iPhone

first is idle, then carb. once the SM needles are in, you need a sync tool. if you need further help, I can make it easy to understand.

SU's on an L28, you need SM needles. I had the same problem. I set the idle at 20 degrees at idle with vacuum disconnected and plugged. then I added the SM needles. problem solved. The SU's are made for 2400cc's. you have 2800cc's. and the timing needs to be correct. The manual for the L24 is 18 degrees at idle with vac disconnected and plugged. I went 20 because I am at 6000 ft elevation. Again, I had the same issue. turn the screws down 1.5 to 2 turns. SU's are known for going lean at high RPM's.

Looking again at the pics.....if you don't want to dip it, no sense in really even trying to restore it. It needs it so desperately, you should do it, or just find another Z car IMHO.

the car body after acid is put into a vat of neutralizing solution, the car is completely submerged....hence there is no acid left to weep out. There simply is no other way to get all the rust out. The water gets into every single crevice there is. People talk about bare metal between pieces of metal.......it would be there either way.....these cars were built out of raw steel and THEN painted. The panels were not individually coated and then assembled. They didn't do it that way. The only downside to a dip is the amount of work to completely remove EVERYTHING from the shell....and of course the transport to and from. Some Z projects are SO rusty, I can't believe anyone wouldn't want to get all the rust off!

Most car companies are going to have a switch operated off of intake temperatures is my guess. If you want it basic, you can put it on a toggle switch and then turn it on and off as needed and maybe add an intake temp gauge to the cabin somewhere. Another option is maybe tee off of the electric fan and let the fan operation also turn the intercooler fan on and off? Call Godzilla Raceworks in Texas and ask them what they think.

well, there are a few things to figure out. Are you going to have a hydraulic clutch or just a normal cable clutch? The Tremec transmissions are really nice and I recommend those. Mike Forte at Forte's Parts Connection in Massachusetts is a real good guy and could set you up with a complete kit. You will need an engine flex plate, a flywheel, flywheel bolts, a clutch kit with throw-out bearing and sleeve, a transmission, A shifter, shift boot and shift knob, A transmission mount, and a U joint to attach to a shortened driveshaft. JTR (Jags that run), has all of this figured out, and you really just need to call them and get the skinny on what to do. Lastly, you will need to be able to hook up your speedometer to the trans, so ask about that as well. Click on this to start: JTR Stealth Conversions V8 Swaps Forte's Parts Connection: click below: Forte's Parts Connection

Que Paso?

With the SU's, I would go with SM needles, turn the mix screws about 2 turns down from the top, re-sync the carbs, and verify ignition. should have 18 degrees advance at idle with the vacuum disconnected and plugged. ~Joe

do you have an adjustable fuel regulator? If so richen it up a tad and take it out and see if it helps.

03-23-2025 TURBO PROJECT UPDATE: here are float bowls for the Mikuni HSR carb for my turbo setup. You can see the difference between an unmodified one and the modified one on the left. the overflow tube, look how much larger diameter it is, and the upper right-hand corner of the float bowl is modified, to increase flow for the accelerator pump, advertised as 50% more fuel flow! I had so many problems with my mikuni that I ordered a china copy off of Amazon for $113 shipped to learn about the carb......when it arrived it is EXACTLY the same carb! Some of the knockoffs are not similar, but this is a carbon copy. My mikuni I am convinced is a factory defect. I went ahead and changed all the jets in the china carb to mikuni jets, and put the modified float bowl on there. It is now "correct" and ready to go on!

well, the fun of driving the Z car will go WAY down if you keep an auto trans instead of a manual. I have had both. Manual all the way. At least for a Z car....muscle car would be different.

what elevation are you at? The stock SU needles are a compromise between power and emissions to a point. "SM" needles are a performance needle set. they give more fuel at higher RPM's. Being a L28 engine, it IS larger than the factory L24 engines these carbs were intended for and that may be at least some of the cause if not THE cause. When installing the needles there is a process to make sure they are installed just right. I would recommend some SM needles. Try "Z Car Depot". Did your setup ever pull to 6K or has it always been like this?

A lot of progress! finding the motivation to keep going is key. A lot of projects stall and never get finished.

Wow. Good job. that's a lot of work!

Congrats. The shell appears to need a "strip and dip" if possible. If not, then you will have to figure out how you will deal with the level of rust you have. KlassicFab Vintage JDM is the place to get replacement sheetmetal Skillard is a great place for things like a custom dash, etc. If you go on Facebook, there are also many pages that are worthwhile. If you wish I can name them for you. "S30 life" is a good place to start The engine has the flat top carburetors which is a 1973-1974 thing. Either the engine with carbs was swapped in or it came that way. I would think August is a bit early in the 1972 year to see them, but it is what it is. I personally would make sure the title is free and clear before proceeding very far.

IGNITION. Check your timing. Disconnect and plug the vacuum advance. Shoot for 18-20 degrees advance at idle. Have you sync'd the carbs? are oyu getting any popping if you rev to 4000 and let off the gas and down shift? If it is a lean condition, you may need some "SM" carb needles.

Thanks, just dealing with some carburetor woes, not a big deal. I will do some cleaning and detailing before calling it 100% complete.

Boy, someone butchered the heck out of your console!

03-08-2025 TURBO PROJECT UPDATE: As the carb is still at the shop, I did a few other things today. I received the reproduction Fuse box console cover, and moved all the factory attachments to the new plate and reinstalled, then I worked on the cover of the wiring exposed in the passenger side trans tunnel. The material is a faux leather material I got on eBay as well as a button kit. After figuring out how the buttons are installed, I then held the upholstery in and kept trimming it with scissors until I had the pattern I wanted and then added the snaps. I had to use tape, and tools, wood block etc. to hold them in place as the Gorilla glue dried, so in looking at the pics you will see the tools being used moved as they are being used to hold the snaps in place while the glue dries. Lastly, I had to make a trip to Lowes for additional hardware, but was able to get the upgraded fuel pressure regulator setup installed and sealed up with thread sealing dope. See pics attached. Cheers!

Sure. The end result is to avoid twisting of the unibody. Many ways it can be done.