pparaska

Is it just me that thinks those big round taillights (R34) are goofy looking? To each his own, but those just look out of place to me.

Ross, I wish you lived closer so you could come and tune my Z. You are spot on. I installed the 600 vac sec that I rebuilt and I get more like 14 inches of vacuum at 800-900 rpm. But with the A/C on, the idle drops a to around 650 rpm and the vacuum goes down to about 9-11. I know I could bump the idle up, but I don't want a 1000 or 1100 rpm idle if I don't have to. Who knows where I'll end up with the 650 DP carb . The key here is that I really ought to put a solenoid on the thing and have it bump the throttle plates open when the A/C is on so the idle doesn't plummet. I'll work on that. The need for more vacuum is kind of sketchy now. I'm going to try that vacuum pump from the Yahama cruiser and see what happens. If it can give 16+ inches (don't know if it's big enough to do that to a brake booster vice a motorcycle cruise control diaphram), and improves the brakes at idle, I'll be happy. Heck, I might just have air in the brake system. Thanks for all the help!

I think we've gone full circle guys:

Denny, of course there's IMRON (Dupont) or any other paint used in the aircraft industry. That stuff is very tough, very chem resistant, and of course, very difficult to remove or wet sand once it's cured.

So do the 280ZX's have vacuum pumps or cans, or both?

Duh! I didn't know 280ZX's HAD vacuum pumps! Anybody got one? I just won a bid for $21.57 on a Yamaha cruiser's cruise control vacuum pump on ebay. I have no idea if it'll work, but I can give it a shot. Thanks!

Sounds like your signal switch. I had that trouble and used a 280 switch and some relays (some here think I have a relay fetish ). Check out this writeup: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/turnsgn1.htm Good luck,

Check out this Hybrid! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1842740028 Damn, that's sweet! It must REALLY pi$$ off the MG purist - I LOVE it!

I think the panel will be fine, as long as it's not huge. Make sure that the panel you make for it is well sealed and made of metal. One issue is that some tracks might not like the panel if it's other than metal.

Your third choice - street fun with occasional trips to the drags and road courses.

Check the block casting number against the Mortec site's list. If it is a 327 block, it's very doubtful anyone has gone to the trouble of increasing the stroke past 3.25 (327 stroke). They may have destroked it to the 300 stroke (3.00), but that's kind of doubtful too.

Wow, we really stole this thread from Jamie Mark, thanks for the comps and the advice. The 830 is intriguing. And I agree that the CID*RPM*VE/3456 equation for figuring carb sizing is too conservative. Anyway, I really want EFI, but that's going to have to wait. I MAY buy a DP carb to put on it in the mean time, but I'll probably hold off and do EFI this Winter. I'm convinced that the way I drive this car (I mainly just cruise on the weekends, and I usually have my foot in it!) I need a DP. I know that Dave Booth, and others have said that the Z really can use a DP, but I'm hard headed and just finally coming around. I tried the light spring in the 750 sec diaphram, and it worked well (sec's came in quick), and I did the same with the 600 (yep, Lone, the 1850 I mentioned) that I rebuilt this week and put on today - it comes in too soon with that spring and I get a flat spot for a second afterthe secondaries open. But even with that, the car can chirp third gear . Anyway, the idle is much better with the 600, the burning of the eyes is almost gone, and the off idle stumble is gone. Good throttle response. The 750 vac sec carb is very sick. Fuel just leaks out of the bottom of it. I've been through it several times and can't figure out why it's like that. I may take it to a local carb guru and have him look at it. Lone, I agree it seems like the 750 is running lean in the transition circuit, but it's SUPER rich at idle. But I think that has to do with it leaking like a sieve! Anyway guys, thanks for all the help.

Be careful. It could be that you have a bad regulator (is this a 240Z with an external regulator?) I had that happen to my Z and it cooked the battery.

Somebody here (my memory is going) put Z31 (I think) tail lights into the back of their Z and it looked great to me. Someone else did 68 Firebird-esque custom lights and I loved that too! Many years ago I became entranced with the tail lights on my buddies' 68 GT500 Shelby's. Rectangular, with 3 squares next to each other, and they came on sequentially from the center area of the car to the outside when the turn signals were activated. These are the same or very close to the 60's Cougar tail lights. The chrome surround would not look right, but that kind of design, or at least a sequential setup appeals to me. I'd rather not see Dan go with those clear light housings with circular lenses inside or red, yellow, etc. Too trendy for that car. That car needs something unique, but timeless. I also think the GTO250 taillights shown are way too small to be practical. Make the lights get the attention of the drivers behind you so they don't rear end you. I've seen way too many Z's rear ended, and some of the owners told me that they thought it was partly the fault of dim Z tail lights.

Davy, I think you're close. Takman uses techline's products (many coaters do) but techline has been around longer that Takman has been doing it. I bought a bottle of that stuff but didn't use it. I may someday, but 500F is pretty hard to do in the wife's oven..

I think any street car should have a recirculating type. For the kind of systems we have, you are limited to a 16 psi cap, and some coolant will go into the can. If it doesn't recirculate, then the radiator doesn't get topped back up when everything cools, and that's not so good. The problem with most of the AL aftermarket ones is that they don't have a way to tell how much is in it. I have an expensive GOZA brand 1 qt unit on my Z, that has a plastic tube plumbed into the side near the top and bottom to show you how much fluid is in it - a sight glass of sorts. You could do the same thing with one of them that doesn't have that feature yourself. BTW, Jeg's has the 1pt GOZA one in their catalog, but I think they can get a 1 qt one (better for the street) as well. I just bought mine straight from GOZA.

The torque tube was the thing I was originally thinking of. Then I saw no room for it. But with a plasma cutter, a welder, no parking brake stuff, anything is possible Go for it! I just forgot about doing it.

if you have info on the pilot diameter, the bolt circle diameter, and the bolt hole diameters, you may be able to find one for a 1310 or 1350 u-joint on the spicer site. http://www2.dana.com/expert/wc.dll?DSD~dedsec~2~2~ that would work. Then you could have a driveshaft made that used that type u-joint.

I think it means: Squash the silly little cheerleading chump!

Thanks Mark. I'll look for a Holley part. The problem is my 750 has some serious issues that I can't untangle at the moment. I may have someone more adept at Holleys check the 750 for me and teach me about what's wrong with it or the way it's set up. I know it's only a computer program, but DD2000 shows only about 8hp loss with the 600 vs the 750, and the difference only begins to show at 5000 rpm, maxing at like 6400 rpm. I too have heard that larger carbs than the old RPM*CID*VE/3456 equation tell you can be made to work fine and will make more power (up top). Anyway, different thread.

John, you crack me up!

I had a 70 Camaro that had one. Used to shut the trottle with the key off. I need one that'll work with my Holley 1850. I need it to bump the throttle plates open a bit when the A/C comes on. Anybody ever seen an aftermarket kit to do that? TIA,

O.k. The cam's a bit on the lumpy side (236/240 @.050 in a 9.7:1 327) 9 in/Hg vacuum at idle ain't enough for power brakes. But I'll keep it in there for the time being. So the question is, are vacuum can's good enough? I've heard they sometimes help, and sometimes don't Or should I go to an electric vacuum pump? Whose? TIA,

Thanks Grumpy. Lot's of good stuff there! Basketcase's site is pretty extensive!

A few points here: Try a light (pink) spring in the vac secondary and it opens quicker - not as quick as a DP though. Only the race carbs (Dominators and maybe others) have all 4 barrels opening all the time. Most DPs, (4776, etc.) don't start to open the secondaries until 40-45 degrees of primary throttle opening. I may well move to a 650 DP. Jamie and Mike Kelly have talked me into just doing away with vac sec in the Z - the old light car arguement. I agree that the mags cater to the heavy muscle car set when they talk about carbs, cams, etc. I think you can take much of their recommendations about cam size and go larger in a V8Z, and move away from vac. sec carbs to DPs and still remain streetable. Light weight is our savior .