9/73-E31-260z Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 (edited) Hey there HybridZ, long time Z fan, first time owner (FINALLY!). Here is my early '74 260z project. As my username says it was built in September of 73 and is actually serial # 001669, making it one of the first batch of 260s ever made. As my username also states is has a stock L26 block with an E31 head *(edit: actually an L24 P30 block)*. As far as internals go I'm not sure, but since the head was swapped one of the previous owners could have put in some dished pistons for all I know at this point. The car was originally from Washington, and I bought the car from a guy who had bought the car from the previous owner who had daily driven the car before the clutch master cylinder went out. The guy i bought it off of said he paid the owner 800 bucks then fixed the clutch in his driveway and drove it 40 miles to his house. From there it sat for a while before he had it shipped down the San Diego where is currently living. It has sat in Ocean Beach for about 4 years and hasn't really been on the road since. He did say that he kept additive in the fuel tank as well as started the car every now and then to keep fluids moving. When I bought the car it wasn't really running due to having been started less and less over the last several months until it sat for almost 4 months without being started. I bought it and trailered it to my friend's house where we did a quick oil change and put some more fresh gas in the tank. The car started the help of continuous sprays of carb cleaner from my friend, but other than turning over several times we couldn't really get it to idle. The previous owner said the fuel pump(s) are possibly going out and the mechanical one had been disconnected. My friend helped me hook up the mechanical again but it still looks like the elcetrical one will need to be replaced. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not i will keep the 2 fuel pumps or if can I do the popular 240z mechanical swap. In the meantime I'm just happy to have my first Z! Interior is a little rough to say the least, but that will come second for me for now Early SU swap was done by the previous owner, I found a receipt for a carb rebuild kit from MSA in the center console along with a Hitachi Instruction sheet the owner back in Washington seemed to have tried to do some rewiring, the guy I bought it from said he thought it was for a stereo and sure enough I found a used Alpine head unit under a rag in the hatch haha, anyone interested? Basically no rust on the car save for the edge of the hatch underneath the latch area, it looks like it might not be the original hatch but the hatch struts are and at least they work perfectly Gas tank looks rock solid, except for a few spiders On her way to her new home... my friend's neighbor's driveway haha, hopefully only for a week or two before she's running Edited February 21, 2014 by 9/73-E31-260z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Update: So me and friend threw in a new electrical fuel pump (Facet-Purolator, 1.5-4psi) and bypassed the mechanical pump and the car fired right up! (With a jump, gonna need to see why the battery lost charge since last week...). When we disconnected the fuel line from the mechanical pump the line going from the pump to the carbs was bone dry, seems like the punp might be seized. But we just threw in another piece of hose and it's running great! I drove it around the block a little and everything actually feels really solid, no squeaks or rattles, clutch felt good, brakes actually felt better than my friend's 240z. Right now the pump is just wired to the battery so we will have to wire it through the ignition or something first. And then we'll tackle the electrical (I have no working headlights, turn signals, or any gauges) then maybe see if we can't tighten the hand brake cable. Overall it drove like a dream! Can't wait til she's ready for the long haul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Another update: turns out the engine is actually an L24... which is disappointing, but not too bad since it does have the E31. Still, I'm happy: I finally have a Z all to myself hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted September 18, 2013 Author Share Posted September 18, 2013 Udpate: so I took the car in for an inspection and they said it needs (with their price quotes): -new alternator -$158 -new battery (fried/drained from bad alt.?) - not sure yet, might be able to get a free one on warranty -spark plugs and wires -$165 -new front rotors and pads -$299 -new rear shoes and 'something about drums' ? -$165 -new front struts and shocks - $925 (?) I just feel like these quotes are a little high... keep in mind though these are all for individual jobs I think so if I have them do a couple at a time it shouldn't be quite as much. But when I was driving it around the block a few times (fairly spiritedly...) the brakes and suspension felt fine, certainly no less confidence-inspiring than the 93 Accord I daily drive (215K and counting... she refuses to give up haha). I'm going to go down and talk with them today and see exactly what's up with it all (how much are left on the brakes, what I can leave til later, like just a couple weeks maybe) so I'll have some more info very soon. Just wanted to see what you all thought of these quotes, what I can definitely do myself, etc. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Udpate: so I took the car in for an inspection and they said it needs (with their price quotes): -new alternator -$158 -new battery (fried/drained from bad alt.?) - not sure yet, might be able to get a free one on warranty -spark plugs and wires -$165 -new front rotors and pads -$299 -new rear shoes and 'something about drums' ? -$165 -new front struts and shocks - $925 (?) I just feel like these quotes are a little high... keep in mind though these are all for individual jobs I think so if I have them do a couple at a time it shouldn't be quite as much. But when I was driving it around the block a few times (fairly spiritedly...) the brakes and suspension felt fine, certainly no less confidence-inspiring than the 93 Accord I daily drive (215K and counting... she refuses to give up haha). I'm going to go down and talk with them today and see exactly what's up with it all (how much are left on the brakes, what I can leave til later, like just a couple weeks maybe) so I'll have some more info very soon. Just wanted to see what you all thought of these quotes, what I can definitely do myself, etc. Thanks WOW-that's bad! You probably oughta just sell it while your ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 (edited) It's kind of an unwritten principle on this forum that the type of work you listed is pretty much routine maintenance. On a Moderator's bad day you could probably get banned for even suggesting that you would pay someone to do any of that. It's all relatively easy, non-complicated work. All of it. Time and sweat required of course, but the only "specialized" tool you might need would be a spring compressor. Not kidding and not trying to run you down. It's all simple stuff. Edited September 18, 2013 by NewZed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 Oh yeah I know it's simple. It's just I don't have access to things like a lift so it's just beyond my capability right this second. And I had been told ^those over the phone, but when I went it to see where they were inspecting on the actual car and whatnot they also told me exactly what the estimates were for. For example the $165 for spark plugs/wires actually includes tuning the carbs fully and all that. I don't have like a uni-sync so again that's just beyond my present capability right now. And the wiring is pretty jacked up and quite dangerous actually so I'd rather have a professional tackle THAT one. The main thing about having a shop do a lot of this is that I don't have a place to work on it myself yet and like I said I don't have all the equipment and such either. And they said the brakes and suspension aren't very pressing, they'll just need to be done soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Well the car has been sitting at the shop for almost a month now One of their guys took off and left the rest of them with a bunch of stuff to work on. I'm thinking I'm only gonna have them do the wiring and then I'm going to do everything else I can myself... they at least said the wiring should be done this weekend. Of course that's what they said last week... and the week before that... and the week before that... xP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 So what I need now is a new fuse box... any suggestions on what I can grab from the junkyard that will work? Basically no Zs in any yards by except very rarely, but basically everything else. Or my friend suggested I try the marine supply store in the area, they should have some good choices on modern blade-style boxes with enough cicuits. I need 14 fuses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Might be beyond your budget - http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/50-5010 PM borini63. He parts a lot of cars. Or you could just go to the JY and count circuits. The fuses are replaceable and the wire gauge comes from the harness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 28, 2013 Author Share Posted November 28, 2013 (edited) So I eneded up buying two nice marine blade style fuse boxes.... only to have the shop tell me they won't work... two days after I gave them the boxes and they said "oh looks good". So they ended up being able to use the regular round fuse boxes they had gotten before, and pretty much everything seems great: -no more loss of charge fron battery (yet) -tach works, as does the oil pressure, fuel, and possibly temp gauge (car wasn't warm so I won't know if it works til I get a chance to warm it up) -lights all seem to work: dash lights, headlights, turn signals, but reverse lights are stuck on (not a huge deal, I'll most likely just dosconnect them til I get it figured out. Not a bug loss right now) -identified the stuttering: the wire going from the coil to the distributor is arcing causing a misfire under load, good thing I picked up a set of NGK wires just today (apparently one of the only ones in town right now...) I will be going back to shop to take it home and see how it drives on the road for once. Will be back with updates Edited November 28, 2013 by 9/73-E31-260z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 28, 2013 Author Share Posted November 28, 2013 The drive home went well, not surprising as it was less than a mile or so. No odd noises or backfiring so that's good, the headlights only come on if I sorta toggle the combination switch, anyone come across something like that before? Takes 2 or 3 clicks back and forth before they come on (fairly weak if I'm honest..)But the brakes felt good, as did the clutch. I will be replacing the plug wires tomorrow hopefully, and I might pull the plugs as well to see what they look like, but with the arcing at the coil I need to at leas do the wires. I'll be driving it across town tomorrow a couple times hopefully, so I should get a bit more of a shakedown as well as my former mechanic uncle's expert opinion on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Best repair part I ever bought for my car was a trailer with a winch. Did wonders for my reliability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 28, 2013 Author Share Posted November 28, 2013 Haha, well I have a friend who can help me out with towing I ever need it. Hopefully the only tow I'll ever need is if I do my L28et swap eventually... Overall though the car feels good, just have to get used to it and cut the stupid steering wheel cover off of it (not only is it immensely ugly, but it's melted into the rubber from the steering wheel itself fron being in the sun, I plan on using maybe bicycle handlebar wrap for it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bone028 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Sounds like its time to rebuild the combo-switch. Relatively easy...just make sure you work in a well lit area with lots of room...the little ball and springs in the switch are easy to lose. I would also consider buying the headlight relay kit from MSA...or you can go DIY and splice relays in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 29, 2013 Author Share Posted November 29, 2013 Is it difficult to put relays in? The shop that did the other wiring might've put relays in already but they had said the switch probably has some corrosion in it or something. It's not horrible, but just annoying having to click it like five times to get them to come on. I'm planning on putting a 60 amp alternator and H4 lights in eventually, is it worth putting relays in and all that or should I just wait til I do the H4s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted November 29, 2013 Author Share Posted November 29, 2013 (edited) Also taking it almost 20 miles around town yesterday yielded a few insights: -it's been 100% reliable so far, several starts throughout the day, both warm and cold, all without a hitch -the brakes will need to be bled sooner than later, braking is fine but the pedal travel throws me off and the fluid is kind of old -there is a slight noise at speed that seems to come from the right rear wheel, like something is flicking around maybe -when I go in reverse or come out of reverse and move forward when I go about 5 feet there's a fairly substantial clunk, happens at very slow speed and is different from the common "diff clunk" which I also discovered I do indeed have xP -steering may have to be aligned a bit, pulls a little to the right, but has basically no slop -carbs will need to be tuned, but for now they're alright I also need the bolts for the stock air fliter, anyone know where I can get some or if I can go to Lowes or something to get that will work? Edited November 29, 2013 by 9/73-E31-260z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 So I bought some M8-1.25 all thread and cut some bolts for the air filter and mounted it. Seems to be rock solid, but I went to start the car and it didn't want to idle. but that's another thread... this one namely, if anyone wants to share their insight and/or wisdom --> http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/115951-l24-with-misfire-and-doesnt-want-to-idle-but-ran-alright-before/ Basically my next step is going to be getting it to run smoothly, and then do some upgrades to a few things to update it. 1) Electronic distributor, I have one already, just need to research how to put it in 2) 60 internally regulated alternator, not sure if I have to do this before/in tandem with the dizzy, but it will help get the electrical ready for things like... 3) These: http://www.dapperlighting.com/collections/projector-headlights/products/7-round-diamond-cut-headlight-with-halo , very good price, and a good setup with the LED running lights (halo no less) and the H4 bulbs, to go with a new headlight switch that hopefully works better than mine. 4) 5 speed transmission, just bought one today for $125 (couldn't pass it up, a steal and also is supposed to be one of the refurbished ones by Nissan), probably gonna throw it in sometime over break since it's here and I can do it quickly and easily with some help. Odd angle, but everything look great in the bellhousing and putting through the gears felt brand new, can't wait to put it in the car. Once i'm done with school in about a week and a half I'll really have to time to dive into the car, clean it up, fix little bits, and get it ready to daily drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Took the front cowl off today, no rust but o wasn't able tomake much progress for the wipers problem. Also I was messing with the tuning a bit and couldn't really make any difference in the running quality, it's super choppy and sounds like it's running on 5 cylinders. My neighbor is a Z fan as it turns out and he lent me a compression tester so I will have numbers for that soon, but most likely not til after school ends next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9/73-E31-260z Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 So getting laid off is fun... especially with Christmas right around the corner Hopefully I can figure something out very soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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