Glove Boxes, Tow Hooks and AFM

Well as usual... long time between posts, and this blog will end with a promise to post more... but hey we all know how this will go by now. If not, welcome to "Me and My Z"... a now quarterly blog about my 280Z. I do have a few more months before April and when I need her back on the road, back to autocrossing, and back on the track. 

Recap - I started classes again at Ivy Tech, partially so I am no longer a college drop out (Blog - College Drop Out), but also for some shop time, access to a lift, a warm spot for working on my car, and the chance to learn more skills as a mechanic. 

 

We finished the fall semester with the car in parts. We did finish the valve stem seals, and adjusted the lash while in there and worked on timing and ignition but the Air Fuel Meter (AFM) was completely taken apart. The lock screw was stripped and we couldn't get it back together. So January couldn't come soon enough to get back in the garage and finish it. We have to jury rig it but we got it all together, tuned, and even took a very cold January drive (with a driver side window, and no heat).

New Items - over the holiday break I ordered some Skillard tow hooks, and I worked on a custom mount of the radio bracket into the glovebox. I snagged a cheap deal on a Bluetooth radio, so I figured while we are re-wiring things lets put the radio in the glove box to free up space for more gauges in the dash. I also thought, hey lets fix the horns, it can be that hard... typical Datsun owner, who hasn't learned that nothing is easy... like trying to fix the map light switch to work... another story for another day. 

So where are we? 

Well the radio works (I need some mounts for the speakers still), the horn works, most interior lights have been converted to LED, and the AFM works. BUT, we took apart the air intake, and in mid conversion to a cold air intake style filter... ran into fitment issues. So she is filterless right now, but luckily not going anywhere so its cool. I ordered some parts so hopefully we button that back up soon. 

So what's next? 

We are going to rip out the AC parts (she doesn't need AC and none of it works anyways). Then we need to get it to the body ship. My man Pilo is going to help with getting a rear bumper mounted and we are going to tackle replacing one of the frame rails (maybe both). 

If that all goes well and doesn't total drain the car piggy bank I hope to get a new exhaust for it (I think suspension will wait until next season). Then I need to finish restoring my set of Shelby Libre Wheels... and she will be looking fresh, smelling cleaner and if I am lucky with a driver window in case it rains again while I am driving her. 

Thanks for checking in y'all. Me and My Z are nearly ready for 2021! 

Oil Caps, Connectors and Lug Nuts

Working on cars teaches you things, and recently the Z has handed down several important lessons for me. Luckily, none of them caused a critical failure or accident, but all of them could have, or at a minimum cost me time or money (or both). 

At the end of August, I invited my friend Juan to work on his Z (350Z) in my drive way while I worked on mine. I jacked it up and took off front rims to clean them up well after my track day. I was helping Juan with his install, and working on mine and got a little distracted. I didn't torque down my lug nuts. When did I find out? LUCKILY... I did a quick trip to Target, and one the way back my steering wheel was shaking bad... and it got worse as I got close to home. I decided to pull over instead of finish the drive and... WHOA. Driver side wheel was nearly off, it was missing TWO lugs (out of four) and the passenger side was missing one. I was close enough I jogged home, grabbed my tools and jack and D dropped me off at the car. Luckily I had found my extra set of lugs (Blog on my lugs issue before: Garage Lessons). I am so lucky one of the wheels didn't fly off... could of caused major damage. 

In September I had another track night up at Gingerman Raceway. It was my birthday week, and with lots of work and personal things going on I was so excited to get away for a night and race. I had a killer night, felt some decent laps, and pushed it hard at the end and actually went so fast I missed corner #11 and ended up off course in the sand. I was able to get back on track, and finish one more lap. As I left though... I slammed my car door and shattered my drive window... and then it got worse, after getting gas I went to turn on the lights and nada... I made a risky decision and I drove from South Haven, MI to South Bend without headlights. Story on fixing the headlights below. 

At the end of September, I had my final track night of the year. Made it a family trip, wanted to have the kids watch me race. Unfortunately I still had a busted window and rain was in the forecast, and a cold front moved in that was going to kill the fun level for my spectators. I was enjoying show kids around the track, and show Heather where to watch from, and show Cruz how I check fluids, tire pressure, etc... My group ran last, kids went to watch, and I started my car, and it died. Weird, started her up and she seemed fine so I drove off. In paddock lined up to go on course... she died again. Never happens. I started her again and she was fine so I hit the track... and it was 20 minutes of fun, lap after lap, couple cars I kept up with, some Corvettes kept lapping me, but man I had fun... when they called us in to pit... she stalled again. I coasted and started her back up... drove a bit, and then she stalled. All of my stuff was packed in our van, and she kept wanting to stall, so I pulled up and told Heather let's go. I didn't want her to stall again and maybe die there and I would have to worry about towing her from the track. So we went to our hotel, I was able to keep her running. I popped the hood... oil EVERYWHERE. I forgot to out the oil cap back on. Interestingly my oil pressure was fine the whole time, so I would not of guess oil issue. Well unfortunately we left the track so I gave up my second drive time, but rain moved in so maybe I saved myself. 

I finally for around to working on my headlight fix. At home I checked fuses, googled stuff, and it looked like I needed a $200 combo switch. Well since I started this Ivy Tech Class (College Drop Out) I figured lets diagnose the problem in class. We got to work, checked fuses again, took apart the combo switch, tested wires at the headlight, took apart the headlights (not easy)... and couldn't figure it out. Instructor asked, did you check grounds at the headlights, yes, the switch, er no those grounds would be fine... So we chased the ground wires back, which was through a connector of which all other items worked... so I didn't check those... pushes that in, and BAM, headlights. We spent a couple hours, I busted a few knuckles, and took apart literally everything, but that connector. 

So what is this blog about? 

Details... small details, small distractions, small connectors... they all make a difference. Following the right steps, not skipping a step, not assuming, not over thinking... I am for sure enjoying my auto tech class, reminding me the importance of process, of logical thinking, of deductive reasoning... also reminding me how much more I have to learn in life. 

Racing Solo

Maybe the activity I was most looking forward to when the Z got fixed was... getting out at the Tire Rack and running an autocross, AKA a Solo Event. If you are wondering what I mean with an autocross or solo, I think no better explaination has been written in the country, but by a local club members here in South Bend Lloyd. Read it here: A Guided Tour Through The World of Solo

In short I describe a solo as a miniature race track, made out of cones, that you race through and focus more on skill than just car speed. One car at a time, you against the clock, and then cars are classed together by type and preparation. I first started doing events like that in 2003 with the Furrin Group when I lived in Holland/Grand Rapids. I wrote a blog about my very first event: The Fast and Exhaustless 

So far for the year I got two events in, both at the Tire Rack Test Track, our local home track. My first event was with the Michiana Corvette Club and man it was a blast! Never ran with them, for sure will be back, for sure made some new car friends and saw how much I missed solo. It was a fun laid back group, some of them serious racers, but lots of folks just there to have fun pushing their car. They had a class for Corvettes, and one for "metal cars" or everything but a Corvette. 

When I left off in autocross on my old car I was running a well prepped car on race tires... so going to a bone stock, 45 year old car, on basic all season street tires... very different. Still very fun, look good doing it, but for sure not as fast. Ha. Speaking of fun, I started a Youtube Channel and here is my favorite lap from that event:

My second event was with my club, the South Bend Region of the Sports Car Club of America. It was serious competition and reminded me just how much work I, and the Datsun, need to become more competitive. I finished in the bottom 1/3 of the cars, but maybe towards the top of the list on the fundar. Ha. It was a blast, unlike the previous autocross I kept her facing the right direction the whole time (well most of the time, but never went off course) and nothing broke. 

We are continuing to enjoy Cars and Coffee event (one next weekend) and this past week I also hit the track at Gingerman again. It was a fun little pre-birthday trip on my own. I kinda like the alone time, just Me and My Z, the open road and burning some rubber. The downside on that trip was that as I had packed up to go, I slammed door shut... and CRASH... the glass shattered. Luckily the window was down so all the glass went in the door... then as I drove home and it got dark... my headlights would not go on... so all in all a struggle getting home, and I have glass to clean up... (and have to source a new window) but man it was another fun time with my ride. 

I think I forgot just how much of a car guy I am... I put it out of my mind for so long with my car broken, work taking up all my spare time, and raising some crazy kids. I am enjoying reading about new cars coming out, getting old magazine articles out, helping other people with their cars... I need more of that in my life and I love it.