workout

Working on the Z proves to be a good workout. Since I haven't got a lifting ramp, I'm constantly bending thru the knees to crawl under the car. And then there's the rusted bolts and nuts that you try to loosen from impossible angles.
But we're getting somewhere. Yesterday I took a day off to work some more on the Z. Since wife and kid will be back next week, I try to make the most of now.
The four gearbox bolts are loose. The top two of them were already very loose which makes me wonder if they did a gearbox swap at some stage. You see, I noticed the other day that this Z has a 260Z type of gear lever (see pic). None of my manuals mentions anything about this type of lever in a '73 Z.




The exhaust (or what's left of it) has also been removed. This was a major PITA. All three bolts were completely rusted tight to the exhaust manifold. I needed to exert a lot of force to convince 'em to turn. Well, eventually they came off alright. Heads first and only, the remainders still stuck in the manifold flange. Made me feel like a little Hulk :) Well, I'll address that when the engine is out and on the stand.


Though not necessary for engine removal, I also unbolted the steering coupler. Rust everywhere and difficult access so I busted up a knuckle or two in the process. The rubber coupler will be replaced with an aftermarket urethane version for a more direct steering experience.

I also took off the front brake calipers. Funny to see that when you expect a real struggle just by looking at the state of things, work is not that hard. The brake pads are in very good hardly used shape. The pins, clips and rubbers however need replacing. At the LH-side, retaining clips were even missing, brake line not connected to the bracket. Will order a rebuild kit soon. Shown are the LH (at left) and RH calipers.
It's clear that the PO(s) didn't really bother doing things right. This is how you treat a wreck that you're planning to use as dodgem or something.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the front bumper is mine :) I had a max. of $100 in mind and that's what this "G" came up with. Shipping it to my virtual myus.com address in Fla would cost $40. I need to make a list of small goodies that I need and check with G before I have him ship things.

I signed up for a MyUs-account. $80 for the first year incl. sign up fee isn't too bad. It'll save me lots on shipping costs. Furthermore, I have no problems ordering my Beck Arnley parts from Amazon.com - buggers don't ship overseas.