Things break and the center cannot hold . . .

My 1978 Datsun 280Z wouldn’t idle. Over 300,000 miles and 30 years of faithful service and for the first time when I turned the key she didn’t work right. I was devastated.

Ya’ gotta understand, this isn’t a car, it’s a family pet complete with name and vanity plates to match.



In 2004 I parked Lady Blue for a year while I re-built the suspension, brakes, interior and gave her a make-over. If it could be replaced it was replaced. Lowered her an inch just because, ya’ know? Got her back from the paint shop on December 3. On Christmas eve a Fed Ex truck made a delivery up the hill from me and the emergency brake failed. It rolled through my yard and t-boned Blue on the driver’s side shoving her down the hill into my neighbor’s house. Wiped out all the sheet-metal between the wheels on that side and dinked up the right rear quarter panel and mag wheel against the neighbor’s house. I heard the noise from inside, ran out and immediately threw up.

BTW, if ya’ gotta’ get hit by somebody make sure it’s Fed Ex. The insurance guy showed up in about a half hour. 1978, huh? What’s the salvage value on a 30 year old car? No, no! This ain’t no car, it’s a family member! You guys have two options, make her look like she did this morning or exchange her for new 350Z. A new blue 350Z.

It took the adjuster three weeks to find enough parts to offer an estimate. Usually he just plugs the make and model into the ‘puter and it spits out a parts list. Can’t do that with an antique.

Anyway, long story short, as the repair goes on we find another thing or two damaged and the response from Fed Ex was always, “Yes, sir, Mr. Lib. The check is on its way!”

So back to the story at hand; I haven’t driven her in a few months and went to park her in the driveway for a bath. She started but would hardly run. Checked the ignition and it was okay. Did the same with the fuel injection and it seemed okay—didn’t do a full diagnosis ‘cause ’78 was the very beginning of electronic fuel injection and there isn’t any plug in computer diagnostic, just 4 pages of checking voltage in various circuits with a multi-meter. The EFI connector has 80 contacts to check.

I know it’s a centralized problem ‘cause it affects all cylinders equally. I know it isn’t the ignition and it doesn’t seem to be the EFI. Maybe one of the five or six sensors on the air intake? Nope, they all seem to be functioning. So I’m leaning over the engine with tears welling up and notice a very strong odor of gasoline as soon as the engine dies. I hate using the word ‘dies’ when talking about a 30 year old car but you know what I mean. I can’t find any raw fuel leaks anywhere and by the time I finish checking the smell in gone. Hmmm. Maybe a massive vacuum leak? Sure enough, I check the PCV hose that runs from just below the cold start injector to the crank case and it’s deteriorated to the point of being completely open to the atmosphere. Gasoline pooled in the broken hose when she started and gave me the strong smell until it evaporated.

I can’t believe I’ve diagnosed a 30 year old car with my nose. Hell of a story, so I had to tell it to somebody. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed having Blue fire up and run normally when I plugged the leak.

Peace, Ya’ll.

Love it when it seems like a big problem but turns out to be simple. She's a beaut!

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1979 Ford F150 4x4 extended cab



Bought it in 1990 for 3 grand



WAS 351M, built and installed a 400 from a 79 Lincoln Mk V



Completely rebuilt the tranny in 2002, built and installed a posi-track rear diff from a Bronco in 1996



put the camper on it 2 months after I bought the truck



and camped every summer up until 2004.

Yup,

like I said

She's a keeper - gotta love them old vehicles!

I may be a Domestic (Chevy) lover, but anyone with the passion and self-taught ability to do that much work on their baby, my total respect.

My brother had a 280z about the same vintage, I know it had a very strong crankcase vacuum... if you removed the oil filler while the engine was running, it would stumble.

Probably a good time to replace all the vacuum hoses.