[Howie666]

Hello. Like many members of this club, I'm not all that young anymore, and likely have owned my ZT for as long (or longer) as my fellow members.

Joining the club was the next best thing I did after buying the car. It has long been my go-to for help and advice with my ZT. As she is over 20 years old, components designed with a certain lifespan are reaching the end of their working lives and are literally wearing out.

I recently had the sort of good fortune I never expected, allowing me to implement some of the work I have always wanted to do on my rolling project. One of the jobs, admittedly a cosmetic one, was the reinstatement of my original IPK having been personalised by Rick.

Duly installed, the renewed IPK is beautiful, and just what the car needed. Then another gremlin pops up, with the car shutting down at motorway speed. Mike identified the loose battery earth as the culprit, and now (touch wood) she no longer exhibits her disturbing behaviour.

Unfortunately, back to the IPK again. While the earth was loose, the IPK display would show a flicker where the range etc. was displayed and the mileage display would not turn off after removing the key from the ignition. Reinserting the key doesn't clear the problem, nor restarting the engine.

So now I'm on a new search for the cause of this latest setback. So far I've got faulty ignition or something to do with the fusebox/ignition relays/IPK fuses. Of course that's not the only problem. My mechanic tried to replace the noisy power steering pump only to find that there are multiple models of said pump and they are not a universal fit.

In fact my particular model is only available used, or remanufactured. And my local power steering guy won't remanufacture this pump because of the combination of materials used (steel and aluminium) and the way they wear.

I am frustrated with the feeling that I have finally gathered some momentum with restoring my ZT, only to come across problems that, if the club is anything to go by, I am the only owner ever to have encountered. I want the ZT to be the best it possibly can (short of being concours). I want to be able to attend a meet and be proud of how she is, and how I have looked after her.

If I am too stupid to instinctively know how to fix my car, then so be it, I will continue to blunder through with the assistance of one very good friend who is my guru with regard to car matters.

I have sought help and advice a few times recently here, sadly the advice has been limited (bar a few helpful souls). Is the club moribund? Is it just me? I won't stop trying to improve my car, and I will remain a subscriber to the club, but some help from time to time would be nice.

Ranty bit over.

Dale