Simple Mechanical question...

[Cathyerica]

Please bare with me, I'm new at "automotive" work and learning step by step as I go...
I just purchased a 93 280ZX.
Awaiting delivery, but have pictures of car and under hood.
There is a piece missing over the engine that I need to replace.
It's a V shaped exhaust pipe, flat, coming from one side (hose) crosses over the engine block. What is this called?
I'm still waiting for the manual, etc to come, so I don't have a description of parts yet.
I'd like to get this part before the car arrives.
It also looks like I'm missing the front bumper lights (orange). Any idea what these are called and where I can get them? I can't get the items to show up on parts stores via internet.
Thanks for your help guys.

[DeleriousZ]

not sure, but if you had a pic of it, it might help if you put it up here for the guys to see

[Cathyerica]

I posted a picture of an engine "with" the missing piece.
I'm learning how to use this website as well, so I hope you can see it.
I'm not figuring out how to cut/paste the picture in the body of this email. Is that possible?
I'll also post the picture of "my" engine with the missing part.

[freakonaleash1187]

a '93 280zx? might be a typo. anyways, to post a picture, get the picture hosted (good place is www.imageshack.us), and copy the url of the pitcure, then in your post put [img]"url here"[/img]. i don't know much about 280's, so unless i see a pic, i wouldn't know.

[Cathyerica]

I just posted pictures of my engine with missing part as well as a clean engine with part, as well as other pictures of my car.
It is a typo! I have an 83 280ZX

[DeleriousZ]

where exactly did you post these pics? i don't see em on here

[RX_speed]

Originally Posted by Delerious93integra

where exactly did you post these pics? i don't see em on here

they were in her gallery.

this is her engine:


this is one with the peice she is missing


I wish i could help but I cant tell what it is

[Broke_as_****]

Holy crap, that makes a Z32s engine bay look nice and tidy. Thats a mess. Anyway, knowing dick about Z31s, the only thing I can see missing from the car is the hood.

[Holyterror]

Ah, yes, that thing. I remember being rather confused about its function when I first got my 280. It looked like something else should be attached to it. Turns out it's a cooling fan duct. Notice where the pipe goes - to a thing that looks like a hairdryer. No, it's not a turbocharger. It's a cooling fan. Now, exactly what it cools is anybody's guess. It's sort of aimed at the injectors, but it doesn't cover all of them. And I hardly think it does much to cool the sizzling intake manifold. Who knows. This engine doesn't need more fans, though. What it needs is a ceramic-coated header (I'm working on it). Without the duct, your fan will just be blowing at the hood (where it probably does about as much good). You could probably yank this at a parts yard for $5, especially since they'll have no idea what it is either. Alternately, you could fabricate your own duct and direct the air wherever you want. The plugs and wires might be a good place.

As for the Z's engine bay being... cluttered, that's an understatement. You can't see the half of it from that angle. As best as I can figure, the engineers tried to increase reliability by isolating every system in the car, i.e., few things are interconnected. That way, one system can fail totally independently of all others. The result is vacuum tubes running five thousand different directions at once, and little unidentifiable canisters and tubes hiding in every crevice. I keep looking for ways to clean it up without disabling anything.

[Cathyerica]

Thanks very much for your help. Now I know what to look for. Just so happens I spotted two 280Z's sitting in someone's field by my mom's house in the country. I'm going to try and see if they will give up some parts there.
The car was finally delivered yesterday. Some more rust, and he took the battery out - why I don't know. The picture has a battery! I'm not going to complain. The covers for the ttops were in the car too! Carpeting not too bad either, for an 83.
Hopefully it won't be too hard to get looking good. Thanks for your help!