help! buying a 280z

[WeirdKid]

hey ive been cruisin and perusing around this place (and it is awesome). a few months ago i scoped out a '76 280z in a yard next to my friends house. the guy wants $500 for it. I need some help deciding if i want this thing or not.

Details:

Dark blue, complete. ran like a dream when he parked it 3 years ago, he unplugged every wire and gas line and plugged them up with intention of doing a complete restore, his business took off and he no longer has time for it. Engine turns over, good compression on all cyl (tested myself). the plastic over the dash is badly cracked, and the only rust is on the passenger floorboard and driver side rocker panel (minimal)

 

NEEDS: new front suspension bushings, clutch master cylinder, and an 18 year old's time love and care. How easy/affordable are these parts i need? is this thing worth it?

 

ANY help, advice, comments, are greatly appreciated. thanks, this looks like a great site.

 

-kid

 

edit: if you guys want pics i should be able to get them this weekend

[Jermyz33]

For $500 bucks, that seems like an amazing and easy fixer-up project car. The bushings and clutch master cylinder are pretty easy to get (im not 100% sure though as i'm still new here and to older cars), but I wouldn't imagine that being too big of an issue. The rusted floorboard, depending on the size, could be anything from a breeze to fix to a nightmare, also depending on your skills. IMO it sounds like a good project to start on!

[Jomz Shakes]

I bought a 82' 280zx recently and i've noticed the parts are very cheap compared to newer cars and are a little more forgiving, just focus on patients while working on these older cars because a lot of electrical parts on them are just about to break due to age and hoses/bolts/seals/harnesses/plastic are very brittle and break easily.

theres lots of info on hyrbidz.org to learn from as well as this site.

look up the posts on common problems and write a list dow and go to inspect some more, one header leak/timing problem could set you back some cash fast.

 

dashboards are easy to swap on the zx im sure there easier on the z

[Npdavies.]

New front suspension bushings are cheap and easily bought, just go to Rockauto. As for the slave MC, $20 at your local Kragen or whatever.

$500 is an awesome price, I'd snatch that up as fast as possible.

We do expect oics though...

[Edz280zx]

Sounds like a good deal to me....just be sure to check EVERYWHERE for rust, especially the more popular spots: under the battery tray, the hatch area, frame rails, on the front fender wings under the fenders, ect.....

[WeirdKid]

good news! no pictures yet though, the guy really wants this thing out of his yard, got him down to $250 ;D unfortunately i discovered it needs a passenger side framerail, but i found something called a bad dog framerail or something that welds on

 

http://baddogparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2&zenid=5139f40f61046a46f1f77f97c9d04add

 

this looks like a project i AM willing to take

[tfreer85]

Baddog Rails are great and well worth the money. They will help stiffen up your chassis as an added bonus. Be sure to keep an eye out for rust, nab it early, there aren't any "rust-free" z's that haven't been fully restored. For every inch you can see coming out of the paint, expect the amount underneath to be double, sometimes triple in size. Doing a tune-up (i.e. oil change, fresh fuel, all new filters, spark plugs, etc.) will go a long way on these cars as well as give you good time to inspect. Good luck and post some PICS!!!! :D

[I'm BLUE]

From a z guy.

 

@ $250 it seems low risk by description.

 

Any way you can post pics ?!

 

(1) all z cars have rust/rot ... just depends on how much.

(2) 280z/zx fuel injection system is relatively easy to work on.

(3) all z cars need new bushings or struts until someone replaces them lol. ( rear control arm bushings can be a pita just need patience. )

(4) clunks will be present in the rear on 50-75% of zcars ... things replaced or not... a combination of wearing items/need to be replaced items.

(5) check engine bay frame rails.

(6) rockers/floor pans and rails /wheel wells/rear hatch sills/battery box areas are all very common arears of rot.

 

(7) no need to go to 4-wheel disc brakes.

(8) fuseboxs tend to melt. Aftermarket replacements readily available.

(9) l-series engines are Very good engines. Change oil and filter often.

(10) clutch masters/slaves(especially) need to be checked. Get a cast iron(steel) slave cylinder when ordering. My preference.

(11) bleed out both clutch and brake systems. Check for leaks.reseal kits are relatively cheap if needed. Check all (4) hoses as well.

(12) plenty of aftermarket support. Lots of variations. Lots of swaps.

(13) dashcaps are readily available. Or custom repair ot yourself!

(14) strut tower bars greatly reduce the sway/roll or flex feeling in the body.

 

Yada yada

 

@$250 pick it up already! !! :lol:

[WeirdKid]

i know i know! i need about 3 paychecks (mom only lets me take out $70 per paycheck) and idk where the hell im going to put this thing (18 and living at home) we already have 5 cars, mom hates my dodge neon (that isnt that bad looking) she will hate a beat up old nissan!

 

SUPERNOOB QUESTION: what were the torque and hp specs on the injected L28 engine?

[Ben280]

Wikipedia tells me about 150 HP and 163 ft/lbs torque. But thats from factory so I'd expect less in your car. $250 though is a steal! They are great cars to learn on (I'm speaking from experience). Every panel and component has a logical attachement point and a little internet searching will reveal the tricky points.

 

www.thezstore.com seems to have almost every part you'd need, but local auto parts stores have a great selection too. I'd recommend the "how to rebuild your datsun engine" (or something like that, do a search) as it has torque specs and great trouble shooting tips for the motor. the Haynes manuel is mostly useless sadly, particularly when factory service manuels are readily available on the net.

 

Post pics when you get it! seems like a great price for the project, I'm jealous mine wasn't that cheap!!

[ggzilla]

$250 is scrap price.

 

$250 is just the start.

 

When you get to $5000 fixing that Z, will you still be happy? You don't have to spend a lot of money to get it fixed, just be careful. For example, Datsun cap & rotor & plugs almost never go bad. Don't buy new everything, only buy what is really needed. Get your parts at Pick-n-Pull, you'll learn a lot by taking their cars apart aha.

[WeirdKid]

i appreciate and understand what you've said ggzilla, i am probably one of the most cost minded person i know, basically everything in my garage has been lowballed, bargained, or otherwise found really cheaply but without compromise to quality. i am a seasoned swap-meeter.

 

i have one final question before finalizing this sale. i have been hinted at that doing all the front bushings is a task that i will not be able to do myself, and that it will cost thousands of dollars, even though i have found all of the parts i need for the front end suspension and steering for under $200. is it stil a worthwhile buy? i would like this car and want to work on it myself

[Npdavies.]

i have one final question before finalizing this sale. i have been hinted at that doing all the front bushings is a task that i will not be able to do myself, and that it will cost thousands of dollars, even though i have found all of the parts i need for the front end suspension and steering for under $200. is it stil a worthwhile buy? i would like this car and want to work on it myself

Uh... what.

I did my front bushings by myself, and it didn't cost anywhere near a grand.

I'd say 150-200 is more reasonable, maybe even less. All purchased through Rockauto.

Make sure you have lots of PB blaster, jack, jack stands, patience and one less Dodge Neon and you'll be good... Lolz.

[that one guy]

good planning on your part. I bought mine in about 5 minutes after looking at it...

And honestly, the hardest thing for me to do was get it running. Damn 180^o distributor :sneaky:

But for the price, it's well worth it, these cars are hella fun.

.... just don't hellaflush.