My 280zx story..

[broke]

I've been following this forum and the facebook page for a while now.. so I figure its time that I join up and introduce myself..My name is Austin, i'm 19 years old and I love old school Japanese steel..When I was 14 I saw my first Datsun.. a 1971 240z.. with the typical urethane air dam. I would go see it every day after school, and one day it disappeared.A few years later I had enough money saved up and bought my first car.. a 1981 Volvo 240.. the essential hipster method of travel for any 17 year old..

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It had almost 313,000 miles but it ran great and looked good.After driving it for a week or two, I got tired of the monster truck stance..and took it to a friends house for some suspension work. (I don't have a work space)

b r o k e <-my flickr, if you want to skip ahead

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After wrenching into midnight..

It was still too high for my tastes.

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So we dropped it down even more. (and polished up the paint)

 

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This car was so low, the differential would scrape over speedbumps..I drove it this way with no problems.. the Swedish brick didn't care.

 

The mint seats soaked up the harsh ride that comes with cut springs and weak shocks.

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I kept this car for about 6 months before the Z itch started to get worse.

^ A last drive to the jersey shore..5 hours from my house. The last trip I would spend in that old Volvo

 

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To be continued shortly..

[broke]

So after constant searching on Craigslist I found a black 280zx for trade..with a possible blown head gasket. It wasn't the beautiful, smooth bodied s30 I was looking for, but it was close enough to scratch the itch..

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After going to check it out I like what I saw, and everything seemed okay..So I traded it even for the Volvo. On the way home of course..it overheated and I had to pull over every 3 miles for the 20 mile drive.

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Got it home, and started taking things apart the next day.

 

 

The surface of the block was pitted in one spot and I ignored it..

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Put everything back together and drove it that way (low compression) for a while.

 

 

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Staying in contact with the previous owner, who then owned my Volvo..I found out this happened to it

 

 

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After driving this z around for a while I got tired of the lack of power, and rusted out body/frame. The engines condition slowly got worse.. backfiring, overheating,misfiring.So I began looking for a temporary daily driver, on the cheap side.

Once again prowling Craigslist, I found another 280zx. This one had a perfect body. No rust, no dents. After a phone call or two I went to go check it out.. It had been sitting for 2 years until now. When I got there it was having problems starting. I noticed he was spraying starting fluid into the hole for the missing cold start valve.. After a few tries, it finally started. Instantly you could smell the burning oil. And a look at the exhaust confirmed it.. blowing out blue smoke at high revs. It ran and drove fine .. and he only wanted 600$ so I bought it a few days later. This is the z I have today.

 

 

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The rest of the posts here will be my build in progress of this 'shiro special' 280zx!

[broke]

After a wash

 

 

 

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Installing HID kit

 

 

The housings had specially fluted(or whatever its called) lenses for the HID bulbs, but I still think they need projectors..

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Putting in the older style tailights (left).

 

The mounting brackets aren't the same so i had to make my own.

 

(might be super ghetto but it works)

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Painted the air dam! needed that..

 

 

Debating whether or not I want to paint the car like a Japanese police cruiser..

aka Prowl from Transformers

Minus the police and transformers decals lol..

..maybe not

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Replaced both the side mirrors..previous owner didn't seem to have taped anything before he painted it

 

 

Paint lines on the window I found when I went to clean it up.. got them off with a razor

 

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Previous owner stripped out a 2 + 2 parts car and put everything in boxes for me.. so many random parts

 

 

random not needed parts include a digital dash cluster, entire heater assembly..ecu .. door skin/card that clearly wont fit a 2 seater.. headlight bucket.. non NACA hood vents.. side window plastic covers..a front bra..and tons more obviously..

[broke]

Engine has bad rings but still daily driveable. Just fouls plugs like an old Honda(every week). So i'm in search of a cold start valve and a new engine.. or maybe just the bottom end.

[datzenmike]

 

Don't drive in the rain.

[broke]

^ only temporary! I have the stock airbox on it now

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Nice man I had one of these (81) l had it for 6 years and found a different datsun I still miss the old Z they were lots of fun to drive I had exactly 3 of them the one I had for 6 years I did the L28ET swap way too much fun lol!

 

Got any plans for your ZX?

[broke]

Currently putting as many hours in at work as I can get.. trying to get a L28ET engine for it before I start school in a month and a half..then i'll only be working weekends..if not i'll pick up a n/a. :(

[broke]

Found an automatic 280zx turbo for sale with 17,000miles runs and drives but needs body work.. for 1000$ i'll take it for its almost new engine..I know i'll need the efi harness and obviously exhaust..but what else should I take out? ecu maybe? Car is the same year as mine.

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Yes pretty much all you can take ECU especially since it's different from your car without it won't run correctly.

[broke]

is the price right for what it is? "selling my 1982 280zx turbo, needs body and electrical to finish. 17k original miles automatic leather. 1k is pretty much firm and not parting it out, take it all or nothing. Good amt of new parts in it. It is running, and with some work completely driving."

 

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Well for once $1k running that's not so bad at least it's running which is a good thing usually I see these in this condition that haven't ran in a long time and want that much for them. I see L28ET going for as much as $1k so your getting the complete car even better you can sell or keep parts that are still in good shape. I would so get it it might be awhile till you see another one and at that price, the only issue is the wiring. How bad or good is it? Ask as much questions as possible if you feel fine with it then get it.