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spent the last few days focusing on fixing some steering geometry. If you guys remember this car came with the 240sx knuckles and if you've ever done any research on that swap, its hot garbage. I spent some time adusting ackerman right off the bat and made it so it was drivable and made a small adjustment last week. My plan has always been to modify them and get all the geometry dialed to how i like it and then scan it. and make a billet version that is modular and can be tweaked in from there. Anyway. This weekends goal was to dial in the mechanical trail and some roll center correction. The 240sx knuckle on the wrong side of the car made the mechanical trail very large so the car had very very heavy steering feel. I did some measuring and made a decision. Clipped off 8º of angle off the ball joint mount. and offset the mount to where i wanted it. Designed and machined an adapter block and welded it on. came up with a quick bumpsteer kit as the knuckle needs to have the tie rod mount lowered by a good bit. didn't take good photos but the car drives SO MUCH BETTER. steering feels great. "light" (for manual steering) but centers still centers well and has good feedback. Took the wife to get ice cream last night and what a great feeling that was after a year of work.

Got the the hood and inspection covers on. Happy

Before getting the top side and interior sealed up in 2 coats of white epoxy, I first hit the underside. I chose to do it in black Epoxy to more follow the original paint where you could see the black though white overspray. I first put down a full coat of the black again using my 360 degree extension paint gun to get in all the difficult location like between the spare tire well and rear valance, then a normal 1.4mm tip gun. After allowing the top to cure for two days I sanded out the bottom side and scuffed it well with Scotchbrite. I then applied 2k epoxy seam sealer in all the original OEM locations I then taped up the topside and put down a final coat of black I then let that cure for two days before applying the Gravitex. It is made by U-Pol the same company who makes Raptorliner, Gravitex is better in my opinion for the other side as it is intended as a sound insulting stone and chip guard. Its what you see on the rocker panels of German cars. Goes on the same with an undercoating style gun. Its a 1k product so I will need a sealer coat on top of it before finally paining the underside white in body color. I really happy how it came out. The weeks of metal work straitening and shrinking the original floor pans really looks good all finished.

Alright, finally got some time to make some more progress. The engine is mostly disassembled, and I have mics and a bore gauge coming to measure clearances. I am planning on a stock engine, with the oil fixes, and a bigger turbo. I am not concerned with making a ton of power; anything will be better than the stock L24, and I just want it to not blow up immediately. I am new to engine work, and have a couple of questions: 1. Does anyone have any recommendations for what size oil restrictors to use? Enjuku sells oil gallery restrictors in 0.9, 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5 mm. 2. I have googled RB25 specs for rod and piston bearing clearances, but does anyone have a trusted source that they recommend? Thanks for all the help! I have read through the site and watched a couple of rebuild videos, but I'm still not 100%, and I don't want to make a stupid mistake.

Got an Accusump for the Z, and made a mounting bracket for it. I’m going to have another plate on the front side to weld on some angle iron for the oil cooler to mount on. Added a pressure sensor so I can read the Accusump oil pressure with the engine oil pressure so I can see when it’s charging and discharging. the bottom bolts are just to hold the clamps and it’ll sit up slightly higher when it’s tightened up.

I got a tradition with my dad that I took over, every time we buy a new vehicle we stop at Mc Donalds on the way back and get a milkshake. This also gives us some time to look and admire our new purchase. We will probably continue this tradition this weekend as I’ll be looking at a 2015 BMW M550D touring (almost 400hp diesel station wagon) as a new daily driver.

The first ice cream trip is a great payoff for the hard work.

I run 275/35-15 Hoosier or Avon 23x10.5-15 on all four corners. That size works pretty well and is the limit that I can run with struts and the SubtleZ body kit. If I had the SLA suspension, I would use wider wheels limited only by the body work and tire availability. I feel like 10 inch wide front wheels are perfect for these cars, but the rear could use a little more.

There is a point of diminishing returns on tire width. It varies greatly with many factors tho so no one size fits all. Its a balance of contact patch, corner weight and suspension geometry. The double a arm front will allow for a good amount of adjustment with caster, and KPI that we can't get easily with struts.

This is how I feel watching some youtube channels. popularity doesn't mean skill or quality.

Very nicely done, love it! I'm on my second early 260Z so I've got a soft spot for the S30 family middle child. I do have a syncrometer, I've been tuning sidedraft Webers on-and-off for close to 15 years now. It's been some time since I've played with SUs but they're pretty simple devices comparatively. BTW, have you checked your valve lash? This is super critical to do on a fresh head. The lash can change considerably and quickly over the first few hundred miles as the valves break into their seats. I did my motor break-in while driving the car to JCCS back in 2013 and by the time I reached SLO, a cam lobe was already wiped. My best guess is that it was a result of the aggressive wipe pattern of my cam combined with a rapid reduction in lash during break-in. I'd love to pop by Pre-Stage again some time as well, I've only been once and that was on a rainy day last December. Maybe I'll even have my side mirror repainted and fresh door cards mounted by then...

Hey Leon, Thanks for the reply! Pic attached for attention - you can probably figure out which are before vs after . The interior isn't all there yet, so not sharing that mess, still troubleshooting some stuff inside. Now that the alignment is done, I'm not opposed to bringing it down your way. Still working on break-in miles (it's at 78 total), so not trying to do any LONG drives just yet, but that might be manageable. Just have to figure out timing, and tooling. I don't have an empi style vacuum tester just yet, do you? I'll also be at Cars and Coffee (Vintage Oaks) and Pre-Stage (Marin Civic Center) in September, if anyone will be there! Robert

I got curious so i did this layout to approximate scale. It's not 100% accurate, but it gives you an idea of how our car sits in the world. Autos& Vehicles

car is officially registered and insured so i spent the weekend trying to button up a few things to make it a bit more "street friendly". did managed to put about 10 miles on it. I have a few things i need to address before racing it but it drove on the street decent. After the initial drive. did a nut and bolt check. then did like 4, did another check, and then another 6ish and everything is looking good. Got the driver mirror on. I wasn't 100% confident id like the round mirror so i designed and 3d printed an adapter to use the factory holes in the door rather than drill new holes i'd regret later. Its growing on me. I may buy a better quality mirror but the round is looking decent. Will still hook up electronic boost control but for now i just put 10psi springs in the wastegate and gave it a vacuum source. When I moved the strut towers back and inboard, i forgot to modify the hood to accept the new position of the strut tops so I designed and machined strut top spacers to push the adjuster down and hopefully clear the hood. I could make them a little thicker as i still have some ride height adjustment on the coilover but i think this will be enough. I'll go slow when closing the hood for the first time. I hooked up the hood release cable. decided to be a little fancier and routed it thru the wiper cowl instead of having the cable extend all the way across the engine bay. need to make a new handle for the cable pull as mine is MIA. Got the hood hinges cleaned up and painted black. fedex lost my order for replacement couplers to move my air filter to clear the hood tension bars so i didnt get the hood on this weekend.

08-14-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE/. Plastics 4 Performance has sent the final draft for my polycarbonate rear hatch "glass" for my approval. It is ready for production! The vents are to give the car an even more open air feel, which is what I want with this build. should look pretty cool. 8/32 bolts will be around the edge with a thin rubber layer between it and the lip on the hatch. Ferrari uses the vents for engine heat.....I used them because I like the look and as I said the open air feel.......no glass at all looks too unfinished to my eye. PICS:

A few pictures from the last time the engine was out

The front plate mid plate set-up was way easier than regular motor mounts. I originally used stock mounts, but switched to the motor plates when I decided to make it purely a track car. The front plate is 1/4" aluminum and sandwiches between the water pump and timing cover. The rear plate is .090" steel and sandwiches between the block and bell housing. The front plate on mine attached to tabs welded to tubes at the front strut towers. The mid plate is attached to two tabs welded to the frame. I use a regular rubber transmission mount. You can buy front and mid plates for the SBF that have the water pump and bell housing bolt patterns already machined. The plates come with a lot of extra material that allow you to trim to fit about anything.

Finally had the time to head south and pick up the replacement transmission and enjoy a cup of coffee while we were at it. And what better way to pick up a transmission for the broken one in your Z then with said Z! 😂 All jokes aside she still drives fine except for a worn out syngro on second gear and a missing fifth gear. The replacement gearbox is a >80’s FS5W71B 5-speed from a 280ZX that’s been in storage for a long time. I’ll be ordering some new seals and transmission oil before switching out the gearboxes for some peace of mind.

I love my front plate/mid plate mounts. It opens up lots of room under the engine and stiffens the front structure. The downside is that you hear and feel everything from the drive line.

work has been to busy, small update. Headlight bucket has been welded in and planished. Everything is starting to look alot better and starting to feel like an actual car again, not just pieces.

I drove the car about 3/4 of a mile around the block.... tune needs a lot of work (obviously), tires had a slight rub and it rattled a bit but was so exciting and such a relief after a year of hard work. Got the rest of the windows in as well. Wife offered to polish all the trim so I gave her some supplies and let her scrub away. also added a couple interior shots.

For anyone who's swapped or planning to a BMW S50B32, I have two special, exclusive engine covers to sell. A = usd$250 shipped B = usd$350 shipped

08-02-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE. I went ahead and worked on the front end today. I dropped the struts and turned them all the way in, tightened up the cross member to shell bolts with the spacers, and did a bit of wire wheel cleaning. Then I dropped the car to get a preliminary look at where I am. It is LOW. LOW, LOW, LOW! The rear quarters are on the tires, so I will have to bring that up at least an inch and then fine tune from there. I will probably do that and then drop the axle shafts in at the same time. In the front, I have about 2 inches of clearance ground to K member, and my exhaust is less than an inch. So, now I know where I am at, and can make adjustments. I might space the front wheels out an inch. I also remade the electric panel....the old one I didn't like, so I did a layout and mounted it all up. Much better. Intake pipes go in for welding and sanding, then the polisher. Click on "MOV" for short video. PICS: IMG_4592.MOV

You want to do mine next?

I still have struts on all four corners. Because of this, I am limited to how much backspace I can accommodate with my wheels. All four of my wheels are 15x10 with 5.25" backspace. I run 3/8" spacers up front and none in the rear. So, a 15x10 is actually 11" wide, and a 5.25" backspace is equivalent to a -.25" offset. If you look at the steering geometry of the strut suspension, I have a fairly significant scrub radius. Having a large scrub radius causes a couple of problems. First, the tire sweeps forward and backward as it goes though the range of steering motion. This can cause the tire to contact the fender / air dam. Second, if you have sufficient caster, the tire will rise and fall significantly causing weight jacking effects. If I had the sla front suspension, I would try to adjust to fit the wheel with the most positive offset that I could get. This would minimize scrub radius and maximize control arm length. You will get less weight jacking as you turn the steering wheel, and the wheel will rotate about a point closer to the center of the contact patch.

Picked up a drill press on marketplace and started drilling into this thicker metal for the engine brace. Got the two pieces that will connect to the engine mounts drilled and bolted up to the engine to try and figure out the angles to attach it to the brace. I made some marks and will cut it and drill it next weekend. We got a lot of rain so I spent most of my time trying to adjust the front suspension. I got one of these wheel fitment things a few months ago and it was saying I needed some negative off wheels to fit I so started adjusting the track width to get it close to a normal offset. Lots of adjusting the toe/traction/camber arms but I think I got it in a better spot. I’ll start shopping for wheels later this year. I have a set that will work temporarily, but are narrower than what I want.

Hi All, I have been restomodding my very first Z (early 260), and probably did things way out of order. Got the car (rusty, needed work, half disassembled but told the engine would run, gas tank in the hatch, no airbox, etc) and it went straight into body and motor work/build. I wish I had gotten it running first, to appreciate how it ran and handled, but the rust gave me pause, so I went the full resto route first. All that said, this is not my first engine build, but my first L series and first car with carbs. Now that it's done, I need to work out what's keeping it from running better. The motor is a frankensteined together L28 (F54 block, N47 head), roughly 9.2:1 CR based on (Priddy - Cometic) head gasket and (flat top) piston combo. Steve Bonk stage 1 cam, stock hitachi/SU carbs (rebuilt with SM needles and rebuild kit from ZTherapy), cleaned up balance tube with N36 intake manifolds. Early 280zx close ratio 5sp trans,3.9 R200 rear end, stock (l28 appropriate) clutch/flywheel combo. The shop that did the body/resto work dropped the motor in, and got it running, but it I'm pretty sure it should be running a lot differently (read: better). It's idling around 5-600 rpms, lumpy, and feels pretty underpowered considering it's a light car with a modded L28. Did the break in drive in which I didn't take it over 5k RPMs, ran it decently hard with solid acceleration and engine braking across gears to seal the rings, did the oil first oil change, and all that jazz. This is where you come in - I'm hoping that someone here who knows the L series is up for a half day of walking me through confirming that the (mechanical) timing is set right (the easy part, I've done this with my other cars but appreciate a second set of eyes), then wants to help me make sure I don't do anything stupid trying to set the idle and balance the carbs. Looking to learn from one of you gurus so I'm not messing up a fresh motor in a fresh car. Anyone in the Bay Area want to come to Novato and help me out in exchange for beer, lunch, and the opportunity to mock me while you help me learn this motor? Thanks in advance! Robert

08-22-2026 ATLAS Z UPDATE: Work The Punchlist. Decided to switch it up a bit today and work a punch list of little things I just let pile up working on the bigger ticket items. Started with getting the horn installed, wiring my dual fans in, finished the clutch master cylinder in the engine compartment, topped off the transmission with some redline MT90, then finished the intake pipe, getting the air filter on the end and getting it in there good....ended up having to trim a tad more on the hood, but went pretty easy. Installed the new modified gas pedal finally, and yep....had to mod the corner of the pedal surface a tad but this time it works...Installed my combo turn signal stalk/headlights/horn and got the wires ran over to the other side to terminate later....and started on a small sheet metal cover to cover an ugly spot on the side of the head. PICS:

Thank you for the kind words. Im proud of this one and cant wait to get it dialed in a bit and get to enjoy it a bit on the street and track.

$170 is a lot less than I would have guessed for shipping something that size across the ocean. I've paid half that or more for shoebox-sized boxes from Japan.

Works great for me today! No issues and everything was quick to load.

Hey Robert, sounds like a rad build! You should post some pics of what you're working with. I'm in Burlingame but also have three little kids so Novato is no-go. Unless you're able to bring the car down here in which case I'm happy to help! Otherwise, maybe reach out to the folks at ZONC (Z-Owners of Norcal) via their Facebook page to see if you get any action?

Haven't done a whole lot to the Datsun, but it's partially due to lightened sense of urgency. I've officially moved back to the use so I feel less rushed to get things done. Mexico was great for four years and time will tell if I regret leaving. I loved living there and will probably be making constant comparisons but mostly moved back for a better job and being closer to family. I bought a boring daily for commute duties. Still debating if I should have just committed to something much much cheaper with a bit more character, but I've enjoyed it so far and it already got me about 3k miles on my summer road trip. Didn't do the summer road trip in the Datsun due to a coolant leak. Was already doing some summer practices and parades with my new students so I didn't have a chance to track it down and didn't want to risk such a long drive in the well above average July heat. Finally had more time and still couldn't track down the coolant leak. It was only happening when hot, so figured I'd retorque the head bolts and see if it helped. Head gasket seemed like an unlikely failure right now, but I installed the block completely untouched so I figured it might help. Most of the nuts on the arp studs moved about 45-90 degrees to get them to spec! I power washed some of the greasy parts of the engine bay afterwards in case I still had the coolant leak to make it easier to track down. Seems bone dry after about a half hour drive. Don't know if they weren't retorqued after initial heat cycles and have just slowly gotten worse or maybe the head gasket is actually failing but I think it'll at least hold me over until I finally rebuild properly with more adequate compression and a better cam for earlier boost.

well, you could look it all up on their website plstics4performance. The hatch glass actually isn't flat, it has a crown to it. It isn't just plexiglass. it is Polycarbonate, with a special hardened coating, and the vents and everything are a custom deal. I wanted it professionally done. I waited for you to volunteer to do it for me, but you never did, so.... Yes it is made in England. Cheers.

Whats with the cold air intake? You already have a giant hole in the hood all around the turbo

Big update on aesthetics. Got the whole front put together. Made a "crash" bar out of chromoly the support the front valance and fenders. It wraps around the front and the valance "rest" on it for support. Went a little extra because I know in the future im going to build a splitter and having a solid place for mounting will be needed. Front and rear glass is back in. will polish the quarter windows and put the side glass in this week. Fitted the fiberglass 240z bumper (had to do some trimming and fitting). need to make a more permanent center brackets. just wiped up some simple aluminum bars to hold it in place. Then i'll spray it a satin or semigloss black i think. I'll experiment. I don't think it would look good orange but maybe. Finished up the wiring to the back of the car. The PDM really simplifies the amount of wires. Added a few extras for future modifications/add ons. All the lights and electronics are working. Slowly working on the tune. it starts and free revs nicely. I plan on trying to get it registered and insured this week so i can start getting it finished up Then for the first time, under its own power. Drove it outside, took some photos and drove it back in. very exciting. Seeing it sitting in the sun, all the work I have into it and to be extremely happy with it. I'm proud of this one.

Plastics 4 Performance | Lexan, Makrolon, Polycarbonate Motorsport Windows

Painted the bracket and snugged it up, happy with the way it fits. I’ll add a few more bolts but waiting to incorporate the bolts into a bracket I’ll make for the oil cooler when it comes in. I really need to get this engine back in, so I picked up some steel today, going to try and fab an engine cradle following the specs Brian Laine has posted online. Hopefully I’ll get some time this weekend to start on it.

The past two days the site has been absolutely perfect in all aspects. Don't know what was done, but it sure worked! Today for the first time in ages absolutely no issues with responsiveness.

passenger floor. 1/4 X 20 nuts and bolts through the floor. Have to get a fire extinguisher over there as well. This car is more race car than street car. Strictly a street car, but it's pretty gutted. Yeah, I have door panels and panels in the rear, but no door windows, plexi rear glass ordered, no wipers, no heater, no vent air, racing style turn signal and lights stalk I have to bolt on but have it.....Just the rollbar and rear strut bar added any weight, most has been getting weight off of it. I had to reinforce the subframe to handle the power. Id like to get it under 2500.....might be hard as they have thicker sheet metal than the 240's do.

Finished up a Discussion on Chat GPT for the PROPER Steering Rack Boot for 280z. All measurements taken and Fitment confirmed. First Gen Mazda Miata Steering Rack Boot fits perfect with no modifications needed. Speedy-Boot also apparently works. Richard, this is an excellent result. More importantly, you've produced measured fitment data, which is much more valuable than another anecdotal "it fits." Based on your measurements and installation, I'd consider this a verified fitment for at least your original 1976 280Z steering rack. Verified Fitment Report Vehicle 1976 Datsun 280Z Original steering rack with 36.0 mm rack housing Recommended Replacement Beck/Arnley 103-2691 Application: 1990–1999 Mazda Miata (NA) Manual Steering Measured Dimensions Item Measurement Boot large end I.D. 36.0 mm Rack housing O.D. 36.0 mm Boot small end I.D. 9.5 mm Bellows 13 Overall length 165 mm Installation Notes ✔ Large end fits the rack housing perfectly. ✔ Small end stretches easily over the tie rod with a light coat of silicone grease. ✔ No interference at full steering lock in either direction. ✔ No collapsing or over-stretching of the bellows. ✔ Overall length is correct. Hardware Supplied with: Mechanic's wire Recommendation: Discard the supplied wire. Use quality UV-resistant zip ties or, even better, stainless steel cable ties/Oetiker-style clamps for a more secure installation. Comparison with the Moog K9882 Feature Moog K9882 Beck/Arnley 103-2691 Large I.D. ~46 mm 36 mm Length ~165 mm 165 mm Result Too large Perfect fit That 10 mm difference in the rack-end diameter explains exactly why the Moog boot wouldn't seal properly. Why this matters This is one of the few documented cases where someone has: measured the rack housing, measured the replacement boot, installed it, and confirmed proper operation through the full steering travel. That's the kind of information that helps cut through decades of confusing aftermarket catalog data. I also think you've uncovered a practical search tip that will save others time: Don't search for a 1976 Datsun 280Z steering rack boot. Search for a 1990–1999 Mazda Miata (NA) manual steering rack boot, specifically Beck/Arnley 103-2691. Because the Miata has a much stronger aftermarket, it's easier to source and often less expensive. Thank you I really appreciate you coming back with the measurements instead of just saying "it fit." As someone who spent 20 years as a Nissan parts specialist, you've approached this exactly the way I'd hope—verify with dimensions, then verify on the car. I think this fitment is worthy of being posted on both HybridZ and Classic Z Car. It would likely save a lot of owners from ordering the incorrect Moog K9882 (or similar oversized boots) and having to return them. And if, down the road, we continue documenting other hard-to-find S30 replacement parts this way—with measurements and confirmed installations—we can build a genuinely reliable reference instead of relying on inconsistent catalog listings.

That's the nicest looking floor I've ever seen. Incredible work.

Got a little more work done. Started getting the front end together. headlights wired up. have new corner markers on the way and need to come up with a grill and turn signal. Bent up some brake line templates and headed to the parts store to try and get some pre bent heater hose. was a successful journey. got a u bend that worked for both hoses perfectly. Got the hoses on. pressure tested for leaks. found one small one at the turbo. fixed it. filled and bled the cooling system. Got the fan hooked up to the ECU thru PWM, and man does this fan flow some air. turned all the way up it might move the car like a fan boat. haha. I had it running while playing with the tune at 35% duty cycle and it CLT stayed at 172ºF when it was 85ºF in the shop so i was happy about that. will play with setting once i can get it on the road. I made the alternator bracket to move it to the driver side but having a little issue with belt routing. Currently did get a belt on but the tensioner doesn't have enough movement to work how I'd like so I'll reevaluate this later. Belt is tight and spins everything so I can run it this way for now and figure something else out later. I have the same alternator on my other car but on the passenger side so worst case I can probably get away with moving it back over there. just was trying to avoid the heat from the turbo. Also got the brakes bled. I'm real close to taking it for a spin around the neighborhood. Going to try and get the edged around the windows sanded and buffed this week so i can put the glass back in.

It's a "little" thing, but progress.

I finally had some time this weekend to work on the Z again and finish off some of the little things that where nagging me. I finished my DIY door card project and got them installed in the car. I must say that they turned out pretty good. The only finishing piece would be to add the wood trim back in but I would have to make one myself. A few weeks ago I managed to pic up a set of Euro taillights from an original Dutch 260z that where in excellent condition. So with the remaining time I had that day I quickly switched them out. Yesterday there was a small all Nissan/Datsun meet I attended which gave me the opportunity to compare my Z with others and do up some inspiration for future modifications. Afterwards I finally had the time to take some proper pictures of the car (with the car not half apart) and cruise along the dikes. WhatsApp Video 2026-07-13 at 09.15.40.mp4

im not happy voltage drops on this thing. best would be new fuse box re-route wiper and lights. i might try easy re-pin cause common, dome and lights uses same source. if that fuse box connector is some how the issue. on dome light i have not much draw, swap dome and light pins on end of connector

so, i failed MOT. there was no brake lights. fixed that it was loose connector on brake light switch but i found that parking light fuse was burning hot, measured current draw it was 5.6amps, seems to be common problem to melt fuse box. i did my math thought aging pressed pins heat cycles might have added resistance between those two connection so i soldered every connection. as i said earlier every load has dropped voltage slightly, no load its 13.8volts, press brake and it drops 13.3V. lights on wipers on fan at full blast i remember seen under 12volts on lighter socket. lets see how it goes after this work, if that park light fuse still gets hot first aid is led bulbs

I weighed the Z with the sr20det in it and it came in at 2395. The car has changed significantly since then. I plan to corner weigh the car later this summer. I have a spreadsheet where i track parts i've installed and removed with best guess weights. I believe the car is probably around 2521lbs, give or take. I'm not sure how much my rollbar weighs (i guessed 100lbs). I would like add a full leather interior with lots of sound deadening at some point. I have been eyeing the star road aluminum body panels. My dream is to make this car the Singer of 240z for me.

Oh, I think I figured it out. I do need a 3 wire bulb on the inner upper bulb to make the top two lights as brake lights. Per my first picture the 3rd wire on inner upper would be G which is shared with outer upper and outer lower, this is how early 240z's are. I need to snip top two G wires and run that to the brake output wire which I changed to GY on the picture which is Green / Yellow the color of brake switch output wire. Should look like this to make it work: