CaptainJoe87

Yea it has one. That is still hooked up to the intake manifold.

I did that google search and read about 5 of the threads that came up. It seem like everyone's car dies and then they have to wait to get it to start again. The motor doesn't actually die, so that was my fault on that one. The rpms drop out and the throttle becomes unresponsive until you get off of it and let the motor even its self back out. I hear it sucking air, so I have a pretty good feeling its that fuel relay. The only thing that keeps me feeling a little funny about that is sometimes I smell gas after we rev it. Looks like Im taking a trip back to the junk yard tomorrow. They have an 82 or so zx in there, hopefully it has the same relay.

I have had a lot going on this week so I haven't had as much time to fool with the car as I wanted. All these suggestions are very helpful and it looks like I have plenty to read about on this rainy day now. Thanks guys and I will be sure to post what had to be done to fix it.

Ok so from the repair manual the relay that is clicking is either the seat belt warning, the fuel pump relay 1 or one other thing that my mind is drawing a blank on. We hooked the battery up to another car that was running and still had the same problem so that further takes me away from alternator. The AFM flap operates smooth. We pulled the distributor apart and everything in there looks clean, a little bit of wear was on one of the connections but we sanded it off and still had the problem. I need to get this car running again soon the weather is to nice not to drive it. Any other suggestions? Oh and I am not finding any vac. leaks either.

Sorry I have been having computer trouble too so I was trying to get as much of the problem as possible in there. Its a 1980 ZX FI no real mods yet just cold air intake and a hacked off muffler. The gauge for the battery voltage has been high since I got the car and sometimes it has had trouble starting on hills. I don't know if that helps at all.

I have done a lot of reading so far but Im still not sure whats wrong. The car starts and runs but as soon as you start giving it gas and putting it in gear to drive I loose all power all and the lights dim. The motor gets really jerky. It started when driving at about 70mph steady on the highway and was intermittent for a while after that until it was all the time. It is an L28 motor that I have started removing some egr parts and plugging everything I removed. I have a spare alternator and it has been suggested that is the problem but im not sure. I always thought that the alternator just led to a drained battery and a car that wouldn't start not something like this. Also there is a relay or a wiring connection behind the glove box in the dash that is clicking and once I got the glove box out it was sparking. I will try and get a picture of that but Im not sure if the problem is related or not. I will also try to look in the book and post what part I think it is that is clicking and sparking. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I should have time tomorrow to do the alternator and test that theory.

Where would I look to check that?

Hey guys hopefully one of you can drop some knowledge on me with this. I have a 1980 280zx I think it might be the GL but Im not sure how to tell, stock/ rebuilt L28 and 5 speed transmission. Its only happened two times so far, but when I am really getting on it and get up around the 4500rpm mark in 5th gear and let off the gas the car pops out of gear and goes back into neutral. I have read somewhere that the trans and rear end gear ratios limit the car to a top speed of 121mph and that that "should" happen somewhere around that 5500rpm 4th gear 4500rpm 5th gear range. Is the trans popping out of gear like a fail safe or something to prevent you from getting back on it once you let off at that speed? Or is there an actual problem? Any information is helpful.

Whats with all the smack talk on the Datsuns? Those people ruined a perfectly good car. The red one wasn't that bad, kinda liked the tail lights wont lie.

Whenever they get a kit for a 1980ZX someone please let me know. Still a little ways off from actually doing this swap and if i dont have to fab the mounts and stuff myself that would be good.

To me from that angle it looks like what a Z "should" look like if they would have followed the original style and just tweaked small things here and there. That and the Jaguar XKR.

That looks pretty sweet man. Is that just an msa front and then your mods to it?

Found another reason why I want to stay with the L28. That thing sounds awesome hahaha. I took my zx up to my friend's shop to throw it on a lift and check over everything. The whole exhaust system is rusted and nasty and I learned about some other stuff that needs to be addressed fairly soon too. Anyways we cut the muffler off of it(which had tons of junk rattling around inside it) and wow. That car sounds pretty f'n sweet. I know this isn't a great story compared to all the guys with crazy work done, but this is my first time ever building a car, ever having something I consider to be an awesome car, and doing any serious work. Pretty much, don't hate hahahaha I'm having fun.

Hey all, I was looking at doing a new front bumper for my ZX. Something a little different than the standard ZX kit and I was wondering who else had some custom front ends on there ZX. I was thinking about trying to find a car with similar front end dimensions and using one of there kits with a little modification. I am still a ways off from body work but its never to early to gather information. Thanks in advance for any help or pictures or advice on trying to go this rout.

I decided to stick with it for a couple reasons. 1.) When I got my ZX it had a fresh rebuild with only 10k on it. 2.) Its a Z car it came with the L motor and unless this motor totally craps out on me then it will stay with it. I don't want or need anything crazy although I have seen some pretty sick Z cars with L's in them. I am just getting started with my build of this car so who knows maybe I will change my mind but for now Im goin L28 all the way. (Well maybe a turbo later, only time will tell)

I got my 1980 ZX about three months ago, after searching the internet and saving for about 8 or 10 years. So far so stock, rockers are rusty and a couple small spots here and there. Getting ready to put on HP springs and shocks which should drop it about an inch, looking for some deep wheels to go with the drop. Also been talking to a guy I met on here about some other upgrades for my car. Its N/A for now I have been considering throwing a turbo on it eventually. Been replacing things as they break, all new belts, new aluminum radiator, just waiting on money to do the intake manifold and throw headers on it because the gasket for the manifold is bad and when the new motor (rebuilt with only 13K on it) got put in they used the old exhaust manifold and don't have the gasket on it. So a lot of work, not to much, the body work is probably going to cost me about 4K unless I can talk my friend into helping me out on it, but that would be to get it done right. Really excited about getting this car in the shape it deserves to be in and driven instead of sitting in a garage for 5 years( previous owner).

In that case anyone know where to get some either carbon fiber or fiberglass fenders and or hoods??? and or hatches for a S130

as far as i know no upgrades on the rebuild. i have the receipt from the last owner on the motor and it says nothing about it.

Point taken. And thanks. I have a list of a few things that I want to do as of now, like rid myself of the emissions and egr and stuff. I was also thinking about porting the head, getting a larger throttle body, porting the intake manifold,and putting a street strip cam in and redoing the valve springs and retainers. I guess I was just trying to see what other people usually do for a first few mods and where some good places to find parts were. I have been looking on MSA and while they have a good list of parts I feel like I could find more and cheaper parts somewhere else. Also i have seen a few people talking about moding the ECU. What kinds of things do you change on it and how much of a performance boost would something like that give you?

Hey everyone I finally got myself a 1980ZX n/a after about 10 or so years of looking. The motor has 10k after rebuild with only 13k on the car its self. I have been going through fixing stuff as it breaks, nothing major so far( radiator, belts, soon to be exhaust manifold for headers). But after that I want to do something to give it some more power. Any ideas for a man on a budget in the area of say one grand??

http://www.zforceproductions.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38&Itemid=12 that site has both the Gnose front kit and the ZG flares in both fiberglass and carbon fiber. i know this is an old thread but if you havent found it yet here it is