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This is a build thread to document the progress on a 1977 Datsun 280z 2+2. The previous owner had started stripping the car with intentions of restoring it but it ended up just sitting in a storage container. Before that, the car sat in someone's yard because of a lien against it and eventually a tree fell on the back portion busting out the rear glass and leaving a nice dent. Because the car has been sitting for so long, it has a bit of rust but nothing structural, like the frame rails, is damaged. We've never done any car restoration work before so any pointers would be appreciated. The long term goal is to swap a LS v8 engine (probably a 5.3L or 4.8L), upgrade the suspension and brakes, and have a solid daily drivable Datsun. Below is a list of what we have done to the car already: -Stripped the interior and exterior -removed the sound dampening material with some freeze spray and an air chisel -removed the engine, transmission, and engine bay wiring -misc metal work (cutting out the usual Z rust and welding in patch panels) -coated all internal frame rails and cavities with east-woods internal frame rail coating or POR-15 Here is what we started with. Inspiration / Goals Pulling the engine - relatively easy. When you don't have a load leveler, you just use screw drivers to make sure the chain doesn't slide! Hopefully, the steering rack will be salvageable. Cutting out the rust (floor pans, battery tray, and a big spot in the bumper area) Here's some of the welding / patch panels. We used weld through primer so the the welds won't rust through. Battery Compartment The front nose area - patched on both sides driver's side floorpan (not nearly as bad as passenger side just one patch panel near the seat mount). Passenger floorpan - we fabricated a floorpan that was mainly plug welded in place and also replaced a rusty spot in the trans tunnel. a shot of some POR-15 rust convertor work underneath the cowl panel. That brings the project up to present time, lots of work to do still.

Inspired by the Head cooling on cylinder #5 thread (http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/59029-head-cooling-on-cylinder-5-solutions/), I decided to make my own diagrams of the cooling system for US Z/ZX L6 engines. I had to exaggerate and diminish a few proportions to maintain decent flow while using a flat layout. These charts are as accurate as far as my knowledge and research have shown so far. I will gladly accept any corrections and update accordingly. The year cutoffs are approximate and do not reflect all of the small month-to-month changes of course. On the ZX diagrams, some cars got the throttle body heaters while others didn't. I left them in both diagrams just to cover all the bases. I did spend a fair bit of time on these, so if they do happen to find their way elsewhere on the web, make sure at the very least to cite where they came from. Red = oil passages Blue = water passages and flow direction Yellow = direction of water flow in flexible hoses 1970-1974 240Z / 260Z 1975-1978 280Z 1979-1980 280ZX 1981-1983 280ZX

So I have a 1977 280z with a stock engine. The car runs and drives really well but anytime I come to a red light or stop sign it wants to die so I have to press the gas a little so it doesn’t die. Any ideas on that it is or what I should do? Thanks

So I have a 1977 280z with a stock engine. The car runs and drives really well but anytime I come to a red light or stop sign it wants to die so I have to press the gas a little so it doesn’t die. Any ideas on that it is or what I should do? Thanks

Hey guys I’m in the middle of getting my turbo setup together and need some feedback. Has anyone used this manifold? Also I’m gonna be using a Borg Warner 66/74 turbo, does anyone know what would be a good wastegate size?

Alrighty, Ive got a stock 1978 280z and I'm currently installing an MSD 6A and Blaster 2 coil into the car. After reading any and all forum posts on the topic I came to the conclusion that I would need an MSD Tach Adapter 8920 in order for the MSD box to Communicate to the EFI by upping it to 12v. All my wires are in place and I'm getting a good strong spark. I put a voltmeter on the purple wire coming out of the MSD tach adapter and I'm getting 12v. Only problem is that I'm getting no fuel. It must not be communicating with the EFI somehow. Here's my Setup. MSD 6A: Heavy Red goes to battery + Heavy Black is going to battery - Red is going to Black wire with white strip (Ignition Key Wire) Orange is connected to blaster 2 coil + Black is connected to blaster 2 coil - White is not being used, I do not have a points system Violet and Green are connected to the Magnetic Pickups (I was told it didn't matter which way, I put green to green and violet to red) MSD Tach Adapter 8920: White goes to Tach Output on MSD 6a box Black is ground wire Red is connected to Black wire with white stripe (so two reds and black with white stripe all connected) Violet is connected to the blueish green wire that was connected to the coil negative terminal. Summary: I don't know what the **** I did wrong. Someone please tell me.

I have 10-20k to spend on a clean car. Is anyone looking to sell? I'm willing to have it shipped to me or drive to pick up the car

Hello All, I've been looking for a Datsun 280z for a few months now, and with my fingers crossed tomorrow might be the day. With that being said I'm unaware of actual condition and have only seen pictures. If it is purchased tomorrow I will be posting pictures as soon as possible to get a bit of feedback as this will be my first project car. From what I've seen it looks good though👍. My apologies ahead of time, I've never worked on a car so I'm very unfamiliar with things. ALL TIPS & CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM APPRECIATED. The Goals LS3/T56 Swap - I plan to buy a total kit from Jegs. (https://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet-Performance/809/CPSLS376525T/10002/-1) my only concern is that it says Super magnum I had trouble finding that specifically on google/forums. So if I need something like this (https://www.jegs.com/i/McLeod/673/TUET11009/10002/-1) let me know. A/C - really hoping to be able to make this work with the swap as I do intend to daily the vehicle. Was able to find some people could make something over at Vintage Air work. Air Suspension - This has been another difficult area as it seems the only answer has been custom. I am hoping to be able to get an accuair CVT system to work. Rear End/Suspension - This is an area I do need some help in. what would be good enhancements/upgrades to the rear end and suspension? I know the air will just work as the coilovers but what else should be done to ensure a safe and somewhat comfortable ride around 500Whp? Aero/Bodykit - Rocket Bunny Pandem widebody Frame Reinforcement - Since I will be going for higher HP I plan to take precautionary measures and get the frame reinforced to hopefully prevent any bending if there are any kits or tips in this area much appreciated. Roll Cage - here in SF I was able to find someone to Fab/weld in Comfort/Bucket Seats - want the race look but still want to run a harness and be able to go for prolonged car rides without discomfort. Open to ALL suggestions! 😊 Power Windows/Locks - Found a Kit here (https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/50-4211) seems a few people managed to install without issue. Big Brake kit - not top priority as I'm learning I may not be able to run this setup with air or specific rims (more of a dream) A brake upgrade will be preformed nonetheless. I'm sure that I missed so many things but I figure this is a good place to start and it hopefully gives everyone an idea of what i'm going for. I have some BIG goals for the interior but I need to make sure the car is in good running condition before I worry to much about all of that. please point out anything that I missed out or may not be thinking of when getting into this swap. Just to help those who will say "too much for a first project" or "learn more before doing this" I will be working along side a certified mechanic while everything is being done to the vehicle😃. The budget is going to be $35,000 I understand a large portion will go to the engine but there isn't necessarily a limit just spending will slow down significantly after😅. Hope to hear back from some people soon so I can start to get some better ideas on where to start this project. Cheers!

Hello Everyone. I am looking to purchase an S30 with a manual that is in decent shape. Don't care about model (Coupe or 2+2) or year. Just an S30. Not too much rust or no rust and something that runs. It can be ugly just want to not have to do tons of rust repair. I'm looking for a light project not a complete ground up overhaul. I'm located in Coal City, IL. My contact information is bkhansen93@gmail.com or 8154053050. Will be willing to speak to anyone who has something to sell. Just reach out to me.

I am selling my 1973 Datsun 240Z. Bought as roller without engine/trans in 2011/2012. Previous owner/s have changed the roof and various parts, so some of the stuff i pulled out was off a 260z/ 280z and there might still be some mixed parts on it. That and all the modifications pretty much eliminate this as a show car. Do not buy this thinking it can be restored to show car quality. It would take far more than would make economic sense. This is purely made to run quick/fast, not to look pretty. It's raw and needs muscle to be driven. It has manual brakes without booster and manual steering without power assistance. You need to be strong like bull. But it is rewarding! If you dare you can get 0-60 in just over 4 seconds, while carrying a passenger. I've never felt the need to put effort into it, but I am certain it'll crack the 4 second mark if you just lower the tire pressure... This is a great handling, light weight car with balls! Once you get used to its noise and raw roughness or like me, fall in love with it, this car is AWESOME! Took it to tracks and autocross events and thoroughly enjoyed the @#$% out of it every time i drove it, but I am almost done building me next racecar and I need the funds to focus and finish it up... Now to the great things about this car. I'm just going to list as much as I can and I'll save some details for when you come to see it: SOLID 1997 Pontiac Trans Am LT1 V8 with 310 hp at around 5250 rpm and a torque curve that starts well above 320 ft. lbs. from the word go all the way into the rev limiter. Max torque 340 ft. lbs. Stand-alone engine harness and Howell Engineering computer, tune-able, obviously T56 manual 6-speed transmission out of the same 1997 Pontiac Trans Am S1 Sequential Shifter that translates forward/ backward motion into the H-pattern - yeah, it's awesome! R200 rear diff with a fantastic Quaife ATB torque biased helical limited slip differential upgrade and 3.545 final drive ratio Nissan Armada CV jointed half shafts LED sealed beam replacement headlights with aero covers Both, front and back bumpers lightened (not good for crash resistance, so be aware) Fiberglass bumper covers, front and back, front with lower air dam Fiberglass fenders Fiberglass hood with vents and secured by lockable aerocatch latches Fiberglass cowl Fiberglass flares Wilwood brakes (almost 13" all around) with 6 piston front calipers and 4 piston rears - high temp fluid, track disks, track pads, biasing valve installed Complete Arizona Z car suspension kit with billet control arms etc pp, which keeps the rear control arms straight while the vehicle is lowered! 5-lug Rota wheels 17x9 front and 17x9.5 rear with Nitto NT01s in 255/40/17 fronts and 275/40/17 rears Autopower bolt in 10 point roll cage NRG hub and deep dish steering wheel with quick disconnect and lockable cover Custom light weight polycarbonate dash board Dakota Digital gauge cluster with 0-60 timer and 1/4 mile timer and couple neat functions Ignition activated dash cam with GPS Corbeau racing seats on sliders, forth and back adjustable! Schroth ASM harness belts Fuel-Safe bladder fuel tank with functioning level sensor and external high flow filter and Mallory pump Fiberglass deck lid spoiler American Autowire chassis harness Clean California title Made in 1973, this car is PRE-smog and does not have to go to smog inspection! Current registration Asking price $12,500.00 Located in San Diego

After looking everything over and doing some digging I came to the conclusion that using 65 mustang hubs on 240z spindles is not a cost effective solution for big brakes. I am now looking into a ball joint adapter that bolts to the control arm of the 204z and uses press in 2014 mustang ball joints. I intend to use this in conjunction with 2004 Subaru wrx coil over struts to allow the use of 5 lug 2014 mustang hubs and brakes. Which are 5x114.3 The intent is to have the outer wheel mount flange be pushed out roughly 35mm.... effectively converting our cars from a "zero offset" wheel to a "plus 35mm" wheel... aka just like the 300z and the 240sx, Toyota supra etc... It's a front steer, rear caliper spindle just like the stock 240z, once I know what the bump steer geometry will be I will have a clearer picture of things. Someone could use a widebody or flared setup if they chose to run a zero offset wheel, or use cheap and readily available 350z wheels and have stock track width. Let me know if anyone has any input on this. Good idea, bad, etc...

Cross-post from Fabrication/Welding. I'm looking at buying this '75 280z. The biggest downside is one of the frame rails has abut an 18" stretch of chewed out metal. Here's what it looks like https://imgur.com/a/TkbKOEo. Are the rails too banged up and rusted to be repaired? And would repairing them bee too costly? Currently the owner is asking 8500 for the car. The only other rust is a little bit in the upper part of the passenger footwell/firewall

For Sale- NOS 280z coupe backglass. PPG brand- part# FB1222 Been in warehouse for decades. Rare part perfect for your restoration. NLA No scuffs or scratches! $150 plus PayPal fee/Shipping

I just picked up 1975 280z. Body condition was amazingly good and minimum rust. Only small dent on the passenger's side of the door and fender. The goal for this project is phased project. 1. To run the engine 2. Fix minor rust 3. 240z bumper and tail light conversion 4. Fuel injection to Triple weber swap. 5. Paint the car Let's see how much progress I can make monthly...

I finished my l28et swap and she runs beautifully! The only thing I don't have is the tachometer wired up. Anyone know where the tachometer wire is located? Preferably someone that has done it already. Here's some picture if it helps at all.

Looking for a ‘78 280z engine wiring harness with A/C. john

Great to have found HybridZ Forums. Have been reading lots of useful zinformation for 2-3 hours and decided to register. This red ‘77 280Z is my 4th Z recently purchased in November 2018. In my late 20s to early 30s I owned a ‘73 240Z, ‘75 280Z and ‘74 260Z in that order. Of course they were fairly new back in the day. That’s me in 1979 with my silver ‘75 280Z. Wish I could have kept it. LOL Yes, I absolutely love these beautiful S30 Datsuns. Look forward to the forums here being a great resource for maintaining our 40+ year old cars. It’s a passion and love affair!

Hello all, 1st post on this forum Picked up myself a 1976 280z and looking at getting new wheels and tires. Decided on Rota Grids V, 16x8 with 0 offset for the fronts and 16x9 for the rears. Slightly lowered but otherwise stock suspension at the moment... I've searched and 16x8 with 0 offset clears rears and barely fronts (strut side). So apparently rears have more room between inner wheel edge and the strut, would I be able to get away with 16x9 with 0 offset, or I have to run -15 Offset? Prefer to go with 0 offset wheel so I don't have to massage wheel arches much. Any help will be much appreciated, have a wonderful day! Thanks, Paul Found it, for anyone else looking for this - YES, 16x9 with 0 offset will fit 280z rear (with stock struts) Post by m1ghtymaxXx in the attachment below has an answer! Will 15x9 -10 wheels fit 280z - The Tool Shed - HybridZ.mht

I see a few posts in here but I am looking for more specifics if anyone has any input or wants to try and convince me toward a direction go ahead but. I want to do a clean build (no junkyard shit) that I can take on road trips and whatnot, maybe on weekends and all that. I have heard horror stories of horrid MPG and being in the shitty state of CA id like to keep in the friendlier numbers of MPG. I am also not shy of HP so I was looking into RB26 swaps, Chevy V8, etc. Since I am a bit new am I going to run into shit with some setups, huge costs? Any info would be great or links to good posts.

Hey guys im going to be running fuel lines on my 280z w an Rb25det. Looking to put a rear sump on my gas tank and run walbro 255 fuel pump, z32tt fuel filter and a isr fuel pressure regulator. What type of lines should i run. Keep in mind i have a babre bone shell w everything stripped so ill b starting from scratch. Any input would be nice as far as what kind of line to use not planning on using e85.

Greetings from Montana. This is my first post so let me know if it's helpful. So my '75 Z has been sitting in a garage since 2013 on account of the clutch pedal lost its pressure and the fuel system was all gunked up with rust. I went off to school so I had no time to work on it. I came home this summer and have been working on it for a month or so now when I can afford it and have the time and finally this weekend it should drive once again! I came to the conclusion that the priority would be the gas tank and fuel system. So I dove right into draining the gas and stripping the tank from the car. What I had found next was a nightmare. Layers upon layers of rust in the gas tank! First thing I did was sloshed around quite a few nuts and bolts with some old gas and banged on it very carefully with a hammer to break some of those rust chips up. I drained what I could of the broken rust pieces and began my search for a cheap alternative for a rust removing chemical. Come to find out, white vinegar works wonders if you submerge and soak rusted metal for a couple days. I got 17 gallons of the stuff for 2$ a gallon at costco because you will want to fill the entire tank to prevent flash rusting on exposed metal. I filled the tank and sealed it all off with duct tape except for the small tube at the very top of the tank so it could breathe the fumes. I let it soak for 3 days like this and I would suggest placing whatever you are going to drain the vinegar into underneath the drain plug BEFORE you fill it because you won't be able to lift it yourself after it is full of 17 gallons, unless you are Hulk Hogan. Once you are satisfied with the amount of time it has soaked(anywhere from 24 hours for minor rust to 3-4 days for caked on rust), unscrew the drain plug and commence draining. After all but about a gallon or so has drained, grab hold of the tank and start rocking it back and forth and 360 degrees, slowly to get all the flakes to drain. You could bang on it with a rubber mallet or hammer again as well. Once it's all drained, take your phone camera and put it on video with the flash on and poke it inside the sending unit hole. You will be amazed looking around at how well the vinegar works. You will see mostly bare metal. Unplug all the holes and allow it to dry for a day or so. I taped an air compressor blower to one of the holes to give it a blow dry for about an hour right after I drained the vinegar. There will be flash rusting and there is nothing you can do to avoid that unless you wipe it clean with a rag right after it has drained, which is impossible with a gas tank. But don't worry the next step will cover that. Now go to your local car parts store and ask for a liquid gas tank liner, any brand will do. Make sure you read the directions and get enough, especially if you want to do 2 coats. They usually come in 1 quart cans that will usually only cover about 12 gallons. The brand I got was this way. For my '75 280z the gas tank is 17.2 gallons so I had to get 2 quarts. Once you are satisfied that your tank has dried completely, it is time to put your first coat on. Look inside your tank and you will see that it has a divider to the skinny part of the tank. For this reason, I plug all the holes except for the sending unit hole on the tall part of the tank and the gas outlet hole on the narrow part of the tank. This allows you to fill both halves without worry of missing a spot with the coat. You need a good funnel for this stuff. Fill the narrow half with one quart first because it takes longer. Then fill the sending unit half with the remaining quart. Plug the remaining holes. Very slowly roll the gas tank around in your arms 360 degrees on all planes for about 15 minutes or until you think every spot has been touched by the good stuff. It's kinda like the consistency of molasses and it dries like a rubber glove so be thorough. After rocking it around on all planes I would let it sit on it's bottom for 5 minutes then on it's side for 5 minutes then on it's top for 5 minutes then on the other side for 5 minutes and back again on the bottom. I did this for an hour or so while I was changing the oil. I wanted to make sure that bare metal would not show. Once you are satisfied, place it on top of some saw horses or an old cooler or something and place one of the liner cans under the drain plug and unscrew it. Remove all plugs so it can dry evenly. On all the small openings, I took my air blower and blew a small amount of air through to make sure the liner didn't plug them. I would highly recommend this. Let it dry for a day. Come back and check to see if it dried evenly. If there are bare spots, do a second coat, if you have enough left over liner. I did anyway. Let it dry for a day and a half just to be safe. This next step isn't necessary but I recommend doing it since you already have the hunk of junk out. Get a can of rust proof spray enamel from your hardware or car parts store. You could get any color you want. I just got black cause I don't know what the paint job will be on the car yet. Tape all the holes, Air blow it free of debris and sand the rusty spots, air blow again, then commence spraying the enamel. Let it dry. Now that the gas tank is complete, check all your filters. My Z had a small filter between the outlet and the fuel pump. When I took it out, it was pack full of rust to the brim. I have looked all over the market and can not find a part to replace this filter. I tapped all of it out and submerged it in vinegar as well. There is a strainer between the fuel pump and the fuel line to the block. I removed that and soaked it in vinegar. I installed a new fuel pump while I had the gas tank out. And there is another larger fuel filter by the engine block under the hood. I just got a new one of those for 20$ and installed it. Once your tank is completely dry, put it all back together. I suppose you could seafoam the system and bleed it if you want to go a step farther. I probably won't since I know the gas tank is good and that is the source of bad gas. I figure any bad stuff that remains will get washed out and burned off in a day of driving. Thanks for reading my first post! Hope it helped!

Was able to attend a local roll race event. Here are a couple of passes of my ls7 280z!!! Enjoy!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkqF5j8-Kjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMkUFN4t0ms

Hi HybridZ, I am Allen G, I'm from North Carolina and I have a 78 280z that I thought I would share as an introduction. I bought my car as a bone stock 280z about 8 years ago and I have been working on improving it ever since. The car currently has a stock(ish) RB25DET and the stock RB transmission that came with it, and is being run on an AEM Infinity ECU. The car has a radium dual pot surge tank, n1 oil pump, and baffled oil pan, but I am currently contemplating having the rear head drain improved to cut down on the possibility of having oiling issues these motors are known for. I've got it running through an OS Giken superlock CLSD geared to 3.92 with wolf creek CV axles. The car sits on T3 coil-overs and I currently have 15" rota grids wrapped with Toyo Proxes RA1s, from what I have experienced with the tires thus far I would recommend them highly! I am building the car for road course use, I am not much for the drag racing aspect of motorsports and VIR is a short drive away for me. I recently got the opportunity to test the performance of the vehicle on track at NCCAR here in NC and it went great! I thought I was in love with the car before but now I REALLY want to keep improving both the car and my own skills driving it. I will say I have worked in the car business all my life and I am not totally uninformed, but I am also always learning and I will probably be learning for a long time to come. Check out my car and let me know what you think, it's a pretty decent setup but there are a lot of aspects that I am still trying to perfect. Thanks for reading, I am looking forward to engaging with you and learning from all of you!

Hey all! I am new to these forums, also new to Datsuns!! I am 20 years old, currently going to college and working two jobs, and working on my new baby in the meantime! About two months ago I bought a 1975 280z. It came from South Carolina, so I had to get it brought all the way up to Connecticut for me. I searched all around for a Z for about two months before that but had no luck finding any car that wasn't overrun by rust. The northeast is terrible! Alas, I found my car in South Carolina and just had to have it. It has some dents and some paint chips, a rusty passenger frame rail, and a damn sexy body! It ran pretty crappy when I first got it back but I was not too worried because I knew one of the first steps would be to engine swap! The car sat in the shop for the past month, took it out a couple times, replaced the headlights (previous owner gave me lots of spare parts ), but mostly did LOTS research on engines to swap into my new baby. I decided to swap in an rb20det. It seems like it fits my minor power goals, sounds pretty sick, and seems fairly within my mechanical expertise, with lots of help from my family . Yesterday, we started disconnecting and unscrewing, and draining, and more disconnecting, getting ready to pull the engine and doing as much as I could before I had to get to work. Today we are gonna pull the engine and tranny. After it's out, the frame rail is being replaced, just bought a replacement from BAD DOGS this morning, hoping to get it by the weekend! Any undercarriage rust is getting tended to along with that god-awful undercoating that seems to overtake the entirety of the underneath of my car. It is gonna get done up real nice within the next month, while I save a little more to purchase the actual rb20det engine. I already have researched and lined up the rear sump oil pan, walbro fuel pump, throttle cable, intercooler, downpipe that I have planned to purchase. Aftermarket exhaust manifold, and intake manifold will be replaced next summer, along with a turbo upgrade. but not worrying about that yet. I just wanna get this engine in and running! Now, I do have some questions regarding this engine swap maybe some of you all could help me with. Do you have any radiator suggestions? Any body have any good recommendations as to where to purchase the RB? Right now I am vigorously searching through eBay. Car is an automatic right now, swapping it to manual with the new RB, any pedal sets or advice at all that you recommend! ANY ADVICE OR INFO YOU WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHARE? Next summer, I am planning to do the bodywork, get some wide body fenders on my baby, fender mirrors, thick tires, a rear spoiler, racing seats, full harness, upgraded interior, gauges, dash and get a good paint job! This summer, my goal is to successfully swap the engine, and get my baby running nice and good. It is gonna be a busy summer! Along with my Datsun project, in my family's shop, we are in the finishing stages of a Factory Five 818C kit car, which looks SICK. It's running an ej207 engine, weighs just about 2100 pounds right now and is pulling about 400hp without a tune yet! It is scary fast but a lot of fun! We have a 69' camaro drag car always in and out of the shop, holding the 632 outlaw world speed records right now, and another 2002 camaro drag car getting finished up. My family is very excited to help me through this project and hopefully I can expand my mechanical mind through my Datsun project! I can't wait to keep you guys updated!! I post all the pictures and updates on an instagram page, specifically for my datsun. You can all checkout the progress and updates through there if you're interested! https://www.instagram.com/dirty_ddatsun/ Thanks for reading!! -Julia

Located in Nashville, TN. Partially parting out my car to make it a weekend/SCCA car. Have pictures of the parts and can provide to you on request in PM. Vehicle was originally a California car and have tried to clean up most parts that had surface rust with Evapo-rust. Prices do not include shipping, which will tabulated and provided to you before completing transaction. Will use Paypal or Venmo, or local pick up. Expand the attached photo for available parts and prices.