JacktheRiffer Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Looking at getting a 1978 280Z with an L28ET swap w/added intercooler and was wondering what the reliability would be like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Stock engines are around with over 350,000 Km, 200,000 Miles... If it's in good shape, it's cool. If it's leaky, oil all over, running funny, then it's probably not cool. Use your eyes, if it looks thrashed, it was probably thrashed, if it looks well maintained but normally dirty from use, it's probably good. If it looks polished and shiny but the car looks dirty, the seller probably cleaned it all up to hide marks of leaks or problems. Use your common sense. An unmolested example given routine fluids changes and regular maintenance is pretty reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Test drive it for 5 hours and find out yourself. In my experience buying cars, its quite hard to find someone honest about the problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacktheRiffer Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 It had 84k miles when it was pulled and its been well maintained and cleaned just like the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Besides what has been said above. Was the swap done with the ZXT Harness, Does it have Megasquirt or another type of Stand alone EFI system?. If it has Megasquirt make sure you get the type and code number, make sure you put the program on your own laptop or device, for tuning and tweeking. ) If you can check the entire condition or have a mechanic check out the entire condition, you should do that. I always like to start up an engine cold after sitting over nite, listening for a knock, hard starts, smoke and so on. Then drive it right after you check for all those. Then do it again after it has sat, after driving for an hour. If the seller won't let you check it out fully, walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Test drive it for 5 hours and find out yourself. In my experience buying cars, its quite hard to find someone honest about the problems. Really? 5 hours? There's a name for people like that, they are referred to a "test pilots." People who for the most part want to drive a car around excessively, with little to no intent on buying the car. I always like to start up an engine cold after sitting over nite, listening for a knock, hard starts, smoke and so on. Then drive it right after you check for all those. Then do it again after it has sat, after driving for an hour. If the seller won't let you check it out fully, walk away. You'd never buy anything from me then... I don't know of any seller besides maybe a new car dealer that might even come remotely close to doing something like that. As a seller, it's a take it or leave it thing for me. In the case of an S30, it's a 40 year old car, with an engine that is likely as old, it's going to have quirks and small issues, and any buyer should be aware of that. The last time I sold a car I gave the prospective buyers the option to have a mechanic look at it, but if they wanted to waste my time by letting it sit over night and then for an hour for starts and drive it for an hour, I'd have told them to shove off, and they were friend's of friends, it was a 13 year old car, and told them everything it needed. Looking at getting a 1978 280Z with an L28ET swap w/added intercooler and was wondering what the reliability would be like Reliability will be like any other car, if it's well maintained, then it will last, neglect it, and it won't. The other things that will make something fail are poor tuning and getting too abusive with it. Do some homework on the way the swaps have been documented and compare to how it has been done. If you're mechanically inclined, a few things that are needing attention shouldn't scare you away from purchasing a car. In my experience, even poorly maintained cars can be made to be reliable with a little effort. Edited April 15, 2012 by Six_Shooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Generally, if you can arrive to a cold car, start it, and drive it on the freeway for 1/2 hour you will know anything reasonably knowable about the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldlion Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Agreed Tony D. That's the first thing I ask a seller when I am going to go look at a car. Please make sure the engine is cold when I arrive. There is no reason a seller shouldn't be willing to let you start a cold engine, unless it's 0* outside, and in that case, you should have bought a car when it was warmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The colder, the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Yea, 30 minutes should tell you most problems as long as the engine was cold and you get mixed driving in. My L28E is nearing 250k with no rebuild. I have ZERO doubt it'd make it to 300k. The L28ET is just as reliable as long as the EFI is in good working order. It's generally the air/fuel control that will kill these motors. I've even run them pretty darn hot without warping the heads, pretty darn hard to ruin. But a bad sensor can wreak havoc and hurt things pretty bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacktheRiffer Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Without having looked at it the only thing that seems to be wrong with it is the lack of fuel injectors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I spent 3 hours buying my last car. I got there, my friends spent time at the beach and I basically went through the entire car with the buyer. I had him jack it up, I checked the underside, brakes, exhaust system. Then we went on a drive, first around town, we got some lunch (on me), then on the freeway for about 50 miles. I had him get on/ off a bunch and floor it. I also had him stop to get some drinks halfway through the trip. 5 hours is a bit of exaggeration but when you say "As a seller, it's a take it or leave it thing for me." I probably wouldn't want to buy anything from you. You sound like you're trying to offload damaged goods. Also "it's going to have quirks and small issues, and any buyer should be aware of that." Well I want to know all those quirks. I hate buying a car, and going through the wiring finding it all ghetto rigged together, among other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) I spent 3 hours buying my last car. I got there, my friends spent time at the beach and I basically went through the entire car with the buyer. I had him jack it up, I checked the underside, brakes, exhaust system. Then we went on a drive, first around town, we got some lunch (on me), then on the freeway for about 50 miles. I had him get on/ off a bunch and floor it. I also had him stop to get some drinks halfway through the trip. More time than I would put into selling a car, you're buying a car, not going for a job interview. 5 hours is a bit of exaggeration but when you say "As a seller, it's a take it or leave it thing for me." I probably wouldn't want to buy anything from you. You sound like you're trying to offload damaged goods. So because I don't want to waste my time, you would automatically assume I'm selling something damaged, or not disclosing something, even if I tell you what the car will need to a] pass safety (if anything) or b] things I would do to improve it, that have no bearing on safety (if anything)? Especially after putting it on a hoist (if need be), and letting you look over the car, hear it run, etc? Also "it's going to have quirks and small issues, and any buyer should be aware of that." Well I want to know all those quirks. I hate buying a car, and going through the wiring finding it all ghetto rigged together, among other things. Just looking over the car in person, you should be able to see anything that is not repaired or modified well. What is going on a 3 hour tour going to tell you about the wiring? I bet you're also one of those people that buy an "as-is" car and if you find something you don't like afterwards, go back to the seller about it. When I bought my S30, I had the seller send me some pictures, and then I flew out there to look it over myself. the car was about 3000 miles from me. I spent about an hour at the guys house, only about 20 minutes of it spent on the car itself, I could see what it needed, and listened to it start and run for maybe 5 minutes. I could tell the seller was open about it's condition and what it needed, I didn't need to go for a tour with it, or listen to it run for a half an hour, to know it was going to be a good car. Not everybody is out to screw the next guy, some of us just don't have the patience or desire to babysit a prospective buyer for hours on end. Threads like this remind me why I usually scrap cars, and not sell them, because it's easier to sell parts, than complete cars sometimes. Edited April 16, 2012 by Six_Shooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Honestly, I've bought more out of Lein Sale... Most times 45 minutes doing basic tune up stuff and I'll drive the car cross-country. Spending more than an hour on something meant as a daily driver and not some numbers matching concours barn find prospect smacks of issues IMO. Some of the ansl audits proposed ate more than I've done on cars I took cross country! I've got to admit, were I to sell a car, it would be Priced appropriately, and you either want it or you don't. I don't have the time for tire kickers and people who want an excuse as to why they don't want to pay what I'm asking. If you want it, buy it. Fix what you don't like. What bothers you may not bother me--why should that be a reason to alter my asking price? Probably why I don't sell either cars OR parts, and rather give them away or trade... Edited April 16, 2012 by Tony D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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