1978 280z -- nimble and simple

[ditto64]

BACKGROUND:

Hi, I'm Dave -- 18 y/o senior from Minneapolis area. I've always had a passion for cars (fast ones)... my room has been covered in McLaren F1's and Ferraris and Lamborghinis since I was 11. My dad shares some of my passion, but prefers to buy and sell newer cars and leaves all the work up to mechanics. I had a Volvo 850 wagon last year and had a lot of fun toying with it with a new ECU, air intake, etc, but I wanted to do more. When I was first introduced to the Z cars (s30) I became addicted -- looked them up on Craigslist for over 6 months and even went out to look at a few. The idea of both a classic, stylish, and nimble car paired with the opportunity to 'learn' cars was one I couldn't pass up. Both money and time are constraints; I'm a full-time student taking both college and high school courses along with a job, but the summer will come soon and that means more attention to the Z. I've been voraciously researching Z's and just car repair in general for the past year and have come a long way in car knowledge, but I've still got a lot to learn.

 

THE Z:

Last year (May 2011) I bought a 280z out of shed in Lakeville after looking at various Z's mostly for fun in the metro area -- this one hadn't been running in 7 or so years but the body was clean and my neighbor car-guru thought it was a solid deal at $1500. 119k miles, 5 speed, black coupe with black interior. The paint was crap so a respray was a must -- different sections of the car had different shades of black, some matte, others glossy...I'm still confused how this happened (no owner history) and it came with black paint, which wasn't even offered in 1978. My dad's original intentions were to 'refresh' the car and then just have fun driving it; I wanted to do a lot more with it (engine swap) but my plans have since changed. The engine turned over with starter fluid but the body was clean (I had read about the horrible rust issues on Z's), so I bought it and had it delivered to my house the following week.

 

WHAT I'VE DONE:

After getting the Z, the first order of business was to get the engine running. A new battery fixed the intermittent starter motor but it didn't seem to be getting gas, so I pulled all the injectors (several bolts broke off...) and stuck new ones on. Still no luck, although there was gas in the lines. A new fuel pump went in and after an inspection of other fuel components; that got the engine running, but not for long. It wouldn't idle and stepping on the gas too hard would kill it. After several weeks of slowly finding time to work on it, we (my neighbor, dad and I) found the issue was a leaky AFM rubber pipe. After replacing that, the engine idled great. Next step was to get a radiator fan because it didn't come with one. I ordered a water pump pulley and had a fan from some other car lying around, so I ground it down to clear the water pump bolts and that fit very nicely. The engine ran well and driving it was a blast, so our cheap barn find felt like a solid buy.

 

I stripped out the ratty old interior carpet expecting to find rusted out floorboards, but to my surprise they were in great shape, like the rest of the car. The only real rust issues were through the front right wheel well and frame rails, the other rust was cosmetic and will be sorted out when it gets painted. We had a family friend welder weld Mad Dog frame rails on to ensure a solid frame and patched the major rust spot. We bled the brakes, but they still aren't that great and I would like to go discs all around. My dad wanted new carpet for the interior (priorities..?) so I bought and installed it. Also bought windshield wiper arms aftermarket mirrors to make it legal. I took the front and rear bumpers off because those steel anchors do not belong on a Z. The gas gauge didn't work so I pulled the tank and de-rusted the sending unit, which fixed that problem -- soon I will clean and coat the inside of the gas tank because it is quite rusty.

 

 

PLANNED TO DO:

I have yet to address the suspension, finish up the interior, replace the beat up wheels, and get a paintjob. These three tasks are my top priority at this point. All of the bushings are original rubber and are crap, so I'll be picking up a complete polyurethane bushing kit and replacing those. Further, I'd like to install coilovers that stiffen up the ride and lower the car a couple inches, but that process is very confusing to me (camber plates/sectioning struts/other solution?). I decided that I'll be doing the paint work myself after much deliberation and getting quoted at $1500+ for a solid respray from several different shops -- I want to learn about bodywork and I can't justify spending more on the paint than I did on the car itself. As far as wheels go, I'd like wider tires and newer, good looking wheels. Crazyoctopus's 240 build uses Diamond Racing 15x9s looks amazing, however I want to be able to drive the car. The interior is of lower importance but a new steering wheel (ours is melted rubber) and seats would be nice.

 

FINAL PRODUCT:

I want the 280 to look great (I'm thinking grey with black accents), feel stiff and responsive and corner well, and be somewhat reliable as a weekend warrior. I may do AutoX in the future but for now I want to focus on having a nimble sports car that I can work on myself.

 

If anyone has suspension/paint/wheel suggestions, feel free to let me know. Any and all input is appreciated and although I just joined this awesome community, I've browsed the forums for months.

 

Will post more photos soon.

Edited May 6, 2012 by ditto64

[Perfect240z]

You got a great deal my friend. Good luck with the build! I'm doing everything myself on my 70 240z. Check out my thread, Ive had the car for two years now but working on it for about a solid year with work and getting married. I've never done any body stuff but so far it's going great...just slow. If you have any questions pm me I'd be glad to lend my input.

[BluDestiny]

78 did offer black. It was the black pearl addition. The different shades could be body work used to cover up dents, possibly primer. I would sand as much down as you can before you have it resprayed ( or respray it yourself).

 

Also suspension should be your first priority over paint. I would like a car that handles and can launch before I have a good looking car lurch and sway like crazy.

 

CrazyOctopus is actaually using 15x10 all around. Unless you're going for that style, 8inch or 9inch should be fine. 10inch is for when you're going to flare it.

[ditto64]

Alex731 -- thanks, but I couldn't find your thread with the search, could you post the link? (It's obvious I'm new)

 

BluDestiny -- I heard about the black pearl addition, but my color code sticker is missing (638, right?) and I don't have any of the red/gold trim that would denote the BP package. Do you know any other way to check?

[Perfect240z]

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/101191-1970-240z-project-very-slow-money-is-tight/#

 

Here you go, I'll be making another video soon about body work. Itll be the easiest way for someone who doesn't wan to pay a lot of money and doesn't mind getting dirty. I'll also say what is the easiest way incase you have the money lol.

[ditto64]

Today with some help I got the Z up on blocks and got the wheels off and the first bits of the rear suspension disassembled.

 

But first, I had to take off the gas tank, so after that I took out the ugly bumper mounts.

 

I'm planning to shave the rear bumper smooth for that continuous, fluid look, but the lip under the taillights won't come off easily. How do you get that thing off?! It's spot welded on and I'm strapped for ideas.

 

I have decided to tackle the suspension first, so my plan is to take it all apart and stick on the polyurethane bushing kit that I ordered. For shocks/spring I'm thinking tokico illuminas (about $500 for a set on ebay). Anyone have experience with these? I'm wondering if I need to modify the stock setup to install them or just bolt them on -- however, I like the idea of adjustable stiffness and a less antiquated, more sporty suspension setup.

Edited May 6, 2012 by ditto64

[ditto64]

Just ordered a set of PROTHANE polyurethane bushings for the entire suspension and Tokico Illumina struts/springs -- psyched to get them in the car and feel the difference. Install in a couple weeks, standardized testing time in school so gotta buckle down and study.

[Perfect240z]

I replied back to your post on my thread. I have the enkie 96's. I think you have the enkie 92's. I'm getting rid of mine it isn't my thing.