Starting a 77 280z restoration

[JakeMonkey]

Hey all, I just picked up a 1977 280z a few weeks ago, and have embarked on a quest for restoration.  I picked up the car with minimal rust, a surprisingly intact interior, and a workable engine for $1250.  I'm making my way around the internet, trying to find the best forums and general resources to help get me on my way.  I'm in Washington, and the car has been fairly well cared for, so rust is minimal for a car of this age.  I have a background in mechanics, a nice garage, and a decent income to get me rolling on the project.  I have been going about the general business of removing basically everything, and so far I have the rear carpeting and tray removed, the center console, the exhaust, and the engine removed.  The car was stored in a carport, and hasn't been driven since 2006. The previous owner told me that the engine is fine other than a blown head gasket, but when I started getting deep into the engine disassembly this weekend I found that he wasn't really well informed about the issues with the engine.  The gasket was indeed warped and in bad shape on #6, but the real problems were elsewhere. All 6 pistons have heavy carbon buildup, and were pretty wet. When I got to the bottom end, I found over half an inch of pure sludge in the oil pan, and the oil pickup was sitting in the sludge.  The crankcase, the crank, and the rods all have surface rust buildup. I pulled one of the mains and that journal looked nice at least.  I'm hoping that once I get the block fully disassembled, that a good cleaning and acid bath will bring the block back to a serviceable state. 

 

My future build plans are thus:

 

1: Replace and build the engine internals, and go with a turbo setup. I have seen some people saying that the N42 can be a good block for a turbo platform, would I be right in pursuing that path?  I am considering getting a rebuilt P90 head, but if there are better options, I am open to any input.  I am planning on sticking around 300hp to start with, so I'm hopeful that this block will work for that application.  I will probably do a megasquirt setup for engine management, as it seems to be a popular way to go about things.

 

2: Replace the original 4 speed manual with a 5 speed manual. I have seen some people recommending the T5, and a few others said you can cram a Z32 trans in there. Any recommendations for transmissions?

 

3: Replace the differential with an R200 diff, is there a certain version or platform I should be looking at getting a diff from?

 

4: Gut the brown interior, and redo everything with black carpeting, leather and panels.

 

5: Prep the exterior, treat and fix all rust issues, and get a quality paint job.

 

6: Rewire the interior, and find a better wiring harness for the engine bay.
 

7: Replace all hoses, and make all new brake lines and fuel lines.

 

8: Replace all suspension bushings, shocks, and various other suspension items.

 

9: Replace the hideous shock bumpers with a more streamlined setup, does anyone have any recommendations on body kits or replacement bumpers?

 

I know that there are many, many more things that I will be taking care of in this process, but that's my initial goal for the car. Feel free to give any input you feel is necessary, I will be frequenting these boards and others in the future to aid me in my quest to bring this car to the glorious state that it deserves!

 

I've included some pictures, and I will update them as the build progresses.

 

[NewZed]

3.  I would bet an R200 that the car already has an R200.

 

The blocks are all pretty similar.  People run turbos on all of them.  It's the pistons and head combinations that need to be planned.  Since you're starting from scratch, you might as well put together the engine you want to get the power you want and start with aftermarket engine management.

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/50208-the-ultimate-l28et-guidewhat-you-need-for-350whp/

 

 

www.blackdragonauto.com apparently has 204Z bumpers.  That's the most popular swap for the big bumpers.  

[Pillar]

I agree with NewZed.  Unless the previous owner swapped out the differential for something else (unlikely) then it already has an R200.  280Zs all had R200 differentials, but they were the open-diff variations.  There is another R200 differential that is limited-slip, which is the one I assume you are referring too.The LSD R200 that most people go for is the one out of an 87-89 300ZX turbo.

[Phantom]

In case you don't already know there is a Z car club in your area, www.zccw.org. The guys in the club can really help you out on advice, parts, etc.  I'm over in Yakima and I started with a '77 280Z in 1986.  It was stolen in '89 and then I replaced it with another '77 in 1992.  I still have the car.  It started life as a totally original California edition coupe 4-spd with a white exterior and a brown interior.  In the 22+ years and 137,000 miles I've had it I've replaced or modified everything except the dash.  It's a great foundation car.  Be advised that there are two different "77 models.  They differ primarily in the level of the back deck with the later one having a raised deck and a smaller spare tire well to allow a larger fuel tank.

I have a 3.70:1 long nose R-200 LSD out of an '87 300ZX turbo.  I've never done anything to it but install it and it's worked great for me.  Your car already has a 3.54:1 R200 in it so swapping in the LSD version will be fairly straightforward but there are a few issues to overcome that the guys in the club can guide you through - or just fire me an email.

Have fun!