HaaJeHaa Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Hi all! Just bought myself a 77 Datsun 280z and now I need to do some modification. I've ordered 240z flares (http://classicdatsun.co/new/240_glass.html - style bolt on flares) and Rota RBX 17x9 offset -13 with 215/35-17 front and 17x9,5 offset -19 with 225/35-17 rear. Now I need new suspension, what would you recommend? I need some lowering (so the wheels only clears the fenders by under an inch), and adjustable struts so the wheels won't touch the fenders and flares in bumps. Got major plans for this car: 240z bumpers, air dam, new paint, 280zx turboengine, 5 speed trans etc. Can't wait to start building! Hans J Holmen Norway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Hi all! Just bought myself a 77 Datsun 280z and now I need to do some modification. I've ordered 240z flares (http://classicdatsun.co/new/240_glass.html - style bolt on flares) and Rota RBX 17x9 offset -13 with 215/35-17 front and 17x9,5 offset -19 with 225/35-17 rear. Now I need new suspension, what would you recommend? I need some lowering (so the wheels only clears the fenders by under an inch), and adjustable struts so the wheels won't touch the fenders and flares in bumps. Got major plans for this car: 240z bumpers, air dam, new paint, 280zx turboengine, 5 speed trans etc. Can't wait to start building! Hans J Holmen Norway Funny! I just shipped shortened struts, shocks, coil overs, springs, etc. to a customer in Norway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaohabq Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Sounds awesome, We love to see project picts so whatever you've got, just post them up here. We'd be happy to try to get you pointers. Starting a project though, it's a good idea to make sure you know what you're getting into, more than half the project cars that get started are never completed. Know too that it's going to be expensive. Take your budget and double it. There's always more costs than you're expecting. These are 40 year old cars (33 I know)- old tho. Best advice I can tell you is to be certain you're starting with a good base. so inspect your car and take note of any rust (I can't imagine S30's are cheap or at all common in Norway) Anything you find will need to be addressed. From that I remember of norway was the rain, I don't know about winter, but the salty air won't help your car at all, so take precautions. So make a plan, and see where you should start. Since you're planning the engine swap, you might consider tearing it all down and painting before building anything up. The biggest issue is $ or in your case, I think Euros right? Good undercoating will go a long way. As for the suspension. Tokico Blues are decent, but you should read in here for spring rates, and I guess a lot of guys like the Illumina adj shocks. You can get them both off Ebay, or a number of dealers. You should also look up Arizona Z Car, they're not cheap, but they have some nice stuff. There's a guy on here, I think in Finland or Sweden who's been reguilding a 240z, that's just awesome, total rebuild, you'll have to search, but maybe someone has the link. Phar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaaJeHaa Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 (edited) Sounds awesome, We love to see project picts so whatever you've got, just post them up here. We'd be happy to try to get you pointers. Starting a project though, it's a good idea to make sure you know what you're getting into, more than half the project cars that get started are never completed. Know too that it's going to be expensive. Take your budget and double it. There's always more costs than you're expecting. These are 40 year old cars (33 I know)- old tho. Best advice I can tell you is to be certain you're starting with a good base. so inspect your car and take note of any rust (I can't imagine S30's are cheap or at all common in Norway) Anything you find will need to be addressed. From that I remember of norway was the rain, I don't know about winter, but the salty air won't help your car at all, so take precautions. So make a plan, and see where you should start. Since you're planning the engine swap, you might consider tearing it all down and painting before building anything up. The biggest issue is $ or in your case, I think Euros right? Good undercoating will go a long way. As for the suspension. Tokico Blues are decent, but you should read in here for spring rates, and I guess a lot of guys like the Illumina adj shocks. You can get them both off Ebay, or a number of dealers. You should also look up Arizona Z Car, they're not cheap, but they have some nice stuff. There's a guy on here, I think in Finland or Sweden who's been reguilding a 240z, that's just awesome, total rebuild, you'll have to search, but maybe someone has the link. Phar Thanks for great answer;) I bought my car from Arizona trough ebay 29/4, and I hope it's rust free! Just finished restoring a 70 year old BSA motorcycle, so I know how much restorations costs and that it takes time and focus. Will put up some pics as soon as the car is here in Norway! We don't have euros, we use norwegian kroner;) I'm thinking acid bath to get it stripped to metal, epoxy primer and all the other great products available. I'll check out the springrates and struts! Thanks! Just started a new tread on my 280z;) Edited May 6, 2010 by HaaJeHaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaaJeHaa Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 Funny! I just shipped shortened struts, shocks, coil overs, springs, etc. to a customer in Norway. Was that for a S30? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Was that for a S30? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globerunner513 Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 (edited) I bought my car from Arizona trough ebay 29/4, and I hope it's rust free! lol there is a curse on 'rust free' cars being sent to that part of the world... Search for "Hugo" on this site, and you'll see what I mean. Good luck to you and your project! Edited May 7, 2010 by Globerunner513 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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