I wasn't looking for project car, it found me just down the road sitting for 15 years under a tarp. Most people didn't want it, because they didn't even know what it was. I Love my Z.
You make a lot of very good points, and I learned most of these things the hard way when I bought a 240z in very rough condition when I was in high school. I owned the car for 8 years and sold it when I was 26. If you're interested in one of these cars, you probably daydream about building it up for high performance and to look great. This is what I call the "Z Dream". On the other hand, there's the "Z Reality". You will spend a very large percentage of your time doing boring tedious and unsatisfying repair work just to keep it from falling apart. This will not stop. A few things to look out for: -Rust: DO NOT buy a rusty Z unless you are skilled in welding, fabrication and body work. I'm sorry but you're just not ready for it. -Exhaust and gas fumes: These cars are notorious for fumes leaking into the cab. Not only will you need to make sure your exhaust is in good shape, all the gaskets throughout the car will likely need to be replaced. In addition to that, you'll need to check all the fuel vapor lines and vapor tank inside the cab. -Anything else made of rubber: It will need to be replaced. You're gonna get really tired of this. Those little bits and pieces are everywhere. -Fluid leaks: You will deal with this a lot. Lots of gaskets and seals to replace. Get used to it. -Random stuff breaking over and over again. Trying to make your Z both a project car and a daily driver at the same time is foolish. If your Z is a fixer-upper, you need another reliable car as a daily driver. If you want to daily drive your Z, it better be mechanically sound. Ignoring this advice will be a major source of headaches and cause great disruption to your life. Another point that I think I should make is that you shouldn't get a Z until you're ready for it. This is a tough reality for young guys obsessed with Z's. A Z project car isn't for a guy scraping by on a low income and living in an apartment. You won't live the "Z Dream", you'll be haunted by the "Z Reality". I know this from experience. If you don't own a house with a garage, you're not ready for a Z project car. I would love to have another 240Z. Now that I'm 33, have a college degree and decent job with a good salary, then in theory I should be able to have one. But the reality is that I still live in an apartment and am paying down debts. I probably won't have another 240Z until I'm in my 40's and ready for it. That's reality from a 240z lover who learned the hard way! Someday I hope to live the Z Dream, but I'm not there yet. Kudos to the guys who are!
Thanks for taking the time to write this out, I can't disagree with a single thing you said. To your point about the "Z Dream," this is why I spent an inordinate amount of time talking about knowing your budget and being realistic about your mechanical abilities. Yes, it can be cheap to work on these cars, but not for novices. But at the end of the day, there's no problem that money can't solve. You can drag the junkiest piece of crap from a yard and pay 20 grand to restore the frame and another 10k to get a rebuilt racing engine. The problem is that many see the lower sticker price on these cars and get to thinking that this is a cheap hobby. It most certainly is not. It is time consuming, expensive, and frustrating at times. So find the project car you LOVE (whether that's a Z or not), and get used to wondering where your money is going every month =)
These are some very good points. On top of everything that RFB stated in the video. Everything you talked about is spot on. Great advice for me as I am planning and dreaming of doing this someday. But I think now after owning, driving, and working on five Z's over the last 20 years, I've gained a little knowledge about what I can and can't do, the extent of my limitations, and the prospects of making it a reality. Having said that, I am still not totally ready, though I want to be. But I'm getting there. One year at a time. Thanks for the advice!
I'm 17 and just bought a 1980 Datsun 280zx project car. You may think it would be a bad idea, but the fact that I bought the car for $600 from a guy who wanted to get rid of it and everything is original in the car is a great thing. Worst case scenario, I find that the car is too much money to fix and I part it out. It has $3,500 of original parts in the thing, new shocks, original rims, radio, and even the original leather keychain from the dealership. Another thing that helps to reach the "Z Dream" is connections. I know a car family who own over 12 classic cars, and they do all the work themselves. One of them even works at O'Reilly's and he gets me 50% off of parts, which is bloody awesome.
So glad I found this channel, recently inherited a 1977 280z from a family member and will be picking it up in 3 days, your gonna he such a huge help when going through it 🤙🏻
Just bought a 1980 280zx for $600, and everything is original, barely any rust, 5 speed manual, grand luxury package, e.t.c. The best way to find them is word of mouth, or if you see one that has been sitting in someone's yard, a garage lot, e.t.c. ask the person about it. Mine was parked in a commercial garage and the owner hadn't picked it up for a year and just wanted to get rid of it. My car is worth $4,000, but he wanted to get rid of it so I got it extremely cheap.
Good stuff! Thanks for the video ... you may want to mention, Title condition. Certainly helps having a clean title but not a deal breaker for some. I for one am fortunate that I technically inherited my project '72 240z. It was my Dad's who bought it in '82. It ended up being stored in my Mom's garage in CA from '93 to 2007. I shipped it out to KS. Been working on it heavily last two and half months ... getting close to firing her up :)
Yeap, that's a very good point, I forgot to mention the title. Getting one with a clean title was a must-have for me, but I wasn't trying to build a track car either. Also, different states and different laws regarding how you can sign over a title, so buyers should check the local laws as well. Thanks for the input!
100% true. Although I have a 1983 280ZX everything applies. I bought mine in very nice condition in November 2021 (but needing mechanical work) a year later I've spent over $10,000 making it a dependable weekend car. Still more to do in Spring 2023. Searching for parts, buying, installing having parts rebuilt all add up fast. Unless you're a great mechanic, body man, upholstery guy have tons of money etc DO NOT buy a parts car and think you'll have something great in a year. You will regret it! Day dreaming about cursing in this wonderful restored car is cool, but reality sucks for the average joe. Many youtube guys / gals post their junk Z car that they will restore. A couple years go by and you see no more posts. I have asked a few what happened and all were "lost interest, sold it before finishing" and so on. Buy the best you can afford and go from there. Headaches and cursing come with the car no charge. Good info, thank you for all your posts alot help me with my 280ZX
More thoughts on AC, the 260/280z had an integrated AC system that put the evap unit right behind the center console duct, while the 240 was more of an after thought (took up a lot of space in the passenger foot well and had the evap in front of the heater box so the cooled air had a long way to go before it got to the duct work. The good thing about the 260/280 units is the simplicity, there really is not much to them, and if you wanted to you could just replace all the under the hood stuff with R134, and prob get a system that works very well. Or you may find shops that can still deal with the old systems, once working there is very little to go wrong. On those kits that include the evap and the fan, those would require a LOT of fabrication they are by no means a drop in replacement. Also IIRC they delete the fresh air vent option completely so you can only recirc air for any setting. My feelings are if AC is a must have then I would strongly suggest looking for the later models with AC part of the design.
Hey Dave, I couldn't agree with you more. Installing an aftermarket A/C system is not in the wheel house of a typical garage mechanic because of all the fabrication and wiring work that may need to be done, which is why I listed how much it would cost a shop to install it. It's also a good point to clarify that, even if the car doesn't have a functioning A/C, if you want it eventually, you might want to find one that already has the A/C components installed, because those come with the compressor mount, dual belt crank pulley, and some other components that may be re-used. Thanks for the input!
For me, driving a Z without A/C is no fun (unless you live in a cold area) and it is definately no fun if your chic is riding with you. My first 280zx had a/c but it never worked. I wasn't at all mechanically inclined at the time and didn't know anything about cars. So I just dealt with it Dry heat was okay. Moved to a place with humidity and I change my mind on that. My 76 280z was restored when I bought it, however no a/c. never had it from the factory. So, I just said the hell with it and decided to install an a/c system. By using second hand parts from a parts car, I was able to install a functioning a/c system and make it work. A proud moment for me indeed. Though one could go the vintage AC route or other aftermarket, but why no just use what the cars originally had? It may not be the best cooling thing like modern cars have, but its better than nothing. Just my 2 cents. Press on Z brothers!
California Datsun has a automatic to manual swap kit. Comes with a close or wide ratio 5 speed from a 280zx. The kit comes with everything that you need for the conversion. The kit cost $2500 and at that cost it's a great deal.
If you can find one with no rust, just buy it. Even if it's your first car or something just buy it. Set max budget of around 25k. Also there are conversion kits out there but I haven't done enough research.
I understand why in general you would advise someone against considering a auto->manual swap. However, on an S30, it's surprisingly easy. If buying an auto allows you to save even 2k on the initial purchase, I would say go for it (obviously do your research and make sure you understand what parts you will need and what you'll have to do.) Several of my Z buds have done this over the years and it's not that involved. Especially if you know someone with a parts car. Use any potential savings on finding a car with less rust. That will save you a ton more time, money, and effort than doing a manual swap. As someone who has been daily driving S30's for almost 20 years, I have been stunned at the recent price increases. It's getting very tough to find decent examples for sale at what we used to think of as "Z guy prices." So if you find a clean auto S30 for significantly cheaper, jump on it...or send the link to me! Great videos, btw, it's great that people are still enthusiastic about Zs, and youtube has really turned into a fantastic resource and inspiration for car guys. Keep up the good work!
You can always buy one in good condition and save up for mods in the long run. Also for those who wanna have the “devil z” the real car was actually a 280zx.
Another angle to consider on the "non-negotiable" auto vs manual topic. Most of the Zcars up until the 280 are most likely to have a 4-speed, so a lot of Z restorers will end up doing a transmission swap anyway. A very popular conversion that is actually pretty 1-2-3 is the use of an 82-83 280zx 5-speed and rear end. Makes the car smoother to drive and gives you a 5th for the highway.
I just got my s130 back after selling it in high school and I need a parts car because I made mistakes when I had it and it's been sitting so all the damage I've done I've git to fix lol..... Also all z cars from 1st Gen 240z to 83 280zx are parts compatible including the doors forward on the 2+2
Adding to your video with my own advice I picked up- Self education: join the many large FB Z groups. They're very active. You'll see how other projects are going, inspiration and generally valuable help with your own problems you'll run into. (Datsun parts and needs) is probably the largest and most active. That said I think buying a factory service manual for your Z is ESSENTIAL. The FSM is what shops would use to repair Zs and is much better than Chiltons or Haynes manuals. You can get an FSM digitally or if you're lucky you can snag a physical copy on eBay. If you get a 280 with EFI, don't jump ship and want to switch to carbs at first issue. It's a reliable system and is very simple compared to modern EFI. You can trouble shoot the ECU under the dash with a digital multimeter with ease. Be sure you look up the "280Z fuel injection bible" and familiarize yourself with the system. Buy within your means: like you mentioned already in this video but I have to drive that home again. I was so eager to get myself a Z I bought the CHEAPEST and CLOSEST I could find. Ultimately I took home a $700 east coast Z. But I knew what I could do and saw it as a blank canvas and boy am I loving the process. Be honest with yourself with your budget and what you can do and perhaps more importantly, what you're WILLING do to. There is definitely a difference and in the end the only person who can determine that is you. Side note about 2+2s, keep in mind that despite being it being a Z not all parts are interchangeable. I believe everything from the firewall forward is the same but From the wall back is different. Parts availability maybe all but dried up unless you're out west. Lastly- stay away from California Datsun! That vendor has a horrible customer service record and you can do a quick google search and see for yourself. Good luck with your videos, I'll be watching them!!
Oh man, thank you so much for all your thoughts! I focused more on advice for potential buyers (as opposed to owners) but these are really important notes nonetheless. I think there are 3-4 great written resources for anyone who works with Zs: the FSM, Haynes manual (hit or miss on some topics), and How to Rebuild Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine by Tom Monroe. Also the fuel injection bible if you have a 280Z. There are a lot of overlapping information, but all are great resources. These are good stuff to browse through even if you're just a prospective buyer. Your point around self-education one of the reasons why I think it's so important that one pick a project car that he/she feels really passionate about, because a lot of time (and money) will be spent working on the car. A lot of things will go wrong, lots of cuts and bruises, dirt in your eyes, mess in your garage, etc... You have to love the car to enjoy the process. Thanks for all your inputs, really appreciate them. I'll need to join those FB groups.
+Phillip Tieu Trust me, I didn't make the perfect purchase either. But at the end of the day, the Z that's sitting in your garage is the best Z in the world. I plan on keeping mine for a very long time, and it won't really matter then how much I paid for it.
Swapping back and forth from carbed to fi is the same in difficulty I just have to swap the intake manifold and hook up the ecu and injector harness. Also auto to manuals not that expensive all you really need is a 4 or 5 speed 4 if u want it cheaper and a clutch pedal, clutch master,and slave I just did mine cost maybe 300 bucks for granny clutch,clutch master ,slave clutch pedal, and custom hardlines
Hey Juan, thanks for the inputs! I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Going from fuel injection system to a carbed system is much easier because you're going from a car that has all those fuel injection parts, wiring, sensors, ecu to a simpler set up. Going from a carb'ed engine to a fuel injection is much more difficult because you now have to find all these parts, including fuel rails, injectors, cold start valve, thermo time sensor, etc. Removing stuff is easier than installing stuff. It's not impossible, but it's certainly not easy for a hobbyist mechanic. On the same note, transmission swaps are generally not in the wheelhouse of a typical garage mechanic... or any transmission work for that matter. Again, it's not impossible, and it sounds like you know your way around a car pretty well. But the point that I was trying to make was that if you want a manual car, it's easier (and probably cheaper) to find a manual car to buy to begin with. Yes, yes, if you go junk yard diving and know how to build your own custom hardlines, OF COURSE you can do it. Again, I'm speaking more to the less-experienced audience here, so it's not something I'd recommend doing.
I agree with Juan about the auto to manual conversion. It's is not at all expensive as people practically and literally give away 4-speed transmissions. No need to custom bend your own clutch hardline either, as you can by them new. I get what you're saying about it not being a job for beginners, but it really is a job that many hobbyist mechanics can handle. Not really any more work than changing a clutch.
Hey so im interested in buying a 280zx. The lady said that the car need work on it but she never said on what. So i think that i may have perform an engine swap on it. How much time do you think that would be? Or just to fix the whole car as a total. And how much would it cost
What if I desired to buy a competent Z w/o rust and drive it as my daily. Is that sacreligous? Would it be stupid and possibly unreliable to drop between 10 and 15 g to drive it as a daily?
Haha I could talk about this for hours with you, but here's what I personally would recommend. If you're looking for a project car for a hobby, spend 40% of your budget on the car, and 60% on tools/parts/shop work. If you're looking for a daily driver, you want to spend 90% of your budget on a car that is already in great shape, and spend 10% to do minor work here and there. You can find a Z in really good shape for ~15K that has already been mostly restored, so I think you're being fairly realistic. HOWEVER, keep in mind that these cars, EVEN if it's been through a quality restoration, will never be as reliable as you want them, nor are they very convenient. They are loud, hot, rattley, etc... It's up to you. If you've never owned a 40+ year old car, I wouldn't recommend it as your only car, let alone a daily driver.
+K Jones I honestly don't know much about this stuff, but I'd imagine it may be different for every state. If you can get a bill of sale, I believe you can use that to get a title. I would mostly be concerned that you're buying a stolen vehicle(unlikely but still) or getting a salvage title (frame damaged or flooded) vehicle. If you feel comfortable with the condition and the price is cheap enough, I'd take a chance on it.
Restoration For Beginners Thanks for the reply! Ok, I’d definitely run the VIN through the proper government websites before I buy it and definitely get a bill of sale. I’ll ask the seller a lot of questions of why they don’t have a title. I know there’s some states on the east coast that don’t require a title for cars over a certain age so maybe that’s the case with some of these.
Hey Dave, not a lot of updates right now. I dropped off my cylinder head and intake manifold at Datsun Spirit, that shop near Centreville you mentioned earlier. Eiji (the owner) is going to be doing a full rebuild job on the cylinder head and installing new performance springs. Not much I can do until I get that back, but I will provide a full update on all the work done when I'm ready to reassemble everything.
I wasn't looking for project car, it found me just down the road sitting for 15 years under a tarp. Most people didn't want it, because they didn't even know what it was.
I Love my Z.
Love it, I hope you have a lot of fun with it man
ruclips.net/video/TNV34aEwOuE/видео.html
You make a lot of very good points, and I learned most of these things the hard way when I bought a 240z in very rough condition when I was in high school. I owned the car for 8 years and sold it when I was 26.
If you're interested in one of these cars, you probably daydream about building it up for high performance and to look great. This is what I call the "Z Dream". On the other hand, there's the "Z Reality". You will spend a very large percentage of your time doing boring tedious and unsatisfying repair work just to keep it from falling apart. This will not stop. A few things to look out for:
-Rust: DO NOT buy a rusty Z unless you are skilled in welding, fabrication and body work. I'm sorry but you're just not ready for it.
-Exhaust and gas fumes: These cars are notorious for fumes leaking into the cab. Not only will you need to make sure your exhaust is in good shape, all the gaskets throughout the car will likely need to be replaced. In addition to that, you'll need to check all the fuel vapor lines and vapor tank inside the cab.
-Anything else made of rubber: It will need to be replaced. You're gonna get really tired of this. Those little bits and pieces are everywhere.
-Fluid leaks: You will deal with this a lot. Lots of gaskets and seals to replace. Get used to it.
-Random stuff breaking over and over again.
Trying to make your Z both a project car and a daily driver at the same time is foolish. If your Z is a fixer-upper, you need another reliable car as a daily driver. If you want to daily drive your Z, it better be mechanically sound. Ignoring this advice will be a major source of headaches and cause great disruption to your life.
Another point that I think I should make is that you shouldn't get a Z until you're ready for it. This is a tough reality for young guys obsessed with Z's. A Z project car isn't for a guy scraping by on a low income and living in an apartment. You won't live the "Z Dream", you'll be haunted by the "Z Reality". I know this from experience. If you don't own a house with a garage, you're not ready for a Z project car. I would love to have another 240Z. Now that I'm 33, have a college degree and decent job with a good salary, then in theory I should be able to have one. But the reality is that I still live in an apartment and am paying down debts. I probably won't have another 240Z until I'm in my 40's and ready for it.
That's reality from a 240z lover who learned the hard way! Someday I hope to live the Z Dream, but I'm not there yet. Kudos to the guys who are!
Thanks for taking the time to write this out, I can't disagree with a single thing you said.
To your point about the "Z Dream," this is why I spent an inordinate amount of time talking about knowing your budget and being realistic about your mechanical abilities. Yes, it can be cheap to work on these cars, but not for novices. But at the end of the day, there's no problem that money can't solve. You can drag the junkiest piece of crap from a yard and pay 20 grand to restore the frame and another 10k to get a rebuilt racing engine. The problem is that many see the lower sticker price on these cars and get to thinking that this is a cheap hobby. It most certainly is not. It is time consuming, expensive, and frustrating at times. So find the project car you LOVE (whether that's a Z or not), and get used to wondering where your money is going every month =)
These are some very good points. On top of everything that RFB stated in the video. Everything you talked about is spot on. Great advice for me as I am planning and dreaming of doing this someday. But I think now after owning, driving, and working on five Z's over the last 20 years, I've gained a little knowledge about what I can and can't do, the extent of my limitations, and the prospects of making it a reality. Having said that, I am still not totally ready, though I want to be. But I'm getting there. One year at a time. Thanks for the advice!
I'm 17 and just bought a 1980 Datsun 280zx project car. You may think it would be a bad idea, but the fact that I bought the car for $600 from a guy who wanted to get rid of it and everything is original in the car is a great thing. Worst case scenario, I find that the car is too much money to fix and I part it out. It has $3,500 of original parts in the thing, new shocks, original rims, radio, and even the original leather keychain from the dealership.
Another thing that helps to reach the "Z Dream" is connections. I know a car family who own over 12 classic cars, and they do all the work themselves. One of them even works at O'Reilly's and he gets me 50% off of parts, which is bloody awesome.
Great advice!
So glad I found this channel, recently inherited a 1977 280z from a family member and will be picking it up in 3 days, your gonna he such a huge help when going through it 🤙🏻
Just bought a 1980 280zx for $600, and everything is original, barely any rust, 5 speed manual, grand luxury package, e.t.c.
The best way to find them is word of mouth, or if you see one that has been sitting in someone's yard, a garage lot, e.t.c. ask the person about it. Mine was parked in a commercial garage and the owner hadn't picked it up for a year and just wanted to get rid of it. My car is worth $4,000, but he wanted to get rid of it so I got it extremely cheap.
Thank for all your videos!!!! I have a 75 and I watch your videos first then I'm in my garage working on my car!! thank you!!!
Your channel and its content looks good. I'm pretty sure you'll do great.
Thanks! Really appreciate the feedback.
Looking forward to seeing that 280Z restored.
Haha you might be waiting for a while! Taking it one small project at a time, but will be sharing my progress in depth.
Good stuff! Thanks for the video ... you may want to mention, Title condition. Certainly helps having a clean title but not a deal breaker for some.
I for one am fortunate that I technically inherited my project '72 240z. It was my Dad's who bought it in '82. It ended up being stored in my Mom's garage in CA from '93 to 2007. I shipped it out to KS. Been working on it heavily last two and half months ... getting close to firing her up :)
Yeap, that's a very good point, I forgot to mention the title. Getting one with a clean title was a must-have for me, but I wasn't trying to build a track car either. Also, different states and different laws regarding how you can sign over a title, so buyers should check the local laws as well. Thanks for the input!
100% true. Although I have a 1983 280ZX everything applies. I bought mine in very nice condition in November 2021 (but needing mechanical work) a year later I've spent over $10,000 making it a dependable weekend car. Still more to do in Spring 2023. Searching for parts, buying, installing having parts rebuilt all add up fast.
Unless you're a great mechanic, body man, upholstery guy have tons of money etc DO NOT buy a parts car and think you'll have something great in a year. You will regret it! Day dreaming about cursing in this wonderful restored car is cool, but reality sucks for the average joe.
Many youtube guys / gals post their junk Z car that they will restore. A couple years go by and you see no more posts. I have asked a few what happened and all were "lost interest, sold it before finishing" and so on. Buy the best you can afford and go from there. Headaches and cursing come with the car no charge. Good info, thank you for all your posts alot help me with my 280ZX
Nice vid bro you gave a ton of useful information. Keep up the good work!
Excellent video from start to finish!
More thoughts on AC, the 260/280z had an integrated AC system that put the evap unit right behind the center console duct, while the 240 was more of an after thought (took up a lot of space in the passenger foot well and had the evap in front of the heater box so the cooled air had a long way to go before it got to the duct work. The good thing about the 260/280 units is the simplicity, there really is not much to them, and if you wanted to you could just replace all the under the hood stuff with R134, and prob get a system that works very well. Or you may find shops that can still deal with the old systems, once working there is very little to go wrong. On those kits that include the evap and the fan, those would require a LOT of fabrication they are by no means a drop in replacement. Also IIRC they delete the fresh air vent option completely so you can only recirc air for any setting. My feelings are if AC is a must have then I would strongly suggest looking for the later models with AC part of the design.
Hey Dave, I couldn't agree with you more. Installing an aftermarket A/C system is not in the wheel house of a typical garage mechanic because of all the fabrication and wiring work that may need to be done, which is why I listed how much it would cost a shop to install it. It's also a good point to clarify that, even if the car doesn't have a functioning A/C, if you want it eventually, you might want to find one that already has the A/C components installed, because those come with the compressor mount, dual belt crank pulley, and some other components that may be re-used. Thanks for the input!
Looking forward to the next installment, good clear well done video!
For me, driving a Z without A/C is no fun (unless you live in a cold area) and it is definately no fun if your chic is riding with you. My first 280zx had a/c but it never worked. I wasn't at all mechanically inclined at the time and didn't know anything about cars. So I just dealt with it Dry heat was okay. Moved to a place with humidity and I change my mind on that. My 76 280z was restored when I bought it, however no a/c. never had it from the factory. So, I just said the hell with it and decided to install an a/c system. By using second hand parts from a parts car, I was able to install a functioning a/c system and make it work. A proud moment for me indeed. Though one could go the vintage AC route or other aftermarket, but why no just use what the cars originally had? It may not be the best cooling thing like modern cars have, but its better than nothing. Just my 2 cents. Press on Z brothers!
California Datsun has a automatic to manual swap kit. Comes with a close or wide ratio 5 speed from a 280zx. The kit comes with everything that you need for the conversion. The kit cost $2500 and at that cost it's a great deal.
Thank you!!! A very complete and thought guide for the beginner... most useful to me.
If you can find one with no rust, just buy it. Even if it's your first car or something just buy it. Set max budget of around 25k. Also there are conversion kits out there but I haven't done enough research.
I'm lucky to have gotten away with a cranking 260z for $200. Probably need to dump $7-8g to fully restore it but it would be 100% worth it!
I understand why in general you would advise someone against considering a auto->manual swap. However, on an S30, it's surprisingly easy. If buying an auto allows you to save even 2k on the initial purchase, I would say go for it (obviously do your research and make sure you understand what parts you will need and what you'll have to do.) Several of my Z buds have done this over the years and it's not that involved. Especially if you know someone with a parts car.
Use any potential savings on finding a car with less rust. That will save you a ton more time, money, and effort than doing a manual swap. As someone who has been daily driving S30's for almost 20 years, I have been stunned at the recent price increases. It's getting very tough to find decent examples for sale at what we used to think of as "Z guy prices." So if you find a clean auto S30 for significantly cheaper, jump on it...or send the link to me!
Great videos, btw, it's great that people are still enthusiastic about Zs, and youtube has really turned into a fantastic resource and inspiration for car guys. Keep up the good work!
You can always buy one in good condition and save up for mods in the long run. Also for those who wanna have the “devil z” the real car was actually a 280zx.
Another angle to consider on the "non-negotiable" auto vs manual topic. Most of the Zcars up until the 280 are most likely to have a 4-speed, so a lot of Z restorers will end up doing a transmission swap anyway. A very popular conversion that is actually pretty 1-2-3 is the use of an 82-83 280zx 5-speed and rear end. Makes the car smoother to drive and gives you a 5th for the highway.
+TheSaturnV yes thanks for the input! Very true.
I just got my s130 back after selling it in high school and I need a parts car because I made mistakes when I had it and it's been sitting so all the damage I've done I've git to fix lol..... Also all z cars from 1st Gen 240z to 83 280zx are parts compatible including the doors forward on the 2+2
Adding to your video with my own advice I picked up-
Self education: join the many large FB Z groups. They're very active. You'll see how other projects are going, inspiration and generally valuable help with your own problems you'll run into. (Datsun parts and needs) is probably the largest and most active.
That said I think buying a factory service manual for your Z is ESSENTIAL. The FSM is what shops would use to repair Zs and is much better than Chiltons or Haynes manuals. You can get an FSM digitally or if you're lucky you can snag a physical copy on eBay.
If you get a 280 with EFI, don't jump ship and want to switch to carbs at first issue. It's a reliable system and is very simple compared to modern EFI. You can trouble shoot the ECU under the dash with a digital multimeter with ease. Be sure you look up the "280Z fuel injection bible" and familiarize yourself with the system.
Buy within your means: like you mentioned already in this video but I have to drive that home again. I was so eager to get myself a Z I bought the CHEAPEST and CLOSEST I could find. Ultimately I took home a $700 east coast Z. But I knew what I could do and saw it as a blank canvas and boy am I loving the process. Be honest with yourself with your budget and what you can do and perhaps more importantly, what you're WILLING do to. There is definitely a difference and in the end the only person who can determine that is you.
Side note about 2+2s, keep in mind that despite being it being a Z not all parts are interchangeable. I believe everything from the firewall forward is the same but From the wall back is different. Parts availability maybe all but dried up unless you're out west.
Lastly- stay away from California Datsun! That vendor has a horrible customer service record and you can do a quick google search and see for yourself.
Good luck with your videos, I'll be watching them!!
Oh man, thank you so much for all your thoughts! I focused more on advice for potential buyers (as opposed to owners) but these are really important notes nonetheless.
I think there are 3-4 great written resources for anyone who works with Zs: the FSM, Haynes manual (hit or miss on some topics), and How to Rebuild Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine by Tom Monroe. Also the fuel injection bible if you have a 280Z. There are a lot of overlapping information, but all are great resources. These are good stuff to browse through even if you're just a prospective buyer.
Your point around self-education one of the reasons why I think it's so important that one pick a project car that he/she feels really passionate about, because a lot of time (and money) will be spent working on the car. A lot of things will go wrong, lots of cuts and bruises, dirt in your eyes, mess in your garage, etc... You have to love the car to enjoy the process.
Thanks for all your inputs, really appreciate them. I'll need to join those FB groups.
Nicholas Koenig Bro I am looking to get a 1977 280z It's running But how do I know what to look at and how to know if its worth Buying
Damn, I wish I this was up before I purchased mine. Please continue to make videos!
+Phillip Tieu Trust me, I didn't make the perfect purchase either. But at the end of the day, the Z that's sitting in your garage is the best Z in the world. I plan on keeping mine for a very long time, and it won't really matter then how much I paid for it.
A 240z near me (New York) is going for 20k right now
B.A.T is a great website because only select car get on it. Any other classic car websites can help you find one as well you just have to look
Swapping back and forth from carbed to fi is the same in difficulty I just have to swap the intake manifold and hook up the ecu and injector harness. Also auto to manuals not that expensive all you really need is a 4 or 5 speed 4 if u want it cheaper and a clutch pedal, clutch master,and slave I just did mine cost maybe 300 bucks for granny clutch,clutch master ,slave clutch pedal, and custom hardlines
Hey Juan, thanks for the inputs! I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Going from fuel injection system to a carbed system is much easier because you're going from a car that has all those fuel injection parts, wiring, sensors, ecu to a simpler set up. Going from a carb'ed engine to a fuel injection is much more difficult because you now have to find all these parts, including fuel rails, injectors, cold start valve, thermo time sensor, etc. Removing stuff is easier than installing stuff. It's not impossible, but it's certainly not easy for a hobbyist mechanic.
On the same note, transmission swaps are generally not in the wheelhouse of a typical garage mechanic... or any transmission work for that matter. Again, it's not impossible, and it sounds like you know your way around a car pretty well. But the point that I was trying to make was that if you want a manual car, it's easier (and probably cheaper) to find a manual car to buy to begin with. Yes, yes, if you go junk yard diving and know how to build your own custom hardlines, OF COURSE you can do it. Again, I'm speaking more to the less-experienced audience here, so it's not something I'd recommend doing.
I agree with Juan about the auto to manual conversion. It's is not at all expensive as people practically and literally give away 4-speed transmissions. No need to custom bend your own clutch hardline either, as you can by them new.
I get what you're saying about it not being a job for beginners, but it really is a job that many hobbyist mechanics can handle. Not really any more work than changing a clutch.
Great video a lot of good information.. in my opinion the 240z it's the best option..It's worth to pay more for a 240z..
Certainly a valid opinion. I imagine 240Zs will be worth quite a lot more in the future than 260Zs or 280Zs.
carbs are a nightmare, ill leave it at that
The 280 has lower compression
subbed! keep up the great work! so informative!
Awesome. Be on the lookout for a follow up to this episode, where we'll talk about the inspection procedures for a Datsun Z!
Hey man I need your help to get my 280z going
Where are you located in Northern Virginia, I am in Sterling VA
I am really learning a lot from your videos. You are awesome!
I got my 81 280zx s130 for $2000. rust free and running prefect plus with a body kit.
That is a great deal then. If I could find a 280ZX in good condition for $2K, I might not have gone for the S30.
body kit is gay bro
any videos on electrical like hazard lights not working
Hey so im interested in buying a 280zx. The lady said that the car need work on it but she never said on what. So i think that i may have perform an engine swap on it. How much time do you think that would be? Or just to fix the whole car as a total. And how much would it cost
good video, very informative
Thank you!
What if I desired to buy a competent Z w/o rust and drive it as my daily. Is that sacreligous? Would it be stupid and possibly unreliable to drop between 10 and 15 g to drive it as a daily?
Haha I could talk about this for hours with you, but here's what I personally would recommend. If you're looking for a project car for a hobby, spend 40% of your budget on the car, and 60% on tools/parts/shop work. If you're looking for a daily driver, you want to spend 90% of your budget on a car that is already in great shape, and spend 10% to do minor work here and there. You can find a Z in really good shape for ~15K that has already been mostly restored, so I think you're being fairly realistic.
HOWEVER, keep in mind that these cars, EVEN if it's been through a quality restoration, will never be as reliable as you want them, nor are they very convenient. They are loud, hot, rattley, etc... It's up to you. If you've never owned a 40+ year old car, I wouldn't recommend it as your only car, let alone a daily driver.
Right on man. Good advice. Your a lucky man living in the thick of it all! Keep up the Good work brotha!
Thanks SO MUCH for this!
No problem!
I keep seeing cheaper Z's being sold without a title. Is it possible to get a title for these cars and if so, is it expensive?
+K Jones I honestly don't know much about this stuff, but I'd imagine it may be different for every state. If you can get a bill of sale, I believe you can use that to get a title. I would mostly be concerned that you're buying a stolen vehicle(unlikely but still) or getting a salvage title (frame damaged or flooded) vehicle. If you feel comfortable with the condition and the price is cheap enough, I'd take a chance on it.
Restoration For Beginners Thanks for the reply! Ok, I’d definitely run the VIN through the proper government websites before I buy it and definitely get a bill of sale. I’ll ask the seller a lot of questions of why they don’t have a title. I know there’s some states on the east coast that don’t require a title for cars over a certain age so maybe that’s the case with some of these.
Ha! That rusty one in Allentown PA is just down the road from me.
Brochup to you Kristofer Sigmarsson made a video on you
any updates ?
Hey Dave, not a lot of updates right now. I dropped off my cylinder head and intake manifold at Datsun Spirit, that shop near Centreville you mentioned earlier. Eiji (the owner) is going to be doing a full rebuild job on the cylinder head and installing new performance springs. Not much I can do until I get that back, but I will provide a full update on all the work done when I'm ready to reassemble everything.
roger, looking forward to it. I know its no fun when you are waiting for stuff, drives me crazy.
pretty easy to tell if its a 2 or a 2+2... also "expensively" isnt a word.
+Cliff fair enough!
The prices 😅 😢
*Devil Z VS Another Devil Z*
you grow a lot now Kristofer Sigmarsson Send me here
Love the video, looking for a Z car, so this info is very useful.
Comment to you and like & sub Send by Kristofer Sigmarsson!
Comment to you and like & sub Send by Kristofer Sigmarsson