1978 Datsun Z-Series

280Z Hatchback

6 - Cyl.

Manual

Gasoline

1978 Datsun 280 Z miles – 137273 man date 09/77 I started restoring this car with the idea that, upon completion, it would be a car I could drive and enjoy. I wanted it to be extremely nice but not something I would not drive due to fear of accidents, etc. The restoration needs a few small things done to be completed. The exhaust system is 30 years old and needs replacing from the manifold back. The bumpers could use replacing/rechroming as the chrome is not as nice as it could be. Various things need to be completed such as installing a few parts – replacing the fuse box cover, interior console door etc. I mention all of these things in an attempt to fully disclose everything I can think of but I can’t list everything so feel free to ask specific questions and I will answer HONESTLY. I bought this car and drove it for a while before deciding to restore it. At that time, the car was brown with brown interior and had very little rust for a southern Z car. The battery box had surface rust but was not rusted out. The floors and rails were also good and solid. The car, however, had been re-painted brown, and the paint quality was not good. I decided, as with the cars I had restored in the past, to start with the “body work” and rust prevention first. The engine and transmission were removed, degreased, and set aside. The interior was then removed from the car and put in storage for later. Everything was removed from the engine compartment and cleaned up, painted if necessary, or, in some cases, new replacement parts were purchased. All of the glass was removed from the car. The engine bay was lightly sandblasted (as not to warp the metal) and primed. The chassis was rolled out of the shop and the usual rust areas were blasted, painted with a rust preventative called POR-15. This includes the floor pans, inner rocker panels, wheel wells, and other areas like the lower corners of the rear hatch where water rolls down the glass and sits. Paint was removed by sanding down to bare metal then primed, sanded, primed again, sanded again… – you know the story – until smooth. New fenders, lower front valence, and hood were purchased from Nissan. The underside of the car and fender wells were cleaned, degreased, and undercoated. I decided to paint the car with the ZAP color scheme. (NOTE: This is not a factory original ZAP optioned car). I wanted the stripes painted instead of applying decals so the stripes were taped off in stages and painted on. Multiple coats of clear were then applied to the whole car. We used PPG base/clear system. The car has a “slick” as opposed to “orange peel” finish. Original period Nissan mag rims were polished, taped and painted, and coated with 3 coats of Eastwood products Diamond Clear. I purchased all new exterior badges from Nissan and restored the ones that were no longer available. The car has a small rust bubble spot that could use some attention on the rear deck area where the hatch meets the body. This on the left side only and is about the size of a quarter. The common 280Z crack can be seen on both sides of the pillars to the right and left of the hatch (see picture). In talking with other owners, I am told this is not common in Z-Cars until the 280 model. Datsun strengthened the body and therefore made it less flexible. This sometimes causes the paint to crack in this area. There is a small rust bubble at the lower front portion of the drivers door below the stripe that is about the size of a pencil eraser head. There are a couple of BB size spots around it. I have touch-up paint for all colors used on the car. Nissan gaskets and rubber was purchased and all glass was reinstalled. The fuel tank was removed and its interior was cleaned, etched, and coated using Bill Hirsch Auto products. All fuel lines were cleaned out and a new Nissan fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator and filter were installed. Fuel hoses were replaced. Air Flow Meter “boots” were replaced. The front and rear brakes were gone through. I installed new rotors, calipers, shoes, rear cylinders, master cylinder and brake lines. The radiator was drained and cleaned out. Upper and lower hoses were replaced along with the thermostat, coolant temp sensor and water temp sending unit. Ball joints, U-joints, tie rod ends, struts, bushings etc (such as steering rack mounts, differential mount, transmission mount etc) were replaced. The engine block was repainted Nissan blue. Distributor cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires were replaced. The oil pan was removed, degreased and replaced with new gasket. I purchased four new Dunlop tires, had them balanced, and the car aligned. This removed all veering and steering wheel shimmy. Clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder and lines were replaced. Interior parts were cleaned and painted black. I installed a new black Motorsport carpet kit and padding. “New” black door panels were not available so I picked the best I had from parts cars. I didn’t want to drill into any panels so I bought 2 sony 6 X 9 speakers, put them in boxes, and they sit behind the rear seats. There is an old Alpine am/fm cassette deck in the dash. The dash has a “DashMat” kind of carpeted cover that I have never removed. (The dash itself is cracked). The seats were redone using black seat kits. The car does not currently have AC. It appears to have had AC in the past but did not when I bought it. The car runs well. This is a very nice driving and handling 280Z. **************************************************************************************************************************************** Thank you for visiting my auction. Please feel free to contact me. I will do my best to answer any and all questions. The sale is final at close of auction. There will be no contingencies, and the price will be the Ebay closing price. I will do my best to answer all questions. This vehicle is being sold "as is", "where is", and without warranty. The successful high bidder should contact me within 72 hours after the auction has ended to pay a non-refundable deposit and make arrangements to complete the transaction. The deposit is $500.00. The transaction must be completed, and the car picked up within fourteen days of the auctions end or it will be considered null and void. The car may then be re-listed or sold to another interested party. Buyer is responsible for all fees concerning documentation, taxes, transportation, and shipping costs.