280 Zed in Australia

[Zedrally]

Split from Time to buy a Z.

Advice Taken

<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Advice taken and appreciated Carl - I sometimes struggle with fully understanding the ettiquette on this site but it does not upset me and this (ettiquette) I am sure is best discussed on another thread.

Thanks for the additional information with regard to the L28 engine.

You are correct in saying that there are many L28's floating around in Zeds in Australia and I would think that old 280ZX vehicles are most likely the source for almost every L28 in an S30 down here - some people wanted the larger capacity engine and others wanted a cheap second hand motor to replace the original tired engine. Other second hand L28's were imported from overseas and sold through wrecking yards and engine reconditioners. The only genuine 280Z's I am aware of in Australia were imported second hand from overseas.

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Dave

GRS30 016298 260Z 2+2 6/1977 auto gold daily driver

GRS30 010961 260Z 2+2 5/1976 manual black driven on fine days

GRS30 015336 260Z 2+2 1976? manual possible restoration?

RS 000783 260Z 2 seater 1/1974 restoration

Quote:

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by boyblunda

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The only genuine 280Z's I am aware of in Australia were imported second hand from overseas.

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? Where are they? [really going off topic now]

Just asking a question here to expand knowledge,as I've never heard of a 280Z in Aus.

There have been a few imports of HLS-30 Shells etc, I can't see the value of importing a RS-30 into Aus. Perhaps they may have made their way via NZ?

Cheers

MOM

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Mike of the Mire

73 240Z Rally

77 260Z Touring

Bogged but not beaten

<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Perhaps I should have said "heard of" rather than "know of" in my post.

I have seen an imported 2+2 that was being dismantled in Perth and was advised by the owner that the doors were different in this car compared to the Australian models due to it being an imported second hand vehicle from Japan. It took the owner a few attempts to allow me to clarify the situation there. I thought the car had an L28 but I cannot swear to that now and even if there was an L28 in the car, it may well have been a substitute engine for the original.

There was a period of time in the 80's when importing second hand vehicles to Western Australia and possibly to the rest of Australia from Japan and Singapore was popular and easy to do. The sporty type cars such as the Mazda RX7 were the most popular choice of import as they sold for a better price in Australia. The laws for importing second hand vehicles have changed since.

A number of American cars found their way to Western Australia when there was a US naval base at Learmouth. We had several queries for parts for American cars, and I think that included Zed enquiries, from the Learmouth navy population at Perth Shockabsorber Centre who sponsored my rally car at the time.

On the WAZ register we had a post about an HLS30 found in the desert.

http://wazregister.com/forumframe.php

However Mike, I cannot verify the existence of a single genuine 280Z in Australia at this point in time. It would be interesting to hear from others across the continent on this.

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Dave

GRS30 016298 260Z 2+2 6/1977 auto gold daily driver

GRS30 010961 260Z 2+2 5/1976 manual black driven on fine days

GRS30 015336 260Z 2+2 1976? manual possible restoration?

RS 000783 260Z 2 seater 1/1974 restoration

Can we split this thread?

I have some questions on 280's [can anyone give me the model designation?].

MOM

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Mike of the Mire

73 240Z Rally

77 260Z Touring

Bogged but not beaten

Thread split!

Who has the model designation for the 280 while I try to remember the questions that I wanted to ask, such as is there any information about imported 280's in OZ?

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[260Zed]

There was one in brissie in the trading post about a year of so ago. I didnt see it but the price that was being asked was a bit excessive I thought. But then again, your'e paying for rarity i guess.

But yeah, I havent seen a 280z here, apart from the bre they had at the motorshow last year.

[74-26Ounce]

I've only seen one too. It was in the Brisbane Motor show about 10-15 years ago. It was a 2+2, painted about 301-Brown Metallic colour from what I can recall.

[Zedrally]

Now, just to make it interesting, can you remember if it was RH or LH drive?

[Alfadog]

A member on this boards has one IIRC.

There was another for sale a while ago too... I assume all private imports.

Are you just asking if there are any known examples in Aus??

[Carl Beck]

Hi Dave:

I didn't mean to sound like I was attempting to correct anyone's etiquette, only attempting to further the discussion. No question we can at times get very far afield with our ramblings..

As far as I am aware the Datsun 280Z was sold only in North America. HLS30 is the coupe and GHLS30 is the 2+2. Why Nissan retained the "H" to designate the L28 after using it to designate the L24 earlier, then using the "R" to designate the L26 - only they know for sure.

The Datsun 280Z sold well here and today they seem to be keeping pace in the price range with the 240-Z's. The factory A/C, 5spd. and better sound/heat insulation are favored by many and with the L28E they retained much of the original 240-Z's performance. About the only down side to them here was the addition of the US required 10 mph bumpers... uck..

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[Mr Camouflage]

Yeah there's at least 1 S30 280Z in Australia.

Gee (His member name here has/had one). It was/is a black or dark blue (S30) 280z 2+2 with the big ugly bumpers.

From what i can recall it was brought over by a American stationed in the NT somewhere ages ago, and was left behind.

I had a link to pictures, but the link is dead.

So using the wayback machine:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050228183257/http://members.datafast.net.au/~sg4/280zlhd.htm

[g72s20]

Carlos Casmiri out my way in NSW has one I think. He showed me this rally car, looked like a 240Z front but a later model rear? He was very proud of it and told me it was a rare beast in Australia. Could it be what you speak of? I think it was for sale at the time ~6 months ago. Nice guy anyway...and lots of 240Z type bits at his workshop.

What do we call you now Mr C.? Sherman or Mr Peabody

[HS30-H]

Carlos Casmiri out my way in NSW has one I think. He showed me this rally car, looked like a 240Z front but a later model rear? He was very proud of it and told me it was a rare beast in Australia. Could it be what you speak of

Jim,

That red rally car is a '280Z' - but it is a Japanese-market S130-series 'Fairlady 280Z' ( note the lack of the 'X' ).

This often causes confusion.

Alan T.

[boyblunda]

Let me get this right, just when I thought things were difficult enough, we now seem to have an S30 280Z and an S130 280Z - the latter of which would appear to be what the minimally informed person off the street would call a 280ZX.

This is great. I really enjoy the detail of information in such fine matters that is contributed by members to this forum.

Carl - definitely no grief from me on ettiquette. I never thought you were trying to correct anything - more a matter of my own statements requiring clarification. BTW your thoughts about the North American 280Z bumpers are on the mark - and at an incredible estimated additional 150lbs in weight, according to the website retrieved by MrC, I can see another reason other than the visual for such a yuck reaction!

Mr C - thanks for covering my butt with regards to the fact that there is at least one S30 280Z in Australia. It reinforces the thought that there will invariably be an exception to a lot of definitive statements.

Zedrally, excellent move to split the thread and keep this discussion moving.

Please, if anyone does have any details of 280Z's in Australia, do keep the postings rolling in.

[g72s20]

G'day Al,

Thanks for that. I wasn't game to say it was right (correctROFL ) hand drive as I wasn't sure anymore:paranoid:

Anyone care to do a summary post on the different models marketed that used the 2.8litre motor? bonus points for neatness:cheeky:

Jim.:classic:

[Zedrally]

Thanks all for the input, at least we now know the model designations.

Alan, I still confused. Are you saying there was[is] a JDM 280Z produced?

I remember seeing in Aus a model of 260/280, which didn't look like the ZX.

I wonder if this was/is the HS-30 that boyblunda mentioned?

It was imported immediately after ceastation of the 260 (1978) and I have only seen it in 2+2 models, some with a targa top.

These where referred to as a 280ZX, but I'm now confused.

Thanks again for all the input in this obscure thread.