Buying A 78Z

[mike's78z]

Hi,

My name's Mike and I'm new to this forum. I need help with some info on a 78 Datsun 280z. I'm looking into buying one from a nearby seller and i want to know if it is legit. The sellers asking for 3,500 dollars. I test drove it and it was making a sputtering sound in second gear(2k to 3k rpm) but ran fine once in 3rd gear. The seller said its the fuel injector that need to be replaced. I got the vin# but it doesn't have 17 digits. Is it because its an old car? Anyhow, the interior great, and the exterior is in good condition. i just need a second opinion before committing to buying it. Also I'm thinking of getting a history report of the vehicle. Is there anything else I should know or do before buying this car?

Thanks in advance, Mike.

[Z Tyler Z]

Hi' date='

My name's Mike and I'm new to this forum. I need help with some info on a 78 Datsun 280z. I'm looking into buying one from a nearby seller and i want to know if it is legit. The sellers asking for 3,500 dollars. I test drove it and it was making a sputtering sound in second gear(2k to 3k rpm) but ran fine once in 3rd gear. The seller said its the fuel injector that need to be replaced. I got the vin# but it doesn't have 17 digits. Is it because its an old car? Anyhow, the interior great, and the exterior is in good condition. i just need a second opinion before committing to buying it. Also I'm thinking of getting a history report of the vehicle. Is there anything else I should know or do before buying this car?

Thanks in advance, Mike.[/quote']

Pics would help a lot.

Vin number's of older cars don't necessarily have to have 17 digits, my 76' only has 11. I'm sure some people have less then that.

Did the seller say an injector needed to be replaced or all of them. I don't know why it would only act up in second and not any other gear if it was a fuel injector problem, but I'm far from an expert on EFI. Replacement injectors range from 80+ new and 25+ refurbished (Rockauto) + cost of labor if you don't do the work yourself.

History report would probably be a waste of money. Generally places like carfax don't go back that far. Keep your money.

If you have money set aside to put into it I say go for it. Think about all the worst case scenario costs and try and keep that much or so set aside.

[AndysPlit]

What makes the seller think it's the injector?

[FastWoman]

I had the same misapprehensions about the S/N when I bought mine. It's indeed an old format. It should start HLS30 (or GHLS30 if it's a 2+2). After that might be an A for automatic or an F for 5-speed, U for US and Canada, V for California, N for Canida, and C for air conditioned.

[sblake01]

The A, F, V, N, C, etc. are part of the model designation but they are not part of the S/N.

[Arne]

17 digit VINs with a standardized format were required in the USA starting in 1981. Before that, it was manufacturer's choice.

[KDMatt]

What makes the seller think it's the injector?

Seconded.

My inclination is that you'd hear it/feel it all the way through the RPM range (more pronounced in first gear than second?), and at idle too...

[mike's78z]

Thanks for the info on the vin guys. I was trying hard to find a place that would do a search w/o 17 digits. Arne's vin numbers made me feel more at ease.

It's been a while since i test drove the car, but what i do remember was that it had a strange sputtering noise in second gear. When this happened i notice a bit of lag on the accelerator. The seller did mention that he put on a mass airflow sensor, i don't know if this could contribute to the problem. The other thing is that this car's been parked for about ten years, so there's probably old gas in the fuel tank. The seller said he took it to a japanese car specialist and they said it was the fuel injectors. I don't know if all need to be replaced or just one.

Can anyone estimate the cost of labor? If its expensive, is it a fairly easy job to do by one's self? Are there any special tools necessary? I'm pretty sure i'd have to release the pressure on the fuel line, right? I've done your average oil&filter change, brake & rotors, but i've never worked on fuel injection. I'm taking classes to get ASE certification so doing this myself could really help.

Sorry, i don't have any pictures because i don't have a camera. Also thanks in advance for the help. I really appreciate the effort!

[FastWoman]

If you can change your brakes and rotors, you can probably change the injectors. Ordinary tools. Prices of injectors vary a lot. I asked a Nissan mechanic about my ancient injectors, and he said they rarely go bad -- just need to be cleaned from time to time. The most common failure mode is that they leak.

[mike's78z]

If you can change your brakes and rotors, you can probably change the injectors. Ordinary tools. Prices of injectors vary a lot. I asked a Nissan mechanic about my ancient injectors, and he said they rarely go bad -- just need to be cleaned from time to time. The most common failure mode is that they leak.

That was another possibility i thought about. I was thinking perhaps they just need to be flushed with fuel injector cleaner. The car does have about 87k miles on its original motor. Most of my experience comes from working on modern cars, honda's to be precise. Normaly i just do regular maintenance stuff, nothing to hard. I've inspected the fuel system before, but i've never had to work on anything.

[MEZZZ]

I dont know much at all about working on cars either but replaced my injectors and fuel regulator, filter, etc. I bought a pressure guage and tested everything as well. Its not that hard if you have the slightest mechanical ability. I simply pay attention to soemthing when removing it and put it back the same way

I bought a set of beautifully reconditioned injectors for $143.40 with all the hardware, if interested, let me knowand I'll find a link to post here. I do know I got them on Ebay and they were very nice.

Here, I took the liberty of finding the link

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31048

[mike's78z]

I bought a set of beautifully reconditioned injectors for $143.40 with all the hardware, if interested, let me know and I'll find a link to post here. I do know I got them on Ebay and they were very nice.

Here, I took the liberty of finding the link

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31048

Wow, those injectors looks very clean. Although i wouldn't trust myself to solder them on. I've used a solder before, but never on a car. I think i'd prefer the MSA type you mentioned. I found some injectors for sale at

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/SFC03C/11-3051KI

I'm looking for new injectors but if i can find some reliable reconditioned injectors, i don't think i'd mind.

By the way, i should have mentioned that I need to get this car running and smog checked by 9/20/09. I'm really trying to get this car on the road by the time i leave for college. So I really appreciate all the help you guys have given me. Thanks,

Mike

Edited August 30, 2009 by mike's78z