Eva Racing? Mystery Import 280

[Phoenix_400]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and i need some help finding info on a car. I live in North Carolina and i've come across 280z that's been imported over. The current owner can't tell me much about the car so I'm currently searching for information.

All I've been told about the car is that it was built for racing for a European family. It was built by a company called Eva Racing. The owner says that it is 77 model and it has a 2.8L engine with triple Weber carbs. It is still RHD and the body and interior are in need of restoration. THe color appears to be a two tone maroon red w/ black running along the lower portion of car and a yellow stripe separting the two colors. It also has a chin spoiler with the words "EVA DATSUN Z" in reverse lettering across it. It also has a "Fairlady Z" badge on the rear deck.

I was given the VIN # but i believe it was told to me incorrectly. it is GS31003232

I WILL be buying the car by the end of the week simply for the rarity of RHD, but i would appreciate any info you could give me. 1000 bones don't seem like a bad deal on something of that rarity. Bet i can talk him down too.

[Bambikiller240]

Check it over very well for things such as RUST under the battery tray, inner fender wells, rocker panels, and rear wheel arches and the rear hatch area. $1000 is cheap for a Z car, but only if it doesn't need $5000 in repairs to make it road worthy.

The VIN is on an ID tag on an inner fender. There are several people living in Europe who frequent this club that can tell you what you have, with the correct VIN # info.

[HS30-H]

Hi Phoenix-400,

I`m over in Japan at the moment, but I live in London, England.

I can possibly help with tracking down the former life / builders of this particular car if you can give me some more details. I`ll be back in London from 8th or so, but I might be checking into the site every couple of days or so whilst in Japan - so I should see any reply you make.

Are you sure it came originally from Europe ( meaning it was a RHD Export model if it was destined for the UK ) or was it originally a Japanese "Home" market car? The "Fairlady Z" emblem makes it sound as though it might have originally been a Japanese market car ( we never had the 280Z in Europe ).

I have never heard of a British company called "EVA Racing", but that does not mean that they do not / did not exist. They may have even been in mainland Europe - but a European racing Z would have been a notable rarity................. I HAVE heard of a company called EVA who made parts for race cars though.

Have a look at the VIN number on the firewall ( its stamped above the brake booster, and you might need to move some wires / lines to see it. That`s more likely to be still in place than the aluminium VIN plate in the engine bay.

I have a hunch that its originally a Japanese market car.........

Anyway, if you need any help / data etc. please do not hesitate to ask. I know how it feels to try to identify something that you don`t see much data for.

Bambikiller`s advice on rust etc is well worth taking note of. Its also worth taking care on any car that is described as having been a race car ( sometimes very badly put together! ). I have a feeling that we may have heard of this particular car on this site many months back ( it rings a bell....................... ).

Good luck and Happy New Year,

Alan T.

[Bambikiller240]

Alan is one of, if not THE the most knowledgable person on the list, especially regarding non-USA models of Z-cars. Give him all the info. that you can find and listen to what he tells you. It is gospel!

Thanks for jumping in Alan. Since I don't really know you, I hesitated to refer Phoenix_400 directly to you, but you are the person I had in mind in my earlier post.

Happy New Year!

:classic:

[Phoenix_400]

I don't know much about the car. Its at this little car repair/scrapyard. one of the guys there is selling it. The dude's a real jerk and i'm having a hard time getting answers out of him.

I've only talked to him over the phone and need to get him down there with the keys so i can test drive it.

According to the guys at that shop its been there for about 6 months. one of the guys there rebuilt the carbs and he says that Eva place supposedly did that to all their cars. Nobody there really knows much about the car but most of them say it'll run like hell.

There is some rust on the body just below the doors, and a very small hole rusted through the skin of the passenger side door. also rust on the bottom side lip of the hood that extends past the grill. the drivers side floor plan don't look to good from underneath either. Its locked up tight, so until he gets there with the keys i can't tell much else.

what i said about where it was imported is all he told me. He isn't the one who imported it, but all he tell me is he got it from someone else.

I'm probably getting the car no matter what. I'm in the Army so its not like i've got anything better to spend my money on. Plus i'm hooked up with this little import shop in town who can get some deals w/ their buddies at a body and paint shop.

There's just something about that car....i can't really explain it.

[Bambikiller240]

If you've noticed that much rust without a thorough inspection of the car, I'd be concerned. If at all possible, I'd have one of your buddies from the body shop inspect it COMPLETELY. Also, open the rear hatch and look for rust there, and in the bottom of the spare tire well. Both are notorious places for MAJOR RUST to hide. Rust repair is a VERY good way to spend a TON of time and money.

Just my $.02, but a seller who is not co-operative or forthcoming with information is someone I'd RUN AWAY from in a heartbeat. There is no crime in not knowing the answer to a question, but it sounds fishy that he doesn't know much about the car, but someone else at the shop tells you that "Eva place supposedly did that to all their cars". Can't have it both ways, either they know about the car or NOT. Just remember, whatever they tell you is from the standpoint of a seller (salesman talk = BullShit!); not from the standpoint of the guy who will be paying for any and all repairs once the title is in YOUR NAME.

Caviat Emptor!! (Buyer Beware!!!!)

As you said, You may not have much else to spend your money on, but most guys in the Army don't make so much money that they can afford to throw Thousands down the drain! It's best to go into this possible purchase with your eyes wide open, knowing exactly what you'll be faced with.

PS: Sounds like you've been bitten by the "Z" bug. and want one in the worst way. BUY WITH YOUR MIND, NOT YOUR HEART, or you'll end up with the WORST CAR!!

[Phoenix_400]

Yeah i know what your saying. I'm tryin' to get one of the guys to go with me to come look at it with me but i'm having a tough time of it. I got up under the car and looked behind the front tires. the fender wells don't LOOK too bad. the frame rails have a couple of small dings in them but doesn't appear to much rust damage,except for the drivers side floor pan.

I think its gonna come down to how she runs once he gets out there w/ the keys. If i can talk him down some more i could get some of my money back by parting it out if it turns out to be a bust. Its like a little Fast andthe Furious deal goin on around FT. Bragg so i doubt i'd have much trouble selling anything RHD. Freakin' import nuts. :classic:

I was actually looking for 91-93 240sx hatchback to drop a CA18DET into. Mod it up and get into Drifting or Roadracing/Autocross. But i've found this thing now and the heavy metal nut in me is drooling. Figure in the long run i'd end up spending as much going j-spec 180sx as i would restoring that Fairlady. by the end of March(which is when i'll actually be able to work on something) i'll have about $4-5K for a project.

Damn, the more i think about it the more i realize i'm stockpiling cars for future projects when i get outta the service and actually have money.

First car: 78 bandit trans am- built 400 3.73 posi rear, 10mpg on the interstate.

Second car: 88 fiero w/ ferrari body panels, future LT1 5speed conversion

the Truck: 69 chevy custom10, been sittin the backyard since i was 13, won't let parents sell.

Currently in 97 240sx. the reliable one while i'm in the service, SR20 candidate once i'm out.

[owenk]

If you want to keep your projects you better never get married or get a girl who is a "wrench head"

[Bambikiller240]

owenk posted:

........or get a girl who is a "wrench head"

just make sure that your projects, are HER projects; or at least that your projects come first! :stupid:

[Phoenix_400]

Well, went and had another look at the car today. Passenger side frame rail and floorpan look straight. Drivers side frame rail has some surface rust but doesn't look too bad. Floor pans a write off though. Hole about half the size of my fist through it.

Got a guy from the body shop goin' w/ me to look at it Sunday morning.

One thing though....I thought these cars were unibody construction like my T/A, but the frame rails on this car run the full length of the floor pans. It may just be my ignorance but this confuses me.

And as for gettin' hitched, I'm only 20 and thats gonna be along way down the road. Besides as stubborn as i am i'm gonna hafta find a girl who can at least tolerate my hobby (obsession?) or it'll never work anyway. Gawd,some of my oldest friends can't even stand me when i'm in high gear. :classic:

[HS30-H]

Hi guys, looks like a fair bit has been happening since I last looked in.

Carl, thanks for the endorsement - but I think you might be slightly overstating my expertise ( especially on the Left Hand Drive side of things )! I have an interest in the Right-hooker cars in particular - so I`m always glad to try to help in any way that I can with that side of things. I`m still learning though - and you can never sit back and think you know everything about the history of these cars............................

Phoenix_400, I second all of BambiKiller`s advice to you regarding the demon RUST and getting yourself into a project that you will never finish. I`ve been in that situation too, and tried to kid myself that it would all turn out OK in the end. In the end, the rust caught up with me and now that car is a very expensive parts donor for other projects ( the body was beyond saving ). Once I started to cut it up, it frightened the life out of me to see what I had been trusting my safety to; the internal structure was really badly gone, and the previous owners had just patched over the top of patches. Really nasty.........

These cars are "Unibody" in so far as they have a monocoque structure ( no separate frame ). Those front chassis rails actually do extend under the floor ( the floor forms the fourth side to the box section - if that makes sense ). Its a real big job to replace them properly ( although good repop parts are now available ). The floors are more easy to replace ( in comparison ) so I would not necessarily worry too much about that. However, like BambiKiller says, this kind of rust is not usually confined to what you can SEE. All in all, its a sign that there will actually be rust all over most of the car. To cure that properly you are really looking at a total strip and lots of welding. Please be careful about what you are getting yourself into.................

As to the history of the car, I would be willing to bet that the car possibly has not even been to Europe. My gut feeling is that its more likely to be a souvenir brought back from Japan by a serviceman. There are actually quite a few of these knocking around ( hey - I own one too! Its a 1970 Fairlady Z-L that ended up in Europe after spending time in Japan and the USA on a tour of duty with a USAF pilot ). The stories about it being an ex race car / built by a race car company may very well be simple exaggeration. Its much more likely to have been a street fighter at home in Japan ( with the triple carbed L28 replacing its standard L20ET engine ). That "EVA" name rings a bell - but I might hazard a blind guess that this is the company that made the front airdam / spoiler ( there was a Japanese company called EVA who were famous for making spoilers.............. ).

See if you can find any more about the details.

All the best and good luck,

Alan T.

[Phoenix_400]

the more i think about it the more i wonder whats under the hood. I'm a speed freak so i'd end up building the thing as powerful as i could on pump gas. I've got to find out what else is in that thing.

I mean, here's an imported fairlady with a 2.8L swapped in that's also been converted to triple webbers. Me thinks with that much done already plus going to the trouble to bring it over to the US there should be alot more in the guts of that engine.

Could just be my wishful thinking though. Guess i'll find out Sunday. *Sigh*