Hey I have owned a 1987 300zx for about a year and have recently bought a 76 z car that was going to waste and thought i'd try my hand at restoring it. I would like to start out knowing what it is exactly.. so if anyone could offer some insight that would be sweet, my name is Andy and the VIN number for this beast is -- HLS30-294890,

Welcome to the site!

A 76 would be a 280Z. From the factory it would have been equipped with a fuel injected 2.8 liter inline six cylinder (L28) and either a four speed manual or a three speed automatic transmission.