1975 280z getting crushed for scrap metal

[Av8ferg]

I’ve been searching for salvage yards near me for 280z and found one where I picked up a few parts 2 months ago. I called the yard I went to and asked about the price for the N42 head. As some of you know I’m trying to bring my 1977 back to life and beginning to realize how hard and or expensive some parts can be. Anyway the guy told me he thinks the car was crushed. He then called me back and said it was in line to be crushed this week and I could have the head for $70

Two questions:

1) Is a N42 head worth $70?

2) what else should I grab off this car before it is finally put to death and transformed into a 2019 Kia or a Chinese bicycle.

It’s sad to see these cars get crushed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gnosez]

Rebello uses N42 heads on his high performance and race engines so, yes, $70 is a good price.

Grab things that are still in good shape - glass, trim (in and out), wheels, electrical items, any body parts like fenders or headlight buckets, etc.

[siteunseen]

I like my N42.  I would get the N42 non EGR intake manifold that's bolted to it too.  Get the the exhaust pipe cut right before the exhaust intake and pull all three off. 

'75 & '76 have square exhaust ports.  Your '77 has round and the '75s N42 head is square. 

$200 N42 intake right here, https://us.letgo.com/en/i/nissan-datsun-240z-280z-280zx-n42-intake-turbo-na_f3360cb9-a7ba-4c5c-a6f4-affeddcdcd24

[Zed Head]

People like the early intake manifolds too.  The AFM might be worth getting.  Distributor if it's in good shape.  The whole engine if you have space for it.  Rear struts.  TC rods (you might break one some day).  EFI/fuel pump combined relay (by the hood latch, inside, they're hard to find and do go bad).  

[wheee!]

I could use a set of the carpet retainers under the dash in the footwell... mine are missing!

They bolt to the locations circled in the pic

 

[Av8ferg]

Great, I’ll be on the look out and grab all I can that looks good. I guess I can sell what I don’t need.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JSM]

Have space to store? Find out how much he wants for the whole thing! Strip all of it and tell him to you will bring him back the shell to get a better deal.  

If not, don’t forget the stub axles. You should be able to get $150 all day long on hybridz. Just don’t forget to remove the penning before removing the nut. The whole process can be a pitb at the JY. But saving parts, making a few bucks, helping others looking is all part of the fun to me. 

[Av8ferg]

Not sure what a stub axle is, sounds a like a lot of work and would have to jack the car I assume.  Unfortunately, I can’t take the whole car or I would.  

[rcb280z]

I'm with JSM, if you have the room get the whole car. I wish I could find one here on the west coast. Specifically California. I haven't seen a Z for several years in salvage yards.

[Av8ferg]

Unfortunately, I have no place to put the car and I my wife would lose her mind if I dragged it home.   I’m going to take everything I reasonably can.   What is JSM?  If anyone needs something specific let me know.  Everyone has been so helpful on this forum and I’m happy to pay it forward and just change what the yard charges me.  They have no clue about this car and I told the owner not to crush it and he seemed like he didn’t care.  Here’s a pic. 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Av8ferg

[Zed Head]

That actually looks like a 77 or 78 280Z.  The metal trim piece on the back is a clue.  75 and 76 had rubber.  So, if it is, the door parts should fit your car.  The door handles, for instance.  They break, and they're hard to find.  The trim pieces on the door card.  The rear view mirror inside.

Did anyone mention the half-shafts?  From the diff to the wheels?  They're pretty easy to remove and if the joints aren't dried out they can be regreased and will last another 50,000 miles probably.  Actually cheaper than buying new parts store  u-joints.  4 joints x $20 each = $80.  I have a bunch of halfshafts in the garage, greased up and ready to swap if a u-joint goes bad.  I think that the used Nissan joints are actually tighter than new Precision joints.  They're shimmed to perfection.

Even the main propeller shaft would be worth getting, since it's not a 75.  75 has an odd unique diff bolt pattern.  They didn't use it again until the 300ZX's.  The 280Z's don't have replaceable  u-joints so a spare propeller shaft is nice to have.  They're small too.

[Av8ferg]

I told the guy I thought it wasn’t a 75 but a 77.  I didn’t look at the door placard but it has a N42 block and head and that would be correct for 75’.  When I head back next week I’ll double check.  He’s holding it for 2 weeks before it meets its ultimate fate. Like I said earlier without jacking it up I may not be able to get undercarriage stuff.   It’s on gravel so it may not be safe