New member, anything I must know?

[calvinhg]

Wow, so many replies! Thanks for all that advice, I'm gonna love this place. Now to answer your posts:

But before that! I'm not currently looking to get a car, I just want to familiarize myself, as I want to get a truck beforehand. But thanks for the offers!

First checkmark: The best year is the best deal I find without rust. This is why these cars are amazing: there are no trouble years, the worst problem you can have is rust! Epitome of reliability.

Second checkmark: No big problems with the L-series or the transmissions. Is four gears enough, if you haven't swapped for the 5-speed? Also, how many miles can you go on the engine and the tranny before needing a rebuild?

Third checkmark: Yay, 2+2s exist! I prefer them because it allows more space, possibly short passengers... And I'm a tall guy, I may not even fit! The longer wheelbase allows me to toy with the seat mounts and move them back if necessary.

Fourth question mark: I looked around a bit for the 5 lug kits, they seems pretty common. Should not be a problem.

Other worth mentioning:
Electrical issues, check. I'm starting to think I'd rather have a 280z, because of that, the tranny, and also they didn't make any 2+2 240z... While I can fix the electrical issues and put in a 5-speed, there's no way I'm making a 2-seater into a 2+2.
@heyitsrama Thanks for all the tips. What do you mean by upgraded interior for the 260z?
@ksechler Rip that California Datsun transmission. I'll heed that advice, thank you. And stunning car.
@cbuczesk @w3wilkes Dave Irwin? Who/what is that? A quick search pointed me to a ski racer... lol
@Mike Woa! The founder! Thank you!
Ebay scams, check. I don't really like them anyway.
@Hardway An easy swap from automatic to manual? Didn't know that was possible. Don't you usually need a donor for that, because it's a different steering column?

Bottom line: Rust is the enemy! If you see any, there probably is a lot more. Other than that, most trouble I'll have will be simple/easy fixes. Damn I love this car, and I don't have it yet!

[wheee!]

Not all 280’s came with 5 spd’s. 75 & 76 were 4 spds and I think late 77’s came with 5 spd. I might be wrong on when they appeared.

There is a lot of room in the drivers area. And the good news for you is that the 2+2 is the least desirable of the models for most people so you will be able make a good deal if you don’t let on you’re looking for a 2+2!

And the manual tranny swap is mostly pedal box, clutch linkage and a little trimming of the tunnel opening if you are putting a 5 spd in a 240. The steering column is the same.

 

[calvinhg]

3 minutes ago, wheee! said:

Not all 280’s came with 5 spd’s. 75 & 76 were 4 spds and I think late 77’s came with 5 spd. I might be wrong on when they appeared.

There is a lot of room in the drivers area. And the good news for you is that the 2+2 is the least desirable of the models for most people so you will be able make a good deal if you don’t let on you’re looking for a 2+2!

And the manual tranny swap is mostly pedal box, clutch linkage and a little trimming of the tunnel opening if you are putting a 5 spd in a 240. The steering column is the same.

 

Huh. Guess I'll have to try to fit in one before deciding if I really want a 2+2. And good to know it's easy to swap in a manual, that broadens my search quite a bit, once I do start searching!

Love your avatar btw

[grannyknot]

6 hours ago, lordkarma88 said:

how many miles can you go on the engine and the tranny before needing a rebuild?

The L series engine are very long lived, they usually start leaking from old gaskets before they are worn out. Unfortunately a lot of Z's that are up for sale have been sitting for yrs or even decades, those engines may have to be torn down if only to replace seals.

6 hours ago, lordkarma88 said:

Electrical issues, check. I'm starting to think I'd rather have a 280z, because of that,

I wouldn't pass up a good 240 for that reason, the 280 has its own issues just in different areas, the 240 has a much simpler electrical system and for that reason easier to diagnose.  A lot of the time it comes down to bad grounds but that is true for any 40-50 yr old car.

[cbuczesk]

70-76 is 4-speed or AT. 5-speed was optional in 77-78. 77-83 5-speed will bolt in. Easy swap.

A lot of these engines were driven hard but almost everyone I've found has had over 100k miles. They're very good engines.

I'd choose the 240Z over the 280Z for electrical because it's much simpler. But that's just me.

Chuck

 

[Patcon]

14 hours ago, lordkarma88 said:

Third checkmark: Yay, 2+2s exist! I prefer them because it allows more space, possibly short passengers... And I'm a tall guy, I may not even fit! The longer wheelbase allows me to toy with the seat mounts and move them back if necessary.

I'm 6'5" and have no issues fitting in a 2 seat S30 car.

[charliekwin]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the 2+2s are the unloved child in the family because they're kind of ugly. Unless you are really tall or oddly proportioned, leg room shouldn't be a problem, but roof height might be (I'm ~6'2; there's not a lot of headroom) and a 2+2 won't help much there. Also, many of the body and interior parts are unique to the 2+2s, so replacing things will be extra hard.

[siteunseen]

The most popular sports car ever, Porsche 911, has back seats but just try and get anyone back there.  They are best, seats folded down and used as a rear deck IMHO.  

[Dave WM]

do you want AC? if so the 280z has a much improved setup over the 240z. retro fit kits are sold to install in a non AC car, but be warned there is a LOT of fabrication to be done if you go that route.

280zx 5 speed will bolt right up to a 280z 4 speed. the later 280zx think from 81 on have a much taller 5th (.75 iirc) that when coupled with the stock 3.54 rear end will get you 80mph at about 3k rpm. Its really too tall unless you have no hills to chug up. You cant really use it until you are at about 70mph else you risk lugging the engine. a 3.7 or 3.9 is a better fit. Frankly the 4 speed is fine unless you plan to do some hiway speed driving. 70 is 3.5k with the stock setup.

The 280z comes with fuel injection, which I prefer to carbs. This is the stock setup and works very well once sorted out. the biggest problem is corrosion on the connecting wires to the sensors and the sensors themselves. Also the FI has frequently been hacked by folks not really knowing what they are doing which can add to the sorting out process. If everything is there and hooked up, its a good chance the only issue will be to clean up wire connections and grounds and maybe replace temp sensor to get it running well.

Rust also happens in the fuel tanks and lines, so that is something that should be looked into to make sure you get a good fuel supply. The only other weak point I can think of it the somewhat weak stock charging system. If you sit in traffic a lot with the AC on max, at night with the headlights on, you may notice the voltage drop to less than ideal. Alternator swaps are common, but not really needed if you are actually driving the car (not sitting in traffic idling), since the charging system is fine once you get above about 1.5k rpm.

all of the above comments relate to a unmodified car.

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by Dave WM

[wheee!]

What is this "unmodified car" of which you speak? ?

[Dave WM]

Mainly stuff like OE head lights, or orig stereos that don't require lots of extra current. On mine I ended up bumping up the idle with the AC idle up servo so I can get about 1.1k with the AC on. That is just about enough to keep from discharging (per the amp meter) the battery. You can still hear the fan slow down in the blower motor some.

Once I get moving all is well again. This is with the stock alt and the mechanical VR. I have not checked but with out the bump up of rpm, with everything on at idle, there is prob about a 5amp discharge (based loosely on the in dash amp meter reading).

Edited October 3, 2018 by Dave WM

[jfa.series1]

16 hours ago, lordkarma88 said:

 Dave Irwin? Who/what is that? A quick search pointed me to a ski racer... lol

Dave Irwin is a well-respected member of our community who developed relay kits for the headlights and turn signals for 240Z's.  In their wisdom, Nissan chose to run the current directly through the respective switches which eventually resulted in frying a lot of switches and fuse boxes.  Dave's kits solved those problems by using relays tripped by the switches and route power directly from the battery.  His kits are available from MSA and one of the best electrical system investments a 240Z owner can make.  Been there, done that!