My 1976 280Z 2+2 Metroid (aka Samus Aran) Restoration/Build Thread

[Paulytunes]

First, a little history about me and why I love Z cars:

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved the Datsun Z car.  My uncle had a 1970 Datsun 240Z that provided many fond memories.  I always told him, “If you ever sell this, call me, I will buy it from you.”  Unfortunately, that day never came because it caught fire while parked in the driveway after a Sunday drive many years ago.  The fire mechanically totaled it.  I was so upset and angry, but I am sure that my grief was nothing compared to my uncle’s emotions.

Fast forward to the present (or at least a few years ago).  My son (much like his father) develops an interest in cars.  I decided that I was serious about getting a collector car and something that I could wrench on and keep my mechanical engineering brain active (I have ascended to a management level professionally and I think my technical skill cells are in danger of being overwhelmed by management and bureaucracy!). 

Anyway, the first cars I was serious about buying I was a little late to the ball.  There was a 280Z that someone had restored online for his son in the Midwest and was selling for ~$7500 if I recall correctly.  I missed out on a bid on Bring A Trailer on a nice 260Z a few years ago because the kids were going crazy in the background when the bid ended.  I saw a few Z’s locally here in Maryland, but those ended up being too rusted out or basket cases that were beyond my abilities to restore.  So I widened my search to all cars I was interested in.  I went and looked at a 2000 Corvette C5, but that was a case of never meet your heroes – as I was very bothered by the perceived cheapness and lack of durability of the interior and quality issues that seemed to be present with that car.  I missed the ball on a ST-185 Celica Alltrac (always will love those), and got ghosted by another seller when I asked to see it and set up a Pre-Purchase Inspection.  Then I came across my Z, which was somewhat local (within 100 miles) and I thought was worth a look.  It passed all the tests and a mechanical inspection, and I couldn’t argue with the price, so I walked away the proud new owner of a 1976 Datsun 280Z.  I name all of my cars after videogame characters, so I thought with the color and vintage, naming my Z after the main character of the classic video game Metroid, Samus Aran, was quite fitting:

 

I think I am the 4^th owner.  As far as I can tell, I think she was very well loved by the previous owners, as the car came with a lot of records, a service manual, the original owners and maintenance documents, as well as even the original window sticker!             

[Racer X]

27 minutes ago, Paulytunes said:

(I have ascended to a management level professionally and I think my technical skill cells are in danger of being overwhelmed by management and bureaucracy!). 

Just say no.

Get an old carburetor. Doesn't matter what kind, or even if it still is functional. Every weekend go out to your workshop, take it apart, and then put it back together. Repeat every weekend.

[Paulytunes]

26 minutes ago, Racer X said:

Just say no.

Get an old carburetor. Doesn't matter what kind, or even if it still is functional. Every weekend go out to your workshop, take it apart, and then put it back together. Repeat every weekend.

🤣  That's the main reason I got the Z.  Imparting my knowledge to my son should also help keep me on my toes, he asks questions non-stop and has a neverending curiosity of figuring out how things work.  He's become quite the mechanic's assistant.  The Z needed a few things, as no 47 year old car is going to be perfect.  

Speaking of which, thus far it has needed a new fuel sending unit, speedometer cable, a new wheel stud and lugs (one on each wheel), battery, and fender resecuring, all of which were performed by the mechanic that performed the inspection. 

My son and I found that the car didn't have a windshield washer fluid tank, and it needed an oil and filter change, as well as a new fuel filter, so we have done that.

It has developed a recent more pressing issue with fuel delivery.  The Z runs fine when started cold and warmed up, at least until a significant load is applied and then it begins to drive really rough, eventually stalls, and needs to sit for a long length of time before restarting and is ok to drive again.  I will likely ask for help in the technical threads, as I have tried to troubleshoot but it has been driving me insane.  

As far as long-term plans, I may get it painted (it was once already in the 1990's, but it is showing its age and wasn't the best quality).  When I do that I will likely need to get two new front fenders, as these have some rust and Bondo.  I'm also not in love with the likely period correct 280Z decals and pinstriping on the lower sides.  I think it's also going to need rear shocks.  The P.O. also planned on replacing the rear drums with discs, and included the discs in the sale - this and the shocks may be my winter projects.  Some Panasport rims and new tires would also be nice.  The current 8-track stereo is non-functional, which I may just remove and install a blank panel.  With the stock speaker locations and the loudness of the current exhaust (may also be a future change, my mechanic referred to it as a "cheap muffler" and the pipe is noticeably the lowest thing on the car), I think I would be better off using my phone and a nice bluetooth speaker for music.  Once upon a time I was into installing stereos, amps, subs, tweeters, mids, etc., but I think there are now far better things I can do with my money.

Paul

[Racer X]

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

 

Speaking of which, thus far it has needed a new fuel sending unit, speedometer cable, a new wheel stud and lugs (one on each wheel), battery, and fender resecuring, all of which were performed by the mechanic that performed the inspection. 

My son and I found that the car didn't have a windshield washer fluid tank, and it needed an oil and filter change, as well as a new fuel filter, so we have done that.

On my daily drivers I change oil and filter, rotate the tires, and perform a full service, lube hinges, inspect brakes belts and hoses, etc. every 5,000 miles.

For My Z cars, which never see that many miles, they get a full service every spring prior to use, including oil and filter. Cooling system every two years. 

The reason is first, oil is cheap insurance, and second, it breaks down more quickly from short drives and sitting. Moisture gets into the crankcase, and due to frequent short duration operating cycles, gets polluted more quickly.

I also use a battery tender on them, as well as my tractors (I have two), the riding lawnmower, and one of my pickups that doesn’t see daily use.

 

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

It has developed a recent more pressing issue with fuel delivery.  The Z runs fine when started cold and warmed up, at least until a significant load is applied and then it begins to drive really rough, eventually stalls, and needs to sit for a long length of time before restarting and is ok to drive again.  I will likely ask for help in the technical threads, as I have tried to troubleshoot but it has been driving me insane.  
 

It could be the fuel pump is failing. The injected cars also have a fuel return that (I believe) has a regulator. Those have been known to go bad, and given the age of the car, if it is original, it may well be the culprit.

Somewhere on this site is a place where you can download the factory service manual. If you haven’t already, grab it, and read through it. Everything you need to know is covered, including troubleshooting the fuel system.

 

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

 

As far as long-term plans, I may get it painted (it was once already in the 1990's, but it is showing its age and wasn't the best quality).  When I do that I will likely need to get two new front fenders, as these have some rust and Bondo.  I'm also not in love with the likely period correct 280Z decals and pinstriping on the lower sides. 
 

Careful, next thing you’ll have a rotisserie and welder. Floor pans, frame rails . . . . . 😂

 

 

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

I think it's also going to need rear shocks. 

If you didn’t live so far away I’d loan you the special tool it takes to remove the gland nuts for reworking the strut cartridges.

 

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

The P.O. also planned on replacing the rear drums with discs, and included the discs in the sale - this and the shocks may be my winter projects.  Some Panasport rims and new tires would also be nice. 
 

Panasports look awesome on Z cars. That would be a nice upgrade.

👍

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

The current 8-track stereo is non-functional, which I may just remove and install a blank panel.  With the stock speaker locations and the loudness of the current exhaust (may also be a future change, my mechanic referred to it as a "cheap muffler" and the pipe is noticeably the lowest thing on the car), I think I would be better off using my phone and a nice bluetooth speaker for music.  Once upon a time I was into installing stereos, amps, subs, tweeters, mids, etc., but I think there are now far better things I can do with my money.

There is a guy near me who converts stock radios to accept USB and Bluetooth.  I think he even offers a power upgrade. There may be someone similar near you too. 

Something to consider.
 

 

1 hour ago, Paulytunes said:

 

Looks like he is fiddling with the brakes.

Next thing he will be wanting to auto cross the car.

🏎️

 

Looking forward to updates as your journey unfolds.

 

[Paulytunes]

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

On my daily drivers I change oil and filter, rotate the tires, and perform a full service, lube hinges, inspect brakes belts and hoses, etc. every 5,000 miles.

For My Z cars, which never see that many miles, they get a full service every spring prior to use, including oil and filter. Cooling system every two years. 

The reason is first, oil is cheap insurance, and second, it breaks down more quickly from short drives and sitting. Moisture gets into the crankcase, and due to frequent short duration operating cycles, gets polluted more quickly.

I also use a battery tender on them, as well as my tractors (I have two), the riding lawnmower, and one of my pickups that doesn’t see daily use.

  Agreed.  My daily and my wife's minivan get serviced every 5k miles and will likely have a similar plan for the Z.  I probably should invest in a battery tender too.  

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

It could be the fuel pump is failing. The injected cars also have a fuel return that (I believe) has a regulator. Those have been known to go bad, and given the age of the car, if it is original, it may well be the culprit.

Somewhere on this site is a place where you can download the factory service manual. If you haven’t already, grab it, and read through it. Everything you need to know is covered, including troubleshooting the fuel system.

I've been reading through some of the threads on here and going through my FSM to try and diagnose before posting anything.  I figure I cannot be the first person to have this issue and I stubbornly want to try and see if I can figure it out myself.  I've heard a lot of different ideas like bad gas, rust in the fuel tank, clogged vent lines.  I think I can rule out the vent lines, as my son and I carefully pulled out the rear trim and made sure all the vent lines were all free of obstruction.  One curious thing I did find was that after the first time the stuttering happened, the fuel tank cap was ridiculously tight, enough that I had to gently hit it with a rubber mallet to free it.  Tonight I pulled the AFM and I think I may have found that the air temperature sensor is bad.  I cannot get a reading from my ohmmeter for pin 27 (p.EF-52).

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

Careful, next thing you’ll have a rotisserie and welder. Floor pans, frame rails . . . . . 😂

As I told my wife, this is a father and son bonding and educational experience, which should justify these added costs.  I do wish I could make my garage a little bigger or at least tall enough to accommodate a lift.

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

If you didn’t live so far away I’d loan you the special tool it takes to remove the gland nuts for reworking the strut cartridges.

Thanks.  I know these are a PITA and will likely require some tool purchases.  I'll certainly be going through the FSM to test and see if there's any way to adjust and/or rule out if they are shot before replacing.  It does sit a little low in the back and I hit the damn exhaust pipe on the more poorly maintained roads around here that Baltimore County or MD chooses to neglect year after year.  

  

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

Panasports look awesome on Z cars. That would be a nice upgrade.

👍

My inspiration was a 2+2 I saw at Carlisle Import Nationals a few months ago, I also think I really like and want the rubber rear spoiler.  I think that's a show winning car.  

  

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

There is a guy near me who converts stock radios to accept USB and Bluetooth.  I think he even offers a power upgrade. There may be someone similar near you too. 

Something to consider.

I've looked into the Retrosound radios, which are a cool idea.  Is this different?  I think I need to research this a bit more.  The speakers are original, but I think I need to perform some rewiring to get them to work.  I found what looks to be a rodent nest behind the right rear plastic trim and the right rear speaker wires were chewed up to the point of nonexistence!

  

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

Looks like he is fiddling with the brakes.

Next thing he will be wanting to auto cross the car.

I think he was looking at the washer tank and was fascinated that the pump was located on the bottom of the tank.  Although he did as me about the brakes shortly after I snapped the photo, so he could have very well been looking and thinking about them at that point in time.  Yes, I am sure PJ will want to learn how to drive it and will likely want to drive it as soon as he is able.  I think if I do let him take it out, I will either need to have some sort of intricate surveillance equipment installed or I will just be on pins and needles.  Of course, he will need to learn how to drive stick first, but I am certainly not going to let him learn on the Z!

  

55 minutes ago, Racer X said:

Looking forward to updates as your journey unfolds.

Thanks!  I certainly will be posting here.  This seems to be one of the best Z forums online.  I am not really into the short attention span reddit sites or Facebook (which to me is a tremendous waste of time spent keeping up with the Joneses).  Forums, however, are a tremendous resource, especially for classic cars.  I hope to contribute as well as learn a lot here.

  

 

[Racer X]

On 7/1/2023 at 8:21 PM, Paulytunes said:

 

I've looked into the Retrosound radios, which are a cool idea.  Is this different? 

No. Retrosound sells brand new radios, and I have found that although close, none have the exact appearance of the original Datsun radio. Pretty cool, but for my 72 I want to keep the stock look.

This guy actually takes your stock radio, (or any stock radio you send him, and opens them up, and reworks the innards to add the USB and Bluetooth functions, and increase power if you wish (I will be choosing this option)

This guy is the one near me: FM CONVERSIONS | CLASSIC CARS | BILL THE RADIO GUY

But a web search reveals he is not alone: 

Conversions- Joe's Classic Car Radio (joesclassiccarradio.com)

Ricks Radio Conversions - Radio Conversions, Car Radio Conversion

There are more, some of which are brand specific (one guy only does Mopar radios), but go ahead and search around, and see what best suits your needs. Who knows, there may be someone within driving distance to you. You'll likely want to replace the stock speakers too and run dedicated wires.

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Racer X

[Paulytunes]

So today marked a huge milestone - I was able to fix my ongoing, intermittent hesitation and poor operation of my 280Z!  Many thanks to a lot of help from my new friends on this forum and a lot of persistent troubleshooting and eventual replacement of suspect components.  As it turned out, my ignition coil was bad - when I tested the resistance, I was getting high and inconsistent values.  I also ended up swapping out the TIU with an HEI module.  The final step was bypassing the resistor and connecting directly to the coil.  Now the question is what to do with the replaced and not reinstalled parts?  Maybe I will make a museum of my old car parts.  What started as a joke, I saved the idler pulley bearing that self-destructed and destroyed my timing belt in my 1986 Toyota Camry back when I was a poor college student.  I also saved a few of the broken lug nuts and stripped lug studs from my current WRX (don't get me started on these, it's an ongoing QC issue every time that swap my summer and winter wheels.  I am convinced Subaru used low grade, crappy aluminum lug studs as a cost saving measure and failed to instruct their dealer technicians to not to use air wrenches when rotating the tires or they could strip out the lugs.  Maybe I will finally be rid of this problem when I have replaced each and every one of the lug studs.).  I have never had this problem with any other car, present company (2017 Sienna, 1976 280Z) included, as well as previous Subarus.  Ugh.

I also went on a few drives.  The first was around the neighborhood with my son and daughter, who both seem to love the car and were overjoyed that I fixed it and Samus is in running condition again.  The second was to Detail Garage to inquire about the current condition of the paint and what I can do to restore it, if anything.  My main concerns are these spots and the few areas where the paint is cracking and peeling away.  I initially thought maybe the spots were due to one of the PO's parking under a sappy tree and never bothering to clean it off.  However, after some examination, it looks like the repaint job that the second owner performed may have been as described by the seller (3rd PO) as "not really a great job."  The Detail Garage pros seem to think that the spotting may be a result of a chemical reaction that occurred during the repaint because the spots do not appear to be on the top surface of the paint.  They also did not think the paint was as in dire condition as I originally thought, and suggested that I wash and wax it and it should come back considerably.  A good waxing should also protect it from further damage until I repaint in the future.  

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but when this car is running right, it is an awesome driving experience that has been lost with modern cars.  I know it's not as fast as my WRX, or my previously owned 370Z, but driving the 280Z is a much more engaging experience.  When you floor it, the 280Z responds and moves with a sense of urgency.  The newer cars seem to accelerate too smoothly and you don't feel it.  Maybe they are too insulated from the road?  Bigger and heavier?  The WRX looks like an SUV when parked next to the 280Z.  What an experience behind the wheel of the 280Z.  I can't wait to take Samus to a car show.  The amount of attention I get when behind the wheel is pretty cool - I get a lot of thumbs up and stoplight conversations of people telling me how much they love the car or have a Z story/experience of their own.  Ahh, the joys of owning a classic.

I can't wait to get behind the wheel again, maybe tomorrow.   

 

[Racer X]

13 hours ago, Paulytunes said:

 I also saved a few of the broken lug nuts and stripped lug studs from my current WRX (don't get me started on these, it's an ongoing QC issue every time that swap my summer and winter wheels.  I am convinced Subaru used low grade, crappy aluminum lug studs as a cost saving measure and failed to instruct their dealer technicians to not to use air wrenches when rotating the tires or they could strip out the lugs.  Maybe I will finally be rid of this problem when I have replaced each and every one of the lug studs.).  I have never had this problem with any other car, present company (2017 Sienna, 1976 280Z) included, as well as previous Subarus.  Ugh.

I

I have a 2005 Legacy wagon, bought new. At around 80,000 miles I found a broken wheel lug stud on the right rear. I replaced it at didn’t think too much about it. That was the beginning of a series of broken lug studs, mostly on the right rear, but I did have a couple break in the other three positions.

I do all my own maintenance and repair, and when the car needs tires I pull all the wheels, toss them in the pickup and take them to a tire shop. Power tools have never touched the lug nut on this, or any vehicle of mine.

I asked in Subaru forums, and found dozens of other Subaru owners who were experiencing the same issue. I asked at the dealer, no one had an answer regarding the repeated failures. Subaru denied any problems, and offered no suggestions regarding why it was happening or how prevent the failures.

At some point I tried cleaning the corrosion from the mating surfaces of the wheels and the hubs.

Haven’t had a broken stud since. The car has 200,000 miles on it, and hasn’t had a broken wheel stud since.

 

By the way, never heard of aluminum lug studs. The genuine Subaru lug studs and lug nuts I got from the local Subaru parts department have always been made from a high grade steel alloy, similar to tool steel. I doubt that aluminum would be a suitable material for a wheel stud, as the loads are too great.
 

I have seen aluminum lug nuts, popular with the tuner crowd. They think that aluminum is lighter, so their “race prepped” grocery getter with excessive negative camber and slammed buckboard suspension can get to the grocery store faster. Again, I feel that aluminum is not a suitable material for critical fasteners like wheel attachments.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Racer X

[Paulytunes]

9 hours ago, Racer X said:

I asked in Subaru forums, and found dozens of other Subaru owners who were experiencing the same issue. I asked at the dealer, no one had an answer regarding the repeated failures. Subaru denied any problems, and offered no suggestions regarding why it was happening or how prevent the failures.

At some point I tried cleaning the corrosion from the mating surfaces of the wheels and the hubs.

Haven’t had a broken stud since. The car has 200,000 miles on it, and hasn’t had a broken wheel stud since.

 

By the way, never heard of aluminum lug studs. The genuine Subaru lug studs and lug nuts I got from the local Subaru parts department have always been made from a high grade steel alloy, similar to tool steel. I doubt that aluminum would be a suitable material for a wheel stud, as the loads are too great.
 

I have seen aluminum lug nuts, popular with the tuner crowd. They think that aluminum is lighter, so their “race prepped” grocery getter with excessive negative camber and slammed buckboard suspension can get to the grocery store faster. Again, I feel that aluminum is not a suitable material for critical fasteners like wheel attachments.

My bad, I just made an assumption of the construction material based on the failures.  I had a 1992 Legacy (my first Subaru), two WRXs (a 2002 Sedan and 2002 Wagon), and a 2015 Forester.  None of the previous Subarus had issues, so I figured it must have been a material change or something that occurred sometime between 2015 and 2018.  I too researched on NASIOC, but the only information I was able to find was something about the thread patterns Subaru uses are susceptible to cross threading, and even more so if you use air wrenches to tighten the lugs, which most dealers and tire shops use.  Also, they made a change to the lug pattern for the VA WRXs and 2014-on Foresters, which is a pity because I loved my Version VII STi wheels and would have used them as my winter wheels on my current WRX.  Odd that I never had this issue with my Forester though.  The older Subarus were like Legos, and I always thought it would be a fun project to put an STi engine in my Legacy had I kept it, or bought an older 1993-2001 Impreza or an SVX and put an STi engine in it too.  But, probably in another life or if I happen to win the lottery.  

[Paulytunes]

Yesterday, Samus got a much needed wash and wax.  The guys from Detail Garage were right, it did the paint well, and it looks 100% improved now.  Today, we went to a car show, hosted by the Custom & Classic Car Educational Foundation at a vineyard about 17 miles door-to-door.  Their mission is to educate youth about classic cars and develop an interest in the classic car hobby.  Met a few really cool people today and had a blast!  I was the only Datsun there.  Lots of cool rides, like an Opel GT, a few old Monte Carlos, a split-window Corvette, a Corvair, Cords, a fleet of highly customized conversion vans, and many others (usual assortment of Camaros, Mustangs, Mopar, and other American muscle).  Most disturbing comment I overhead about my car was that someone's family member and four friends were killed in a bad accident in a 2+2 280 just like mine years ago, and the most interesting was that a friend had a 280Z back in the day and it was great in the snow.  Can't imagine that that was good for the underbody, considering Maryland's overzealous and copious use of road salt at the mere threat of snow.  I did notice that the left rear hatch latch spring has fallen over and it is resting in a horizontal position.  That could be the reason for the rear hatch springiness I noticed in the closed position during washing yesterday.

This was the longest trip I've taken since the TIU and coil replacement.  Only one small hiccup that seemed intermittent.  A few pops, possibly misfires during the trip home, and a rough idle at a few stoplights about halfway home.  It seemed to go away towards the last 3/4 of the drive.  I'm making a mental note to check the coil and spark plug wires and connections to the distributor.  

[Mark Maras]

I can confirm they're great (and fun) in the snow as long as it doesn't get too deep.

[Racer X]

2 hours ago, Mark Maras said:

I can confirm they're great (and fun) in the snow as long as it doesn't get too deep.

I would just lock in the front hubs and gas it.