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I never owned a Datsun, but I’m an old guy that has had dozens of classic cars, foreign and domestic. My brother has a ‘77 Z back in the early 80’s. It was a total rust bucket, fenders flapped in the wind and exhaust poured into the car unless you kept the windows up and the fan on high. I’ve got a Porsche 914 that’s a project but saw an ad for a 280z that I had to check out. Has a crappy picture but says one owner, 60k miles. I go to see the car and I can’t believe my eyes. The car has no rust. The interior is super clean except the drivers seat vinyl. The guy who owned it was the service manager for Nissan Salt Lake. He traded in his troublesome 260z for the first 280z that came in to inventory. The only parts he ever changed were the clutch slave cylinder and the radiator. Still had the window sticker, owners manual, sales contract with the 260z trade, radio instructions and warranty book with the plastic card. All the tools, Jack and chocks were in the car. It had Libre wheels on it. Power antenna worked as did all the electrical, except the clock. Rubber moldings for the front and rear glass were perfect. Original headlights. Original wiper arms. Still had the metal shield under the engine. Did I say, no rust. The battery tray was original and unrusted. The only issue was failed clearcoat on the hood, roof and hatch. He had painted them years ago and they were looking shabby. But with original paint on all the body openings and the rest of the car, it was obvious that there had been no other bodywork or rust. We made a deal and I got the car. When I went to pick up the car, the old owner had the original wheels, tires and hubcaps. He said he forgot they were in his basement. I spoke to Eric at JDM Legends in SLC and they agreed to do the mechanical refresh. They were super excited when they saw how original the car is. First issue was the seals throughout the car were leaking. All seals in the engine, trans and diff were replaced. I wanted a stock radiator re-installed in place of the aluminum one. All the bushings in the suspension were replaced. While the suspension bushings were being replaced, all suspension components were cleaned and painted. The gas tank was drained. It was full of really old gas, but otherwise clean. They repainted the tank and straps. We are waiting for the seats to get recovered and the rear carpet reproduced. I’m looking at a NOS dash to replace the cracked original. I had the original bumpers removed and will be saving them and installing early style bumpers. I registered the Z using the original 1975 license plates.

Well, you're about 2 hours away from me. Would you like a second opinion on your car? I have been taught by some very good people like @240260280 about how to balance/adjust the carburetors. I might even be able to convince some other Z friends to come over, too.

If you don't watch out it'll stick to you.

You and me too, my friend!! I wish we could spend way more time together. Maybe next time, it'll be at your place.

Or just get a brick. lol

Love this 280z. One issue is the blower motor. The original popped the fuse when I set it to “5” I ordered a replacement but it’s a universal fit and is crap. After messing with it, I’ve decided to put the original motor back in and check the amp draw. It may work with better with some use. I liked it so mush, I just picked up this ‘73 240z. A “rust free” running and driving project. I’m shipping it to JDM Legends for their assessment and refresh. I would love a BRE themed 240 with a minimalist interior. We shall see...

My big fear is that you will soon lose interest in 'all things Datsun' and move on new challenges. The next logical step for someone with your skills is a late-60's Alfa GTV, isn't it? Or -- sharp intake of breath -- a Jag E-Type.

View Advert 1971 240Z Matching numbers. All original parts. Very good condition. Many extra parts and documentation included. Not run in 7 years. Needs some TLC. Advertiser Bill Capp Date 03/21/2021 Price $12,000.00 Category Cars for Sale Year 1971 Model 240Z Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)  

View Advert Set of 240Z Combo Switches Matched set of combo switches for a Series 2 ’71 or ’72 240Z, completely refurbished. The switches have been totally disassembled and cleaned. The plastic elements on the light switch stalk have been polished, the rubber boot is in excellent condition. The lever on the turn signal has been stripped and repainted in gloss black, the rubber handle is excellent. All contacts on the switches have been cleaned and burnished. All switch settings have been continuity tested. The wiring and connectors are in perfect condition. Sold only as a set, $425 includes standard domestic shipping. International shipping available at actual cost. Payment via PayPal. PM if interested, thanks. Advertiser jfa.series1 Date 03/21/2021 Price $425.00 Category Parts for Sale  

I had a few EFI cars over the years then bought a 240. Then another one. Sold the least desirable one to free up some garage space. I love the carbed cars. They really scream.

That's a regal blue in my opinion. Very nice color too.

What???

It’s just stuff. Nothing replaces the value of family, friends and health. My mother-in-law went into hospice today, We’d trade it all to get her back. The grass is only greener where you can be with the people you love and care about otherwise it’s all brown no matter how big the house is or how any toys you have. I’ll trade the Viper for the 240 🤫

Well the "works" part is it's possible to remove that pivot point without severely messing up the rest of the firewall. So, yes, you have proven that!

Yes, the choke lever mechanism is designed to add both richness AND higher idle speed. If you look at the SU’s, the little metal rod with the kink moves with the choke mech and moves a little arm the prevents the throttle blades from getting back to idle hence adding idle speed. You have to adjust the kink angle with pliers to add or subtract the amount of idle increase you get with choke handle motion. Takes a bit of fiddling around. I use one pair of needle nose vise grips on side of the kink as backup, then bend the other side of the kink with another pair. Yes you have to take off the air cleaner to have any prayer of getting in there I too have dreamed of separating the richness and idle control to get those both “just right” depending on conditions. But that’s what EFI is all about!

That is exactly what happens if the key slips out of place when you install the damper. The key rocks the wrong way in the slot, gets jammed in there, and if you keep pressing and force the pulley on anyway, it cracks the brittle cast iron pulley. Since some dampers are really hard to get onto the crank snout anyway, you might not even notice the force required to get the pulley "home". If you use the large bolt through the middle to jack the pulley into place, you'd never know. And (as it sounds like you found out) it won't necessarily affect the running of the engine like that. If the pulley slips, it will screw with the timing marks, but if it's timed correctly, you may never know. So if your PO did that and timed the engine when he put it together, it may have been like that (seemingly just fine) since then.

A small milestone, first coat of PPG epoxy primer is on, hoping to have the final paint on before the humidity starts in June otherwise I'll have to wait until mid August.

Today is a hard day, saying goodbye to my beautiful 12/70 blue on blue Zed. It's been a great journey together, reliving my youth! 12 years of fun and adventure, even reliving my days of auto cross in parking lots around Kelowna B.C. This beauty won her class 2 years ago auto crossing at Castrol Raceway! The best part of owning this car was finding this great group of Datsun enthusiasts who are so willing to help anyone who shows an interest. I'll still lurk around this site, I'll live vicariously through all the great ownership stories and historical background that abounds here. Farewell to Dabluz!

Yes, I removed bunches of spot welds with my 914 build. It takes a delicate touch to remove the weld without penetrating the metal behind it. I did do some actual work yesterday. One of my wife’s care home patients is a young woman with a bit of a developmental delay. My wife brought her home because she was bored and tends to cause trouble when she is bored. She came out and helped me do some garage cleanup. Then, I started bleeding from the nose and had to go to the ER. Fun times...