meestapeta

Forgot to add, parking brake does not work. I've tried adjusting it with the screw under the car, but I think it needs new componentry to function. If pulled very hard it will hold the car on a slight grade, but that's about it.

another one

Vroom vroom:

In the park:

The car is "sparkling burgundy," and was repainted 2 years ago along with the bondo work. Here's some recent pictures. If you want more or higher resolution, just e-mail me. Immediately after repainting:

THIS CAR HAS BEEN SOLD. MODERATORS, PLEASE REMOVE THIS THREAD AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. 1978 Datsun 280Z 2 Seater Coupe L28 2.8L Fuel Injected 5 speed manual approx 130k miles $700 USD located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA Mechanically, it's in good shape, and in fact a lot of components are new within the last 5 or so years - radiator, brake master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder, water pump, fan cluth, starter, thermostat, front tie rods and front ball joints. Brake pads and shoes are new as of 7-8k and have lots of life on them. I've always changed the oil every 3k (or sooner, because I only drive it summers, and only do around 2500 miles per summer) and it doesn't burn any in between. I also just changed the gearbox oil less than 1000 miles ago. However, it's not a good candidate for a daily driver unless you're slightly adventurous, for a number of reasons. The rust is pretty bad. I did a huge bondo overhaul on the body 2 years ago, but the frame has some rust and the repair isn't going to last forever. The drivers side lock doesn't respond well to the key - I opened up the door and oiled it but it's quite sticky and will actually bend the key (I keep a spare on my keychain). I've been opening the passenger side and opening it manually. The ignition is a little funny - you have to push the key a certain way and it works for me every time but you have to get used to it. Might just want to replace it. Basically I think it would make a good restoration project or parts car. The tragedy of it is that mechanically, it's in great shape - the engine pulls strong (and gets about 20mpg) and the suspension is taut with the new components, and clutch and gearbox are great, especially after the oil change. It's a good time on a curvy road. But I wouldn't ever drive it in the snow (mostly because of salt, but also because of traction) and I don't think the frame will last without a full restoration. It has a CD player and two 120 Watt speakers, but I'll include the original radio, which I have. Also, it has a K&N cone filter as of last July, and I'd include the original airbox as well. If you're interested, contact me at p-tennessen@northwestern.edu. Peter

So I changed the gearbox oil tonight. I refilled it with Castrol Hypoy C, which apparently is the uprated version of Castrol Hypoy, which is what was recommended in the repair manual I have. Interestingly enough, I found 5 or so 1/2 inch long strips of metal stuck to the magnet on the plug, along with plenty of metallic dust. Refilled it, let it off the jack so it could drain to the right level, and then put it back up and capped it. Now it shifts smoother and doesn't buzz in 3rd gear anymore. Yay! I'll probably do the diff in the next few days.

That might be it. I always just take the cables off, sand the pickups or clean them with a wire brush, and then put them back on good and tight. If your wires look bad stripping them like that would probably be good, too. Also, if you don't have a battery bracket your battery could be slipping around and pulling the connections loose. That used to happen to me too, but I just bought a strap to put around the battery, not the expensive battery bracket getup, and its been doing fine.

Thanks for the advice. I definitely have not been hearing knocking then. Too bad now the mid grade is up to $2 a gallon.

So what kind of gearbox oil is the best? I think the manual recommends Castrol GTX or something, is that stuff any good? I'll avoid the Redline after hearing that story.

Hey folks, thanks in advance for any advice. So I realized the other day that the oil in my gearbox (78 280Z 5 speed) probably hasn't ever been changed. Right now its at about 127k total mileage and it shifts fine, actually quite well for such an old car, but I was just wondering about that oil. Is it complicated to change it? Expensive? Is it worth it? And have any of you changed it and noticed an improvement in shifting quality?

Check the cables that connect directly to the battery. I used to have problems because they would jiggle loose or cut out altogether. Does it ever read full voltage with the key in and then click when you try to start and then read much lower voltage?

So I've just finished up my first full tank of mid grade and it's been running fine. Actually, I even got better gas mileage, 20.5 instead of 20 mpg. But that might have been other factors, because it's pretty small. Anyway, just trying to keep the post current. Anybody have any thoughts?

I've got a 78 280Z, stock except for a K&N air filter, and the other day I noticed that premium (91 or 93 octane depending on the gas station) gas is getting to be almost $2 a gallon. So I thought I'd try the mid grade stuff, 89. I had maybe 1.5 gallons of premium left in there and added about 6 gallons of 89. The engine's been running fine and I haven't heard any knocking, but I was wondering... Is it easy to distinguish knocking from the valve and timing chain noise of early Zs? The descriptions I've heard of knocking are a clickety noise on acceleration, which my car has always made. Just want to make sure I'm not doing engine damage to save a couple of bucks.

I just installed a new fan clutch and the noise is gone. The engine revs a little easier than before, too. Thanks to everyone for all of the help.