Jeff G 78

Hey ksechler, here is a rolling shell that might be a great buy. At first glance, it looks too expensive, but I doubt you could buy a shell and get it to this point for less money. I have no idea of the quality of the work or how bad it was to start with, but if it was built right, it would make a great project car. The engine and trans are the cheap part. 1978 DATSUN 280z rolling chasis Sell or Trade

Don't be afraid to buy a shell from AZ or CA and ship it home. Waiting for a rust-free shell local to you is a lost cause.

Jan, yes, the 240mm clutch is for a 2+2. You will need the 225mm clutch assuming you have a coupe.

I run 1/8" toe out in the front for crisper turn-in.

Nice toy collection RJ.

Looks great Mike!

I added a header to my '78 many years ago, but retained the stock cold-end. I cannot tell any difference in sound inside or outside the car. Keep in mind that most people swap the cold-end when they add a header so that will drastically affect the interior noise levels.

Chase, do you have a link to the ebay Honda bar? It looks like there are many different styles and contours. Which style fits the S30?

No offense, but eewww. If you want to go with something different, how about these? 16 16x8 XXR 531 Black Wheels Rims 0 Deep Dish Lip 4x4 5 Datsun 240Z 260z 280z | eBay

Leon, did your wheels come from MSA? If so, they are likely +6 since MSA had custom offsets made to minimize rubbing. Mine came from a regular Panasport retailer just after MSA quit selling them, so they are zero offset. I agree that my Hankooks are possibly on the wide side with square shoulders to boot, but the whole stance looks wider on mine. It was lucky that both pictures are almost the same vantage point. I'd really like to try the 225/45R16 tires next time to give me more front and rear clearance.

I'm curious why people order staggered fitments. They don't improve handling. Z cars usually understeer at the limit and wider rears only make it worse.

Leon, if I had to guess, I'd say you have some positive offset. Look at where your tires sit in the fenders compared to mine.

I'm now also on the lookout for a used round port header. I'm building a F54/shaved P79 engine for my 260Z ChumpCar racer.

I run 225/50R16 on 16x7 zero offset Panasports and mine rubbed on all four corners. You are likely OK in the front if you go with +4 as Arne suggested, but in my case, even +4 would not have helped the rear rub. I tried to roll and when that didn't do it, I trimmed the flange by about 10mm. One option is to run the new Dunlop Direzza ZII in a 225/45R16. The diameter will be better for gearing, rubbing and overall looks IMHO. I think my 225/50R16 tires look a tad tall on the car. The first pic shows my clearance test with the spring removed. After trimming, the tire just clears the lip. The second pic shows the trimmed lip.

Keeping the PS will be tricky. Seriously though, you can shed about 80 lbs by replacing the big bumpers and shocks with either 240 chrome or fiberglass/CF bumpers. Besides the bumpers, you can ditch the spare tire and jack/tools, replace the iron exhaust manifold with a header, install a smaller battery, remove the mastic from the interior, and install a fiberglass or CF hood.

I wouldn't try to use the stock FI pump for carbs. Either use a mechanical pump or install a low pressure electric pump.

The ECU only controls the engine. You are safe.

Kurbycar32, Were the shafts on the back worn out like the ones pictured above? I'm just curious what all was replaced by the locksmith.

I checked AutoZone and the Maxima locks look similar to the pre-'77 Z locks. Thos might be a good alternative to the Ebay locks, but the coat hanger fix or cutting/welding is still needed for the '77-'78 cars.

Thanks again CO. Not having the return spring would suck. I will have two keys to deal with, but it's better than being locked out of the car.

Makes perfect sense Cap'n. Hopefully the spare lock I have with the long arm is as wear-free as it feels. At least I'll have one side working properly. I'm glad I figured out now that the Ebay ones are not an option.

My only thought on the root cause of the second failure was if the used head you bought had been shaved before you bought it. That would make the distance between gears to be short and cause chain slack. Did you check the notch and mark per the manual after you put it together?

Those are purdy Matt. I'm thinking the long arms might have come with the redesigned '77 latch system.

OK, I dug through my boxes and I found four door locks. One had a pair of keys in the lock and in the box was one other key along with the other three locks. After a lot of WD40 and key wiggling, the lock with the key started working very smoothly and the shaft/lever combo appears to have very little wear. The other key fits one of the three other locks and I managed to get it to operate, but not smoothly yet. Both working locks with keys are marked with an L on the lever, so I assume they are both lefts which is better than two rights, I guess. The lock that works like new has a much longer lever with a rubber sleeve on it while the other three have short arms with a hole an a plastic insert that snaps onto the pushrod. From what I remember, my '78 locks have the long style arms with the rubber sleeve, so at least the one that works well is the right style for my car. The Ebay ones are the short kind with the plastic insert so I don't see how they would even work on a later S30. It looks like the Ebay option is off the table for me. If the one I have fits the left side and works well, I'm in business and I can remove the worn lock and see if I can mend it with a wire for future use.

That makes no sense. When you tore it down, was there any sign of damage to the chain or guides? How many teeth did it jump? When you replaced the chain, did you also replace the gears, guides and tensioner? I have never had a Z chain jump regardless of the age or condition of the engine, so for it to happen 2 or 3 times means something else is going on. Please give us more details about exactly what happened, the driving conditions, assembly method, etc.