SportBikeMike

Yes, rust is very common on these cars. Whether its worth getting fixed depends on the severity. Have any pics?

Very nice indeed!

370z?

How can a woman hate a 280Z?? Both my Zs get compliments from girls all the time. Is she blind or something? BTW very nice car!

Have you considered a Subaru WRX? I've had mine for over two years (30K miles) with zero problems. Very comfortable and reasonably practical with four doors, and will go 0-60 in 5 seconds....maybe slightly below. Also, since you live on the east coast, this is a car you can drive year around.....heck its just as fun on snow as it is on dry payment (with the right tires)!

I had an '87. It was very reliable and a blast to drive! I smoked a couple Trans Ams! The car was cursed though. It got read-ended three times in the two years I had it. And it was bright red.

Well there is still some snow here, but the roads are clear, so I took my 240Z for a spin today. She is actually running pretty good, but there are still some issues. Whomever put the new exhaust on did a terrible job....its way too low (I actually have to look out for roadkill) and the tail pipe rattles. Also, the fuel guage is still not working, and I still have to pop the clutch in order to stop the engine. Can't wait until the weather warms up so I can get to work on this stuff.

Same here. I don't put any of my vehicles into storage.....not even the bike. I try to drive them all at least once a week, as long as there is no snow on the roads.

Mjr, I plan on doing just that. She wouldn't even start this morning.....not getting either fuel or spark. I think I have it figured out though. I'm not using this "mechanic" anymore. He's a liar. He said the car was way low on oil and the oil was "old"....he even showed me the dipstick which he apparently had wiped clean. I texted Eric in Chicago who had done the final work and asked if he had put fresh oil in it, and he said yes. I went back out and checked, and the oil was all the way up to the 'Max' line and was very clean. Would you believe that??? This "mechanic" apparently just wanted more work to do, and to get paid for it. The MV Agusta is a great bike...beautiful, fast and fun and with all kinds of "soul". But not without her flaws though......like the threat of overheating at every stoplight. Definitely not a city bike!

Idaho, I'm a member of HybridZ also, and my experience hasn't been favorable either. I've posted like 10 times in 3 years if that tells you anything. One time, a guy on there requested I post a pic of my bike. So I did, and not bragging, but its a piece of Italian artwork! Well not one single person responded to the pic, not even the guy who requested it! I thought that was pretty odd. Just not a very friendly or social forum. There is alot of good information on there though, and like you said, sometimes you have to look pretty hard. There is one guy on there, Big Phil, you has posted several Youtube videos regarding his turbo swap. The transmission came with the engine.....so I was assuming it was from a turbo car, but I'm not sure. It might be from a non-turbo ZX for all I know.

I wasn't really planning on any further performance mods at this time, aside from the intercooler. No bigger turbo or injectors, etc. (well for now anyway) Steve, that is exactly my thoughts. I have already hit the Haynes manuals and am trying to figure out this on my own (I think its the ignition switch). This mechanic, that I met just by chance, has been coming over and working on the car, but I'm been paying him the going rate for service.....and its adding up. He talks a good game, but not a whole lot seems to be getting done. Last night he worked for two hours, and I'm not sure exactly what was accomplished.....the car still won't stop running, and the fuel gauge still doesn't work.....yet more $$ out of my pocket. Thats why I was so discouraged and started this thread. Definitely going to try to finish on my own...even if it takes some cursing....

Thanks everyone for their input. I've slept on it, and now it is more than likely I'll keep the car. I've just put too much into it. I learned the hard way a couple years ago, that you will not get much for an unfinished, modded car when I sold my 280Z. I live in downstate Illinois (Springfield) which is part of the problem. Nobody works on old imports around here.....not Japanese ones anyway. There's actually a shop here in town that specializes in older imports.....but just German cars. They won't touch my Datsun or my Fiat.

I'm thinking about selling my car....but I really don't have the slightest idea what its worth. I'm selling mainly out of frustration. My turbo swap project has been going on for 14 months now.....and its still not fully completed. A small mechanics shop here in town had it for SIX AND ONE HALF MONTHS and didn't finish the job. They managed to get the old engine out and the new one in, but little else. I finally had the car towed home where it sat for a month. Then had a shipped up to a guy in Chicagoland who hooked up the wiring harness and installed an intercooler. But there are still electrical problems. For instance, the engine keeps running even after you pull the key out. Apparently there were some short cuts taken. A mechanic told me its need completedly rewired. On the plus side, the car is beautiful. I had it professionally painted 905 red back in 2008 and it still looks great. The 280ZX turbo motor is installed and does run, plus it has a 5-speed transmission from a turbo 280ZX. Other new parts include a radiator, starter, alternator, Magnaflow muffler, plus the intercooler. The car has a Tokico suspension and Koenig Rewind wheels and Toyo tires with plenty of tread. The interior is just fair, and does have a few problems, such as the drivers door is difficult to open. The tachometer and gas gauge don't work. A mechanic has been coming over and working on it, but I really don't see much progress. Meanwhile it just costs me more and more $$$. I really don't want to sell the car, but am tired of dealing with it and just want to cut my losses. So if anyone could give me a starting point what its worth, that would be greatly appreciated. Some pics:

I thought those were only for VW Buses.

A couple weeks ago spotted a dark blue S30 cruising down Sangamon Avenue. Not sure if it was a 240, 260 or 280. Honestly, that was the first 1st generation Z I've seen in four years (not counting mine).

Kinda reminds me of my Subaru WRX. Its super easy to drive fast.....anyone could do it....but there is no drama. The WRX will run circles around my Zs or Fiat, but IMO the old cars are alot more fun to drive because of alot more driver involvement.

I got a copy of the magazine at my grocery store (County Market) this morning, so it should be on the news stand at some places.

Just got done reading that article. Was pleasantly surprised to see the Z held its own....at least in the twisties! One part that surprised me was they said the Scion actually attracted more attention than the Z. My Z generally gets tons of attention and comments. I'll admit the Scion is a looker, for a modern car anyway, but still not near as distinctive as a 240Z.

More information and some pics?

Just checked the owners manual and it does say 91 RON. It also says 87 (R+M)/2. Looks like I'll be switching to 87 next time....why not save a few more bucks.

Thanks for explaining that. I've been putting premium in my 280ZX-T because I was under the impression the manual recommends 91 octane or higher. Stopped at a gas station the other day and they were out of premium, so I put 89 in it......and it runs great, maybe even slightly better! I'll try 87 next time.

I cringe everytime I look at Zs on Ebay or Craigslist. Alot of '79-'83 '280Zs', and the occasional '77-'78 '280ZX'. Its amazing people don't even know what type of car they have. I mean they have emblems all over them. I pulled away in my 280ZX-T yesterday and my neighbor says "nice 280Z!". It never ends.....

I think the 280Zx might have been a little bit of a letdown when they came out in 1979, but I think Datsun more than rectified the situation when they came out with the turbo version. These are true sports cars. My 280ZXT is a blast drive and is super comfortable and all the girls think its "cute" (not 100% sure thats a good thing though....).

Nice pick-up!

Don't think I've ever seen the hardtop version in person. Nice-looking cars though