oppo

Im interrested in buying a Datun 280z and have found a relatively cheap one, a 1977, that seems like it would be a nice match for me. It was a bit before my time but i have heard that buying a car around '76 or '77 can be a bad idea. I heard that because the smog regulations were much more strict strict than before, cars of the era had problems with the ability to reduce smog and lacked horse power to comply with the new regulations. The car that i found does indeed pass smog regulations in California, but i was wondering where datsun fits in this issue and if there is anything i should watch out for/ find out before buying a car from this time? Thanks