Paulytunes

🤣 That's the main reason I got the Z. Imparting my knowledge to my son should also help keep me on my toes, he asks questions non-stop and has a neverending curiosity of figuring out how things work. He's become quite the mechanic's assistant. The Z needed a few things, as no 47 year old car is going to be perfect. Speaking of which, thus far it has needed a new fuel sending unit, speedometer cable, a new wheel stud and lugs (one on each wheel), battery, and fender resecuring, all of which were performed by the mechanic that performed the inspection. My son and I found that the car didn't have a windshield washer fluid tank, and it needed an oil and filter change, as well as a new fuel filter, so we have done that. It has developed a recent more pressing issue with fuel delivery. The Z runs fine when started cold and warmed up, at least until a significant load is applied and then it begins to drive really rough, eventually stalls, and needs to sit for a long length of time before restarting and is ok to drive again. I will likely ask for help in the technical threads, as I have tried to troubleshoot but it has been driving me insane. As far as long-term plans, I may get it painted (it was once already in the 1990's, but it is showing its age and wasn't the best quality). When I do that I will likely need to get two new front fenders, as these have some rust and Bondo. I'm also not in love with the likely period correct 280Z decals and pinstriping on the lower sides. I think it's also going to need rear shocks. The P.O. also planned on replacing the rear drums with discs, and included the discs in the sale - this and the shocks may be my winter projects. Some Panasport rims and new tires would also be nice. The current 8-track stereo is non-functional, which I may just remove and install a blank panel. With the stock speaker locations and the loudness of the current exhaust (may also be a future change, my mechanic referred to it as a "cheap muffler" and the pipe is noticeably the lowest thing on the car), I think I would be better off using my phone and a nice bluetooth speaker for music. Once upon a time I was into installing stereos, amps, subs, tweeters, mids, etc., but I think there are now far better things I can do with my money. Paul

Thanks to all for the kind words! I posted a build thread here to document progress on my Z:

First, a little history about me and why I love Z cars: Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved the Datsun Z car. My uncle had a 1970 Datsun 240Z that provided many fond memories. I always told him, “If you ever sell this, call me, I will buy it from you.” Unfortunately, that day never came because it caught fire while parked in the driveway after a Sunday drive many years ago. The fire mechanically totaled it. I was so upset and angry, but I am sure that my grief was nothing compared to my uncle’s emotions. Fast forward to the present (or at least a few years ago). My son (much like his father) develops an interest in cars. I decided that I was serious about getting a collector car and something that I could wrench on and keep my mechanical engineering brain active (I have ascended to a management level professionally and I think my technical skill cells are in danger of being overwhelmed by management and bureaucracy!). Anyway, the first cars I was serious about buying I was a little late to the ball. There was a 280Z that someone had restored online for his son in the Midwest and was selling for ~$7500 if I recall correctly. I missed out on a bid on Bring A Trailer on a nice 260Z a few years ago because the kids were going crazy in the background when the bid ended. I saw a few Z’s locally here in Maryland, but those ended up being too rusted out or basket cases that were beyond my abilities to restore. So I widened my search to all cars I was interested in. I went and looked at a 2000 Corvette C5, but that was a case of never meet your heroes – as I was very bothered by the perceived cheapness and lack of durability of the interior and quality issues that seemed to be present with that car. I missed the ball on a ST-185 Celica Alltrac (always will love those), and got ghosted by another seller when I asked to see it and set up a Pre-Purchase Inspection. Then I came across my Z, which was somewhat local (within 100 miles) and I thought was worth a look. It passed all the tests and a mechanical inspection, and I couldn’t argue with the price, so I walked away the proud new owner of a 1976 Datsun 280Z. I name all of my cars after videogame characters, so I thought with the color and vintage, naming my Z after the main character of the classic video game Metroid, Samus Aran, was quite fitting: I think I am the 4th owner. As far as I can tell, I think she was very well loved by the previous owners, as the car came with a lot of records, a service manual, the original owners and maintenance documents, as well as even the original window sticker!

Greetings from Baltimore County, Maryland! I have been a long-time lurker and reader on this site, and I think I may have talked to a few members in person at car shows or chatted online. After searching for years, a few missed opportunities, lost bids on BAT, passing on a few project cars beyond my comfort zone, I finally found my Z in April 2023. As all cars that are 47 years old, she's far from perfect and will need some TLC that my son and I will eagerly perform and enjoy. I will start a project thread to document the work as it progresses. Looking forward to being an active member of this community! Paul