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The Unloved Z


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Introducing the unloved z! Unloved by the purists but very much loved by the masses (still the most successful selling z to date). This is my new 1983 280zx 2+2. Opinions on the looks of the 280zx will be divided, particularly with the 2+2. In photos I agree the 2+2 looks slightly odd, but in person it is completely different, they just look good to me. Like a 80’s cyberpunk 240z.... 

I had been wanting to buy a new daily driver for a while. Now when I say daily drive I use the term loosely. I am fifo and away half the year, we have a family car which is the workhorse, I do max 6000km a year. 

My current daily is a Ford Fiesta ST. An extremely fun and capable car. It has a torquey 1.6L turbo engine and handles like cars 4 times its value. I highly recommend you drive one on a twisty road if the chance finds you. Despite loving the way it drives on the twistys, it’s never given me that special feeling. You know the one. That butterfly in the tummy feeling. It’s never felt special enough, I didn’t care where I parked it, didn’t care if it was dirty etc. Plus there’s the smirk when you tell someone you drive a fiesta...

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Let’s be honest it doesn’t look the best. Not terrible but very....meh....doesn’t make the gonads tingle.

I narrowed my search with a few criteria. Must have:

  • Rear wheel drive (I missed my NA Mx-5 and the rear wheel drive dynamics)
  • Manual transmission 
  • 4 seats (have to carry my spawns occasionally)
  • 25k budget 
  • Gives me that tingle in the gonads

Believe it or not this is a difficult criterion to search for, hardest to fulfill was the “tingle feeling”. My special feeling was mainly aimed towards old Japanese sports cars. 

My search results and personal tastes brought me to these:

  • 300zx Z32 NA 
  • 280zx 
  • S13 NA
  • 86 GT

Basically I was happy to buy whatever came first. Obviously the 86s were plentiful. But COVID had caused an unreasonable price rise in them and I wanted one with low Kms. But if I’m honest they have never really pushed my button, plus generally their drivers are of questionable taste... 

I test drove a 280zx, it was in great condition and going for cheap. The catch was that the owner had bought it sight unseen from nsw and could tell me no history of the car, plus it had been resprayed with no photos of the work, the job was good but who knows what nastys could be lurking beneath that fresh paint?! Also it needed to be registered in WA. I passed on the car... but I did learn that I liked how these drove. Very balanced handling much like the Mx-5 with its 50-50 weight distribution 

I test drove a reasonably well looked after S13. But they wanted too much for it. 

Excellent condition 300zx’s started to appreciate beyond my budget. Fetching 30-40k now

Then this beauty happened to become available. It was in the hands of my z guy in perth, and after mentioning to him I was looking at 280zx’s he asked me if I was interested. I was....

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Once I saw the car I was sold. My wife....not so much. There were many questions, eye rolls and sighs. But at the end of the day she begrudgingly gave her approval. 

The old couple who owned her bought it in 1984 for $22180? (Car came with the original purchase invoice!)

I punched that number into the inflation calculator and it ended up being 70k in today’s money! They loved the car and drove it as their Sunday car, otherwise it was garaged. All maintenance receipts came with the car. They owned it from 1984 up until a few years ago when they sold it to my z guy. It’s completely bone stock and an extremely complete car. Very different to my 240z...

There are a few dings and scratches in the paint but overall in very good condition, a couple panels have been resprayed as the color match is a bit off, a few surface rust spots have started coming up, but nothing too crazy. 

The interior is the highlight for me, it’s in amazing condition and I absolutely love the red. Red and white combo is si magnifique! 

The one drawback is the auto box, god it’s horrible. But the car came with a manual pedal box, and I have a W71B that was in my 240z which if I’m not mistaken was the original 5 speed installed in these. Just need to source a 3.9 diff and those are the big items sorted. 

Plans for the car:

This will not be a tear down project. This will be a preservation and maintenance project. That doesn’t mean I don’t have any modifications planned. 

I am well aware that this car is most valuable if left alone. But I cannot help but want to improve it. The stock suspension is too squishy and the engine performance is choked. All modifications will be bolt on. All stock components will be stored away so that the car can go back to original if need be.

  1. Wheels and tyres
  2. Manual conversion with lightened flywheel and LSD diff
  3. Coilovers 
  4. Cold air intake and headers and exhaust 
  5. Strut braces front and back 
  6. Sway bars
  7. Camshaft

This should all bring the car up to a better level and the stock ecu/afm should be ok with it. I’m not in a huge rush to do these as I still have my 240z project to consider.

And that is the story of the Unloved Z

Edited by 240ZBUILTBYME
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49 minutes ago, Oliphips said:

That’s a great car, love the velour red

 Cheers, me too! I am unfortunately covering them with some cheap seat covers to preserve the material. Kids and nice things don’t mix.... Easy enough to remove though if I feel like basking in all their glory. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

First thing to do was upgrade the wheels and tyres. Car needed new rubber anyway to be registered. Stock wheels had 18 year old rubber on them and 14s are way too small for the zx.

Originally I was looking at black rims but found some photos of bronze on white and really dug the look.

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I also was leaning to something period correct, was looking at something in the watanabe, rota RKR, konig rewind camp. 

I settled on 16s but RKRs don’t come in 16s, rewinds didn’t have the right colors, and I wasn’t prepared to lose a kidney for the watanabes. 

So I had to ditch that style and decided on something similar to the photos above. The rota Grid Classics in bronze 16x8 +0 offset. 

I got them wrapped in a set of 225/50/R16 Potenzas Adrenalin RE003’s. Very well reviewed tyre. I’m really stoked with how they look. Now just need coilovers to get rid of that 4wD stance.

for the record this tyre and wheel combo does not rub and has good clearance with stock suspension.

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1 hour ago, 240ZBUILTBYME said:

First thing to do was upgrade the wheels and tyres. Car needed new rubber anyway to be registered. Stock wheels had 18 year old rubber on them and 14s are way too small for the zx.

Originally I was looking at black rims but found some photos of bronze on white and really dug the look.

DEDE07D1-0737-466C-A217-8435CBA2B379.jpeg.569cc9f682c2896c266da42ed5fe71a9.jpegA020FB1A-C177-4D2F-8ADA-04D52759D08A.thumb.jpeg.121fa45ae6d5dd6343688f1d11da467c.jpegE59AF494-DB6E-4445-ABC3-C08F1AE7AE80.thumb.jpeg.8635427f20f8051c33b6b58f0dda5e60.jpeg

I also was leaning to something period correct, was looking at something in the watanabe, rota RKR, konig rewind camp. 

I settled on 16s but RKRs don’t come in 16s, rewinds didn’t have the right colors, and I wasn’t prepared to lose a kidney for the watanabes. 

So I had to ditch that style and decided on something similar to the photos above. The rota Grid Classics in bronze 16x8 +0 offset. 

I got them wrapped in a set of 225/50/R16 Potenzas Adrenalin RE003’s. Very well reviewed tyre. I’m really stoked with how they look. Now just need coilovers to get rid of that 4wD stance.

for the record this tyre and wheel combo does not rub and has good clearance with stock suspension.

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The Rota's look great. Love the bronze and good to know 225 clear everything.

 

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DGR coilovers arrived. $1200 landed, Adjustable height and damping. These bolt straight in on the rear and fronts have to be welded to the front strut assembly. I sourced a pair of stock front strut assemblies to be sacrificed to the Coilover Gods. That way the car can go back to stock.  I’m not a fan of the white spring but no ones going to see them anyway...

I also have a T3 set of Negative Camber Roll Adjusters to go on! 

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On 8/2/2021 at 7:12 PM, 240ZBUILTBYME said:

There were a few rust holes in the drivers side floor pan, these were repaired prior to me taking ownership. Which is great, one less thing for me to worry about.

 

You won't know what to do with yourself. You might have to drive the car on the beach a few times, reverse a boat into the water etc ... otherwise you'll be lost! ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/26/2021 at 9:00 AM, Mike_F said:

You won't know what to do with yourself. You might have to drive the car on the beach a few times, reverse a boat into the water etc ... otherwise you'll be lost! ;-)

i think he has enough rust to chew on with the 240 lol

 

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  • 2 months later...

Have taken the old girl to a couple of car meets recently and great to see people’s positive reactions to the car. 

went to the annual datsuns in the park meet and the car ended up taking home the best original 280zx prize!

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then took her to a Japanese car meet, was cool to see a younger crowd appreciating her. 

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34 minutes ago, JDM-TOY said:

Seen this beauty on Instagram today. Possibly some future inspiration for your 280zx

SmartSelect_20211103-182734_Instagram.jpg

Yeah I’ve been following this build closely and love it! Very nicely done, he won at SEMA. 

I don’t like the sound of the engine though, too tinny and raw. Needs more muffling 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Finally got around to installing the DGR coil overs and the T3 NCRCAs 

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install went very smoothly, I did have to die grind the center bore for the rear strut towers to fit the rear coilovers, but with a steady hand an a bit of paint you can’t even tell.

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Funnily enough this is the first car I have modified, I always had intentions with all my previous cars to modify them but life and fiscal responsibility has always got in the way.

I have to say I’m really impressed with the results. The car is now as low as one can legally go and looks great. Stupidly I forgot to measure the ground clearance before installing so I am unsure exactly how much it has been lowered but I believe somewhere in the range of 30-50mm. 

Before:

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After:

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performance wise it is incredible how the car has changed. In stock form the car handles well and is so balanced (with potenza re-003 tyres) but spring rates are too soft and the car rolls around far too much.

The coilovers completely resolve any complaints I had with the handling. The lowered center of gravity, increased spring rates along with the negative camber from the T3 NCRCAs make the car unbelievably good on a mountain road (I use the term mountain loosely here in perth) it is so neutral and predictable. I’m so stoked.

Ride quality? Excellent, very impressed. I’m running 5 clicks from the softest setting atm. Obviously a stiffer ride but by no means uncomfortable. Still an excellent city/highway ride. Once on broken back roads it can get a bit harsh But this is to be expected, and given the adjustable damping if it bothers me too much I can pull over and soften within a couple of minutes.

After a spirited drive I found I was getting rubbing between the locking nut and rim.

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Problem:

it seems under heavy load the 2-3mm gap (when static) isn’t enough. Annoying...

current solution options include:

-a thin wheel spacer

-install a strut brace in the attempt to reduce flex during heavy load

- looking at installing a hopper stopper big brake kit which adds some thickness from the rotors mounting on the hub but this option is expensive....

I took advantage of Black Friday sales and ordered a tri point strut brace from Techno Toy. and have also ordered some custom 5mm aluminum spacers in case the strut brace doesn’t do the trick...

Long term I will look at the hopper stopper kit but need to look into whether I can get them engineered.

A few other issues are highlighted by the coilovers. 

1. the stock seats suck and don’t hold you at all, with the increase in corner speeds and g forces this makes driving the car hard somewhat fatiguing.

2. The steering vagueness is highlighted. I have purchased techno toys billet aluminum steering coupler(could not find a polyurethane one) and some polyurethane steering rack bushings, hopefully these do the trick! 

3. The auto gearbox needs to burn in hell. With the entry and mid corner now so good, the corner exit is noticeably unenjoyable because the revs are never where I want them. 

Overall I thoroughly recommend the DGR Coilovers for the ZX. Transforms the car.

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Ryan

Strut brace won’t change anything as it’s not body flex causing the wheel to rub on the strut and its not flexing in the strut. It will be wheel flexing or play in the wheel bearings. The stub axle and strut are as one and very solid so will not flex relatively to each other. Check wheel bearing play and or add a spacer. 

Jeff

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Thanks Jeff 

I was getting a strut brace anyway...I have the spacers ordered too

checked the wheel bearing play, slight play on LHS but none on right and rubbing on both. I will be checking the hub bolt torque

Edited by 240ZBUILTBYME
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  • 1 month later...

Thought I’d review my experience with the 280zx T3 Techno Toy Tuning Tri bar front strut brace. Once arrived and I attempted to install. It didn’t go too well….

The fitment was not right at all:

- found the bar impacted the rocker cover quite substantially. (For some reason the stupid photo keeps flipping upside down)8326B0E3-81A8-4255-8CDB-A0404F2A69EC.thumb.jpeg.b73bed032df214c0d18b06431f756062.jpeg

- the hardware supplied was incorrect for the firewall bracket

- one of the tribar rods was the incorrect size 1CE56DE1-0082-43AE-857C-2B81594B17F5.thumb.jpeg.f116b18ed1c946aef93ae09a351a33b6.jpeg

- bracket that holds the brake booster vac line and throttle linkage return spring impacted on the installation of the tribar firewall bracket. This was due to the tribar being designed for LHD cars as this bracket isn’t required as the brake booster and throttle linkage goes to the other side. 

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This was disappointing to say the least and infuriating to try and install. 

I tried shimming the strut tower plates with washers, I shaved the rocker cover down slightly with a half round file and tried to bend the bar with a deadlift. All my efforts gave about 1/2 a mm clearance….

emailed techno toy tuning with photos and explanations. I have to say their customer service was great. I suggested they need at least another 10mm clearance for the rocker cover. They immediately fabbed up a new bar, sent out the correct tribar rod and some new hardware for the firewall bracket. 

All arrived today and I installed. I removed the shimming washers, installed the new bar with additional 10mm clearance, didn’t give much extra clearance at all, about 2 mm even with my shaved rocker cover. Better than before but certainly not perfect.

I had to bend the bracket that held the brake booster vac line and throttle return spring, I didn’t want to do this but it’s the only way I could see installing it without manufacturing a custom bracket. 

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new hardware for firewall

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small piece of the vent has to be cut off for clearance with the tribar fixings.

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new clearance, hard to get a good photo, doesn’t look like much in the photo

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It might not fit the best but at least it looks mint! 

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yes I need to detail my engine bay….

so if any 280zx owners are thinking of purchasing this be aware there are fitment issues and I would be confirming these issues are rectified before purchasing this product. I doubt they will manufacture a new firewall bracket that works with our RHD set up, hopefully they work all these kinks out as I am a big fan of their products. 

a short drive around the neighborhood revealed good results, more responsive handling and the front end felt tight as. some more spirited driving will reveal more later. 

Edited by 240ZBUILTBYME
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  • 1 month later...

I advised T3 that the bar would still not clear a stock rocker cover. I measured it would need an additional 6mm to clear, I used playdoh to check bonnet clearance which showed a 9-10mm clearance with the version 2 bar. they straight away fabbed up a new bar with an additional 7-8mm rise.

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I received it and fitted last week, glad to announce it fits perfectly now! Good clearance from the rocker cover now and no fouling on the bonnet! So going forward no zx owners will have these dramas. 

T3 gave me a $100usd credit for my troubles which is awesome! 

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Took the car for a spirited hills run and I have to say this strut bar makes a big difference to the feedback the car gives, definite increase in the rigidity and confidence in the front end. I recommend!

Edited by 240ZBUILTBYME
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During the Black Friday sales I decided it was time to fulfill the basic cliche modification of any car enthusiast.

I purchased a cold air intake kit from Godzilla raceworks who make a lot of cool z & zx parts. I thought I’d support a small company making cool z parts instead of giving money to MSA who I loath.

the stock intake of the zx is ridiculously over complicated. The air is drawn in from behind the LHS sugar scoop then needs to perform a series of turns before reaching the intake pipe, the stock system is also extremely heavy, probably a 1-2kg weight saving with the new intake.
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Well supporting the small company didn’t pay off to be honest. The intake pipe on their site photos looked nothing like the one they supplied. The weld on the pipe bracket was yuck…

when I went to install it I quickly realized it was not going to meet up to the stock intake bolt in points as advertised on their website. circled is the stock intake mount point.

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I was pissed. It wasn’t a cheap kit to buy… and what’s with company’s supplying parts that don’t fit!!! 

I contemplated removing it and returning it but this would likely cost me the shipping costs of roughly $100 USD….

so I decided to make it fit with a custom bracket. I bought some aluminum RHS and used cardboard to create a template. Ended up like this.

1 extra hole was for the plastic clip that holds the wiring harness inside the top of the radiator support. 

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Certainly not ideal but worked out well. I will pull the bracket off at some point and remove some excess material and maybe throw some paint on it. I did have to play with the position of the pipe to clear bonnet. But all fits nicely 

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Performance wise this intake system 100% adds power and lets the engine rev more freely, particularly from 4000rpm to redline. I’d have loved to dyno it before and after just to see but ain’t nobody got time fo dat! 1-3000rpm there is no difference besides a throatier sound. 

so moral of the story, don’t buy the Godzilla raceworks intake kit because it doesn’t fit…..but do buy something similar, MSA does have a similar kit for a similar price. 

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  • 2 months later...

Sourced some recaro seat rails from Japan that are made specifically for the S130. They cost a pretty penny but save me having to fabricate some.

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even though all the instructions were in Japanese I managed to work out how it all fit together.

The recaro LX is a beautiful seat, and the fact they’re from the 80’s is perfect, nothing more 80’s than fishnet headrests.

I only want to do the drivers seat and keep the passengers stock as I love the red velour. Although it’s slightly boy racer to do so, I’ve always loved the look of one race seat and one stock. 


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Just went for my first spirited drive since installing them. What a change some decent supportive seats makes! It really changes the driving experience, during hard cornering, instead of trying my hardest to brace and not slide around the seat, I am able to relax the body and focus on my driving inputs. Plus with this seat you sit probably about an inch or so lower than stock which makes you feel more “in” the car, resulting in better feedback on what the chassis is doing. Downside is the ride harshness/bumps/vibration comes through more as the seats are firm and not sprung like the stock seats. 

the fitment does move you to the left slightly for some reason so larger blokes may feel a bit cramped on the door side. Overall very happy!

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20 hours ago, Oliphips said:

Hi, was wondering how the dgr coilovers are going? have just purchased a set for my 2+2. loving the recaro by the way.

DGRs are great from my experience. Really transformed the car, handles much much better. Still some body roll which upgraded sway bars should take care of. Ride is good. To be honest I haven’t played around a great deal with the settings I have mine 5 clicks from the softest setting. Full soft is meant to be close to stock handling and full hard is meant to be very rough, for track only really. Great value for money.

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  • 1 month later...

Completed the manual swap with martins help last week. All went well with no major hiccups.

god it feels like a completely different car with the manual trans in! I’m quite shocked. The 5 speed really brings out the character of the L28. 

My 240z had a 71B installed when I bought it. I have a 71C to go in the 240z so worked out perfectly to throw the 71B in the zx. 

I gave the gearbox a good clean and got martin to open it up and give it a health check. Everything looked good and seemed a good candidate for install, he replaced seals when reassembling. I wanted to avoid a rebuild if possible. 

I cleaned and reused my hardware for the clutch and flywheel. I purchased a fidanza Aluminum flywheel and exedy clutch. 

the flywheel needed a bit of heating before it fit onto the crank flange nicely. 

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the pedal box proved to be a challenge as the manual one I had was a bit crusty and had a snapped bolt stuck in it. Martin modified my auto pedal box with the brackets from the crusty manual one. 

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crusty…

had to pull the dash cluster and steering column out to remove and fit the pedal box. A tedious and uncomfortable job contorting myself under the dash.

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overall super happy with the conversion and so stoked with how the car drives now. the lightweight flywheel makes SO much difference, the car revs up much quicker and I thoroughly recommend. I know this makes no sense but the engine appears to sound way better with the manual box, can anyone explain that lol

still some work to do:

paint the shift boot and shift boot surround I have, clean up some wiring, adjust clutch take up point as it’s right at the top currently. 

currently the car still has the 3.5 ratio auto diff in. I’ve been in talks with Stewart Wilkins to source a 3.9 and install a LSD. 

the zx is well and truly distracting me from the 240z at this point…. But I’m thoroughly enjoying the modification process and feeling the car evolve before my eyes. 

 

Edited by 240ZBUILTBYME
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