I've been looking on and off for a few years and finally got a 1977 280z. It was delivered to my house a few hours ago.

It started up when I bought it 2 weeks ago but it was running rough. Now it starts up and dies after a minute or 2. Appears to be some debree in the fuel filter (G3 fram). Hopefully it is a simple fuel issue. The worst part is I can't get it all the way up the driveway into the garage.

Here is a pic: The car needs some work but nothing too major (that I have found yet). Only severe rust is a hole in the passenger floor pan. The rest appears to be surface rust here and there with some bubbling.

 

Wha Wha!!! She's a HOTT Z! Welcome to the club!

 

Welcome to the wolrd and expense of owning a Z car!!

Very nice find!!

So your car doesnt have too much rust thats good to hear.

But the bubbling is a sign of severe rust, just don't poke it with a screwdriver or anyhting otherwise your gonna puncture the metal allowing more moisture and junk to get in thus acclerating the rust process.

Later,

Allen

 

I found a Z place in canada (think it was Zedd Findings) and they now make floorboard kits. They are like $200+shipping for the US.

 

Welcome aboard and may you enjoy your new Z as much as I've enjoyed all of mine. Has the car been sitting a while?

 

The owner of the car had it for about 4 years and only put on around 60 miles on it during that time. So it has been doing a lot of sitting in that time. I believe it had been sitting for a while when he bought it also.

I'm going to start doing the basics this weekend. New plugs, wires, rotor, cap, fuel filter. I'm also going to start ripping out the carpet.

Right now it will start and idle roughly and die. Giving it some gas helps a little but as soon as I put in in gear and try to go it starts sputtering, backfiring, and dies.

One thing I noticed yesterday is as I gave it gas and released the clutch it would keep revving up but never start to move, even when completely off the clutch. It was like it wasn't in gear. Hopefully I don't need a new clutch yet. If I feathered the clutch and gas I could get the car rocking a little but no real movement. That only lasted a few seconds before it cut off again.

My main goal is to get it into the garage. If I can't get it running at least good enough to do that then I don't know what I'm going to do. We had 3 of us trying to push it and just couldn't get it all the way up the driveway (inclined).