...that works well, is lightweight (preferably fiberglass), and replaces the front valance. I called the guys at MSA and they recommend the BRE-style airdam for best performance, but it mounts on the valance and mine is shot. I don't want to spend $400 to replace the metal, if I can just buy another effective dam and strip 'em out. I like the look of the MSA fiberglass air dam with cooling ducts, number 50-1404, but how well does it work?

 

i dont suppose a valence from a zx fits?
http://www.thepartsbin.com/catalog/?...294966717+9301

little cheaper than black dragon or some one but was worth mensioning if it fits.

i figure fix replace the valence since its the better kit, i am sure its easily pounded back into shape and had a metal rod welded in behind it to keep it rigid

 

FWIW, I still have my original urethane airdam for sale:
https://www.zdriver.com/forums/fs-240z-260z-280z-280zx-70-83-242/s30-urethane-airdam-24086/
It replaces the valence. I went with a new fiberglass one while restoring/modifying the car. The urethane one was in okay shape, but not perfect, and was replaced under the "while I'm at it" approach to fixing some hood/fender damage from the previous owner. It's gloss pearl black and has a little bit of the Black Pearl-matching silver pinstripe on it, but of course it's also paintable at a good body shop. Details in that thread. At the very least, hopefully it gives you an idea of some options you might have. Also, depending where you're located, it might be worth checking your local salvage yards to see if any 280's come in with useable air dams.
good luck,
Dave

 

boulderZ id buy that airdam in a SECOND if i had a job......

 

I thought you were in school and/or flight training? Plenty of time for jobs and working later.
Besides, that airdam isn't going anywhere fast. It's been sitting around my place for 4+ years now. I'm just not a very motivated seller, I guess. I need to spend some time putting a bunch of parts and stuff on eBay and get my house de-cluttered. How many 280Z radiators does a guy need, anyway?
Dave

 

lol, i got the money and i am in flight school and stuff. but i still neeed to make $ lol. ill keep that in mind, dont push that airdamn to much cause once i have money. ill buy it. would be a nice addition to my freshly painted 280Z

EDIT: also what airdamn is that? it looks like a smoother version of the Xenon

 

snowie you have a rainbow brite collection? what you wanna sell them for? You need the money for your barbie collection now???

 

heh some one else saw it.

you know i would think if you wanted an air damn on a freshly painted car you might want it at the same time your painting the car for the fact your mixtures dont get a tad off and you have a different shade air dam.

thats just me and if you would paint it.

 

you'd think that.... but i still have paint left over from the same mixture. :P

 

Actually, I'm not at all sure what brand the airdam is. I'll look through the PO's service records and see if it says in there. Judging from the spec sheet for the car: http://zhome.com/History/BlackP.htm it wasn't a from-the-factory Black Pearl piece; but, I'll have to look and see if it was a dealer add-on, like some of them used to do with wheels (which I also need to sell and get out of storage shed).

I remember from the records that they bought it in North Carolina, drove it across country, and had some add-ons done on the West coast, so maybe there's a receipt for the airdam specifically, as someone had to do the matching pinstriping. I'll check it out and post what I find, if you want. I haven't noticed any manufacturer markings on it, so it might just be some cheapy-brand.
Dave

 

Thanks for the offer Boulder, but I'll probably get one of the MSA dams. It appears that the fiberglass one I'm interested in comes with a bumper eliminator, which I really like since I ditched the stock steel beast.

 

i still dont get why people remove the bumpers. just modify them to smaller 240 ones but dont remove them. thats teh worste idea in the world. you rear end someone or hit anything your car is done for. they were made out of very light thin materials. they crumble like pop cans.

 

I probably will install 240 bumpers, but I think that the massive 280Z bumpers destroy the lines of the car. I mean, you've got this beautifully sleek body - with a huge 30-lb chunk of steel sticking way out there. I should have said, "I ditched the stock steel beast, until I can replace it with something smaller." As for hitting someone/something, I'm more likely to hit an animal than rear-end someone out here in Wyoming, and if I hit a deer or antelope I've got bigger problems than my front end being messed up, as the animal will end up in my windshield no matter what bumper I have.

 

pffft... they only weigh 15 lbs a piece. they arent that bad,, i used to hate them to. then after owning the early 260Z and my 280, i dont have much of a preference.... well, i do have one still, but they simply arent that big of a deal anymore.

 

Cool, sounds like a good plan. I went with a fiberglass airdam from them, and I've been very happy with it. I kept the big 'ole '78 bumpers (what can I say, I kinda like 'em), but I think their bumper-eliminator dams are from the same vendor, so hopefully yours will be as easy to install as mine was. And maybe some day it'll be warm enough again in WY to work on the car, too.
Dave