BrianFahey

My 15 3/4 year-old daughter Morgan just picked up an 81 280ZX T-top 2+ (automatic trans) that sat a loooong time (bought it with 2 1/2 years of babysitting money I'm proud to say). Her Z has hardly any rust, but it does have high miles. I drove it home (@160 miles) on new gas and it 'cleared' itself out @ 50 miles into the trip. Everything seems to work believe it or not (I'm from a strong Britisc car back ground, so that shocked me;-) The rock-hard, raised-letter Firestones were OK until I opened it up; the car pulled like Jack-the-Bear and/but it torque-steered to the left as the tires started to break. Very, very impressive. At slower speeds however, planting the accelerator just makes it kick down a gear and it motors on more quickly- nothing spectacular there... its almost a little disappointing. All of the vaccuum hoses are dry-rotted, maybe that has something to do with it?

The steering seems a little vague in the middle (feels like a 60's American lux car), but beyond that it seems responsive and it tracks straight. There is no slop in the steering rod ends or the steering box and the ball joints seem tight, so I suspect its just towed out a bit (Y/N). But- all of the rubber is dry-rotted; is there a 'kit' to replace everything? Reasonable? (We're on a shoe-string budget and we can't get too crazy.) Also, the boots over the shocks are mostly rotted away, but there is only the slightest indication there was any weeping of fluid. The shocks take a knee on the bumper push-down and slowly raise the car back to it's initial road height. Any guidance/advice is greatly appreciated here.

There is the typical rattling and noise expected of such an old car. I did notice the door seal rubber is compressed, but still pliable, so I will take some thin-walled clear tubing and insert it into the hollow cavity of the molding to tighten up the gap. I also think there may be some rattling comming from with-in the door itself, so when things warm-up we'll pop off the panals and see what's shaking.

Morgan won't be driving for @ 6 months, so we'll have some qualitity time together sorting the car out. I do want for her to join this group. Plus, I do know where there's a late Z car at a breaking yard that is completely intact- can't wait to take Morgan down to see it. Maybe I'll ****** it up for parts?

Thanks for any advice,
Ciao4now, Brian

NismoPick

Welcome to ZDriver and to the Z world!!!

Yes, there's lots of info for you. Start here: https://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/

That link has basic & advanced repair info, mods, and links to Z parts.

We're here to help!

snwbrderphat540

Neat choice in first car. And yeah these aren't British cars so they run long andstrong even after sitting its very typical for them to clear themselves out with a good drive. I wouldstill clear the system with some new oil and trans. And rear diff fluid and seafoam treat the gas and intake manifold, also only fwd cars torque steer haha. But replace those tires because in any percipitation it will act like its on ice. Also do a full tune up new cap plugs rotor and wires also check the timing. There are full rubber seal kits but they aren't cheap and u will probably need to change the struts which is east and cheap and check the brakes. Other than all that replaces those dry old vaccum hoses (don't mix them up or miss any though) and you should be good to go

duowing

On these motors 160k miles is nothing. Just take care of it, oil change regularly, keep tabs on the fluids every so often and they will carry you for a long time. In my old 83' 2+2 it had 176k miles and ran flawlessly. Oh and as much as I hate to say it the automatics on these cars are fairly lackluster. 3-speed auto doesn't leave much for acceleration and tall gearing for fuel economy.

JoeGasm

Torque steer? On my beloved Z's?

NismoPick

Hey... I drifted my Saturn this morning.... of course it was a pure ice intersection.

Yeah, there is no "torque steer" on a RWD car.

JoeGasm

I changed the oil in my mom's Saturn Vue this morning o.O

Bleach

There are bushing kits to replace all the front suspension components, or the rear. In either rubber or urethane. rubber is cheaper and still nice upgrade to have it all new.

My new 280ZX feels somewhat the same... a little vauge on the steering. I put on larger wheels with slightly lower profile tires. That helped a bit. I think a lot of that is in the sloppy springs and weak sway bars. A tight spring kit with new struts will make a world of difference on how the car handles.
shox.com has a Tokico set for less than $400 for all of that. (search Nissan 280ZX)
New sway bar end links and bushings front and rear will help a bit on the highway and a lot in city driving.

Be careful on expanding that window foam too much. the glass has no upper bar so you notice the window must meet and seat against the t-top and frame of the car each time the door closes. If you push that rubber out more than it was meant to, you may shatter your glass one of these times you close the door.

Don't worry about the boots over the struts. A new kit usually has boots only for the rear. You can buy generic front strut boots if you wish when you install your new Tokico set.

snwbrderphat540

i posted that from my ipod touch, it seemed alot longer on that thing. now that im on a regular computer though it really isnt that big at all. i doubt he wants to get tokico performance though in the car, rubber bushings for the easy to replace stuff the stock springs will probably be fine with new oem like struts, just some cheap gabriels or something will suffice. and it will handle like a normal somewhat sporty car. on my 280Z i got all urethane bushing AZ zcar springs and kyb shocks and it was A WORLD of difference and that was on 14inch rims still with 16/17 inch and a lower profile tire that ting would have rocked my world, then through on larger sway bars i woulda started doing track days here at the autobahn country club and probably done pretty damn good. but this is a 16 year old girls first car, its auto, i say keep it simple to restore the ride quality

Bleach

Dont forget the g-nose front end and huge spoiler on back!

BrianFahey

I had a brand-new MGB in 1969 that I beat the living crap out of. The rear (solid) axle was captured by huge U bolts and a plate, and the rubber cushion between it had been rudged around into tiny round ***** of rubber. After a year of flogging it, I could literally change lanes from the torque that changed the geometry of the axle. That was pure mechanical (my term for that is torque steer). On the other hand, in 1973 I stuffed a I-250 ci (4200cc) thin-cast Ford into a cherry MG-C roadster, and hung a Corvair F-flow turbo off of it, fed by a giant SU with a football needle in its throat to deliver my water injection. I was a machinist, so I cobbed together a water-cooled-body wastegate with a 'horsepower screw" on top to load the closing spring. A shaved 289 bell housing with a welded-on and milled plate held the M-22 aluminum, straight-cut-gear, 4-speed. When I went to school in LA I had Isky himself custom grind a cam for it. I drove my turbo C for 9 years and flat towed heavier cars with it from PA to CA 4-times. That car was my mule. I even pulled my (home-built) VJ-22 flying boat behind it. My Porsche-loving, Porche-mechanic brother-in-law put it on a chassis dyno at the VA Porsche dealership (Chevy Chase? Silver Hills?) to try and discredit it. In 4th gear the car hunkered down, the tires deformed (and smoked like hell) and the car all- but walked off the left end of the giant drum before we got smart and chained it down laterally. That is what happened with the 280-ZX; at @ 60 mph I punched it and the car shot foward like I was rear-ended, but the ***-end slowly slipped closer and closer to the Jersey barrier to the point I was steering to the left to compensate. I was estatic, but when I stomped the gas at slower speeds the car was positivly boring. Maybe it's what you said- hi gearing, because the axles are firmly attached and incapable of straying. One weird thing was when you let off the gas the automatic acts like a manual shift and the car drops her nose as the trans holds it back! Is that normal?
Off the subject- I saw a vaccuum lines 'kit' for the naturally-aspirated 280-ZX that boasted the exact correct ID, but they were silicone based. They had thicker walls and were incapable of collasping. Has any one tried them?

Oh, by-the-by thanks for all the friendly advice and parts suppliers. My (now ex) brother-in-law said there is a major parts supplier in Harrisburg that ONLY takes internet orders. They supposedly have a very large selection of new foreign stuff at discounted prices. I'll let you-all know the e-address when I find where I wrote it down. I need to contact them about my S type and my wife's X type- the X one ran out of SI last month and the S type runs out this month. Owning an English car is a love-HATE relationship- even though Ford bought them out and 'fixed' everything!

Thank you all, and I remain,
Sincerely, Brian
PS- Our home business is SewSpecial@paonline.com and my cell is 717-802-9097 if any one wants it.

snwbrderphat540

so.... you sew for a living? lol :P just playing


also, just saying, technical term for torque steer is the front wheels having uneven torque distribution and trying to literally turn the steering wheel by its own power on you, i know what you are referencing to. as for silicone, its looks great and is more rigid, but it gets very flimsy when its heated up and can collapse if it gets warm enough and under vaccuum. though, i havent had that problem when i replaced my lines on my 260Z turbo and that engine bay got HOT. so i think you should be fine.

BrianFahey

Now that I've become an old fart I'm less inclined to build quirky cars (even fixing them is a chore I try and avoid;-), but I can't help but wonder if the Ford-based Jaguar 6-speed automatic with an OD lock-up would be a good transplant into a Z? I do prefer the manual shift, but the RWD S-type is really quick and the gears are close and crisp. I wonder if the Taurus uses that same gearbox? The shifter is cable operated, so it could live anywhere in the car. Just some un-researched thoughts to get the brain juices going... Someday I'll tell you about the Mk 1 MG Midget that I stuffed a 215 cid Buick with an aluminum block & heads into without even a buldge in the bonnet. It started out as a joke, but it became like one of those Disney world cars at the Lights, Cameras, Action show. That car still exists today; my suicidal friend bought it, but he stuffed it in his barn because its really too scary to drive (yes too scary IS possible).
Take care and thank you for the advice and the sources.
Respectfully, Brian
PS- Not to beat a dead horse, but back in my flying days we probably incorrectly referred to the airplane twisting and changing its attitude when we suddenly advanced the throttle or the 'bite' as 'torque steer'. I probably need to expand my vocabulary, but it got the point across at the time. I wonder if the rodeo guys who get yanked out of the saddle after they lasso a steer use that same phrase? ;-)

snwbrderphat540

thats called p-factor, im a pilot to. and it only occurs on the tail draggers on take-off. it tries to go left due to the descending blade taking a larger bite of air and gyroscopic procession.

Bleach

eehuhwhat?!

BrianFahey

I KNEW I was in good company.
My father was a ATC for 36 years- started with the Flying Tigers in China, then Iceland, Idewild>JFK and finally Harrisburg PA. Thats where my bug came from.
I built my VJ-22 flying boat- took me almost 7 years off and on and ALL of my 'play' money. I used an O-200 in pusher config., but I had elaborate future plans for a much-lighter, less thirsty, more dependable, water-cooled, internal hanging, verticle, Subaru 2L topped with a corrigated, laminar-flow heat exchanger to a wet reduction gearbox that could engage and disengage the prop. (you stepped on the tire and got in, in-front of the 6' spinning prop while holding the canopy up and the plane would tug at the teather when idling on water). It was an ugly accident waiting to happen. The Hegy prop (still hangs on the wall in my library) was my pretty speed prop, but the workhorse was the plated S I doped ALL the fabric with 5 coats of nitram (counting the ultra-violet blocking silver coats) inside the hanger in the winter with the doors shut. I must have lost all sense of reasoning because I eventually collasped unconsious to the floor, but at least all the nitram was on and flowed out nicely. Lost a BUNCH of my memory from that time backwards, but the ceconite was tight as a drum and the finish was beautiful. When it was done, I transferred the ownership (and the 'builder's plate) to my crazy friend Tommy Schwitz because of the in-pepituity (SIC?) unbelieveable liability laws on the mfg. (me). (When Tommy built HIS first plane it was before he got his ticket, and/but he crashed it into the grandstands at the Summit Point Race Track. He was 'just' doing a high speed taxi with a Jerry can duct-taped on the wing next to his open cockpit and the plane suddenly became airborne; he had no choice but to fly it hanging on its prop. A stone wall took off the tail and the plane fell sideways into the bleachers. Tommy wrecked 4 planes that I know of and never once got hurt! Once the local news crew captured him cartwheeling a ferried wreck. He was taking it back to the shop when an un'seen telephone pole in the middle of the field ripped off his right wing. They played it on the air for days much to his embarassment;-) Tommy owned the A/P buisness in Winchester VA, and promised WE'D keep the plane forever and he would keep it inspected/insured/re-freshed through his business at no cost to me. The shop burned down 12 years ago when one of his stupid mechanics was using a benzomatic torch to defrost the frozen water line that fed the coffee pot. That was the winter with no spring and here in PA it was -22 degrees F. Tommy and his crew got all the planes out and all the customer engines out, but the investment engines, all the machine shop tools and my beloved creation were lost. It was too cold and the snow was too deep to run the firetrucks, and all they could do was stand there and watch everything go up in flames. It turned out that Tommy was $650K in the hole after the insurance was paid out and that didn't even include my baby. All I have left to show for it are boxes of photographs and a damaged memory with holes. I was chided for crying by my wife (who hated the thought of 'flying something home made' anyway) . Someday I may forgive her for that.

duowing

As for the tranny I understand your pain. My 280ZX Turbo just feels bland at low speeds at higher speeds where the turbo is readily available it feels a good bit better. Overall the auto tranny is bland. They use the same transmission for the Turbo and non-turbo. The turbo definitely does help, but it goes to show. With the automatic I can basically get to over 50mph with first gear, 80 in second, and then the rest in 3rd. Goes to show how tall these are geared.

snwbrderphat540

very nice story. i've always wanted to do a home built, but somewhat agree with your wife. some local news personalities built identical christian eagles at my school and they were beautiful but one of them went to sell theirs the guy asked him to do a few loops and rolls and one of the wings shifted in flight and the planes started to tumble, recovered luckily and landed to figure out the problem, it was thence grounded and donated to my school. we get ALOT of planes actually, i need to start going into the maint. hangar and taking pictures because they really get some neat **** in there, had an old hueghs and a few hewey's (the bell heli's) the christian, a lear donated by travolta and a 737 donated by i think southwest or united... cant remember. and alot more. i got to start the 737 once run up the engines and kick on the reversers. that was fun.

BrianFahey

Thank you for the post- as far as building your own- as the mfg. you get the right to make any mods and will always have the right to re-inspect your own plane, but you'll NEVER get away from the liability of being the OEM.

And if you do deciede to give in to your dreams, the new 51% rule makes the job easier/quicker (albiet MUCH more expensive). That new rule makes building a full sized homebuilt like working on a giant monogram plastic model. The fuselage can literally be two halves glued together!

As everything in life; sometimes the farther you take something the further you get away from it, and the longer it takes, the easier it is to go astray. I've learned the 80/20 rule works best... for 20% effort you get 80% results, and for the remaining 20% results it takes 80% effort to get. Remember the answer Chuck Yeager gave to the question about the most exciting aircraft he ever flew? It was his ultralight, because it was low and slow and really gave him the feeling of flying. The higher and faster he flew the more abstract it became.

280zx2by2

can i live with you? im 16, i dont eat much, im quiet, and i wont get in your way... and i swear i wont touch your daughter

lol and btw welcome to ZDriver

lets see some pics cause i know a highschool girl isnt going to be driving a regular Z... most of the girls at my school would slap their dad if he told her she was going to have to drive a datsun... hell half the people at my school have never seen a datsun!

scorpionp54

hey my lil sis is still in highschool and her and all her friends love my car. they always want to ride in it.

280zx2by2

lol yeah but never have it as a DD...

scorpionp54

no your right, they'll rather have a bmw, which is what im in traning for.

BrianFahey

16 and promises to not eat much and to leave my daughter alone!?! Does a bridge come along with that offer?

In an attempt to come off as a class act I thought I might wax on poetically as I respond to your generous offer to take up residence in my home without endangering my food supply or my daughter's virtue, but I'm drawing a blank as to what rhymes with "There ain't no *&%$#@! way". (This old dog was once a young dog, but nice try anyway ;-)

All kidding aside she's going to be a hard one to marry-off, she's WAY too competitive. What she lacks in size she makes up in determination. When she played soccer she was very good, but when a big moosey girl intentionally hurt her on the field, God help that girl; Morgan would take her legs out so hard the girl's upper body always hit the ground first (and she was never flagged, because she always made it look like an accident with an innocent, apologetic face). Morgan now plays varsity tennis, she's taller now but still lithe and practices with the boy's team because the girls don't play hard enough. Her back hand is absolutely vicious. Morgan just took up snowboarding a week ago, and she's a walking bruise..., just the way she likes it. Morgan DOES show sense with her dirt bike and she's shown finesse with her go-carts; maybe I should build in a distraction? All my race cars are now gone (sold or demolished), but maybe I'll put together a little formula car or a D-Sports racer for her to hill climb (road courses are much too expensive). Maybe I can help her disassociate her competitiveness with her transportation (Z) car? i.e., my kid sister Maureen ran my Abarth and held the class record at the Rose Valley Hill Climb until it closed. Momo did tone it down a bit when she drove her regular transportation on the street ('67 Mk II Sunbeam Tiger with a factory, Stage II 289 cid, so there was a LOT of temptation). She never bent either car, though she did eat up my Goodyear Bluestreaks.

I'd never forgive myself if Morgan got hurt.., but I'd also never forgive myself if her skills weren't honed enough for her to get herself out of a bad situ. What a delicate balance life can be.

About her 280ZX, the car was her pick; I promise I had nothing to do with it, but inspect it and OK it. All of her friends went crazy over it saying that it is so unique, so retro (seems a retro car is a very good thing in this age of vanilla cars, and the Z cars have drastic/timeless lines). The other night we drove the Z over to her huge school parking lot and service roads; Morgan was completely at ease. It all seemed to come natural to her. The next time we go, we'll mix it up a bit and I'll put her in different situations. With those old rock-hard tires that shouldn't be a problem. ;-)
Sincerely, Brian
Yea, I'll send a pic in soon, but the snow's on the car. I guess I'll send in a pic of the car and Morgan seperately, unless things warm up. Are there any other young girls out there that own a Z?

snwbrderphat540

if your daughter were a bit older I'd be in love haha.