Im very new to the zworld but im very intrestid. I was wondering if there is a big diffrence between the 280z and the 280zx. The only diffrence that i can tell is the body style, but i was wondering about performance parts and other stuff like that. Any infromation would be greatly appreaciated.
P.s I am still looking for a z so if you have one and live in the phoniex metropolitan area please contact me.

 

there are some little changes that where made to the z /zx every year that they where made ...what i would like to know is what year is the best one to get

 

81+ made more power for the ZX. The Z made more than all but the turbo ZX due to less strict emissions. The ZX has a more refined suspension(though softer stock) than the Z, and much better aero. The COd is substantially lower. And For some reason that I can't figure out, a lot of people think the ZX is the red headed stepchild of the bunch. I think it is supperior base to start from. No Z dominated SCCA and IMSA like the 280zx did, and thats a fact! They both came with the same engine, so power cababilities are even. The ZX has so many more creature comforts that it weighs more than the previous generations, although the 280Z is really almost as heavy as the 280ZX!! Basically, what ever body style you like better. I think the ZX has more potential personally though. And red, if you're just trying to decide which ZX is best, anything 81 and up.

 

As always you have the MOST INFORMED ansewer J ..BUT 81 IS THE BEST you know this man

 

Hey thanks for the info. Personaly i think the z look better than the zx but. But normal z are harder to find, well at least were im at.

 

Don't be baggin' on the pre-'81 ZX's now... OK, 79 had no t-tops... which sucks, '80 had 13 less horespower (On paper according to Nissan, who were in the middle of getting fined by DOT for "under-rating" HP in order to avoid the proper taxation). My last ZX was an '81 in really good shape. I really liked it. It had Rack and Pinion steering (79-80 had recirculating ball gear box). Not only was it not faster than my '80, but I didn't like the steering as much fo some reason. On any other car I would tell you that R&P steering is better, But I swear that the '80 has more feel and feedback. My '80 when I bought it bone-stock with 208,000 miles on it would out-run my '81 quite noticeably... so I don't know where that 13 HP is hiding in the '81, but it ain't gettin to the rear wheels any better. Hey, They're all awsome. They are the only geneartion of Z car that can be considered a true GT car. If you find one you like, BUY IT. Don't sketch over which year is best. You can turn any of them into your dream machine with some patience, TLC and last but not least... Lot's of money. Good luck finding the right car for you.

Rod.

 

I think the 280Z looks a lot better than the 280ZX. Its is also lighter but as J said the suspension is pretty crappy. It really depends on what you like, the 280Z has a more old school look and the ZX has a futuristic (for the 80's it was) look.

 

Hey Rod, I completely agree with you on the steering thing. The rack and pinion seemed to have more slop than the box. The power box also came with a tighter turning radius, with fewer turns lock to lock. I disconnected and removed the PS from my steering box, filled the box with fluid, bled it nice and tight and then sealed it up and the feedback is nothing less than amazing. I do have an 81, but that's not why I said 81+. And one more thing, IMO, the Z was more curvy but to me the ZX has more of an imtimidation factor in it's look, while still maintaining a certain level of sensuality. In other words, if you parked the ZX next to the Z, the ZX just looks like it would beat the **** out of the Z. And then walk away like the Oscar DeLa Hoya of old, with out a scratch. Get rid of the 300lbs of weight ballast they call bumpers, and the ZX is damn sexy!!

 

Oh and drew, the 280z weight advantage on the ZX was approximately jack crap. Not enough to be a factor. It was by and far the heaviest of the s30 cars. The 240z was lighter with a full interior than a stripped down 280Z/ZX. Most of the weight on the 280Z was attributed to the new bumpers though. And the ZX got even heavier bumpers and all the little creature comforts the s30 guys complain about but secretely wish they had deep down inside. But wouldn't dare to add them to their precious "light weight" cars because it would take away their weight advantage.

(the above statement is not intended to offend any one in possession of an s30 car. Just trying to poke a little fun )

 

I'm gonna chime in for the older Z's. I bet your ZX would look more like Oscar the Grouch parked next to my 280Z!
My 1977 280Z weighs only 2600lbs with a L28Et parked under the hood. The Z's in my opinion have better suspension geometry...you have to play a lot with offset bushings to get the ZX to handle properly. As far as looks go, I like both. I'd choose the 280Z if you were more performance minded, the 280ZX NA if you wanted a comfortable cruiser, and the 280ZXT if you want some of both.
Truth be told, my first experience with Zs was in a 1981 base model(no t-tops, A/C, power steering, or power windows = light and fast).

 

Hey man I know of a '76 Z a guy has, and he only wants $500 for it. He lives here in east Mesa. Let me know if you are interestered. I wanted the Z myself, but I have too many projects, as you can see. Let me know, PM me if you like, and I will call him for you. And if he still has it, I will give you his number, and you can talk shop with him. It needs to be restored, but it is a good project man, and welcome to the Z world bro'!

 

IMO, it's just a matter of taste. Either car can be turned into mean machine. And neither one is a super car showroom stock. The 280z is rated at 2800lbs stock, so adding a L28et would only add more weight. 2600 pounds means you've lightened something somewhere. I know the bumpers on the 280 were one of the things that made it so much heavier than the previous s30 cars. The 280zx, low and behold, is rated at right about that. I've found sources claiming less, but thats for the 81 coupe with manual trans and t-tops NA. I'm not trying to start a debate though, just clarifying that. And as far as the suspension goes, Yes the Z came from the factory with a more rigid suspension setup, while the ZX, being a GT car, was softer to better suit a broader range of customers. But as far as the suspension setup itself, the ZX is nothing less than an evolution of the Z's suspension. The Z suspension just doesn't have the technology incorporated into it the way the ZX does. If you follow the evolution of the Z cars suspensions up to the Z32 every year it became more advanced.(I'm not too keen on the Z33 as I haven't seen the suspension). And as you go back in the models, the suspension becomes more and more primitive than the Z32. And I don't think anyone here can dispute the fact that the Z32 suspension is far superior to any of it's predecesors by leaps and bounds. To make a car that big and heavy the way it does is no easy feat. Again not trying to start a debate.
But we're comparing apples to oranges here. Two completely different automobiles with nothing in common but the engine(and even that has it's differences). Truth is that the 280z has a more readily available aftermarket than the ZX(even though the ZX outsold any other of the Z's), so it's that much easier to make the car the way you want it, and cheaper to do so as well. I don't look at things like power windows and ac as a weight disadvantage. I look at them as making my car more enjoyable to drive. Most of the people on this forum don't use their cars as purely race cars. The ZX, as a street machine, just takes the cake. It's only downfall is that it is underpowered. Nobody disputes the fact that the Z32 is KING of the fairlady's. Why? Because it had the power to compensate for it's weight.

Anyways back to the taste issue. It's up to the individual. I prefer the more chiseled look of the ZX, and I'm in rare company for thinking so. Most prefer the classic sexy look of the s30's. I think they both look great, they're both a blast to drive(hell all the Z's are, even the Z31 ). So don't choose a car based on what other people like, it's YOUR car. If you want the supperior Z, get a Z32 or Z33. Otherwise, go with what turns you on

 

And Zspeedracer25, please don't take that as an attack on you or your opinion. If you've actually had your car weighed in at 2600lbs without any weight reduction than I am wrong and I admit that. I've never weighed one, I'm only quoting information resources. So just don't take that post the wrong way, like I said, I'm not trying to start an argument. Oh and for the record, the 280z is faster than the 280zx NA. And would give a turbo 280zx a good run for it's money. One thing it definitely had on the ZX was a power advantage.

 

No offense here! I was just playing anyway. No significant weight reduction for the 2600lbs, car has no A/C. I haven't weighed it since I eliminated the bumpers and mounts and switched to lighter seats....I'll bet I'm down to the 2400lb range now. Lighter = faster + better handling. I won't get into a debate on the whole suspension evolution on the ZX thing...save that for another thread
Each to his own on these cars. You really can't go wrong owning a Z!

 

Yeah, those bumbers will knock off a lot of weight. I had mine off while painting it(which I was doing in my apartment complex carport and got busted half way through primering it, so it's only half primered black! ). Anyways, while I had them off, I was too lazy to put them back on right away so I was driving it that way for a while and noticed a considerable gain in acceleration from having those off! When I put em back on, you could really feel the extra weight. I'm going to replace the strut mounts for the bumper with some adjustable aluminum peices and the bumper itself with a carbon peice. Not the safest way, but that will permanently knock alot of weight off my ZX. I'm also going to convert my hood to open from the front with some aluminum hinges on a carbon hood which will allow me to run my bumper all the way flush with the hood and knock off even more weight! Then comes the carbon Ttops, which will not only knock off more weight, but will lower the cars center of gravity a bit too. Carbon every where baby, yeah!!!

 

Sounds trick! You must be able to get and do all that stuff yourself, or have a hell of a lot of $$$$ in the bank.

 

I want a lot of weight saving carbon on my car too. How bout you help me make a whole chassis out of carbon while you're at it!! 1300lb Z sounds really cool!

 

J,

I'm curious why you think the 280z has more power than the 280zx?

lww

 

Probably because of the 170hp tag on the 280Z and the 135hp tag on the 280ZX! hahaha!
I'm so tired of explaining that one...

 

2300 lbs in my 240z. And as has been mentioned, the suspensions on these cars were evolving throughout their life but it's relatively trivial to upgrade them to modern technology.

Can you say coil-overs! Full adjustability for camber, caster, toe and you can tailor your spring and shock rates to whatever you want. Nothing beats racing technology applied to a street car and you don't have to have race car harshness either. Put in soft shocks and low rate coils with maximum alignment and you'll have a very comfortable GT that you can maximize the tire wear.

If you can't/don't want to do coil-overs, it's amazing what you can do with your alignment when you have access to a frame machine!

 

Here you go lww, take a look!