im looking to buy a 280zx

this is what im working with:

-t-tops
-tinted
-removable radio w/10" JL audio sub plus amp
-180xxx original miles
-t3/t4 turbo kit
-greddy front mount intercooler
-greddy bov
-greddy/trust relief valve
-greddy boost control
-apex turbo timer
-2 bride seats(black)
-nardi quick release
-nismo shifter
-nismo head gasket w/ rebuilt head
-jdm cluster
-old school jdm light weight watanabes(front)
-sportmax 002 for wider offset(rear)
-tires w/80percent thread left
-r200 differential lsd
-front and back cusco strut bars
-apex exhaust w/cat



i dont know much about these cars, but it seemed like a good deal. i want to know what are common problems with these cars, and what i should look for when i drive it. thanks for the help.

 

Pictures for the curious please?

 

Welcome to ZDriver! That's quite a list of mods...

Who installed the mods? Do they have receipts? How much are they asking? And we have a sticky thread about "what to look for" when buying a 280zx: https://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/280zx-common-problems-checklist-purchase-inspection-16386/

 

the guy said that it they were done by two local shops and gave me the names, so if anything, i can go and have them checked out. he wants 3,000. or i might trade him my truck for it.

 

That's a smokin deal... as long as it hasn't been abused.

 

yeah sounds pretty nice to me. the only thing i can think of that you will have to worry about is if it's running a lot of boost, that stock 180k block is going to need a rebuild pretty soon. if it's been driven hard at all. which, if the guy needed wider rears, it sounds like it has. so if you get it, i'd just say that you should have it in a not too long term plan to get that block rebuilt.

 

it makes sense, but in the mods list he mentions that it has a nismo head that has been recently rebuilt.

 

Nismo head or head gasket? I don't think Nismo made an L28 head... or at least a production one. As for the head gasket... is it MLS (multi-layered steel) or the more common metal ringed & cardboard?

 

to be honest with you, i dont know. all i know is what is listed in the mods list. the only red flag to me is that it looks too cheap for all the stuff it has on it. im thinking its either salvage (which i hope its not) or the interior is bad. and i dont really care about the interior lol i just want a good reliable engine. and a tape player lol, cause its cheaper to get an iPod adapter tape than a CD player with an iPod inlet lol.

 

They make an iPod tape adapter?! I thought those were banned in the 90's. Just get an FM broadcast adapter...

 

haha. no those tape adapters are real cheap. and theres no distortion haha. but yea, i guess ill just have to drive it and see. anything else you guys think i should know. i've looked at the STICKY and found it very interesting and helpful.

 

Just make sure the turbo spools like it should (boosts good & no scraping / bearing sounds).

Check for fluid leaks (on the ground & built up on the car).

Start it cold if possible... you want to see how the car reacts through all temps.

 

does greddy even make a turbo for the 280 or was it adapted from something else?

 

Greddy doesn't make a turbocharger for the 280zx... if it's a hybrid T3/T4 it's probably a Garrett.

 

i thought something like that. i looked up on greddys site and they dont make one for the 280. also, what kind of engine are in them. i know its an inline 6, but what the name?

 

A basic search of this forum will reveal lots of info. The 280zx turbo engine is called an "L28ET" and for all Nissan engine info, read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nissan_engines

L-Series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_L_engine#Straight-6

 

I'm bored and tired but recently we have talked about a stroked L28E and an L28Et on which someone should have done.

My question is has anyone ever stroked an L28ET? I want to see how that would sound.

 

you need to learn some basic principals behind these engine systems. you can't stroke a turbo. it's either or in the vast majority of cars because stroking increases compression. with a turbo charger, you are letting more air into the engine a different way. so if your turbo can produce so much boost that it blows an engine, you certainly don't need a stroked engine to help it out. this is why we have blow off valves and waste gates. no turbo strokers.

 

^^^ That explanation didn't really make sense.... but yes, there are 3.1L Turbo Stroker L28ET's. Jeff P's is a perfect example ( http://www.angelfire.com/extreme/280zxt/ )

I dare say he's probably got $15K sunk into that motor.

And we have plenty of threads talking about a turbo stroker motor. Just type "turbo stroker" into the Search feature and bing bang bong you have results.

 

it did to make sense! maybe it was wrong, but it made sense

 

That's heavily understated. Jeff had $50k of his own money in that car 3 years ago not counting his "free" labor hours... it's more now and the motor has been the most expensive component and he's not done yet. He's working it up to 650 rwhp.

I have a 3.1L stroked turbo motor as well and it can be done, it's just more work than it's worth. Modern turbo motors generally run 10:1 or higher compression. It's all about the fuel management. If your fuel management system is capable of metering the system with high precision, which most modern systems are, certainly stand-alone aftermarket, it's not that hard.

 

Although this is a good rule of thumb for American iron, it's a little misplaced with regard to the L series of motors. I've disassembled motors with over 200k miles that still had the factory hone marks on the cylinder walls. This engine design was also used for the Nissan Maxima Diesel L6 (which is where our "stroker" cranks come from) with very few modifications. Basically, we're running a motor that is durable enough to be a diesel in a very "light duty" gasoline application.

Usually, the heads warp and the head gaskets blow MANY times before the bottom end needs a rebuild. Unless the motor has been run without oil, with a straight head and a good head gasket, you should be able to get good compression across all cylinders and even you don't get good compression you most likely only need to re-ring the pistons, not do a full rebuild on the motor to get it back to factory specs.

 

geese time for me to take a break. i've been wrong a lot lately.

 

I've e-mailed JeffP before with some questions, he's really a cool, nice, helpful guy. He's really deep into everything, the aspects of the fuel control to get that motor up over 600hp etc. He was telling me about how he thinks he might be able to get the Nissan ecu reliably to run 600hp. It's cool stuff.

As for the turbo stroker in another thread it was said that the gains of it aren't really worth the price when you could spend that money on just adding more boost to an L28ET.