Hey guys I am really excited to start posting and talking to you guys.

My name is Aaron Harris I live in Oklahoma City and own a 1981 280zx n/a 5 speed t/tops
I have had a friend who has lived down the street from me pretty much my whole life. When he turned 16 he got a datsun 280zx it was red he got t-boned and it was destroyed he was fine. So he then buys his in between Z the guy before him wanted to do a restore on it he has a lot of the dash out and the electrical just hanging around. Well he ends up buying a silver 2 by 2 300zx for his next Z and the black 280zx just sat down the street for like 3 years. On my 19th birthday he says to me get it running and its mine. So I did all it need was a fuel pump and a new starter rely and she fired right up. put a new battery in it got it tagged titled and insured got it kinda reliable. The guy wired the red button on the top to start the file pump and some electrical and the green button to do the rest and then I have the button in between my mirror control and it will fire up so its a keyless starter (he has the ignition locked in the on position). The problem the wiring shorted button doesn't work so I use the rely to kick it on. Honestly how great the engine is built really I need to replace some cracked tubing, a value adjustment, new spark plugs, wires, 2 leaky fuel injectors and that is for the motor but living in Oklahoma we have all sorts of weather so it has rust damage, not the worst ever but I am going to have to put fender flares to get rid of some damage also my dog flaps and one strut tower is damage.

I don't have any pictures right now. The other night I was with a friend and didn't see a pot hole hit it pretty good. I gave him a ride to work the next day and on the highway at 65 mph my whole car starts to violently shake I can hear my tire is having an issue so I pull over look nothing is wrong I try to drive when going over 20 it shakes violent I flip the hazards and slowly make it back, its parked semi-permently until I can get a new stabilizer bar or sway bar. I believe it broke from the driver side transversal arm. I was wondering should I try re do the front suspension on the car or replace on piece?

Another thought or question I was think is what should I do like tune up wise what is some good things to do to my car to make it a reliable car. What is a good list of dos to make sure that everything is tip top on my datty, Im not looking to make it the fastest car in the world but I want to have a clean looking car with a nice little ump for when a civic wants to play

 

Congrats on the new car and welcome. As far as reliable doing a tune up and connector cleaning is all you will most likely need. As far as the shakes get under the car and have a look. You might have just damaged the tire or rim and that's it. No need replacing everything yet until you know the car. Drive it and see how it goes. Just look for safety issues like worn tie rods and brakes and loose bearings. Things like that, pick up a Haynes manual or download the one online. There are many links here and lots of reading

 

Thanks for the welcome shady

When it happened on the highway I thought I had a blow out. So I pulled over looked at the tires my tread is fine, no holes, no sounds of air..... I tried to drive my car to figure out exactly what cause the shake, when I reached around 20-25 mph my car will starts to shake. Flipped the hazards lights slowly and safely got her home checked under the car, saw this bar disconnected from the tire looked at my manual. I know I shouldn't say the name, because you guys don't seem very fond of it. I have the chiltons manual and If I am reading it correctly my stabilizer bar aka sway bar (depending on your terminology) the bolt that connects it to the transversal arm has rusted and snapped I believe it was a cause and effect from when I hit the pot hot the final blow and then high speed made it cave in. Also when I turn my steering wheel the driver side wheel (broken side) won't move as to were my right front side tire will turn.

 

I've had the car since march and have been doing pretty decent amount of research on it. I have been reading into this site a couple of months before I started posting like I have been hard coring out on my 280zx. I keep learning and learning can't get enough on these cars, Also thanks on the advice on the tune, so just normal simple stuff.

 

Pictures. If the wheel won't turn then you definately should not drive it. I don't think it's the sway bar you broke - that wouldn't affect the car not being able to steer unless it was binding the steering which seems unlikely. It's probably your tie rod

XenonS130 and download the FSM. It has the schematics, etc to fix your ignition. I had some Mickey Mouse set up where you had to press a button to get the car to start when you turned the ignition on. They (previous owner/hack) spent a lot of time and effort to work around a $10 ignition switch. I took me 10x as long to pull all the wiring and junk out as it did to replace the switch....

 

Ha yeah I have a mickey mouse set up going on for now, I have the title to it but the guy also lost the key. Tomorrow I will either put a video of it on youtube or pictures on here for you guys. I downloaded the FSM and on page four, for the front axle and suspension it shows a pic I identified the broken piece to be (Part 3) and could the tie rod also be called the tension rod? cuz Looking at the scheme from the FSM the "stabilizer bar broke free from the tension rod" would be the correct diagnostic.

 

the tension rod holds the wheel from moving front to back, it can break especially if you have poly ureathane bushings on it. the tie rod can also become dislodged out of its socket with a large enough blow. best jack up the front and get some stands under it and really have a good look. pics on here always help, not so much videos unless its a sound thing and you have good camera work thats clear and steady.

 

I agree with the rod part. My 1990 300zx shook like hell whenever I pressed on the brakes, turned out the rods had been bent and shouldve been replaced but the previous owner heated and straightend them just enough to last till I got it running and found out the extent of the mistreatment that Z suffered.