1976 Datsun 280z, 5 Speed, Original Color, Excellent Mechanically / Cosmetically on 2040-cars
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Body Type:Coupe
Engine:6 Cylinded
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller
Interior Color: Black
Make: Datsun
Number of Cylinders: 6
Model: Z-Series
Trim: Coupe
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Mileage: 86,606
Exterior Color: Persimmon Red
I'll start with what I know of the history of the car. I bought the car in February 2005 just a month after I retired. I had been looking for a Z car in original condition, and this one was in my favorite color. The odometer showed about 71,000 miles. The car was located in Florida and had been sitting in a garage for the past 10+ years. The car started and ran, but not well enough to drive to Atlanta, so I had the car shipped.
The gas tank was cleaned and the radiator replaced. Then a complete tune up including spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, fuel injector electrical plugs, all vacuum hoses and an oil and filter change. The engine was not modified except for a K & N cold air intake. The car then ran great and continues to do so.
Then I decided to convert the car to a 5 speed gear box which I sourced from a Datsun 280ZX. During the conversion I installed a new clutch disc, pressure plate, release bearing, pilot shaft bushing and had the flywheel resurfaced. I also replaced the rear crankshaft seal on the engine. I installed new clutch slave and master cylinders and the flexible hose to the slave cylinder. The transmission dust boot and shift boot were replaced. The mount for the differential was replaced.
Then I turned my attention to the cosmetics. I did not like the original heavy bumpers, so I removed them and added the MSA body kit that is on the car today. I later added the fender flares. The flares are attached with stainless steel screws with no modification to the sheet metal underneath. I finished the area where the body kit joins the sheet metal with black trim, rather than filling the joints with body filler. Based on past experience, I know that filler eventually develops cracks. The rear louvers are the original factory option louvers that are aluminum, not plastic. I did not find any rust anywhere on the car. There is no rust or rot in the battery area of the engine compartment. I did my best with the underneath pictures of the car, but the pics are not great. The underside is solid with no rust or rot.
The original hood was not damaged, but I replaced it with a hood from a 1978 Z that has louvers for better cooling - and I like the look. The car was then painted the original color. The color is Persimmon Red, Datsun code 110. The front fender emblems were replaced with JDM Fairlady Z emblems. The Datsun emblem on the hood was removed and the Z emblem attached to the custom mesh grill. The sealed beam headlights were replaced with H4 units including new wiring and relays.
The wheels are 16" Panasports with 225/50 X 16 Falken Ziex SE 912 tires with at least 75% tread remaining. The diameter is almost exactly the same as original so the speedometer is accurate. The suspension was getting a little soft, so I installed Tokico springs and strut cartridges on all four corners. That lowered the car about 1 1/2" and greatly improved the handling. I replaced the front brake pads and the rear wheel cylinders and shoes.
The interior is excellent. Take note of the seats. They look very similar to the originals, but they are Recaro seats from a 911 Porsche. They are real leather, not vinyl like the originals. The leather is soft with no cracks. The seats are much more comfortable and supportive than the originals. They are mounted on the original slides and adjust fore and aft and the seat back angle is adjustable. The dash has a full cap. The carpet was replaced and is not faded or worn. The door panels are excellent with no cuts for speakers. The car has a Sony radio / CD player with Pioneer Speakers mounted on the rear deck.
The only issue with the car is that recently the dash lights stopped working. The headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signals all work, but the dash lights do not. I rarely drive the car at night, so this has not been a problem for me. All the gauges except the clock do work.
The car was built in 06/76 and was equipped with factory air conditioning. I never used the car for a daily driver. It has always been a "fun" car, and I do not drive it in stop and go traffic or when the weather is very hot. The AC worked but was low on Freon. Instead of having it repaired, I removed the compressor and the evaporator. I have those which will go with the car. So the buyer will have all the parts to re-install the AC, if wanted.
I've driven the car about 15,000 miles since I've owned it. I cannot document the mileage since the odometer has only five digits. Based on the condition of the car when I bought it, and that it had been in storage for 10+ years, I don't think the odometer had rolled over 100,000 miles. But I have to state that the actual mileage is unknown.
I've been driving for 50+ years and have been a "car nut" since I was a teenager. I switched to Datsun from British cars about 20 years ago. In addition to this 280Z, I also owned a Datsun Roadster which I recently sold. I decided that one "fun" car was enough and that I would sell the two Datsuns and replace them with one car. I mostly drove the Roadster in the summer with the top always off and the Z in cooler weather. I wanted a year around car, but with a top off option. So I found a low mileage, two owner 1994 Nissan 300ZX with T-Tops and recently bought it. Now it's time to reluctantly part with the 280Z.
I've tried to cover info about the car as completely as possible, but I know I have left out some info that some prospective buyers want to know, so ask questions. I'll be happy to talk with prospective buyers and arrange an inspection and a test drive.
The only known issue with the car is the dash lights. That being said, the car is 37 years old and is being sold AS IS, WHERE IS with out any warranty stated or implied. The buyer is responsible for picking up the car or having it transported. I will assist in any way possible, but the expense is the buyers responsibility.
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Auto blog
Datsun Redi-Go is reborn brand's first concept car [w/video]
Wed, 05 Feb 2014Nissan's plan for its reborn Datsun sub-brand just got a shot in the arm, as the emerging-market manufacturer has unveiled its first concept car since its resurrection back in 2012. Called the Redi-Go Concept, it looks like a high-riding version of Datsun's recently launched Go hatchback that's been fitted with a few concept car cues (not a bad thing).
The Redi-Go packs LED taillights, Datsun's "D-cut grille" and LED running lights into its Go-inspired body. Funky two-tone 15-inch wheels add a bit of cheek to the overall design, and in our minds look quite good, despite being so small. The ruggedized front and rear bumpers, as well as the sill and wheel arch surrounds add to the Redi-Go's rough-and-tumble aesthetic. We like that Datsun has kept the overall package short, giving the Redi-Go a 92.5-inch wheelbase, rather than creating a lifted version of the upcoming Go+. There are no specific mentions of the Redi-Go's mechanicals, although we'd wager that a production model might share the 1.2-liter engine and five-speed manual found in the standard Go.
While it might be easy to dismiss a concept like the Redi-Go in America, there's no denying its importance to the Indian market, which is decidedly more limited when it comes to available bodystyles. "If we were to make a car like Datsun Redi-Go Concept it would be a segment creator in India, an aspirational car that at the same time is attainable, a car that would be within reach of the first time buyer. This concept shows how serious we are about reinvigorating the market by catering for the needs of a growing class of Indians who have the chance to own a family car that will enable them to enjoy a new sense of independence," said Vincent Cobee, the global head of Datsun.
Datsun's lackluster initial sales fall below Tata Nano
Wed, 15 Oct 2014When Tata introduced the Nano back in 2008, everyone was amazed at how cheap it was. They called it a game changer, but no game was changed. In fact, it took Tata five years to sell the 250,000 units it had the capacity to build in a single year. As it turns out, even buyers in what economists call "developing markets" like India aren't necessarily interested in buying an ultra-cheap automobile. And now it appears that Nissan may be falling into the same trap.
A little over a year ago, Nissan revived its old moniker Datsun to serve as a budget brand - similar to what ally Renault did with Dacia. Its lineup (consisting of models like the Go hatchback, Go+ minivan, On-Do sedan and Mi-Do hatch) is largely based on old architecture, packaged with little more than basic equipment and sold at rock-bottom prices. But Bloomberg reports that, even in the brand's core markets like India and Indonesia, the new Datsuns haven't been selling.
According to local industry figures, Datsun has sold fewer than 10,000 units of its $5,100 Go hatchbacks in India since its introduction back in March. Maruti Suzuki, by comparison, sells twice that many of its similarly priced Alto hatchbacks every month. In fact, after peaking in April, Datsun only sold 607 units in India this past July, dipping 77 percent to drop below even the number of Nanos which Tata sold that month.
Datsun reveals new On-Do budget sedan in Russia [w/video]
Tue, 08 Apr 2014When Nissan revived the Datsun brand name, it essentially hit the "undo" button on the rebranding it undertook decades ago. But this time, the Datsun name is being used solely as a budget brand for developing markets. The reborn marque launched in India this past July with its Go hatchback, returned in September with the Go+ minivan and revealed the Redi-Go concept just last month. And now it's back again with the new On-Do sedan.
Launched in Moscow by CEO Carlos Ghosn, the On-Do was designed and engineered in Japan specifically for the Russian market - Nissan's fifth largest worldwide - where it will be built at the AvtoVaz plant in Togliatti. Decidedly budget-oriented, the Datsun On-Do is a four-door, five-seat econo-box measuring 172 inches long, 67 inches wide and 60 inches tall with an 18.7 cubic-foot trunk which Datsun describes as class-leading. Punctuating an otherwise bland shape is a large front grille and lighting front and rear that looks (and very well might be) bigger than the wheels.
Not that the Datsun On-Do needs a big contact patch to transfer power to the road: motivation is provided by a 1.6-liter engine with a grand total of - wait for it... wait a little longer - 87 horsepower. Which might strike you as a reasonable amount of muscle, considering the 400,000 rubles Datsun is getting for the On-Do (but consider that translates to about $11,300). That's a couple grand more than what Nissan gets for the Micra in that other giant northern country, or about the same amount it gets for the Versa in the US (which sells in Russia for 499k in rubles) - both of which are powered by what is in all likelihood the same 1.6-liter four but producing 109 hp. Of course Russia has different tax rates than the United States or Canada, but with such little power, the Datsun would fall into Russia's lowest tax bracket.