1978 Datsun 280Z

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
280Z is a harder car to sell in the UK than 240/260Z perhaps as many people ( Z enthusiasts aside ) don't know the model and often confuse it with ZX. The last 3 cars I have sold recently all gone to European buyers who seem more open minded to it's qualities and obviously helps that the cars are all lhd.

Should be perfectly feasible to convert to rhd but if going to the expense and hassle of conversion probably best playing it safe and keeping to 240/260Z. I don't know of any rhd 280Z in the UK so wonder if anyone has actually done it ?

Prices of 280Z are slightly behind 260Z which are behind 240Z both here and in States on a like for like basis.
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Over here, I believe 280Z prices are above those of 260Zs because (imho) if people desert the idea, for reasons of price, they prefer the advantages given by a 280Z ie L28e, 5spd in a lot of cases, factory airco in others.

Another minor factor is that the 260Z 2x seater was never sold into France so there is some ignorance/confusion on the model existing.

And people here confuse even more than in the UK with the 280Z/280ZX as the ZX was always termed a '280Z' ! I still have people contact me for parts for their 280Z and I immediately ask the year and chassis number !;)

Of course, for any model is staying LHD, over here it'll be more desirable and without any extra conversion costs.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
So how many RHD 280Zs were made and where were they sold i.e. parts availability must be difficult.

Chris your Maroon 280Z was my favourite - looking at the pics anyway.

I went to San Diego in 1977 and saw my first 280Z - wrote a postcard home telling my Dad that they had 2.8 Zs over there!
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
280Z US model only.
Parts no more difficult than any other Z and mechanically probably easier as drivetrain shared with ZX.

The wine red metallic car is being collected by it's new French owner on Friday who is then driving it back to Annecy. It really is something special, the best 280Z you could find anywhere and it is the most refined well balanced S30 ever driven, tasteful upgrades to make it a truly superb drive. On reflection even though got full asking price sold it too cheap, but have to keep stock turning over this time of year.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
The other point I would make about 280Z is that the later cars of 77 and 78 have more power than the earlier 75 and 76 cars ( 170bhp v 150bhp ) and performance much closer to the early 240Z. The build quality got better too as the years rolled on. The wine red car also originated from the Deep South rather than California so did not have restriction of cat. either.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Not BS :rolleyes:
Factual on power outputs and what I said too about similar performance :p but let's hear your argument why you think otherwise.
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Factual on power outputs and what I said too about similar performance :p but let's hear your argument why you think otherwise.

Questions then :

Why would power have dropped from the 260Z quoted figure of '139-162*' ?

Why therefore should an L28Efi produce less power ?

How was it made to produce more in the second half of it's S30 life ?


And ‘performance’……the 280Zs were heavier and had longer diff ratios so will never perform like euro 240Zs unless the diff is swapped !

*Depending where you read, which year and which market-country destination
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
280Z US model only.
Parts no more difficult than any other Z and mechanically probably easier as drivetrain shared with ZX.

This way lies madness. What series are you talking about?

'Fairlady 280Z' was RHD, L28E-engined, S130-series Z.
'ZX' does not denote series.

Bad habits die hard.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
You've bin reading to many books you stupid boy,the 280s that I've driven seemed quicker than any standard 240/260 also the 260 is 2 mph faster than a 240,any fool knows that,
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
You've bin reading to many books you stupid boy,the 280s that I've driven seemed quicker than any standard 240/260 also the 260 is 2 mph faster than a 240,any fool knows that,

Probably was faster (you refer to top-end speed and not haw fast one got to one's top-end speed) which was down the a higher diff ratio - stick a 3.2 in a 240Z and it'll top out way above any 260Z/280Z !

If stated 260Z/280Zs 'seemed' quicker, that may du due to the slightly higher low-down torque that those larger engines produced.....but 'performance' is so much more than high top speeds and bigger-engine grunt.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
Put set of 240 carbs on a 260 and it will pass a. 240 after 50 mph fact,hence the 260 is faster and rarer ,so there big boy,who cares about diffs
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Dillon:lol: not heard that since the school playground, very good.

Sean, I was comparing US 240 which got progressively slower btw with 280 and you throw in Euro spec 240, poetic licence. Rear diff on 280 is 3.55 closer to 3.90 of Euro spec and better than 3.345 from memory on US240.

The reason the L28E engine did not improve drastically over the L26 was compression ratio down to 8.3 from 8.8 so the engine could use lower octane unleaded fuel plus all the emission eqt, cat converter etc.

Road tests of the day put the standing quarter mile at about 17 secs for 240Z and 280Z in its first incarnation with 150bhp. 0-60 the 240Z quicker car by at least a second but 280Z with 170bhp got much closer.

Not often Albrecht is wrong but could be this time. Both 150 and 170 ratings are gross SAE as far as I am aware ( stand to be corrected ) and corresponds with what I have read and seen on chassis plates of 77 and 78 cars which gained the extra power from engine mods and improved emission compliance.

Should have said 280Z shared L28E of course and yes a bit sloppy for some with ZX ;)
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Oh, and if you want best of all worlds but keeping the hybrid to factory offerings put an L28ET in an early 240Z and you have the ultimate machine which will do 0-60 in around 6 secs :smash:
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Oh, and if you want best of all worlds but keeping the hybrid to factory offerings put an L28ET in an early 240Z and you have the ultimate machine which will do 0-60 in around 6 secs :smash:

I'll better that with mine on n/a.

You're right about the DIN and SAE ratings - all of them on the engine bay plates are SAE.
 
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