New 260Z Owner from NI

[Ian]

Just bought my first Datsun and I'm really happy with it so thought I'd post some photos. I've still got loads to learn about these cars so I'm sure this forum will be a huge help. I've never seen another one of these in NI so I'm not sure if I'm the only one or not? I like having a car that rare a bit different to the norm, to me modern cars are boring.


1979 Datsun 260Z

It drives beautifully, its had new bushes all round and with the low miles on the chassis it still feels really tight so its a joy to drive, I'm very happy with it. It had less than 28500 miles on it when I bought it although I've since done about 1000 miles in it and loved every one of them.

Theres few photos with my Civic in them also, shes a 1991 Civic running a 243hp B20 and with it only weighing about 970kg it fairly shifts.

I plan to modernise the car a bit but still keep the same classic looks. I intend to uprate the chassis, suspension, brakes and engine, the car will mainly be used on the road in nice weather but I also intend to do the odd trackday and perhaps the odd trip to the dragstrip. I had thought about putting an RB26DETT into it but I''m really happy with how it is at the moment so I'll definitly keep an L series for a year or two. I really like NA engines and I hate big turbo lag so I'm also having thoughts on keeping it NA so had also thought about something like a high comp NA RB30 on ITB's.

This is going to be quite a slow project as I work away from home and only have about 8 - 10 weeks per year at home to work on my cars at the moment but I'm not really in a rush and want to make sure I do everything properly.



Photos
Sorry for the amount but I couldn't decide which to put up.

 

[Ian]

As clean as the car is I know how much they like to rust so I had a good check everywhere for rust, unfortunatly I did find some on the fuel tank, one of the chassis legs in the engine bay, both rear wheel inner arches and a little near the radiator. I took all these places back to bare metal, primed and sprayed them so hopefully the rust stays away.



Fuel Tank, noticed a few tiny spots of rust, but after removing the paint from those areas I found there were rust spots all over it, I managed to wire brush them all back to cleanish metal, then treated it with Bilt Hamber Deox Gel which did a good job before cleaning and priming it prior to painting.

It will do for now but I'll get a new tank at some point as its definitly rusty inside aswell as my filter which I only just changed is looking filthy already. I was originally thinking about getting a good second hand stock tank, but I'm thinking now that might aswell upgrade to a better setup, one that I can use if/when I swap the engine for something with fuel injection. It needs to look as good as the original, hold almost as much fuel, be able to fill up from the same place as stock, be suitable for high flow fuel injection but also be suitable for the current L series setup.

After:

Bay, got rid of all the rust, one advantage of a black bay is that its easy to match, what I've done will do for now, I'll be getting a full bare metal respray in the bay in the near future and getting it spayed the same as the rest of the car, I'll use this also as a chance to do some seam welding.

After:

I also sanded and painted the brake booster, unfortunatly it got some rain drops on it before it had fully dried and it ruined the finish a bit, but again it will do for now, thats not rust behind it btw, just grease.

Polished up the lips on the wheels a bit:

Got to work on the rear wheel arches, any rust I found was ground back to clean metal, sanded, cleaned, primed, painted and then undersealed:

P-side before:

P- side after:

Drivers side before:

During:

After, I also painted the brake drums.

 

[morbias]

I wish my Z had so little rust!

 

[Ian]

I wish my Z had so little rust!

I wish mine had none, although after that work it shouldn't have any which is good.






I do plan on changing my brake setup as compared to my Civic which has crazy stopping power the datsun brakes are definitly lacking. However I don;t like the look of rusty parts so I went about painting the stock stuff anyway, they are not first on the list so I could have them on the car for a while yet.


Wire brushed my calipers and disk bells on the front ready for painting.

Its pretty clean in the wheelarches and I didn't find any rust, however to make sure and also make the finish look a bit neater I'll also strip it back to bare metal for a respray at the same time as I do the bay, I'll also be seam welding around that area.




Results after polishing and waxing the front end.

 

[MikeB]

Hi Ian!

You're not alone

I'm down near Belfast, and have recently bought a 240. Giving mine a bit of a clean underneath as well, but glad to say it was only surface stuff. I think your car is well know here on the forum, so I'm sure you'll get some good advice as well as any outstanding history you need.

My daughter is up at Coleraine Uni so maybe I'll get a run up some time


Cheers

Mike

 

[Ian]

Hi Ian!

You're not alone

I'm down near Belfast, and have recently bought a 240

Thats good, nice to hear theres another over here, although hopefully there aren't too many, I like having a car that not many other have.

Giving mine a bit of a clean underneath as well, but glad to say it was only surface stuff.

Always good to find nothing serious, good to catch it early.

I think your car is well know here on the forum, so I'm sure you'll get some good advice as well as any outstanding history you need.

Has it been seen on this forum before then? I suppose it must have been as I know the guy that had it before the guy I bought it off was a registered member on here.

My daughter is up at Coleraine Uni so maybe I'll get a run up some time


Cheers

Mike

Went to Colarine Uni myself actually.

Would be good to see another Z sometime but unfortunatly my Z in now tucked away nice and safely inside an Air Chamber as I went back to work today, I'm currently writing this from Abu Dhabi. I normally get home about every 5 months but next time I've got Holidays I have got further training to do so I won't even be able to get my cars out. I like my job but it sucks not being able to mess about with my cars as there nothing I love more than driving and working with cars.

 

[Ian]

I'm still leaning about my car, but I thought that 260Z's came with an electric fuel pump in addition to the mechanical one? Is this correct? My car doen't have one and I was wondering if I should fit one.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Hi, welcome!

It's a small world Z ownership we tend to know the cars. The person who restored it was a member on here. Also I saw the car a few months ago in Coventry and took some pics for someone. Did you buy it from Coventry.

It's very smart, don't polish the paint away ;-).

 

[Ian]

Thanks Rob

Yeah, I bought the car from Coventry, had a lovely drive back to NI.

One thing that would be good to find out is if the shock and/or springs are stock, it seems to handle pretty well so I was wondering if they are uprated items.



Don't worry, the paints safe with me, I did paint correction and detailing before my current job.

 

[idiots4golf]

Hello, nice to see my old car going to someone who will enjoy it. as for condition it isn't perfect but it was stripped to bare metal almost everywhere and nearly all rust cut out, there will always be little bits that appear, it's an old car but i replaced pretty much everything, the shocks are stock, it was heavily wax oilyed and should last a good few years yet, i don't know what you paid but rest assured it isn't as much as i spent.if you need any info on it just ask, cheers gary

 

[Craig_260]

looks a lovely 260 hope you enjoy the car they are great ive had mine about 7 months now and its awesome. Nice little ef civic you have there too

 

[Ian]

I'll definitly be stripping it down underneath and removing all the underseal incase anything is hiding under there aswell as removing all the interior to have a check there the next time I'm home.

I'd like to hope it lasts more than a good few years if I'm going to be spending serious money on it. I think I'll probably do a full bare metal respray in a year or two as thats the only way I could be happy and confident that I'll not have any problems for over 10 years.

 

[Ian]

looks a lovely 260 hope you enjoy the car they are great ive had mine about 7 months now and its awesome. Nice little ef civic you have there too

Thanks, I'm enjoying it so far so far and intend to for a lot longer. In the less than 3 weeks I've owned it and had it out before going back to work I've done more driving than the previous owner did the whole time he had it.

Just wish I didn't have to put it away so soon after buying it but thats the downside to my job.




Glad you like the EF, Its been taking lots of my money for over 4 years now but its finished now so I'm just going to enjoy driving it, now its the Datsuns turn to empty my bank account.

 

[RIDDLER]

Welcome to the club - nice to have a fellow 260Z owner join. I 'm a fairly new member myself. Check out my gallery to see my car!

 

[Ian]

Had a look at your car, very nice, looks very clean. Have you got any plans for it other than just keeping clean?

 

[RIDDLER]

Had a look at your car, very nice, looks very clean. Have you got any plans for it other than just keeping clean?

I drive it virtually every day, regardless of weather. But I'm not into thrashing it round a track!

 

[Ian]

 

[Ian]

Well, as I had one day at home before heading off to England to do further training I thought I would check up on the Datsun.

I had ordered some Cusco strut braces so it also gave me a chance to fit these:

I tried to fit the rear one first however it didn't fit, I was sort of expecting this because I found out after buying it that the 260Z's struts are closer together than a 240Z. I'm going to have another look when I'm home for a week at Christmas and see about making a braket to enable me to use it as I prefer the style of the cusco bar over the other option available.




Front Brace fitted perfectly and looks great, if perhaps a little out of place in not so tidy bay, but as its due for a bare metal respray next summer it will all look good soon.

She was in the same condition I had left her which was great, the airchamber is looking after her well. I got her started after changing a slightly worn fuel hose, once started she ran pefectly so I took it for a short drive on the road behind the farm, its so much fun to drive I wish I didn't have to put her away again so soon but at least I know I made the right choice in going for one of these.

 

[RIDDLER]

Had a look at your car, very nice, looks very clean. Have you got any plans for it other than just keeping clean?

It lives on my driveway and I drive it every weekend, rain or shine, and quite often in the evenings. But I have had every square inch of it steam cleaned, then dried with heaters for two days, then dinitrol injected into every panel, chassis member etc, then dinitrol undersealed. On top of that, I give it a good coat of wax about once a month, weather permitting, The aim is to use and enjoy the car rather than just bring it out for shows and on suinny days etc, but I have done all I can to try and fight off any rust issues on the basis of prevention rather than cure. Have had it a year now, and so far so good. Am loving it!

 

[datty240Z]

Hi Ian,

I've not been on here for a while so missed your post. I live in Randalstown and have a small collection of Datsuns. Amongst them I have a 74 240Z and a 78 260Z 2+2. A mate of mine in Lisburn also has a 78 260Z 2str. Nice to get together sometime. Nice to see another Z here. There are a few but not too many in NI.

Andrew.