10k auto 280z on ebay

[Robotsan]

This seems like a pretty solid car, although they've not really provided great photos of the common rust areas. It's an auto (despite being seemingly fitted with a manual stick), which got me wondering, what kind of costs would I be looking at to convert to manual, say with a 200zx box?

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But I'm thinking, even if that job were to cost £2k Inc labour, 12k inc the purchase price would be a pretty cheap entry point if the body of the car is good. Would likely be similar to or cheaper than importing a manual LHD 280z.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Well known importer of Zs for many many years.

 

[IbanezDan51]

And they usually have good ones..! My last 240Z was from William Galliers and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another from him.

 

[Robotsan]

That's all good to know.

Seems a conversion can be done for 1 to 1.5k with a standard 280z 5 speed box? Anyone know anywhere in the North West that would be recommended to do the work?

Found the info on these threads:

Auto to manual cost

Hi I'm looking at a 240z but it's auto how much would it be to change over to 5 speed manual. The car is import to UK from arizona originally and is being sold on.

zclub.net

Recommended shops for Auto to Manual ?

Too many projects on the go at once, anyone recommend any Z experienced, trustworthy mechanical shops down South for Automatic to Manual transmission conversion ?

zclub.net

 

[IbanezDan51]

You'll probably be in for more than that unless you get very lucky. A decent gearbox now will probably be £500. Cross member, clutch, flywheel, possible prop alterations, pedal box, clutch cylinder and associated plumbing.... Plus labour if you can't do it yourself... I'd expect double your quote at least.

 

[Robotsan]

You'll probably be in for more than that unless you get very lucky. A decent gearbox now will probably be £500. Cross member, clutch, flywheel, possible prop alterations, pedal box, clutch cylinder and associated plumbing.... Plus labour if you can't do it yourself... I'd expect double your quote at least.

Ah really? That does sound like a lot of work! And are you saying £500 for a 200zx box, or 280z? Maybe I am best getting a manual to start with. This car is just very tempting due to the apparent condition and price!

 

[IbanezDan51]

Ah really? That does sound like a lot of work! And are you saying £500 for a 200zx box, or 280z? Maybe I am best getting a manual to start with. This car is just very tempting due to the apparent condition and price!

Both are hard to find. But if you buy an S14 box you'll then need a bell housing from a L series manual box anyway to modify etc.

Dont let the auto put you off. Just drive it and enjoy it.

 

[Faster Behr]

It looks really promising from the photos and could be a cheap way into Z ownership for someone.

The engine bay all looks to be original and largely unmolested. The only sign of messing is with some of the injector wiring for the rearmost cylinders. Most likely replacement of the original injector wire plugs. But don’t let that put you off. I’ve fixed up two of these 280Z injection systems now and they are generally easy going. It’s still got all of the EGR stuff which is a good sign too.

 

[SacCyclone]

I agree with Dan about the costs.....

In the states a decent 5 speed from a Z car or 240sx is about $500 on the cheap and even then I would have someone go through it......I have been there having to remove a new to me 5 speed that had a loud whine.

All the parts for a change over to manual are not cheap......I plan on $2000 with labor in the states to do the job which I have done several times in the past. Keep an eye out for the hard line from the clutch master to slave that runs along the firewall.....hard to find but are out there.

Seems like a good deal for the car at that price.....maybe ask for pics of the known rust areas from the seller???

Mike

 

[Robotsan]

Both are hard to find. But if you buy an S14 box you'll then need a bell housing from a L series manual box anyway to modify etc.

Dont let the auto put you off. Just drive it and enjoy it.

Ah ok, thanks for the info.

I don't think I could live with the auto box for long tbh, it would just be a lesser experience for me personally.

 

[Robotsan]

It looks really promising from the photos and could be a cheap way into Z ownership for someone.

The engine bay all looks to be original and largely unmolested. The only sign of messing is with some of the injector wiring for the rearmost cylinders. Most likely replacement of the original injector wire plugs. But don’t let that put you off. I’ve fixed up two of these 280Z injection systems now and they are generally easy going. It’s still got all of the EGR stuff which is a good sign too.

Thanks that's good to know! My instinct was that it's a very original car so glad someone with more knowledge agrees.

I would probably have to pay someone to fix anything like that.. which brings me back to the same old crossroads I get to - should I buy a cheap Z now, and then spend 1000's paying other people to fix it, or do I wait a couple of years and buy a more sorted one (while hoping I'm not priced out of the market by then!)

Anyway .. is the EGR the smog stuff? Am I right in thinking people normally remove all that anyway? Doesn't it restrict the power?

 

[Robotsan]

I agree with Dan about the costs.....

In the states a decent 5 speed from a Z car or 240sx is about $500 on the cheap and even then I would have someone go through it......I have been there having to remove a new to me 5 speed that had a loud whine.

All the parts for a change over to manual are not cheap......I plan on $2000 with labor in the states to do the job which I have done several times in the past. Keep an eye out for the hard line from the clutch master to slave that runs along the firewall.....hard to find but are out there.

Seems like a good deal for the car at that price.....maybe ask for pics of the known rust areas from the seller???

Mike

Thanks Mike, sage advice. Definitely a pricey job then. More pressing for me, is that I'm a very long way (in UK terms!) from places like Fourways in Kent. I'd have to find someone in the north west to do the work, and I'm not sure who that would be.

The other thing is I'm not a big fan of the orange! I would probably end up getting any cheap Z painted at some point, but there's just something about the orange I'd find slightly harder to live with until then. Saying that, there's some amazing looking orange cars on this site.

I think I still prefer the idea of buying one from yourself, knowing that it will have been chosen by someone who knows what they're looking for and won't be hiding any costly surprises!

 

[Faster Behr]

There is lots of information about the 280Z EGR system online. Good and bad. Many have removed it over the years and I don’t personally think it’s a big deal either way. If it’s all ok then I’d say leave it alone.

SacCyclone would know more about smog spec cars but I guess they would be Cali cars which are fitted with smog pumps.

The quandary really is whether you should buy a cheap entry level car or save/wait for a perfect car. A well sorted one is like, what, 30k+ nowadays? You could buy this, have a garage sort anything immediate (and maybe convert to manual) and then do all the small things yourself to save some money and have the fun of doing it.

I can’t think of anything on these (or many) cars that are beyond the realms of a well informed DIY mechanic to repair. Why not buy this and learn on it? Have the satisfaction of researching, asking questions and learning about your own car whilst saving yourself some money.

 

[richiep]

I'd recommend to go take a look at it. You're in Manc and Will Galliers' place is not a huge drive to get to. He also will undoubtedly have other Zs available in addition to the one listed (you can see another in the background of the photos). As Rob has noted, he's been doing this for a long time. He was one of the earliest active importers of Zs from California and knows what to look for.

Bear in mind that talking yourself out of potential cars is just adding more upfront cost as they are not getting cheaper. Will Galliers used to sell cars like this for half that amount not that many years ago...

The manual swap does not require a specialist to do. I'd do it for you if I had a lift tbh. Mark Warburton here in Macc is a long-term Z owner and garage owner. Source the needed bits and he could do it for a hell of a lot cheaper than someone like Fourways would charge.

 

[SeanDezart]

The sills 'look busy', especially the LH side....you need to inspect ANY Z before buying.

 

[Robotsan]

There is lots of information about the 280Z EGR system online. Good and bad. Many have removed it over the years and I don’t personally think it’s a big deal either way. If it’s all ok then I’d say leave it alone.

SacCyclone would know more about smog spec cars but I guess they would be Cali cars which are fitted with smog pumps.

The quandary really is whether you should buy a cheap entry level car or save/wait for a perfect car. A well sorted one is like, what, 30k+ nowadays? You could buy this, have a garage sort anything immediate (and maybe convert to manual) and then do all the small things yourself to save some money and have the fun of doing it.

I can’t think of anything on these (or many) cars that are beyond the realms of a well informed DIY mechanic to repair. Why not buy this and learn on it? Have the satisfaction of researching, asking questions and learning about your own car whilst saving yourself some money.

Ah ok. Does it have to be removed when you remove the factory EFI gear and swap to an aftermarket ECU etc?

Yep.. that's my quandary. And you've now just made it seem pretty one sided haha. Maybe I wouldn't buy an entirely sorted one, but maybe something close. And yes you're right.. it's just how big a job can I do myself. I've tried to fix many a thing on my cars but failed and had to call for back up! Normally because I just can't undo something seized.

Hmm I do feel like I'm being talked into and am talking myself into buying this.

I was slightly put off by the 110 red (orange!) But I've just been googling it again to see how it should look when fresh and I actually like it. Persimmon red it seems people also call it?

If I could get that 280 looking like this, I'd be a happy man:

 

[Robotsan]

I'd recommend to go take a look at it. You're in Manc and Will Galliers' place is not a huge drive to get to. He also will undoubtedly have other Zs available in addition to the one listed (you can see another in the background of the photos). As Rob has noted, he's been doing this for a long time. He was one of the earliest active importers of Zs from California and knows what to look for.

Bear in mind that talking yourself out of potential cars is just adding more upfront cost as they are not getting cheaper. Will Galliers used to sell cars like this for half that amount not that many years ago...

The manual swap does not require a specialist to do. I'd do it for you if I had a lift tbh. Mark Warburton here in Macc is a long-term Z owner and garage owner. Source the needed bits and he could do it for a hell of a lot cheaper than someone like Fourways would charge.

Thanks Rich. I remember you mentioning Mark before. So he'd be able to do the swap then.. that's interesting. Maybe I could pay you to do some of the work that wouldn't require a lift though!?

How difficult do you think it would be to obtain all the parts? Are they usually available in the UK or would it be a case of sourcing them from the US?

Yes, the appreciation factor is definitely at play here (and is part of my armoury of reasons I should buy one now when discussing it with my other half).

 

[Robotsan]

The sills 'look busy', especially the LH side....you need to inspect ANY Z before buying.

I'll have to open those pics up on the computer to have a better look. And oh yes, I would probably be inspecting harder than I've ever inspected before if looking at a nearly 50 yr old Datsun!

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Even though he’s been importing them a while, Based on experience, I’d go over it in detail and not believe any telephone patter.

You’d be much better off with the uk 240z on here.

 

[Robotsan]

Even though he’s been importing them a while, Based on experience, I’d go over it in detail and not believe any telephone patter.

You’d be much better off with the uk 240z on here.

Thanks, I'll bear it in mind if I decide to go and have a look.

Ha, yes I definitely would be better off with that car .. but I don't have that kind of money available unless I sold my M3, which isn't going to happen, or used the money I've ringfenced for the house extension - which would result in homicide by girlfriend!

So a solid running project with no / extremely minimal rust is what I'm after if buying in the near future.