Datsun 280z low and slow project .

[Andre]

Thought I'd start a project thread as it's gonna be a long project and a huge money pit by the time I've done.

Started off last week when I bought my first datsun from down london/ Essex way .

Colour of the car ain't everyone's liking as it's a candy colour (gamma gold) but it's a straight , solid and 98% rust free which is all I wanted from a car . The Car is a California import and came over last march time .

Think the engine has been stripped at some point as it's really clean down to the colour of the block and various fittings so it has been looked after .

The car is literally standard apart from the wheels that I don't like anyway , the front bumper has been changed to a 240z bumper and the rear bumper has been removed and all the holes have been filled and smoothed over .
Interior has been re-trimmed in a brown leather. ... Again not to my liking but no big deal.

Plans for the car

Coilovers
Rear spoiler (ordered)
Front lower lip (ordering tomorrow)
Some wide and bling wheels
Fender mirrors which I've already got
Possibly over fenders.

Pics















Some from when it was over in the states

 

[Andre]

Broke down after 150 miles and 30 miles from home though with suspected alternator problems or the voltage restrictor, car started misfiring so pulled over and wouldn't even crank the engine when I turned the key ... Felt like the cars alternator packed up so was running on the battery and that ran out of juice .





Got the alternator off today and voltage regulator and both look pretty new along with a new battery that the previous owner fitted .









Havnt cleaned anything the pictures are literally how they have been taken off the car so looking like there new to me so gonna get them tested tomorrow but will be scratching my head if it ain't these.

 

[datsfun]

That's a great buy and I for one like the colour. Some stick and wide wheels and you are sorted!

 

[Andre]

Thank you , pictures don't do the colour any justice as i was saying it would get repainted straight away but I'd quite happily keep it this colour for a while... Don't get me wrong the paint ain't perfect but it's ok for now.

 

[johnymd]

The car looks very good. Has it had a full restoration?

 

[candy red]

looks great hope you get it sorted soon

Derrick

 

[Andre]

Wouldn't say fully restored as it does have room for improvement in places but the engine looks like its had quite a few new parts, belts, pulleys all wear and tear items really .

Taking the alternator and voltage regulator to get tested today so fingers crossed its one of those that's the problem.

 

[Andre]

Had the alternator tested today and aparently it's internally regulated where as I thought the 280z were externally regulated as I still have the voltage regulator in the car and was plugged in to the wirering loom so now I'm confused .

 

[Farmer42]

Andre

Thought I had seen this one somewhere before. This was on the Car & Classic website up for £9950. I recognised it from the overhead console.

Was tempted myself but prefer a RHD. What did you pay for it in the end? Whatever it was, I hope you solve your electrics problem without it costing you megabucks.

Good luck & nice car (when it goes!)

Paul

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Andre, if it was my car I'd put it together as you drove it and install a voltmeter or use a multi-meter to see how the alternator behaves when the engine is running under various conditions.

 

[Jake RAH]

@ Farmer42
you're right mate, it was up for £9950, but before that it was up for £12000 for some months. I know Andre got it for a far better deal. He took a tip off from me as I'd already asked the seller if he would take a low ball offer of £**** and he said yes. I'll let Andre offer up that info if he wants

 

[Andre]

Andre

Thought I had seen this one somewhere before. This was on the Car & Classic website up for £9950. I recognised it from the overhead console.

Was tempted myself but prefer a RHD. What did you pay for it in the end? Whatever it was, I hope you solve your electrics problem without it costing you megabucks.

Good luck & nice car (when it goes!)

Paul

Paid £8,000 for it went down with the intentions of paying no more than that even though he wanted £9,500 when I got there . Happy with the car overall just need to sort this electrical problem out.

 

[Andre]

Andre, if it was my car I'd put it together as you drove it and install a voltmeter or use a multi-meter to see how the alternator behaves when the engine is running under various conditions.

Hi mate first thing I'm gonna check is the battery gauge as I'm sure it was pulling 16v on the gauge when I got it home as I had to jump start it to get it in the garage and thought the gauge was reading high then.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Hi mate first thing I'm gonna check is the battery gauge as I'm sure it was pulling 16v on the gauge when I got it home as I had to jump start it to get it in the garage and thought the gauge was reading high then.

Ok, I didn't relize 280Zs had battery gauges, 240s and 260s have Ammeters.

So if you saw 16v perhaps your battery is 'shot'? However once running I would have thought it would keep running on the alternator.

 

[morbias]

It sounds to me as if someone has replaced the alternator with one from a 280zx by mistake,which could be both a good thing or bad thing. Obviously a good thing as you can do a bit of rewiring, remove the voltage regulator and use the internally regulated one you got with the car, but bad as it could have fried something due to improper voltage regulation.

 

[morbias]

Rewiring guide to fit a 280zx alternator and remove the voltage regulator: http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html

Has the alternator got a part number on it anywhere?

 

[Andre]

The battery was fitted new before I bought the car which makes me think he was having issues himself and just assumed it was the battery that was the problem . A new alternator will be ordered today so when it comes I'll fit it all and before starting the car I'll look where the gauge is at .

 

[morbias]

That will (should) work! Bear in mind though that the zx alternator is an upgrade over the standard S30 unit, it has more stable voltage regulation and also higher output so kind of a bonus you got one free, if that is indeed what it is.

By the way, did you test the voltage regulator in any way? It could be shot if it was running out of spec.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

The battery was fitted new before I bought the car which makes me think he was having issues himself and just assumed it was the battery that was the problem . A new alternator will be ordered today so when it comes I'll fit it all and before starting the car I'll look where the gauge is at .

Before starting the car the voltage will be ok, it's what the alternator is putting out that matters. It should be regulated (and limited) to match the charge status of the battery. if you've seen 16 volts then that's too high you shouldn't see more than about 14.5.

As Morbias says you appear to have mis-matched components and I don't know which type a 280Z has, internal or external regulation. What have you ordered?

So why did your car stop after 150 miles, if something has burnt out or the battery fried you may still have the problem?

 

[richiep]

The article Morbias linked to confirms that the 280Z was EXTERNALLY regulated up until 77. For 78 it switched to internal. This could be at the heart of the issue - unless the wiring mod has been done, the car has been running an internally regulated alternator when its not meant to be.