My 1982 280ZX has been sitting in the garage for a few years now and I think hasn't been started in over 2-years until just yesterday. To my surprise, after installing a new battery, the car turned over after about 5 attempts. I figured the valves would be stuck shut and other nasty things.

I quickly drove my Z to the gas station just a couple blocks away and got her some good gas (she had been well under 1/4 tank) and came right back. Not a very smooth ride because I think the tires are mishaped after sitting on them in one spot for so long.

Driving her wasn't the smartest thing to do because I didn't look at the fluids and she was very low on coolant and just about over-heated. Also, the oil is tan. I'm hoping this is just condensation from sitting around for near 3-years and never started. I hope it's not a major coolant leak, but I don't recall any problems before the long slumber. I think I did have the gasket replaced soon before I let her go dead.

So right now she's in the garage with the oil cap off and slowly draining away the oil. I'll have to go with new plugs, oil and oil filter some point soon and then see about a temporary permit to drive her and see if she'll still smog and then it's time to consider maybe putting extra into her. It's funny to see Oct 2004 tags on the plates!

Now to the point. I've had this car since about 1987 or 1988. I now just hit my 40's and during all this time just lost a lot of interest in making her some fantastic street zoomer. I did replace the interior (new dash and carpet..all except new seat upholstery) and have some Tokico Advance Handling Suspension kit and complete set of polyuerethane bushings/components awaiting to be installed but never got to it. I remember asking around to a few places about having them installed but no one was interested. Overall, she is completely stock. But I lost interest because of two kids, wife and upkeep on the house and other things and the car just isn't as big a part of my life as it once was in my 20's. And my main ride is a Honda Accord that keeps me working and thus is always first when it comes to repairs.

Man, this is getting long.

Well, I am in the San Diego area and is there any company that really knows what they are doing with these 280ZXs? What will the smog laws allow me to do these days? Any changes to the smog laws in the near future? I'd like to keep the car mostly stock but a little extra oomph wouldn't be too bad. (I'm old, but not dead.) I doubt I can do anything soon because we need new carpet, gotta deal with paying off the 2nd and want to buy some Roland drums...but I would like to have some rough plan on fixing up my baby and keep her running well and strong.

One thing I've always wanted was a lighter flywheel, but not sure what kind of ride that makes. And probably mandrel and new muffler. My muffler tip rusted off. Basically, what are the suggestions keeping in mind I need to keep her legal with the smog laws.

That's her below in my signature. She looks the same 'cause she was kept in the garage.

 

Oh yeah. If I do end up swapping out for a new engine, who does that and what do I look for and what is a ballpark figure on that? I still have the original engine with 179,000 miles.

 

Hi, and welcome to the boards. It's cool to see another person from SD here. Just a quick tip, change the fuel filter and coolant as well while you're changing out the oil. When I bought my Z, it had been sitting for a while, and the coolant was worthless as my Z nearly overheated within the first 10 minutes of driving.

Zwhizz in Kearney/Clairemont is a shop that specializes in Z cars, also I believe JJones in Lemon Grove does too if he hasn't retired yet. Otherwise you'd have to go up north for a shop that specializes in Z's.

As for the smog stuff, you're pretty much limited to just a catback exhaust and performance coil if want to go by the book. However, a cone filter for the intake and a header are also a couple items you can add if you want a little more performance, and they aren't too bad to install and pull off when it comes time for inspection. The laws aren't changing any time soon, so we're stuck going every 2 years. Go to www.zcarparts.com for the exhaust. Fidanza makes a lightweight flywheel, as well as Kameari (expensive though), and it's not too bad driving with a lightened flywheel. It just takes getting used to launching from a start again. Anyway, good luck with your Z!

 

Wow, a fast reply!

Yeah, I plan to change the coolant with 50/50 coolant and water.

As for the fuel filter, I have to admit I think I may have done this once way back when in my 20's. But it's been so long I can't remember the details of how to do it. If I recall right, I think I had to do something electronic or something a little extra than just switch it out.

OK, so the catback and coil are legal. That is good to know and is probably a good start. And the cone filter is not legal but easy enough to change back-and-forth when it comes time to smog. I'll consider that as well. The header would be too much for me, I am pretty sure.

Thanks for the link to the Zdriver site. I can remember getting mail-flyers from them a long time ago and good to know there is a web site for them. I'll look into exhausts there.

Now, what about the rear-end? I don't care too much about top speed but a quick off-the-line wouldn't be too bad. I do have a manual 5-speed. Maybe that's too much money overall on this car. Also, my kids will be driving in three and four years and I'd like to let the boy drive the car on occasion and thus don't want anything too fast and wild. But still, I drive it too or at least plan to. ;-)

Oh yeah, and engines. I'm just concerned this engine may have lost too much oomph and maybe I should look into a rebuild. Anything to know with that? I'm not sure I'll actually do it, but it is something in the back of my mind to make sure I have a good, solid running ZX. I can recall before I stopped driving it that my ZX wouldn't smog and I took it to Mossy Nissan up here in Oceanside and just told them do something to get it to pass smog and don't rightly remember what it took. So now that's it's older and has been sitting, I'm just a little nervous about that engine overall.

We'll see how I can get my car running with new plugs, oil, coolant and filters. Then tires for a better ride and probably look into finally getting that Tokico system installed and then... so much to do, so little money and time.

I'm open to reading anything that I can pick up from the experience and expertise on this forum. Thanks!

 

Haha yeah, once you start doing little things here and there it just starts to snowball, and before you know it, you're constantly trying to find something to mess with. If you do a compression test and a leak down test, that'll give you a good indication on the health of your motor. 179K is still pretty fresh for an L28 motor though.

The rear end, I think you already have a 3.90 ratio rear, which is as high as the Z's went, but there are a few other differentials that are 4.11 and even 4.63 if you can find them. My friend with a 240Z races down at the 1/8 mile street legals at Qualcomm, and he has the 4.63. I can ask him where he got it, but I don't think it's too practical for freeway driving since the rpm will really high.