1978 Datsun 280z restoration

I purchased my Datsun 280z in mid-2017. Hours of hard work, troubleshooting, and love have gone into bringing this machine back to its former glory.

Here is the car in 2017. It was very rusty and half taken apart in places. Going into this project, I only had experience changing my oil and brakes, but I was eager to learn.

As the interior was stripped and the car disassembled, the toll of time and rust became apparent. To fix this, the car was sent to a body shop while I worked on the engine.

After the car was finished at the body shop, the bulk of the work rebuilding and repairing began. The engine and drivetrain were bolted back into the car. All wiring that had been removed was re-routed, cleaned, and reattached. I fabricated new fuel and brake lines to replace the rusty lines that had fallen apart when removing the engine.

Once everything needed to start the engine was in place, I began the first of many rounds of troubleshooting. Since this was the first engine I had ever rebuilt, I had overlooked checking the valve lash. Along with this, the distributor had been completely removed and was no longer properly timed. These two issues caused the engine to sputter and not consistently run.

After searching for the source of the problem, I asked a friend for help. With his experience and specialized tools, we set the valve lash and timing so that the engine could run again.

Fixing the engine in order for the car to start is only one of many problems I have solved with this car. I have designed custom parts such as the 3d printed fuse box cover. I have also upgraded many aspects of the car including the brakes and air conditioning. My 1978 Datsun 280z project has taught me priceless lessons in problem-solving, perseverance, and mechanical skills.