I’m 17 and just bought a 77 280z I just got it running the other day and that proud moment of hearing something you fixed on your own I will never forget
I owned a 71- 240Z from 1971-1983. In 13 yrs I put 446,000 miles on the car. I did springs and valves -honed the cylinder walls and installed new rings. I drove it till I sold it in 1984 and bought a new 300ZX. The 240 was a much simpler and more durable car👍
@@deanfirnatine7814 I have a 70 240Z now that has a LS6 twin turbo supercharged with a calibrated 200 mph speedometer 6-speed automatic with a 300 shot of nitrous never had to use the mattress, it will get airborne at 135 it only weighs 2750 with me in it it's an Overkill but man it does sound good and will get to 130 before you blink your eye I love this car late at night I always get it out when nobody's on the road a lot of fun
I had a '72 240Z when I was younger, and what I recall of it was it was the best pure driving experience I had ever had. That shell, with slightly tighter suspension, disc brakes all the way around, a short throw shifter, power windows, and a bit more hp would be perfectly at home on a Nissan new car showroom. One of the features I liked best about the Z is that the back glass is big enough to let you see. There's no need for a backup camera because you can look behind you and actually tell where the hell the car is. Left and right over-the-shoulder visibility is also good, which makes up for the near useless (but cool looking) side mirrors. I never felt unsure where other vehicles were in relation to me when driving the Z, unlike most modern cars.
Great review! You hit the essence of spirit that lives within these cars spot on..Makes me wanna go for a ride in mine just so I can have the same smile glued on my face.
I have an low VIN 240Z (69 build date) with a Gnose that is heavily modified. Always puts a grin on my face when I'm behind the wheel. It's a drivers/enthusiast's car. The S30 is a great platform to work off of. If you know where to look performance/racing parts are still being made. In Japan the L-series engine was their American V8 per say & received lots of attention from tuners over the years. They have effectively doubled the HP of the engine. It's not unheard of to get 320 - 400 HP out of an heavily modified L-series N/A engine. Plenty on youtube if you care to look.
I also owned a 1971 from new! Had a great time running it over the hills and thru the corners of southern Indiana and on many road trips. Loved it. Now a nostalgic moment spurred me to buy a ‘72 a few months ago. In the shop getting fixed up for more fun. Can’t wait to drive one again. Nicely done video.
The S30: Looks great, sounds great, handles great, feels great. Linear, visceral, comfortable, roomy, dangerous, FUN, and slow. IMO the first and best if not only performance upgrade old Z's need is brakes. Put disc brakes in the rear and bigger discs up front and it'll remove the Z's one true deficit. If you can handle well and stop well, you have a much safer car that makes up for the lack of modern safety features like reinforced passenger compartments and airbags.
heymisterderp not slow by 1979s standards it was in Porsche territory .Slow was NEVER associated with a Datsun Z. It won more sports car racing categories in it's day then ,the way more expensive makes. Slow it is not,you have to compare it in it's time ,not with modern gtr's and that .
They weren't slow compared to their contemporaries but they're underpowered by today's standards. All of my comments were in the context of today, comparing old Z's to modern cars. Your comments are all correct as well. The S30 won SCCA Championships every year for 10 years in a row from 1970 to 1979 so it's got serious bragging rights and racing pedigree.
MindDezign what international professional race's did it win? And what makes ? I'm only aware of a dakar rally win and trans am??? I think trans am....... The 911 of the period was the most domanative production car in this period. In every racing category.......
Miguel Garcia www.datsunhistory.com/Racehistory1.html I think to compare Porsche with Datsun head to head ,is only because Porsche was and still is a hall mark, of what a sports car should be. The rivals ,in its class and price match when the 240Z came out ,a karman ghia,and a smatering of British hardware and an opel GT. It was so much "more" of a Car, bigger, roomier, far more reliable, quicker ,yet small like a Porsche. The power and weight we're more in Porsche territory than it's rivals.Porsche guys were ticked off , that this ,inexpensive sports car would be as competent in a corner as they were The Porsche driver ,watching it's oversteer ,the Datsun driver it's understeer.But both competent in the corners. Porsche had been racing since the 50s with plenty of ,dedicated race cars under it's belt ,by the time Datsun Z came out late '69. The Datsun Z at that time could only be compared to the Porsche,with it's world class Daytona looks,I'm sure if they had came, to the USA, with the twin over head Cam and triple carbs.That is exactly ,who,they would have compared it to.Because the road testers at Road and Track ,testing it at the time ,it's what kept escaping from their lips , Ferarri like ,Ferarri like. In it's time,it was a very competent "Sports Car" Considering ,it was built in the "British" sports car method of ,taking sedan parts ( for cost cutting) and fitting them to a 2 passenger body chassis unit. Again Porsche built the 911,as a total package ,not taking parts from anything , but creating them Just for the 911 . So again in it's day,a truely amazingly ,sports car of it's time.
Thanks for a great review man. I own a 280z , and yes it got somewhat bloated weight wise in 1976. But, the visceral experience of owning and driving a Z is what it's all about. You nailed the feeling and essence of owing a Z in your comments. Keep up the good work!
The 280Z was beefed up for impact purposes and the increased power it was making in 76-78. Remove the bumpers and you have a better platform than the the flimsy 240Z. I have a 78 Black Pearl Special Edition and another 78 280Z with a fully built Rebello 3 Liter with Intake, Exhaust, Ignition, Spring Shocks and Sway bars and it fricking Rips. Probably a litte south of 300 hp and more fun to drive than all of my other 8+ cars.
Best way to describe driving a 240Z is just the absolute raw experience you get from it. The brakes, the lack of power steering, but the car is a blast to drive. I’ve been daily driving mine for the past year and now I’m finally getting down to the restoration.
In my youth, I owned a 72' 240Z, a 74' 260Z, a 76' L82 Vette, a 74' L82 Z28 a 81' Z28 with T-Tops and a 76' Camaro, I loved the 74' Z28 for week-end cruising and drag racing, The 81' Z28 was my choice for a daily driver, the Vett was fun, but the Datsun 240Z's and the 260Z's where the cars for a driver, and the dash lay-out and instruments were perfectly laid out. Wish I still had the 2 74's and the 72 , as well as the 81' Zapper now...
And you have the hippie hair and beard. Looking the part man. True nowadays it's the Subaru BRZ. Comfortable your right. But some people think that it's low in the seat. I like it. Oh, the steering is tight on mind because I replaced all the bushings with polyurethane making it a bit tighter and feeling a little heavy on the steering. Got to love the sound. Just the windscreen pillars are thin, not like today's cars because of safety standards. And we'll besides the engine noise which I like. It is buzzer. But I can live with it. I just saw a 280z being converter to electric. After watching that I thought it was a nice job. But it's soul was removed. The people who did the job did an excellent job. But again the engine removal. It has no soul. So it great to see someone appreciate the machine as it is. Thanks again for showing it. I've seen this video several times . And each time it just brings me back.
I've had the father (or maybe Uncle) of this car, a 67 2000 Roadster, for over 36 years, and everything you say about the "driving experience" making the car can be said about the Roadster as well. Datsun was making great cars back then... the Z, 510, 620 Pickup, the 1200, and of course the 1600 and 2000 Roadsters. The U20 was Nissan's first OHC engine, and it came with a 5 speed in '67! I've modified my car into an amazing vintage ride, with a high performance, fuel injected/crank-fired U20, improved brakes and suspension with game changing Bilstein shocks, a Mazda RX7 LSD... it's just a fun go-kart that has the advantage of being a convertible (pretty stiff frame too). We have seen over 300k miles and it's been a very reliable and rewarding car to drive. We regularly drive into the Cascades in WA... nothing beats a vintage convertible in the mountians. Awesome video of the 240... it's good for younger folks to hear about and understand vintage cars. Their time is running short I'm afraid, so I'm gonna keep driving the crap out of mine until the day I die!
I’m 52. When I was in my 20’s and they were cheap, I owned 3. 2x 260Z 2+2’s and my favorite, a 1970 240Z with a modified Patrol gearbox and 280ZX engine, fitted with triple 40mm Dellorto carburetors and a mild cam. Absolute beast.
I’ve owned two 240Z cars - one was stock, the other slightly built. My only (minor) complaint was a very light tail. But you drove it knowing that. And it was crazy in the snow!
It's POWER To Wght.Ratio Makes It ,Maybe Not Fast,But A QUICK GT Car.Especially W/ Solo Side Drafts & A Sport Exh.,Like ANSA.Had Couple of 280's & Loved Them Both, Especially the 78,W/ Upgraded Stereo System ,W/ Side Bolster Speakers.My Mechanic Was One of Best Indep.Z Mechs.in Atl.Area & Can Still Just About Take A 1st or 2nd.Gen.Z Apart & Reassemble it Blind Folded.Lots of Fun to Be Around & Watch His Expertise.THAT COLOR 240 May Be The Rarest Orig.Colors,Lots of Early Z Owners Called it BUTTERSCOTCH ,Along W/ the Lime Green.Most Owners of One Friends Owns Refer to it as ButterScotch.The 240 Solo Carbs Were So Good,That They Were A Favorite of 280 Tuners,Instead of the Bosch F.Inj.,Though I Liked the BOSCH Injection,Which Was Pretty Much Trouble Free,Untill NISSAN Tried To Start COPYING It Themselves in 83-89Zx' s.That One' s Sounds Like It's Had Couple of Upgrades,Exhaust & Power Wise.Great Sound !!
the big long 6 crank will pull you out of corners in 3rd gear,, that 2 me is the datsun z fun. and once you go rack you never want to go back that steering is great. there is a rubber bushing for vibration you can replace with a firm one.
My '72 240 isn't the fastest car, or even the best handling nowadays, but it hangs with most anything. And the one thing these years is that every time I take it out, I get a thumbs-up, or compliments, and even respect from a local Sheriff when I pushed it 10 over the limit through some curves. It's simple and is the most amazing go-cart ever. The joy cannot be explained in words. It can only be experienced in a 240Z.
As a previous owner ( ‘72 , 240 Z ) I can attest to the points....ie ,ergonomics , sound, feel . What i thought i could add is ....up till 7 ‘72 the Z was hand assembled....truly a Great car to launch a brand! Iconic!!
I would like it more if you have more details about the car not just praising it without any specs. Things I see in TFL or Everydaydriver, Thatdudeinblue. I do like your vids without the annoying music that those guys have. Engineeringexplained is my fave by far.
Good feedback! I've gone back and forth on including stats or not. Part of me says there are other people who do a really thorough job of that so I leave it to them. For me. I'm more inclined to include my driving impressions since stats can be looked up. However, I see your point and throwing in few more stats wouldn't hurt. Thanks for the constructive criticism and I appreciate the compliments.
8:00 IN YOUR VIDE - Speed... (my first car ever was a 280z) There was a "brief friendship" (more like a friendly rivalry) when I was 20 with a kid that had a camaro 3 speed auto. He would race me everywhere we went, and blast past me (I think he shifted into 3rd at 70mph, by then I already shifted 4 times) BUT, once we drove on prom night to the ocean party over the mountains, and MY Z SMOKED HIM! That little sporty baby handles REALLY well. I'd call it a mid-range car, because I got beat by a first gen Honda CRX over that pass on the turns, but when the road straightened up, I'd blow the CRX's doors off and take lead again. :)
My brother had a 280zx turbo. I think, that it was a 1982 model. That thing would go! Handled well too. My cousin had a 1972 240z. He was a generation older, and I'd always admired his Z car, so, 20 years later, when he's retiring in the mountains, he offered it to me in 1992 for $1500. It was well cared for and had always been garaged. It was just like out of the showroom, but I was busy at the time, had a company car, and no place to put the 240z, so I turned it down, since I was going through a period of practicality, rather than impulsivity!. If I had it to do over, I'd have bought it and rented a place to keep it. I missed out on a mint 1970 white Lincoln Mark III with only 33,000 miles for the same amount ($1500), for the same reason (the 1970 Mark III was actually hand built)! ...Damn! Why did I have to be so responsible in my youth!!! ...Oh well. Woulda, coulda, shoulda!
one thing he did not mention is the fact that the engine bay can hold just about any engine. V8 no problem, rb25? no problem, hemi? no problem, 350z engine no problem, Viper engine? no problem. LS1 too. If you have the cash. The 280zx turbo engine is a direct bolt in if you want more power.
60 yrs old here, I had a 72 240z about 30 yrs ago....picked it up on the east coast....bad idea! rust up the kazoo on cars over there and anyone who Knows Z's will know just how badly they disintergrate...Unfortunately, I knew Nothing about Z's other than they were cool and I wanted one...Gotit for 800.00...it had 150,000mi on it and was orange but had primer in spots and really looked like hell...one ride and i was sold... driving home i felt my seat shaking alot and upon inspection, i found no floor in the car! instead, the dude had used the sheet metal from an old washing machine panel to "create" a makeshift floor and bolted the seats to it! this was the same on passenger side too.. whoa! of course, the usual rust on the rails and the frame behind the front wheel wells, hatch, rear wheel wells on and on... I swear it was 50% rust and held together with sheet metal patches and metal screws! eventually, my neighbor who was an expert welder agreed to redo the whole thing with me...fresh new metal welded in right to redo the frame, rockers and floorboards..it finally felt solid... then the multicolor body I couldnt afford to paint so I got some cheap white enamal pant in a Can and used a sponge pad to paint the thing in my driveway! man, that must have had the neighbors laughing but I didnt care,,,I had no money and i wanted my now solid Z to be one color instead of a patchwork quilt...I had a lot of fun with it, it never stranded me..the dual carbs were a hoot and it made great sounds! that interior with the long hood and dedicated angled gauges was boss back then! now would i want to have one Now? no not anymore... really, it was noisy,unsafe, rattley and the exhaust fumes were killing me....fun for its time and maybe to drive once in a while for a weekend blast but it would not work as an everyday driver Today, at least for me... I want some safety,clean exhaust, refinement and some amenities...my 26 yr old probe gt would smoke the Z in every catagory and That car is still very old by todays standards...but it does have enough of what I need to have been my daily driver for last 26yrs... I can understand the fondness people have for the Z's though...its a piece of history that helped shape the automotive world.
A little harsh towards the 280z considering it had the same engine with high larger bore and stroke. The steering is manual the same as the 240z...the suspension/differential are virtually the same...the body is virtually the same. 280z's came with the big 5mph bumpers but 40 years later most all of them have the big bumpers removed.
So, using your own Star Wars analogy the first three were the best? Only brake upgrade I recommend is steel braided lines, firms up the pedal, otherwise no issues. Best driving experience I’ve ever had is my early 260… although my brother seems to like driving his geo metro more than his 280z 🤷♀️
Sorry Champ, but the 240Z is not slow. It netted me a reckless driving arrest for racing my 1972 240Z against a then brand new 1988 RX 7 on Washington State Route 240. 156 MPH in a 55. I made the mistake of pulling over when the State Trooper pulled over the RX behind me. He said If I'd kept moving they would have never caught me.
I don't know how you got to 156 in a 240z when the top speed is 125, unless you modified it like crazy, you'd need at least 250hp to reach that speed in that car and at that it'd be ridiculously unstable.. but I'll take your word for it
I couldn't agree more. I myself have a '72 240Z, and I have taken it to 142 MPH before I realized it's 45 year old car and I shouldn't push it too far. Point being it's a VERY capable car and I was the weak link, not the car.
Max Abughazaleh: Both of you need to stop lying. As I've said, I had a 240z myself and there's no way in Hell it went that fast unless you did SERIOUS modifications. Mine had wider and shorter tires so my speedo was off on the high side and it showed 130 mph, but it was really going 125mph. Take two seconds and look at this: www.topspeed.com/cars/nissan/1970-1978-nissan-z-car-240z-260z-and-280z-ar36401.html "The car made the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 8.2 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 86.5 mph. Top speed was 125 mph." ...Maybe you misremembered. ;-)
There are 2 consistant complaints on the s30's the slow steering rack and brakes which is no fault of the car its 40+ years old..so that in it self is a testament of how well this car was engineered.. top 5 afortable sport car in my opinion!
Thanks for the great review. It may be time to take the cover off of my '71, I parked it in 2006. I will need to find 8-tracks for the AM/8-track...the car it totally stock. DRIVING = one has total mechanical feel & control (no power steering), only the clutch is hydraulically connected. To tag your metaphor "feel the force Luke and become one". Yeah, it is time.
Amazing how this car looks and drives like an old European exotic yet remains affordable. You're a Nissan fan? Then you've got to own or drive an R32 GTR!!!
kman5711 I agree,it had interior design features ,that were clearly it's own and very well thought out, the Dash is a very ,high standard for sports car interior dash design ,for years and years of ,a design that says sports car loud,clear,and cutting edge . The 240z dash is still ,more "Batman" then the 280z dash as they smooched the tach and speedo down into the dash .The original 240z dash.It was so much.more in your face like an Alfa dash. The door panels, elegant bare bones like a sports car ,should be ,in a very clean ,design.Light weight interior more like skins to cover,steel.,good looking functional bucket seats. I was always disappointed with the molded carpet ,a family sedan idea ,brought into the sports car realm ,it it's attempt ,to market the sports car to a wider audience. Again the 240 Z was more warrior like.( Another true sports car trait)The 280z with molded carpet,starting to ease away from the 240Z red blooded spirit. The 280z floor and tunnel stamping was heavier and more intricate as well,departing from the 240 Z road warrior mentality. A sports car ,has always been a car ,designed for enthusiasts of weekend racing ,and pure race driving ,experience on daily roads. Something that fit just enough luggage for a weekend get away. It was ,MORE, the mechanical experience ,getting to where you were going ,not the destination it self. The 240Z had it all, a spot on ,bulls eye marketing shot. A pure elegant sports car of it's time.
I own and enjoy my 280z. It's fun to ride with my wife, to go to cruises or car shows. Everybody comes over at car show to chat her up. I come to the conclusion that everybody is one person removed from a z. Father, brother, neighbor, roommate had one!
@@Adam39393 sweet, thanks! I did the msa 632 header and their "stock exhaust kit" I swapped that muffler out for a magnaflow 10416. My shop had to shorten the s-curve pipe in two directions to get it lined up. It sounds fantastic.
Pez4873 nice! I used to have their “aluminized exhaust” with a turbo muffler from something like Dynamax, but never cared for the sound too much. Their Twice Pipe exhaust is the perfect note in my opinion, but glad you’re happy with their other exhaust!
the other thing that makes these so good is the stock engine is super upgradable, its a thick block so you can bore it out and push 3-400 horsepower, at 2100 lbs the thing will SCOOT
Sports cars were designed in the day,To be personal ,weekend get away, for spirited driving and you could drive it , in a club event for the week end,.It always had that dual purpose. As they became more affordable ,the sports car manufacturers wanting to make more money started ,catering to ,the buyer, that should have bought a family sedan ,instead they would buy a sports car and complain about the creature comforts it did not have . That was the beginning of the down fall of a lot of affordable sports cars,the never good 2+2 seaters,not a sedan,not a sports car,but helped some, lower insurance premiums. Then crash and emissions standards ,strangled more power and gained weight So much so as the difference between family sedan and sports car became the same performance level ,so much so that the sports car became not as functional as a family sedan.Giving birth to the sports sedans. The 240z was a true sports car,in every way ,as much as the Ferarri,Porsche,Alfa, and other famed Marquis. A 240Z was so much more of a car,than the tr6 ,opel gt,karmen ghia,mgb gt that was it's direct competition. They could only look at the Porsche 911,as equal rival. which ,took the smile of Porsche owners, which at that time was almost exclusive in a class by it self.The 240z ,took some of that realistate .Even today it's compared to the Porsche and still costs half as much ,for performance not to far off. Most vintage Porsche ,drivers today still, wring their steering wheel tighter when a 240 Z , happens to buzz into the same path. Friendly rivalry , with the same sportsmanship as Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
The 240Z provides a visceral sensory experience totally missing in today’s rides. The original BMW Z3 with the 1.9 twin cam M44 engine and the wonderful ZF gearbox! Get a nice twisty road like “the dragon” in East Tennessee, keep the engine revs between 4,500 and 6,500 and hang onto your ass. I’ve lived in Knoxville, Tennessee for over 32 years and I’ve driven the dragon numerous times in numerous vehicles and there are areas of it that’ll pucker your asshole! We lose several people every year on it. But for a shrivel your nuts experience you can’t beat it. My next acquisition will be a 240 Z.
Jonathan i can follow your feelings. Just imagine when i was in your position and get the engine running by a little 5 hexagon socket screw key adjusting the dizzy ( distributor) right!
In the 70s ?? Many many bad sounding sixes...the 240 were way ahead of their time ...aluminum heads ,counterbalanced crank (high revs) ,overhead cam and with a tuned header my 70z was music to my ears. I enjoyed mine in High school in the 80's when RX7's were new and other europeans were the only match... Modern cars are much better in many ways but very few make my inner enthusiast smile.
Came here because of Regular Car Reviews video on the 1974 VW Super Beetle. "If it's 1974, why get a Bug when you can get a Honda Civic or Datsun 240Z?"
People look at them and think, "ooh that looks fast". But no, it's an old car. It is nice to drive (except in a parking lot), but It's probably not beating a Hyundai accent any time soon. Let alone, comparable to something one would consider 'fast' these days.
"Not many people talk about the Z-31." That's because it was ugly. In fact, Nissan re-styled the 300ZX (Z-31) into one of the most beautiful cars ever made, the 300ZX Z-32. Some say Nissan realized they made a mistake with the 300's first, ugly body style, and to trumpet that they realized their mistake, they kept the 300ZX, but re-styled it into the awesome Z-32. Confused yet? One of my dream cars is a Z-32 twin turbo.
for the more part I do ot like modern cars. they don't have the style of the autos in our past, no real identifty. move up the calendar to 1979 and my first car.. Mazada Rx7. I loved that car. I wish I still had it.
Be honest you like the newer "technologies" cars because you can read about them, you don't know much about the old cars that have character. Either its a good looking car or its not, not just b/c its "40 years old and still looks good" . It's not like comparing to a woman, cars are either made beautiful or they are not they don't get uglier as they get older, if anything they get better it's not like today where cars mostly today look the same. You would be hard pressed to call a 370z's headlights out at night, back then you knew what was coming even in the dark. Just one question were you in drama class in high school? Come on be honest. ..... Enjoyed the great camera footage, and you did alright yourself. ;)
An early Z with Ohio plates that hasn't been eaten by rust??? Wow..... I'd argue that 1971-72 were peak 240Z. You avoid the first-year bugs of 1970, although those are probably ironed out in any car that is still on the road. 1973 was a step back in emission controls and those cars would need to have the intake system addressed.
