BUILDING A DATSUN UNDER $5K
Is it possible to build a classic Datsun Z car for under $5,000?
Our 1981 Datsun 280ZX Turbo Project Car
INITIAL PRICE
The first item that will dictate if you can stay under $5k will be the initial price of the car. You’ll have quite a few options with make and model, so choose wisely. The Datsun Z car comes in a variety of different flavors and the initial cost of the car can vary based on required work. Your options will include Datsun 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, or a 280ZX. One of the biggest factors that will also impact price is body condition or rust. Lots of Z cars are notorious for forming rust on the unibody frame especially around the weld seams. The first place you should investigate are jack points, wheel wells, and floor boards when scoping our your purchase. The more rust you find the lower your offer should be. If the car doesn’t start, make sure you take that into your negotiations.
We found our Datsun 280ZX locally in town for sale under $2500. I’d recommend you check out Facebook marketplace, Facebook Datsun groups, Craigslist, or even Ebay for a Z car. Sites like Bringatrailer usually list higher priced Datsun’s that may not need much work. You’ll likely find more 280ZX based models as more 280ZX cars were made. The 280ZX isn’t a bad project car, but some prefer the look of the older Z car models. If you’re patient you should be able to find something under $2500. Just be prepared for lots of work.
DRIVETRAIN INVESTIGATION
Once you’ve investigated the exterior, I’d recommend you test the drivetrain. If it doesn’t start or can’t be test driven you won’t know how much drivetrain work will be required, so take advantage of that during negotiations. Also check for leaks. If the car starts check for different colored smoke coming from the tailpipe. Bluish smoke usually means the engine is burning oil and white smoke would indicate a coolant leak into the cylinders. These issues can be time consuming to fix, but you can save tons of money on labor costs. Unfortunately when I purchased my 280ZX it didn’t start and we took a gamble. Once it was running, we found that the transmission was dead. We ending up having to replace the transmission with a used one we purchased for $250.
Some other common items that may need repair are ignition components such as the distributor, coil, ignition transistor, and possibly rusted out electrical wiring. You’ll also want to replace vacuum, fuel, and coolant hoses. Other miscellaneous sensors may need to be replaced like the throttle components and/or seals around the intake manifold. Be expected to do some brake work too. The biggest items that you may have to tackle will be any engine, cylinder head, transmission, and/or rear axle work. Other items can be rebuilt based on your level of experience.
THE FULL PARTS LIST
We’ve purchased new, refurbished, and used parts for our build. We put together a detailed list of all the parts purchased and things that still need to be purchased. Our list is separated into different sections and is currently under $5000. I’m hoping it stays that way so let’s review the essential drivetrain components. The goal is to make the 280ZX daily drivable, so essential parts are all the parts to make the car a reliable daily driver.
ESSENTIAL DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS
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Ignition Coil $30.00 Advanced Auto Parts
PRW2 Ignition Transistor Mod $40.00 ebay.com Motors
NGK Spark Plugs $20.00 thezstore.com
NGK spark plug wires $50.00 thezstore.com
Vacuum hoses and lamps $40.00 Advanced Auto Parts
Water temp controller $25.00 thezstore.com
Used Automatic transmission $250.00 vintagezparts.com
Turbo rebuild kit $25.00 ebay.com Motors
Aux air controller $25.00 ebay.com Motors
Space saver spare tire $60.00 ebay.com Motors
Brake Booster $75.00 280ZX Facebook Group
Brake Master Cylinder $55.00 Advanced Auto Parts
NiCopp Brake line & Flaring nuts $75.00 Advanced Auto Parts
Total $770.00
The next section covers exterior/interior items that I consider to be essential to safety and/or preventing more damage to the car from weather
ESSENTIAL EXTERIOR/INTERIOR COMPONENTS
Rear hatch lift supports $85.00 jdm-car-parts.com
Floor pan and floor rails $489.00 thezstore.com
Rear hatch weather seal $89.00 jdm-car-parts.com
T Top glass $100.00 Ebay.com
Total $763.00
The last section is for nice to have items such as enhancing the interior or adding MODS which don’t necessarily impact ability to continue daily drivability if the parts were not added.
NICE TO HAVE ITEMS
280ZX Carpet Kit $249.00 thezstore.com
Seat Upholstery Kit $299.00 thezstore.com
Aftermarket Turbo Intercooler $523.00 Ebay.com
Total $1071.00
Without the nice to have parts, we made it under $5K. It’s not easy, but you can definitely plan your budget within $5000 for a Datsun Z car. Note that I’m not including any of the personal labor time or tool costs. It wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t do the work yourself or invested in a few tools for your future builds :)
BREAKDOWN
Initial cost of the car ~$2500
Essential drivetrain parts $770
Essential interior/exterior parts $763
Nice to have parts $1071
Total Cost w/Nice to Haves: $5104
We also have a host of Datsun 280ZX YouTube videos with more details on all the work we’ve done and plan to do with the Datsun 280ZX Turbo build.
WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR DATSUN 280ZX PROJECT CAR
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