# My 1981 280ZX Upgrade Path



## Minagera (Oct 25, 2004)

1981 Datsun 280ZX 

TOKICO HP SHOCKS & SPRINGS NISSAN 280ZX $325.00 + Shipping http://www.ebay.com
Stage 1 Underbody Coated and Sealed $600 Huntsville, AL
Rear Diff/axles, repack and fluids $250 Self

280ZX Urethane bushing set $159.00 + Shipping http://www.racetep.com/xmasspecials.html#dat
Stage 2 6-2-1 Pacesetter Header $189.00 + Shipping http://www.racetep.com/xmasspecials.html#dat
"Tornado" Electric Fan Kit $134.95 + Shipping http://www.zcarparts.com
Electric Fan Mounting Bracket $43.95 + Shipping http://www.zcarparts.com

Q45 80mm TB upgrade freebie Local Salvage Yard
Stage 3 Performance Camshaft, Stage II $169.95 + Shipping http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?
Nissan 280ZX BREMBO F&R Drilled Slotted Rotors $195.00 + Shipping http://www.ebay.com
81-83 Datsun 280ZX, 2.8L Nonturbo MONZA Exhaust System $168.97 + Shipping http://www.ebay.com

Deluxe Full Floor Kits $265.95 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/catalog.html
Stage 4 Nissan 280ZX Headliner Kit $54.95 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/catalog.html
Nissan 280ZX Full Face Dash Cap $91.50 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/catalog.html

Nissan 280ZX Head Light Cover Set $58.95 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/catalog.html
NIssan 280ZX Coupe Door (Only) Seal Set (Left & Right) $237.95 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/datsun_stuff.html
Stage 5 Nissan 280ZX Coupe Outer Upper Hatch Seal $26.89 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/datsun_stuff.html
Nissan 280ZX Coupe Inner Hatch Seal $69.89 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/datsun_stuff.html
Nissan 280ZX Coupe H4 Bright White Lighting $64.50 + Shipping http://www.datsunrestore.com/h4_bright_white_kit.html

MSA Aero Kit 2, 79-83 ZX $759.95 + Shipping http://www.zcarparts.com
Stage 6 Paint, Orginal Burgandy Metal Flake $1,200 In town friend price


Already done to the car by the person I bought it from. 

fuel pump #1 (MSD) Burned Up… ($85.00) 
fuel pump #2 ($108.53) 
fuel pump #3 $0.00 
fuel pump labor, fuel tank flush ($45.00) 
oil & filter ($30.00) 
injectors cleaned and flushed ($85.00) 
alternator ($67.81) 
alt replace labor ($45.00) 
MAF sensor & body ($24.99) 
MAF sensor shipping ($15.00) 
new intake filter (off), wires, plugs ($40.00) 
tires ($250.00) 
Intake Boot ($20.00) 
antifreeze ($9.60) 
Radiator flushed and repaired ($5.00) 

Sorry about the for, I didn't know how to put an excel sheet on here better. Anyway here it is. I am reconsidering the Brembo S/CD rotors though, CD cracks. I am thinking slotted. Tell me what you think.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Could be a decent track car with better tires. NA won't do much at the drag strip, but you might have a chance at a road course or autocross. 

Cross-drilled rotors have advantages and disadvantages. If you get CD rotors that were properly done they probably wouldn't crack, but are pretty expensive. Slot rotors are mostly good for pad outgassing, but retain more heat. Upgrade your calipers and pads too. Good rotors won't do much strapped to old stock equipment.


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## Minagera (Oct 25, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> Could be a decent track car with better tires. NA won't do much at the drag strip, but you might have a chance at a road course or autocross.
> 
> Cross-drilled rotors have advantages and disadvantages. If you get CD rotors that were properly done they probably wouldn't crack, but are pretty expensive. Slot rotors are mostly good for pad outgassing, but retain more heat. Upgrade your calipers and pads too. Good rotors won't do much strapped to old stock equipment.


I heard I could use 300ZX calipers, and that would do a great deal. I also heard just to use R32 Calipers. Any advise?


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Minagera said:


> I heard I could use 300ZX calipers, and that would do a great deal. I also heard just to use R32 Calipers. Any advise?


You might be able to use Z32 stuff, but I dunno much about the conversion process. Aside from the fact it'll prolly be a big pain.......


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## Minagera (Oct 25, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> You might be able to use Z32 stuff, but I dunno much about the conversion process. Aside from the fact it'll prolly be a big pain.......


Yah I want orginially thinking whole wheel assymble from a z32. What doy ou think?


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Minagera said:


> Yah I want orginially thinking whole wheel assymble from a z32. What doy ou think?


 I think you have to use the entire hub assembly and the uprights from a Z32, but I dunno for sure. You might want to ask some of the other guys here. I dunno how much different the 280Z suspension is from the early model 300, but JamesZ was using Z32 equipment as I recall (on his 300). Might want to ask him......


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## Minagera (Oct 25, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> I think you have to use the entire hub assembly and the uprights from a Z32, but I dunno for sure. You might want to ask some of the other guys here. I dunno how much different the 280Z suspension is from the early model 300, but JamesZ was using Z32 equipment as I recall (on his 300). Might want to ask him......


A far as I know there are just 2 piston calipers on the 280ZX stock. Both front and rear (if you have the disc option). They are all identical as well. I have been looking around quite a bit, and sorry about this, but I find that I can rob almost everything I need from the Q45. It has 4 pistons all the way around. 340 injectors as opposed to my 260's. 80mm TB, and i am sure I can find something else.

For a lot of the problems I am facing I am looking to the new nissans. Q45 being more or less the luxary boat thus having larger, high capacity parts I find to be useful.

Well that is my $0.02


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Minagera said:


> A far as I know there are just 2 piston calipers on the 280ZX stock. Both front and rear (if you have the disc option). They are all identical as well. I have been looking around quite a bit, and sorry about this, but I find that I can rob almost everything I need from the Q45. It has 4 pistons all the way around. 340 injectors as opposed to my 260's. 80mm TB, and i am sure I can find something else.
> 
> For a lot of the problems I am facing I am looking to the new nissans. Q45 being more or less the luxary boat thus having larger, high capacity parts I find to be useful.
> 
> Well that is my $0.02


 Sounds like a good plan. You might want to consider upgrading to turbo at some point.


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## Minagera (Oct 25, 2004)

I already have a l28et sitting on my engine stand. I am just rebuilding it as money/time comes. There are some things that *need* to be done first though. But yah I have a nice l28et, and I am planning on rebuilding it to accept this T77 I have sitting on my shelf.


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## Sac81ZX (Nov 16, 2004)

*crossdrilled rotors*

From Grassroots Motorsports:

Crossdrilling your rotors might look neat, but what is it really doing for you? Well, unless your car is using brake pads from the ‘40s and ‘50s, not a whole lot. Rotors were first drilled because early brake pad materials gave off gasses when heated to racing temperatures, a process known as“gassing out.” These gasses then formed a thin layer between the brake pad face and the rotor, acting as a lubricant and effectively lowering the coefficient of friction. The holes were implemented to give the gasses somewhere to go. It was an effective solution, but today’s friction materials do not exhibit the same gassing out phenomenon as the early pads. For this reason, the holes have carried over more as a design feature than a performance feature. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t lower temperatures. (In fact, by removing weight from the rotor, they can actually cause temperatures to increase a little.) These holes create stress risers that allow the rotor to crack sooner, and make a mess of brake pads—sort of like a cheesegrater rubbing against them at every stop. Want more evidence? Look at NASCAR or F1. You would think that if drilling holes in the rotor was the hot ticket, these teams would be doing it. The one glaring exception here is in the rare situation where the rotors are so oversized that they need to be drilled like Swiss cheese. (Look at any performance motorcycle or lighter formula car, for an example.) While the issues of stress risers and brakepad wear are still present, drilling is used to reduce the mass of the parts in spite of these concerns. Remember that nothing comes for free. If these teams switched to non-drilled rotors, they would see lower operating temperatures and longer brakepad life, at the expense of higher weight. It’s all about tradeoffs. Slotting rotors, on the other hand, might be a consideration if your sanctioning body allows for it. Cutting thin slots across the face of the rotor can actually help to clean the face of the brake pads over time, helping to reduce the glazing often found during high-speed use which can lower the coefficient of friction. While there may still be a small concern over creating stress risers in the face of the rotor, if the slots are shallow and cut properly, the trade-off appears to be worth the risk. (Have you looked at a NASCAR rotor lately?) 
-taken from a post at zcar.com (Trevor280z )


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## Sac81ZX (Nov 16, 2004)

*If Money Is Not a Problem...*

http://www.arizonazcar.com/510brakes.html


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## Sac81ZX (Nov 16, 2004)

*Brake Pads*

You could keep your stock calipers and upgrade your brake pads with something like these: http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brak...ModClar=&make=EBC&model=Greenstuff+brake+pads

Then put the money into your l28et which will be a much better upgrade than doing what you've listed to your N/A engine.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

New brake pads still outgas plenty, ask anyone who has ever bought EBC Greenstuff.........  They call it "brake fade" but it's outgassing caused by pad overheating. Don't kid yourself, outgassing still exists in the real world. 

Vehicles like those used in NASCAR and F1 use brake pad technologly light years beyond what we have available to us on the street, they also change brake pads frequently and spend more money on brake equipment then we do on entire vehicles. Theres also a massive difference between what is allowed by DOT for use on the streets, and pads that can be used on the track. Most track brakes don't even work at the low temperatures our street brakes operate at, even when auto-crossing. It's apples and oranges to compare race equipment to what we have available to us. Downright lame, in fact.


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