Are the (old) Fairlady's and good drifters?

[sin-R]

The topic speaks for itself.
Should I invest i a Fairlady (240z, 260z or 280z), or should I simply go for a old Escort (mk1 or mk2)

[Ghost of Duluth]

Well I have a Fairlady that I was going to set up for Drifting but I am selling it. Mine is a 280. I am not sure how good of a Drifter it would be seeing as it's a 2+2 and it's pretty heavy but I am not sure. Plus RHD for me is a little hokey seeing as I have driven LHD my entire life. The 240, 260 or early 280 is a different animal than the later ones due to all the crapola that Datsun stuck on there in the ZX configuration. Mine is a Z but the body style and add ons are ZX. Strange. Fun to drive but for me it would mean learning everything over again just to drive that car.

[Pennyman]

I own a '76 280Z and I love it. It gets sideways super easily, and if it's decent looking you can show it at any Japanese car show or Z show, which I happen to do. Many of the people driving them these days are older, usually in the mid 30's to 40's who wouldn't be enthused by drifting (we think). The 240Z's are a little lighter, but a little less safe then the 280Z's but if you can score yourself a 240Z, and you dont mind tuning carbs every once and a while, by all means go for it, if you can find one (280Z's are fuel injected). be carefull of rust, though. my 280Z is great as a daily driver, but im not sure how reliable the older 240Z's are.

[sin-R]

Ok. Thanks!
There are two Z's that I can afford at this moment..
One of them is a '76 260Z, and the other one is a '71 240Z (Bouth of them LHD ), but the 260 has automat Is it easy to convert it to manual? Getting the parts will probobly be a biatch, but we'll see... (the 260 is also the cheapest one )

About the weight, how heavy are they?
Is it easy to get tuning parts for them?

[Ghost of Duluth]

They are roughly the same car. THe 240 is lighter I believe. But how much cheaper? Reason I ask that is because it may be cheaper in the long run to just get the 240 since you will have to change over the trans. You can drift automatics but a trans that old....wouldn't risk it. Get the 240, they are just cooler anyway.

[sin-R]

Originally posted by Ghost of Duluth
They are roughly the same car. THe 240 is lighter I believe. But how much cheaper? Reason I ask that is because it may be cheaper in the long run to just get the 240 since you will have to change over the trans. You can drift automatics but a trans that old....wouldn't risk it. Get the 240, they are just cooler anyway.

Well, the difference is is USD 2.946,12 to be exact
And that's the cheapest 240Z that's for sale at this moment.
Bouth of the car's needs a little work, but the 260Z has more work that needs to be done. I reccon I can fix moste of it myself. Just some welding and cleaning of breakes, etc.. But it's the thing with the automatic

*Edit* Well slap me and call me Sally! I mix'd the car's up.. It's the 240Z that has the automatic (kinda figures.. a US import :P), and the 260Z has the manual! What do you guys think? 240 or 260?

[d r i f t swift]

im a little biased id say get the 240 but if the 260 is cheaper and has the manual transmission then get that one..but then again its not hard to swap an automatic out for a manual..but i wouldnt even be worried about automatics and manuals 240s and 260s the thing id be lookin out for is the rust

[PrOxLaMuS© S30]

*Sigh*

240Z's are much lighter 2,300 LBS about... 2.4L engine... 4 speed manual transmission.... blah blah blah

260Z's have bigger heavier bumpers.. were produced for a whopping period of (1/2) a year.... 1974-1974.5...... 2.6L engine.. flat top carbs which suck... not really loved with Z fans...

280Z's are heavier due to the strengthening in the body... and stronger door rails to protect the driver. The bumpers were increased for safety reasons.. and increased by 30 LBS!
Fuel Injected very reliable... 5-speed standards available... diff. tail-lights... and rear end.

280ZX's are an 80's design.. boxy and ugly in my opinion.... heavy.. more luxurious and boring.... 1981-1983 the 280ZX TURBO was offered... few standards.. only automatics... 2.8L Turbo EFI.


For drifting? 280Z by far.... mainly do to the EFI and safety....
240Z is more of a straight line.. and autocross car... lots of autocross. However with Tripple Webber carbs.. you can haul some *Censored**Censored**Censored*!


I drift my automatic 280Z.. works fine... tranny is strong.. i can hold it longer than most of my buddies and there Supra and 240SX.. but they suck....

[PrOxLaMuS© S30]

BTW a FAIRLADY Z.. are Z's manufactured in Japan with RHD steering and Fender mirrors.....

trust me.. you won't find any good Fairlady 240Z's without years of looking and alot of money.

Usually any Fairlady's you see are 2+2's (back seat) or are 280Z's or 280ZX's... mehh


rust is a *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*.... find a rust free S30 car? Buy it... and sell it to a Z collector... they go for alot of money.

[Ghost of Duluth]

Agreed. My Fairlady is a 2+2 and has rust under the battery box. Solid car though but a little fat for my tastes. Fun to back through the drive thru. The RHD screws with em good, specially down here in the south.

[sin-R]

Wow! Thanks!
I've been studying pix, and that 260Z that's up for sale is kinda ugly.. It's a 2+2, and I don't like the shape of it (compared to a non-2+2 )
I guess it would be OK, but I am going to hear with a friend of mine who import cars from Dubai and Japan, and maybe he can get a sweet 280Z for me
But we'll see.. Anyways, here is some pix of the 260Z:






And here comes the ugly part



But I don't really know how much rust it is on it, because it's on the other side of the country, and I have not had the chance to see it yet..
I'd love to take on a foul re building, but I can't, seeing that it's my first car (and I can unfortenently only afford one :P), and I don't even have a garage to do it in..

I have to apologize for my some times bad english too Hope it isn't too many faults

[Ghost of Duluth]

Thats funny, looks just like my friends Farilady in Atlanta. Cept his is white and RHD.

[PrOxLaMuS© S30]

When you look for rust...

look for quarter panels... and fenders...
frame rails.. battery tray's and overcourse the floorboards..

i almost bought a Z.. looked like it had ZERO rust.. I sat down in the seat.. and i sank in a little and heard a crunch.
I lifted up the carpet.. and the rust was eating through the floor.. and holes were evrywhere.

[sin-R]

Ok. He was thinking of restoreing it, but he needed the money for a house instead, and bla bla bla...
So it cold be that there is more rust then what we see

Btw Proxlamus, really nice 280Z you've got!

How much does a nice one of those cost in the US?
Preferebly LHD

[Pennyman]

Hehe, i just realized i know Proxlamus as well. We are both on classiczcars.com. Didn't he get it crashed into or something this winter? i could be wrong, but i thought it was his. Good luck getting all that worked out!