RR of the Day: 1977 Datsun 280Z
We figured that we had a good thing going, so why mess with success? Following up yesterday's lightly modified '76 Z-car is reader JWeller710's 1977 280Z. This one, however, is different in that it is "99.9% original." Our man JW, you see, is the car's one and only owner, and from the looks of things, he's been a very good parent to the Datsun. Other than replacing normal wear-and-tear items, he's had the car repainted once, which accounts for the .01% self-imposed originality deduction.
It's white with tan seats, and the single-speaker (driver's side) factory radio still works fine. The passenger-side speaker was an option back then, for those of you who were wondering. The car is completely rust-free, and it's been driven 110,000 miles so far. JW has no plans whatsoever to change or modify anything on the car. He says that with it's classic lines and excellent inline six, there's nothing worth changing. He thinks it's just perfect, and we're inclined to agree with him. it's today's Reader Ride of the Day.
More pics, plus info on how to enter your own car after the jump.
How to submit to RR of the Day:
Next week's theme is Drag Racers, so get those shots of your straight-line missiles uploaded ASAP!
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bill 10:53AM (12/21/2006)
Even better than the earlier one!
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Greg 8:48AM (12/21/2006)
From my memory banks....
The '260' was rarer and more in demand than the '280' back in the mid 70's.
Why?, well I was only 12 or so when my older cousin was telling me about them, we were cruising in his Custom Orange Dodge Van, he had bought the van from a guy who needed the money to buy a '260'. The '260's' was the car to have at the time, while the '280' filled the demand that was created by the '260'.
Was my cousin right or wrong?
Let's see what the AutoBloggers have to say about it!
Merry Christmas Everyone !
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Richard Warren 8:52AM (12/21/2006)
Another great Datsun! Does the fun ever stop?
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Phil L. 9:14AM (12/21/2006)
This is a rare find, at least for my part of the US. A friend had a similar vintage 280ZX - but his hopes of restoration were dashed by the realities of rust. The rot spread faster than he could keep up.
JWeller710, keep doing what you're doing to keep the rust away!
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BartMack 9:04AM (12/21/2006)
ok, no fair...
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Beotch 9:15AM (12/21/2006)
Awesome car, although I think I'd have to upgrade the "1 speaker" stereo system ... I love how my current-gen 350Z follows a lot of the styling cues from this car, the center gauge cluster, the "Z" on the steering wheel ... I really need to get one of these!
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menice 9:25AM (12/21/2006)
always loved this car.
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Jason_801 9:40AM (12/21/2006)
The interior has aged really well. Most cars from this era look just nasty inside, design-wise.
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ENH 9:41AM (12/21/2006)
I had one back in the mid 80’s. Great fun. Unfortunately it rusted out from under me. One thing I do remember is it took regular gas And there was one station left in the area that still sold it at 49 cents a gallon.
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G. Snyder 9:50AM (12/21/2006)
Umm...the 280 was just the next engine size bump evolution from the 260, just as the 260 was from the 240. Yes...demand increased over time, but that is because Datsun was relatively unknown initially, as was the idea of a Japanese performance car. I am not sure about the tale you are trying to tell here.
Incidentally, it was not long after this model that the body was revised and the Z started to go soft. The next 280 was more of a disco-Dan cruiser.
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dan 10:21AM (12/21/2006)
Boy, this brings back memories. I had a '76 back in the day (which was a Wednesday, by the way) and I really miss it. I wish I could have kept it all these years. What a fine car.
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6 10:31AM (12/21/2006)
The 280z was the least desireable between it, the 240z, and 260z.
The 300ZX was just ugly and fast, and the 350Z today is mediocre (Yes I've driven one)
I'll take a mint 240z over any of them.
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Stoneman 11:40AM (12/21/2006)
You know, those cars were really neat. Even the old Datsun hatchbacks were different. My grandma had one and it went forever on a tank of gas. It wasn't especially comfortable, but it did get you where you wanted to go.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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big jimmy 12:11PM (12/21/2006)
good looking Z
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Sean 12:41PM (12/21/2006)
My first car was a 1970 240z.
Had a 260 block (which was bad, the 260 blocks had casting issues) and a 240 head.
Triple weber carbs and straight pipes.
It got 8 MPG around town and 25 on the highway at 85mph.
No AC, rusted out floor boards, dim headlights, no heater and poor brakes. It was painted purple metallic, had fender flairs and a fiberglass tail.
What a bad car for an 18 year old! Sure was fun!
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iamhoff 1:04PM (12/21/2006)
Damn! Another one! This one may take the prize over the other Z and the Celica, due to its amazing original condition. Bravo on a fine machine!
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Mitch 1:29PM (12/21/2006)
Sweet!!!!!!!! All I need now is my disco platform shoes!!!
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Mitch 1:26PM (12/21/2006)
Sweet!!!!!!!! All I need now is my disco platform shoes!!!
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improfound 1:26PM (12/21/2006)
when i was 16, i spent my hard-earned money on a red 77 280Z. my dad's decision to let me buy it was one of his worst ideas ever. it wasn' super fast, but fast enough for me to do really stupid things in it.
this was in 1990 -- it had a nice paint job and got comments everywhere i drove it. i decided to sell it when i had to weld in new sheet metal just to get it aligned (the underbody had almost completely rusted out).
i bought a 1982 ZX to replace it. i think datsun used treated metal at that point. the 82 was much faster, but i missed the 77 like hell. it was so beautiful...
of course now i would give anything to have either of those cars...
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Tyler Koering 4:20PM (3/21/2008)
I had a few questions like how fast is top speed.
And cruzing speed top gear.
Im going to checking one out for a possible $350