BUILDING A BUDGET DATSUN Z CAR UNDER $5K
Is it possible to build a classic JDM Datsun Z car for under $5,000 budget? Lets find out.
INITIAL PRICE
The first item that will dictate if you can stay under $5k will be the initial price of the Z car.
You’ll have quite a few options, so choose wisely. The Datsun Z car comes in a variety of different flavors and the initial cost of the car can differ based on the required work. Your options will include the 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. 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 broken down Datsun 280ZX in town for sale under $2500 and we also 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 also likely find more 280ZX based models as more 280ZX cars were made than the other Z cars. Some prefer the look of the non 280 ZX cars, but they aren’t too bad. 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 we purchased our 280ZX it didn’t start. We took a gamble. Once it was running, we found out 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, throttle position sensor, 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 engine, cylinder head, transmission, and/or rear axle work. Other items can be rebuilt based on your level of experience.
THE FULL DATSUN 280ZX PARTS LIST
We’ve purchased tons of new, refurbished, and used parts for our Z build and parts can be hard to find. So we put together a detailed list of all the parts we purchased and where we got em from.
The goal is to make the 280ZX daily drivable, so we split the list into different categories. Essential parts are all the parts to make the car a reliable daily driver. Nice to haves are not necessary. We’re also going to stay as close to $5K as possible.
ESSENTIAL DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS
The next section covers exterior/interior items that we 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
Datsun ZX 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 Plus Nice to Haves: $5104
TOOLS FOR BUILDING A DATSUN
Next up are tools. You DON’T need to run out and buy Milwaukee or Snap-On. You can do quite a bit with Pittsburgh tools from Harbor Freight. They even have a pretty decent selection of cordless power tools too. If you don’t have a Harbor Freight nearby, you can pick up a starter Craftsman or DeWalt auto mechanic tool set on Amazon.
If you need specialty tools, most auto parts stores have loaner programs with refundable deposits.
If you want to buy yourself specialty tools for things like brake flaring, an air compressor, or powder coating check out Eastwood.com and save 10% with code BUILD10 on checkout.
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