1979 Datsun 280ZX Turbo review from North America

When my grandfather showed me the car, he said it sat in a garage for over a decade, so usual problems like dry-rot and bad paint would occur, and they did. Most of the gaskets in the engine are leaking a little and the grommets and other rubber components of the suspension have worn out. Not too much of a problem, it just means I have to clean the engine once a week and allow for more than average body roll in the turns until I have the money to fix it.

When I first acquired the car from my grandfather after he repossessed it, the brakes were shot. The back right brake pad was basically using metal to stop. That caused a lot of grooves in the rotor and the noise was horrible.

My parents made me stop driving the car after realizing how bad the brakes were, and because it sat for about 3 weeks the fuel pump went out. But that was an easy fix.

The car has had several electrical problems since I've owned the car, for example, there's a short in the windshield wiper and the fuse would blow in the fuse box almost immediately. So my grandfather just ran a wire straight to the battery and it works. Until I have a professional fix it.

I was driving down the road one day, when all-the-sudden my windshield got wet, and while I was trying to figure out how smoke started billowing out the hood vents and then I figured my radiator exploded. Well, it wasn't my radiator, it was my thermostat. It went out and caused everything to over-heat and my reservoir top blew off. Once again, easily fixed.

I fell in love with this car the moment I first saw it. It was unlike any other car I have ever driven, or seen. And the power, it had more power than any tuner car in my town and I out ran them all on a regular basis. Everyone had told me what a money-pit the car is, but its not because once I have replaced a part it hasn't given me any problems what-so-ever. Something goes bad, I fix it, good as new. This car is my dream car and once I'm done with it, it should be the dream car of everyone.