Nissan Z Cars Through the Years
240 Datsun Z cars
The lineup of Nissan Z cars has a long and proud history. After digging through the history of this legendary Japanese sports car it appears that the first offering in America was the 240 model that was released in late 1969. This was soon to be updated to the Datsun 260Z in 1974.
This car is rare because it had a short running. Just one year later in 1975 the straight six (inline) engine was punched out to 2.8 L, therefore renaming the car the 280-Z. The numbers in the title of the car of course equal the engine size even on the models that are built today.
1975 Datsun B210
1975 was also my first memory of this car as we went to a local Datsun dealership when my dad was in search of a fuel efficient vehicle thanks to the fuel crunch in the mid-70s. We did come home with a new Datsun that day but it was not a Nissan z car. We wound up with a B210 in a strange orangeish yellow color.
At the time foreign cars were few and far between and we were the only family with a Japanese car in the whole development. I remember the day that we brought it home! Read more
Why 300ZX Fails Emission Test
1988 300ZX ( Christine )
The mighty 300ZX failed the emission test the last year I owned it. I was getting ready to sell her and decided to run it through the state inspection early so that prospective buyers could see that she just passed the state inspection. I thought this would be a good selling point.
At the time I was living in the state of New Jersey which has very strict testing that causes vehicle owners to suffer great anxiety when their automobile is due for inspection. The state workers always seem to find something to fail you on, and therefore proving that their job is a necessary evil.
But when it came to my 1988 300ZX (Christine we called her) it always sailed through the yearly inspection. For one thing, the emissions standards that the vehicle had to live up to where the older 1988 specifications. In 1988 some vehicle manufacturers were actually still installing carburetors on new vehicles. This prevented the federal government from stiffening the standards until all vehicles went with fuel injection the next year.
The 3.0 L V-6 Nissan engine not only had fuel injection but it had a computerized system that was ahead of its time or at least on the cutting edge back in 1988. Read more
Nissan Starter Motors
Nissan starter motor 3 L V-6
Nissan Starter Motor
Replacing a Nissan starter motor on the 3 L V-6 is a fairly common repair on this engine. Shortly after I purchased my 1988 Nissan 300ZX one of the first repairs that was needed was replacement of the starter motor.
The first thing I noticed was that it was not the original starter. When I started to look through the paperwork that came with the vehicle I noticed that this was actually the third time that it was replaced on this car in 100,000 miles. This seemed to be excessive in my opinion.
My goal was to find out why this vehicle needed another one. It did not take long to find the answer. And the reason I tell the story is because I believe this may be a common problem associated with a Nissan 3 L V-6 engine whether it is in a Nissan Maxima sedan or a 300ZX.
The starter motor in my 300zx was covered in a thick layer of dirt and slime. The reason for this is the oil filter is located directly above the starter and solenoid assembly. Read more
300ZX Air-Conditioning Problems
300ZX AC Problems
I had a few 300ZX air-conditioning problems with my 1988 Z. in case these are problems that are inherent in these vehicles I will describe them below. When I got this car it had r12 Freon in the system as you would expect from an older vehicle such as this.
Me being an automotive mechanic that has converted many systems, I was prepared to do the same to this vehicle. I did have a 1 pound can of r-12 Freon that I used to bring the system up to its proper level when I first got the car. I was expecting that someday I would have to convert the system to the new R-134a. To my surprise I did have problems with the air-conditioning system but never had a refrigerant problem so I never converted the system.
I have put a page together on my you fix cars website that has more tips and directions for people that want to convert from r12 to 134a. There is more to the procedure then just dumping one and installing the other. In fact if you do not follow the recommended procedure your air-conditioning system will probably not blow cold for long.
Nissan blower motor problems Read more
300ZX Clutch Problems
Clutch Kit Parts
My 300ZX clutch problems began with a rear main seal leak. It wasn’t long after the clutch started slipping that the Z wouldn’t move at all. When I put the vehicle up in the air to check it out I saw what was going on.
The rear main seal wasn’t leaking very much but it was enough to cause the clutch to fail. Oil and friction material such as the type that is contained on the clutch disc don’t go well together.
The clutch disc friction material actually begins to soak up the engine oil like a sponge. A slippery spongy clutch is the opposite of what you need to move the vehicle properly.
This type of clutch problem is actually quite common and happens to many manual transmission vehicles from manufacturers both foreign and domestic.
300ZX flywheel problems
I pulled the transmission and remove the clutch and pressure plate. I could see that there was some heat scoring and a bluish color to the flywheel surface. I decided to send the flywheel out to be resurfaced at a local machine shop. Read more
300ZX Frame Bushing Repair
Z31 model repair manual
The 300ZX frame bushing repair was surprisingly the hardest repair I ever performed on my two-door Nissan sports car. The rear suspension on the 300ZX z31 model is quite complicated and very different than your average American car.
The rear suspension is completely independent. And out from the differential are rear CV axles. The rear suspension is completely adjustable including rear Castor, camber and toe as well. In fact negative camber is often seen on the older models due to coil spring sag. This can cause tire wear as well as poor handling.
My problem with the rear suspension was the right rear frame bushing deteriorated from dry rot and completely let loose. This is a major supporting point for the rear suspension and is largely responsible for holding everything together back there. Note that in the Nissan service manual they called this item a sub frame member insulator.
Repairing the 300ZX frame bushing
I will include some pictures of what the z31 rear suspension looks like (below) on this type of car. But take my word for it this repair was completely necessary. The rear frame bushing Read more
300ZX Water Leak
The 300ZX water leak repair became top priority soon after I bought my Z. The previous owner had kept the vehicle in the garage for most of its life.
When I purchased it and left it outside, the rainwater quickly found its way inside the rear hatch compartment. It turned out that this water leak is quite common on both the 280Z and 300ZX.
Unfortunately I wasted some money on trying to get this leak fixed before I looked into technical service bulletins. I figured since the hatch compartment was wet that the aging hatch seal must be the cause of the hatch water leak.
I purchased a new hatch gasket from the dealership and this cost me around $150. After replacing the hatch seal I anxiously waited for the next rainfall to come and go. To my disappointment after a hard rain the rear hatch compartment was again like a miniature swimming pool.
How to repair the 300ZX water leak
After my first attempt failed at repairing the hatch water leak I looked into technical service bulletins as well as performing an Internet search. Many Z owners had reported the same type of rain water leak. Find out more about Car Repair Bulletins here. Read more
Nissan 3.0 Liter V-6
Odometer 3.0L v6
How many miles can you put on a Nissan 3.0 Liter V-6. The answer to this question is similar to the answer of how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie roll Tootsie Pop.
When I purchased my Nissan 300ZX it was from the original owner and the odometer was showing almost exactly 100,000 miles. My parents thought I was insane for buying a vehicle with such high mileage.
Back in my parent’s days when a vehicle reached the 100,000 mile mark it was time to throw it away and get another vehicle. But as we know today, we can get many more miles than we use to just 10 years ago.
The 150k mile mark is common place now. If the engine is well built and cared for 200,000 miles is well within reach for many drivers.
300ZX V-6 engine
I plan on dedicating a few posts to the 300zx repairs that were necessary while I owned this car. This car required more work than any other vehicle that I have owned before or since. But this post will be dedicated to the engine itself the mighty 3.0 L Nissan V6. Read more
300ZX Manual Transmission Repairs
My 1988 300ZX
This story is about my 300ZX manual transmission. Specifically about how my ignorance completely destroyed it to the point that it could not be repaired. First some background information about the car and where it came from so the rest of the story makes some sense.
I was always attracted to the 300ZX sports car. When these vehicles first came out, I could not afford to get one. But in 1998 I decided that I could afford a 10-year-old one as a hobby car or investment. I found a 1988 300ZX 2+2 in pristine condition that was garage kept by the original owner.
I was living in New Jersey at the time and the Z was located in South Carolina. After talking with the owner and seeing pictures online I decided to take a road trip with a friend and go see the vehicle. It was everything that I hoped for and I negotiated a cash sale with the owner. I then had the vehicle shipped back to New Jersey. Read more
