ZZ NO TOP is a 1978 Datsun 280Z restored and customized by Kevin Brown.
I started this project in January 06 with a base car that had seen a tough life and had been sitting for 5 years. Almost every inch of the car needed some type of work, either rust, dents or paint. The floorboards were even ripped up the middle from a previous wreck. The easiest part of the entire project was cutting the top off and fabing the bodywork back together. All of that was done freehand whereas the original body work had to be repaired back to factory condition. Some body panels were repaired with patch panels and others were pieced back with parts from a donor 260Z.
The online Z community especially the ZCar.com tech page was an unbelievable resource to get the engine running again. There is still work to be done on the inline 6 but it's minor compared to what I started from.
The frame was reinforced from the A pillar back to the rear strut tower with advice from Al Leri in PA. who has done this before. I just added a little engineering know how and some creative welding to beef it up.
The front and rear effects are fom MSA. Wheels are 15in fast forwards in Gunmetal Grey, found them on classifieds in ZCar.com. Tires are from Tire rack- Kuhmo XTCA 205-60-15
I painted it a friends shop using Matrix polyurethane paint and 3 coats of clear. I still need to wet sand and buff it.
The interior is just basic replacement stuff, I got this great carpet that will stretch to shape and saved a bunch over the OEM kit. I put a couple of 6x9's in the rear wall and dropped in a modern CD stereo so I can play ZZTOP.
I learned lots of tricks along the way and was able to justify buying a lot of really cool tools for the bodywork. Harbor freight is great for stuff if you are just a weekend user. I have to give a ton of credit to my wife who supported this the whole way by allowing me to work uninterrupted over many weekends and even did my share of the chores so I could devote time to this.
I think she really wants to drive it. She picked the color, otherwise it would have been red to use up some old paint I had.
Here is the picture of the original condition, the car was full of spare parts
and an in process picture
The first weekend I could drive it, I took it to a Z show sponsored by the Triangle Z club and took home 1st place and peoples choice award. Since last fall I didn't get to work on it while I was catching up on other neglected projects, now I am back at it. I have the engine out to replace the transmission and I decided to replace the rings, seals etc. In the process I found a jet coated intake and header along with a ZX head that has a performance cam in it. Other than the broken piston, it looked pretty good inside. This is my first real deep engine work so I am scared to death of screwing it up but when finished it will be my first real high performance car.
More pictures from this fall
Latest issue is a broken piston, so I will have a complete rebuild in a few weeks.
Heres the new Manifold 
Update 10/08
I have added a removeable top to the car. I fabbed up a frame made from 1/2 in square tube and took it to Auto Interiors and Tops in Raleigh NC where they coverd it with fabric, It turned out great - I'll add pics soon. The only drawback is that you either have it on, or you leave it at home. Great for driving when it might rain but you have to leave it somewhere in order to go topless.
Our favorite car envent is ZDAYZ at Fontanna Village near Deals Gap in NC. We get to drive the Tail of The Dragon. THere are 318 curves in 11 miles and the road is great fun. Check out the official video of ZdayZ on Utube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikWQDXlP2Js We also hang out with the TRIANGEL Z CLUB in Raleigh- you can check them out on the web at www.trianglezclub.com
