Debate between Datsun 280z and silvia.
 

Debating between investing to restore the 280z I have sitting in pieces or pick up a silvia, (s13/s14)

I've been driving an RSX for a majority of my life, but now that I've decided to let it go, I wanna pick out my next project.

Anyone with experience working/driving with either of these cars? I'd like to get both views to make my decision :$

I havent worked with either of them but id say you should restore the 280. (Saying that because im a Z guy myself lol)

280z + rb26 >> silvia

The Datsun is way cooler.

i would like to say s14 cause I'm bias.
but a 280z would be hellasweeet

Whichever car you end up with, be mindful of how different FF and FR behaves, esp when you drive them enthusiastically, and especially when the road is wet. You do not want your car to end up as a wreck the first (few) times you enjoy it out on the road.

Have fun and enjoy whichever car you end up deciding on.

280Z, no contest. Early Z cars are still some of the best looking cars around.

Fulfill the maximum tune dream. Get the Datsun

S14 to beat on and have replacement parts

280z to preserve and have trouble sourcing parts

It depends entirely on your budget.

Early Z's suffer heavily from rust, including the 280Z, it is also the heaviest of the early Z's, and the slowest. Part of a good car is a good foundation, and unless you spend upwards of $12,000 for a Z, you will have to properly repair major rust issues, unless you like surprises down the road.

An L28 (which a 280Z should have) is not a cheap motor to tune unless you go the turbo route, which simply does not behave the same way that an N/A L series will.

Nissan does NOT support early Z's like some european companies do for their flagship cars, you will NOT find a NOS quarter panel, floor panel, rocker panel or roof. Most worthwhile performance parts for a Z will cost significantly more than S chassis parts, there simply isn't as big of a market, thus parts that are made, are made less frequently.

S chassis Nissans are a dime a dozen, and you can still find them without a ton of rust, so you won't suffer from suicidal thoughts if a soccer mom rams your pride and joy. They offer a wider range of aftermarket and OEM/NOS parts, and the prices aren't rediculous.


In my opinion, Z all the way, but your wallet and/or skill set might not support that. If you spend enough money on a properly built L series engine, this is the kind of sound you can expect:

this isn't exactly true. When I built my 280z I had no troubles sourcing parts. Only Japan and USA/canada have newly made parts now. I got 60% of my parts off ebay, and the other 40% off Lordco on No.3 road haha.


On the plus side, you can direct bolt on swap so much stuff on the s30's with newer 240sx parts like master cylinder, tranny, diff, brakes that sourcing parts for a s30 build is just making a trip to lordco.

S13/14 silvias are kind of everywhere, i rarely see the Datsuns 280Z, You should try to get that since its out of the ordinary

s13/14 is played out. There are loads of them on the road and you would simply blend into the rest of the car world with one.
A 280Z you would stand out but it will cost you a lot more than either of those S chassis.

Z for the win. That's a true head turner.

Check username.

How is this even a question.

I think swfk nailed it.

280Z seems more like a weekend/special occasion type of car.

S13/S14? Home Depot PVC Tubes with some zap-straps, as long as it holds together, gonna have a good time type of car. Just for the thrill of cheap rwd entertainment, I would go with the silvia...

Ofc I am somewhat biased. =P

you can get majority of replacement parts for the Z still.

if your s13/s14 is blending in with the crowd its cause you aint got no originality.
a 280z would be fantastic but it seems unrealistic because of the age and costs. I'd go for the S chassis. Don't worry about how many others there are out there.. its your car and yours alone.

I personally like the S-chassis more.

Get the car you like, doesn't matter if it's "over-played".

Yeah, the car itself has been sitting covered so no major rust built up except under the driver side fender. Pretty much clean but the L28 turbo set up needs some work to get running properly.

Most of the cosmetic stuff is simple enough, but I get alot of people telling me to invest in an R32 swap instead of restoring what's sitting inside of it right now.

I've been a fan of the silvia since the initial D thing but never had the opportunity to fully experience one. I've driven a clean 280z and loved it.

Thanks man, I'll keep the advice in mind !

Yeah I've been told restoring the S30 would take alot of investment and time. Is it really difficult to find parts for that car in the city? Can you get parts shipped in?

I'm getting one side saying parts for the Z will be almost impossible and another side saying it's still manageable :heckno:

Mostly looking to invest in something I'd wanna keep as a daily driver but something I'd hold on to for awhile haha. Of course I did have some fun in a 240sx and learned alot in that car when it came to rear wheel drive fun... :agree:

i think I forgot to mention guys.. I have like 2 S30's sitting in my yard and a shit ton of parts LOL. I know how expensive a clean 280z can be, so I wouldn't be considering this if I didn't have the parts already to do it..

It's more of is the time and investment worth it over picking up and S chassis.

In my mind YES, but then again I never really got the opportunity to work on a silvia

These are the exact cars I'll have to deal with.. The silver one's got a hole in the floor and the rocker panels on one side are rusted out, but the L28 inside it runs and starts up just fine. The tri tone one has a turbo set up but needs some work to get it started. The body and all the cosmetic stuff wouldn't be a problem, no major rust anywhere that would make it difficult to get through safety.