Hakone Motorsports' 1977 Datsun 280Z Shakotan Build

Hakone Motorsports · Datsun 280Z

3-page write-up

Shakotan Z

A 1977 Datsun 280Z built into a Liberty Walk style shakotan project

Hakone Motorsports turned a free orange 280Z, picked up after helping clear a huge Datsun parts stash, into a widebody shakotan-style build inspired by Liberty Walk. The thread covers sourcing a Japanese G-nose and Mizuno Works kit, rebuilding the L-series engine, upgrading suspension and wheels, and a rocky path through two different paint shops before the car was finished and driven to JCCS.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine: Datsun L28 block bored .020 over with flat top pistons, built using an L24/E88 head combination
Camshaft: Custom ground camshaft with new lash pads from Delta
Cylinder head: Hand ported by So Cal Porting, including the intake manifold for triple side drafts
Fuel system: Mikuni carburetors, replacing an earlier set of Webers
Exhaust: Headers coated and heat wrapped, 1 5/8 inch primary headers
Gearbox: 5-speed manual transmission from the sourced L28 drivetrain
Rear axle: R200 differential
Suspension: BC Racing weld-in coilover kit for the S30, plus T3 torsion rods and control arms
Wheels: 16x12 -70 rear and 16x11 -43 front wheels fitted by 5one Customs
Body kit: Japanese G-nose front end paired with a Mizuno Works widebody kit
Front spoiler: Arita Speed front lower spoiler with OEM G-Nose hood hinges
Paint: 904 Kilimanjaro White, applied by RM Collision

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 3

Datsun L28 block bored .020 over with flat top pistons
Rebuilt as the main engine combination for the car
In the shops
Flat Top Piston Set for L24/L26 Engines ↗Z Car Depot· $389.00 USD
Kameari Forged Street Piston Kit for L28 bored to 3.1L (L20 Rods) ↗JDM Car Parts· $1,782.00 USD
Payen Head Gasket Set for Flat Top Block (TR5/TR250/TR6) ↗Racetorations· £35.00 GBP
Hand ported L24/E88 cylinder headSo Cal Porting
Ported and fitted with custom cam and new lash pads
In the shops
CNC Ported & Reconditioned Cylinder Head ↗Lotusbits· £1,600.00 GBP
Cylinder Head Water Fitting - L-Series (L24/L26/L28) ↗The Datsun Depot· $57.00 USD
Race Cylinder Head (TR5-6) ↗Racetorations· £4,300.00 GBP
Custom ground camshaft and Delta lash padsDelta
Fitted to the rebuilt cylinder head
In the shops
Dash Pad (1971-1973 Delta 88 / Olds 98) ↗Chicago Muscle Car Parts - 1969 Camaro· $279.00 USD

Fuel & Ignition 2

Mikuni carburetors
Swapped in to replace the previously fitted Weber carburetors
In the shops
Mikuni Carburetor Conversion Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1,723.25 USD
Mikuni Carburetor Conversion Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1,723.25 USD
Mikuni Carburetor Jet Set for Toyota 2000GT ↗JDM Car Parts· $199.99 USD
Headers, coated and heat wrapped
1 5/8 inch headers coated for heat and appearance
In the shops
Cobalt Ceramic Coated Headers ↗Moss Miata· $694.93 USD
Cobalt Ceramic Coated Headers ↗Moss Miata· $547.00 USD
Header Tank, aluminium, large capacity, black coated, NAR Group ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £424.50 GBP

Gearbox & Drivetrain 1

5-speed manual transmission and R200 differential
Sourced together with the L28 long block as a complete drivetrain
In the shops
High-Torque Starter (Manual Transmission) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $231.50 USD
Manual Transmission/Power Steering ID Plate ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $4.45 USD
Differential Installation Kit, Nissan R200, without Axle Adapters ↗Good Parts· $399.00 USD

Suspension & Steering 2

BC Racing weld-in coilover kitBC Racing
Weld-in coilover suspension kit for the S30 chassis
In the shops
BC Racing DS Series Coilover Kit – Mazda MX-5 NC (N-11-DS-DS) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £1,184.95 GBP
BC Racing ER Series Coilover Kit – Mazda MX-5 NA/NB (N-04-ER) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £1,798.95 GBP
BC Racing ZX Series 3-Way Coilover Kit – Mazda MX-5 ND (N-34-ZX) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £1,959.95 GBP
T3 torsion rods and control armsT3
Installed for full front end adjustability
In the shops
Control Rod ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $17.99 USD
Control Rod ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1.05 USD
Control Rod Lever ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $55.75 USD

Wheels & Tyres 2

Custom stepped-up wheels, 16x12 -70 rear / 16x11 -43 front5one Customs
Faces swapped to go from 13-inch to 16-inch wheels to fill the flares
Advan A3A wheels, 13x6Advan
Originally fitted wheels before the 16 inch upgrade

Body & Trim 5

G-nose front end
Sourced in Okinawa and fitted with a fiberglass bash bar and corner lamp mounts
Mizuno Works widebody kitMizuno Works
Ordered from Japan to pair with the G-nose
In the shops
Cleaning Brush Set (Ohio Brush Works) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $36.99 USD
Arita Speed front lower spoilerArita Speed
Sourced in Japan to complete the front end
In the shops
Arita Speed G-Nose Front Spoiler for Datsun 280ZX ↗JDM Car Parts· $0.00 USD
Arita Speed Front Spoiler for Early Nissan Z31 300ZX ↗JDM Car Parts· $0.00 USD
Arita Speed Works Body Kit for Mazda RX3 ↗JDM Car Parts· $0.00 USD
OEM G-Nose hood hinges
Sourced in Japan alongside the front spoiler
In the shops
Hood Hinge ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $182.04 USD
Hood Hinge ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $179.99 USD
Hood Hinge (L/H or R/H) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $369.99 USD
904 Kilimanjaro White paintRM Collision
Final paint colour applied to the body

Interior 1

Reupholstered seats
Seats reupholstered and trial fitted into the interior

Photos

97 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Shakotan Z. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

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Hakone Motorsports · 2020-08-07T01:44:43Z 2this post at Shakotan Z ↗

How it was done

Finding the car

Hakone Motorsports helped a Datsun parts collector pack up a huge stash of cars and parts before a move, and ended up being given a leftover orange 280Z for free. The car then sat for about a year while another project took priority.

Sourcing the G-nose and kit

Inspired by Liberty Walk's SEMA Z, Hakone Motorsports went looking for a G-nose while stationed in Japan, befriending a shop in Okinawa that helped locate a cheap but rough G-nose and later a Mizuno Works widebody kit, shipped over by a shop contact.

Engine build

A separately sourced L28 long block and drivetrain were combined with an L24/E88 head setup. The block was bored .020 over with flat top pistons, the head was hand ported with a custom cam and new lash pads, and the intake was ported for triple side drafts. Headers were sourced and coated.

Suspension, wheels and chassis repair

BC Racing supplied a weld-in coilover kit, and T3 torsion rods and control arms were added for front adjustability. Wheels were widened from 13-inch to custom 16-inch fitment. A rusted battery tray and cut firewall were repaired with donated OEM metal and outside help from Empire Fabrication.

Interior and body prep

Seats were reupholstered and trial-fitted, the dash was filled and resprayed with SEM texture, and bodywork proceeded toward paint with help on the fiberglass front end, plus early livery renderings designed with input from an Instagram artist.

Paint troubles and reassembly

A first painter did unacceptable work and the owner lost money before pulling the car and parts; a friend handled glass work and the car went to a second painter, West Coast Jones, finishing in Kilimanjaro White. The engine, built on a test stand, was then installed.

Progress so far

With engine and paint complete, the car was driven to the JCCS show and has since been used while Hakone Motorsports continues sorting reliability issues such as tuning the Mikuni carburetors.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Shakotan Z ↗

Worth knowing

On the S30 coilover kit, plug welding the opposing side of the slip joint and welding the bottom gives a stronger install
Accurate cam timing on the L6 engine requires measuring off the valve retainer with a dial indicator rather than relying on standard timing marks