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Bought a salvage 1977 280Z with 325 miles on the odometer. It had been rolled over several times. Bought a 76 280Z at the same auction. It was hit so hard in the right front wheel that it ripped the unibody apart at the cowl. The engine and transmission were sitting there, the mangled front end next to it and the rear clip next to that. Took the two and made one out of them. The only original piece of sheet metal that was used on the 77 was the hood of all things. Had it done but could not find a lower control arm (right front). I waited almost 6 months for the back ordered part to arrive and finally finished the car. Drove it from North Carolina to the Florida Keys to visit my parents and take a vacation.
When I got the two halves 77 front and 76 rear mated together I found out that the wiring harnesses were different. Spent a lot of time figuring out what wire to splice to the one harness to the other.
The car ran perfect until I got halfway to the Florida Keys. I noticed oil leaking out of the bottom from the bell housing. Dang rear seal leak. Do I keep going south or turn around and go back to NC? I kept going. It lost exactly one quart of oil and never leaked another drop, even 3 years after selling it. That remains a mystery to me today almost 40 years later.
I was following a Peterbilt just north of Jacksonville coming back to NC, doing 110 MPH (speed limit was 55) and that truck was still pulling away from me.
regards
Mech
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