Here is another example of just how special the Z is…people may buy a new car every 7 to 8 years. This 280Z isn’t just a car, it has been in the family since day one in 1978. ZCG met this Z family in the summer of 2008 when it was time to get it back on the road after a few years of sitting. We went down the wants and needs list and brought this Z back from a fixture in the garage to a sporty Z ready for a drive to the store or down the coast. Since their last visit, owners Larry and Ruth had a whole new list for us and this time it was to work on the interior.

We met at the shop and talked about different options for seats and interior items. The dash was removed and sent out for restoration and when it came back we replaced all the gauge lights with updated LEDs. We polished all of the plastic covers, resealed all the heater ducts, and lubed all the heater cables. We also serviced the heater core, replaced all the heater hoses and anything easily accessible while the dash was out.

Now for the good part, choosing seats. This is another ZCG first: a set of RECARO LXFs in leather!!! Yes, you read correctly! Leather. There was a tag on the box explaining that RECARO has their own cattle ranch with no barb wire fences and that all RECARO leather is perfect. These seats are not vegan friendly. Comfortable and very sexy, YES!

To complement the seat choice we picked a custom carpet kit and leather for the new door panels and headliner. Another nice touch was the new door panel trim matched the other door panel parts perfectly. More highlights include a new factory center console fitted with an updated HD headunit, MOMO steering wheel, and custom shift boot (Ruth’s choice).

Finally a set of powder-coated louvers and a full detail really make this 280z standout. The interior work was performed by Vargas Auto in Sunnyvale where owner Ron has been around classic cars and Datsuns for a long time. His father used to install all the dealer add-on vinyl tops on PL510s for Downtown Datsun back in the day.

With the interior beautifully finished and attention to little details Larry and Ruth’s special 280z is ready for the road!

Long Live The Z!
Rob

Check out the gallery for more interior detail shots
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