1970–78 Datsun 240Z, 260Z & 280Z (S30) chassis

This car is a unibody, so there's no separate frame to replace. The way to modernize it is to upgrade the original suspension, stiffen the body shell and fix the known weak spots.

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Upgrade the original chassis

How it's built: Steel unibody
Front suspension: MacPherson struts with lower control arms and tension (compression) rods, coil springs and a front anti-roll bar. Rack-and-pinion steering.
Rear suspension: Independent rear suspension using Chapman struts, lower control arms and coil springs. The Nissan R-series differential (R180 on most cars, R200 on some later and automatic cars) hangs from a mustache bar at the rear and a mount at the front.
Weak spots: Rust is the main problem: floor pans, frame rails, rocker panels, dog legs, rear wheel arches, the battery tray area and the rear hatch surround all rot. Original rubber bushings, strut inserts and the differential and mustache-bar mounts are usually worn out, and lowered cars suffer bump steer and poor camber.

Stiffening the body or frame? We list 4 kits for this car, such as frame rails, subframe connectors and braces, on its Chassis stiffening page.

Suspension and steering kits for the original chassis

Area	Kit	What it does	Price
Complete kit	Techno Toy Tuning Stage 1 Evolved Suspension Package (S30 - 240Z / 260Z / 280Z)	GTX2 adjustable front lower arms, rear lower control arms and the Ultimate Steering Rack Package.	$2,150 Source
Complete kit	Arizona Z Car Track-Pack Suspension Package (1970-1978 Z)	Billet arms, rear strut housings, coilovers, mustache bar, brace kit and Wilwood brakes front and rear.	$8,500 Source
Coilovers	Techno Toy Tuning Front Coilovers (S30 - 240Z / 260Z / 280Z)	Front coilover conversion for the factory strut layout.	$1,395 Source
Coilovers	Techno Toy Tuning Rear Coilovers (S30 - 240Z / 260Z / 280Z)	Rear coilover conversion for the Chapman strut rear.	$1,495 Source
Coilovers	BC Racing 74.5-78 Datsun 260Z / 75-78 Datsun 280Z (3-bolt) coilovers	Coilover set for later 260Z and 280Z; separate weld-in listings cover 240Z.	$1,410 Source
Rear suspension	Arizona Z Car Rear Lower Control Arms and Stainless Steel Shafts	Billet rear lower arms with stainless shafts and sway bar end links.	$899 per pair Source

Guides for this car

Comparison, Datsun 240Z, 260Z & 280Z (S30)

LS-swapping a Datsun 240Z: what it really costs, part by part

We priced an LS swap for a 240Z, 260Z or 280Z two ways: a junkyard LS1 and T56 for about $10,000 in parts, and a new long block with a Tremec and a modern rear for about $19,000.