This Homebuilt 2JZ-Powered 280Z Is a Hands-On Labor of Love

Prior to Rudy Gomez even knowing what a Datsun was, he was smitten with the brand’s legendary 240Z, even going as far as trying to purchase one of his own but ultimately landing behind the wheel of a 240SX. He’d eventually offer up that S-chassis for trade and as if fate had stepped in, someone reached out to him about a 280Z they were interested in parting ways with.

At that time, in 2018, Rudy wasn’t even aware that Nissan included a 280Z in its storied sporty family tree, but a quick search revealed that it shared virtually the same sleek body lines as its predecessors. This particular Z was pulled out of a garage during a construction job; the contractor inquired about the car that had obviously been sitting for years and the homeowner explained that it was her fathers and that she had no use for it, offering it up for free.

The Z was happily accepted and handed down to the contractor’s son to restore. That never fully transpired and the trade for Rudy’s running and painted 240SX was the perfect deal for both sides. Once Rudy hauled it back to his home garage, he got right to work. “It didn’t run and it needed a little bit of everything,” he says. “I got it running decently, though, with a few hundred dollars for a water pump, plugs, wires, and cap and rotor, but the main fix was the mass airflow sensor.”

Back on the road, Rudy enjoyed the car in stock form, though he admits it wasn’t without its flaws, as he notes, “It made me cry a little every time I drove it, not because I was happy or sad, but because the fumes entering the cabin were burning my eyes!” The unwanted passenger was remedied by replacing the taillights and hatch seals and with that, he began taking note of what sort of custom changes he’d be making. “At first all I wanted was smaller bumpers, a chin spoiler, coilovers and a set of Konigs,” he states. “I started with the chin spoiler but after showing my wife a million photos, she talked me into some more extensive mods.”

Those mods revolved around getting the car exceptionally close to the pavement on command after seeing a rendering on Instagram by The Kyza. “I was immediately inspired by its ‘on the ground’ styling,” he recalls. “Next thing you know, I came across a baby blue 280z that had air suspension (Oscar from Zociety) and this car made me realize that I had to put mine on the ground too.” With help from Iceboxxcustoms, the car’s BC Racing coilovers were supplemented with a Universal air bag conversion.

During this initial build-up phase, Rudy took on the paint and body duties himself, opting for a two-tone mix of Ford Stealth Grey combined with Nissan’s Magnetic Black. One area that required outsourcing involved some very wide, custom Watanabe wheels he wanted love20bee to create for him. Once those were added, he enjoyed the car for a year in that state, but it wouldn’t be the last time he’d paint the Z, or turn to love20bee for a custom wheel concoction.

Rudy eventually pulled the car off the road and began a whole array of changes that began with the exterior after he found a G-nose for a steal, but it was rather rough, likely involved in a collision at some point. Applying his DIY skills, he reworked the fiberglass to bring it back to life before turning his attention toward other bothersome body issues that he took the time rectify.

During that time, he also sourced a 2JZ-GTE VVT-i engine, which he notes was just a fraction of the cost required to purchase one these days. With MkIV Supra mounts and a custom tubular crossmember created by mike321, Rudy installed the cross-platform power plant and mated it to a non-turbo W58 transmission which he says required no tunnel modifications to fit. Then, he pulled it all back out and proceeded to shave the engine bay and wiper cowl, and clean and undercoat the car’s belly.

While the engine was on the stand, he tore it down and replaced all gaskets, seals, and accessories without any prior experience. He adds, “fortunately there’s enough content online supporting the JZ platform and that’s a huge reason why I decided to go this route.” Once reinstalled, a custom turbo manifold was bolted in place to top mount a Borg Warner S300sxe and TiAL 44mm waste gate.

Custom intercooler piping with minimal bends pass through the car’s front end while the exhaust path is kept short, aiming straight up and through the hood with wastegate gases following suit. Power checks in at about 400 horsepower which is far more than enough to motivate the lightweight ’70s chassis and it remains reliable on a completely stock long block.

Rather than settling for standard flares that any other Z might use, Rudy opted for a set of hand-rolled flares from Thailand that love20bee was able to supply. Look closely at the body-to-flare relationship and note that Rudy worked some metal magic to make the transition a little more natural. Under the flares today you’ll find yet another love20bee creation, this time based on OEM 280ZX Turbo wheels that were dissected and rebirthed as three-piece wheels in 17×10.5 fronts and 12.5 rears, both using -39 offsets.

Unsatisfied with universal hood vents on the market, Rudy decided to create his own out of steel, which he tells us didn’t work out and after investing quite a few hours, ended up in the trash. Rather than give up, he gave it another shot, this time using molding clay on a slab of granite to gradually shape the style he was after and create a mold.

That sort of one-off work continues to the rear of the Z where a Victory wing was cut down and leaned back before being cut into three separate pieces to mold to the hatch and rear quarters. Just below, he modified 240Z taillight bezels to accept a set of 3D printed taillight housings by Jvillagran. Drop your view down a little lower and you’ll notice a custom roll pan of sorts courtesy of a Datsun 720 pick-up truck’s tailgate sheet metal cut to size and mounted.

The front half of the interior is mostly classic Z vibes with reupholstered Recaro vintage seats, woodgrain 240Z steering wheel and matching Hakone Motorsports shifter, though modern bits include a custom switch panel that Rudy came up with that also houses a trio of AEM gauges in addition to the Speedhut gauges that replace the stockers. The middle portion of the cabin is occupied by an AutoPower roll cage with fire extinguisher and the air system’s tank, with a 15-gallon fuel cell taking up the cargo area. All the above is mounted over a fresh carpet kit to revitalize the almost 50-year-old interior. “I really love having an interior even though it’s really just an overpowered go-kart,” he says.

No one can tell you about the fine details of a deep build like this 280Z better than the person that built every single part of it—more than once. Builders like Rudy with such a dedicated hands-on approach that includes everything from fabrication to paint and body, engine swapping, and more are in a class of their own. And there’s still more on the agenda, as he adds,” I don’t think it will ever be done one hundred percent, but I’ll continue to enjoy the process. For now, my plan is to switch to E85 and upgrade the engine management.”

Engine 2JZGTE VVTI; MkIV Supra engine mounts, mike321 tubular crossmember; Borg Warner S300sxe turbo; custom top mount turbo manifold, intercooler, 3-inch piping; TiAL MVR 44mm waste gate; 15 gallon fuel cell, PTFE AN6 lines; Koyo radiator; Trust air filter; Wiring Specialties engine harness; relocated battery

Drivetrain MkIV W58 transmission; short shifter; Driveshaftpro custom AL driveshaft

Suspension BC Racing coil overs; universal air bag conversion by iceboxxcustoms; polyurethane bushings; Autopower “street” roll bar; Garage Theory front/rear shock tower bars

Braking Toyota 4-piston front calipers; Altima rear disc conversion; Stoptech discs, pads

Wheels & Tires 280ZX Turbo “snowflakes” converted to 3-piece by love20bee 17×10.5 -39 front, 17×12.5 -39 rear; Toyo Proxes R888R 235/40 front, 244/40 rear

Exterior two-tone Ford Stealth Grey and Nissan Magnetic Black paint; G-nose front end; Marugen Shoukai Works front lip modified to match fenders; custom fender flares hand-rolled in Thailand; Victory rear spoiler modified; custom formed hood vents; shaved wiper cowl; 3D printed taillights by Jvillagran; modified 240Z taillight bezels; Datsun 720 tailgate custom fitted to rear

Interior Recaro vintage seats reupholstered; Buddy Club harnesses; 1973 240Z steering wheel; Hakone Motorsports woodgrain shift knob; carpet kit; Speedhut gauges

Thank You huge thanks to Matt and Kleo at love20bee for immense support during the process of this build and the rest of the “95Z FAM”,you guys reall