1979 Datsun 280ZX

This 1979 Datsun 280ZX was raced from 1980 through 1983 by Jim “Fitzy” Fitzgerald, Paul Newman’s close friend and teammate. Fitzy remains the winningest driver in SCCA history and campaigned this 280ZX in C Production as well as IMSA GTU, including appearances at the C Production Runoffs in 1981, 1982, and 1983. The car has belonged to Adam Carolla since 2009, during which time it was raced by him at the Monterey and Sonoma Historics. A notarized letter from Fitzgerald’s wife is included along with a letter from the previous owner, who purchased the car from the Fitzgerald family. This Nissan vintage racer is now being offered for sale with a current SCCA logbook. Jim Fitzgerald was given this 280ZX in 1979 after racing Bob Sharp’s then-new 280ZXs that year. The car was prepared by Fitzgerald’s crew in North Carolina for competition in the 1980 season. Photos of the current and Proformax livery the car wore in period are included and shown in the gallery. This historic racer has been restored and is currently finished in the Tricolor livery worn during GT2/GTU competition. Carolla’s name has been added in white script over the driver’s door. Photos of the car both during Carolla’s ownership (top) and in period (bottom) are included in the sale. The car also made several magazine appearances while being campaigned by Fitzgerald and was featured in a Panasport advertisement wearing a variation on this same livery. The cabin remains close to its period specification, with a modern Sparco Corsa fixed back seat, blue Sparco harnesses, and a quick-release Sparco steering wheel added for safety. Instrumentation includes a centrally-mounted tach, dual oil temps gauges, a large shift light, and an air-fuel ratio module affixed to the dash. Safety equipment is said to be up to date except for the harness, which expired in 2016. The transmission is a Nissan Competition Option 2 Direct-Drive 5-speed manual with a dogleg first gear. Power comes from an L28 2.8L inline-six, with documentation of its current specifications included in the gallery below. The current build includes the following: L28 blocked overbored .040″ and fine honed Block decked and line-honed L28 OEM Forged crankshaft which has been balanced, nitrided and magnafluxed Carrillo L24 rods Cosworth L28 + .040″ pistons Piston domes custom machined and fitted to combustion chambers with valve clearances for cam Custom camshaft with NMS adjustable sprocket, valve spring retainers and lash pads Malvern Racing stainless steel L28 intake and exhaust valves Chamfered headbolt holes Custom oil system OEM 280ZX Turbo oil pump with NMS springs and shimmed relief valve N42 “Square Port” heads, fully ported Port matched intake manifold Detailed built notes are included with the sale and are pictured in the gallery. Several additional lift are shown in the gallery. The suspension includes Koni coilovers at all four corners. A set of “Designated Hitter” decals can be seen in the gallery, a reference to Fitzy’s 1980 C Production runoff appearance, where he hit Freddy Baker’s Jaguar XKE on the first lap and was disqualified. According to the story surrounding the sticker, Fitzy was given a “Designated Hitter” nametag at dinner the night before the race. Though he was not told directly to hit Freddy Baker, he evidently took the nametag as permission to do so. Other documentation includes: A full page Camel GT advertisement Several IMSA GT and Camel GTU race reports from 1981 SCCA SportsCar Magazine from 1983 with the car on the cover Restoration photos Film negatives Several magazine articles and press mentions of the car The car has been maintained by Carolla’s mechanics during his ownership, with a service performed each time it was raced.