Over the years we have seen plenty of American musclecars with big power, and it always attracts the gearheads like moths to a light fixture at dusk. Every once in a while, though, we find a transplanted American V8 stuffed between the fenders of a car from across the pond.

The Datsun 280Z was always a cool sports car, and did pretty well on it’s own; however countless owners have replaced the inline 6 mills with an SBC to create a budget hot rod. While attending the Pigeon Rod Run, one of our favorite vbloggers, ScottieD, discovered a 280Z that went beyond the simple V-8 swap, it has been transformed it into an all out drag car.

The owner added some musclecar styling to this classic import’s exterior by installing a more aggressive front bumper, drag radials in the rear, and skinnies up front. To top it off, it’s refinished with a Cherry red paint job with black Yenko-inspired stripes complete with Datsun/Z scripted inside.

The interior has been ‘roided out with a roll cage, front buckets, a valve body shifter and a fuel cell. The motor appears to be a big block Chevy with an air scoop that gulps up air resting on top of the carbs.

The Datsun 280Z was a front engine, rear wheel sports car designed as low budget alternative to Porsche, Jaguar or BMW. It was raced against many of these high end sports cars in its day. In the 1970s Japanese manufactures were having a hard time breaking their sports cars and compacts into the American market, which was dominated by V-8 musclecars and sedans.

However after the gas crisis hit, the Datsun 240Z, and later generations like the 280Z, proved to be an excellent low budget alternative to a Camaro or Mustang, complete with the wow factor that seems to be uttered whenever these cars are present. What has been your favorite import-meets-American muscle swap?