Datsun’s 240Z, the original Z car, had a profound effect on the automotive industry when it first released. That effect can still be seen today, where people continue to modify them and even Nissan themselves are making new cars inspired by its design. Regarding the former, one man built a custom V8-swapped, roofless 240Z so nice that Jay Leno saw it on the street and wanted it on his show.

The 1972 Datsun 240Z was purchased by owner James Smith back in 2001 for just $1,000 from a college student. When he got it, it already had the V8 engine and chopped top, but it was a bit rough around the edges, so his goal was essentially to bring the project to completion with the help of his brother and father.

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The cuts from the roof removal were a bit jagged, so Smith started there. He fixed them, did some general bodywork, and repainted the car from its original bright yellow to the muted olive green it is now. Additionally, he added an integrated ducktail spoiler and trimmed some of the rear bumper brightwork to clean up the look a bit. And while the car is more of a roofless speedster than a proper convertible, Smith does have an aluminum hardtop that he traded a Pontiac Fiero for, but he has yet to fit it.

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The interior is almost all original, including the red leather seats, and the only exception to that is the steering wheel, which had its center cushion removed. The car largely rides on its original running gear, but now has new Panasport wheels and wider tires in addition to progressive springs for its shocks. Chopping the roof off led to a reduction in chassis rigidity, so bracing was added at the front and a rollbar was fitted to the rear to regain some of that lost stiffness. And according to Smith, the car still feels stiff and well put together when he drives it, almost as if it still had a roof.

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But the real star of the show with this car is its engine: a bored-out Chevy 350 V8 that now displaces 5.8 liters, hence the car’s its “580Z” nickname. Upgrades include forged internals, a long-duration cam, an Edelbrock carburetor and intake manifold, ceramic-coated headers, and glasspacks, and it now makes around 300 hp (304 PS / 224 kW) compared to the original Datsun engine’s 150 hp (152 PS / 112 kW). All that power is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission, which replaces the 3-speed that came with the car when Smith bought it.

To listen to this car fire up and see it drive, as well as get a more in-depth tour of the build, you can check out the video below.