Newbie

[Mr. ImportGuy]

Hey this is my first post here im looking into buying a 240z to restore and drive daily. I and was wondering if there are any years that are better than others, also how reliable are these cars? Any info would be great!

[240znz]

I'm doing exactly what you are.

It would be a good idea to set aside a couple hours net time to read through the forum section on this site. It has tons of info that will drive you in the right direction. Keep coming back and check new threads.

As far as what model to go for.....one with minimal rust. My biggest fear is not knowing where to look for it when buying, so I intend to go to a Z car club meet so I can chat to a few owners about it....after all they are all friendly.

Reliability.....I can't see why a well restored Z wouldn't be. Almost every part of the 240Z is available new, check out MSA and Victria British for catalogs.

Have fun and remember...Zed not Zee:D

[Dan]

Depends on your location, in southern California where i live 240's seem to be numerous. However in colder climes a 30yrld car is harder to find. The best place that i know of is in those little classified auto papers. I have read that the 72 is the best of the 240's but that is probably a matter of debate ( i own a 72 and love it). You see 30yr old cars will need work, time, money and much of your tears and blood. So if your up for that then welcome, grab your wrench and Hanyes manual and join the class. The 240 is a fine sports car and will give you years of heart pumping performance as long as you are prepared to get under her and get dirty ( i crack myself up no no really i'm here all week) Go get your 240 these guy will set you straight with whatever you need.

[Mr. ImportGuy]

Thanks for the info guys I'll be reading stuff on the site and start looking for my Z.

[beandip]

I Guy , as far as which year of Z is the best you are going to get 100 different openions. I have a '73 and really love it , I suppose if I found a real clean '72 I would go that rout . I really prefer the 240s body and the clean look of early bumpers. I really wouldent buy a 2+2 , thats just a personal prefrence. The early Zs are less complicated and easier to work on if you can do the electronics and injection then look at the 280. Biggest thing is RUST , places to look , in the engine bay look under the area of the battery and behind it , under the rocker pannel of both doors that is the frame on these cars . Look closely for repaire that have been done to the floor from under the car , also open the back hatch and check on either corner where the window dumps water on the sill. Rust repair is expensive the less you have to deal with it the better, also look all over the body and down along the bottom of the fenders for blistering of the paint , that is rust coming through from the back side . Rechroming of bumpers is also costly . A rear bumper new for my 73 runs almost $400. for an example and rechrome can be more. It is better to spend the cash going in on a clean rust free car than doing the catch up rust repairs, because that can run into $1000. and then a good paint job will run $2000. for a good one for a daily driver and more for a show quality job . All the best of luck on your quest .

[Royce]

I think out of the box the '72 240 makes the best daily driver. Reasons being:

1. Newer transmission design, used through the 280ZX. (This is why the console was redesigned and the fuse block was moved to the passenger kick panel, also makes for easy upgrade to 5-speed)

2. Rear sway bar.

3. Diff moved back about an inch (I am not sure if the wheel base is longer or if this is just supposed to correct a problem with the half shalf angle or something, anyone know???)

4. retractable seat belts.

The '70 and '71 series I are probably the most collectable (hatch vents and 240 quarter emblems.)

The '71 series II is very similar to the early cars but doesn't have the hatch vents and quarter emblems. I have fitted the later style trans in mine but it does require modifying the trans tunnel and center console a bit.

The '73 with early carbs can be just as good although the bumpers where slightly redesigned and would be a little safer in low speed accidents.

Bottom line is they can all be good daily drivers and many have been changed with the later improvements over the years so it may be best to go with a rust free (or as rust free as you can find) example of any year.

I am sure I forgot a few things but this gives some general ideas. Corrections, comments and questions are welcomed.

Have fun!

[2ManyZs]

The diff was moved back to correct the problems with the half shaft angles.

As far as I'm concerned there is no bad Z car from 1969-1978. Why do I say that? Simple, take any year car and with a little work you can mix and match parts from all the years and end up with a ride that will satisfy most anyone. The later year cars 1974 1/2 to 78 came with electronic fuel injection and ignition, but it's still possible to convert them to early carbs.

The main thing is to find a chassis that is as rust free as possible (for a car that 24-33 years old) with as many original parts as possible and start to build the car you've always wanted. From stock original to "boy-racer" to all out race cars, a Z is hard to beat for the simplicity and relatively low cost.

As far as reliability is concerned, a well cared for Z will probably last for as long as you are willing to maintain it. Try to find a car that has not had too many modifications done to it, nothing worse than trying to fix up someone else's mistakes. And don't jump at the first car that catches your eye, there are still enough Z's out there that more often than not, you will see something later that may have been the one you really wanted.

[Mr. ImportGuy]

Thanks alot for the info! I'm in MI and there is not many Z's left here, I found a few in IL and my sister lives in chicago so maybe I can go look at some if I go down there. I am willing to put any amount of work needed into the car. I also have acess to almost any equipment I need. My family has had a few cars that were very high maintence so having to spend alot of time working on the car is no big deal to me I love working on cars. This is going to be my first car and project car. I was looking at 510's but saw some slides of my moms old 240z and decided thats what I wanted. So thanks for all the info I'll just keep looking for my Z.

[EScanlon]

I'm partial to 240's but the 260 and early 280 are so similar other than the bumpers and electronics.

Having lived in Michigan, and knowing that you salt the roads, my vote would be to find a car out of the South West, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas.

My wife's 84 Sunbird even with "rust-proofing" and being carefully cared for, by 1990 was showing the beginnings of cancer. I can't imagine what a 30ish car is going to look like unless it's been garaged very very carefully, and literally been pampered. At that point that car is going to be someone's baby and it's going to take a pretty penny to get them to give it up. Unless you find an estate sale and then, well, you know what I mean.

This may sound far-fetched and even somewhat expensive, but in the long run, I think that EVERYONE here will agree that the biggest problem is RUST. Trust me, you can't go too far in trying to get a car with the LEAST amount of rust.

Just my 2¢

[Mr. ImportGuy]

does anyone know how much it cost to have a car shipped?? And how would i go about getting the title changed and stuff like that, if i got the car shipped from another state.

[Mike]

Originally posted by Mr. ImportGuy

does anyone know how much it cost to have a car shipped?? And how would i go about getting the title changed and stuff like that, if i got the car shipped from another state.

My buddy had a Z shipped from Pensacola, FL to Corvallis, OR and it cost him roughly $1,000. It would have been a little cheaper if the car was running. But, they had to push it up on the truck.

[jcdozier]

I've had two cars shipped coast-to-coast (CA to SC) and the cost was $800 for the '71 Z and around $900 for the '67 Mustang. You can search the web and find several auto movers to choose from - sorry, but I don't remember the two different ones we used .

JIM DOZIER