A/C and purchase question

[spasso]

Greetings all Z people! I am looking to buy my first Z after many years of wanting one. I am looking at HLS30363248, '77 Manual. The car is in decent condition, the rails and floorboards are nearly rust free but the car does have surface rust and missing front hood emblem. The interior looks 25 years old but the clock works.

Anyway, I am wondering about the A/C. Did all these cars come with A/C and if not, how can you tell if it is factory or not. This car has a compressor on/off switch down in front of the gear shift to the far right of the hazard light switch and rear defrost switch. The thing that makes me wonder is the switch rocks left to right, instead of back to front like the other 2 switches it is near. This car makes me excited just sitting in it and starting it up. Hope to actually drive it this week sometime.

This car is a tan/gold color, is that an original color? I will be checking for engine/head numbers before I drive it. The price on the windsheild is $1850 so the cash price will be lower.

What else should I look for or more specifically what should I be getting for this much money for this car?

Sorry for the long post ( :sleep: ) and thanks for any advice/info!!

[2ManyZs]

If the car came with A/C from the factory it should have a position on the vent control on the far left for A/C. It should be right above the temperature control. If not this is probably an aftermarket add on A/C system. If it is there then perhaps someone wired up the control direct to save money by not bying the factory switch. I think A/C was an option in 77, not standard equipment.

1850 sounds like a fair price for a 77 if it is in good mechanical condition. It sounds like you have looked the car over pretty well, in terms of rust. Be sure to check under the battery tray for rust, and check the strut towers. If the outside of the body looks good, you should take a small refrigerator magnet with you and try to stick it on the rocker panels, and around the wheel well lip. If it won't stick it is a sign of prior rust that has been fixed(?) with bondo. Also check the lower front fenders. Also, look at the back of the bumpers as these were prone to rust out from the inside.

I believe there was a tan or gold factory color but I'm not sure of the true color name, or the paint code.

Other than rust, take it for a long test drive and check for any noises, funny handling traits etc. Good Luck.

[jcdozier]

SPASSO:

Noticed you're in Greenville, SC. When you start looking for parts - and you will - you may want to try the Z Barn in Tennessee before looking elswhere. MSA is on the west coast, Victoria British and Courtesy Nissan are in the midwwest. Sometimes the freight surpasses the cost of the parts.

Unlike MSA, which offers mostly new parts, Z Barn has acres of used parts - some new as well. Take a look at www.zbarn.com. There are other sources out there as well, but not many east of the Mississippi and convenient to us here in SC.

[spasso]

Thanks Jim, and go Tigers!

'97 BS Civil Engineering

I also heard Zedd Findings (datsunzparts.com) is good for the east coast too... do you have any dealings with them?