Where Do I Start?

[BunkyScott]

I've have my '72 240 for a while, but just had the time to really start working on it. Here's what it's like...

-great interior, no cuts, clean

-original L24 motor with 103k miles on the odometer

-starts up without hesitation and runs pretty strong

-just replaced all soft brake lines, master cylinder and servo hoses, brakes well

-new plugs, wires, fuel and air filter

-just replaced clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder/boot and shifts well

-body is ok, except for usual rust spots..small hole in floor, where front fenders attach to body

-exhaust is completely rusted, but doesn't sound bad at all

-all bushings are really bad, tie rod boot is almost gone and feels like it's bottoming out when hitting bumps, just shakey all around in terms of suspension

My question is...what next? I don't think I want to do a full restore, just get it running/driving well and then maybe fix the body and get it painted.

Should I start working on the engine (general overhaul, new camshaft maybe?) What't the best way to determine whether the engine is worth it enough to put headers on and new exhaust without doing a full rebuild?

Should I start with the suspension?

I know there are a lot of variables, but wanted to get opinions from the group

Thanks for the help

Bill

[ChrisA]

Hey Bill, if it was mine I'd rebuild the suspension. Then I'd go after the motor. If you want a solid fun driver that's what I'd do. You'd be amazed what a fresh suspension will do for your driving experience.

Chris

[seerex]

I second that opion , you can always add a header and exhaust and reuse them on the next motor or rebuilt unit , but a suspension rebuild helps alot, good luck

[EScanlon]

Personally, I recommend you start with SAFETY items.

That means the brakes, then steering, then suspension, then critical rust, and not necessarily in that order. It all depends on the true condition of each item. If the brakes are "ok" but will need replacing down the line, then fine, address any known problems with the steering, or suspension or...

As far as "souping up" the car to drive faster, harder.....in a car that needs safety issues dealt with....that's a short road to suicide.

I always tell people that want to "fix up" their car to take care of Safety, then all Mechanical and finally Body. Some items are in all 3 categories, some are only in one. But the bottom line it is a real heart breaker to see a beautifully painted car....in the boneyard.

2¢

Enrique

[MikeW]

I would take the car to someone with experience with these cars for a thorough evaluation. When I bought my car almost 20 years ago I did this and came away with a long list of things that needed work in a priority order. I didn't cross some of them off the list for many years.

Someone who knows what they're doing will be able to evaluate your engine and tell you what, if anything, needs to be done to it. If it really is 103K miles and not 203K then it may not require any work. Evaluating the rest of the car will require putting it up on a lift and examining all of the stuff that Enrique mentioned. The suspension components and brake components are obviously important.

[Bambikiller240]

..........and unless you rebuild the engine to put out really high horsepower, adding a header is a waste of money.

[BunkyScott]

thanks all.

I do agree that safety issues come first and the reason I did the brakes before anything.

I think I'll take Mike's advise and bring it to a Z mechanic for a full review. And I'm also hoping that it's 103k, not 203k

[MikeW]

Do you have a Z mechanic in your area? You might ask here for recommendations ...

[26th-Z]

Great advice, everyone.

[BunkyScott]

I'm in the northern/central NJ area and there's a great shop in Passaic, NJ called 777 Auto. They/he specializes in Z cars.

If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

Oh, btw, how do I edit my profile to show what city and state I'm in?

[sblake01]

Oh, btw, how do I edit my profile to show what city and state I'm in?

Click on 'User CP' and then 'edit profile.' Scroll down to 'additional information' and you can add your location from there.

[BunkyScott]

thanks SBlake