Should I Buy?

[jkjelgaard]

I'm looking at a '72 240z, one owner, 173,000 miles (engine rebuild at 90,000).

The interior and floor is excellent, paint is fair (silver). Rust on top of right fender (starting to bubble), Rust around rear wheel wells and the rear corners of the rocker panels are rusting through. Dual carb set-up, no tranny work ever done. Is $1700 a fair price? Any info. or opinions greatly appreciated. thanks.

[Bambikiller240]

Rust doesn't go away by itself. How much of the repair work can you do? How much would need to be farmed out($)? How extensive is the rust in the locations you see? Are you sure you have seen it all? or do you just want to drive it into the ground as is? The answers to these questions will get you further down the road to a decision.

It all depends on your skills, desires, & plans for the car.

FWIW,

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Carl Stahlnecker

72 240Z "Bambikiller"

HLS30-55703 11/71

cstahlnecker@hotmail.com

bambikiller240@altavista.com

[Guest Savvy]

It's a DATSUN 240 Z FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! BUY IT! Rust isn't an issue with these cars unless it's going through the frame rails or in the shock towers. the rest can be remedied in various ways: rust sealant, aluminum sheet metal patches (I suggest this), or good ol' sand paper with some rust-proof paint. But buy the car. I just bought a Z for $500. That's canadian dollars. Something like $300 US. The guy who sold it to me is a lunatic for selling it for that cost. I guess I sound like a lunatic too, but it's a VERY COOL sports car for under $2000. Not a problem in my books.

[Mike]

What? Are you nuts? Rust is a bad bad thing and should be treated seriously. Any rust that is seen at the surface can surely be considered bad because it's usually rotten underneath.

Unless, of course you can live with the rusty areas and just drive the car.

A small rusty area that shows up on the outside of the fender is almost guaranteed to come from a worse source underneath.

It's difficult to get rid of rust permanently. Bondo, rust remover, converters, and sandpaper will work.... only if done properly.

Don't under-estimate rust. Also, don't scrap a project just because it has some rust. You just need to figure out how much time you really want to spend on the "rust" -- rather than the engine, drivetrain, etc.

Just some words of advice from someone who's been there.

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Mike Gholson

1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.