Green maybe out-Blue maybe in-Help with costs

[carperson]

Old Z folks (the cars not the people)

Looks like sombody may be buying the "doesn't need much" nice green 240Z I've shown here.

So...there's a "fixer-upper" '76 280Z with an alleged 70K miles, I'm considering.

You know, one of those "pay me now, or pay me later" situations.

Runs and drives pretty darn good. Very tight body and steering, good brakes.

Feels like it may have those 70K miles. Basically sat for the last 4-5 years. Hoses, belts and some gaskets have already been replaced. No leaks, no smoking, some injector clicking.

This 280Z is rust free (always a Central Cal car)...but....there's alway a but...while solid mechanically...needs cosmetics: faded orginal silver/blue paint (won't buff out), no radio at all (sad looking speakers in the doors), needs new carpet thru-out, OK seats and great headliner and door panels, factory air actually works fine (just recharged), heater doesn't, OK tires and stock alum wheels, needs stuff like a nicer steering wheel and shift knob, etc.

Glass and all chrome and trim are good.

Don't want a show car, don't care if it's not all original. Would like a nice "20 footer" daily driver.

What would you guys pay for such a car...and how much am I going to spend fixing this thing up. Looking for very rough ball-park guesses. No. Cal prices.

I'll install the easy stuff, a pro will paint the car.

Hurry, I may buy tomorrow, if the price is "right"...

Thanks

[beandip]

Rust free is the big part . 70K ? If this is true and not 170? And the body is stright. This means no bondo or body dammage that needs to be redone . 6K to 7. So much depends on how complete the car is and how good the interior is from here . If the dash is crack free . If not deduct $500. You were not clear on the interior. If it needs replacing deduct another $3 to $500. that is if you will have it done. Location means a great deal. On the east coast cars like this will bring much higher prices , but here on the west coast they are still more affordable . No salt here. If this is a 2+2 then it is a different breed of cat altogether . Hope this is of some help. Gary

[sblake01]

'Injector clicking?' That's just the normal sound they make as they open and close. You actually want to hear them click. Unless you're talking about valve train noise. But, back to the gist of this thread. Labling it as a 'fixer upper' as you did in your description of it, I wouldn't go much past 3K. You'll spend at least that much again in paint, carpet, upolstery, etc. 6 grand total, would be a good investment in a clean, strong running, but not necessarily show quality 280 IMO. That is more or less the description of my 78. I have about 3K total in mine but I did mine back in 1997.

[carperson]

To answer some of the issues that have been raised:

This 280 is remarkably rust free, and no bondo according to the visual and magnet check. Dash is badly cracked, but covered with nice custom (soft) dash cover. I'll probably hard cap it later. Seats are OK now-actually a combination of original Z back and GM bottom cushions, comfortable for me. Doesn't look correct, but feels good, to me. Carpeting is bad, needs replaced, including hatch area. Needs radio, (and probably speakers). I'll go with a single CD player ordinary generic unit.

No valve train clicking-valves and motor sound fine-just the expected injector clicking (I could have said that better the first time)

Minor stuff needed-center trim hubs for wheels, new steering wheel (old is deterioting foam rim type), new gear shift knob (boot is OK). New radio antenna is with the car, but not installed. Needs new console cover.

Assuming the big mechanical stuff is OK (engine, trans, clutch) biggest expense should be paint, followed by some better tires, followed by interior upgrades, I'm guessing.

The good stuff is the rust-free body, functioning a/c, good steering-brakes- suspension, nice running motor, clutch seems OK, black interior with great door panels and headliner. Just passed smog easily with a brand new cat converter.

Could be 70K instead of 170K looking at the usual car indicators, and some paperwork and documentation.

My biggest concern-the 4 to 5 years it sat, parked outside. The paint, dash and faded carpet, clearly show that. There will probably be some more soft items to be replaced from that inactivity-gaskets, etc.

I'm ballpark estimating $3-4K additional to make this a decent looking, reliable daily driver (fair quality paint job), if there are no major surprises. I expect to pay less than $2K for the car, up front. Always the optimist... :squareeye

If the green one sells, and I buy this blue one, pictures of the start-renovation-and end product will follow. Thanks for the input, so far, gives me some more things to think about.

[Bambikiller240]

Everyone has an opinion, mine is that a car in the condition you describe is worth about $3K - $4K. For the reasons given by sblake01.

[carperson]

Everyone has an opinion, mine is that a car in the condition you describe is worth about $3K - $4K. For the reasons given by sblake01.

I don't disagree with either of you guys. This could well be a $3-$4K car, which is one big reason, IF i can buy it soon for less than $2K, I probably will.

Also trying to build in some "what if I'm wrong on condition" dollar cushion here. Usually only deal with completed cars, not project cars.

The (maybe) bargain purchase could happen for a variety of reasons: I know the seller's family, seller is anxious to get the car sold and literally move to another state, and the car may have some DMV "problems" that I'm more qualified to get resolved than the average guy off the street, since I"m a licensed DMV auto broker and deal with this sort of stuff, daily.

(I'm budgeting $2-$300 in time and money to get those issues resolved-that enters into the buying price equation-and the seller knows that)

Bottom line. I suspect like many old cars it's actually cheaper in the long run to just buy one that's already "done" (the green 240) than one that will need work (this blue 280). But, ethically, potential buyers have first shot at the green Z I'm selling, for my client, and I'll enjoy renovating the 280-even if it ultiimately costs more.

Thanks for the input. Reading the past posts here, some of you guys have clearly "been there and done that" a for a long time, with these project Zs.