1978 280zx - what is a good deal?

[cvp911t]

I'm located in Dallas, TX - the car is in Louisiana - so these guys are asking $5900 for it. I'll be going out there this weekend to give it a closer look, although the rust bubbles (and the pics I've seen at zhome) make it a risky proposition. I'm thinking rust is an expensive fix....do you tend to keep the original panels, or just replace them?

I'll take some pics and bring them back. Most of the $10k+ cars I've seen are restored 71-73 240z cars....most of the 280z's I've seen run between $2-7k...where the $7k is no rust, with all records. But I don't even see any here in TX. I'm thinking below $3k would be the value, but doubt that they'll go that low.

So electrical/mechanical - on a test drive, what are the things I should look/feel for (for some reason, zhome.com doesn't work for me)?

[ecp48]

CVP911T,

I know what it is to have the Z itch, but after watching the lists, ebay, etc. You ought to be able to find a good one in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In the alternative, look at New Mexico or Arizona, less rust.

[Marty Rogan]

I'm located in Dallas, TX - the car is in Louisiana - so these guys are asking $5900 for it. I'll be going out there this weekend to give it a closer look, although the rust bubbles (and the pics I've seen at zhome) make it a risky proposition. I'm thinking rust is an expensive fix....do you tend to keep the original panels, or just replace them?

I'll take some pics and bring them back. Most of the $10k+ cars I've seen are restored 71-73 240z cars....most of the 280z's I've seen run between $2-7k...where the $7k is no rust, with all records. But I don't even see any here in TX. I'm thinking below $3k would be the value, but doubt that they'll go that low.

So electrical/mechanical - on a test drive, what are the things I should look/feel for (for some reason, zhome.com doesn't work for me)?

$5,900 sounds pretty high for a car that has rust. For that price, I would expect the car to run and drive well, have decent paint and only have some minor things to fix. Keep looking. There are lots of Z Cars that come on the market. Be patient and wait for the right one. You won't be sorry. Check all of the Z Car websites weekly (daily). Check here: http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/ Ther are 47 240Z's and 76 280Z's available right now. Don't be afarid to call on cars in the rust-free zones. Several members here have offered to look at cars in their area for other club members. I know I have done it. The cost of a 1 way airline ticket could be substantially less that the cost of rust repair.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt!

Marty

[chickenwafer]

I agree with mlc240z- location is a big factor. On the east coast, where it is frequently wet and snows (thus salting of the roads in winter), older cars that are prone to rust are harder to find. Around here, I could expect a 280Z with absolutely NO rust to command near 15K. I am talking mint, pretine, factory condition, however.

But $5,900 getting back to the topic, $5,900 sounds good with that low of mileage on the engine. An engine swap is a big thing, however, and if done inproperly can result in a major safety hazard. Make sure to have your mechanic check out the drivetrain, motor mounts, etc to see if it was installed properly. Also, unless it's the same type of engine the car came with, you might have trouble registering it with an insurance company. My buddy has a 1992 Ford Mustang that originally came with a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder but we recently swapped in the 5.0 V-8. The insurance company couldn't understand because the VIN matched a 4-cylinder base model Mustang but we had a 5.0 in it with 4.11 rear end and he ended up having to pay some kind of custom insurance thing with high premiums even though he's never been in an accident and only like 1 speeding ticket. Ask the owner if the engine swapped in is the same type of engine that oringally came with the car. The OEM engine is an L28, but he could have swapped in a number of different engines, but the most likely is an L28ET- a 280ZX turbo motor. When you register with insurance they sometimes ask for engine plate numbers too, but rarely. If they don't match up with the VIN, you're looking at higher payments more likely than not.

Dave

[cvp911t]

So I went to see the car...here's the story. It has been repainted, reupholstered, and the engine rebuilt, all by a local Nissan dealership. Previous owner spent a lot of money restoring it.

I drove the car...of course the suspension is soft, and the car definitely needs a tune-up. But other than that, it tracks true, and seems to go. Attached are the good pics:

[cvp911t]

Here are pics of interior and the good shots of the motor:

[MikeW]

Attached are the good pics:

That big rear bumper is really shiny. Notice how well the license place reflects in it.

[cvp911t]

I've highlighted areas of concern.

Pic 1 - wondering if this is just corrosion from the battery...looks like it. The other side of the car (in this area) has no such corrosion.

Pic 2 - Drivers side door (lower) - what's the crap there?

Pic 3 - between driver's side quarter panel and door. Just a spot there...at least on the surface

Pic 4/5 - Rust spots right below windshield wipers. It's a separate panel, so severity isn't as same as the frame or something.

[cvp911t]

This is stuff I found snooping around in the engine bay. Some of it looks to be frame, but not sure. Most shots are taken looking down from the top of engine bay...so gray areas are pretty much floor.

So this is all I could see. What do y'all think?

[cvp911t]

Think this is a bad buy at $5k?

[Zrush]

Any undercarriage shots? I think 5K is not to bad. Start pointing out those spots you question to the seller. Maybe offer him 4K. I would never buy ANY Z without lifting the battery. I think it's a nice car.

Good Luck

Vicky

[e_racer1999]

chickenwafer - our cars' vins don't specify the engine. unless the person inspecting the car is knowledgeable aboutZs, he/she won't be able to tell.

that car is pretty damn clean.