wont to buy 260z

[dreamon]

hi I'm looking to buy 260z, I dont know much about the car but I always wonted one, what are the things to watch out for. there's one I've seen it needs new dash board, seats, staring wheel, ceiling and doors need to be revamped asking price is £2500.

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[imhoppy]

The 260 is kind of a bastard z they only made them for a year "in the US "And even then they changed them in the middle of the year I prefer the early ones the look alot like the 240 but i little more advanced in some areas.The later 260 mimics the 280s with the larger bumpers turn signals in the grill etc.etcThere is some things that where on the 260s that SUCKED.

.The carbs are a major pain to dial in once you get them there still only ok. Plus this is the year that the gov made them put in a safety interlock unit.They had so many complaints about it that nissan put out a T.S.B. on how to disable the dam thing.

The best advice is to do a search on buying the early S30s Ill bet there is over a hundred posts with lots of great advice.I would imagine that most of the members on this site had the same questions before they bought thiers.

Good luck

[gogriz91]

If you're in the UK which it sound like you are there are several model years of the 260 with round top carbs and 5-speeds. Look for rust in the floorpans, rocker panels, under the battery tray, and on the lip of the wheel wells. There's a Z car register in the UK that may be able to help you find a good condition 260 for less money. Don't know what their webpage address is but you could probably find it on Google.

[SteveJ]

Even with how scarce Z cars can be, £2500 sounds pretty expensive, especially considering how much you say already needs to be done. I'm not sure how well set the interior parts market is outside of America, but in this country we strip a lot of old Z cars for parts.

Why do you say those parts need to be replaced? Are they in bad shape, or are they missing? What year 260Z? (imhoppy - this poster gave the price in pounds, so most likely he is outside of the US.)

Look for rust, rust, and more rust. Typical places include the following:

floor boards

frame rails (They run almost the length of the car from the firewall back to the rear suspension.)

battery tray (battery acid and metal just don't mix)

rear hatch

spare tire well

lower panels

wheel wells

doors.

If the car hasn't run in a while, you can almost be guaranteed that you'll have to clean out the fuel lines and possibly have the inside of the gas tank recoated.

Unless you have ample room to disassemble the car (in a covered area) or you have a big pocketbook to pay someone to store & work on the car, you might want to take a pass on a car requiring a lot of work.

[=Enigma=]

Everything that imhoppy says is basically true, however the body and most of the runing gear are the same from 70-78 with a few minor exceptions. The part about the carbs is also true if you it still has the stock flat top Hitachi/SU carbs that were used in the 260's and the 73 240Z. However many of these have already been swapped out by previous owners to the earlier 70-72 model round top(dome) SU carbs. Another difference is that half way through the year(1974) they swapped out the bumpers for larger 5mph impact bumpers to meet U.S restrictions so you probably won't see these. These same larger bumpers found their way onto the 280Zs.

The real things you want to consider are what your goals are for the car and how much $$$ it will take to get the car to the point you want it. If you are looking to build a nice driver and don't care about a full, accurate restoration or the resale value, then there's nothing wrong with the 260Z IMHO. However if you intend to do a full restore, and want recoup even a fraction of the money invested, I'd go with an early 240Z. However, you rarely get back what you invested, so whatever you chose to do, enjoy the car cause that's the only "profit" you will get. For more info on the history, differences, value, etc., check out www.zhome.com

[Virto]

The UK 260Z is a completely different animal than the US market car. It was not hampered by the same carbs as the US car, and did not require the larger crash bars mandated by the US.

In the US, the 260Z is a bit of a rarity, but in the UK, the car was produced until roughly 1980, as the UK never saw the fuel injected 280Z that we got stateside. Instead, when the 280ZX was in production, the UK got it as the 280Z.

In any case, frame rails, floorpans, hatch area, battery tray, all areas to examine for excessive rust before buying. Hope she's a good'n and you can live happily ever after.

[gogriz91]

Yeah, the US really got shafted on the 260. The UK got a great deal all the way around with the carbs and the available 5-speed.

[Fun_in_my_z]

Try this...

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18813&highlight=free+260z+good+home

[Daffy Duck]

Sounds like the seller has bumped hi head,bit much for any Zed here in England,240 or 260 if it needs that work done on it,where are you in Englan,im in london so am willing to check out a few zeds when they come up for sale so you dont get ripped of,stick to a late 260z as they are a little bit more refined than the 240s, and just as quick if you put the 240 carbs on them,if you want to compare the 2 different models then if you r down this way it could be arranged

[yungman]

hey wats up. does any one know the sizes of hoses i need formy fuel injection.like air presure hose. ext..

[yungman]

like somehoses r dryroted from thecarsiting so i need new hoses. like the onethat gose from thegas tanks tothefuel pump ext...

[Fun_in_my_z]

Dude you need to start your own thread