Just getting started.

[ryan.mac]

Alright, so here's the deal: vintage Z-cars are quite simply a thing of beauty. I'm a college student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I saw my first one several years ago during my freshmen year on the bus route to campus. It looks like it's got patches and crap all over it, but just the shape of the body and the long, long front hood just drew me in.

Having said all that, the car I drive now is anything BUT a Z-car. So, within the next year or two, I'm looking to purchase an old 240Z or 260Z, but I honestly don't know what to look for when buying one of these. I'm expecting to pay about 2 grand for a car like this, and expecting to be putting in a lot of hours of maintenance overhauling this thing. Is that the price range I should be looking for, what kind of work can I be expecting to do on this car when I get it, and (most importantly), what should I be looking for when purchasing the car?

So, I've got an idea that the first thing I need to do is look for rust just about everywhere. I'd like to know, though, where I should be looking: I've got this crazy idea that the frame is kinda important, but besides that, what are the most prevalent places to find rust, how much rust is too much, what's the deal-breaker, etc. Second, it'd be nice if the car was still running, but if not, I don't think it'd be that big of a deal, as long as there's not a rod sticking out the side of the engine block or something. Should I have a mechanic come and look at the car before I buy it, if it isn't running, to tell me what all I would need to do to get it up and running? I mean, I've got a buddy of mine who's done just about anything and everything I can think of to his '04 GTO, so I could get him to come look at it, but I don't know if he'd be able to diagnose something as serious as the car not starting.

Is there anything else I should be looking for besides this? I'm what you'd call an amateur at most of this, so I'm probably forgetting something fairly important in all this. Anyways, any help any of you could give would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[ryan.mac]

Actually, I just found another thread that talked ad nauseum about rust in old Z's, so I guess I don't really need as much help with that now as I do the other stuff I mentioned earlier. The link to the article I found is below. However, I'd still like to know, out of the rust they talk about in this article, which of those would be the most difficult to have repaired, and which spots would more than likely be the most expensive to have replaced or patched up.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21927

[Carl Beck]

Hi Ryan:

I've tried to answer most of your questions - by writing some articles on various subjects. They are on the Internet Z Car Club's (IZCC) "Home Page" at ZHome.com

See: <a href=http://zhome.com/Classic/CommonZRust/RustPrevention240Z.htm TARGET=NEW> For Common Rust Area's</a> and a discussion of them.

My best advice is to shop, shop, and shop some more... look very closely at several 240-Z's, and keep notes about what you find on the various cars...

Then go take out a loan if necessary - and buy a truely good, solid, all stock example. Today if you shop enough in Texas you should be able find one in the $5K to $7K range. That car you can actually drive and preserve... Instead of saving pennies per month to put into the car along with all the hours of work it takes.... spend the same time working for CASH to pay for a good car to start with.

In the end - you'll be FAR better off and you'll have far less money in the car... In my humble opinion the ONLY people that should start with a 240-Z worth $2K - are people with enough financial resources to spend an additional $25K in cash, on it within a year or two. - and who simply love doing the restoration process themselves.... If you want a car to drive and enjoy, don't even think about attempting a refresh nor restoration process on a shoe string... it will lead to total frustration and a financial burden you can't bear...

At any rate - you have very good taste in Classic Cars...

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[ryan.mac]

Wow. First off, thanks for the forward. The pictures in the article look like an excellent key as to what I actually need to LOOK for when looking at a used car, and the diagram at the beginning is a good indication as to WHERE I need to look. That's exactly what I needed.

Also, thanks for the advice on shopping around. I've got one I've been looking at, but from what I said before, it really is a fixer-upper, probably one of those 25k projects that's a little over my head right now.

Thanks again for the advice!