Hello, my name is Luke and I need some advice before I go getting a 240z. A Z car has been my dream car ever since I got into cars, and I am now excited that I now have the oppurtunity to get one!!!

Basically, I have the oppurtunity to purchase a Datsun 1971 240z 4-Speed. The car is over in California where my brother lives. I live over in Tennessee and would have to figure out how to get it over this a way. The guy is asking $700 for it. It has a little over 90k miles on it, engine and transmission have recently been rebuilt. It looked to be in very good shape for what it is. It is all stock. Parts of the car do need to be put back on. It comes with a few spare parts also. It does need new carpet, a rear window, and for the carbs to be sync'ed. No body rust found anywhere.

Is there anything that I should know about this model? Is it a year not to get? Are their any recommened things to do it? Certain stock parts that are poop and need to be canged out? Is the price to high?

What I want to do with this car, is just keep it original. Just get it tuned up and looking like it just came off the production line. Most I might do is get a triple carb kit, and a new exhaust.

I have 14 pics here. The car is a little messy, but my brother says that a goods day cleaning will do the trick. All the stuff inside is just all the parts that need to be put back on the car and all the spare parts that it comes with.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z014.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z013.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z012.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z011.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z010.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z009.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z008.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z007.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z006.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z005.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z004.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z003.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z002.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42...sun240z001.jpg

The car does need a little work. All the work that I can see and that my brother tells me is atm, a'ok. I know that something that is 35 years old is going to have a few things that needs replacing.

your links don't work, sorry

No post edit around here for opening thread post?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z014.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z013.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z012.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z011.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z010.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z009.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z008.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z007.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z006.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z005.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z004.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z003.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z002.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/red_dog007/datsun240z001.jpg

Luke,

Well, $700 for that is a pretty good deal to me.

But, get under the car. Check the floorpans, the frame rails from the radiator back to the underside of the seats. Check up under the battery box. You really want to give this thing the exam of its life for rust. Because they rust like mad in the wrong environment.

Any year S30 Z is a good year in my opinion as long as its not rusted beyond reasonable repair expense.

Parts are available but you will have to find them new or used. Some things are no longer available new but there are plenty of sources for used stuff.

Its been repainted of course and may need it again. But that's down the road for you if you get it.

I'd love the chance to have it myself.

Dont hesitate to ask more questions and search the archives also.

Good luck,

Chris A.

The only question I would have would be the thickness of the paint. The shot of the data plate at the door opening shows that the prep work on the car wasn't to great-that doesn't mean it is a bad situation, only that a little more investigation is in order. Fresh paint, fresh bodywork-sometomes freshly covered rust. That said, there are enough parts on the car that I agree with Chris, if the floors and the rails check oout(with a look inside the areas covered by the interior trim panels(ds rear quarter(antenna hole), dog legs, and rockers) you would probably be doing very well, and I wouldn't mind having the chance myself.

Will

Wow, what's the deal with the steering wheel? I've never seen one like that. Here's a pic (courtesy of Arne) of the early compared to the one on this car. Anybody got a clue to what's going on here?

Definitely not the correct steering wheel. A car with that production date would have had the steering wheel with the holes in the spokes, not the one with the indentations.

But you know what? That is totally a non-issue. The proper steering wheels (should you decide to go that way) are easy to find. Shoot, I've got one off my parts car in the garage right now. And so do plenty of other people. A bigger issue is the non-original color, but that can be corrected as well.

The short version is that while you can probably expect to find a little rust hidden in that car when you really get into it (there's virtually no such thing as a TOTALLY rust-free early 240Z), for $700 that is a darn good start. Of course, you'll need to add several hundred more to get it transported across the country, but it's probably still well worth it.

Hey Arne, what got me curious isn't that it has indentations or not but that it has one long indentation.

Hey Arne, what got me curious isn't that it has indentations or not but that it has one long indentation.

Edit - Rather lame un-informed remarks edited out.

But again, the steering wheel is of interest to us as a curiosity, certainly not an issue on whether or not to buy this particular car.

That steering wheel is from a 280Z, possibly a 260 as well.

That steering wheel is from a 280Z, possibly a 260 as well.

DOH! Man do I feel silly. I guess I haven't really looked at a 280 in a while. I went back and edited out my rather mis-leading comments above.

But I say again, the steering wheel is not really important. It looks like a good car for the money.

Of course, you'll need to add several hundred more to get it transported across the country, but it's probably still well worth it.

Yeah, that is what I am debating atm. This question is holding back my purchase. I have done some door to door car shipping quotes. I have gotten about 10 of these and the average is $1,000 with the cheapest at $800.

Then I have the option to fly out there, fix it up with my brother, and then drive it back. I have already done the searching, and for $1000 I can fly out to California, drive it back ($3/gal avg), feed myself, stay in a cheap motel, get home and immediatly change the oil for <$1,000. Though the road trip could turn out to be a disaster.

I will have my brother look a little more for rust. Shouldnt really find too much. The car has been on the California cost. Temps there are always in the 70's for high and in the 50's for the low. Plus it has been in the garage the entire time the second owner had it. (If I get it, I will be the third owner)

Just recently it was moved outside because the dude moved out of his house and put it outside. Has yet to pick it up. Only been outside a short time and the time that it has, it has had a skirt over the top of it.