Need advice on buying a 240Z

[Mike D]

whats up guys,

Im new here but have always been a huge fan of Z's. In a town close by a 69/70 240 is for sale. It is listed for 3900 and said to be 99% perf.

He mentioned new suspension parts have been added but i dont know if they are aftermarket or not.

Now, with these cars, what common problems should i look for? Is 3900 too high even if the car is in great shape?

I really want to buy a Z but dont want to go in blind. Any comments are more than welcome!

TIA

Mike D

[hmsports]

Seems that an early 240 (69/70) in near perfect shape would easily fetch $3900. Do a search in the forums area - there are a lot of threads that explain what to look for. One in particular is titled "I want to buy a 240z...what should I look for?". There are a couple of responses about rust.

If you are not worried about a perfectly stock Z, you shouldn't have to worry if the suspension replacement parts are aftermarket.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of the Z

[skip260z]

Rust is the number 1 issue. Even if it looks great, rust could be lurking deep in the inner panels or "frame rails." Get it on a lift at a body shop.

Number 2 issue is Previous Owner hacks.. If the PO heavily modded the car, you could have a tough time trying to figure out their engineering vis-vis any Haynes, Chilton, or FSM.

Get to know a good mechanic that can fly by the seat of his pants.

Lastly and before all else, find a Borders or Barnes&Noble in your area and see if they have Wick Humble's "How to restore your Datsun 240Z" book... If you are dead serious, buy it, else - at least sit and read the first chapter in the book. Read and heed his words of wisdom and be careful what you wish for.

[mperdue]

I know first hand that rust can really be a pain. If you don't know what to look for it's not too hard for the PO to hide rust and make it look "solid" to the eye. If you can spend a few bucks on one of those little Rot Spotter things that you can use to probe the metal areas of the car for rust. Go all along the floor boards, mainly up near the firewall, and all around the battery tray area. Check the rear hatch area and along the bottom sides of the car. You'd probably be better off with a much less than perfect car than one in great condition but with major rust problems. Good luck!

Michael