Junkyard & "Out to Pasture" Zs

[Montezuma]

Dave,

I spoke to the manager at the junkyard and he was going to sell it to me for $500.00 and I let him know that I had to make arrangements for storage and transportation and it would take me a couple weeks. This junkyard is about an hour north on I-25 from where I live). Since I already had two Zs and was having trouble finding a place to put it, I called and told him that I wouldn't be able to buy the entire car, but I was still interested in some parts and would be back within the next few weeks and he said that was fine. When I returned a few weeks later to buy some parts, he told me the car had been crushed. It was a crying shame because if you look at the pics, there were a lot of good parts left on the car. I was going to buy the black interior door panels, black plastic interior panels, rear hatch strut (still worked) and a few other parts.

One thing I learned a long time ago when it comes to junkyard scavaging is to take the parts then and now, because it almost always ends up being gone when you back or the car get crushed. Out here in San Diego there are always Zs in the local pocket..errr..I mean pick your part.

I didn't start this thread with the morbid intention of asking members to post pics of Zs rotting in the junkyards for laughs (well, I guess Fun In My Z's post would be an exception ), but my intent was more of bringing the cars to everyone's attention so that other members who may live nearby could buy the cars or parts from the cars or check them out for another member, etc so that these cars could be saved or parts could be salvaged before they are crushed and gone forever. Or for the stories that we all can learn valuable lessons from like the '72 240 that I started the thread with.

They do it all the time in old car magazines, so I thought the thread was a good idea.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Don't get me wrong guys. I totaly agree with the idea of letting people know where they are so they can be saved. Hell, I don't like 280's as much as 240's but if I had the chance and funds, I'd be all over that blue and white 280Z in a heartbeat.

Dave.

[lonetreesteve]

Sidewinder has a 77, 79, 82, and one I'm not sure of the year.

Eric

This 280Z was at Sidewinder a couple years ago and was the only one there. Sidewinder is your basic "bring your tools & pick the parts" junkyard like the Pick & Saves around the country. So like what Montezuma was saying earlier, once the good parts are gone, they get crushed. I'm afraid that's what happened to this one below, because the last time I was at Sidewinder it was gone. But it sounds like they have some more 280Zs now.

[Darrel]

Unfortunately pull n save, sidewinder, western, action and the rest of the self service yards near Denver won't sell the whole car any more. The reason I got was they don't have a dealer license.

[Cethern]

Steve

That blue 77 has alot of parts like a splash pan and a early 5spd and some white mesh wheels. The guy at the yard told he would sell the tranny for 350 but the whole car for 700. And like you I don't have a lot of room here at my Apt. It would be nice to have a whole car for my tranny swap that way I get everything I need...

Sidewinder will sell a tranny for 70$ with a 10$ core.

And for some reason I never thought to bring a digi cam with me..:stupid:

Eric

[Darrel]

sidewinder would sell the whole cars now? Thats a switch. They got in trouble a few yrs ago for buying an abandoned car from an apartment complex and the owner reported it stolen after 3 months. apparently he was out of the country and they thought it was abandoned. $350 for a trans is really steep especially at sidewinder. The gear shift would be a good thing to have for a 5 spd conversion. That is if they did use a 5 spd gear shift for the 5 spd. There have been a few that still had a 4 spd shifter in a stock 5 spd 280z.

never mind, i can't read very well. That is one place i have never been to is speedway or the other yards near dacono.

[Fun_in_my_z]

Now having the 5spd in a 240 with a stock 4spd shifter..Talk about a surprise.

[Cethern]

Speedway towing will sell the car. And they want the over priced tranny. Sidewinder wants the 70$ for the tranny.

I have not asked them about the whole car. Do you have to have dealers thing to sell a salvage car?

And why is it that every in every junk yard that I have been into all of the shifter knobs are gone? The Blue one in Steves pic someone cut the shifter just to get the knob...Some where in Denver there is a kid with a butt load of knobs...

[Darrel]

The knobs are probably just like all the badging thieves. Notice how all the badges are already off of the z cars? That's especially true of pull n save yard.

[Fun_in_my_z]

They can pocket them for resale, nothing beats the 5 finger discount.

[Cethern]

My buddy makes fun of me when we come out of a yard as I have picked up a few loose nuts and bolts.. . I don't have a stash of Metric bolts like I used to when I had a FJ-40.

I mite have to make a run to sidewinder and get a few things..before they are gone. What is Mondays weather going to be like?

[Fun_in_my_z]

Its going to be cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey here:)