i am going to school in San Luis Obispo, CA now but home is tacoma, washington. i currently drive an absurd distance several times a year to get my car back and forth and would rather take the train and leave a car in each place.

i got to thinking about what kind of car for washington (as my other is registered in CA now) that would be fun, cheap, easy to work on, and older than 1978 so i can get it registered as a collector vehicle, and get limited mileage liability only insurance to save money. I then of course went craigslist window shopping and found a relative abundance of cheap, good looking, running, licensed Datsun Z cars from the mid-late 70's.

how much effort/cash would i be looking at to get one of these up to daily driver condition? (not a normal person DD, but my kind of DD, it has to work, and not kick my A$$ everyweek with a new issue. (to give you an idea i drive a gutted and heavily modified K5 Blazer daily and back and forth to CA right now)

does this all sound feasible, and for an idea of what im looking at

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/car/570971249.html

Dude that car looks awful....sorry to say, but that is not a walk away but a run away vehicle. If it looks that bad in the pictures I can't imagine what it looks like in person.

allright maybe not the best example, but im looking for one that is cheap (under 1500?) and in drivable condition, and preferably not rusty, as ive dealt with those issues before.

FEASABLE OR NOT? what do you think?

I agree with Zuma.

Spend more time and money trying to find a first class example and you will be rewarded in dividends by a car that never fails to impress you.

Under $1500 might be a stretch though.

These may serve you a little better...

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/car/574042589.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/car/571314930.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/car/570706193.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/car/570016493.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/car/568502314.html

Now you might be asking yourself... "why did he post ads for 79-83 280zx's when I want a 70's car?" ...

Well for one thing, it looks like they're a lot easier to find in your area, and secondly, the engines in the ZXs (i.e. 2nd gen) are basically the same as those found in the mid 70's first-gen Z's ... with only a handful of differences.

'Just some food for thought.

i appreciate the advice, im new to (read: first time really looking at) these cars and this is just what i need, friendly folks willing to give advice and help save me money and frustration later.

the main reason im looking at a 70's Z is for collector registration and insurance purposes, never having to renew tabs or plates is sweet, but i could deal with that. the real killer is daily driver type insurance for a car that i will only drive a couple months of the year, tops. would i be able to get collector insurance for a 79-83 Z? maybe i ought to do some digging.

what am should i be looking to pay (ballpark figure) for a would be DD that could need a little work here and there?

here is an aside---- how quick are these cars, the 240z made like 156 HP from its I6 right? i guess what im asking is, i dont really like 'Normal' (read: boring) cars, function appeals to me a great deal more than form.

I think that finding a Z old enough to qualify for collector tabs and insurance, not rusty, and in a condition that will allow you to get it drivable and reliable in short order will cost more than $1500. A car in that price range is going to have issues. Many will be lacking mechanically, and most (if not all) $1500 cars will have significant rust, even here in the NW. My personal opinion is that what you describe will cost between $4-5k, either up front in a decent car, or in buying the cheapest non-rusty car you can find and then taking care of the mechanical problems that a cheap, non-rusty Z WILL have.

I think that finding a Z old enough to qualify for collector tabs and insurance, not rusty, and in a condition that will allow you to get it drivable and reliable in short order will cost more than $1500. A car in that price range is going to have issues. Many will be lacking mechanically, and most (if not all) $1500 cars will have significant rust, even here in the NW. My personal opinion is that what you describe will cost between $4-5k, either up front in a decent car, or in buying the cheapest non-rusty car you can find and then taking care of the mechanical problems that a cheap, non-rusty Z WILL have.

I concur the with general concencus; The more you raise your budget, the less problematic. Last year I bought an 86 300ZX for $1,900. Overall in good shape, but recently has been giving me some problems here and there. If I would have saved up another grand or so, I think I could've saved myself some grief in the long run.

The 300ZX is my daily, but she is to a degree a project. That is NOT what I wanted upon purchasing the vehicle. By the way, to answer your "how quick" question, a 240Z will do 0-60 in about 8 seconds. a 280Z will do it in about 9. Those are stock stats, but there are other factors that could come into play.

For one thing a early Z must be kept under cover at the least and in a garage, much better. To qualify for a classic car insurance the locked garage is required. By at least all I have checked on. Also as Arne put it, you will be looking at a great deal more than the $1500.00. The insurance companies that are covering classic cars are not interested in what you are describing . Sorry you would be far better looking for a Honda Civic or something similar, for a driver. Gary

Your best bet for cheap would be to buy a truck or truck based vehicle if you are wanting something that old, that cheap, reliable and somewhat decent shape.

Here are two Z cars though in your area. This one looks drivable for how often you will drive it. Will also be a nice little project.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1973-Datsun-240Z-NO-RESERVE-more-pics-added_W0QQitemZ280199900237QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280199900237

Then here is a rare 260z that too needs a little work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1975-Datsun-260Z-Manual-Transmission_W0QQitemZ230221883959QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230221883959

Good luck finding something though. Hope your search goes well. But like I said, cheap, reliable, and decent shape, you will need to find a truck or truck based vehicle. You can find some awesome stuff, but the only draw back, if it is a draw back for you is economy.

I agree with the sentiments and opinions posted above, though if you do get yourself a Z car (regardless of year) you will need to swap your vehicles. Take the Blazer back up north, and keep the Z for SLO. Trust me, you will love the drive up Highway One (you will never take 101 or I-5 ever again, as long as you have the Z...

You mentioned speed. I am not going to say our cars are slow, because they aren't. However, speed is not their winning grace. Besides a gorgeous profile and relatively easy repairability (given the proper tools/time), our cars excel in the twisties, and it is on the twisted road that we can leave other, newer cars in the proverbial dust.

You will also have an easier time finding a suitable car in central/southern California than you would in other parts of the country (though great starters can be found, if you look hard enough or get lucky).

i dont mind having my driver be a **bit** of a project, in fact i rather like getting my hands dirty, just not having it break down often on the highway. the car would remain at my parents house, garaged and whatnot.

i would rather drive a piece of work but unique and fun car than a civic, hence my current vehicle ( 84 K5 blazer w/ 6.5 turbo diesel on 1-ton axles, and whatnot that is for a different forum). but i appreciate you looking out for me. I am accustomed to doing mechanical work, i actually just pulled the transmission from the blazer, and am not daunted by that sort of thing at all. I would rather find a bargain and clean it up than spend more money on one that somebody has paid to do that beforehand.

however you guys know much better than me and from your replys it is sounding like this may not be the best route for me to go. but i shall remain optimistic

Well, in my experience then, shop around for the very best body you can find. Because the mechanicals are not all that expensive if you can do the work yourself. If you can find a non-rusty car that is a runner (or close to it) for less that $2k, it will be a good place to start. But for $2k or less, you should not expect to find a car that is ready to drive.