1972 240z, 67k miles - 1 Owner Plans to Sell

[moritz55]

I'm helping a gentlemen who I just met last week get an estimate and sell his 1972 240z. I've written up what I know and welcome feedback on a fair price. I'll also include as manay photos as possible.. Many thanks...

========== Description ===================

1972 Datsun 240z – Vin: HLS30-66307

67,437 miles, Automatic 3sp Trans, Original Owner

Exterior - 904 White, Interior – Red

Car Location: Beacon, New York 12508

Original Owner: Joe M. purchased the 1972 240z in May of ’72 for $4568.00. He always garaged it and never drove it winters and very in frequently in the rain. He really stopped driving in the nice weather heavily around 10 years ago when it vapor-looked up on a trip with he and his wife on a busy roadway. His wife refused to go anywhere in the car after that! Joe just kept it and used it sparingly ever since.

Car is all original and unmolested from what I can tell. Even the engine wraps and hoses look 37years old! Other than new tires which have about 5000 miles on them, new brakes which have about 10000 miles on them and the SU’s rebuild around 5years ago, the entire car from engine, hoses, transmission, interior is completely stock. Joe has done routine maintenance faithfully changing the engine oil, points and plugs are specified. He had the dealer follow the maintenance schedule as prescribed. Joe bought this car in his early 50’s and now would like to find it a good home – someone to bring it back to life. The car was just NYS inspected and passed (other than needing new wiper blades). Joe’s friend is a mechanic and takes car of tune-ups and routine maintenance – this friend just had it for a 2weeks getting it inspected and took it out on the interstate getting it up to ~120mph as it was still climbing.

Body: Joe had the car painted by Maaco from Oct ’91 till April ’92 which was a bad experience in his mind. They replaced the rockers, floor panels, front fenders and lower valiance and has an itemized bill of everything done. Although he was not happy with the job the body is in very good shape. He’s missing an emblem on the back and says he has it along with a box full of other parts. You’ll notice damage on the passenger lower fender behind the front wheel. It’s bent slightly caused by the tire mechanic lifting it incorrectly when he had new tires installed.

Interior: Interior needs a refresh. Dash is stock and NOT cracked. Clock and oil pressure gauge stopped working – I think the oil pressure gauge just needs a new sending unit. Stock radio and antenna still work!

I’ve attached all the photos I could get to this document.

[moritz55]

Here are more photos and scanned documents. I'll continue to post as many as possible.

Many thanks...

[moritz55]

Note the block of 4 photos above was when the car was at Maaco being repainted and repaired in 1992.

Here are more photos , these are the last of them!

You'll notice on the last photo in this post .. front right wheel - you'll see the damage to the lower fender from the tire mechanic I referenced.

Many thanks...

Edited June 7, 2009 by moritz55

[Rif]

Mark,

It's Mark from Kingston. We met at Mills last year. Does the owner have an idea of what he will be asking for the car? I sent you a pm.

[Carl Beck]

$4,500.00

FWIW,

Carl B.

[moritz55]

Thanks Carl ... what would you estimate is needed to bring it back to a respectable level? Do you think the Automatic detracts much?

Rif .. I sent you a private email. Someone was willing to offer around $6200 but must sell a car he's finishing putting back together first.

Edited June 8, 2009 by moritz55

[Carl Beck]

Lets not talk about "Restoring" this car, but rather simply doing a very solid quality "Refresh"... we won't worry about braided hoses, nor correct hose clamps. We won't consider having all the original Cad. Plating redone etc...

Instead we will just put this Z back to a sold, function and stock condition - aiming to make it an "excellent 240Z" to drive and enjoy, without being ashamed to take to local car shows or club events. Also make it ready to drive a cross-country if the mood strikes..

What it will "Cost" depends almost entirely on how much of the work you would do yourself, and how much of it would be out-sourced to professionals.

BODY WORK $6K to $8K:

The Body Work is a disaster... So first order of business is to strip the car to a bare shell. If you then took the bare shell to a good body shop - you would most likely spend $5500.00 to $7500.00 to properly fix the rust damage, properly fix the floorboards, replace whatever sheet-metal is needed and strip then repaint the car. Bare Shell means that everything comes off - including all weather strips/seals, all glass, the interior comes out including the dash... you can cover the diamond vinyl and leave it in the car - to be re-dyed later. The body shop can pull the hood, fenders, doors and rear deck etc -

MONEY YOU SPEND REFRESHING OTHER STUFF: $5K to $7K

While the shell is in the body shop - you'd be cleaning and detailing the appearance of the engine and all the components. Cleaning the gas tank out and refinishing it. Re-dying the plastic interior panels and seats etc. Re-dying the carpet binding - etc etc.

Then you get the car back - you would drop the front then the rear suspension and refresh all the suspension components, re-core/refresh the radiator,

So if you start with $4,500.00 then add another $11K to $15K during the "refresh"... you would have a very nice 240-Z. Easy enough at that point to convert it to a 4spd. or 5spd... just add another $1,000.00 for a rebuilt transmission, the clutch components etc.

Do the bumpers need to be re-chromed? Add another grand.

Depending on how much time you have to spend working on the car, what facilities you have in terms of garage space, tools and talent... and experience working on 240-Z's it can take six months to a year to complete...

All of this also depends on how bad the hidden rust damage is...

FWIW,

Carl B.

[moritz55]

Many thanks Carl this is a huge help on input. The chrome bumpers and exterior trim pieces are actually is good shape.

[Lou240]

I agree with Carl's assessment. You will quickly race upward of the car's value, so don't look at it in that light. I am amazed at the discipline of original owners to keep a car this long. Awesome. I've had my body a long time (original owner) and I can't even take care if that!