Goin to look at a 240z tomorrow =)

[BTF/PTM]

It's in our classifieds section, it's the one below. If it's as nice as the owner says, I may be picking up my first Z car.

http://www.classiczcars.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=4643&cat=1

[Zak's Z]

Hey, good luck on the car. Make sure to have a good look at all the usual rust spots!

[Jeff G 78]

It looks pretty nice. Be sure to take a very weak refrigerator magnet with you and try to stick it to every inch of the body. This will tell you every place that body filler has been used. Most old cars have had some sort of work done - either for dent or accident repair, or rust repair. Even if the car is nice, it's good to know exactly where it has had work done. Finding some body filler doesn't mean it's not a good car, but large areas will be a sign that something is up and further investigating is needed.

The only spot the magnet shouldn't stick is above the quarter windows where the roof meets the rear quarter panel. The factory used lead filler in the joint. Most Z cars have small cracks in the paint at this spot.

Good luck.

[BTF/PTM]

Ok so I've ridden in it and gotten a good look all over it and here are the pros and cons:

pro:

no rust to speak of except for hatch deck which will likely need replacement

engine and transmission seem in great shape, good idle and power with no leaks and no unusual transmission noises. Shifting is smooth, clutch action is sure, throttle response is great.

Interior is complete, but of course needs some work.

Brakes work well and wipers n headlights n tail lights work. One blinker bulb on each side is dead. No biggie

Looks like all chrome is in good shape considering age. Nothing some steel wool can't bring back to life.

cons:

temp guage and oil guage appear inaccurate - they appear to work, but the needles look like they're not pointed correctly. They go waaaaay down past the zero mark when shut off, so when they're working it looks like they're both reading really low.

Rear bumper is missing and the rear valence looks a little beat up- not severe but has some dents and has some filler in a couple places under the paint. Not a big deal to me., it's intact and free of rust.

Passenger door isn't quite aligned, it jumps up on the striker a bit. It isn't severe and the door hinges aren't rough at all, so I don't think the door is damaged.

Neither door window rolls smoothly into it's channel, they both need a little help.

Door locks don't seem to work with knob or with key - frozen?

Has dash cap. Again not a huge deal for me, it'll be on the list of things to hunt down for replacement.

climate control is intact but the heat lever doesn't move to the heat side.

seats are shot but usable (minor).

no driver side seat belt. Also not a big deal, The Z Store has really cool reproduction seat belts.

battery is dead (but battery tray looks great) cuz car had been sitting about 2 months in seller's garage.

rear end makes distinct thunking sound as gears are engaged. Basically sounds like the bushings are worn, so parts are moving around but it doesn't sound like things are falling apart. I've heard much worse on much newer cars.

paint was done cheaply and is kinda sloppy with close inspection. Drips, overspray on some window seals, spots where the primer chipped and it was sprayed anyway, little things like that. Not a show stopper, and the car looks great from a few feet away. Car was brown originally.

Hatch deck is slathered with what looks like bondo or putty to cover the rust so that's one panel that will need replacing. Nowhere else on the car looks like that, though, and the magnet trick helped. No filler that I could find except for the rear bumper valence and that hatch deck.

Exhaust fumes leak into cabin pretty bad, in my experience that either means leaky exhaust/flanges and/or a leaky heater core. Both minor problems, but it definitely needs to be addressed.

I have pictures that I'll upload shortly. Seller's bottom line is 3k. I've left a deposit, and the seller has agreed to hold the car till midnight tonite while I decide. Given the problems versus the ultimately solid chassis with a good powertrain, is 3k a good price? Personally I like the car and think that I probably won't find a registered, driving car for much less money. I've seen several cars in the low $2k range that were complete but either not running or hadn't run in years and had more rust or had original paint that would need work fairly soon and so on and so on. What say the group?

Edited February 21, 2010 by BTF/PTM

[d240zx2]

If you're happy with what you see, go for it.

[BTF/PTM]

Ok, here is the picture link:

http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q27/AwwsChwA/orange%20240z/

One thing I noticed going back through the pictures is the passenger side frame rail - it looks different from the driver side. Anyone know what that's about?

Oh, and the VIN is HLS30-69150

[kenz240z]

Just a guess, but it appears the car was rear ended at some point in its life. That's what the gap between the rear finisher and the rear valance, plus the signs of body filler, seem to indicate. Get a flashlight and look up into the space between the rear valance and the gas tank. Take a look at the brace up there and see if it shows signs of a rear impact. Also check if the gas tank itself shows signs of damage. Not necessarily a show stopper, as these things can be fixed or replaced.

I didn't look at all the pictures, but the shot of the roof looks like it may have a little bit of hail damage.

[Darrel]

run, if you can't hide it with filler, pour a gallon of paint on it.

[motorman7]

Is this a frame rail???? I think it is

[BTF/PTM]

^ that's what I was asking about with reference to the two rails looking different. What does that look like to you? I didn't notice it until I was uploading the pictures after I'd returned from looking at the car.

[motorman7]

Looks to me like the original was very rusted out so someone partially welded bar stock in there. For what it's worth, I consider it one of the most important parts of the car. It is a structural member or a box beam component. I will see If I can find a picture a what a good one should look like.

[WingZr0]

If you can recieve picture on your cell phone I can send you a picture text of my Zs' frame rails outside. Uhh, never mind

Edited February 22, 2010 by WingZr0