Lookin for Z in CA

[240G-no]

Hey, guys. My name is Gino and am new to this board. I'm currently looking to get a 240z as a daily driver/long term project car. I've loved this car since my Dad used to do a lot of street racing in his 73 when I was about 8 years old.

I have about $2500 that I'm willing to spend on a good running Z, and just wanted to see if anyone can offer any advice on what I should be looking out for when I go check out these Z's, such as mileage. How many miles can a well-maintained 2.4 go for? I'm gonna go look at one tomorrow that has 170k, but is in very good condition in and out, and is said to be running good.

Well, just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully be a regular participant on this board. Be aware that I have a ton of questions coming up, as I'm already thinking L28 swap! HAHA!.. I also own a 65 Nova with a stout 350, but I'm not one to hate imports, especially the beautiful Z!

P.S: If anyone knows of any good Z's for sale anywhere in CA, drop me a line.

Thanks,

Gino

[Alfadog]

Welcome Gino!

As far as Z's in your area - sorry I cant help. But I can't stress to you enough that dont leave this site. It's rich with information and the guys here will be able to help you with whatever problem you may have in the future.

170k on a 240Z I think is fine as these engines were built like tanks. However, it may well have done 270k if it's not documented. You see the odometer only has 5 digits, so as soon as it gets up to 99,999 it'll reset.

Mine has only done 15k !!! hehe

[owenk]

You should be able to get most of your questions answered here but first you should do a search on the site, because you are not the first with this question.

The quick advice is watch out for rust.

Owen K

[CoastGuardZ]

Welcome,

There's more info at this site than you can beat with stick!!!

Most important thing is pay a little more now or A LOT later.

In california it's a little different, but parts are little harder to get a hold of than a car like your nova or any of the other popular domestics.

Of course I only speak (??write??) from looking around up here and online being that I don't even have a Z yet.

WELCOME:bunny:

Nate

Oh p.s. If your gonna drop in a L28 why not just find an early 280z, just curious. Of course though the bumpers and hood are different.

[onemore240]

weight....an early 70/71 240Z weighs 2320 lbs full trim =)

[Zvoiture]

>>>>>>Oh p.s. If your gonna drop in a L28 why not just find an early 280z, just curious. <<<<<<

Because we are in The People's Republic of California, that's why. A 280 makes a great dependable daily driver as long as you keep it clean and basically stock. If you are looking for anything to hot-rod a bit, you are going to be tearing a bunch of things off every two years.

But hey, it's 70 here!

steve

[2ManyZs]

The People's Republic of California? Now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one......Where the only people making the decision are CARB officials........

Wonder how many synonyms we could come up with for CARB??

[Zvoiture]

Um.... Cats Are Real Bully?

Cars And Republicans Belong together...

Can't Anyone Really Be nice?

Crack Away on that Red Button!

Cars And Racing Belong together.

California And the people's Republic of china have a lot in common, Because california continues to try and legislate equality.

Cars thAt Run Better operate cleaner than models choked up by stupid bolt-ons from CARB.

Cabernet And Rhone-style wines make up most of the Bottles in my cellar.

[zaddict]

hey i'm new here too. It seems to be a great site.

back to you

beware of RUST!!!!

I don't think it really matters what model you get just make sure

its rust free.

If you're goning to change out engines why not go with a ZX-turbo?

As far as bumpers go you can always go the after market route, they may even be lighter.

Later

[gen z]

I'm new to the site too. It's awesome, especially since there are so many people who apparently know tons about z engines and problems.

Anyway, I have a '83 280zx turbo and wanted to second the oppinion that if you feel the need for speed these are extremely satisfying. The main problem I've had is that the six fuel injectors went like dominoes and at $220 a pop (if someone else does the work) it sucks to replace six over a two month period. My mechanic said this is to be expected with a turbo model. One other major expense was that the speed was worthless at first because the suspension was similar to a slinky. I went for new shocks expecting to pay about $300 total. Not! More like $300 apiece to replace Mcpherson struts. I don't know if these are common with all z's but it's the norm for the 280zx.

It's likely you already feel this way but for an idea of how other z drives rate zx's check out the "honk if you drive a Z" thread in open discussions.

it ain't a z...it's a zx

Good Luck! I hope you find a sweet ride either way!

[DatsunZGuy]

Hi Gino,

Take a look at Collector Car Trader Online. A quick search for 240Z in the state of CA came up with 26 hits ranging from $10,100 to $900.00.

Click Here

Good luck in your hunt!

[240G-no]

I appreciate everyone's feedback and just wanted to let all of you know that my search continues. I also wanted to share a particular Z I found on eBay that's nearby. Looks really good. Lady sent me about 25 pictures and they all look really good. Check it out for yourselves...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6187&item=1873739203&rd=1

Whada think?

Gino