Hey everybody,

My name is John and I'm a newbie to the whole car restoration scene. My knowledge on car building and engine work is very limited. I recently started looking for a new hobby to share with my son and the only thing I could think of that made sense was this. I love my son and I love cars so what could be better?

Anyhow, I've gotten the bug for building a 1971-73 240Z. Not really looking for a pristine ride but rather something I could really put some elbow grease into and build from the ground up. I'd like to build a nice and clean Z with some subtle modifications (mostly to the interior and motor). The body will look mostly stock with the exception of the wheels and possibly a racing stripe themed paint job. Haven't decide yet.

Why a Z you ask?

I must admit I've never really acted on my gearhead tendencies, but I've always loved cars, and growing up in the 80's, I had a special affinity towards the 280. I had a couple of friends that drove them and I thought they were the coolest thing on the road.

If this goes well, I plan on starting a collection of Z's, building them in chronological order. That's the reason I've decided to start with the 240.

I realize this is going to be challenging and will take a lot of time and money to complete. I have some money put aside for this project and time really isn't an issue. I don't care if it takes 2-5 years to complete, I just want to do it right and make it a head-turner by the time I'm done. I'm pretty sure I'll learn some hard lessons along the way... .

Anyhow, I'd like to know if any of you guys might have some tips or suggestions for a first-timer like myself before I embark on this mission. Thanks in advance and I'm looking forward to reading your responses.

Find a car with least amount of rust.

Inspect carefully.

Find the car with as little rust as possible! This may require you to travel far, possibly out of state. California is full of essentially "rust-free" Zs, so is AZ, plus they are cheaper than on the East Coast. Everything else is easy: engine, drivetrain, suspension, interior, when compared to doing tons of rust repair.

If you're very patient, 2-5 years is okay. I got impatient of my '71 being on jackstands for 2 years, so I bought an early '74 260Z. I needed to drive a Z already and it allowed me to take my time with the 240Z.

Lastly, do your research. There is tons of Z-related info that you can find by searching here, hybridz.org, zcar.com, through which you will likely find links to other interesting Z sites, like http://datsunzgarage.com/'>DatsunZGarage, http://atlanticz.ca/index.php/tech-tips.html'>Blue's Tech Tips, Zhome and Xenon's site.

Welcome to the addiction!

Thanks for the info. The rust is definitely something I'm trying to avoid.

I've had a bit of difficulty finding a car here in Florida. I'm gonna keep looking in-state for now so as to keep my costs down, but I realize that going out of state is becoming more and more a possibility.

Thanks again. Every bit of information is welcomed.

Just think of it this way, if you buy a less than stellar-bodied example in Florida, will it be more expensive than to just take a road trip or fly out of state and drive/tow/ship the car back to Florida? Answer that and your objective will become clear.

Keeping intial cost down, versus paying more for a good body, may seem fine in the short term but keep in mind that costs add up.