What to buy? 1972 240Z vs 1977 280Z

[ZcarFanMan]

Well, we got it home a few hrs ago. It came with new master cyl, 2 carb rebuild kits, new door lock & keys and new fluid reservoirs all N.I.B...

I have the Original pink in hand. The guy I bought it from got it from an auction a few weeks ago and the car was Donated to a "family care foundation" by the original owner, he never transferred title so he just flipped it to me so that makes us the second owner I guess? The last time it was regged was 1988. There are 2 dents on the top half of the car, 1 on the roof which is very minor and can be pulled out with suction and the other is on the driver door which will be replaced anyway due to some rust on the edges and is eating away around the bolts for the latch. When the guy picked it up from the auction he used a fork lift to lift the front end up to set it on his flatbed and it just crunched the under side. The pics show the damage. But i'm not worried about that because the rest of the car is more than I thought it would be. My '76 280 had WAY more rust on it in 1986! 1st thing! I removed the spoiler...its all good underneath. I used a magnet on all the normal rust areas around the doors & quarter panels & it held strong, no bondo!

Edited November 23, 2011 by ZcarFanMan

[ZcarFanMan]

A few more pics

[ZcarFanMan]

some dash pics. The only crack on the console is in the pic. The dash has the big cracks on top as usual.

The red interior will be all black when done. Oh, The rear hatch wont open. It's unlocked but it's locked.. Can I get to the latch through the rear panel?

Edited November 24, 2011 by ZcarFanMan

[CW240Z]

Looks like a good solid starting point. Keep us updated on the progress!

Chase

[Zed Head]

Yes, apparently, you can get to the latch through the rear panel, with some contortions. I've read a few accounts.

I see that you're in California. I hope that there aren't a bunch of fees to be paid to get the car licensed. Good luck, nice car, I like the white.

[cygnusx1]

I would build the 240Z with my son, before I did a 280Z. I have both myself...and a son. I would not make it a daily driver for a 16 year old. I would definitely let him have the car, but not for cruising freely around in. Just keep it for you and he, to take to shows, to go on Sunday drives, and buy him some time at a high performance driving school. Get him a safe, modern, beater for daily driving, and use the 240Z to teach him "the skills of driving and maintaining" a car. Nothing teaches you how to drive, like a car that does NOT drive itself.

Edited November 24, 2011 by cygnusx1

[az240z]

find a local Z car club. There are a number of them in So Cal. Loads of information , help, and can be a good source for new or used parts.

[Healey Z]

Looks like an excellent starting point for a project. I like it better already without that big rear spoiler.

What is your plan of attack; Strip it do ground up, get it running then do body/paint?

[Beer Magazine]

Lots of older cars are great to have and drive. I guess some think safety is more important, but I see lots of kids in old VWs out here.

I'd go for the one that runs. Getting a car running isn't easy.

[Ted.]

I think this is really cool. My dad has always been a unique, odd ball car loving guy, so my 'first car' was a '65 Corvair 110 that we fixed together. That was what Cygnus suggested, it being my learning to maintain and drive properly car. The daily I found for myself wasn't any better in retrospect (86 Iroc camaro ).

One thing I would definitely do first would find an old radiator shop and have them clean and coat the inside of the gas tank. I fought forever with my first Z because of that problem. Replaced every ignition piece, rebuilt the carbs, new fuel lines everything. It wasn't until I installed a clear in line fuel filter that I found the problem and started kicking myself for being so narrow minded

It was a good learning experience, though. I haven't fallen in love more with a car then the Z series. I wish you both luck and let us know if you need any advice!

[ZcarFanMan]

Thanks for the input.. Yeah, the gas tank is getting an enema for sure! Now about the carbs. The ones I have look like they are junk, they have a lot of corrosion and are crusty or Should I just get a set in better shape and rebuild them or get the weber conversion kit? I haven't done anything to it yet, not until my Seadoo is rebuilt... Yes, I have a modified 1494cc seadoo that has almost twice the HP as this 240z..

Also, how about the exhaust system? It needs to be replaced from front to rear.. Go OEM or aftermarket? Whats the best bang for the buck?

BTW, the rear latch was all good, the hatch was just stuck to the seal, REAL stuck! It must not have been opened for a long long time..

Thanks.

[LeonV]

Thanks for the input.. Yeah, the gas tank is getting an enema for sure! Now about the carbs. The ones I have look like they are junk, they have a lot of corrosion and are crusty or Should I just get a set in better shape and rebuild them or get the weber conversion kit? I haven't done anything to it yet, not until my Seadoo is rebuilt... Yes, I have a modified 1494cc seadoo that has almost twice the HP as this 240z..

Also, how about the exhaust system? It needs to be replaced from front to rear.. Go OEM or aftermarket? Whats the best bang for the buck?

BTW, the rear latch was all good, the hatch was just stuck to the seal, REAL stuck! It must not have been opened for a long long time..

Thanks.

Concerning the exhaust system, best bang for the buck is to find a good exhaust guy and have him make you whatever you want. If you're after performance, a single 2.5 inch pipe with a resonator and straight through muffler will have great performance and shouldn't cost you much. If you want less noise, get a quieter muffler.

My local exhaust guy did a header-back twice pipe exhaust for me, including a total of 4 glasspacks and 2 O2 sensor bungs for $300. Obviously, I can get a single pipe system for less. Find a good local exhaust guy and you won't regret it!