buying a 240

[Saturn Ninja]

i know that the cars are gonna be brealking down i just wanted to know if this was gonna be happining one a week, onec a month, every time i drive it, or what. i still really want the car but i do have to keep it real and not think its a brand spankin new honda, though. by the way you responded it sounded like you are working on your car alot.

im going to take an auto class over the summer so i will be better prepared to fix more minor things.

$.03:cheeky:

[beandip]

You and I had the same idea at the same time . I just take longer to type a message.

[Saturn Ninja]

oh howdy beandip,

yup i am 16 and its not my first car but it should have been!

anyway im not into the whole "rice rocket" thing anyway. do you think that i would be looking into a car older than me (and not a honda) if i was? i do know some about cars, but not how to fix them. im not looking to totally pump up my car with all the bells and whistles that some people do cause right now i dont need to travel at light speed. anyways if yo guys dont think that a Z is a good car for a new driver, i will respect that cause you have been in the buisness, so to speak, longer than I.

im looking for a car that sems to have had work done on it in what seems to me to be brakable areas like suspention and paint and suff like that. that way i wont have to worry about it. but if something goes wrong all the time that is bad.

[beandip]

Ninga , I have been driving my '73 240 for the past 2 yrs and have had no problems . Now , I have replaced the front brake rotors and brake pads , the Master cylinder and rear brakes and flex lines . I have replaced the complete ignition to a '79 ZX systime and replaced the tires. I have completely tuned the engine , and replaced the battery and solved some , only some , of the electrical problems. I am presently looking at replacing the floors on both the passanger and drivers side , and I am in the process of removing the interior and dash , windows. engine and trans in preperation for repair and paint. When I am finished I hope to have a nice driver. I have a truck that I will drive in the mean time. I dont want to discourage you here but be realistic in your quest for a car . Non of this is cheep even though I am doing allmost all the work my self or with help of friends. And the car is really mostly rust free and in good shape. I have a garage which I can work on the car and have the time , as I am retired '64 next month, I just want you to know what you are in for here. If you do get a good car , keep it and keep it in good repair and when you are my age it will be worth $50k+

[Bambikiller240]

Saturn Ninja:

I do work on my car often. It is part of the pleasure I (an many others) get from owning a CLASSIC car. Mine does not breakdown often, rather things periodically need to be replaced due to age of the vehicle. Preventative maintanance is KEY and is often necessary when you own a 30 year old car. If you cannot work on cars such as these, you'd better have a bank account because the local repair shop will be a place you'll be visiting from time to time. It's a simple fact of life. Learn as much as you can regarding auto repairs and be prepared to get your fingers dirty if you want to own a classic. It may not happen every week or month, but there can be times when you'll need to do some serious work (or pay for it to be done). In addition, the more you look at a 30 year old car, the more you'll find things that could be in a little better shape or that you'd like to improve upon.

Of course, you could just buy one and drive it into the ground with no regard for maintaining the value of your purchase. (hopefully you wouldn't do that, but some folks do just that)

My car (1972 240Z with 150,000 original miles) is a daily driver and generally I'm not afraid to drive it anywhere. Except off road! Or on the freeways on Holiday weekends (I don't trust the "other guys"!)

I've owned mine for 4 years now and as preventative maintanance I've rebuilt the entire suspension, the fuel system (gas tank, vent hoses, pump etc), the brakes system including all cylinders, flex lines (hoses), replaced the radiator, water pump, and fan/fluid coupler; had the clutch replaced (the only thing I paid someone else to do because I have a bad back) I'm collecting parts to refurbish the interior, and I'm refreshing an engine to have on hand as a spare, since I use the car as a daily driver. (just in case!)

[That Ozzy Guy]

When I was buying my car the previous owner knew where I was coming from (ie I used to own a relatively new turbo car-Skyline with all the power options and comfort you expect). Anyway, he could see it in my face after the first test drive that I was a tad bit dissapointed. What he said next set me on the path I am now.

"A 240Z is a drivers car"

That comment was a warning in as much as it was a very accurate description of what I was buying. A drivers car.

It's not always comfortable, it's not always fast and it's not always reliable but I'll be damned if I don't get goose bumps every time I sit behind the wheel.

There's this feeling you get driving a classic that I've been trying to put into words but however much I try I can't describe it. It has to be experienced to be appreciated.

So the point of this post is...

Don't expect value for money performance wise but do expect value for money pleasure wise.

[Saturn Ninja]

thanks for the warnings guys, cause i had no real idea what kind of effort i would need to put into this car. it sounds like i ned to wait till i got te time and expereance before i get one of these cars or til i save up enough to afford a decently restored one.

[Saturn Ninja]

by the way; i would enjoy restoring a Z but time is just unavailable for me right now and i was hoping it would hod together with minimal work until i had more time to do it (summer, after colege) but it looks as if that is not the case:( poop!

[Bambikiller240]

Very Well said, George! :classic:

I could be warmer in winter, and cooler in the summer. I could go faster, get better fuel mileage (it's tough for 30 yr old carburetors to complete with fuel-injection), do less work on a car, but I haven't yet and doubt I could have as much fun with another car.

Carl