should i even consider buying this car? *long*

[clutchdust]

some of you have followed my brief saga working on a friends '72. for those that haven't, this is what i know of it. she got it sometime in the '80s, i think as a graduation present, and used it as primary transportation for years. problem is, she lived in colorado for many of those years, you know, snow and salt:sick: anyway, she moved down to vegas in the early nineties and continued to drive the car relatively trouble free. it eventually developed an electrical problem she couldn't get fixed sometime around '98-'99 so she just parked it. that is were i come in, well, 3-4 years later anyway. she finds out i'm a mechanic (industrial) by trade and asks if i can get it running for her 'cause she loves her car. i say, "sure, i can get it running" and we bring it over to my house where it's been now for about 5 months.

i have disassembled and 'overhauled' the carbs (yes, i threw away that cheesy piece of fuel line in the rebuild kits). blown out the fuel tank all the 'fuel' that was in there and filled it with fresh gas. replaced all the rubber fuel line, replaced the plugs and set the valve clearances and actually had it running there for a bit. everything sounded pretty good so i thought i had reached the top of the hill. next day i go to run it some more, to help flush the rest of the crappy gas and varnish from the tank and the lines but it wouldn't start.

long story short, oops-too late! the valves started hanging open and apparently one got closed (mostly) by the piston :surprised so now i know that i have to at least pull the head off this thing and replace at least one valve. but you know it never stops there.:cross-eye

now the car is relatively straight but has some serious cancer on the rocker panel due to the aforementioned snow and salt. otherwise, it's in fairly good condition for a 30+ year old car. now what i have in mind would be to get it running and in good working order and drive it for a couple years like that and then as time and money permit modifiy the crap out of it.

with rust under the rockers that is pretty bad, is it worth investing a couple hundred $ in this car? i really have no idea what Z cars go for and how hard/easy it would be to fix the rust. maybe for a couple hundred dollars, it would be worth just driving it until the wheels fell off. whatcha think?

[Mike]

What happened to the part about her wanting to get it running because she loves the car?

Did she just decide to sell it to you at some point?

[beandip]

I am with Mike what happened to the origional owner ? Buzzard bait out in the deseart ? The rockers are part of the main structure of the car and vary important to the strength of the whole car. Rust not a little thing in these cars. You dident give alot of detailed information on it's extent but from what you did state , I sounds like a shakey project. Its likely you will find what you see in the tip of the ice berg . Good luck

[clutchdust]

owner is out in the desert 'sunbathing' . just kidding. she was talking about restoring the car and i explained to her how serious the rust issue was so she's debating the worth of even spending money to get it running if it's a junk car. i haven't delved very deeply into because the rust is jumping out from under the paint to meet me (kinda bubbly, if you know what i mean:rolleyes: ). but hey, i can weld and i can bend sheetmetal so if i drive it for a couple years and fab up some new sheetmetal. i'm still thinking that $100-200 is not bad for a car, even if i have to throw it away in a few years.

[billcapp]

In case you didn't know, rocker panels are available at several places to replace. It's much easier with the preformed panels. Some other sheetmetal is available also. I"d say go for it! Even a rusty Z is better than no Z.

[Mike]

I can tell you that even tiny bubbles can be a sign that things are MUCH WORSE on the inside. I can guarantee that you'll have a lot of work on your hands.... just by the description you gave.

If you have the tools and the welding experience, go for it.

[beandip]

I agree with Mike . If you want a project , for $200. , you are not into it too deep. Zedd findings has the sheet metal parts. check out datsunzparts.com

[clutchdust]

thanks guys.

i talked to the owner today and i think we came to an agreement. i'm going to get it mechanically reliable from here out on my own $. when i'm done, or comfortable that it is reliable, i will total up the entire investment. if she wants to reimburse me, then she gets her car back and we're all happy. if it's more than she wants to spend, then i'll reimburse her for what she's already paid and consider that payment for the car.

i explained to her the condition of the rust and the structural damage we're talking about so she knows. however, since we both live in vegas now and for the forseeable future, the amount of rust should not accelerate too rapidly.

she's in a position right now where she needs a reliable car for the next few years that doesn't have a car note. i don't mind fixing things for her to keep it running so that's a bonus.

no matter which one of us actually gets the car, the unfortunate truth is the best thing to do, from an expense standpoint, is just drive it until the wheels fall off.

[Arizona240z]

Drive it till the wheels fall off??? are you crazy man.... spend some time searching the site, research prices for the bodywork repairs and then make a desicion. I think you'll find that people have revived cars in worse shape than this one and that it is doable financially. You might not get to do it all at once and it may be undriveable for long periods of time, but do whatever you can to save that baby.

Next time I'm in Vegas, I'll play a hand of blackjack for the car :stupid:

Dwight

[beandip]

Depending on how much the rust has eaten away. Unless you are aquainted with Z cars, check under the car the rocker and tranny tunnel is tht main part of the frame , if eaten bad enough the car could just bend in the middle. Your call.

[bonniec75209]

I am kind of in the same situation as far as the rust in the suspension goes. I am going to get a second opinion, because the first one was pretty ominous and I am just hoping that he was wrong or exaggerating or something. He brought up an issue that I had never considered. Say you know the car is not structurally sound and you drive very carefully, but you know, stuff happens - what if someone hits you? From what he said, the car would crumple so badly, it would take alot more than the jaws of life to get you out. You get the picture? I won't put my little grandson in it now, I borrow my sister's car if I have the baby. Also, I live in Dallas, where many people seem to develop some weird kind of road schizophrenia when they get behind the wheel.

Just something to think about, I know I never thought of that till it was brought to my attention.

Be careful, Bonnie

[kmack]

FWIW:

Lower rocker panels From MSA - about $30 ea.

Replacement Floor pans - btwn $200 - $350 for a set.

There are no known repair panels for under the battery tray.

If you have the time and knowledge to repair/rebuild the car, then go for it. They are worth saving. Don't do it as an investment, though.

Parts are relatively cheap (in most cases), it's the labor that gets you.