Just Bought a 240Z Need Info

[W.A.ZED]

I have recently purchase a 1971 240z.

It is in reasonable condition (body wise) but requires a full mechanical rebuild. It has a close ratio 5 speed and a E31 Head. Have been told this is a rare Model, only 1000 made. Is this correct and did they only come into Australia?

Would like to catch up with some people in Perth Western Australia so I can get some ideas on the best way to improve my cars handling and power. Don't want to do anything to radical as I would like to keep the car as authentic as possible. Have basic mechanical skills and full access to a workshop. Are there any 240z clubs in W.A or should I join the sporting car club?

Would appreciate any info.

Cheers

Gavin.

[Gav240z]

Hey Gavin, my name is also Gavin ;-). Anyway I'm not sure about the amount of 71 Z's that were brought to AUS. I was under the impression that the 1970 and 72 were the least amount of 240z's brought here and the 71 and 73 were the most amount of 240z's brought here.

The cylinder head however E31 is quiet a hard find. Mainly because of it's high compression 9:1 or so I believe and it wasn't restricted by the same emission laws. It has a high quench chamber I think. (never seen one).

I'm not sure about WA Z car clubs but I'm sure there's one around there's a couple of Perth boys on this forum Halz I believe is one of them.

Anyway that's all I can contribute.

Gav,

[halz]

Wow, where did you find the car? In Perth?

Yes I'm in Perth too... so is LEE240ZPERTH, Mr. Camoflage and 26ounce. Z's are rare in Perth so you have done well to find one.

Just a question... Is it red (with a blue engine bay)? I looked at a car a while ago down Cannington way that an old guy had for sale. It needed a little bit of work but it was an early model and he said it had a close ratio box...

There is no Z-club of Perth that I'm aware of but there was an attempt recently made (http://203.59.29.72/wazregister/index.html) but I think the site has died.

Stay in touch and help keep our little W.A network alive!

[W.A.ZED]

hey Halz,

Hit the nail on the head. Red with blue engine bay bought from old guy in cannington. have not been able to find many Z's to look at or compare with, so tell me was $5,500 the right price or did I get shafted?

Also can you tell me if there are any reputable retailers of Z bitz in W.A. or do I need to buy out of the east.

P.s hope this goes to the right place. Just learning.

[halz]

I've been watching the ads for Zs in WA for a while. The guy (wouldn't admit it to me) bought that car off a lady in Safety Bay in 2001...(I saw her ad too!). The car originally came from Melbourne. She had it advertised at $5k so I'm guessing the guy you bought from paid that or a little under. Time has passed, prices have moved, you didn't do too badly.

I'll try to dig up my notes and hopefully I'll have the lady's number. You should be able to track down the car's history with a bit of luck (I think she bought it from her brother who was the original owner..?)

As I recall, the car seemed mechanically OK but needed cosmetic attention.

Not sure of Z parts people in Perth (I'm still looking for a car!) but one of the others might be able to point you in the right direction.

You need to post some pics of your car on this site and then let the Z-less sould amoungst us live vicariously through your restoration etc...!

[Mr Camouflage]

I saw those guys had a 260z for sale just before christmas also. Red of course. Why do these guys alway paint them red? and dont tell me "cause it goes faster" because i've heard it, and they dont.

I thought that one was advertised as 69 zed?

All 5 speed boxes were "close ratio" it was how they were advertised, so yeah it's a marketing gimmick. Unless your car had the racing box fitted after delivery (which it wouldn't have)with the "Ultra Close" ratio, 1st gear = 1.85 to 1 which is too tall for street driving. Standard is 2.957, much more street friendly.

W.A.ZED (Gavin) you wouldnt happen to have personal plates with the same letters as an electrical appliance company would you?

[halz]

If you decide to repaint your car in the future put it back to that blue colour - it will make the car far more valuable. Besides, that blue colour looks fantastic with all of the badgework neat and tidy, especially the 'Datsun' badge on each guard.

Didn't get a chance to look thru my records last night but I will try to find my notes on your car.

[26ounce]

Hey, welcome to the Z fold Gavin. I think you got a reasonable price on that 240Z if the descriptions I'm hearing are accurate. If you keep the rust bug away there is no chance of losing money thats for sure.

Unfortunately, as halz said, there isn't a Z car club in WA. Last year some people tried to form a Z club but it never got off the ground. I went to one of the later meetings when they moved towards forming a generic Nissan club to get a more people involved. My suggestion to limit it to a Z club did not go down well at the time, but hey how was i supposed to know they had already had a huge debate about it.

Anyway, a few of those guys have since put together a Z car register but I have not had any contact with them yet. If they are out there they don't seem to frequent the internet Z sites much.

I guess the sporting car club is worth a try. You might also ask Cuong's opinion (another WA guy), he has some good contacts in the WA Z world and might point you in the right direction.

Partswise I have only found one good WA contact that was posted on the Zdriver site. A company called Matchless Auto Services, their number is 0419196083. Those guys have wrecked some 260 2+2s and have a variety of second hand parts. Otherwise there are a couple of eastern states shops, none of which I have tried yet. If you find another source let me know, the more the better.

Can't help you much with advice on performance and handling myself, I probably know less than you. But have a look around the various Z sites and you get a pretty good idea of what to do. In fact there is a good site that has extensive info on building up an L28 that is a good starting point. If you haven't found it already the address is

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/2824/engine.html

Note: this is all US info and some of it is different to us. Also it may decrease the value of your 240Z if it currently has matching numbers.

Take it easy

Chris

ps

halz, have you checked out the 72 240Z in the quokka? The needs attention bit sounds ominous but you never know.

[halz]

No I didn't see it. I always check the quokka online but I'm starting to think that their website is not a complete listing of whats in the weekly paper. I'll check out the ad at lunchtime...is it in the current edition?

[26ounce]

Yep, its in yesterdays edition.

The Quokka website cracks me up, I mean what the hell are they thinking. If you had that business would you allow people to search their paper online for free?:stupid:

[halz]

Spoke to the guy with that car... it needs a fair bit of work. Minor cosmetic rust (in his opinion), bent wheel (query suspension damge), seats need reupholstering, it has the original engine but a 240k gearbox, missing the original toolkit and radio, needs a bit of auto-electrical attention( the wiring fused an now the lights don't work), used to be silver but has been resprayed to (you guessed it) red.

Might be a good project if you got it for cheap.

[26ounce]

Sounds like it might be a bit overpriced, oh well.

Now on another topic, whats all this bias against red Zs? Suddenly my plans to paint the 260 red are coming into question. IMO red is the color of choice for a Z, black is good too but only if you get all the panels super-straight.

Is it because you don't like the red or is the red Z becoming a cliche'?