What should I do with my father in law's Z?

[Carl Beck]

Hi Will:

This is the type of car I love doing a refresh or full restoration on. Looks all stock and original - hasn't been mutilated by multiple previous owners. With 77K miles it is just now getting broken in. Of course Blue/White is my favorite color combo. Mine is a 72 and I have just under 80K miles on it.

I would say that your first task - and the highest priority - is to remove/stop any areas of rust. Rust is the major killer of these cars. To make them light weight - they were built with relatively thin sheet metal - once it starts to surface rust - the rust eats though the metal quickly.

So get out the wire wheels, wire brushes and sand paper - clean as much as you can off - then treat with OSPHO to kill the rust. Then prime/paint the spots. Do it now while many of them are small..

After that - I agree with the others - do small things one at a time. Keep it stock... drive it for a while on the weekends... If you are like so many of us - you'll wind up doing a full Refresh or even a Restoration and keeping it for the next generation...

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Travel'n Man]

Will -

Here is another option on rust.

http://www.por15.com/

[Bonzi Lon]

Very nice gift, Will. Sounds like it won't take much to get it going, just in time for http://www.bransonzfest.com/ the last week of May. A pair of 73 blue & white's side by side would be like stereo for the eyes.

Bonzi Lon

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Getting a car like this would be a dream. And I echo all my colleges advice. But promise me you will sit down and be realistic with your time and your money. Set aside a realistic budget for this car that matches your expectation of how you want to use it.

Deciding to work on a Z (or any classic car really) is like deciding to own a new puppy. It is a big commitment. IT will take time and money. If you are willing to give it that, then the rewards are spectacular. You got the car for free, so already you are about 6000 dollars ahead of the game. If you are willing to spend about that much now, you will have on your hands a very reliable driver. But lets be realistic. This car is approaching 40 years old.

It will need all the important rubber replaced. vacuum lines, fuel lines, most weather stripping, etc. Most bushings will be tired. But one thing at a time! Do not get overwhelmed. You will find most parts for the Z are relatively inexpensive compared to anything modern.

Start a Z journal. Write down everything you do. Write down fluid changes, dates, times, brands. Write down numbers, websites. Draw diagrams, take pictures and tape them in. I have almost 100 pages of such a journal documenting everytime a wrench touched my Z. I can go back and find out when and what I did, who I got parts from. This will serve you well.

I also recommend making a list starting with the fluid changes previously recommended. Try not to get overwhelmed and at any time ask any of us for help.

Also, prepare to get told to drop those flat top SU carbs you have and get some Ztherapy carbs. You will hear this more than once, and it is very good advice.

Best of luck buddy.

[Alex 240Z]

Keep it take the best care you can of it and keep in garaged and give you father in law a kiss on the cheek !!!!!!

[az240z]

BOY PEOPLE ARE ALREADY GETTING INTO YOUR POCKET. Telling you how to spend your money. Do the minimum that you can but do what Carl said, and then the advice on the preventive maintenance. Get it running as best you can and then decide what you want to do with it.

[Montezuma]

Phil, I too have a late 73 blue with off-white interior. A beautiful combo. The off-white sometimes called parchment was not as white as earlier cars because the materials hade to be more flame retardant. Your Pop's care is a real gem and should be reconditioned for survivor class levels. Rich (Motoman7) is a real expert on this. He would recommend you keep the the car as it is and refresh it. Cars are only original once. I would I'M Rich and get his advice if I we're in your place. Don't forget to put your car in the Z Resgister the Mr Beck maintains. My 73 is the lastest entry for a 240 in the United States, there are 2 more behind me but they are in Europe. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Montezuma

[Stickerman]

If you don't have the time take it to a mechanic and see what it needs to get running and driving right. It might be a tune up, tires, and some alignment. Do what it needs and drive it as a toy. It will last that way for years, not all of these need to be restored. There are a bunch of people that take them apart to restore and they never get them back on the road. Figure out what it needs to be drivable for a year, then drive it for that year before deciding to restore it.

That one year of driving can quickly turn into 5 years of driving it instead of 5 years in the garage as a project...

[Phils204z]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and suggestions! I'll be sure to keep pestering you all with questions as I get into the project a bit more. My plan at this point: change all the fluids, flush the radiator, plugs/wires, then tackle a rebuild of the carbs.

Thanks again for all the help!

[Gary in NJ]

Excellent choice! Once you get to know the car you'll love it.

[motorman7]

Hi Phil,

That really looks like a great car there. With the low miles on it, you should have it for a long time. The original paint even looks very decent. One more thing, save every part that you take off on that baby. Especially those wire hose clamps. They are very hard to find and pricey when you do find them.

A lot of stuff can be cleaned up with some elbow grease and a good bench polisher with a wire wheel. Those clean-ups are pretty easy and virtually free.

My ’73 had flat tops (now sold ) and it ran great. Usually the guys that are telling you to ditch them have never owned them, so ignore the noise. Mine ran great. An original ’73 is hard to find and it is a thing of beauty. And in my opinion, the more original the better.

Here are some before and after pics of my ’73 motor to give you a little motivation as you work on the motor.

Best regards,

Rich

[Montezuma]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and suggestions! I'll be sure to keep pestering you all with questions as I get into the project a bit more. My plan at this point: change all the fluids, flush the radiator, plugs/wires, then tackle a rebuild of the carbs.

Thanks again for all the help!

Motorman7(Rich) is a friend of mine and his advice was very solid. I drove that 73 from his place to the Westcoast Nationals in Motorsport Auto in Orange last year. It drove real nice, it looked awesome too. He had those flat-tops running great. Have fun and enjoy the ride.