'71 240Z in LA

[Mason]

Hi All,

Just got my first Z car recently. It's a green 1971 240Z. I just put a 5 speed from a ZX in it added sway bars, strut bars, new wheels and tires, SS brake lines, new performance pads and shoes, updated to electronic ignition, added relay to starter, sealed up the rear hatch with new rubber trim. Will be installing new Tokico illuminas and the eibach progressive springs very soon.

On the list of things to do:

• Add rubber welting to the fender flares
  
• Get the paint detailed
  
• Install new rear diff mounts
  
• Install new shocks and springs
  
• Roll the original fenders, under the flares
  
• Fix the Speedometer (using iPhone for now)
  
• Fix the temp gauge
  
• Fix the wiring for the rear tail lights
  
• Fix the wiring for the gauge lights
  
• Replace the fuel vent hoses
  
• Get a wider rear view mirror so I can actually see behind me to the sides (my fender mirrors are useless)
  

Wow, now that I write it down, there's a lot to do..

Oh well it currently runs great and sounds awesome when it warms up and blasting through the canyons.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Mason

[spitz17]

Looks like you are starting from a very solid platform. Good luck, and glad to see a backlog of items to fix! Now have fun!

[psdenno]

Welcome to the Group! Always good to see another '71 added to the list. Nice looking Z.

Dennis

[bartsscooterservice]

Nice Z! Like those fender mirrors

[Mason]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

@spitz17

It's actually a really great platform to build on. Very little rust in the body, the original L24 is solid, all the suspension work should be sorted soon, and all the cosmetic stuff I would have wanted was done before I got it.

@psdenno

Thanks! Glad to be here.

@bart

Yeah the fender mirrors look awesome from the outside. From the driver's seat, not so useful. But I know how to turn my head so it's all good.

[Gary in NJ]

Great looking car Mason. Please post additional photos of that beauty.

[Carl Beck]

Wow.. just jump right in and start spending money on improvements and upgrades!! No sense in putting it off, we all seem to wind up doing that anyway -

As others have said - more pictures - and give us the full story about why a 240Z, when you started looking and why this one etc... oh yes and give us the VIN..

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Homeboyx]

Welcome! Nice to have more locals on here.

[Oiluj]

Welcome! Great looking Z!

[Mason]

The Car:

VIN# HLS3040724

As far as I know it has had a lot of updating in the past few months by the previous owner.

It shows 89k on the odometer, so it could be that or it could be 189k. No way to tell for sure.

Recent upgrades have been:

Re-covered original seats

Poly bushings all around

Fender Flares

Fender Mirrors

New Paint (single stage unfortunately)

White face gauges

Headers

Knock off flowmaster (Flo Pro) muffler

83 ZX 5 speed

MSA Sway bars front and rear

MSA Strut bars front and rear

Tokico Illumina with Eibach progressives ( need to install)

Poly bump stops

Poly rear diff mounts

Crane XR3000 electronic ignition

16x8 Rota RB-R in Hyperblack

225/50ZR16 BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2

The Pictures:

Why a 240Z:

I first saw some 240Z's at a Z car track day at MSR Houston. I had a G35 and tagged along with a friend who had a 350Z. I really liked the look of the older 240's when I saw them and thought in the back of my head, "Maybe I'll get one some day and fix it up".

Then one of the track driving instructors had a yellow 240Z track car and I did a couple ride alongs in it. I really liked the way the car felt so immediate in the corners and under braking, especially when compared to my very heavy G35. So that provided more proof that I wanted to get a 240Z.

That was 4 years ago when I lived in Austin, TX.

I just moved to LA this past summer and sold my G35 before driving over in the family Prius. Yes, I also own a Prius. It is the only new car that my wife likes and it really is as good as they claim on MPG's and it fits a baby seat in the back so it does a good job as the family-mobile.

So, I was on the hunt for a new sports car to take advantage of the famous canyon roads that are only a 5 minute drive away from me currently.

I was initially dead set on an S2000, lightweight, rear drive, minimalist. But, I didn't like the feel of the scene they carried. Lots of 'stance' and 'hella (insert adjective)' involved. And, thats just not my cup of tea. If it works for you then, awesome, I just don't want to be called bro all the time.

But anyway, I was playing Forza on my Xbox when I was gifted a Fairlady Z for upgrading to the next level or something and I remembered all the history I had with it and started researching it. After reading about how the car dominated the SCCA racing series in the 70's and still consistently performs at top levels in auto-crossing, I knew this was the car for me.

So I started obsessively scouring the classifieds, ebay, forums, google, whatever to find a good car in LA and a good shop to do some work for me. ( I have a newborn so therefore have no time, and I left all my good tools in TX, and I live in an apt now so have a parking garage that does not allow "car repairs of any kind").

After a couple months I found this pretty green car with all the exterior flourishes I was after. Fender flares, fender mirrors, air dam, spoiler. It was all complete and recently serviced and running well.

So I scooped it up and immediately delivered to Sunrise Z in Glendale where it lived for a couple weeks getting a transmission and getting the base of the suspension and other stuff updated and upgraded.

Now there is still a list of things to do, but some of them can take some time to get to it.

The plan is to beef up the base of the car with a solid suspension and interior work and then run with the L24 in it till it dies, and then pop in either an L28ET or go LS2 and make it wicked fast.

So, thats my story with it. Thanks for the welcome everyone.

[Carl Beck]

And a Great Story it is - thanks for sharing it with us Mason.

Carl B.

[bartsscooterservice]

Really like the dark green color ! Looks nice on a Z. Keep the L series engine, don't ruin a classic by dropping in a v8, my personal opinion...

The Z is very light, and the L24 engine is basically perfect if you tune it, it is fast and fun enough for road racing..

good cam, more compression, bigger valves, triple carbs, better ignition, lighter flywheel... it will be fun.

Bart