Another newbie + another 71 back on the road..soon

[Gold]

Hope everyone is well. Just wanted to post up, introduce myself and get acquainted with the site and the members :classic:

I'm Hunter, younger than most Z owners probably, come from a newer generation of cars, know my way around a boosted car and this will be my first go with carbs and an older vehicle in general! Always loved old classics and the 240 always had a spot in my heart. My current car has absolutely nothing wrong with it, had it for a while, always keep it current and did all the work myself. I got froggy one day and said screw it, I need a change of pace. So I put it up for sale and am looking to buy a Z. I hope I am making a wise decision here fellas! Anyways, the car I'm going to get has been sitting in an old lady's garage for 8 years. She bought it from one of her husbands friends after they had passed, who was the original owner, so its basically a one owner car. It was sitting with gas in it AND she started it after all that time..definitely needs a GOOD tune up and I would like advice on what to do and where to begin! Body seems to be in great shape though. Okay this is long enough..Here she is:

What do you guys think? Where should I begin? I'll be picking it up next Sunday, April 5th i believe it is. Like I said, it's been sitting with gas for years..and it runs but rough. A few plugs keep getting gas on them/fouled out, the closest ones to the firewall. Engine it self sounds very healthy though. I will post up a youtube link to the car running soon!

Thanks for looking!! I cant wait to experience this thing

Take care everyone!

[FastWoman]

First thing: DON'T run an engine on ancient gas! You might spray varnish all over your valve stems, which can solidify when the engine cools. And then when the valves are stuck in place, you can bend them the next time your start the engine. I did this once, and trust me that you don't want to repeat my mistake.

That said... Nice looking car! Great color! Congratulations, and welcome!

[jfa.series1]

Welcome to the group. What a GREAT color on your car - of course I'm not biased, noooo... not biased one little bit. Look for some recent threads that have links to getting a long-stored car back to running condition. Be patient. Your pics show a really solid car - that bit of rust under the battery should clean up pretty easily, as will the ding in the fender. We'll all be looking for your updates and any help you need is only a post away.

[Gold]

First thing: DON'T run an engine on ancient gas! You might spray varnish all over your valve stems, which can solidify when the engine cools. And then when the valves are stuck in place, you can bend them the next time your start the engine. I did this once, and trust me that you don't want to repeat my mistake.

That said... Nice looking car! Great color! Congratulations, and welcome!

Thanks man I appreciate it! and yeah, that's what i was afraid of but it was her doing not mine, so lets hope im not in that boat. haha

Welcome to the group. What a GREAT color on your car - of course I'm not biased, noooo... not biased one little bit. Look for some recent threads that have links to getting a long-stored car back to running condition. Be patient. Your pics show a really solid car - that bit of rust under the battery should clean up pretty easily, as will the ding in the fender. We'll all be looking for your updates and any help you need is only a post away.

Thanks man. So far I'm really liking the Z community. I'm glad the majority of people who I've asked think I found a really solid car, I was kinda afraid it would be complete **** when I heard the word rust when I was talking to the owner. I hope it cleans up real nice. I'm still new to these types of cars and the terminology and what-not, I've looked a little bit but just found stuff I have no idea what it means..could you maybe link to me something beneficial to me or list what all I should repair/replace?

Right now heres what im thinking:

maybe a lil sea foam

Clean the carbs (when i pick up im getting spares that are said to work great)

replace all vac and fuel hoses

replace spark plugs/wires

replace all fluids

replace fuel filter

i was recommended by someone to put some acetone in the empty tank and let it sit for a while then drain, but idk?

what else?

[an_unusual_eye]

welcome to the diseaZe. a great starting point for sure. my second favorite color and the color that the first 240z sold to the public (vin #13) wears. there's great support for these cars in every sence ~ psychological to parts availability. where in NC are you? best ~ rob.

[jfa.series1]

Here are some items for you:

Reference manuals - XenonS30

Download the Engine Service Manual, the Supplement Chassis Manual, and the '72 Factory Service Manual (since the '71 is not available).

Almost any good degreaser will work on the engine bay. Be sure to loosen the wiring harness from the bendable keepers to lift it off the frame in that rust area.

Since you're used to "newer generation" vehicles, you might be surprised that there are no vacuum lines on the early Z's - only the brakes have a master vac unit. BTW - all your brakes will likely need to be dismantled and cleaned.

Underhood fuel lines are not your only concern. Rubber vent lines are also at the back (see the pic) coming off the tank and will likely need attention. Don't rush into this area, I just want to alert you to another set of lines. You will have a rubber line that connects the tank to the steel fuel line and another that connects the steel return line to the tank.

You're on track with the other items. Be sure the cam is getting a good oil flow before any prolonged running. Check out post #8 on this thread, it can help you avoid a lot of problems: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/engine-drivetrain-s30/50285-starting-engine-first-time-6-yrs.html

Jim

[jwtaylor]

As you may know these cars are prone to rust. Your battery area looks like it needs some attention. And the frame below it looks pretty bad too. Do not just go by the top surface of the foot wells, lots of rust can be hiding under the painted tar mat. I can see a ring on the underside to the carpet pad that shows rust, I would at least check that out.

Otherwise looks like a good car to start with. I wish the paint on mine looked as good.

[Gold]

welcome to the diseaZe. a great starting point for sure. my second favorite color and the color that the first 240z sold to the public (vin #13) wears. there's great support for these cars in every sence ~ psychological to parts availability. where in NC are you? best ~ rob.

Here are some items for you:

Reference manuals - XenonS30

Download the Engine Service Manual, the Supplement Chassis Manual, and the '72 Factory Service Manual (since the '71 is not available).

Almost any good degreaser will work on the engine bay. Be sure to loosen the wiring harness from the bendable keepers to lift it off the frame in that rust area.

Since you're used to "newer generation" vehicles, you might be surprised that there are no vacuum lines on the early Z's - only the brakes have a master vac unit. BTW - all your brakes will likely need to be dismantled and cleaned.

Underhood fuel lines are not your only concern. Rubber vent lines are also at the back (see the pic) coming off the tank and will likely need attention. Don't rush into this area, I just want to alert you to another set of lines. You will have a rubber line that connects the tank to the steel fuel line and another that connects the steel return line to the tank.

You're on track with the other items. Be sure the cam is getting a good oil flow before any prolonged running. Check out post #8 on this thread, it can help you avoid a lot of problems: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/engine-drivetrain-s30/50285-starting-engine-first-time-6-yrs.html

Jim

As you may know these cars are prone to rust. Your battery area looks like it needs some attention. And the frame below it looks pretty bad too. Do not just go by the top surface of the foot wells, lots of rust can be hiding under the painted tar mat. I can see a ring on the underside to the carpet pad that shows rust, I would at least check that out.

Otherwise looks like a good car to start with. I wish the paint on mine looked as good.

All really great info and its all appreciated. Thanks for the warm welcomes and tips, tricks, and advice. Can't wait to have it home and get to work on it. Will be doing research and looking into things until then when I have time. I'm in Winston-salem btw!

Edited March 29, 2014 by Gold

[Gold]

I'd like to tell you guys what I'm paying for this, I thought I was getting a decent deal until some recent conversation with some other Z guys, they think 5k is over priced for this condition? Am I getting ripped guys?

[Zed Head]

The problem with talking to other Z guys is that they already have one. They can wait. You have to do your own economics analysis. How long are you willing to wait for a deal? How much is the next few months or even years without a Z worth to you while you look around. Do you want a car that's ready to drive or do you want something to work on? What skills do you enjoy applying?... Etc.

I bought my non-running 1976 280Z mainly because it had no significant body damage and I hate doing body work. I enjoy doing all of the other stuff though so didn't care that the drivetrain might be worthless.

That car looks very nice and it runs and you know where it's been. You'll probably wait a long time to find something similar. You might save cash but you'll end up paying more in aggravation, time and disappointment. You've a got a bird in hand.

[rossiz]

nice project! i'm a relative newbie myself - first z-car picked up in november. zed head is right: there's a weird emotional trip to wondering if it's "the right deal" based on price alone. since i picked up my '78 280 i've seen many other cars for sale and wondered if i got the right one - but in the end, you just pick a starting point and go from there. not having to do a lot of bodywork is a huge plus, as well as knowing the history - always better to start with a good one than deal with years of neglect/abuse/bad PO mods...

[Gold]

The problem with talking to other Z guys is that they already have one. They can wait. You have to do your own economics analysis. How long are you willing to wait for a deal? How much is the next few months or even years without a Z worth to you while you look around. Do you want a car that's ready to drive or do you want something to work on? What skills do you enjoy applying?... Etc.

I bought my non-running 1976 280Z mainly because it had no significant body damage and I hate doing body work. I enjoy doing all of the other stuff though so didn't care that the drivetrain might be worthless.

That car looks very nice and it runs and you know where it's been. You'll probably wait a long time to find something similar. You might save cash but you'll end up paying more in aggravation, time and disappointment. You've a got a bird in hand.

thanks man. thanks for that, i also have found another one im considering. with work already done on it, ready to drive, only been parked a few months and apparently just needs a fuel pump. this one i could probably get for 9k. but id like to start it and drive it before i even consider it. anywhere i can get a pump on the fly and how hard is it to replace a pump in these?