Well I bought my 240z 16.5 years ago and decided I should see what it has cost me.  I used it as a daily driver for the first 6 years and a summer/fun driver for the last 10.  I added up all my receipts and the total came to $14,544.65

 

$1000.00 of that is the original purchase price back in 1998.

 

$5614.58 went to general maintenance.  This includes a partial engine rebuild, head gasket, a couple of starters (seem to have bad luck with those), and one alternator.  It also includes a lot of trouble shooting various problems and minor maintenance items.

 

$4425.07 went to body work.  That includes $1600.00 in accident repairs (I HATE the 405).  and $2700.00 for an amateur paint job that will need to be redone when I get the funds.

 

$3505.00 went towards upgrades.  Those include a Mallory distributor, new carbs from Z therapy, new wheels, new front bumpers, weather stripping, new seat foams, new leather upholstery, and some new badges.

 

All in all it works out to about $73 dollars per month which is a pretty good bang for the buck.  Especially when you factor the value of smiling every time you drive:)

I paid 1,400 for my z. I stopped counting receipts at around 3 grand. I still need new passenger floors. Battery tray has a small hole. The rear rocker and front fender and door have holes and rust. Driver sife is ok. My car was treated by ziebart so I guess it could be worse . My guess is when u can do all the work yourself you might come out ahead in the long run. 240zs are hard to find now. 280zs are really a dime a dozen but can still fetch a good price.

Being able to do the work yourself can certainly save $$$.  Most of the maintenance costs on my car are from the first few years I owned it (young, no tools, no garage).  Now I do the work myself.  Unfortunately I do not have the talent for paint or body work.  How long have you had your 240?

 

I don't have mine 16.5 years haha, only 2 but I'm sure the total cost including the car is allready over 15k euro. I don't want to know how much

Bartsscooter I read the post on your Z the other day... you've got a nice car there.  The way I look at it is these cars are still less expensive than going out and buying a new car.  They also come equipped with a lot more soul and history too

My racing 240Z in its final incarnation cost between $850 and $950 an hour to run, including planned engine refreshes, tires, fuel, entry fees, etc.

Sometimes, adding up the cost of ownership can be a little daunting. That's where rationalization comes in. In my case, I bought my 240Z new in 1971 for $4,200. Over the following 43 years I replaced the struts three times, bought several sets of tires, rebuilt the transmission twice, replaced the transmission twice (most recently with a 5 speed), two clutch replacements, and one exhaust system.

Along the way, the Z went into storage for a decade or so and then underwent a refurbishment that replaced all fluids, hoses, belts, brakes, new wheels, an upgraded AC system, and a few other essentials (including the 5 speed mentioned earlier) for about $8,500.

Now, for the rationalizing. All of those costs, including routine maintenance along the way, probably are still thousands of dollars less than the cost of a new 2014 Scion FRS. So, I think I'm ahead of the game in terms of dollars expended. And, I've had 43 years of pleasure, anxiety, and adventures with the Z. Priceless.

Dennis

I use to keep count of my spend................I quit.

I added mine up a few days ago, $4,500.  $2,000 for the car plus $2,417 in receipts so probably $5,000 all told.  

 

1st time to put a price on the best car I've ever owned. 

 

I should get it appraised though for legal reasons that may come up someday.    

I use to keep count of my spend................I quit.

 

I know what I've spent, I'm just trying to ignore it!

Well I bought my 240z 16.5 years ago and decided I should see what it has cost me.  I used it as a daily driver for the first 6 years and a summer/fun driver for the last 10.  I added up all my receipts and the total came to $14,544.65

 

$1000.00 of that is the original purchase price back in 1998.

 

$5614.58 went to general maintenance.  This includes a partial engine rebuild, head gasket, a couple of starters (seem to have bad luck with those), and one alternator.  It also includes a lot of trouble shooting various problems and minor maintenance items.

 

$4425.07 went to body work.  That includes $1600.00 in accident repairs (I HATE the 405).  and $2700.00 for an amateur paint job that will need to be redone when I get the funds.

IMG_2393.JPG

 

$3505.00 went towards upgrades.  Those include a Mallory distributor, new carbs from Z therapy, new wheels, new front bumpers, weather stripping, new seat foams, new leather upholstery, and some new badges.

 

All in all it works out to about $73 dollars per month which is a pretty good bang for the buck.  Especially when you factor the value of smiling every time you drive:)

You can't put a price on enjoying your Z in "The Last Best Place".  I DD one as a student at the U and for two summers in Glacier and one in the Tetons, can't beat the scenery or the driving experience.

gogriz91, one of the things I dream of is getting a bunch of Z enthusiast's together to drive Going to the Sun.  How awesome would the parking lot up at Logan pass look filled with vintage Datsuns.  Until that day it will just be me and a couple other 240's.  Any time you find yourself out west feel free to hit me up though, first beer's on me

Hey, once my 240 is done, I'm down. Until then, my DD Z31 can make the trip without an issue. She ain't pretty, but she's quick and gets great fuel economy.

Purchase cost: $330 plus $75 in fuel and $40 for food/drinks
Light rebuild: $1300
Sheet metal: $225
ERW tubing: $100
Paint: $1500
Having a friend's uncle do the job at his shop: $500 (if I remove most of the paint and strip the chassis)
Brakes and suspension: $700
Fluids and tune up: $300
Fender Flares: $250~

But that's basically a full restoration from the ground up (excluding bushings and any missing bolts I have to replace) for $5320 and an estimated 120-50 hours. And I've got 4 months to do it. Paint will be last naturally. So $3320 in 4 months. It's certainly doable.