buying a z car

[antipodalboy]

I'm thinking of purchasing my first z car. I don't really know too much about the car, but from my experience with landcruisers, forums are a great place to start. What should I look for in an early 240, or 260? I'm thinking of getting one, because I want a small, fast car. The landcrusier just doesn't cut it. How are they maintenance wise? Are parts available? ...that sort of thing. Thanks for helping me out..

Blaine

[Alfadog]

First of all, where do you live? Different regions have different spec level Z's and the value of them are also quite different.

Generally, 240Z's are more expensive, rarer (in America I think teh 260Z may be rarer?) and because it was the first one it's highly regarded - not to mention it's the lightest and least molestered (with no crash-protection huge bumpers or smog crap).

Once you work out what model you want, generally all the early ones havve teh same sort of thing to look out for.. rust... floorpans, frame rails and under battery are the dangerous rust-prone areas, and tehre are a heap of other areas which won't really make your car unsafe but certainly won't make it look pretty... if you searchthe forums for "rust areas" or something you'll find HEAPS and I mean HEAPS of posts about teh subject.

With parts availability it depends again where you're located.......

All the talk about the engines being indestructable may be true (I've never owned any other engine) but that doesn't mean a lot of the other parts on the car can't go wrong. Generally they're cheap to fix though - compared to other classics such as MG's and Triumphs...

[v12horse]

If you are going to buy one of these old 240's or 260's a couple of the main things that you should pay attention to are the suspension and rust. These cars have MacPherson struts and I would assume that most people that have these cars usually have not replaced them unless they have keep the car in premo shape. Including the springs and bushings to go along with the struts it will cost you a pretty penny, but will make the ride great.

Rust is another problem with these cars. Try to find one that is rust free unless you plan doing a ground off restoration. Finding parts is relatively easy. Correct stock replacement parts are harder to come by than after market parts, but they are not too hard to find if you look around. Ebay has been the best place for me to find good deals on stock replacement parts.

The best advice I can give you is, if you are going to get one and don't want to do too much work to it, buy one that someone has babied. You may have to pay a little more, but it will be worth it. If you are going to restore one try to get one as rust free as possible.

These are great cars and if they are taken care of right they are really reliable little cars. I have an early 260 and it starts every time. What I like about the early 260 is that it is the best of both the 240 and the 280. The interior is a little more refined than a 240 and the bumbers are smaller than the 280. Good luck with buying a car and keep the forum posted on the cars that you are thinking of buying.

-Ben

[Alfadog]

Another good thing about tehse cars is that everyone has an opinion on which one they think is the best................. strangely enough most people prefer the one they own. I wonder which comes first, the love or the car???

"The original and the best" 240z :love: :love:

[SHOTIME]

Spend the money upfront and buy one in decent shape. They should go for around $5-7k for one that doesn't need a resto. But it all depends on what you want out of it. If it's going to be heavily modded, don't buy "the best", most likely you'll replace parts that don't need replacing. I got a little hosed on mine and paid $2500 and I'm doing a full resto. I should have bought one in worse shape because I'm replacing everything anyway. Anyway, I'm glad to see someone think of a Z as a small sports car instead of a Civic.

[TKR514]

Agreed, buy the best one you can find. Parts and body restoration can eat you alive. I'm doing a full "refresh" all myself and it's hitting $4K in just parts. It would cost about $10K - $12K if I farmed the work out to local shops.

Don't be fooled by buying a $1,200 240Z over a $7K-$10K one that has everything redone or one that has no rust and ready to go....