Advice on this 1980 on CL

[Captain Obvious]

Looking forward to it greatly!!! Can't wait Bud!

[Mike]

Grabbed a few photos from the CL ad...  Looks like the existing owner is a fellow flyboy..  ? (green headset in the back)

[Johnny Danger]

This is the other car he's selling:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/d/datsun-280z-1977/6690732269.html

Just a touch outside of my budget.

Seems like a nice enough guy in the correspondence we've had. He obviously digs cars.

[siteunseen]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

Grabbed a few photos from the CL ad...  Looks like the existing owner is a fellow flyboy..  ? (green headset in the back)

I noticed too. The pilots I know are meticulous as hell.

Beer edit: Mike those could be a strategically placed selling tool. He's removed everything else. Smart guy in my opinion.

Edited September 11, 2018 by siteunseen

[siteunseen]

2 hours ago, Johnny Danger said:

This is the other car he's selling:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/d/datsun-280z-1977/6690732269.html

Just a touch outside of my budget.

Seems like a nice enough guy in the correspondence we've had. He obviously digs cars.

Uh oh, you've crossed the line now! 

 

Please don't buy a heavy nosed Z. They suck.

[JSM]

2 hours ago, siteunseen said:

Uh oh, you've crossed the line now! 

 

Please don't buy a heavy nosed Z. They suck.

This one was tastefully done in my opinion. Looks nice and clean too. Minus the auto

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/cto/d/1973-datsun-240z-sb-chevy-350/6677672989.html

[Mike]

30 minutes ago, JSM said:

This one was tastefully done in my opinion. Looks nice and clean too. Minus the auto

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/cto/d/1973-datsun-240z-sb-chevy-350/6677672989.html

What is that I see coming out the back?  Let me clean my monitor and squint my eyes... nope still seeing double..  

[Zed Head]

46 minutes ago, JSM said:

This one was tastefully done in my opinion. Looks nice and clean too. Minus the auto

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/cto/d/1973-datsun-240z-sb-chevy-350/6677672989.html

He made nice use of an older heating oil filter.  I've not seen that before.

[psdenno]

18 minutes ago, Mike said:

What is that I see coming out the back?  Let me clean my monitor and squint my eyes... nope still seeing double..  

Looks like a little delamination on the trailing edge of the left rear fender flair.  I'm sensing "lipstick on a pig" with this one.

Dennis

 

 

[Zed Head]

The CL ad does have some of the typical buyer beware stuff in it.  He wants a Z, just not this one.

" I'm just testing the water's so to speak here, seeing if someone out there might be looking for a toy like this. I'm looking for a more Stock 240z to have and drive, is the only reason this is up for sale."

[Patcon]

9 hours ago, Johnny Danger said:

 he has a more cavalier attitude?

 

 

This is definitely the most encompassing way to describe Cliff

9 hours ago, Johnny Danger said:

 

Also, yes the clean silver car looks clean, but there is not much in the way of interior shots, the dash is probably cracked, one of the seats has a cover, no good shot of the driver seat. And when I asked for mileage and whether or not any recent work had been done, all I got was a mileage number and "It runs and drives." I kind of wonder if the guy actually wants to sell the car. So while the paint and body seem spot on, almost everything else is an unknown. That and I really don't necessarily want T-tops.

The black car is majorly sketchy on body work, but that may actually matter less to me at this point than the recent mechanical work and knowing the major things are already taken care of. New A/C components and refrigerant conversion is a huge chunk of money I know I wouldn't have to spend. But what might be the nail in the coffin on that deal is that early on the seller said the brakes needed to be bled. I asked him if there was a specific point that he remembers the brakes having issues. And he says that he "let the brake fluid get too low" which caused air to get in the lines. But man, that sure as hell sounds like a brake fluid leak to me. I would also need to get a really good look at all of the calipers and the master cylinder to inspect for leaks. At that point, he'd have to come down more on the price. He actually started at $6K going back to old FB marketplace posts.

 

Further to my conversation with JSM yesterday, I kind of wonder how the market in Florida is compared to here. If you can find me a clean 82 or 83 for $4k in Florida, I'll fly out and pick one up. I've got plenty of airline points.

The silver car looks good and the center console in the picture is very clean. It would be my first choice between these two cars. The dash might have cracks, but most Z's do. It might not though if that rug has been on there a long time. Seats are a really easy fix and cheap. Body and paint work is not easy or cheap and it is difficult to do at home. The front right fender on the silver car looks like a different color. So I would look for damage on the inside of the engine bay on the passenger side and the radiator support. the T-tops can leak but they add value to the car too. Mileage doesn't scare me too much on either of the cars as far as mechanicals go. The engines are very durable and so are the transmissions if they're not abused. What goes bad with lots of mileage are all the little parts: window regulators, switches, seat mechanisms, wiper motors, blower motors, etc

I would be concerned about rust on the black car and the rear tail light panel will take a considerable amount of money to look right again. I wonder if there is crash damage under any of that, which necessitated the changes. I would be more interested in the silver one over the back one. For the cost of making the body right on the black one you can do a lot of mechanical work. Also the brake leak may not be obvious if the master is leaking into the booster

As for buying a car out of Florida, you are better buying one from Texas, as long as you avoid the coast. You could also shop further West. The cars further West should have less rust. Some of the other aspects may be more sunburnt but a whole interior could be bought used for probably a $1,000, for that matter you could find a rust bucket from somewhere else and take anything off it to move to whatever car you find.

The condensed version: Buy the best body and paint you can afford, all the other stuff is easier to over come. Paint jail is not and rust is a slow death waiting...

[Johnny Danger]

I definitely agree that the silver car is the smart choice here. But it also does not excite me at all. Like I almost dislike it. If it were black or red or blue, I could get excited.

The black car has some things I need to get a closer look at, but it honestly speaks to me more. As long as the fenders aren't flying off I can drive it as is. I have a contact for body work that can match paint really well. The cost of fixing that would probably be as much as or a little more than just the a/c work done on the black Z.

Yeah, the tail lights sten't sexy, but I can deal with that and I also have freedom to try other things.

I guess I'm on track to get banished to the HybridZ forum?

EDIT: This is all presuming I don't find rust damage on the black car.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Johnny Danger