Robert9790 Posted September 4, 2019 Share #1 Posted September 4, 2019 Hey guys, New to the forum and searching to find my first Z project car. Trying to keep budget to around ~10k if possible, with a bit of wiggle room. Ran across: https://www.vintagecarcollector.com/vehicles/996/1975-datsun-280z but im not sure if its a good deal or not. Would love some insight as to what you guys look for in a Z before purchase. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteunseen Posted September 4, 2019 Share #2 Posted September 4, 2019 (edited) Buyer beware! Some very unsatisfied buyers. One star reviews from real people, 5 stars from one person; fake I'm sure. https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/glendale/profile/auto-brokers/vintage-car-collector-1216-762227/customer-reviews Take your time, the right one will find you. Kind of weird how that works but it does. Edited September 4, 2019 by siteunseen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert9790 Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted September 4, 2019 Ah! Good catch, I'm so excited to get my first vintage Z that I'm forgetting the car buying basics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteunseen Posted September 4, 2019 Share #4 Posted September 4, 2019 You want one with the least rust. Are you going to work on it yourself, ready to drive, carburetor or EFI? Some good info here... https://www.google.com/search?q=buying+my+first+Z+classiczcars.com&rlz=1C1BOFA_enUS494US494&oq=buying+my+first+Z+classiczcars.com&aqs=chrome..69i57.13549j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteunseen Posted September 4, 2019 Share #5 Posted September 4, 2019 http://www.zhome.com/ Left side about the third section down. "Buying A Z car tips" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Maras Posted September 4, 2019 Share #6 Posted September 4, 2019 Cliff beat me to it. What's missing in the description of the car is the most important item. Body condition, specifically RUST. Any visible rust is only 10% of what you'll find when it's opened up. The hood on this one appears to have rust bubbles on the nose of the hood. That's a particularly difficult spot to repair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert9790 Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted September 4, 2019 Appreciate that, yes I am hoping to work on it myself. I don't have experience working on car bodies, but I have done engine work before. I'm hoping whatever car I find is drivable, I only commute once a week for about 100 miles. I think to get the genuine 240 experience I'm going to try and stay with carburators. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdenno Posted September 4, 2019 Share #8 Posted September 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Robert9790 said: Hey guys, New to the forum and searching to find my first Z project car. Trying to keep budget to around ~10k if possible, with a bit of wiggle room. Would love some insight as to what you guys look for in a Z before purchase. Many thanks! The description on the ad says, "•ORIGINAL A/C CAR, ALL THE PARTS ARE INCLUDED " Translation: Original A/C no longer works so it was removed. Plan on spending $1,000+ for a new A/C system and another $1,000+ to have it installed and charged. Budget, or make offer, accordingly. That said, keep looking. Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteunseen Posted September 4, 2019 Share #9 Posted September 4, 2019 Try "searchtempest" for craigslist cars all around you. $10K should get you something decent but since the prices have rocketed this past year or so you may consider an efi car, '75 and up, change over to carbs for fairly cheap compared to rebuilding the old fuel injection. You'd get a little bigger motor, 2.8 instead of 2.4, for less dough ray me. Find some and post them up here. We'll gladly tell you what to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcb280z Posted September 5, 2019 Share #10 Posted September 5, 2019 Welcome to the club! Just FYI keep in mind if you decide to go with the 280z you'll have to smog the 76 thru 78. Smog cut off here in CA is 1975. So you can't remove smog equipment. And you need to know what to look for, If any smog equipment has been removed, if its working or not, etc. You've come to the right place though. Very knowledgeable and friendly people in this club. Good luck with your search. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patcon Posted September 5, 2019 Share #11 Posted September 5, 2019 I was just looking at his location for just that reaso 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert9790 Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share #12 Posted September 5, 2019 Hey guys, Appreciate all the great info. I'm definitely going to be looking for an pre-76 240z. I've found a few cars, but I havent pulled the trigger because of either rust issues or them being a bit out of my spending limit. Im trying to stay around ~10k and i do want a manual. As soon as i'm on my desktop I'll show you the lot of cars i've been keeping an eye on. The input is definitely appreciated. I am alright with doing work on the car, but also dont want a rusty death trap haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parman
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