1971 240Z Driver Build Advice Requested PLEASE

[HappyZ]

I’m building a good solid driver. I’d like your opinion as to how to build a good solid driver with all the parts I have.  I have two 1971s and an extra fuel injected engine an five-speed.  Here’s the status of each:

Red early 71 (Originally silver):  

Pros:  matching numbers, later version of four-speed, mechanically sound, chrome and badging really nice.

Cons: A whole lot of rust underneath and pillars, etc..

White late 71 ( originally silver):

Pros: No Rust.  Chassis solid, good brakes,

Cons:  L28 Engine not running, five-speed status unknown.  bad clutch, PO paint job is poor, Interior has overspray, white overspray all over engine.  Chrome in poor shape.

280z motor and five-speed:  Removed recently from low mileage, well maintained, 280Z.  Fuel injection is intact, but missing some wiring (not sure what else).  Mechanic doing work told owner to keep motor in can, but owner wanted big crate motor.

My thoughts on options:

1.  Move all red car mechanicals and exterior bits to white car.

Pros:  In essence, I’d have a matching numbers, solid car.

Cons:  I’m not sure what needs to be done to convert from L28 with carbs “back” a L24 motor.

2. Move all red car exterior bits to white car. Install spare L28 motor and trans

Pros:  L28 swap with trans should be easy, solid car.

Cons:  I’m not sure what needs to be done to complete the fuel injection setup. I’ve never done FI

3. Move all red car exterior bits to white car. Install spare 280z and trans, but covert to carburetors from red car.

Pros:  L28 swap with trans should be easy, solid car., I know SU carbs.

Cons:  I’m not sure what needs to be done to convert from L28 Fuel Injection “back” to carbs from red car.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by wadelester
Added Pics

[Hardway]

As someone that has owned three 240z's and two 280z's, always go with the car with the least amount of rust.  Mechanical and interior components are swappable all day long.  The white car may not be as pretty as the red on the surface but it is by far a better foundation for a build.  I would strip the white car to a point it can be painted the color you want, get it painted, then install the best of everything from both cars.

[gwri8]

Who says you can only have one?  Keep them both! ?   As far as value, the #'s matching car will be worth more when finished.  I don't know how much more rust it has than the white car but just from the photos it does not seem too bad.  I've definitly seen worse brought back got life.  With the white car either fix the current engine or swap with your spare. You'll probably need a EFI wiring harness and a few other parts for that, none of witch should be impossible to find.  Paint will cost you more than any kind of mechanical work. IMO, I wouldn't scrap one for the other, I think it would be a waste

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[HappyZ]

@gwri8 thanks for your feedback.  What are your thoughts about taking the best parts from both cars to make one very good car and then a second car (if I keep it) with all of the remaining parts in the second?  I must say that I don't know anything about the L28 engine in the white one.  I may take a closer look at the L28 engine already in the white one.

 

[HappyZ]

Also, I can't seem to find someone in the Daytona Beach/Orlando area that will do the major rust repair.

[gwri8]

 I would start by putting each cars needs on paper and and then comparing things cost wise.  I tend to lean towards the purist side.  And since the red car being a early 71' and is considered a series 2, I think needs to be kept with its original parts as much as possible. It seems to have had more attention than the white car.  240's in original (or close to original) are getting harder to find.  Of course I can't see how much work each one needs,  so I'm basing it purely on just the few pictures you've posted.  It's just my opinion, but pulling good parts from the red car for the white car is kind of flowing backwards, so to speak,  Others my disagree.  You can sill source badging, interior and engine parts so why not just rebuild  The white one has already been "changed" with the L28 swap and is already in need of a lot of cleaning up.  I think you can more free to do more with it  and not hurt the value.  Both seem like a good starting point. You are very lucky.  By the way, your spare L28 looks to be from a 78' 

[HappyZ]

@gwri8 Good advice.  I'd say I'm more of a purist as well, so keeping the early one all together is a logical. I will do the comparison chart as recommended.  You are correct, the motor is from a '78.  I reached back to the PO to see if he still has the harness for the fuel injection.

[gwri8]

Just to mention, there a more than a few members of this forum that are in your area, @Dave WM being one of them, that probably can help with sourcing help and parts.  Hopefully they will chime in.

[ConVerTT]

How confident are you about the rust on the white car?  The red car presents very "honestly",  while the overspray on the white car looks very hastily done and might be hiding things....

If both are going down to bare metal, or if you only want to do one, save the matching numbers red car IMO...

or sell the matching numbers red and use the proceeds for parts for white.

[ConVerTT]

also - I don't understand your option 1 above ...

how does "red into white" result in a matching numbers car?  did you mean "white into red"?

[HappyZ]

@ConVerTT matching numbers was a bad term...I should have said period correct or model correct or something like that.  The red car has a lot of rust...rusty floor pans, rockers, pillars, etc.  but it can be saved.  The white car is really solid.  You are correct, the white paint was done hastily.  I think I could save a lot of money on bodywork restoring the white one (if I’m correct about solid body).

[HappyZ]

Thanks to all that have read and responded to my post.  Based on your thoughts, I will keep the red one intact since it’s a series two.  I will still focus on restoring the white one first since i believe it’s solid.  I thought it’s interesting that they were both originally silver, so I will do the white one in silver.  I will take photos of the fuel injection parts I received with the 78’ L28 motor and start a new post for advice on that.  Thanks again.