Z's on BAT and other places collection

[SteveJ]

6 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

Both pumping and bidding, or investing and collecting?  

Seems in the vein of "I paid a lot therefore everyone must pay a lot".  Like the guys who jump on to the sales ads to make sure that nobody gets a good deal when somebody lists a car for a low price.

Just something distasteful about it.  But that's why I don't collect (invest) in old stuff.

When you put it that way, all of the above, and I feel the same way you do.

[lonetreesteve]

1970 Datsun 240Z LOW VIN #738 - $26,850 (Torrance, CA)

The seller is located in Los Angeles. Here's the link:

 https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/d/torrance-1970-datsun-240z-low-vin-738/7244637837.html

1970 Datsun 240Z
Stock L24 with correct E31 Head
5 Speed trans off 280ZX 82-83 5SP
Vintage front and rear spoiler
Vintage wheels
No major rust
Dash has crack
Tachometer sometimes do not work
Speedo needle is broken
Genuine Nissan Euro Tail lamps
2 Owner California car
Runs excellent
$26850
310-308-89right six

Edited December 10, 2020 by lonetreesteve

[Zed Head]

He doesn't know the big money is on BAT?  Craigslist for #738?  I feel ironic here...

Gonna need to see that firewall stamp.  And why are the rivet heads hidden?

Edited December 10, 2020 by Zed Head

[lonetreesteve]

I just spoke with the seller and he told me that the car doesn't have its original matching-numbers engine. It has a replacement L24. I can see how that would affect the asking price, but it shouldn't affect it that much!  Looks to be a very solid, low VIN  California car.  

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by lonetreesteve
Added a second picture

[Zed Head]

6 minutes ago, lonetreesteve said:

I just spoke with the seller and he told me that the car doesn't have its original matching-numbers engine. It has a replacement L24. I can see how that would affect the asking price, but it shouldn't at affect it that much!  Looks to be a very solid, low VIN  California car.  

Did you tell him about the not-a-72 at Beverly Hills Car Club?  I wouldn't buy any low numbers car without seeing the firewall stamp.

[Zed Head]

$30,000 is not enough for a super-modded 73.  Reserve not met.

[Zed Head]

That Beverly Hills Car Club that has the blue 1972 (1976) beater was on Gas Monkey Garage in the past, I think.  I haven't heard back since I told them where to look to make sure the VIN was correct.  They have a title so maybe they're going to pretend they don't know.

https://www.beverlyhillscarclub.com/1972-datsun-240z-c-11820.htm

[Patcon]

$27k for a sub 1000# car is a really good price!!!

[Captain Obvious]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2020 at 7:44 PM, Zed Head said:

That engine bay just screams 1976.  The rear shock towers.  Might have to pore over the pictures a bit more just for fun.

So I was poking around with the pics again and I'm starting to think that maybe @Racer X was right when he suggested that "someone has mixed two Z cars, and then rust happened."

Looking at the rear strut towers again, the plastic trim is unquestionably 280 style with the high hip cutout. But the METAL part of the rear tower looks like it only comes up to 240 height. That results in a large gap between the top of the metal strut tower and the bottom of the plastic trim:

And looking at the drivers door... Notice the weather strip along the top of the window frame. That is without question a 76 feature:

Front lower valances where the turn signals aren't is without question a 280 feature. Taillight panels are at least 74.

So even though it seems hard to believe, I'm starting to think that someone may have started with a 72 and put on so many parts from a 76 that it actually shows as a 76.

If the firewall VIN comes back matching the other numbers, I'll have to assume that's what they did here. Butchering the VIN plate to fit the dash is probably still illegal (considered modification and/or defacing maybe?), but to give the seller the benefit of the doubt, the unibody section may have left the factory in 72.

I gotta just stop looking at the pics and let the whole thing RIP.  

[Zed Head]

I studied the rear shock towers too but couldn't form a definitive thought.  You'd have to see two bare sets side by side I think.  I pasted the other shot down below.  Maybe someone has a similar view of either a 240Z or 280Z?  @grannyknot ?  I found one, at least, but he likes to shoot from distance.  Pasted below, down to the shell resto 240Z.  Can't tell it looks like the tower has a bow in it while the blue one doesn't.  Don't know!.   But wait (after I wrote a bunch of junk below) isn't the distance from the top of the wheel well to the top of the tower longer in the blue car?  Is that it!?  The definitive?!?!?  I pasted two pics at the end...  Thank you grannyknot (of course, it could be an illusion, from my fevered mind).  Darn it, just realized I'm looking at the back of one and the front of another.  More searching...

You can get in to some really complex "why/how" loops.  Yesterday (I'm obsessed) I was thinking about the brackets for the magnet valves.  Did the 240Z's have those same brackets?   If not, how did they mount the magnet valves?  Where is the engine bay plate, with the car number and engine number?  Why did somebody remove it?  Both are gone, 240Z or 280Z.  Who knows, maybe it is a 240Z with a lot of effort in to installing 280Z parts.  280Z doors, 280Z tach (with wire from the negative post and resistor to run it), engine, EFI system (with computer, assumed, plus fuel pump plus larger fuel return line because the 240Z return line is too small for an EFI pump volume).  Why move the two fusible link blocks over?

They were really helpful until I showed the firewall VIN location.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Zed Head

[Zed Head]

Maybe it is a 240Z.  Still not good pictures.  The angles are off.  Need that shot from the back.

[Zed Head]

Found a 240Z shot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JgxSUpfICw

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Zed Head