Found a Z, need advise

[kmack]

SHOTIME,

Mike is right. If there is rust in the floor pan, then you will need to check in other areas, also. Particularly under the battery tray, front frame rails, both floor pans and firewall, and the lower, rear rocker panels, and the hatch ledge. These are the most common areas that are prone to rust.

Since you have access to the car without actually having to buy it, you're in a better position than most to poke and prod the car before you buy it.

As for the clutch, top the fluid off and bleed the system. If it still doesn't disengage, then the clutch plate may have surface-rusted itself to the flywheel. It happened on my car after I bought it.

Since the car has sat for at least 5 years, you'll also be looking at possibly replacing all the door and hatch seals. A complete seal set will cost about $200. A set of floor pans will run between $175 -300 depending on which ones you get. Also check all the brake lines.

Being that you are the one fixing up the car for the dealership, you may want to entertain the idea of letting the shop pay for eveyrthing to fix the car first (or at least get it back to good driving order) and then buy it from the dealership.

If you find out that there is no rust for sure, then a clean car with minor mechanical and cosmetic blemishes is definitely worth $2500.

Keep us posted on what happens and welcome to the world of Z's.

:tapemouth

ps- I'm ashamed at some of the comments that have been made in this particular thread based soley on one person's choice of vehicles. Anyone who has a desire or love for Z cars should be welcomed with open arms into our realm. Not chastized because they "drive a Ford". Does this mean I'll be "put down" because I drive a Ford? Or a Chevy? Hell, I've owned a Jeep, Fiat, Volvo, Porsche, Volkwagon, Chrysler, Mazda, and too many motorcycles to list. And I've loved driving them all. This doesn't make me a bad person, and it shouldn't.

Just had to get that off my chest.

[2ManyZs]

I'm not chastising people for what they drive, I'm merely stating my point that too many people are taking a Z and putting Ford, Chevy, all sorts of drivetrains in them when Nissan has plenty of options to make an old Z car kick butt! If you look around the web you find all sorts of small block Chevys and Fords being put into Z cars. My question is this, why aren't people taking more Z-31 and Z-32 drivetrains or even as the one thread on this web-site talks about a Skyline GTR engine in a Z?? I love to modify my Z's but in a sense I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to putting non Nissan ( or Datsun) pieces in them.

Sorry, but IMO the G-nose does nothing to add to the looks of a Z-car. That's only my opinion, many people will disagree, they can put them on their cars, I never will. I've always loved a good set of flares on a Z, just not the ones that looked like they were tacked on as an afterthought.

As far as the Z in the dealership goes, do like everyone says, look it over very carefully. If you don't like what you see wait a few weeks and keep offering them what you think it is worth.

[rodd]

Those "tacked on flares" look like the standard factory flares for a 240zg.

The G nose is not for looks its for performance.

The factory fitted these to fix up the standard cars bad aerodynamics at speed.

They are suposed to make a quite considerable difference to top speed and to reducing front end lift at speed.

[okdan]

Hey Shotime --- if you are into Z's and into fords then you got to check out this car (though some might think it is sacrilege) it is the best of both worlds

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600493058

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now I bet you would sell your SHO for that zcar -- By the way what is an SHO -- is it just a souped up ford sedan?? (that was not meant sarcastically)

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and while your SHO or a Stang 5.0 would blow away a ragged out $2500 zcar -- you should be careful who you drag because there are some super fast zcars out there (unfortunately mine is not one of them)

here is a link to a legendary Zcar which would definately give you a run for your money no matter how fast your car is (and its for sale for $9800)

http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/PICS/membersZs/billReagan/bill2l.jpg

http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/PICS/membersZs/virtualarchive.html

z ya

Okie Dan

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I too have owned a lot of other cars -- and enjoyed them but in the end I have sacrificed them all to fund my z car addiction

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