Marshall

View Advert Early 1974 260Z Structurally and Mechanically sound. Driver. Runs great. Light surface rust and dings. Frame rails are solid. Cash, local pickup only. Advertiser Marshall Date 09/26/2020 Price $9,750.00 Category Cars for Sale Year 1974 Model 260Z Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

I have the same setup with exactly the same problem with my 260z. I just assumed it was God telling me to slow down.

The same thing happened to me. I was starting the car when the key just stopped after about a quarter turn. I couldn't turn it back to the off position or forward. I called a locksmith because I was stuck in a parking lot miles from home. He told me to tap the end of the key really solid, but not too hard, three of four times -- like I was driving a nail into a wall. He also cautioned that I should make sure I hit it square and not at an angle. It worked. the tumblers had jammed up inside and banging knocked them back in place. I gave it a blast of WD 40 when I got home. It's been about six months and I've not had any problems since. I make sure I keep it lubricated with a few drops of oil on the key now and then.

Unfortunately I must sell my z. I have three teenage drivers now, and I can no longer keep up with the outrageous cost of insuring three cars. I have to trim somewhere, so the z has to go. It has been an excellent car. I will miss it. I want $3500 for the car. You can view pics in my gallery. I have driven it daily to work since I bought it three years ago. Although the car is not perfect, it is the best looking example of a z car I've seen in a while. There is very little rust--nothing major just a few surface spots. I've kept up with the normal maintenance stuff (new clutch, new slave cylinder, new master brake cylinder, new vac. boost, new radiator) to name a few. It has a fairly new 2.5" exhaust system, High perf. Mallory coil/wires, crane fireball elect. ign. system, webber dgv's, performance cam, good paint job, good interior (needs uphoster kit), full dash cap, armrest/cupholder from MSA, new panasonic CD player and speakers, louvers. Engine is strong, no smoke, transmission is excellent. 158,000 miles.

Looking for passenger side armrest-black.

Check out my gallery. I love my z, so I haven't totally decided to sell. However, I need the money for my kid's college. So maybe in a couple of months I'll be ready. As far as price; I just don't know yet. Make me an offer.

Here are some other interesting points about the 260. Although the 240 was produced from 1970 to 1973; and the 260 was produced only in 1974 the number of vehicles manufactured by Nissan is about equal for both models. The Z car was growing in popularity over the four years the 240 was produced and peaked in 1974. This is confirmed by the number of cars produced per year. I wish I had the numbers to quote; I'm going by memory. As with any car, minor improvements are made throughout the production as the manufacturer finds out what works and what doesn't with any given design. In my opinion the quality of the product also peaked in 1974. Nissan figured out how to do it right by then. After 1974 the quality and "specialness" of the Z car declined. Just look at any 280z on a used car lot and you can see there is no comparison to the 240 or the 260. Another fact about the 260 is that they are heavier than the 240. The two major reason are: the metal on the 260 is thicker than the metal on the 240, and the engine is bigger. Again I don't have the exact numbers to quote. Some people like the lightness of the 240, but I think the combination of greater horsepower on the 260 and the stiffer unibody created by the thicker metal make a better automobile. One reason there are more 260s is, I think, they didn't rust out as quickly as the 240s. So, lets review why the 260 is better IMHO: 1.) You get the styling of the 240 (especially in what is refered to the early 260s with the "thin bumbers") 2.) Most 260s have already had the major flaw removed: the evil-government-mandated emission control carbs. 3.) Larger, more horsepower engine. 4.) Stiffer, thicker unibody with more rust-through protection. 5.) Lower price because of marketplace realities. One other difference: the 260 introduced the electronic ignition module. I think this is superior to the mechanical points and condensers of the 240. Face it, 1974 was the peak of automotive engineering genius. These are just my opinions, and I'm also thinking of selling my 260.

Wouldn't it be great if it was just a hose. So, how do you do a pressure test? Is it a matter of waiting for the car to heat up, or is there another way to put pressure on the system? Anyway, I will get in there and check it out. I do appreciate the help. Thanks.

Clue number one: windows fogged when the car heated up. Clue number two: I could smell coolant. Clue number three: I found a small puddle on the passenger side floorboard. Does this sound like a leak in the heater core? Is this a major or an easy one? Anyone had experience?

I installed the Crane Fireball from MSA. Works great. Can't tell if there is an improvement on performance of the engine overall, but it seems to run smooth and has good ecceleration. I'm very happy to be up and running again.

I've decided to go with the MSA Crane "Fireball" electronic ignition kit. It replaces both the module and the pick-up coil. And its a whole lot cheaper than replacing both stock. I will post an update when I'm done. Marshall

Thanks CoastGuardZ for taking the time to do the test. It amazes me that you would not only take the time to give your advice, but also go the extra mile. I really appreciate it. Anyway. I think my coil is good based on a good resistance reading and getting some spark. I think the spark was weak because my battery is getting low. I agree with smg1404 that the problem is in either the pick-up coil or the module. Probably the module since its the most expensive to replace stock. Again thanks guys.

I think the reason they couldn't test it is because they did not know what the output should be. They had no specs on the Mallory. I'm not really sure why the previous owner replaced the coil with a higher output "performance" coil. Its still running through the ballast, which I thought reduced the voltage so it wouldn't burn up the points. So whats the point? Why not stay with the original? I'm wondering if it would make any difference to go back to the standard coil. Also, this didn't seem relevant at first, but I had a leak in my radiator and was not aware until it overheated. I had replaced the radiator just prior to the problem of not cranking. I'm wondering if I've burned up the water temp. switch. Haynes says that its a spark timing control system on cars with automatic transmission. I have a manual trans., so I don't know. Maybe I should just start replacing parts until it runs. I think thats cheaper than having it towed to a mechanic and paying them to figure it out. Or maybe this would be a good time to go completely to an electronic ignition setup. So many options.

I have a single pick-up coil transistor type distributor. There are no points.

I've got an early 260z (dec 73 manufacture date) that will not crank. I've owned the car less than a year and don't know much about its history. I'm sure its getting gas because I have glass fuel filter cartridges and can see the gas moving. I pulled a spark plug wire, inserted a screwdriver and held it near the block while someone cranked it to see if I was getting an arc. No spark. So I checked my ignition coil which is a high output Mallory coil. My ohm meter showed that it was resistive. So I took it to Autozone because they advertise that they can test it for free. Well they couldn't. Neither could NAPA. So how do you know if your coil is good or bad? So then I thought maybe it could be something in the distributor. The contact points seemed fairly clean on the rotor and cap. Could it be the pick-up coil has gone bad? How do you test it? I thought about just replacing it but it costs 50 bucks. Any suggestions on troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated. I have very little knowledge and no experience in this area. Marshall

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll pass on doing a clutch job myself. I know my limits, and I'm no mechanic. The clutch isn't really slipping yet, just a little studdering in third when I release the pedal. I think I can go for awhile like it is. I just need to baby it. In the meantime I think I'll shop around.

Hey, I did some research and I found this old picture of EP admiring my z in Memphis way back in 74.

Thanks for all the complementz. I paid $3500. And I was very happy to get her at that price. I think I got a steal.

I just bought a 74 260z last week. I paid $3500. Interior is in good shape, body is excellent. No rust. Engine is strong. Don't really know the history as well as you do on the rebuilds, and I'm no z expert but $7500 seems a little high to me too. Check out the pics in the members rides section. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I took it to a mechanic that the previous owner used. They said the carb was ok but the clutch was definetly studdering. They recommended a new clutch (about $500 to $600). Looks like the fun is just beginning.

Here's a shot of the interiors. Not in perfect shape, but its got potential.