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Back in Indy for round two. I just installed a new starter and the car turned over for the first time. Beauty! I had to clean up the points on the distributor, charge the battery a bit more and voilá. Up and running. I let her run for a while, listening and checking temperature, oil pressure and everything seems good. The best part is that I got to do it when my father, and brother were both around so everyone was excited. I feel good now! Next up, I need to double check the brakes, inspect what appears to be a seized drivers side rear wheel and make sure the clutch is function as it should. The clutch pedal feels light but after reading through the forums I see a number of daily drivers who've complained about it after changing the fluid in the hydraulic system.

I think the amount of rust disqualifies my particular Z for a restoration. I'm into the simplicity of the mechanics and electrical systems for the reasons mentioned but my thought is putting hours of work onto a frame rotting away isn't time worthy. I am considering buying another car with a solid frame but they don't seem to come up often. Still thinking it over, and I'm in no rush. Either way, I'll get the car in running condition before I do anything.

Okay, so I made it there, and was able to assess the condition of the car, after sitting for such a long time. It's funny how memory makes the past seem better than it actually may have been. I was disheartened when I realized this car is very, very rusty. The driver's side floor pan is virtually nonexistent. most of the undercarriage is rusted and the rear quarter panels are turning to dust, I mean rust. But, I had already ordered parts and decided to see what I could do with her. I followed the advice of everyone here and starting at the fuel system checked, and/or replaced everything, drained fuel, blew back fuel lines, replaced the fuel filter, checked over carbs, pulled the spark plugs, poured in ATF, luckily the engine wasn't seized and turned easily, checked valves, removed valve cover, drained oil, replaced oil filter, new plugs installed. Everything seemed good. The radiator leaked a bit so I took it to a local guy who boiled it and repainted for $50.The clutch slave cylinder was leaking so I replaced it, and will need to replace the master in the future. When I finally tried to turn the engine over, I got nothing, even with a good battery, so I tried to clean the contacts at the battery and the starter. Now I think my starter is shot. On top of that the rear drivers side wheel appears to be seized. Augh! The positive side to this is my father and I are enjoying some time spent in the garage together, even if he manages to stay clean the whole time. I'll be back in Indianapolis in August and I'm planning on replacing the starter, the clutch master cylinder, and trying it again. I think my dream of driving her for years is over, as the body is just too far gone. But I would still like to get her running again, for a few last drives, and because it will be worth slightly more as a running, rusty car than as a non-running rusty car. I'm considering a restoration with a rust free (Hah!) 240 of similar vintage (pre 7/72) but I wonder what my chances of finding one near Indy are, and what it would cost. Out of curiosity, what is a running parts car worth these days? The interior is great except both seats are cracked.

Ok. Good to know. There's one on eBay for $400 but it's the wrong year and I was hoping to spend a little less. Thanks for the answer!

Great information. I appreciate it! Your work looks great by the way!

Hey Casey, your z looks great. Silver is one of the best colors for these cars. Do you mind if I ask how much the right rear quarter panel went for on eBay? I will likely be looking for one soon, and they seem somewhat scarce.

Cozye, I'm really enjoying looking through this post. You're doing great work and I admire anyone who can do that level on there own! I have a few questions: When you're cutting out pieces like this repair below, what tool are you using to cut with? A metal cut-off wheel? What are you using to bend the sheet metal? Lastly, how many amps is your welder? I'm contemplating buying one but not sure what MIG setup is best. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you all who have read/responded so far. It's great to get so many good opinions and advice. Keep it coming. I wish I had more information as to the state of the car but I won't know until I get there.

Thanks! After reading through some old forum posts regarding cars that have sat for a long time, I'm starting to think that driving it half-way across the country is overly ambitious.

Hi all, I bought my first 240Z in college and now, more than a decade later, I will once again be a Z car owner. In six days, I will fly to Indianapolis, where my parents live, to pick up a '72 240Z that has been sitting in a garage for the past 5 years. The owner of said car, me, stupidly (and stubbornly) held on to it instead of selling it, when he (I) moved to NYC. I don't know what condition it will be in when I see it. It ran well when I drove it into the garage, but I expect it will need a good deal of work before I can drive it out again. The plan is to do enough work to it to drive it back to NYC and use it as a weekend getaway/beach car for the summer. Keeping my fingers crossed until then. Below are two pictures taken of it a few days before going into "storage."