Slight

mispost

ignore my useless commentary and my apologies for the cockeyed view >.<! http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshuaepp/

I have a feeling the unibody rails won't be bad, but there was a lot of softness going on down there. I'll have to check for sure, but what factors am I looking for in terms of the car being an option to restore? welding and the likes will probably be quite expensive for myself unless I can find a friend or cheap rate.. If I can deem it to be in good enough shape my friend and I will go ahead and start doing our best on it. I'll try and get under there soon too check more thoroughly

and two shoddy images from the back. i'll get some better ones soon, any specific places I should post?

some more pictures underneath: from the passenger side around to the front.

little bit of an update: got myself a decent floor jack, some good stands, and a starter ratchet set. jacked the car up quick with what light i still had in the day; at this point I'm trying to assess what I have, i know for certain i have a good parts car, I just don't know how much work it would take to get running again.. If yall can point out certain things? costs? I'll try and get some better pictures up later, I snapped a few.. essentially two things i'm looking at: 1. is the rust too extensive for a mild restoration? 2. will the engine crank over... I'll have to see in due time. I have a potential opportunity to land a pretty decent job this summer, If I do... I'm going to work my butt off to afford a minty lime-green 240z from nearby I'd like to sell this car to my friend for cheap; both himself and I want to learn off of it.. we'd like to make it into a running shakotan zombie z.. but if its deemed too far gone, we won't pour unneeded money.. The under bellie is pretty soft.. so i'm assuming we'd have to replace - floor pans - rocker panels - the list goes on... if you can lend a hand at spotting things that will have to be addressed first? thanks for any advice!

Ordered myself " How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car " and How to Rebuild Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine: Covers L-Series Engines 4-Cylinder 1968-1978, 6-Cylinder 1970-1984 http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine/dp/1931128030/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_2 hopefully that coupled with the fsm and forums will do the trick =)

thanks for the heads up!

aside from forums addressing specific issues and builds.. where should I be looking to learn more about my cars body, electrical, and mechanical? manuals? online resources? are there things that I'd have specific access to at Nissan since I work there? thanks for pointing me in the right direction =)

This car inspires me to get that z running..

Haha yes the disease.. although it might've bitten me earlier as my father's first car was a 240... either way I'm down to learn. If this darn -35 weather would just die and get warm i could go out at least start messing around hah thanks for the idea Healey, I'll do that as soon as I get some jackstands and some tires that can actually hold air! you would have laughed at the sight of us filling those tires with a ghetto air compressor.. It was by the grace of God that those things held air long enough to get it on the trailer >.<

sweetness, hopefully i'll run into those z owners in the summer! be sure to shoot me a pm and drop by the Nissan dealership! I could probably swing some free detailing ^.^

wow! that's a great before and after! is the common opinion that the flat tops were more reliable than the round? or something to that effect? I believe the car has around the 80k mark in miles..

Hey everyone! just got myself a 240, looking to learn and get her running =) just thought i'd give a shout out to any Saskatchewan folk! stoked to find such an awesome community, -Josh

Thanks guys! I'll keep that locksmith info in mind when the weather warms up!(dipped down to -35F without the windchill!) thanks Milenko and Zed head looks like the vin is: HLS30 120538 ( not sure what that tells me..) I have some old repair bills.. and It looks like there may be some frame damage.. not too sure. I believe the previous owner said the rear quarter panels were fiberglassed. he has quite a few old repair statements heh essentially the story of the car was that the previous owner put it into a curb, i am not mechanically inclined enough to say what is damaged yet.. but the steering wheel is locked straight and the wheels are turned slightly. as for the rust, i haven't done a full check.. but she's pretty darn soft underneath and the rocker panels are just dust. I don't really have any visions of restoration as that could be pretty foolish.. but my plan is to try n get her running and learn what I can. then i have a parts car for the next 240 that comes along ^.^ and more pictures!

and a few more photos

So I made the jump. I purchased a 73 from a buddy in town for $600.. the car had been sitting for 25 years all tarp'd up, some how the tires held enough air to pull it onto the trailer and get it to my house. and by the time we got it in the garage the snow was going hard, we've had the weirdest weather here in Saskatchewan, usually we get dumped on around november-december... but this late is unheard of. anyways, I'll try n get some more pictures up, -40 C weather is not something i can work in, even in a garage heh essentially this will be the car I will learn on, make some mistakes, discover what tools i need, and i'm hoping she turns over.. fingers crossed! one problem i do have is: no key. i found a few forum posts, but I was wondering if anyone had specific knowledge on what route would be best. can a locksmith cut a key from one of the given parts on the car? is there a way I could get one from Nissan? I do work at the local Nissan dealership..

my mind's been a bit crazy lately.. jumping from car to car and i've definitely learned a lot (mostly thanks to you folks here!) with winter coming up, and a bit of the practical side of me butting in a bit... i think when the time comes for it to be a necessity to own a vehicle, i'll need something that can proper handle the harsh elements here. and i figure why not own something fun at the same time hey? so i guess i'm just debating... do i get that dirt cheap 240z in town? tinker with it, learn, get my blood and sweat on that thing ... (possibly come to the realization of restoring it) or selling it off when i'm done.. and in the mean time save up for a more practical car? like a subaru or some awd alternative.. that's where i'm at right now. because i know, i'm more interested in the 240z vs. the other models, and i'd like to learn about the carbs.. (at least in my mind i do ) but i also know if I own a fresh example of what a 240z would be... my financial state would be worse for wear... and school is a pretty penny. not to mention, no one in their right mind would drive a classic like that in -35c weather... I'm thinking i could spend my time learning what i can on a beat up 240... and when the opportunity arises to find a prime example, i'd have more know how to fall back on and i'd be in a better place to make it what i want. again, thank you guys (and gals!) for your support. you' folks are a prime example of what a automotive community can be =)

Aye, thanks for your insight threehz oh check this one out http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/2602153888.html Pretty hawt

on a totally different point... i'm wondering if anyone happens to know what the costs of importing a 240z into Canada would be? i found a bit... i'm wondering if the car would fall under emission laws of some sort? hmm http://www.importcartocanada.info/guides-tips/step-by-step-guide-to-importing-a-car-into-canada-from-the-us/

Very good points, totally agree.. its like anything in life, of you just start off with the top, it's awfully hard to appreciate what you have.. Let alone understand. Hm.. do you think like that gold z would be a good template to go off of? I know first things first I'd want to address the rust, and probably interior colour. and obviously making sure she's mechanically up to par. I think the fellow mentioned the two things that needed to be finished were : new shocks and rear carpet..

so lately i've been drooling over cars on Speedhunters.com and on various forums.. i guess i have been trying to decide what kind of style and aspects i'd like to put into a z.. i like idea of a more aggressive stance and look, paint that has a bit more texture and roughness to it..( even as far as rivets in the body along the panels.) but at the same time i love the classic lines.. jdm looks... wood grain steering wheel..etc. i'm not sure what kind of powerplant i'd settle with on a z... maybe keeping with the oldschool theme and have carbs? or totally overhauled and end up with a rb25det? here's a few pictures that i dig... maybe this would be my goal in the end? to create a z that takes on a dirty, aggressive stance and appearance... but still adheres to a more pure classic heart? thoughts? http://500px.com/photo/1021870 http://jumbosandbox.blogspot.com/ http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008/09/23/car-feature-gt-gt-rwb-nakai-porsche-930.aspx

cool, i guess those would be bridges to cross at a later time. yeah, definitely dig the jdm look.. here are a few pictures of that 280z.. tell me what you think? as far the rust goes on this car, what kind of costs would i incur?

definitely a good point Healey, I've been learning a lot; and as far as that gold z is.. the first thing that went through my head was potential. i thought, okay yeah.. it has a short list of... not my favourite things.. -automatic -gold colour -tan interior -sun roof... but all those things are changeable. not to mention at that price i could afford it very well. to be honest i'm not all that picky about these aspects as much as i know i would change them if I bought the car. (and at the very least i'd leave the sun roof) I sent the fellow an email; but i do have to wonder... - how much does upholstery cost? (ball park figure?) - and how would i go about removing the sun roof? (generally speaking) - and what would be the best swap for going stick? thanks again for all your input! it's very encouraging. on a side note: I found this thread and I thought it was pretty cool.. do you think something like adding flares is doable by a body shop? where would one get that done? http://www.vadriven.com/forums/showthread.php?t=323880

very helpful! thanks! i'll probably take a closer look in the near future with a mechanic; i'll probably buy it just to get my hands dirty and try and get the motor going heh.. on a totally different note.. a friend told me to look into getting a Z from Washington area.. what do you think of this one? http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2633823518.html I was thinking.. dang, i could snatch that up and just re do it the way i want.. price seems pretty decent, and it would have the efi... (although auto =O ) good deal??