Hardway

Hey Nick. You are on the right track as the 260z and 280z's are cheaper than the 240z's. The one you listed looks to be okay but its hard to tell any real details about it. Right off the top, where are the bumpers? At $4500 I would not even consider it as good ones can be hard to find if they are not included. I will agree, they are big and not the prettiest pieces for the car but they do "complete" it. Beyond that, if you like the color combo, I would say go drive it and look it over end to end for rust and any damage. Since you have time my best suggestion is take your time to find a car you really like and don't settle. Plus, if you are in California you have the best chance of finding a solid Z at a good price. In regards to buying a classic Z as a toy/hobby car and something else to drive everyday, I would agree that is a good plan if you can afford it. If you are searching specifically for a 280z I would look for one in a popular color combo that you like and if possible, one with a 5spd and working AC since so many of them had it. 280z's are heavier so they tend to ride a little better. I know a few guys that drive 280z's as their daily cars and often comment how comfortable they are, not to mention fun to drive! Keep us posted on your search.

I will add my .02 here since I have a series-1 silver 240z. The Z in the auction is beautiful in every respect. Yeah, there are some incorrect details we can all point out but I agree that whoever is buying it is to own one of the commemorative Z’s, not have a true concourse level car. That in itself makes these an outlier on the price spectrum. It could easily hit $40K but I think $50K is a bit much. Any other Z restored to this level, correct hose clamps or not usually run $20K - $25K. Personally, seeing the auction and examining all the pictures motivates me to get mine closer to this level. Seeing just how great the end result can be just puts a smile on my face. My car is easily 90% there with all the mechanical stuff rebuilt, painted, and detailed. I am only a quality paint job and some small details away from having an “A” level car. Plus, mine has most of its factory correct hose clamps already restored

That is a nice CB750 JHeck! As others have said, finding a truly rust free Z is reaching unicorn status. Since the metal in these cars was not galvanized it starts rusting in just medium humidity. By the looks of your CB you know your way around tools and your car sounds like a good foundation for a restoration. Have fun with it, be patient, and enjoy the process. I look forward to catching up with you and your Z in the near future.

I would love to get some more detailed info on these. What grit sandpaper did you use on the disc sander to shape them? I assume you used an orbital hand sander? Are they painted when you said "coated"? It is just stuck on using weatherstrip adhesive, no other hardware?

That looks great! No one would ever guess its not a factory part. I have been inspired!

Good grief! $6K, you got to be kidding me. Funny that the over rider bar in on backwards.

I agree, $7K is very good for a good solid Z car. We look forward to seeing more pictures and hearing more updates. Congrats on the acquisition!

The 240-Z strip across the windshield is on the inside. It was put on by the original owner per my conversation with him. The second owner attempted to scrap it off at some point on the passenger side but it appeared to be coming off in little pieces so he gave up. I am honestly not a big fan of it but I am leaving it alone for now and will remove when the windshield is pulled for paint later down the road.

Any update on the purchase of the Z?

Good to see you getting back to your Z Juan. Sounds like you have made some good progress recently and you scored on those fenders for $100. Keep us all posted, we look forward to your updates!

I have bought a few cars sight and unseen and for the most part the experience has been lack luster and disappointing. Despite lots of pictures and conversations with the owner you can never know enough about a car unless you can touch it and drive it. If you are spending over $10K I think its in your best interest to buy a cheap plane ticket and go see the car for yourself. If you decide to buy it then you can negotiate the deal in person and make plans to have it shipped back home or even possibly drive it home.

I would suggest doing a nationwide search with Craigslist or joining and posting up on the Datsun Parts page on Facebook. For something as small as a lock elbow or a whole lock most people won't mind shipping it as long as you pay for it. I have had lots of success doing this and met some nice sellers along the way. Just make sure to see some good pictures of it as the passenger side elbow is different from the driver side.

Gotcha! Glad to hear the mod worked for you. The door lock elbows seem to be precious items and you will probably have to buy a whole used lock in order to get one. You could always try making one but its harder than it looks making something small and strong. I would look around on Craigslist for people parting out cars or selling parts lots. Also, double check in the bottom of your door as it may be sitting inside the door. Since seeing inside the door is rather difficult try lightly dragging a flat head screwdriver the length of the door and see if you make any contact. You can also use a magnet tipped tool and see what you pick up.

I wrote up the post below and provided the picture you referenced above. How To - S30 Door Lock "Coat Hanger" Repair - Nissan : Datsun ZCar forum :Nissan Z Forum: 240Z to 370Z You said you had done the coat hanger modification before. Which part was failing? Did you not drill the hole through the cam the first time? On your passenger side lock, if I understand you are missing the elbow all together? Once you have this you will do the coat hanger modification as well?

Still waiting on pictures! I would love to start tackling this as soon as it cools down some here in TX.

I only check it when items show up on the right side of the browser pane. I like others would prefer it be a part of the forum instead of a separate site.

CASH IS KING! Anytime you are going to look at a car you need to have the full asking price in cash. This is the only way you can negotiate the best deal on a classic car under $10K or secure the deal at all. Anything above that, most sellers will understand you need to go the bank and you can make arrangements to do that. Since most sellers don't know you from Adam many don't want to deal with any kind of check from a bank, no matter how legit it is. In their eyes, if you can bring me a check from a bank then you can bring cash from the bank as well. Yes, some sellers will go to your bank with you to do the transaction and that is all good if it works out. However, too many times when I have sold a car I just want to get the buyer on their way and if I am the buyer I want to get the documents signed and keys in my hand before someone else calls or shows up wanting what I am trying to buy. I have bought and sold 46 cars so far in my life so I have seen just about everything from each side of the table. A few things to keep in mind. Vintage Japanese cars are getting a lot of press right now so not only are enthusiasts looking for them but dealers are too. Madkaw is right, finding a good solid Z that is relatively stock is getting harder to find. I am sure that applies to everything else on your list. The key to scoring a deal is being ready all the time. You literally have to jump on deals because like you said, they slip through your fingers if don't. From my experience, here are the keys to being ready. 1. Get your cash out of the bank as quickly as possibly once you get a good line on a deal. Since you may be going to look at it once the banks have closed you need to have your cash ready. If you end up not buying the car you can always put it back in the bank. 2. Have all the necessary documents lined up along with a couple of pens and a notepad. In TX the buyer and seller have to sign a Application for Title in addition to the title itself. Sellers never think about this so I always bring a few blank ones with me. 3. Have a small tool bag ready to go all times with a flash light, gloves, some rags, and simple hand tools. You will be crawling around on the ground inspecting the car, checking fluids, etc. If you buy a car and have an issue on the drive home, you will be better prepared. 4. Let your close friends know you are seriously looking for these cars, you never know what they may see on their drive to work or when they are out getting groceries. Also, you will need someone to take you out to look at a car so you can drive the new car home. If no one is available to do this you can always drive out there and make arrangements to pick it up later in the day. If you get a bad feeling about leaving it then drive the new acquisition home and go back for your daily car later since it is probably fully insured. 5. Have a few extra copies of your insurance card with you. If you get pulled over while driving your new car home you will need to show this. Most officers are understanding that you just bought the car but at least you can prove you have insurance. Once you show them all the associated paper work you should be fine. Keep us posted on what you find. We look forward to updates. Good luck on your hunt!

I would love to see some close up pictures of that Oiluj!

I ordered MSA’s 70-72 vertical bumper guard strip. It was the right side and is a genuine Nissan part. Mike there also said it was there last one and based on their website this is the case. I got lucky and only paid $20 for it. On their site I don’t see any listing for a re-pop set. Do you have any pictures of a re-pop set installed? I like many others saw the pair that went on Ebay for almost $250. I had contacted Vintage Rubber several weeks prior and they actually got a set in. I purchased the set for $90 which was a steal at the time. While talking with them they indicated they were going to hang on to their last 2 sets so they could send one off to their parts companies to see who could start reproducing them as well. As of right now mine are staying locked up in the house until I can either make a pair or source another set. My Z had the over rider bar bolted to the top of the bumper guards so the top 1/3 of the strip is missing. I have been thinking of a way to make something just to fill this in that did not look too incorrect. I can definitely understand the need for a piece of metal inside the rubber strip to provide strength and keep it from deforming. I have to agree with you Zup, having a professional company create these would yield a better looking product. I am eager to see what comes out of this discussion. In the mean time I will swing by the local hardware store and see what I can come up with. If I could make a pair for under $30 that look good I may roll with them on the car and keep the mint NOS set for the day when the car gets a full repaint.

Looks like you are making some great progress. Cleaning up the grill on your car and painting it provides a good looking contrast to the blue paint. Good front bumpers are getting hard to find but you are in the best part of the country to locate one. We look forward to more pics!

I actually have a pair of NOS bumper guard strips for my 240z. However I am hesitant to use them since the last pair that sold on Ebay went for $250 and the left side has been NLA from Nissan for sometime. Since I have a mint pair I would like to use them as a pattern to make some more. Has anyone ever done this? From a concept stand point I think I would need two layers of rubber and either find or flatten the heads of some small bolts and sandwich the bolt heads in between the rubber strips. If anyone has any experience trying this I would love to hear about it. Thanks!

Hey Siteunseen. Yes, I used the barrel clips as they were still in the hatch when I bought the car and had been painted over. Yes, the machine screws are size #4-40X1. They are made by Hillman and are part# 491277. They come with 10 screws and 10 nuts per pack and can be found at any hardware store. You are correct, the barrel clips are removal as one of mine did come out when I test fitting everything. It did not hurt the paint and it went right back in. If you have any other questions just let me know.

Definitely looks like a project! Glad to see you saving one from the wrecking yard. That is a great shot of it being seen over the rear quarter of your other Z. We look forward to the progress pics!

Could you buy a AC compressor bracket setup from a 280z? I notice the 2.4L in my 240z has threaded bosses on the driver side. I know some cars had air pumps so I assume this is where the bracket mounted but could a 280z compressor bracket mount there too?

Dorman makes a replacement plastic drain plug, see link below. Any auto parts store should carry it. Like others said, you should be able to use a flat head screw driver to get it out. Once you, you may want to consider replacing it with a screw in brass drain ****. You would need to double check the threads to see if it is possible as there are several sizes out on the market. Keep us posted and good luck. http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-Autograde-490-215-1-Screw-In-M10-1-25/dp/B0049DPLO4