Carl Beck

Hi Hwyman456: Looks like a really GREAT Barn Find!! I would have grabbed that in a heart beat!! Great bodies are so hard to find today. As these cars are just now starting to regain market values {after the financial melt down 6 years ago}. Their future as Classic's is looking ever brighter. Personally - I'd pull that engine back out - and put the engine bay and the car - back to its original Orange {or any original 71 color}. But as we say "to each his own". It will be very helpful if you can find someone in your area - willing to come help from time to time - to put that puzzle back together. I'm sure you can do it by yourself - but a knowledgeable Z Friend could save you a lot of time.. No matter what - chances are you will love that 240Z! Good luck, Carl B.

I've been using DOT 5 for more than 30 years in all my 240Z's. The last brake master cylinder in the Blue 72 {I'm the original owner}, lasted more than 20 years. The car still has the original rear wheel cylinders. DOT 5 preserves the rubber seals - and it doesn't absorb moisture - so it all but prevents the usual corrosion you seen in the wheel cylinders and master cylinders. DOT can be hard to bleed - but not so much if you don't get air bubbles in it to begin with - Don't pour DOT 5 out of the can and into an existing pool of DOT 5, or an empty reservoir. That is how you get air bubbles to begin with. - I use a "V" shaped piece of metal a little longer than a butter knife - and I poor the fluid out of the can directly onto that - and let it run into the Brake/Clutch master cylinder reservoirs. Sound like the guy that owned the car - knew what he was doing. The only time you don't want to use DOT 5 - is for competition/racing. If you overheat DOT 5 - it becomes compressible and you get sudden brake fade.. If you are not melting the wheel bearing grease - you won't have any problems with the DOT 5, once you get the system bleed. FWIW, Carl B.

The number of drivers - operating a car illegally has increased over the years. No Drivers License, No Insurance, Drunk or otherwise impaired, Not driving cars they own etc. So when something happens - they run. Sorry it happened to you.. Carl B.

Thanks Steve..

Hi Steve: $10K "might" be a little low in todays market - we would have to see it in person. Nonetheless, I agree - poorly presented - and with 260Z Door Panels, nonstick radio and Green showing behind the rear deck carpet… you have to wonder… It would be encouraging to see values get back to where they were 6 years ago.. If the did more people might be encouraged to put a little more effort and money into refreshing and or restoring them. FWIW, Carl B.

If I were looking for a 240Z - Chet's Red Z would be one I would buy. You can bet everything is done right to begin with - that is the only way he works. Chet is a principle in Sunbelt Performance - and they rebuilt my original BRE Engine - I wouldn't have trusted anyone else. Datsun Z Series 240Z | eBay FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Genhis: It would only be a dumb choice - if you don't know what you are getting into. If you fully realize that any "custom" of this nature may carry with it a lot of "Risk" - expressed as a lot of "unknowns" - and you are willing to deal with them if they are realized - then it is a reasoned choice - not a dumb choice. As people have mentioned - the Z wasn't designed to be a convertible so there is a risk associated with chopping the top off. The car has recent paint - and you don't know what short cuts the builder took under that paint. Not much risk associated with the engine, drive train or suspension - as they are usually solid and easy to fix if they aren't. Some risk in the wiring of any of these old Z's.. so I'd look that over carefully. If you like the looks of it - and like driving it - $5700.00 wouldn't life changing - as long as you don't wind up putting another $5K + into it. It is just the old "look before you leap" thing.. FWIW, Carl

IN the pictures he does show - it looks like that top -sits folded on top of the trunk area. Does that top fold down behind the seats - out of sight and out of the wind? Past that - for $5700.00 if it runs and drives out as it should - I wouldn't be afraid to buy it for fun. You could expect to have to spend more money on it somewhere.. All depends on how much you are willing to pay for "fun". Personally - I wanted a convertible - but it had to have great A/C as well for the Summers here in Florida. Spend just a little bit more {+$3K} - and bought a 1998 M/B SLK 320 with a retractable hard top. One owner, 50K original miles.. Not a 240Z but amazingly close in over-all size and performance.. Plus it was in "like new" condition all around.. Mecerdes Benz SLK 230 Sport I think I'll be able to get my money back out of the SLK - All depends on what you want. Always easy to buy stuff - but sometimes not so easy to resell later.. FWIW, Carl B. Actually the SLK is quite a bit faster than a stock 240Z.

Cheetah perhaps? Carl B.

Hi Guys: Anyone close enough to this Z - to go personally inspect it? I have a friend that is interesting and willing to buy if the car checks out to be "as advertised". I'm sure the seller is honest - but it is always good to get an independent set of eyes and hands on the car - before traveling half way across the Country. The buyer would be willing to pay a fee for the service. Please E-Mail me if your close enough and willing to help. beck@becksystems.com Just put EBAY Z in the subject line.. thanks, Carl B.

Hi Anton: What is the original engine serial number for your Z? From my notes I'd say your car was most likely built in 09 or 10 or 1970. Engine Serial Number should fall in the range of L24-17xxx to L24-21xxx. FWIW, Carl B.

Did not see this Post weeks ago.. For others that might read it in the future. When the steering wheel moves side to side as first described - at low speeds; or when the rear of the car moves side to side at low speeds {aka Duck Walks} - it is often an indication of radial tires suffering from tread separation. The easiest way to check - is to jack the front or rear of the car up - and spin the tires by hand - watching the center of the tire - as the treads roll by. If it is a tread separation - you'll see the treads wave side to side as the tire spins by - and often you will see a budge in the treads as well. The tires may feel pretty smooth at higher speeds - but don't drive on them - as at higher speeds the tread can completely separate from the body of the tire.. and do a lot of damage to the sheet metal around the wheel openings. FWIW, Carl B.

Looks like a beauty! That's the way to buy them..!! I'm sure you will really enjoy driving it… take a long weekend, and take it on a long trip - and use the secondary roads.. Carl B.

You said S30 - so I'd guess you are thinking about maybe finding a 260Z or 280Z in that price range. I would think that would be possible even today. If your thinking $7K to $10K - I wouldn't advise even thinking that way. If you do, you might wind up buying "price" rather than "quality". You would be far better off thinking "$10K" - and then find the best example you can find for that amount. It seems that almost every time anyone tries to save a couple thousand - on the initial purchase price - they wind up putting twice that amount into the car after they buy it. I'd look for cars advertised for $12K to $15K.. then if I found a really really nice example - I'd try real hard to buy it for $10K. A lot of people are dreaming on their "asking" prices - and after trying to sell the car for 6 months or a year - they will usually grab a reasonable cash offer - it the money is standing in front of them. Just my opinion.. Good luck - Carl B.

ZCarFanMan - #8992 is right in the middle of a series of A/T Z's… Look the car over carefully for signs of it having been converted to standard trans. Transmission Oil Cooler fittings in the bottom of the radiator, no support on the firewall for the clutch line, maybe additional weights on the rear of the differential, two sets of point in the distributor.. Doesn't matter - other than it would be interesting to know if they slipped a couple standard transmission Z's in the series of A/T's they were running. Carl B.

Condition is what determines if a car is a good buy or not. If it actually looks like a very well cared for 72 with an actual 60K miles and not obvious rust issues and most important - unmolested - $12,500.00 would be a give away price. if the paint is faded and the interior is sun baked..it might be a little high… At any rate today - if he advertises it and holds out for the money - he might be something closer to $16K. Carl B.

Your Web Sites says "out of stock" - are you saying you now have more of them? thanks, Carl

Looks pretty nice - what is it? and Why did you want that specific one? Carl B.

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/fusiblelinks/index.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/open-s30-z-discussions/42383-what-my-engine-bay-missing.html

Hi metalmonkey: Great Buy - I would have snapped that up in a heart beat for grand. Do you mean that the chrome covers over the vents are missing? Or do you mean there are no holes in the deck lid for vents? The 240Z's had vertical strip rear window defroster lines - up until the first few months of 1972. So that doesn't really tell you much… BTW - # 2562 was reported owned by Classic Z Car forum member: er34gtt2000jp Anyway - good luck and enjoy the process. Carl B.

Looks great Steve - but what is that Stereo on the shelf in the background? Is that circa 1972 as well? Keep at it - and enjoy every step - keep the pictures coming.. FWIW Carl B.

Hummmm….to each his own - I guess. I would not expect that from Hot Rod Magazine. In the 50's the guys in my home town that assembled Hot Rods out of junk yard parts - actually took pride in their work - tried very hard to put something of obvious build quality together. I didn't see anything in this effort to be proud of ... Carl B.

Pictures???? Something is wrong… The original box should have a Part Number - what was that? Carl B.

If there is no frame damage? Looks like the entire front section is smashed. No wonder he won't show a single picture of the frontend damage. It's a Parts Car for sure.. and being a 260Z the desirable or valuable parts are limited.. If you paid $500.00 for it - you would be doing a lot of work saving parts - for very little money in the end.. FWIW, Carl B.

If I put - strike that - When I put all that work into repainting the engine bay, I decided to go with an Optima battery.. Just couldn't stand the thought that a liquid filled battery might ever leak, outgas etc - and eat my paint. Expensive - Yes. Piece of mind - Priceless. {a plus is the Optima's seem to hold a charge forever!}. When your changing the battery cables - go first class with large stranded copper and gold plated terminal ends. Corrosion will be a thing of the past.. Some of the best money I spent on the Z. good luck with project.. Carl B.