240ZX

Here in the Ventura County area of SoCal, I see maybe one or two every month or so.......most of which are daily drivers in dire need of some TLC! However, I'm pretty sure there are far more to be seen but, like mine they probably live in a garage most of the time unless the weather is fair.....which is usually most of the time. Mine goes out about three to four times a month, generally on a sunny Sunday cruise to somewhere and back. Many times I get the impression that most people have no idea what kind of car it is....even so, I generally get the thumbs up from quite a few folks. Tom

Ron, Watched the show last night and have to say.......you were marvelous! I think this small segment with you and the historic Z have done alot to bring our favorite Z cars to the attention of other car crazy folks! It's about time too. My quess is, that down the road....say maybe 10 years, the Z cars will become even more desirable and valued in the collector arena. Anyway, hat's off to Ron Carter!!! Tom

I believe one would have to either contact the cam manufacture or get ahold of the correct spec sheet, in order to find out lift/duration.....beyond that, it would be a SWAG! Tom

Looks to me as though the seller has recently thrown on a fresh coat of paint. Beyond that it looks to be worth.....maybe $5K to $7K at best! From the appearence of the engine bay, I'm guessing it's a good indication of the general condition of the Z.......!!? Tom

Welcome aboard Brooks! Your bringing back fond memories of when I first got my 1970.......oh the excitement!!!! Tom

I concur........very nicely done! The eight spoke wheels always make the Z look very cool IMO! Great job Juergen. Tom

There many variables that will dictate what fits and what will not fit.......suspension set-up (std or coilover), ride height, etc., etc. However, I have 17x9 wheels with 235-40 tires rear and 17x8 wheels with 215-40 tires front. No mods to original body and my ride height is less than 4". The rears are at the limit with my set-up...any larger or taller profile tires would cause rubbing at the rear. The fronts are not an issue....still have room to go with bigger tires but haven't because it would take away from the overall stance and look I wanted to achieve. There are no difinitive answers, you just have to figure it out....like most have had to do! Tom

Id swap my 1970 240Z in a second for a Jag XJ13!!!! Other than the impossible, I'll keep my Z. Tom

Marty, Your 240 looks terriffic!!! Much nicer than the run of the mill 350Z. Your 240 is very tastefully none. Tom

Chris, Welcome to the site and congrats on getting a Z! The questions you posted are certainly nothing new to folks buying these old beauties. Your same questions have been asked many many times. Remember how old these cars are! Your in luck, the archive files on this site (accessed via the search function) will address just about any issue you may encounter with your Z. Your not alone with these issues. Many other Z owners have also had to deal with them! So, prepare yourself for a bit of research reading. However, as a start......buy a factory service manual and do all the basic tune-up stuff first. Tom

The first time I saw Tod's 240 was at the 30th anniversary of the Z car in Las Vegas 2000. I was certainly inspired by his Z. Tom

Just a heads-up if contemplating the use of 280ZX half shafts in this conversion! The passanger side is no problem but the drivers side will have to be shortened by 0.500" in order for it not to bind under full compression....it's too long in stock form and will bind. It's a relatively easy mod for any good machinist......just don't loose any of the ball spacers during disassembly....they are no longer available. If you have questions about this mod, send me a PM. Tom

Just happen to be watching the REDLINE show last night and they were covering a SPORCOM event (sport compact tuner car show) here in SoCal. As the camera was panning over the event cars I see a shot of Tod Kaneko's orange 240Z.....I was highly surprised to see one of our fellow Z car lover's car at the event. To top that off, a little later in the show they did a short feature on Tod's Z. The commentator mentioned that although it is a 70s vintage car, it is as spectaular as any of the current tunner cars. Very nice to see a 30+ year old car is still very exciting! Did anyone else see the show? Tom

If your intent is to use it as a race car, first decide what class you are going to compete in! Then aquire a current rule book for that class and let it dictate what will be required as far as safety upgrades and what is allowed in the modification department. If I were you, I'd definitely have the chassis completely inspected for structural integrity! Safety first!!! Tom

Thanks for sharing Gregg.....great pics! Tom

At least, the tail light lenses look worth saving! Other than that, it's another case of the rust monster winning. Tom

I'd say for your final assembly, use a new head gasket....why risk using a used one! Tom

Mike, K&N has a filter/breather for the lower vent tube as well.....IIRC, I got mine from MSA. Look at my avatar...just above the ignition coil. Tom

Drill or grind out spot welds!

Man, I used to think I had a pretty low VIN # (2126) but, when I see VIN #s of 26, 27, and 721 I just have to say WOW!!! Tom

A couple of spots to check, that I discovered to be rattle problems on my 70. The door release handle and or the concave black plastic bezel just behind it. Both of them, passenger side, were doing the rattle deal until I finally figiured where exactly the noise was coming from.....sometimes hard to figure out while driving solo. Just a thought anyway! Tom

Neil, Welcome aboard and enjoy! Regarding information on these old Zs we own, there is a wealth of info stashed away in our archives on just about anything you might be interested in. Using the search function rewards those who use it. This site has a great group of friendly people, who are always willing to share! Tom

Taking a personel look at it would be the ticket! Having someone very familiar with the usual rust problem areas could inspect it and relay the info on if it is a real deal or just another fresh paint job over an old rusty chassis. Tom

Are you trying to hint that a V8 is in the future? Tom

I think in this case, "restored" referers to putting it back in storage (re-storing)!! Looks to be a $2200.00 seller to me! Lot-O-Rust for sure and likely everything else is worn out as well....just my gut feeling. Tom