Ttiger

I thought about that but I don't need two projects sitting in the driveway.....At least that's what I say now....

I was drawn to the 240 because of it's "original-ness" and the asking price ($1000). It has all the paperwork since new, owners manual, etc, but will need some work (mostly major cleaning, some very minor rust and whatever the engine needs to run after two years sitting). I can deal with the '73 carbs as they have worked well for the original owner for this long, same for the ignition. Z cars should have manual transmisisons, as far as I am concerned. That's why I planned on doing the swap. But, since the car is all original, maybe keeping it that way would be OK too. I'm open. The 280, on the other hand, is $750 OBO which means I think I can get it for around $500. It already has the factory 5-speed. It needs to have whatever is wrong with EFI fixed, but other than that, it's cosmetic (carpet and seat covers) plus whatever maintenance items need attention. Still torn...I've had 240s before (several), but never a 280 so I don't have a good comparison "feel" for the cars.

You know, I've had good luck with Maaco and Miracle in the past, really! I've taken all the trim off and masked anything I didn't to get painted. They did a decent job and the price was very good. I re-assembled the car and the overall finish looked great. Most people would not believe me when I told them it was a Maaco or Miracle job!.

When you say the '73 is a DOG, is that because of the auto trans or the year in general? I know the carbs suck, but compared to my '71, is it going to be that diferent?

I was planning to get either one road-worthy and enjoy it. Drive to work now and then. I don't intend to make a hanger queen show car out of it. I really enjoy my '71, but my son took it off to school so I'm Z-less right now.

I would be interested in the condenser (in front of the radiator)

I'm looking to buy a Z to add to my collection. I found two and I'm bouncing back and forth between the two. #1 is a 1973 completely stock (aftermarket wheels) that has been sitting for 2 years. It was started two years ago and ran fine back then. No battery compartment, hatch or fender rust. Minimal surface floor rust. Original 73 carbs, dealer added A/C and it has been painted once (original pea green). The paint is faded and scratched here and there, but no body damage. The butterscotch interior is good, dash is cracked, and seats and carpets are good. Original owner will all the service receipts from day one. 140,000 miles and it's an automatic. #2 is a 1978 280 also stock (original wheel covers). It has been sitting for a few months and the owner says it won't stay running because of some fuel injector problem. Minor rust above the tail lights. It has also been repainted the original color (white). The paint is in better shape than teh 240 and would only need a good buffing. The brown interior is in good condition but needs carpet and seat covers. It's a 5-speed. No service history. Both are for sale at a price that would allow me plenty of room for repairs. I'm torn between a "classic" 240, but an automatic, versus a 5-speed 280 with all the improvements that came over the years. The 240 is smog exempt and the 280 would have to comply. I'd plan to convert the 240 to a 5-speed once I found the parts. I'd also like to swap the 73 carbs with the 72 setup. Thanks for your thoughts!!

Dwell is a much better way to get a precise setting. Set the points to .18 and then check with a dewll meter. dwell should be 35-41 degrees. To increase the dwell, decrease the point gap. and vise-versa.

I remember when the 240Z first came out, I was in 5th grade. I was car nut back then and used to ride my bike down to the Datsun dealer to sit in them. The salespeople used to chase me out, that was until I sent my school teacher over to buy a 510. After that I had full run of the Zs on the lot. I bought my first 1971 Z when I graduated from high school. That car took me to college with all my stuf shoe-hroned in the back. About 3 months after I graduated, in 1981, the window crank handle broke and I drove over to the dealer to get a new one. I had to walk through the showroom to get to the parts department and there was a black 1981 280ZX Turbo sitting there.... Well, you guessed it. I traded my '71 on the '81 and kept that car for 100,000 miles. When my wife's Mazda was hit, we bought her a 1972 Z from the original owner. We kept that car until our first child was born and had to sell it. I ended up selling my Turbo in 1994 and we were Z-less for a few years. In 2004, I found a 1971 Z parked on the street and left a note. The guy called me and said it was mine for $700! It's in great shape and my 18 year old son drives it. About a year after that I found a 1981 black 280ZX Turbo parked in a driveway without most of the engine. I got it for nothing and found a donor car for parts. My 16 year old son drives that one. It's kind of neat that my kids are driving clones of the cars I drove way back then. Sadly though, the '81 was hit by an unlicensed driver last week and totalled. My son was devastated, and I saw many hours of my love and sweat get towed away. We're shopping for a replacement.....