halz

Or: "It was this or a Ferrari GTO - I made the right choice!"

How about: "I traded my E-type for the Z"

I'm currently looking at a very clean, original 240z to buy. One problem - its an auto. Now, I'm fussy. Up until now I've not countenanced anything as traumatic as transmission conversion due to the impact it would have on a car's originality . However, original cars are very thin on the ground... so I have a few questions: 1. Does the 240Z compliance plate indicate which transmission it was originally built with? If so, what do I look for? 2. Does an auto-2manual swap involve any irreversible work - eg. cutting the floor-pan? If I can be convinced that this operation will not significantly devalue an original-condition car, and that the swap can be competed to a factory-level of quality, then I may be able to live with myself . On the plus side, being an auto, the car has not had the thrashing during its life that many manuals have :classic:

Something strange about that ad... The car is advertised as 'completely original' but the paint is described as "pearlized grey' - has its colour been changed from orig? Also, if you're advertising a classic and hoping to push up the market in the process, then "great on gas" is a dumb thing to say! Can you imaging someone advertising his mint Dino 246GT as "great on gas"? I don't think so. At this stage of the market, I'd say that guy is a little out of touch...

You lucky, lucky b-!

Hey Aussie240, It looks like there are a few downunder members of this z club. I've been on the hunt for a 240 for about 6 months (my standards are high!). I recently discovered a great Australian site for parts and cars at http://www.ozdat.com. Check it out, there's a nice orange 1972 for sale at the moment in NSW (pricey at $12k but you could knock him down I'm sure). I ruled it out because it had been converted from auto to manual and I'm a bit (lot!) of an originality fanatic. In fact... when I spoke to the guy he said that he'd just put minilites on the car so there you go. Just to whet your appetite, here's a pic (with the old hotwire mags) Good luck and let us know if you find a car (I'll be jealous!)

Yep, I thought the wheels were minilites too - they really suit the 240z. Actually, the wheels on the trailer don't look too bad either! If that car is for sale in Australia I'd buy it in a shot!

I've gotta agree with HS30, good chrome (especially on a dark coloured car) really stops it from looking like a shadowy blob. Keep the chrome!

A supplier in Australia would be good...

Well my hat is off to you 26ounce for finding a Z in Western Australia worth buying. I'm in Perth too and I know how hard it is. they've all been crashed, over modded or eaten by rust. I think I'll end up getting one from interstate... I agree with alfadog on the flares - they should go. For me, the car should be as original as possible. BTW, is the engine bay on yours painted white too?

Well I'd heard about texans but geez..! I'm sorry, I just don't like the 2+2s...Mind you I guess a 2+2 is better than no Z at all

Maybe he owns an Alfa Romeo...

2+2s have that kink in the roofline which just spoils the whole appearance. The 2 seaters have a beautiful continuous curve from the top of the front windscreen al the way back to the trailing edge of the hatchlid. They are one of the few cars that look good from any angle. FYI, Australia: same size as the USA (Western Australia bigger than Texas!), population 25million all on the coast: its still a prison to anyone without a fast car a and tank of fuel!

The guy sounds like a nutcase with the gift of the gab. On the subject of supercharging (mechanical that is!) are there any good sites that describe blown L-engines?

Beats me why in a land that recieved 10s of thousands of Z cars you actually chose one that sounds more like an agricultural project! Oh well, to each his own - have fun. As for 2+2s..don't like 'em. That kink in the roofline just spoils the whole car.

Hey Mr.Cam, It looks like there are 2 of us in Perth looking for a Z. All of the ones I've seen are full of rust or over-modified. I'm thinking I'll end up getting one from interstate in the end. What do you think? BTW, don't like the new 350Z at all. If its goind to look that thick and chunky it should be an all-wheel-drive a'la Subaru. In fact, why didn't they do that? Halz

ranz, you're not the only member who lives in Australia (the GCOE!) - I joined a month or 2 ago. I'm living in Perth. Congratulations on actually finding a 240Z worth buying - only a few thousand were ever imported to Australia and most of those have vanished (raced, pranged, over-modified or just rusted away). Our cousins in North America can pick and choose from the many 10s of thousands that were imported there and the many that obviously still survive today. I'm hoping to pick up a clean original 240Z (hopefully with the original engine) or, failing that, one that has had a proper restoration done (ie, no colour (with a "U"!) changes, panel chops or interior butchery). Fortunately I have time (and a decent budget) on my side. In the meantime, the Internet Z club gives me my daily fix!

Yep, it weirded me out the 1st time I saw it too. To reassure yourself, just check the oil level when the car is fully warm (oil pressure guage at minimum) and then enjoy the rest of the drive!

Barring major oil leaks, I think what you are seeing is the normal behaviour of a warming engine. I have seen this too in cars that I've owned in the past (ones that have an accurate working oil pressure guage that is). What is happening is this: Cold engine = highly viscous (thick, hard to pump) oil. At startup, your engine will be working hard to move cold oil around and the pressure pickup will show this as high oil pressure. Warm engine = low viscosity (thin, easy to pump) oil. As the engine warms so does the oil. Warm oil flows more easily than cold oil and your engine requires less effort to move it around...Hence lower oil pressure for a warm engine. Hope this helps (if I've got by definition of viscosity wrong then someone plese tell me!)

All this talk of polishing chrome has finally prompted me to register with the club... so here I am, reading (and contributing) from Perth in Western Australia. Ahhh chrome, don't you love it (and loathe it when its not clean). I have used a product called Autosol in Australia for ages and it is the best. Apply and buff off with a very soft cloth. I've owned several motorcycles with lots of chrome (no, not Harleys, Moto Guzzis actually) and have used Autosol on forks, rims, rocker covers etc with excellent results. Even applying it to clean chrome will show an improvement. Now, I'm not sure if Autosol is available in your neck of the woods but it wouldn't hurt to have a look. By the way, all this talk of steel wool and fine grade paper for polishing chrome makes me cringe! A word of warning - make sure you have plenty of spare time for this task. I spot-tested a bit of Autosol on a rim of one bike and promptly blew the next 2 hours to make the remainder and the other rim look just as good!