77 vs. 78 280z purchase...feedback needed

[jellobob777]

All great information Carl is absolutely Right if you have the money buy the best all original car you can find ,Fastwoman has an excellent point sometimes a perfect car is no fun because of the fear of putting a chip in it ,The best i can add to this is if you are looking at cars that will need some work to bring up to excellent condition start with something that is as close to original as possible mechanically and Body /Paint . You know what you are starting with when buying an original paint car even if it needs to be stripped to bare metal , at least you know there is no lurking damage underneath .Also dont assume all southwest cars will be rust free I bought a Z from Arizona once that was the biggest rust bucket ever !!

[Buddjack]

Thanks all, I have decided to contiue my search for Z (not ZX). I have been increasing interested in the 240's, any thoughts or feedback? Once I locate one, who can provide me direction on getting some to take a look at if it is outside my area. Thanks again for your feedback.

[FastWoman]

Thanks all, I have decided to contiue my search for Z (not ZX). I have been increasing interested in the 240's, any thoughts or feedback? Once I locate one, who can provide me direction on getting some to take a look at if it is outside my area. Thanks again for your feedback.

Different people buy different cars for different reasons. The 240 is more collectible and probably easier to get running at some reasonable level. It's lighter and a bit more eager for twisty driving. The 280, once straightened out, has a very reliable and responsive powerplant and makes a much better daily driver. The fuel injection can be a bit tricky at first, but it's a pretty simple system once you get the hang of it. (Others may disagree.) I'm on my second 280Z. Couldn't be happier.

[jellobob777]

The whole 240Z V 280Z debate can be found in numerous past threads . As an owner of both i must agree with Fast woman about the 280Z being the best as a Daily driver. The 280 is the most refined of the S30 series and great to turn the key and go eveytime anytime especially on the East Coast . The 240s with Carbs and point ignitions tend to need a bit of "finess" at times and take some time to warm up before driving . I would suggest you drive both and then make your own decision .

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Some great advice here. I will only add this: Know yourself and your limits. When I say limits, I mean time, money, and knowledge. I will talk these one at a time.

Time: Be honest with how much time you will realistically have to work on this car

Money: Know how much you can invest in the car every month. Establish a budget, and be realistic

Knowledge: Know what you can do and what you cannot do. Also be aware of how much space you have, and how much you will need? I knew I was not a body man, so I had to spend extra when I got my 240 to find one with as close to perfect body as I could afford. I can fix mechanical things, they do not scare me. Know what you can do and what tools you have to do them.

Good luck, and just be honest with yourself. In the end, you will be happier that way!

[240Z-Fan]

I want to add this advice:

Whatever you buy. Make sure you see it in person first. Don't rtrust the seller or the pictures. In most cases they avoid the rust spots.

In rare circumstances you can get a Z expert to look at it for you, but you are taking a chance that it won't be what you had expected.

I shopped for cars in CA in 1999 expecting to find the rust-free cars everyone talked about. I came home empty-handed as they were all rusty junk. The worst and most expensive was at a used car showcase. All were advertised as rust-free and ready for paint. None-were. Most would have looked great in carefully shot pictures.

Then in 2002 I took a 2-week shopping-trip/vacation to Arizona and California exclusively to shop for Z's. Again I saw a lot of cars that were advertised as rust free.

Eventually I found one in LA that was in incredible shape. It looked great but at 11k$ was twice my planned budget. So I went to see a car that was 5k but needed some work. After looking at it I realized that I would have to invest a lot more than $6k to make it look as good as the 11k car.

I went back to the first car and bought it and shipped it home. Money so well spent.

Al

[Buddjack]

Sorry for the late reply on this but after many searches and time on the road. I purchased a 72 240z with 108k on it about a year ago. A two owner car from Oregon that had been in the same family for 20 years. Thanks again to you all for the advise and feedback. Great to have a site like this to help when it is needed. Happy New Year to you all.

[Hardway]

Glad to hear you found a Z car Buddjack. Sounds like your hunting and patience paid off. As always we love seeing pics. If you have any pics of your '72 you can post up that would be great!