Hello Z enthusiasts

[miss_d]

I am not a current owner, but have been offered a '73 240 Z by a friend at no cost to me. I recently conveyed my desire to restore a car myself to a customer at work, who in turn asked me to research the 240 Z and get back to him. The car has been sitting for 10 years and needs a lot of work. He acquired the car with the intentions of working on it himself, but got lost in the rebuilding of a Harley and simply lost focus of it altogether. The car is mine, if I want it, for free.

I've joined this forum in hopes of getting an idea of the difficulty, cost and knowledge requirements, and parts availability for the 240 Z.

Here's the fun part: I'm a 26 year old female with NO knowledge whatsoever on the workings of an engine. Yea, I've helped replaced belts, tires, alternators, brakes...but that's the extent of my experience - and then I was simply either handing tools to my father or being told what to do w/ no real understanding of how it all works. For years, I've day-dreamed of opening my own restoration shop (after years of auto-mechanic school of course) and simply restoring old, beat-up classics to their original, and rightful, state.

My father and boyfriend are willing to help, both with good amounts of knowledge of the inner-workings of an engine. I understand this will be a lengthy, and probably costly project - but that's what I want (well, maybe not so much the costly part). I'm looking forward to getting hands-on experience and the pride when it's all over and done with to be able to say, "I did that."

I have not gone to look at the car yet, and plan on doing so before any decisions are made, with my father in tow. But here is a list of a few things I already know need to be done:

- carburetors rebuilt

- all window rubber gaskets replaced

- rust-spots removed

- distributor cap replaced

- points and condensor replaced

- possibly wiring replaced

- wheels replaced

Obviously, since the car has been sitting for 10 years, it's going to need a lot of work....I guess my question is, is it worth it? And at what cost to me? (financially, and mentally - will I be pulling my hair out before it's all over and done with?)

Thanks for your time, to anyone that took that the time to read this.

-- Jessi

[SteveJ]

Jessi,

The ultimate judge of whether or not it's worth it is you.

Here are things to consider:

1. How much are you willing to spend?

2. Do you have a place to keep/work on your car where it can sit for a long period of time?

3. Do you have the will to see through a project that might take several years?

Remember that restoring a car is ONLY a labor of love. You probably cannot recoup the money spent, but if you love the car/effort, that is what is important.

If you want good advice from here on what needs to be done, take LOTS of pictures of the car, especially underneath the car. Post the pictures here, and let us know. There are some wonderfully knowledgeable people here.

If you choose to undertake this, do your research. Read the various Z car forums. Good reading materials include Wick Humble's How to Restore Your Z Car and Bill Reagan's guide (I can't find a link to that right now.). If you put the effort into finding the answer yourself, people here will bend over backwards to help you fill in the blanks.

Good luck in your decision

[NissanMaster]

Hi,When 240Z's where being restored by Nissan they sold the restored car for 20K +,free sounds good,running & driving will sound amazing...it's a yes...go for it...the 240Z was rated as the best car Nissan ever built so good luck!!

[d240zx2]

Jessi, you will never regret getting stung by the Z-bug. The car itself is simple. It's rugged. It's also, very likely, pretty rusty. Just remember that when dealing with a car that's sat for 10 years, you're likely to find a bunch of stuff that wouldn't be apparent in a car that had been driven for those 10 years.

If you use our search function for bringing an old Z back to life, you'll find there's a LOT of do's and don't's. Heed the advice of folks that have been down your road. Their experience makes it simple for others, such as you.

And to reiterate an earlier post, pictures, pictures, pictures.

Best o'luck to ya!

[5150 will]

Jessi, I've got an old saying and it goes like this. IF IT'S FREE IT'S FOR ME....mostly. As others have already stated, rust is the enemy of these cars, but the mechanicals are really pretty simple especially on the pre FI cars. Even the FI cars aren't that bad except for the seemingly miles of vacuum hose. I say if the rust isn't that bad, go for it!

[Bruce Palmer]

Jessi,

After sitting for all that time, the fuel system will most certainly need to be chased to rid it of all the varnish and sludge that has accumulated in the tank and lines.

The brake and clutch hydraulics will need to be bled, at least, if not replaced entirely. Pitting in the cylinders and subsequent loss of stopping power will leave you standing along side a tree somewhere if not worse. Rubber brake and clutch lines are probably dried out to the point they are not safe.

Which carbs are on the car, flat tops or round top?

While doing all this work I wouldn't even worry about the engine. Doing a sensible startup procedure it may run fine. L motors are pretty tough. I'd definitely spend the money on a rebuilt distributor though.

Anything rubber on the car will more than likely need replacing. Belts, hoses, suspension bushings and boots.

Oh, and wheel bearings cleaned and repacked, U-joints same, stuts cartridges and shocks check. Sitting idle can be harder on some of this stuff than being driven daily.

You have loooooots of time to look for wheels....

Make lists and keep jobs seperated or it will look overwhelming. One thing at a time, one thing at a time. Mark and bag stuff as it comes off.

Look at this deal like the "free kitten" offers you see every spring.

Doing the work your self will be great experience and you are getting into it right. It's all outflow from here.

Hope it turns out to be worthwhile to take on......

[smashmaster]

No, don't mess with it.

Where did you say this free z was again?

Seriously, Go for it. Early Z's are great cars to work on and learn from.

[Kuro]

, Hi Jessi! I'm in the same situation, except for the free car, I may have some knowledge about cars in general and work with my husband doing (brakes, coilovers, re-upholstery, other various "modifications"), but there's a whole lot more to learn and much more work involved in restoring an older car.

I'd say do it if you have a passion for it. I'm sure at times it may be intimidating, but once you get past those times, you've learned that much more.

If you do decide to go for it, I'll probably be on your heels (no pun intended!)

Christine