Anybody into early Datsun Z cars?

My 15 year old cousin is looking at a 240Z for his first car (hey, I talked him out of an '85 Jaguar XJ6, so things are looking up). He's a smart kid who (I think) is willing to put in the time and effort to make a 30 year old car his DD, so I'm trying to help him hunt down as much info as possible. My impression is that the older Z is decently reliable and pretty bulletproof, but I don't know all the ins and outs of buying and owning one. Does anyone out there have Z experience? Can anyone recommend a good Z forum?

240 = carbeureted = not much to go wrong (as long as said carbs aren't gummed and you understand the concept of manual choke)

make sure there's no rust in structural areas. The best gearboxes will feel very notchy, so don't let that scare you (much). If you find one with lots of decent condition Z emblems on it, selling those off will fund other projects...

Can a decent all original never been restored 240Z be found anymore??

My neighbor has one. All original except for the primer brown hood he put on it after his daughter ran up underneath a truck.

My first car:
http://mpghead.com/240z.jpg

Mine had both the original 2 single barrel carbs and the Webber 3x2 setup. Learning to get the carbs to all work in sync was a... fun experience.

They RUST a LOT. The electrical system is really weak too.

Places to look for rust:
- floor boards (look on both sides)
- all around the windshield, the seals leak and rust develops. The car is trashed if this happens
- around the rear strut towers. A stock car will have a pleather shroud and you can't really look at it from the inside. Knock and use a magnet to see how much hidden rust is in there
- around the wheelwells is another bad rust spot

Electrical issues:
- wipers
- headlights (this is VERY common)

Now, you might look for a SBC swapped Z for a good price. Parts are cheap (since 350's are everywhere) and the car loves if <evilgrin>. Of course, not necessarily the best setup for a new driver.


The other issue is that this car likely won't have AC. Mine didn't and in the summer I was miserable. And honestly, the car really isn't that safe; they are worse than just about any modern tin can. Although I love them, I wouldn't feel comfortable with my son driving one.

To add to Goofygrin, look under the battery that is a huge spot for rust. On the 240s the points can be a pain in the ass but there are upgrades for that so it's not as much a problem. I've had 4 different ones covering 240 to the 280zx and can honestly say that if you can find one without the rust problems and that the electrical is in decent shape they are great cars. The motors are very strong and the only upgrade I would look into to make it a better DD is to swap the 4spd for a 5spd out of the 280z or zx.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Can a decent all original never been restored 240Z be found anymore??

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Get in touch with a nissan dealer. They were selling them restored at the "Z" dealers. Northtexas nissan was one of them, from time to time they'll have one up there for sale.

This looks like a nice one down in austin
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1512231453.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by driftdevil

To add to Goofygrin, look under the battery that is a huge spot for rust. On the 240s the points can be a pain in the ass but there are upgrades for that so it's not as much a problem. I've had 4 different ones covering 240 to the 280zx and can honestly say that if you can find one without the rust problems and that the electrical is in decent shape they are great cars. The motors are very strong and the only upgrade I would look into to make it a better DD is to swap the 4spd for a 5spd out of the 280z or zx.

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I forgot about the battery cancer. That was a big pain to clean up. Lots of 2x4's employed in this space :punchout:

I had the 4spd and man it was tough on the highway.

Oh also, I have the Jags that Run 350 conversion book if you were interested.

I think there is a Z car restore shop at Rockwall in the industrial park. I have seen several showroom condition early Z cars in and out around that area of the town.

I don't know anything about them, but here's a forum with a lot of them for sale.


http://www.zcar.com/forums/list/8

If he can find one that's already restored that's almost always cheaper than fixing up a rust bucket.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

Oh also, I have the Jags that Run 350 conversion book if you were interested.

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You can also check out John's Cars for info about 350 conversions for Jags and Z's.

I've always liked http://www.classiczcars.com/. Plenty of knowledgeable people there. Don't forget some of the Z's had vapor-lock issues. One of my favorite blogs was Livin' Z Life by Arne Berglund http://1971.240z.home.comcast.net/~1971.240z/ a tale of what Mr. Berglund went through to achieve a clean and (pretty) reliable Z.

Let's hope your cousin takes a good long think about this one. Weekend toy? Certainly. Daily Driver? I know I wouldn't. All the reasons already stated above is why I bought a Miata instead of toiling over a broken-down roadster from the 60s. A Z-car is a beautiful machine, but I just couldn't see living with one as my ride into work every morning, even if it could be made that reliable.

Regards.

It shouldn't be to hard to talk him into a Miata.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Piff

I've always liked http://www.classiczcars.com/. Plenty of knowledgeable people there. Don't forget some of the Z's had vapor-lock issues. One of my favorite blogs was Livin' Z Life by Arne Berglund http://1971.240z.home.comcast.net/~1971.240z/ a tale of what Mr. Berglund went through to achieve a clean and (pretty) reliable Z.

Let's hope your cousin takes a good long think about this one. Weekend toy? Certainly. Daily Driver? I know I wouldn't. All the reasons already stated above is why I bought a Miata instead of toiling over a broken-down roadster from the 60s. A Z-car is a beautiful machine, but I just couldn't see living with one as my ride into work every morning, even if it could be made that reliable.

Regards.

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+1

I love the looks of the 240-280Z but I don't think it would be a good choice. We forget how bad the ALL of the 60-70's cars were compared to cars of today, they have come a long ways. For what he'll spend on the Z by the time it's looking and driving good he could buy a year 2000+ car.
like a Miata, S2000, C5 Vette, F-body (I love my 2001 Firebird), Ruststang,

In 1975 I drove a 240Z from Ft. Rucker, AL to Disney World (389 mi.) in 4 hours and 10 min. including the fuel stop. It broke down on the way back though. That pretty much sums up my relationship with that car, it ran great while it was running. Even though the car was only 4 years old at the time it was already rusting apart. Years later I had a 300zx that was the biggest money pit I ever owned. I still have the engine but I gave the rest of it to a junkyard just so I would never have to look at it again. Never again.

All good info - many thanks! I'll see the kid this weekend and have a sit-down with him. He'll also get a ride in the Miata (apparently he's never ridden in one). He seems to be fixed on an older car from the 60s or 70s. I can't necessarily blame him, since I lusted after the same era when I was 15...

if he's in the area I'll give him a taste of the boost buggy ;)