Um... Guys... Look at this.

"Haimatox" (haimatox) 09/16/2014 at 15:39 • Filed to: None

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I was perusing my local Craigslist (as per some of your suggestions), and I came across this. 1973 Datsun 240z.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Oh. My. God. The wants. Only $6,000? Yes, it is a bit tired. But maybe it will teach me the mechanics of cars, and how to fix them up. Suddenly, the whole HPD CR-Z idea doesn't sound so good. I want this car. Please try and stop me from buying this if you think it's not worth it.

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:42

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Not a desired year and only a twin-carb (instead of the more desirable triple webers) and no restoration ability due to the 5-swap.

Which means it's perfect. Ideal. The perfect driver's 240z. It's even in my favorite color. There's no fear of ruining a classic, and it's not expensive enough up front to make you want to get a 280Z instead.

GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

But seriously though, if I had more cash and lived in NY, I'd have already bought this car. It's literally perfect.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:43

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It's only 10 minutes away from me... I am seriously struggling to contain myself.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:45

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I only live 10 minutes away... I am struggling to contain myself right now. Also, the owner is in possession of the original 4-speed, but it's in unknown condition.

Sam > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:48

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I say if you have the funds, and you really want it, just go for it. If you make sure to look over it well before you buy it, the worst that can happen is you sell it off for what you paid.

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:48

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A few things:

1. Rust. If there's no rust, it's an insanely good deal. That simple. It is so hard to find rust free examples (especially on the east cost) there is no reason not to. You can flip it for that price pretty much at will. Check the battery tray, rear wheel wells, bumper mounts, engine mounts, hatch hinges and all the vents on the hood. If there's rust in any of those spots, it's probably starting somewhere else too.

2. The Dash. If the dash is uncracked, get it. Those dashes sell for $1500-$3000 a piece alone. If it's cracked, then don't worry about it. 99% of them are. From the pictures, it's tough to tell.

3. What you plan to do with it. To get the most milage out of it, you want to convert it to a restomod. The hard part (5 speed swap) is already done. Go with fender flares, Watanabe wheels, maybe a different bumper/fascia combo, triple weber carbs and some more engine mods. It will run you another $10,000, but you'll have a $20,000 showroom restomod that you can daily drive at the end of it.

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:49

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Those 4 speeds are pretty worthless unless you plan on keeping it totally original. They're worth more with tasteful mods than they are in totally original condition though, unless they're showroom-quality.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:50

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If there is rust, is it not worth it? Also, the seller says that the previous owner swapped the dash with a crack free one.

Steve in Manhattan > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:51

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That thing is remarkably unmolested.

yamahog > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:53

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Lol, if your mom already has irrational issues with you getting a safe, modern compact.... good luck with this one!

DatASSun > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:55

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heyy buddddddy Ghostz . So me and Ghost both have S30 Chassis Z Cars his is wayyyyyyyyyyy more impressive in the than mine. However, I daily my car so now you know that can be done. I snagged my 280z in Dallas for 2600 in June of 2013. Put oil in it checked everything else and drove it straight to austin 3 hours away. I then drove the car for almost a year with minimal issues. In January I took it apart and put a 5.3 liter with a t56 in it and have been daily driving it for about 2 months now. Point being these cars are very reliable if you know how to rub them right when they get fussy. And if you end up doing a motor swap make sure the rear end will hold the power. I destroyed mine this past saturday.

Haimatox > yamahog 09/16/2014 at 15:55

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Maybe she'll let me get it as a project car? Not a DD? Fingers crossed.

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 15:56

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Depends on the rust and if you can repair it. If you can repair it, it's worth it. If not... eh, it's a tough call. You'll likely have to replace the exhaust, so factor that in.

It also depends on whether or not you can take care of this. If you have to street park it and drive it daily in the winter, chances are you'll just blow your money and ruin it. If you can garage it and treat it properly, this could be a great purchase and last for years.

You can get a 280Z in better condition (and a vastly superior car) that looks pretty much identical (except for the bumpers, which you can swap anyway) for about $5000. Most 240Zs of this quality run in the $8000-9000 range, so this is the first 240Z I've seen in a long time that is actually a better deal than the 280Z.

I'd get pictures of the rust, and do some research on various Nissan forums, maybe take it for a test drive to make sure the transmission is doing fine.

The 280ZX turbo transmission is (to my knowledge) a long-ratio transmission, so you'll be noticeably slower than a stock 240Z with that setup (especially with twin carbs instead of the triple ones). But it's a better transmission if you plan on upgrading the power or want to get better fuel economy.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 15:58

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Would it be worth getting as a project car? A car to learn the skills to work on cars? And garaging may or may not be possible, depending on college stuff.

PS9 > yamahog 09/16/2014 at 16:04

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1) Buy it anyway

2) Get thrown out of the house and become the opposite of Doug De Muro (book deals and jalopnik articles to follow), or

3) Put it on CL for double what you paid if she forces a sale

Either no one buys and you keep the thing, Someone buys and you get double ROI, or your homeless for a while until you have enough experiences to fill a novel. See? Pick whatever angle you want, you can't lose!

RallyWrench > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:06

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Worth it if not rusty. They're simple & really easy to work on, and the L-series is a great engine to cut your teeth on mechanically. Just get rid of the stock carburetors, bolt a header on, & off you go into the endless spiral of spending money on an old car classic car ownership.

I had a white '72 Z that needed everything and was a total piece of shit, but it ran & was towed out of a field for $700 on a lunchbreak whim because I'd always wanted one. I still want a good one, and they're going for 5-10k out here in CA. This seems about right, and it's really unusual to find a stock one, so that's kind of cool.

Edit: Also, get to know these guys: http://www.zcarparts.com/

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:08

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No, there are better beater S30s to get than this. This is a seriously clean car you'd have to commit to driving, not a restoration project. You don't want to mess this car up if you make a mistake, as you'll never get your money back on it then. You can find a cheaper one with obvious body rust that you can then learn to repair. If you mess up, no big deal because it already has rust.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 16:11

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I wouldn't be repairing the rust... That's far beyond my abilities at the moment. I'm already a decent tinkerer(?) and I was looking for a car which which I could get the mechanical things down. TFritch seems to think that the L-series engine is a good one to learn on.

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:17

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Sort of. The L engine is super-simple and super-reliable, but it's not really cheap to upgrade. It has one of the best mechanical fuel injection systems available and is compatible with a lot of carbs though, so there's something there.

But the L engine was also in a ton of cars.

I would say that a Ford 302 is a better choice to learn on, because of the cheapness and ubiquity of parts, but that's really a matter of opinion.

240Z engines don't break down much. They're extremely reliable for their era, especially the later ones.

Camry-Into-Canyon > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:18

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Buy it now. This is possibly the best DD you could get your hands on.

Haimatox > GhostZ 09/16/2014 at 16:19

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I'm probably going to take a look at this car soon. Anything you recommend I look for other than the rust where you mentioned and the transmission?

GhostZ > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:24

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That should cover it. Battery tray is, again, a huge one. Try to figure out what cylinder head is on it, since they used a lot of them, as well as whether the transmission is a 280ZX Turbo Borg Warner "World Class" or or non-"world class", and what the ratios are. If you have the exact vin or type of car it came from (year, options, etc.) it might tell you that too.

Check all the lights and electronics too, as best as you can.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:41

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That first picture in the ad is awesome.

As for the car? Like everyone else is saying, if it is not rusty, you really like it, and you have the money for it, go for it.

bhardoin > RallyWrench 09/16/2014 at 16:44

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Those stock carbs are already off, those are the much better round top hitachis.

bhardoin > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 16:47

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These L24s run forever, 188k wouldn't even be that tired for one of these. Its already got the carbs upgraded - the flat topped hitachi carbs are the only reason these 73's were undesirable in the Z realm. Working stock radio is amazing.

But check for rust! Look under the car and knock the bottom of the rocker panels with your hand, check that the bottom of the spare wheel well is intact, check below the battery tray and in the corners of the wheel wells. Moderate/non-cancerous rust this is a deal.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Haimatox 09/16/2014 at 17:19

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That looks like, YOU SHOULD BE ON YOUR WAY TO PICK IT UP, DRIVE IT HOME, AND LOVE IT LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER!

RallyWrench > bhardoin 09/16/2014 at 17:49

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I didn't look at the ad, that's even better!

aneightballandtwohookers > Haimatox 09/17/2014 at 04:05

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If you like it, do it. I bought a datsun as my first car and whenever I look at it, my car makes me smile. I bought a real project too, this one seems to be in way better condition than mine when I bought it. I don't know too much about owning a 240z besides the fact that I want one, but my roadster is easy to work on and a blast to drive. Plus, if your wallet can stand to lose a few pounds, good aftermarket support (at least a lot better than the roadster's). A good friend of mine has one of these and he loves it!

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Haimatox 09/23/2014 at 12:09

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I bought a 78' 280z back in March. If you've not bought this car already I'm going to be sad.

I love mine and it has some rust issue. But those will be repaired by this coming spring. There are about 8 other S30 owners on Oppo.

Please tell you you now own this car!

Haimatox > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger 09/23/2014 at 12:46

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It was sold before I got a chance. Also, my dad won't let me buy it. I've posted these stories already.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Haimatox 09/23/2014 at 14:29

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I've been away from Oppo for 2 weeks so I must have missed your story.