What to do....

[northernz]

Hi all, just recently purchased a 1971 240 Z, serial HLS3015721 for $8900 .Originally a California car, I am the 4th owner. The car is original except for a paint job and minor upgrades (MSA alternator upgrade, radio).It is straight and almost rust free(dog leg rt side) I am trying to decide what, if any, mods to make to it. Will the value of the car be diminished by upgrading engine and suspension components, or does the paint job (a poor one) already devalue the originality of the car? It has been appraised here in Edmonton at $12000. Any opinions onthe current and future value of these cars would be appreciated! I have attached some pics for your enjoyment.

[Marty Rogan]

Congrats and welcome to the club! The car looks pretty nice from the pictures.

The 70/71 models are often refered to as a Series I Z. They are the most sought after by collectors. So any mods that you do to it will likley drop its value. I would suggest only doing bolt on mods that are easy to return to original. Keep all of the original parts too. Those "D" hub caps are not pretty to look at, but they are very valuable. Do a search on this site. Value of these cars have been discussed many times.

Post some pictures of your blue interior! They are pretty rare too. I also have a blue on blue '70 and I am always interested in seeing another one with a blue interior.

Marty

[Mike B]

Welcome to the club. Is this the car you bought? http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31247&highlight=blue+edmonton

I agree with Marty. Original cars retain their value more, but you can still make some mods to it, as long as they are easliy reversable and you keep the original parts. Good luck with it and post some more pictures when you get a chance.

-Mike

[Arne]

I'm on board with this too. There are plenty of nice performance mods that are totally reversible later. Everything I've done to mine is strictly bolt-on and easily restored to stock - with the exception of the holes I had to drill to mount the front spoiler.

[geezer]

Hi northernz - Very nice car, that I think you bought for a very good price. Give yourself lots of time to decide on upgrades and read up on them on this site. Everything has been done by someone at one time or another and it will be found by performing a search of the archives. Some upgrades such as "Dave's Headlight Relay Upgrade" are no brainers and come highly recommended. Unless you are planning on selling. I wouldn't be too concerned on current or future value, although it is an interesting subject that we all take lessons from our more learned members. Welcome

[northernz]

Thanks to all for your thoughts, I'll snap some more pics as soon as I retrieve her from storage! Winter is long and cold here and I don't have a heated garage! I'm itching to drive! I inquired with rebello racing agout engine upgrades,I'm thinking of pullng the original engine and installing one of their 3 litre upgrades, that way I can store the matching numbers engine for later possible sale,although I can't see that happening!I love these cars, I raced one at Knox Mountain hillclimb (Kelowna B.C.) in my teens ( and rolled it when the sway bar tore out of the frame !) It was my first car and I put a lot of hours into her.Glad to have a good one now and excited to be part of this community.

Mike this is the car I bought, it must have been fate! I started looking just after the ad was posted and was stunned to find such a great car here in salty, 6 months of winter Edmonton!

[Bruce Palmer]

Just figured out one thing here on this thread. When we get the cars to sell, ready to sell, we will be taking them to Edmonton. Pretty nice prices. Must be oil patch money.....

[northernz]

Oil patch money drying up pretty fast these days!

[rdefabri]

Keep it original. I don't agree with Marty on the hubcaps - they're awesome. Please restore / refresh / retain this car as close to original as possible.

I realize the Z car isn't a Ferrari, but you rarely see any of those classics modified. Typically, if they are, it's looked upon negatively.

Now that the Z is becoming more of a recognized classic, a great starting base like the car you have would be perfect for preservation!

[Oiluj]

My take on it is to do what you want and not think of it as an "investment".

Personally, I like the idea of keeping it original with only "bolt-on" upgrades, but if you want a better suspension, more power, etc, then do it.

After all, it's YOUR car...

[onuthin]

Congrats and welcome to the club! The car looks pretty nice from the pictures.

The 70/71 models are often refered to as a Series I Z. They are the most sought after by collectors. So any mods that you do to it will likley drop its value. I would suggest only doing bolt on mods that are easy to return to original. Keep all of the original parts too. Those "D" hub caps are not pretty to look at, but they are very valuable. Do a search on this site. Value of these cars have been discussed many times.

Marty

I have 3, 70 series 1 and 2, series 2 model and 1, 72 model. My thinking is keep the series 1 cars as original as possible,and modify the 72 anyway I want, thinking putting the same money into the 72 it will never be close in value as the series 1. I am not trying to put down a 72 I just see them going for less than the early Z's. Does this have any validation or is it wishful justification

[northernz]

Okay,I'll content myself with a refresh and paint job, and some mag wheels.(I only have three of the "D" hubcaps). When I drove it for a month after I got it, the car felt very vague and squirmy, especially in a crosswind. Perhaps supension bushings are worn? If I pull suspension apart, I'll soda blast the bits and start the refresh there.

Anyone have a "D" hubcap for sale?

Mark