Looking for help in locating the perfect 240Z

[chiran]

Hello out there. Former 2x 240Z owner looking to start up again after 35+ years (never lost the desire). I'm wondering if anyone has put together a list of what to look for when buying a 240Z, along with things to avoid. Any help you may be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Arne]

Well, let's see. What to look for... rust, overall condition, rust, originality, rust, matching numbers, rust...

Did I mention rust?

OK, past the rust issue, you need to give us a bit more info here. Are you looking for a project, or a ready to drive car? What are your plans for the car once it is ready to drive, a show car, weekend toy, daily driver?

The things I would recommend will differ depending on those answers.

[bigoak]

Check out Zhome.com. It has a very good buyer's guide.

Oh yeah...no rust...nothing else matters...

[Oiluj]

Ditto what they said above. Rust is the enemy, (and a costly enemy to vanquish). Zhome.com does have a good buyers guide. It details the problem areas and things to look for when buying an early Z.

What do you mean by the perfect 240Z?

If you mean a ready-to-drive, fully restored car that is more or less stock, based on the ads I've seen, expect to pay $14K to $25K, depending upon the quality of the work. Of course, there are exceptions...

If you are looking for a good "driver" needing cosmetic restoration or with minor mechanical issues, expect to pay around $4K to $12K, depending upon condition. Less if there are significant rust or mechanical issues.

It's typically cheaper to by a restored car or good condition driver than a fixer-upper project car. Unless you have the skills, tools and time to do the work yourself, if you have to pay for resto work, it can be very expensive.

That said, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment associated with doing much of the the work yourself. (That's what I'm doing, but it's not for everybody).

Happy hunting and good luck in your search.