How much is this Z worth?

[SportBikeMike]

I've been looking into the possibility of picking up another S30. It would be nice to find a decent one locally here in Illinois, which is rare, but I did find this one on Craigslist.

1972 Datsun 240Z

I went and looked at the car today. Overall the body was solid and free of rust. There were a few small rust bubbles around one fender, but not even detectible in the photos. Under the hood looked fine with no rust on the battery tray. The floor boards had been replaced, but I did not get a good look at the floorboards underneath. This is originally a Texas car so rust seemed minimal.

The car ran like a SCALDED APE! It was way faster than I remember my previous 240Z being. A lot of work had been done on the engine and I don't believe it has the original head, but I wish I had more details. I don't believe the exhaust is original either, as it had a nice, raspy exhaust note. The engine was smooth and revved right up to the red line. Overall the car was a blast to drive (although I managed to get lost out in the country).

The interior had been redone with 280Z seats, and they had replace the quilted vinyl with carpeting (thankfully!). Also did not have the original (fake) wood steering wheel or the original wood shift know. Of course the dash was cracked , and there is dash cover.

The car has 25XXX miles on the odometer, so I'm guessing 125XXX. All electricals work aside from the windshield wipers which need a new motor. Also, it needs one of the braces on the rear bumper.

One negative about the paint, although it looks nice in the pics, the paint actually has speckles in it, as she said, like a "bass boat". I'm not crazy about it, but something I could live with.

I have no idea what she is worth. The owner is asking $10K. I know there are people on here that know a lot more about these cars than I do. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[Montana Z]

It's hard to put a value on it because Z's tend to be all over the place. Too bad about the steering wheel and vinyl because more "original" cars tent to bring more money, but all those changes can be easily changed if you were so inclined. 10K seems to be about right though. If you want to see some reference cars check out The best vintage and classic cars for sale online | Bring a Trailer and search 240z. The consensus on that forum is that these cars will continue to increase in value for the foreseeable future so buy now:) Good luck with your hunt.

[hr369]

the problem with "restored" vehicles is they can bondo and paint over sins.

does he have proof of it being a texas car? i'de want to see documentation.

who did the bodywork? does he have receipts?

are you sure those hideous 60's metal flakes will grow on you?

Personally, i like this one better and especially if the price stays under 6k

Datsun Z Series 2 Door | eBay

Edited March 30, 2014 by hr369

[ksechler]

I was in a similar situation a year ago. I also live in the rust belt (east cost) and I wanted to buy locally. I paid $6,500 for a car that appeared neatly perfect. It turned out to be a hooker in a prom dress. It was drivable and looked good from a distance but was really a mess. It is on a rotisserie in my garage right now having had both floors replaced and large sections of the frame.

My advice to you is not to buy until you have seen the car on a lift. You need to look under the battery, the passenger side firewall, the inside back of the passenger side front wheel well. Also pay attention to the rocker panels and rear fender right behind the wheel. This quote haunts me, "There were a few small rust bubbles around one fender." This is a very bad sign for a restored car. It tells me they didn't address all the problem areas adequately and they are coming back.

One final thing you need to ask yourself. If this is a Texas car with minimal rust, why were both the floor boards replaced? I suspect this car may have some hidden issues.

That said if it checks out, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. It looks like a nice car. Just be sure you understand what you are getting.

[Oiluj]

If no rust, seems to be priced about right, at least for California...

[CEgg11]

Agree 100% Everything is harder than it is. I've restored my fair share of these cars, and a Texas car that needed pans doesn't make sense. Good points all around, Ksechler.

[SportBikeMike]

Thanks everyone for their input.

That's a great point about the Texas car needing floor pans. Perhaps it's been in the Midwest longer than I originally thought. I know it was in Missouri for awhile also before it made it to Illinois.

Anyway I definitely need to look over the car in more detail before I would make any kind of offer.

[motorman7]

It always depends on what you are looking for. If you want a Z to modify and customize, the craigslist Z may be a good choice, but I wouldn't put its value at much over 7K.

I do like the e-bay Z and feel that it is probably a better investment. Seems to be much more original. Not sure if you would be able to get that one for $10K though. It appears to be fairly original which would improve the value. Either way, take your time and make sure you are happy with your selection.

Best regards,

Rich

[SportBikeMike]

I'm looking mainly for a weekend toy. After my last experience, I probably won't be doing too many modifications, no major ones anyway.

I have held off on this 240 for now. They didn't seem to want to budge too much off the original selling price, and that's just more than I want to spend right now.

Actually I was leaning towards a 280Z, because I don't want to deal with carbs and no one around here works on them. I just looked at this 240Z because it was here in town.....a rarity!

If they came back and offered it to me in the $7,500-$8,000 range, I would definitely be interested though.