paqman

Wow that is a lot. I just hope there are as many out there for me to choose from by the time I sell the bike and am ready to start shopping. I tend to do this. Start planning way before I'm ready to buy. It'll probably be next spring. I can't buy till I sell the bike. :-)

Thanks. From the replies, and the research I've done, I think you're right. I'm leaning more towards buying one a little more rough around the edges but with good mechanics so I can enjoy it now, then start building it up when I have more time. Funny thing, I've actually liked a lot of the rat rod Z's I've seen, (or Ratsuns :-) Wouldn't mind having a sleeper Z with killer internals .

Wow up until now I've been posting all over my phone, and just realized how crappy my original post got formatted . Sorry for that. Yes that does look like a grand $$ vision . Edit: oh, i guess my screen wasn't done loading. I guess it looks ok now.

All very good replies. And I agree. I don't really want a show car. Even if the one I bought was show worthy, I don't like the thought of showing something I didn't build. I am totally not against buying one a little more rough around the edges so I have a canvas to work with when I get the time. So perhaps a $5k Z would be a better choice. As long as I can find one that will run well and have not much rust, that I can enjoy right now, that's all that matters. And you're right about the dents and dings. Especially since I have little kids. It will definitely take a ding or two here and there. My original plan was to buy a nice one right now to enjoy driving it, then sell it in 5 years or so for one I can build up and restore. But maybe one that needs some work but is still driveable, for less cash, would be a good idea, and I wouldn't be so paranoid about kids dinging it. I really appreciate all your input. I do have to sell my motorcycle first, and then would get serious about Z hunting. And I was thinking about riding this season and selling it after the riding season is over. Otherwise, powderkeg, I would be hitting you up for pics . Jeff G, yes if I went with the 280, I would definitely go for a bumper swap. And I don't HAVE to have a 240, I'd be perfectly happy if I found the right 280. I have grand visions in my head of what my future Z would look like . Not that they're going to happen any time soon, but it's fun to imagine. Would also love to do an engine swap at some point, so there's that to consider as well.

Oh and Carl I would probably prefer a 240, but the right 260 or 280 will also do.

That is great advice. I do tend to do that in my car purchases. Look for something bit over my range and talk them down. I'll keep that in mind. I do see a lot of auctions end with no buyers then relisted at a lower price.

That does seem pretty decent for the price. I do seem to see them go for decent prices, just wondering how they turn out as daily drivers. I realize a 40 year old car is going to have issues, I kind of enjoy that occasional excuse to work on it

Hey all, long time Z lover, first time buyer. I've wanted an S30 Z since jr. high and have finally decided to bite the bullet. As much as I'd love to find a great deal on a beater for $1k-$2k, and build it into something of my own, right now I've got four kids and not a whole lot of time to work on cars. So I think for now I'd like to find one for around $7k-$10k that has been done well and will be a good turn-key driver right now, with not much required to do to it. I'm not against getting my hands dirty, in fact I will relish the few times I get to take a break from the kids and work on the Z, but for now I can't put a whole lot of time into it. So my question is, do you think that price range ($7k-$10k), can get me a good specimen? I'm also hoping that after driving it for a few years that I will be able to get most of my money back out of it, assuming I haven't had to do much more than regular maintenance. I'm in Utah, and most cars out here are rust buckets, and even those are few and far between. Seems the only Z's I find out here are either $1000 non runners, or $20k show cars. So I will probably be looking on ebay and craigslist for a decent car from Arizona or California, then flying down and driving it back. I've been watching a few ebay auctions, and I do see some good ones ending in that price range, but have not been able to inspect or drive them, so I'm just curious from those of you who have the experience. When the time comes I will probably be hoping to find a helpful soul on one of these forums to perhaps go and check the particular car out for me. :-) I wouldn't mind finding one for a bit cheaper, say $5k-$6k if it was rust free, a good interior, and solid mechanics. If the cheaper one simply needed new paint or something like that, I would not be opposed to something like that. Cause I could see keeping it till the kids are older, and restoring it myself then. But I do want something with very little rust, and a good solid engine and drive train, so that I can drive it daily right out the gate. And when I say daily, I mean good weather daily. I do have a beater car for winter and rain. Sorry for the long post, and I'm a ways away from making a purchase, just doing some research for now.