lonetreesteve

My body & paint guy finished my '71 240Z about a month and a half ago and he's storing the car for me until I'm ready for him deliver it (probably in a couple weeks or so). Once I get my Z home, I will need to install the tail lights, front turn signal and parking lights. I will then install the freshly re-chromed bumpers and then start on the interior, which will probably take me at least a month to complete in my spare time. Finally, I will install all the emblems and then have the new wheels and tires installed. Hopefully, I will have her on the road by early April.

I love watching the Barrett-Jackson Auctions on the Speed Channel, particularly the big one in Scottsdale. Some years there is a 240Z or two, but Speed never shows them on their coverage. My first car was a '67 Pontiac GTO, my younger brother's first car was a '57 Chevy 2 door hardtop and a lot of my friends had muscle cars in high school in the mid-to-late '70s, so I definitely have a great interest in these auctions.

Hi Don, I wondered what had happened to this car. I also looked at back in 2006 (see post #17 of this thread). Looks like from a mechanical standpoint, the new owner put a some time and a some money into the car so it's in good running condition now, which is definitely an improvement from before. $3k doesn't seem out of line for a low VIN Series 1 car with its original matching engine; however, it still has some significant rust issues. I definitely think that the car is restorable and will probably sell for the $3k or pretty close to it, but I'm afraid that whoever ends up buying the car is going to end up spending a lot of money on the rust repairs. Hi Darrel, I can't believe it's been over 3 years since you first spotted this car on Craig's List and started this thread. I was a little surprised to see that the new owner hasn't had any bodywork done to the car yet. It looks like Some_guy hasn't been on the sight since March of 2007, so it's really hard to say what he ended up doing.

Bonzi, I sure like the before and after pics of your '73 (what a huge difference!) and the fact that both pictures were taken in just about the same spot. I also love that 115 Metallic Blue paint!

If the rust in the area behind the headlight bucket is the worst place on the car and the frame rails and floor pans aren't too bad, then I agree with with some of the other members, the car isn't beyond repair and you should find a reputable shop that specializes in restorations. Dallas is a very large city, so there should be some shops there that will do a good job at a fair price. Just one suggestion I would have and if you can fit it in your budget, perhaps look at changing out those big 280Z bumpers for the smaller 240Z bumpers.

The bottom line is that #51 still exists and even though it's just a "shell" of its original self, it can still be saved. 260zCaliCar, since you know the owner, can you contact him and see if he wants to sell the car?

It's been quite a while since I was there, but Erie Auto Salvage (4878 I-25 Frontage Rd, Dacono, CO 80514) had a blue '71 240Z with a Pantera-style rear deck lid on it. By the way, the last time I was there they had 5 or 6 240Zs there plus a good number of 280s and 280ZXs.

For my last three 240Zs, I found used original rear hatch struts on Ebay. The struts worked great and all 3 were between $25.00 to $35.00 with an average of about $10.00 for shipping. Before I bid, each time I e-mailed the seller and asked if the strut would hold up the rear hatch with glass for a very long period of time without a problem. I also asked if they would guarantee that the strut would work. Each time the seller agreed to provide a guarantee and promised to refund my money if the strut didn't work, as long as I shipped the bad strut back. Only one time I got a bad strut and the seller gladly refunded my money once he received the bad strut back from me. This is really the way to go if you want to keep your 240Z as original as possible.

The part number that Geezer references is on page 105 of a very extensive parts list dated 12-22-09 at a place called MJP-Eastern Auto. Here's the link: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=C2865-E4100&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=&fp=b6589184b2a79e1

Only $20.00, that's a great price, especially since it's all intact. If it turns out that the motor is operational, then you got a steal! I've been looking for one of those for a while now. When you go back in January, please be sure to take some pics and let us know what else you find.

Johnny, I didn't realize that your Z was from California, no wonder it had hardly any rust! Yeah, Craigslist is a good place to find under-priced 240Zs. Since there are a lot more 240Zs in California than there are in Arizona (or anywhere else), perhaps I should also check the CA Craigslists as well. AZ and CA are probably the 2 best places to find low-rust Zs. Hopefully, I will finally find a Series I that meets my criteria.

Johnny, For quite some time I've been checking the Phoenix Craigslist for a Series I car. That's where I found my current '71 Series II project which after stripping the paint, ended up being the most solid, rust-free/accident-free 240Z that I have ever seen. An unbelievable find with a numbers-matching, freshly-rebuilt drive train. However, I have never owned a Series I and I really want to find a solid one that runs strong with as little rust as possible and like my current project, just needs the exterior and interior refreshed. That way, I can keep the purchase price affordable.

As long as the undercarriage is solid and isn't rusted as the seller states on the listing, $2,500.00 seems very reasonable for a low-VIN car. To part it out would be a crime.

Actually, it's someone in Scranton, PA trying to sell the parts, not me (by the way I'm looking for a good used factory 240Z power radio antenna also). Here's the link to some more pics that the seller has up for auction: http://photobucket.com/zparts

Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-240Z-280-280-parts-motors-trans-electric-tons-PA_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem45ed5a55c9QQitemZ300334863817QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Here's a rust-free Series I for only $2k. Perhaps out of the 3 cars, you can end up with one very nice Series I plus another you can fix up and sell. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/1523099721.html

This poor Z had a very heavy Cadillac dropped on her.

Joel, Your project reminded me of the only other right-hand conversion that I've ever heard of , a '69 Dodge Charger right-hand conversion that I saw on Speed TV a number of months ago (see link & pics below). Good luck with your project! http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0903phr_13_different_muscle_cars_of_sema/1969_dodge_charger_vehicle_specifications.html

We have some members in the Abuquerque area, perhaps they might be able to help you in your search. I guess it really depends on why #2235 was removed form the car: Was the engine in need of repair and the PO replaced it with a newer engine rather than repairing or rebuilding it? Was the engine blown, replaced and then scrapped? Was your car once a V8 conversion and #2235 is in another 240Z in the Albuquerque area somewhere? I see that you have owned the car since 1976, do you still have the PO's contact info? If you find out that the PO is no longer living, perhaps you can track down his/her family and maybe one of them may remember what happened to #2235. If there's a will there's a way; never say never.

Here's a few more in the bone yard:

It can't be done with a full dash cap without damaging the cap. That's why the glove box and the heater control panel need to be removed in order to remove or install the tach and/or the speedometer from the rear.

Looks like it's been relisted-here's the new link: http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/1521387489.html

Since you live in Tucson, you should check it out if you're interested in the car. A lot of Arizona Z-cars have been spared from the rust monster, particularly if they have spent all their time in Arizona. For $3k, a '70 that runs and is solid (although it looks like it may have some rust issues in and around the battery tray), seems pretty reasonable to me. If it has the original matching engine then that would definitely help matters. Series I cars are getting harder and harder to come by. This one needs a lot of work; however, if it doesn't have any major rust issues, then I would jump on it.

From what I can tell from the pics, looks to be a pretty solid car. I would ask for more pics, particularly some of the rust-prone areas. Also, I would see if the seller would throw in the shipping since it's been for sale for a while. Date Listed 07-Dec-09 Price $7,500.00 Address Saskatoon, SK, Canada Extremely Rare, Right Hand Drive Fairlady Z. Model GS-30 2+2 2.0 litre in-line 6, 5 speed, independent rear suspension, 40,000 original km body is extremely good and rust free, car is NOT restored Car has been in Canada since the late 1980's and is currently Saskatchewan registered This car is daily driven in the summer only A fun, very rare sports car just as it is ASKING PRICE REDUCED to $8000 Oct 10, 2009 far below the appraised value of $11,200 which was based on the overall condition of the car - did not include the uniqueness or rarity of the right hand drive as there were no similar cars to compare it to.