WTB 240z

[tivman]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking to buy a 240z, I've been scouring the forums and haven't been able to find find any because they all sell so quickly / I find one that looks and sounds amazing and then 3 pages of reading the forums later I realize someone bought it a while back! Maybe I just can't work out the forums I don't know!

 

My budget is pretty flexible, by this I mean I'd buy one for 5k if it was the right one in my mind and all the way up to around 20k if I have to! Hope that makes sense!

 

Anyways, let me know if you know how to work the forums better than I can or even better, PM or post about a 240z for sale that I could have a look at!

 

 

 

[George]

Hi,

 

Subscribe to this thread: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,2630.msg160644.html#new

 

Subscribe to this forum: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/board,19.0.html

 

Join and set up instant auto emails notifications for Gumtree, eBay, Carsales.

 

With that you'll catch most of the ads before they sell if you monitor your email.

 

This one just popped up for sale yesterday. http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,2043.240.html

 

Good luck!

[adam]

I don't think it's your forum using skills but more to do with the hundred+ others in the same position as you, wanting and waiting for a car to pop up.

 

Best bet is to follow George's advice.

 

Best of luck with your search.

[gav240z]

To be honest I don't think we're going to see too many more 240z's listed at 5k these days.

 

Here is what 5k will get you though.

 

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kardinya/cars-vans-utes/datsun-240z/1061920994

 

+1 to George's suggestion.

[dat2kman]

Yet hundreds baulk at well presented restored ones selling at $35k and upwards, but happily buy a crapper at $5k, spend $40k, without realising just how much has been spent, 'cos it dont matter, it's my Datsun!

 

Then want to get semi serious for trackdays, or full serious for circuit or tarmac/dirt, add another $15-20k

 

 

[sydney mike]

Welcome to the forum.

 

If I was in your position I would ask one of the QLD members to check this one out for you, asking $14,500:

 

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Datsun-240Z-1972/SSE-AD-3033629/?Cr=1&sdmvc=1

 

 

cheers, Mike.

[tivman]

Thanks guys, I'll follow George's advice and keep looking 

 

Just to clarify, if it was 5k i'd obviously be expecting to do a LOT of work and TLC to it haha! 

 

I was just having a look at that z earlier today actually.

[gav240z]

I have more photos of that 240z for 14k Sydney Mike posted. If people are interested?

[datsun]

I have more photos of that 240z for 14k Sydney Mike posted. If people are interested?

[/quote

 

hi call me 0n 0412254230 about the datsun.

[tivman]

If it were a manual I'd almost be willing to fly over there and have a look at it myself!

Got nothing against the autos, just personal preference y'know

[gav240z]

I have more photos of that 240z for 14k Sydney Mike posted. If people are interested?

hi call me 0n 0412254230 about the datsun.

 

I don't think you read what I wrote carefully did you?

[sydney mike]

If it were a manual I'd almost be willing to fly over there and have a look at it myself!

Got nothing against the autos, just personal preference y'know

 

5 speed conversion ain't hard or expensive. All the value in a Zed is in the body. Fixing rust and prior dodgy body work is expensive. Engine, gearbox and suspension is cheap.

 

Just offer a couple of slabs and I'm sure one of the QLD boys would help you out.

[gav240z]

Photos of aforementioned QLD 240z at $14.5k on Carsales. In my mind it could be hiding a few nasties. Judging by the floor repair (not the best quality welds are they?)

 

As mentioned though, the auto is a moot point and an easy conversion. Try fixing that door alignment and then tell me how you feel about the slushbox.

 

[sydney mike]

Photos of aforementioned QLD 240z at $14.5k on Carsales. In my mind it could be hiding a few nasties. Judging by the floor repair (not the best quality welds are they?)

 

As mentioned though, the auto is a moot point and an easy conversion. Try fixing that door alignment and then tell me how you feel about the slushbox.

 

 

 

Gav, it's times like this when I am so grateful that I already own a half decent Zed 

 

Judging from those pics, maybe that's the reason the prospective buyer bailed and forfeited their deposit!

[gav240z]

Gav, it's times like this when I am so grateful that I already own a half decent Zed 

 

Judging from those pics, maybe that's the reason the prospective buyer bailed and forfeited their deposit!

 

Well the floor is what concerns me, if someone repaired it like that. It makes me wonder how the rest of the car was repaired. The paint is obviously quite 'fresh' looking and a lot of the common spots on these cars look quite rust free. My guess is that you'd find captain bog in quite a few spots judging by the quality of the finish, the fact that the fuel cap was painted - meaning the car was likely not masked off correctly etc.. It just says 'shortcuts' all over it.

 

I have those photos because someone asked me for my opinion on the car. I think it's fair I include my assessment below also.

 

Note: Photo numbers are out of order with how they are represented in this thread...

 

Photo #3 you can see the poor alignment of the front end due to that impact as mentioned in the ad. Hard to tell in the photo but the bonnet may have also had a nudge at the front. Looks like it has a bit of a bow, but it's hard to tell if it's the camera angle causing that 'fish-eye' look.

 

Photo #4 - Door alignment looks very close to the rear 1/4 panel, suggesting perhaps the door was mis-aligned - which may have happened with the front end impact. I know on my restoration the door shell and skin looked ok but it seemed to have been thrown out of alignment due to some impact at some stage. I've since corrected it, but it is a bit of messing about.

 

Photo #5 - A bit sloppy isn't it? I mean who paints a car like that? Which from the rest of the photos it would appear that whenever it was repainted it was done rather poorly. Not uncommon for a Z though to be honest.

 

They usually rust around here also, so if this has no rust here it might have bog under the paint. If you have a magnet (if you view the car try see if it sticks around the fuel flap). If it doesn't stick it's likely due to bog.

 

#6 and #7 - Rear slam panel looks ok and surprisingly original. The rear garnish can easily be repainted / fixed. Looks like UV damage.

 

#9 - hard to tell on my monitor but it looks like the paint has reacted just in front of the fuel flap? Could be bog / filler causing that?

 

#15 passenger door alignment actually looks quite normal. Compare with #4 and #16. #17 looks like paint has come off from door / fender interference.

 

#18 pretty good dash for it's age and wheel.

 

#20 - floor has definitely been repaired and quite poorly I might add. I don't consider myself that skilled at welding, but I could do a better job than that! Looks like it's coming back again also.

 

So from the photos my impression is a car that's actually quite original and been looked after, but it's also had some less than ideal repairs done to it. The thing is with a car like this you may find more and more surprises once you start digging. The relatively new, but still not great paint job may be hiding quite a few more hacked repairs (like those floors). It's hard to say for sure.

 

On the positive side you could probably get it road worth and enjoy it on the road for a while and then gradually as funds allow fix and rectify issues. It is certainly a better starting point than many. However when I see a car like this for about $16k I think you could easily sink another $16k into it and have something that doesn't look much different than what you started with. By the time you get it roadworthy, fix a few issues here and there, perhaps repair the floors properly. etc.. you'd be another 7-10k in.

 

Now is there a good 240z out there for $32k that would make you happier? Hard to say these days. But the front end impact is a bit of concern and should be checked to see if it's bent the chassis rails etc..All of which can be fixed but again at a cost.

 

Ideally you should inspect in person and check the full length of the floors, rails, and sills (in front of the rear wheels) as they almost always rot out.

 

Being an auto, it probably didn't have too many 'bad' owners and probably hasn't been thrashed within an inch of it's life.

 

Hope that helps?

 

Geez I should really charge for these assessments shouldn't I?

 

To see how well botched repairs can be hidden see this thread.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,15125.msg160709.html#msg160709

 

[gav240z]

Yet hundreds baulk at well presented restored ones selling at $35k and upwards, but happily buy a crapper at $5k, spend $40k, without realising just how much has been spent, 'cos it dont matter, it's my Datsun!

 

Yeah, sometimes you just have to let people find out for themselves to be honest. We can re-iterate the point and try and drum it home, but people can be stubborn (yes I'm 1 of them sometimes) and either have the horse blinkers on or think they are smarter than the rest of us .

 

My only concern with buying a restored example is just how well it was done. Right now in my humble opinion the best S30z on the Australian market is Adam's Brown Hornet.

 

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Datsun-240Z-1971/SSE-AD-3067352/

 

I would also say it's priced at an absolute steal, considering what it costs to build a car to that level. You can also rest assured that it's been correctly repaired in terms of body work etc..

 

and I realised I've probably gone on a MASSIVE tangent in a newbies thread. But hey... that's what you get for joining Auszcar haha.

[Mr Camouflage]

Like Gav says,  if you buy a $5000 rust bucket, at least you know what you are getting and can make sure that its restored right. If you buy a shiny freshly painted car, unless there is photos of the work done, then you can't be sure what you are getting. Could be a bog job.

 

Anyway the wangan midnight blue devil z junkyard replica is still for sale. Think it would have been an easier sell if the rust was still hidden under all the bog like it was when I bought it, rather than it being out on display so you know exactly what condition it is in. Ignorance is bliss, so they say.

[George]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/corrimal/cars-vans-utes/1971-datsun-240z-coupe/1062678514

 

won't last long...