Timbee Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 Hi all as the name suggests I'm totally new to the world of Z cars but an unexpected turn of events has seen me become the proud/bemused owner of a 1974 260z. First a little background. I'm a Diesel fitter and motor mechanic based on Macleay Island near Brisbane. I run a small repairs business and have my eldest son as my apprentice. I also do a fair bit of teaching based around Permaculture and appropriate technology specialising in efficient wood combustion and rocket stoves. Anyway two days ago a casual conversation with a new customer alerted me to the fact they had a 74 260z in a shed in their yard that hasn't turned a wheel in over a decade after it had accidentally been filled with diesel The car at some stage had the driver's door removed ( still there just not on car) at which point some chooks moved in. The chooks are long gone but i even found an egg on the passengers side footwell which I handled like it was a handgrenade as it would have to be rotten. Long story short, while there is a fair bit of rust it's not as bad as I though on the first visit but will probably end up being worse than I first thought such being the nature of rust. Engine winds over by hand, rats nest on top of the inlet manifold and some chewed wiring. You may imagine what the inside is like after the chooks but you might be a little off as I don't think they were roosting in there so much as using it as a chill space with the odd egg drop. Car is an auto but there is an engine and 5 speed gearbox combo in the shed that somebody dropped off a decade or more ago. It's an L engine from the looks but is sporting a factory single carb which I'm thinking may be out of a Nissan Cedric maybe ? I will try and down load some photos at the end of this but I never do forums so not sure how that will go first time. Anyway the Lady owner who has had the car for nearly 30 years while fully aware of the potential value of the car (her other car is a 300zx) thought that nice respectful sons apprenticed to father's are a very cool thing and said we could have the car for $1,000. It's okay if I gloat a little isn't it? I mean I've never won the casket and I'm never the guy that got the great bargain, that is till today. So I have the skill sets to get her going again but I'm totally lacking in product knowledge hence my first though was to sign up here so I can tap into the vast experience of the group mind in this forum. Cheers Tim Right here goes trying to load photos. RAP260, Rickers, CBR Jeff and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted September 30, 2018 Administrators Share Posted September 30, 2018 Welcome, well that's a nice score (260z 2 seater for $1k), its looks relatively original also. Rear hatch rust looks quite severe, perhaps that was most exposed to the elements? Looking forward to seeing the journey of this car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris240 Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 (edited) Welcome Tim , 1st stop is the newsagent to buy a lottery ticket. It looks like a scene from one of those American pickers shows , the conversation, the journey, the find ! Love it.... good score. Edited September 30, 2018 by chris240 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbee Posted September 30, 2018 Author Share Posted September 30, 2018 Thanks guys, yes the hatch is pretty much toast its what made me expect dire things for the rest of the car. It may well be that it was most exposed as I was expecting dire things from chassis rails and the floor pan but looks reasonable so far. After reading up on this site I went and had a look at the potential trouble spots but honestly for the price I'm not going to be picky. I joined to tap into the hard won knowledge on this site as I would like to build the car up properly so that the value and collectability aren't degraded but also do those things that make for a "better" driving experience. Anyway off to pick it up tomorrow, bring it home and scrub/vacuum some dirt and chicken shit off. Cheers Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatoKid Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Epic find, they are still around....reminds me of how I found mine. Well done and looking forward to following progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted October 1, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 1, 2018 Welcome Tim. It looks like an honest example. I will be very interested to hear what you find when you get it home and cleaned up. Cheers PB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregTas Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Congratulations. Starting with a complete car will make the resto easier for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAP260 Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) Welcome Tim, 1k!!!!. Damn that's a bargain, even if it was just a shell. Good luck. Cheers, Rob Edited October 2, 2018 by RAP260 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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