I've been trying to hunt down a 240Z for awhile now, but I just recently saved some money to do so seriously. I came across a candidate on craigslist, knowing that $1500 probably wouldn't yield anything too pristine, but at least more than a shell. My wife and I made the hour long ride to San Jose on a rare Sunday off to go and check it out. At first glance, it looked like something that had potential. It was ugly orange; no matter I wanted to paint it eventually anyway. The body was straight. Rear left tire was looking low; I would be replacing that too. The interior was OK. Rips in the seats under seat covers, but no cracks in the dash. There was rust in the floor boards, but no holes. Popped the hood, and beyond a fairly new radiator, the rest of the engine needed some attention. My long term plan is to swap the engine for an SR20det, but I needed something that could survive a drive back to Concord. The engine had an MSD ignition as stated in the ad. The battery was completely dead. A couple of the owner's buddies took the battery out of their truck and started it, then proceeded to swap the old battery back in while it was running. An obscene amount of smoke poured out of the rear. It's a 1972, so I was expecting that. The owner pulled it out of his driveway and took it around the block. I looked at my wife and she just shook her head.

The owner got back and explained that the brakes probably needed to be bled because they weren't working very well. He asked me if I wanted to test drive it. When I got in, it instantly reminded me of my mom's old 74 260Z. Mom sold that car 20 years ago and I never got to drive it. There were some strange buzzing noises, and constant grinding when I got it to roll. I didn't dare venture out of 2nd gear or over 20MPH. The brakes weren't working well. In fact they weren't working AT ALL. I was poised to yank the e brake at the first sign of trouble. I got it back to the other side of the block and shut it off. The owner said there may be some leak in the clutch because he had to add fluid when it stopped working. He told me if I wanted to have the brakes bled and the clutch adjusted, it would be at least another $200. I told him to email me when he had that fixed and I might come and see it again. That was a lie.

This whole ordeal taught me one thing. I knew what I was looking for when I bought my Camaro back in January, but that was because I had owned one for 5 years before that. I don't know squat about shopping for an old Z. I know that rust is common in the floorboards, but where else should I look for it? I know that I'm looking for something that's 35 years old, but when the hood is up, should I hear creaks and squeaks when the gas is pressed? Are there any "red flags" that I should look for and run away from? Assuming I do find a car that can survive a ride home, can any members here in the SF Bay Area recommend a good shop that deals with Z's? The only one I've heard of is Dando's in Fremont, but is there anything closer to home here in Concord? I apologize if my questions were covered elsewhere. I am new to these forums and this is my first post. Any and all help/advice is welcome and appreciated. Thanks!!

 

Here's a reply I wrote along similar lines on previous threads.
https://www.zdriver.com/forums/showt...highlight=rust

Rust is the biggest problem, and you've taken the best step to avoid it by being in California and the southwest. Still, on first gen Z's, if it's steel, it's prone to rust. Floor pans, inner fenders (front), "frame rails", front fender/rocker panel area, rear wheel arches, spot-welded rear bumper filler, hatch opening surround, and taillight panel area are hugely prone to rust. Oh yeah, battery tray and front shock towers, too. Be particularly wary of what looks like minor bubble rust. It's always much more extensive on the backside on these cars. A string of bubbles over the rear wheel will almost always mean "new rear wheel arch or quarter panel". And of course much of the unibody first gen Z is weld-it-in fixes, not just a bolt-on. For general research on what to look for, the How To Restore Your Datsun Z book is practically a must-read. Highly recommended, and who can't use another car book, right?

Don't get impatient while shopping. I turned down quite a few before I bought mine, and it still needed a ton of bodywork (but the engine was solid, and the car as a whole was a good starting point for what I wanted to do). Mine was $1100 and ran perfectly well, but need a little mechanical help and a ton of body/interior work. C'est la vie, the project is half the fun... right?

Welcome to ZDriver! I'm sure others on here will have some good input, too. The "Search" tool (up in the grey tool bar, towards the right) can help, too, but be sure to use the Advanced Search option and search only in the 240/260/280 forum. I searched for "rust" and got over 8 pages of info. Most of the subject lines were pretty helpful and should let you target the most useful posts.

anyway, congrats on deciding on a Z, and good luck shopping!
Dave

 

This site will give you a decent overview of what to look for.
http://zhome.com/

Be patient. Something will pop up. Especially in the Bay Area. I passed on several cars before picking up my current '71 which was pretty close to my ideal candidate.

I don't know any shops in Concord but there are a few in the south bay. Z Car Garage, Scott performance, and Don's Nissan specialize in Z's.