peytonblackside

I have been looking for a 240z ,series one preferably, that is in running condition that I could still do some work to improve. What I am really wondering though is where is a good starting point that will still allow me to be able to drive it during the week days( I can do some longer projects over the weekend)? I also know that there is a lot of stuff that will take a lot of down time for the car but I can do those later or if it is better to get those long projects out of the way first I can look into those. Any feedback is welcome, thanks!

Steve260Z74

First, make sure it's safe. That includes rust/accident damage on the frame rails & suspension mounts; good brakes, brake lines, brake booster (& vacuum lines) and master cylinder; good fuel lines; solidly mounted seats; solidly mounted & good condition seat belts; good radiator & heater hoses. Make sure the engine is in good shape. Buy the headlight & parking light relay kits from Motorsport Auto.

beg3yrs

I completely agree with Steve. Check all those things before you purchase.

Some, but not all, of those items can be addressed without major downtime but others may be deal-killers if you want a car ready to be a daily driver.

Do you hear that? It is my foot stomping. Be sure it is safe.

rogerz

the real question is HOw good a wrench are you? if you are just a dilettante spark plug changer buy a honda.

Turksspeedwerks

Funny but true these cars take dedication not for just everyone

PredatorZ

I always enjoy reading rogerz posts, he is brutally honest, pulling punches isn't his style, so basically you always know he will give you the strait scoop, which is really refreshing in this politically correct world we live in. Not sure if you are the grumpy old man of Zdriver, but you are always fun to read, sometimes newbys to the site get a bit flamed and they're feelings hurt, but I am pretty certain it is in the spirit of being helpful.

rogerz

I am an old curmudgeon but I always go by Rogerz.

peytonblackside

Say that I have already gone through and checked those parts thoroughly what would be the next step what I was thinking was new paint, new interior, maybe new airshocks( I apologize now for any future posts I make that offend naturalists here but thats just not me) or like chassis stiffening or throwing in a little roll cage.

peytonblackside

Thanks for the reply I have a lot of respect for what you said and I just wanted to let you know that even though I may not be the most experienced I am definitely prepared to many hours into this car and further support from you in the form of wisdom and knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

beg3yrs

Don't worry about "naturalists". Unless you're making a concours correct show car, almost everyone has fun making their cars their own. BTW, when you say "naturalists" I personally think of people running around with no clothes on. Scary...

All these items are certainly possible. Whether they are worth it to you is really up to you to decide. Much of your decisions should take into account just how much money and time you want to put into these efforts. My own project is not complete and I'm quickly approaching $20K in spend.

For paint you need to consider the condition of the body first. NEVER paint over dents. New paint will make even the smallest body imperfection stand out. Will it be a color change or just a respray? A color change done right requires lots of disassembly and reassembly (multiple times). Do you want this to be a 25-foot car (looks good from 25 feet away), a near show-quality car, or something in-between? All these things have to be considered.

A new interior is always nice. Carpet kits can be had all over the place. Some of the plastic trim can be found if yours is busted, otherwise it cleans up OK. Seats can be reupholstered too. If your dash is nasty (mine is), you can get a dash cover that looks awesome (hard to tell it's there) for less than $150 and it is an hour installation. I just got one the other day - it fits perfectly and matches exactly. Door cards are hard to find. If you've got decent ones, they can be recovered at local shops or you can do it yourself - that might be fun as recovering a card doesn't really stop you from driving the car.

Chassis stiffening is a worthwhile thing to do. It's on my list. The simplest thing you can do is get some braces to go between the shock towers in the front and back. Easy to install and pretty effective too.

I can't tell you about a roll-bar. I suppose if you're going to race it, you'll certainly want one.

I purchased and installed a suspension kit from Energy Suspension. It doesn't change your metal but does replace most of the old rubber parts down underneath. You'll have a better handling and feel than the cars new from the factory but it is not a race/track car setup.

Air shock kit? There's a thread on this forum (performance/technical) asking about that. I think the upshot is that for these cars it will be all custom, no kits available.

WoodWorkerB

Hey, if it helps, I tried to document as much of my 240Z rebuild as I could. WoodWorkerB.com. I was told "Drive her and enjoy her. She'll tell you what she needs". I didn't listen and I got a wonderful outcome, but at a large cost. My son ('73 240Z) is taking the 'fix what needs to be fixed, upgrade what needs to be upgraded' approach and uses the Z as his daily driver - and loves it - flat-head Hitachi carbs and all.

"Buy your kid a Datsun. They'll never have money for drugs".

theramz

Know your limitations. The fact that you are asking questions shows lack of experience. You made the correct first step, ask. The next limitation is your garage. Got room to take a car apart? Got tools? Do your homework, search the forums. Don't fall in love with a nice set of wheels and new paint job. It can be masking a real POS. What is your initial budget?
BTW I'm the grumpy old man. You are being respectful and we all appreciate that. There is enough help here for you to be successful. If you had to buy it you couldn't afford it.
Good luck!

PCressey

Here comes my

Budget: Set one, or find your car rusting outside unfinished. To give you an idea, I have spent $6,000 on parts alone for my project, and I am doing a basic restoration just to make the car reliable... and my car was in pretty decent condition from a single owner. You can see the progress here: Album

Workspace: Do you have one? Do you have ALL the tools you need? If you don't, you are going to get frustrated quickly.

Friends: Do you have any that like cars as much as you? More minds and hands the better.

Once you find a decent car, you will want to do all the basics to make sure it runs reliably.

1. Cooling System - go through it and even upgrade the radiator. I put a 280Z radiator with a fan shroud in my 240Z.

2. Flush All Fluids - Gearbox, diff, oil, clutch, brakes, etc... take note if any of the fluids have metal flakes or other things that shouldn't be there!

3. Carburetors - disassemble and clean them. Buy a rebuild kit and change out those parts that deteriorate and fail over long periods of time.

4. Brakes - check 'em out and make sure they work properly.

5. Ignition - go through it, and make sure your car is tuned properly. You may want to upgrade to a Pertronix ignition system if you aren't comfortable with points.

From there you can start to pick and choose your projects. As others have said, I would work on the mechanics, not the looks.

You will learn a lot if you complete this project, but it will take much more discipline, time and money than you expect.

You mentioned roll cage... if you plan to track the car, expect to spend $$$ just to prep it for that... magnaflexing parts to make sure they aren't cracked, suspension upgrades, engine upgrades, and all that fun stuff... you will easily spend what the car is worth just to make it safe on the track.

Good luck!

beg3yrs

Paul's comment reminded me of something.

If you don't have friends like that, make some. Join a local car club, there might even be a Z club in your area. If not, visit some local shows and talk to folks. People showing their cars are always ready to talk about their projects and will offer plenty of advice.