RHD 240Z on ebay.

uk66fastback

Club Member
Going by Richie’s post further up, when I spent £7k on a ‘66 Mustang fastback restoration job in 2006, I should have bought a 240z and for the same money would have got a driveable and restored (although in ‘80s/‘90s format) car …
 

richiep

Club Member
Going by Richie’s post further up, when I spent £7k on a ‘66 Mustang fastback restoration job in 2006, I should have bought a 240z and for the same money would have got a driveable and restored (although in ‘80s/‘90s format) car …
My Fairlady Z (in its UK-style 240Z "disguise" before I rebuilt it) was £5750 in 2003. Go look at the oldest photos in my Gallery and you'll see it as it was back then. Totally decent and fully usable (although with mostly hidden rust issues in lower rear corners, rear valance, rear arches - nothing structural). Paint was nice, although tended to water mark badly if it dried wet.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
With ref to Rob Gaskin's earlier post - reminds me of my first car flip at the tender age of 18.

In 1981 (do the maths, I know, hard to believe but I am that old :oops:) I bought a 5 year old Honda Civic which had been traded in at Manchester Garages, a large Ford dealer. I knew one of the salesmen who kindly sold it out of the back door to me for £350. Mechanically it was fine but the bodywork was in a sorry state. The rear arches were a mess of jagged rusted metal and the drivers door inner skin had separated from the freely flapping outer skin which was missing the bottom 2 or 3 inches of metal, formed in a perfect U shape. With so much rust it was hard to believe the car was only 5 years old but with no factory rustproofing back then, it was quite normal, especially with certain Japanese cars!

Armed with rolls of tin plate, a pop rivet gun and extra large size Isopon body filler tubs I set about restoring (aka bodging) it back to former glory.
Halfords didn't exist in those days so you were on first name terms with the guys who worked in/owned the local car accessory shop(s) and a great source of advice and encouragement.

I remember spending ages with 1000 grade wet and dry trying to get rid of those annoying little pinhole air bubbles. When do you stop and say that's good enough? The Honda Highland Blue rattle can finish took a bit of perfecting but I was pleased enough with the end result and it had been a great learning curve.

After running it for a couple of months, the time came to sell. I placed a classified advert (remember them?) in the local weekly free paper, priced it at £550ono and waited for the phone to ring. The first viewing was arranged and three likely looking lads from the wrong side of town turned up. My parents wondered what was going on and I suddenly realised buying, bodging and selling cars may have some downsides. Luckily for me it turned out they were nice enough guys (although I hoped they didn't have a magnet between them EXTRA:D).

Of course, I didn't own up to having done any bodywork repairs to the car and I don't think any questions about it were asked. They liked the car, made an offer of £500 which I gratefully accepted. Everyone was happy and I'd made a profit of £150 for my efforts. Believe it or not (no comments) it did play on my conscience though, like I'd hidden something or pulled a fast one. Maybe the buyer noticed and knew the car was filled/painted and didn't mind, perhaps thinking it was a fair price anyway but what if he hadn't noticed? Caveat emptor and all that but what if they turned up the following day/week asking for their money back. It made me feel just a little uncomfortable and I realised I was too much of an honest soft arse to ever be a proper dodgy car dealer:smoke::EXTRAlol:

Shortly afterwards I moved out, went to Uni and did not resume my shady car activities again for a good few years.
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
With ref to Rob Gaskin's earlier post - reminds me of my first car flip at the tender age of 18.

In 1981 (do the maths, I know, hard to believe but I am that old :oops:)

Shortly afterwards I moved out, went to Uni and did not resume my shady car activities again for a good few years.
So, what did the uni education serve then ?
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Definitely not one in my town or anywhere near.
I seem to remember there may have been a Halfords cycle shop a few miles away but it didn't sell car spares.
Were they just mostly cycle shops back then? Started selling car spares later?
Did you at least have a post box and a bus-stop in your 'town' ?
 

AD240Z

Club Member
Definitely not one in my town or anywhere near.
I seem to remember there may have been a Halfords cycle shop a few miles away but it didn't sell car spares.
Were they just mostly cycle shops back then? Started selling car spares later?
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maybe that civic was rusty as it was a bit older than you thought ……
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
Halfords has an interesting history - the town where I lived in the 80s didn’t have one either - and yes, the local motor factors was a popular place - those independent shops have all but disappeared now. We do have one remaining quite local to where I am, and it’s incredibly busy … in fact, they’re moving to bigger premises soon, which is about time as the place is rammed with people usually, or was, pre-covid.
 

Rushingphil

Club Member

Depends what the bid is :) and how much work the buyer can / is prepared to do themselves.

I haven't seen the car in person, and although we all assume it's hiding a lot of 'issue's, it doesn't look too bad to me.

Probably not what the vendor bought it for though
 

IbanezDan51

Well-Known Forum User
Depends what the bid is :) and how much work the buyer can / is prepared to do themselves.

I haven't seen the car in person, and although we all assume it's hiding a lot of 'issue's, it doesn't look too bad to me.

Probably not what the vendor bought it for though
We have seen the car a lot better in the previous auction…

Buying any 240Z blind is brave IMO. Especially an original U.K. car.
 
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