I might have found myself a Z :D

Russ

Russ

Club Member
Ok boys and girls <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> You know I'm a broke student looking for a project so hows about this?

DATSUN 240Z FOR RESTORATION, &nbsp;MINE SINCE 1983, RARE WHITE INTERIOR 2.8 SAMURI ENGINE,TRIPLE 48S, USUAL ENGINE MODS, ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION VEVTED DISCS, 4 POT CALIPERS, FULL ROLL CAGE,LOG BOOK AND HISTORY,
REQUIRES MUCH BODYWORK, AND SOME WELDING, BUT MECHANICALLY GOOD. SOME SPARES, PAPERWORK, AND PHOTOS GOING BACK 20 YEARS, SHOWING PREVIOUS WORK DONE ON CAR, AND RACING PHOTOS. GOING ABROAD, SO MUST SELL SOON, BARGAIN AT £1100, &nbsp;WILL CONSIDER EXCHANGE FOR HI END HI FI, FOR
EXAMPLE KRELL POWER AMPS,OR QUALITY TURNTABLES.


£1100. Asked for some more details/photos. My insurance idea is my dad buys the car then I get to drive it tpft if needed on my insurance. Now basically if the car is road legal I only need to get it to my shed at work so I can lay it up and start working on it. Its a 74 when really I was hoping for a pre-tax car but... hmmm v tempting. Not sure about the white interior but.

It's in Rayleigh in Essex which is miles away from me but I could easily get a truck to bring it back on.

Hmm thoughts anyone pls?

Cheers
 
Hi Russ
why not phone Mike Feeney or Rob Hughes to see if they would have a look at it for you would save you a long trip down/up/ across at that price would strongly recomend this if they are will re cost of replacment panels
would have thought a white interior could have been taken out and sold on for more than you would pay for a black interior if you did buy it as from a guess at that price would need to taake out some of interior to carry out repairs
but hope I'm wrong and hope this is the car for you as youv'e been looking a long time

(ps the photos i sent are from the zdriver websites gallery and theres hundreds there don't know if they will come up as you asked)
 
I'm gonna ring him and ask for some pics anyway, try to get a better idea of what's what just in case. You never know...

Cheers
 
Hi guys,

Ok been on the phone to matey.

It's been in the garage since 1988 heh when it was last on the road.

Panels it definately needs

Rear 3/4 (eek&#33<img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> and rear arch on the opposite side. New doors skins and new bonnet (I wanted a carbon fibre bonnet anyway <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> )

It also needs front chassis rails welded. So its getting more expensive but lets not forget I would then have new parts in most places and the cars is only £1100 to start.

Anyway he has pics of the work and just before the car got garaged in 1988 Fourways put in new floors and rollcage (did some stuff to the floor for the roll cage, they also fitted the 4 pots, vented discs and he thinks leada (sp?) coilovers (he discribed them as adjustable skinny suspension <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

He said the interior was tatty but the dash is perfect, the seats are non original (boo), door panels ok, roof lining is ok, vinyl on rear suspension turrets is a little tatty.

The car is mettalic blue. £1100 but seeing as he's leaving the country maybe he'll take a little less?

Need to think about it a bit, talk to my dad about it (I think he'll buy it so I can drive it on my 306 insurance just till I get it on the road properly).

At this momeny for £1100 I have also found a 306 GTi-6 that's being broken, for the money I could get a full exhaust and 18k GTI-6 engine, loom, transponder bla bla to turn my 1.8 306 (103 bhp) into a 167bhp GTi-6... very tempting also. I see the Z as a better long term investment (I don't want to keep my pug forever, although I might).

Ahh decisions.

Oh and if you guys think it maybe worth a look (providing rear quarter panels aren't £20000 a piece) then I would be more than willing to send an expert around (one of you) on whatever your petrol + hourly rate is (how much beer can you drink?) so that's probably the best option.

I have a local car restoration place and they do everything from building ground up model Ts to wedding cars and stuff. They did my 306 work for cash and although it's not that mint a job it's pretty damned good and they said they only like working on old stuff so I have a good place for the restoration when it comes to things beyond me.

Carbon fibre bonnet, doors could be an option with some lightweight buckets? Yummy...

Cheers
 
Rear quarters. around £1000 each if you can find one.
Door skins pattern from You know who in Essex. £200 each
Not run since 1988? that'll be a full rebuild then! And a full brake rebuild too. &nbsp; Ledas or Leakas? &nbsp;probably seized.
This is all irelevant though. &nbsp;Get back to the FAQ section on buying a Zed. Remember the GOLDEN PHRASE. &nbsp; &nbsp;"STRUCTURE IS EVERYTHING" as proclaimed by you know who in Essex and subsequently endorsed by the rest of us lesser mortals.
Could be a good parts car at the right money. Sam engine , 45 webers(no doubt needing a rebuild too) cage etc.
You need some one to help you for sure. Just a bit off my patch though. <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>
 
£1k? Hmmm I'm sure the local restorers could panel beat a nice aluminium one for less than that?

Either way sounds expensive project to me, maybe better looking for a better condition one, or offering him £750 for it and he will call when he has to leave the country and has no better option?

<img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Cheers
 
Hi,

Hmmm seems like this probably isn't such a good idea, so close but yet so far <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> I like the idea of using it as a RHD conversion for a Californian shell maybe? How feasible is that? You get Zs on ebaymotors for next to nothing and importing is gonna be about £1k I guess? Just need someone to look at it and arrange shipping, shame the US is so far away!

Hmm
 
Russ, I know the owner and the car, so I can't really comment or inspect for you. However, the car was in active competition (long ago) and had quite a strong engine. Work done was always to a good standard and there were a variety of non-Z related reasons why it was laid up. Any 240Z suffers in storage (open or dry) and this will be no exception.

RH rear quarters will be unavailable, LH about £650 + VAT if I remember. There is the possibility of obtaining pattern full quarter skins from USA - they seem to be available on an irregular basis and these would be about £250 - £300 + VAT. Front chassis legs can be repaired with straight pre-formed angle section which I keep in stock. The critical area is attachment of the chassis to the bulkhead, as this is a more complex area to repair and is a load bearing section for the front suspension tension/compression rods. I think the car will be worth a look and the description may be more off-putting than the reality (but then I haven't seen it since 1988 either).
 
Hi,

Thanks for your comments. I am interested certainly, the thing in my favour is I have all the time in the world to get it up to scratch and have plenty of time and enthusiasm to work on it myself. Everything bar spraying (tried it many times, never been any good <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('> ) I could do, my uncle is a keen welder. To be honest I might have replaced the seats anyway, I wanted a carbon fibre bonnet too...

I think I will send the boys round to take a look maybe and then put in an offer. Worst comes to the worst I'll use it as a spares car or something.

I really fancy one of those plastic tent things to keep cars dry, shame it's about £600 tho &#33<img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

Cheers
 
Russ,

I have 3 LH 1/4 panels if one interests you. &nbsp;They are pattern panels and only come up to the waist line. &nbsp;They also have a cut out for the US spec side marker light. &nbsp;I used a pair of them to restore my yellow 240Z. &nbsp;I had no problem fitting them but care needs to be taken when welding along the waist line to avoid distortion. &nbsp;See the gallery. &nbsp;I didn't bother to cover up the cut outs but fitted a pair of red marker lights. &nbsp;I think they look cool any way.

Andrew.
 
Sounds very much like a long term labour of love, and potentially horribly expensive as well. Anything unused for a long time will indeed most likely be a strip down and scrap/rebuild. Everything will seize-up over time and this car has been out of action for a good while. Our lovely UK atmosphere is very unfriendly to old Japanese metal even when a car is under cover.

Still, if you go into the project with your eyes open and expect shedloads of problems and hold-ups then you could do OK. My 260 has so far taken nearly two years of tinkering and heartache but she's nearly done and she was in good nick when I got her! I'm a young man though, so hopefully I'll have time to finish :)

So. You're looking at time, money and effort. Weigh it up - how much of all three are you willing to put into the car?

Oh, and as for the carbon bonnet, I think Essex Racing said about six or seven hundred notes to me. I'm considering a carbon "skin" on my bonnet now rather than a full-monty carbon job as a  result of that.

Good luck, and think very, very carefully before committing yourself!

Tony
 
Russ,
Any Z is worth looking at - I would suggest you go WITH your expert - the money and time spent looking at various cars will pay off in the end !
I echo some thoughts and say it sounds like a breaker but Mike's right - go look at it but with someone who knows the cars.
As you say, you have the time so, patience !
It would also be better if you're clear what sort of Z you want, runaround, road burner, track tester or 'winthatconcourstrophyatallcosts'.
 
Hi,

Well I have it all planned now, the 306 now that it's running a treat is having £200 spent on it and no more (delock doors, some bast tried to get through the door lock), June I start my year of industry which leaves me loadsa money to blow on motors.

June 2004 I turn 21, thats just 16 months now.

Plan a) April 2004, import 300ZX TT 2+0, gives me 2 months to make it 100% healthy and get the following
300zxsig.gif

bodykit on, launch/traction control and my stereo in. That should take 2 months, I turn 21 and can get insured (you may laugh but it'll be fine, promise).

Plan b) Think more long term, come end of this year pic up my 240 and get working on it, have it finished in time for August 2004 (or sooner) with the V8 then sell my 306 and stomp around in that.

Both are nice ideas, I probably wouldn't keep the 300zx for a long long time though whereas the 240Z I could and them kick around in a 350Z later on.

Hmmm I'm still keeping an eye out. <img src="http://www.zclub.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
 
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