SeanDezart
Well-Known Forum User
You get what you pay for....and the best route, taken by pros and amateurs alike has been to import from the US.
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Looking for a 240Z
- Thread starter IbanezDan51
- Start date
datsun dave
Club Member
USA import all day long & easy to convert to RHD just start buying the parts now.
IbanezDan51
Well-Known Forum User
Not really sure on whats involved in switch it to RHD?
And pictures of the golf start - finish (well how it is now).
When I bought it:
After the engine was put in:
Blew the turbo up and thought I'd give the engine a go over...the day it blew up it came out...:
After the reconned engine was put back in again, of course a fair few trickery bits went in...scat rods, forged mahle pistons, billet flywheel, 5 paddle race clutch, hybrid ko4 turbo etc etc the list is long lol
And the car back together on the road:
A video of it running at 10psi because it hadnt been mapped or had suitable injectors fitted yet!
[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTsA2jDJ7kw[/link]
And then....the crank gear sheared the key off of itself so resulted in this:
So now my recon head comes back tomorrow and will be fitting it...and then mapping with injectors and will go up for sale.
Hope you guys dont mind me posting a german car on here!
Dan
And pictures of the golf start - finish (well how it is now).
When I bought it:
After the engine was put in:
Blew the turbo up and thought I'd give the engine a go over...the day it blew up it came out...:
After the reconned engine was put back in again, of course a fair few trickery bits went in...scat rods, forged mahle pistons, billet flywheel, 5 paddle race clutch, hybrid ko4 turbo etc etc the list is long lol
And the car back together on the road:
A video of it running at 10psi because it hadnt been mapped or had suitable injectors fitted yet!
[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTsA2jDJ7kw[/link]
And then....the crank gear sheared the key off of itself so resulted in this:
So now my recon head comes back tomorrow and will be fitting it...and then mapping with injectors and will go up for sale.
Hope you guys dont mind me posting a german car on here!
Dan
samuri-240
Well-Known Forum User
Nowt wrong with German cars & you did a great job there I love it 
. There does not seem to be any rust present beforehand on the car, that is where early Z's are very different, buy a uk project car you really will regret it because there will be rust everywhere in places you would not believe & nothing to weld to, so you will spend months patching it up ( it will never be right )& spending a fortune on whatever panels you can find, there are not really any panels around now unless they are s/h imported from the US.
Just be very careful in what you decide to do, believe me I've been there many times in my earlier days of Z ownership & would never go there again, most uk project cars are only worth breaking & retaining the rhd conversion gear.
. There does not seem to be any rust present beforehand on the car, that is where early Z's are very different, buy a uk project car you really will regret it because there will be rust everywhere in places you would not believe & nothing to weld to, so you will spend months patching it up ( it will never be right )& spending a fortune on whatever panels you can find, there are not really any panels around now unless they are s/h imported from the US.Just be very careful in what you decide to do, believe me I've been there many times in my earlier days of Z ownership & would never go there again, most uk project cars are only worth breaking & retaining the rhd conversion gear.
You'd be wise to listen to these guys
Most of them have been there done it etc some are proffessional restorers, all have many many years of experiance
Its a small club and the numbers of S30's (240/260) on the road in the UK is numbered in the few hundred so everyone knows everyone else (almost) and there are NO suprises to us even though we all dream of finding that sub £5K rust free UK car, aim a little lower like inventing cold fusion, finding God or skateboarding the Gobi desert
The Z construction was an early monocoque/unicoque and for its day technically advanced for a mass production car however 40 years on, the metal quality and late 60's/70's corrosion (lack of) prevention is well past its sell by date........poles apart from your golf (love it) or your girderlike SS (love it loads)
New panels are long gone with only s/h ones available some parts such as inner wings are as rare as hens tits
However.......get an import, convert it, get the right handling and engine package and the car is a dream, it will make you smile so much you think your face is going to split.
BTW, love V8's but there is nothing quiet like a straight 6 on full song and please dont go down the V8 route just for horsepower, these cars dont need spadefulls they are a handfull with 250 ...yes we have some power heads on here but their going to need wet wipes and new pants when they finally get their projects going
Most of them have been there done it etc some are proffessional restorers, all have many many years of experiance
Its a small club and the numbers of S30's (240/260) on the road in the UK is numbered in the few hundred so everyone knows everyone else (almost) and there are NO suprises to us even though we all dream of finding that sub £5K rust free UK car, aim a little lower like inventing cold fusion, finding God or skateboarding the Gobi desert
The Z construction was an early monocoque/unicoque and for its day technically advanced for a mass production car however 40 years on, the metal quality and late 60's/70's corrosion (lack of) prevention is well past its sell by date........poles apart from your golf (love it) or your girderlike SS (love it loads)
New panels are long gone with only s/h ones available some parts such as inner wings are as rare as hens tits
However.......get an import, convert it, get the right handling and engine package and the car is a dream, it will make you smile so much you think your face is going to split.
BTW, love V8's but there is nothing quiet like a straight 6 on full song and please dont go down the V8 route just for horsepower, these cars dont need spadefulls they are a handfull with 250 ...yes we have some power heads on here but their going to need wet wipes and new pants when they finally get their projects going
SeanDezart
Well-Known Forum User
BTW, love V8's but there is nothing quiet like a straight 6 on full song and please dont go down the V8 route just for horsepower, these cars dont need spadefulls they are a handfull with 250 ...yes we have some power heads on here but their going to need wet wipes and new pants when they finally get going
What he said - even 200 is plenty to have LOTS of fun - these aren't ABS'd etc, they are RWD in the old school and don't weigh 1500kgs !
rallymanDP
Well-Known Forum User
Very nice as far as Golfs go, and no doubt very quick, but......
It still looks just like a Shopping Trolley.
It still looks just like a Shopping Trolley.
Oi you, stop agreeing with me, I'm not used to it and I don't know how to handle it
Zed-the-red
Well-Known Forum User
I just have to say.. YES there are many uk cars out there. but to be honest there are one or two that have survived better than others. depends on when and why they were laid up.. or where they were stored. If hes looking for a good 240 that needs a minimum of work and is a UK RH 1972 tax free model.. I have the very thing.. OKAY it has a sunroof.. BUT that can change as I now have a ROOF to go with it.. thanks Peter.
It needs the roof doing.. if you must. It needs a drivers floor pan.. which I have. and a new channel under the floor pan... thats it.. air tubes are fine. bulkhead is solid.front rails all solid under battery tray soild. sills inner and out solid. wheel arches all solid.. front crossmember good.. rear end all good.. inner arches good.. I poked and scrapped at it before I bought it.. I did NOT want to make the mistake of the Blue ebay car which was as you say rotten to the core and has taken me months and months of welding to get it back to spec and strength.
I could spend say a month getting it recommissioned and it would get through its MOT.. then whats it worth? 4 TO 5 k? maybe more... if I had the time I would do it. I dont have the inclination at the moment for obvious reasons.. so they are out there.. very rare to find one..
It needs the roof doing.. if you must. It needs a drivers floor pan.. which I have. and a new channel under the floor pan... thats it.. air tubes are fine. bulkhead is solid.front rails all solid under battery tray soild. sills inner and out solid. wheel arches all solid.. front crossmember good.. rear end all good.. inner arches good.. I poked and scrapped at it before I bought it.. I did NOT want to make the mistake of the Blue ebay car which was as you say rotten to the core and has taken me months and months of welding to get it back to spec and strength.
I could spend say a month getting it recommissioned and it would get through its MOT.. then whats it worth? 4 TO 5 k? maybe more... if I had the time I would do it. I dont have the inclination at the moment for obvious reasons.. so they are out there.. very rare to find one..
IbanezDan51
Well-Known Forum User
You'd be wise to listen to these guys
Most of them have been there done it etc some are proffessional restorers, all have many many years of experiance
Its a small club and the numbers of S30's (240/260) on the road in the UK is numbered in the few hundred so everyone knows everyone else (almost) and there are NO suprises to us even though we all dream of finding that sub £5K rust free UK car, aim a little lower like inventing cold fusion, finding God or skateboarding the Gobi desert
The Z construction was an early monocoque/unicoque and for its day technically advanced for a mass production car however 40 years on, the metal quality and late 60's/70's corrosion (lack of) prevention is well past its sell by date........poles apart from your golf (love it) or your girderlike SS (love it loads)
New panels are long gone with only s/h ones available some parts such as inner wings are as rare as hens tits
However.......get an import, convert it, get the right handling and engine package and the car is a dream, it will make you smile so much you think your face is going to split.
BTW, love V8's but there is nothing quiet like a straight 6 on full song and please dont go down the V8 route just for horsepower, these cars dont need spadefulls they are a handfull with 250 ...yes we have some power heads on here but their going to need wet wipes and new pants when they finally get their projects going
Im sure it is quite a handful but its not enough! I would have liked to go down the RB26 route but its seems more work for a more troublesome engine.
It has to be faster than my golf, which with a knackered turbo ran a 13.9 at Santa pod, that was running about 240-250hp then. Im in no massive rush for the right car. I may even keep the golf until I find the right rust free car, all be it if it takes me a year!
Cheers for all your comments guys, much appreciated!
Mr.F
Inactive
As a side stepping change of direction, can I direct your attention to RUST FREE Z rolling shell, without engine and box, lots of mods and crying softly to itself in my garage with the repeated refrain "I feel the Chevy in me..."
http://zclub.net/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3485&cat=1&date=1125415308
Well within budget too...
Body kit removable, could put small flares on the rear arches to accommodate some rubber, could throw in a new LH rear quarter panel to help convert back to stock body. Plenty of options, many desirable conversion parts already fitted...
http://zclub.net/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3485&cat=1&date=1125415308
Well within budget too...
Body kit removable, could put small flares on the rear arches to accommodate some rubber, could throw in a new LH rear quarter panel to help convert back to stock body. Plenty of options, many desirable conversion parts already fitted...
IbanezDan51
Well-Known Forum User
Sorry really not after a zx, not as much of a fan of the shape! Looks clean though!
Dan, before you decide what car you want you need to ask yourself a few questions.
Am I going to remain a VAG enthusiast and hanker for one again.
What do I want to use the car for - shows, trackdays, drag racing, frightening old women, Sunday tours etc
What do I want the car to look like, standard, racy, sleeper, rough, prestine
How economical, expensive to run, reliable, easy to maintain do I want the car to be.
List these honestly and then we can tell you what you need, what to buy, where to go for help and how much it will cost etc.
Until you can do this we can't help.
Am I going to remain a VAG enthusiast and hanker for one again.
What do I want to use the car for - shows, trackdays, drag racing, frightening old women, Sunday tours etc
What do I want the car to look like, standard, racy, sleeper, rough, prestine
How economical, expensive to run, reliable, easy to maintain do I want the car to be.
List these honestly and then we can tell you what you need, what to buy, where to go for help and how much it will cost etc.
Until you can do this we can't help.
Last edited by a moderator:
IbanezDan51
Well-Known Forum User
Hi Rob thanks! Well I currently use the golf mainly for drag strip (Well that was the intention), but was going to use it for track too.
Answering your list:
I am fed up with VAG to be fair, my daily is a tdi golf so should be enough for me...I will ALWAYS hanker for a 240z though.
I want the car to go to shows in but not necessarily be pristine, just half decent. Drag racing - yes, track days - possibly, frightening old ladies - only if my gran is sat in it!, Sunday tours - well not really no, to go round the corner to my gf's I would use it sometimes though but not very much.
I want the car to look something like this, maybe not matt black though:
Economy doesnt matter.
Cheers []
Answering your list:
I am fed up with VAG to be fair, my daily is a tdi golf so should be enough for me...I will ALWAYS hanker for a 240z though.
I want the car to go to shows in but not necessarily be pristine, just half decent. Drag racing - yes, track days - possibly, frightening old ladies - only if my gran is sat in it!, Sunday tours - well not really no, to go round the corner to my gf's I would use it sometimes though but not very much.
I want the car to look something like this, maybe not matt black though:
Economy doesnt matter.
Cheers [
]
LHD then 
Lovely car I agree.
This type of car with 310 plus BHP would cost you at least £15k.
Actually a very nice blue 240 was sold a couple of months ago with a V8, it was a bargain considering the spec. (under £15k). That doesn't help you of course, but occassionaly bargains do appear.
Lovely car I agree.
This type of car with 310 plus BHP would cost you at least £15k.
Actually a very nice blue 240 was sold a couple of months ago with a V8, it was a bargain considering the spec. (under £15k). That doesn't help you of course, but occassionaly bargains do appear.
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey IbanezDan,
I'll try not to hark on and repeat what these guys have said, but I may as well say say my experience of being in your position..
Take it from the 'guy who didn't listen' or rather, the guy who didn't really know what he was doing and hadn't really heard of the zclub before he bought a 240z (I was originally looking a plymouth roadrunner before doing the maths and realise it wouldn't fit in the drive). Listen to these guys, they're not out to get you, or to shout down any idea you have, they're actually trying to help you. The imported cars they've mentioned around the 5K mark (Will Galliers) or zed-the-reds will be in infinitely better condition than the 'rust free California import' I got, even just seeing the pictures (which means sweet FA for a Z car) they are in better nick.
I know of two 'English' RHD 240z presently up for grabs, one, the shell is scrap - literally, patched together like a patchwork quilt which is kindly donating its roof and other internal organs to my car and it's local to me, and the other is a bare Z shell on ebay. Worth noting that I bought my Z in March 2009. It's now November 2010..thats how long it took to find just a parts shell to use a few major pieces from. These things aren't some kind of galvanised beast that holds up to English weather, they simply disintergrate like a blackhole sucking money and your soul with them.
I thought I got a 'bargain' of a car when I bought it, but then, what the hell did I know, I thought my problems stemmed as far as 'are the door sills rusty' (which they weren't) and 'can i see daylight through the chassis' etc.
If you are serious about a Z car, talk to these guys above, see if you can bribe one of them to come with you to see the Will Galliers cars/zed the reds and help you pick out the best one, bribe them with beer tokens and a zclub membership (something I need to get on..). Spending an extra 2K now, believe me, will save you untold misery and financial expenditure. This is from personal experience, not heresay
It'd certainly have you on the road faster to go this way
. MrF has alot of parts for 240's, but alot are nla...bear that in mind
I'll try not to hark on and repeat what these guys have said, but I may as well say say my experience of being in your position..
Take it from the 'guy who didn't listen' or rather, the guy who didn't really know what he was doing and hadn't really heard of the zclub before he bought a 240z (I was originally looking a plymouth roadrunner before doing the maths and realise it wouldn't fit in the drive). Listen to these guys, they're not out to get you, or to shout down any idea you have, they're actually trying to help you. The imported cars they've mentioned around the 5K mark (Will Galliers) or zed-the-reds will be in infinitely better condition than the 'rust free California import' I got, even just seeing the pictures (which means sweet FA for a Z car) they are in better nick.
I know of two 'English' RHD 240z presently up for grabs, one, the shell is scrap - literally, patched together like a patchwork quilt which is kindly donating its roof and other internal organs to my car and it's local to me, and the other is a bare Z shell on ebay. Worth noting that I bought my Z in March 2009. It's now November 2010..thats how long it took to find just a parts shell to use a few major pieces from. These things aren't some kind of galvanised beast that holds up to English weather, they simply disintergrate like a blackhole sucking money and your soul with them.
I thought I got a 'bargain' of a car when I bought it, but then, what the hell did I know, I thought my problems stemmed as far as 'are the door sills rusty' (which they weren't) and 'can i see daylight through the chassis' etc.
If you are serious about a Z car, talk to these guys above, see if you can bribe one of them to come with you to see the Will Galliers cars/zed the reds and help you pick out the best one, bribe them with beer tokens and a zclub membership (something I need to get on..). Spending an extra 2K now, believe me, will save you untold misery and financial expenditure. This is from personal experience, not heresay
It'd certainly have you on the road faster to go this way
. MrF has alot of parts for 240's, but alot are nla...bear that in mind
Zed-the-red
Well-Known Forum User
I agree. I have offered the guy on ebay £500 for the shell. he wants £1200.00 I should go and look at it really. but with things as they are the mo I dont have the time. The air tubes look in good nick and what I can see from the piks it looks reasonable. God knows what will be left of it after the winter if he does not sell it. Roof and tailgate seem good as do the doors. I have already asked him twice to tell me the chasiss number off the bulkhead but had no reponse.. if its a pre 73 then its worth saving if you know what I mean.
datsun 240 / 260z rolling shell on eBay (end time 17-Nov-10 14:51:38 GMT)
engine bay the battery tray appears to have had some rust repair, can't think why else it's been sprayed a different colour. elsewhere though...filler in the running lights, filler on an arch repair, what looks to be the rusty front end of the driverside sill, and bizarrely...no light panel which frames the tail lights?!
...just had another look, i take it back, no filler where the running light would be, just lower down on the rear 1/4 panel
SeanDezart
Well-Known Forum User
I thought that as a UK car they were ALL worth saving ?
Run away from this heap. Don't throw more money after bad.