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To buy or not to buy?


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This 260z has no rust and had a new paint job as of two years ago. The engine is a l24 with SU carbs, the interior was just redone, and it has new konig rewinds with new tires. The only issue with the car is the tachometer not working due to the capacitor. So the question is simple, the seller is asking 5,500 what would you offer and what would you be wiling to pay in the end? Thank you in advance for any input that you give.

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I've seen clean drivers go for a lot more... That's about fair if it's a rust-free example.

 

The 260's are known to have tachs that die...budget for an OEM and stash it if you must...they won't be getting any cheaper. I installed a Silv-o-lite in mine as it was $20 cheaper than the OEM at the time.

 

An OEM is more now, and the Silv-o-lite about the same...and I wished Id bought the OEM then and just run without a tach till I bought the Autometer to use....

 

Eventually when you sell it..,the OEM tach will be worth something like $1,000 N.I.B.!

Edited by Tony D
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We will see after it gets taken to a shop and thrown up on a lift.

 

That's some great information. I will stash one or two away in that case.

 

So what's the best replacement in your opinion?

Edited by RainyZ
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If I had to do it over...like I said, I would have bought the OEM unit....

 

And used the Autometer two weeks later.

 

Really it depends what you're doing, I have a digital tach that reads out a number "8736" because I can calculate that speed against my trap speed and determine wheel spin. I can look based on my 10 second timer beeping in my ear so I can get relative change in 10 seconds. It's general with an analog gauge, it's definable with a digital. It's how I knew my Fairlady Z went 5322rpms topped out, and swapping it into the 260Z, it went 4750 rpms... At speed I don't want to have to LOOK at a gauge to get informatio--it needs to give me what I need at a glance. I love that definitive number going through the traps.

 

For the street, analog is fine and the Defi system is nicely integrated...but more and more are going to CAN bus connectivity so integrated gauge packages are easier than they once were.

 

For tachs and speedos...Autometer has served me well but there are lots of good stuff out there. You gotta figure out what works for you.

 

My next one will be a reworked (regutted) OEM unit with a 10K face. I like the OEM. Look, and if it's accurate, all the better!

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Looks very clean, hard to tell from far away pics though.  Also, hard to tell if there truly is "no rust" when they recently covered up all the metal with new paint. 

 

Looks like a clean Z though, and if it checks out up on the lift I think it is very well priced.  Here in California if you find a rust free, clean, running Z in that shape you're going to pay closer to 10K.  Just the market for them here right now.  

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That's some really high speed gear you have. The functionality of it all is really practical for your driving goals.

 

I agree with you on saying that it is all on how I'm going to use the car. No point in buying an expensive system with all the bells and whistles if I don't use all it's potential. So I have some research to do while I have the Z checked out.

 

Agreed mxgsfmdpx, so hopefully everything checks out and he will take a lowered offer. He did say OBO...

 

10K is no joking matter. But a no rust Z is always worth that extra dollar.

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It looks pretty clean, but I have yet to see an actually rust free car in washington, there always is some somewhere. The pictures look nice, but he hasn't taken the money shots/the shots that would reveal the problem locations so not sure what to say. I've seen one that had a squirt of paint go for 10k, when I knew underneath it was a train wreck, so the price isn't terrible, I know my konig and tire setup cost a good 800$, so there's some value there, round tops are a nice touch.

 

I had no idea the tach cost so much, guess I should take mine out of the parts bin and put it in it's own box.

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Well if there is a "train wreck" under the body we will find out when it's on a lift. Will also be doing a compression check and just an overall systems check to find any discrepancies if there are any. From the pictures it looks like one hell of a deal..

Edited by RainyZ
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I have seen this one on craigslist (i'm in the seattle area) for almost 3 weeks now... makes me wonder what's wrong with it?

Craigslist local lets wanting it for $700 and the seller vowing this is the last time ever using that net cast over a lot of misfits, indigent, and reprobate tire kickers ever again?

 

Just my thoughts on why...

 

Unless Craigslist Seattle is different than Craigslist in every other major city on the planet...

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The 72 I bought off Craigslist was there from February to the end of April.

 

It was a COMPLETELY RUST FREE quasi original owner (sold by the mother of the owner....the owner suddenly died, and the car was in his name. She was actually the original owner in 1972... As evidenced by every single registration slip from 72-81 when she gave it to her son.)

 

Yeah, tire kickers and lowball era who wanted to part it were offering half the $5,000 asking price.

 

The reason it stayed up was because I told them "if you can sell it to someone else, do so...but I will take it at that price when I come back stateside."

 

Rust Free

Vortech Supercharged Blowthrough EFI setup on the car for over 20 years (since at least 94) sorted, and reliable.

Beard super seats

Full gauge package

NOS

Full suspension, shocks, and springs.

Trailer hitch.

Engine pedigree from Slovers, Isky, etc WITH receipts...

 

The list went on...

 

The car had a broken pulley from supercharger drive.

 

Two NIB pulleys were included. Original long lock (matching numbers) included.

Spare long lock included.

Spare competition crank with huge SPS center bolt mod included.

Any part that was modified, or altered in any way was done on EXTRA Parts, the ORIGINALS having been first removed, coated in oil or otherwise preserved, and put into storage,

 

In other words, anything done to the car could be undone,and the car put back to 100% stock.

Plus, I had passing knowledge of the owner to know everything in the Craigslist ad was 100% tuprue (even though it was sent to me as "check out the CL bs on this ad man! "Being sold for the mother of the owner who has died suddenly, who was also the original owner of the car..."

 

 

Not a SINGLE swinging dick on Craigslist would touch it for $5,000

 

The Craigslist audience is not really representative of the best marketing segment to choose in regards to selling a decent Z-Car.

 

Indeed, I thin a fair assessment would be "casting pearls before swine"!

 

So why has it sat on Seattle CL for months? Because it's a bunch of Broke Curt Cobain wannabes with no money, a lot of attitude, and no ability to pay that much money CASH to buy a car.

 

It's about that simple.

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That would be one hell of a find Tony.. Anyone not willing to pay the price she was asking obviously didn't know a great deal.

 

So an update on this craigslist find. Had someone talk to the guy and he wasn't willing to meet up until next weekend, but with a little persuading he said he'd call back tomorrow and set up a time for Sunday. Then the question came up about test driving the car and taking it to a mechanic.... The responce was "I don't want you to test drive it since I don't have it insured right now" so that was a red flag. However the car will be looked over on Sunday with a fine tooth comb and test driven to assure it is actually a functioning car. It is definitely being taken to a mechanic if this guy wants to actually sell the car.

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It wasn't "would be" it WAS!

 

Like I said, it got sent to me as "Checkout out the BS on this CL ad!" Dead owner, ad placed by friend of grieving mother, fully prepped track day car, blah blah blah...

 

Soon as I saw the car, I knew whose it was.

 

The car did not run.

 

It wasn't a big deal with me. It was a documented, original-owner, highly modified 72 240Z, with EVERYTHING necessary to put it back to bone stock (clean original rear bumper and rear diff mount, guy bough replacements to drill holes/modify!)

 

That it sits on CL for an "extended period" is solely a function of the audience, not the content of the offering.

 

I don't know about you, but I am not too cool with "test drives"! The old line from "Clear and Present Danger" comes to mind as Harrison Ford asks how much the Huey Chopper costs: "$2 million"

Rental? Yes, sure....$2 million.

What about a test/checkout ride, to make sure it's in good order?: "Absolutely señor, you may leave a deposit and have your pilot check it out."

How much of a deposit?

"$2 million!"

 

For a Craigslist Buyer, I'd be of that same mindset!

I know I won't drive it without insurance, and I won't let anybody else do so...

 

My insurance covers me while driving other people's vehicles and up to 10 days buying one from someone else... But that's having your insurance card and leaving the keys to whatever you drove up...and then it's iffy.

 

Someone wrecks the car, decides to clutch-kick and do an ersatz drift competition... Unless it's at a dealer, I haven't seen many extensive test drives in a while. Those that are done, are done with the owner driving it at least half of the time...

 

I don't know it's much of a "Red Flag" as it is an indication he's leery of typical CL people coming to kick tires and maybe go beat on an old Z over the weekend.

Edited by Tony D
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You bring up some very valid points. I especially like the quote.

 

Since it isn't insured you are right in that it shouldn't be driven. But it would be a shame to purchase the Z just to find out the transmission won't go past 2nd gear or some similar problem until it's to late and you've broken down 10 miles down the road or the next day. So some sort of insurance on the car being able to run properly would be nice instead of just his word.

 

I can understand someone being cautious of just another person looking for a joy ride. But hopefully on Sunday it goes well. Because I have to be cautious of what I could potentially be buying and it would suck if it blew up in my face. Understand what I'm getting at?

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