Might buy a 260z.

[Zetsaz]

Edit: not sure if this is in the right section. If not, could anyone tell me where I need to post this?

Update: Trying to get more pictures from the guy selling it. (The car is a few hours from where I live, that's why I'm asking now so I don't waste my time on a ~5 hr or more round trip).

 

Edit 2: Car comes with 2 dashes both with dash caps.

 

This would be the first Z car for me. I've been looking into it for a bit. I was just wondering if this car would be worth my time if I only have small amounts of money to invest at a time. I'm also a music student, so I would only be able to work on it on the weekends.

 

1974 260z

 

The good:

The guy selling it was building it for autocross with a 280 block, barely broken in after being rebuilt. 260 head.

4-speed

Early 240Z Hitachi SU carbs and 2 1/2" exhaust.

 

It's been lowered and has a body kit and original bumpers as well. Comes with 2 sets of wheels and tires one being NEW Falken autocross tires (unshaved) with new black wheels (not sure on the brand though), 280zx fuel injection setup, tons of part stripped from another 260z the guy had. Suspension has had just about everything done for autocross, without going to coilovers. New aftermarket seats and (or?) reupholstered seats in excellent shape. Carpeting is worn but in fairly good shape. 2 Dashes included, both with dash caps.

 

 

Here's the bad (and the parts I need advice on):

1. Carbs need tuning. I've found some guides, but if it's running how hard/time consuming would it be to tune them with a little help from some SU carb guides? (This isn't the bigger concern for me, the rest of the list is the worrisome stuff)

 

2. Some of the gauges aren't working (That should be a fairly simple fix, or am I wrong?)

 

3. Interior needs to be finished (but what's needed is included... not sure how much of it though I could have lots of fun with this one and some ideas from the forum).

 

4. Passenger side rocker needs some body work. If I've only done minimal body work in my life, how hard would it be to fix, or can it just be replaced?

 

5. Rear sway bar mounting brackets. (Rusting...? Missing...? Guy didn't give details. How much would that cost me to replace or repair?)

 

 

 

 

My situation:

The car would cost $2000. As a college student with only an hour or two at night to work on it, but almost unlimited time on weekends, and only $150 or so to spend on it per month.... would it be worth my time?

Edited February 1, 2012 by Zetsaz

[zero]

Most of the things you listed are not a big deal. The thing to be careful of is rust. If the rocker needs 'body work' it's more than likely because of rust. Depending on how that rust was dealt with it could either be a small or a large problem. From that picture, it seems that the rocker and rear fender lip have had some work done. Check the key areas (floor, frame rails, battery box, hatch sill, etc) for rust. Run a magnet over the primered areas to see if there is metal under there or just bondo/glass hiding a major problem. Rust free is the major factor here.

[lester]

I am in a very similar situation. I'm a full time college student and am currently restoring my z. Have had it sense i was 8, and am now 20. Going to be painting it this summer. It doesn't look like too bad of a buy, but you need to really look into the rust issues. Its a pain. Mine needed work on both quarters and under the doors. Luckily i had a family friend that was good at welding. Sometimes i think about if i would of waited and bought a nice z already fixed up. But believe me, its fun to work on them, and its cool seeing the look on peoples faces when you drive up in a car they've never seen before. My advice would be to look into the rust, and if you can post some more pictures, mainly of the rusty areas. A lot of great info on here that will help you out. Good luck and keep us updated.

[Zetsaz]

Thanks for the quick responses. The two pictures I posted are the only ones I've seen. The car is actually with the son of the owner a few hours from me, but I'll try asking if he can send me a picture of the rocker, frame rails, and floor pans. He already mentioned that the battery box was rust free when I called him a couple weeks ago (unlike the other 260z that he stripped for parts).

 

Run a magnet over the primered areas to see if there is metal under there or just bondo/glass hiding a major problem. Rust free is the major factor here.

 

I had never thought of that. Thanks for the tip. Rust is definitely my biggest concern after all the research I've done and pictures I've seen of the old S30's.

 

Luckily i had a family friend that was good at welding. Sometimes i think about if i would of waited and bought a nice z already fixed up. But believe me, its fun to work on them, and its cool seeing the look on peoples faces when you drive up in a car they've never seen before.

 

Now that I think about it... my dad's cousin in-law? Has quite a bit of welding experience. I'm sure he could help if I needed it. I've also considered buying one that's already fixed up, but, here in Utah, everyone seems to think that just because the car is classic they can sell it for several thousand. I've seen people try to sell rusty, near-useless bodies, with no engine, for around $1000. Working Z's here don't normally go for less than $2000-$3000 and that's when the engine is original and barely running and the body is in only mediocre shape.

[GOTHALOSISM]

In that case if I ever decide to sell my zed, I'm taking it to Utah to sell for 10k!

 

 

 

 

 

[zero]

I've seriously considered starting a business where I buy Z's in CA or AZ and ship them to the Northeast to sell.

[Zetsaz]

In that case if I ever decide to sell my zed, I'm taking it to Utah to sell for 10k!

 

 

Nice, haha. Not much of a market here for high priced Z's though... it's weird. Mediocre, overpriced, ones will sell, but the valuable ones that are actually worth the cost don't usually sell well. Check out this ad. It's been on the site longer than I can keep track of.

 

20k Z Probably slightly overpriced, but I've noticed the more valuable ones like this don't sell well here.

 

Edit: the car's in Mesquite now... weird. Owner's must have moved. Not sure why the add is still on a Utah site.

 

 

I've seriously considered starting a business where I buy Z's in CA or AZ and ship them to the Northeast to sell.

 

That actually wouldn't be a bad idea. Sometimes I wish I was making more money at my job, or at least had time to work so I could drive down to Arizona just to find a good one at a decent price.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Zetsaz

[Zetsaz]

Expecting some more pictures to be emailed to me sometime today.

[bimic92]

Yeah, I've seen this one on KSL for the last little while. It doesn't seem too bad, I was going to go check it out until I picked up the 260z I have now from SLC. Good luck. Let me know how it goes

[Zetsaz]

Yeah, I've seen this one on KSL for the last little while. It doesn't seem too bad, I was going to go check it out until I picked up the 260z I have now from SLC. Good luck. Let me know how it goes

 

Well... right now it doesn't seem like it's happening. I don't quite have the money to buy it, so I'd have to borrow about $1400 from my dad and he's far from excited by the idea....

 

Says he'd rather GIVE me much more for a newer car, but of course, if it doesn't happen, I'll still be posting the pics. Maybe if I don't get this one someone one here will have more info and pics to see if they want to buy it.

[Dershum]

I've seriously considered starting a business where I buy Z's in CA or AZ and ship them to the Northeast to sell.

 

That's not a half-bad idea. Mine came out of Arizona (via a guy in Hawthorne) and I as I continue my tear down I'm absolutely blown away by the lack of rust on the body. That alone was worth the cost of entry.

[GOTHALOSISM]

Huh thats about a 45min drive from me. If I took the zed though it would be about 30

 

Still seems a tad high for all that is involved. If he lowers it to around 1k I might have to go snag it.

[Zetsaz]

Huh thats about a 45min drive from me. If I took the zed though it would be about 30

 

Still seems a tad high for all that is involved. If he lowers it to around 1k I might have to go snag it.

 

You really think so? I the only experience I have on how much they should cost is from what I've seen in my area online. Why would you want to drop to 1k? (Not saying it's just not worth that much... after all, that's why I'm here. To learn from you guys so I don't get screwed over when I buy my first Z)

 

 

Edit: You meant the red one... never mind, haha.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Zetsaz

[JavelinZ]

Well I guess I'll come out and offer my 2 cents. I'm a college student myself so I can relate to having limited time. I'll try to keep this short and offer my experience of buying Z cars. I don't know what kind of experience you have with cars, you said you've done some reading which is good, I did a heap of reading before I bought my first Z which is how I found this site. So inform yourself, knowledge is your weapon(this forum can supply that weapon). The more you know about the type of car before you buy it the better you can feel about what you offer. I'm with Gothal, the most I would offer from what I can see is $1000 and that might be high. That's just from the picture estimate, I'd have to see everything that I'd have to finish up or fix to make it reliable and most importantly enjoyable. I don't know if you need this car to drive everyday or if its a project, that's for you to decide. I looked at Z's for about six months before I found the one I'm driving right now. So being patient can be valuable.

 

Something I found handy when I was looking at cars was making a price list of replacement/upgrade parts I might need to get the car where it needed to be to drive everyday. Right it down on a square of paper and keep it in your pocket while your looking at the car so you can figure out a rough idea of what it's going to cost you on top of what the guy is asking. You may find the cheap deal to not be so cheap. Also consider what tools will be necessary to fix said items.

 

Also "buy as much car as you can" is the mantra I've learned from my own experience and others around me. The more complete and together it is the better. You said you have about $150 a month to throw at it, well keep saving it and grow your buying power. Think of it as, every month that goes by you step into a nicer Z market.

 

Finally don't be afraid to walk away. There is nothing that say's you have to give the guy what he wants for it. I work hard for my money and I assume you do too, I'm not anxious to throw my money at someone who can't finish something they started. People who walk away from projects should know that you don't get a 100% return from your investment. I'm gonna leave it at that.

 

Here's a Z here in Phoenix, if that car is rust free and mechanically sound like it appears to be, I would say he's asking a fair price, that I would be comfortable with. I might haggle a bit but a fair price none the less.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/2820148079.html

Now this car no way, for what he's asking the mirror shouldn't be broken, the seats ripped, or be an automatic and with all the corrosion on the valve cover I'd have to do a thorough rust inspection.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/2782596282.html

 

Well so much for keeping this short.

[Zetsaz]

JavelinZ: That's the most helpful post I've read in deciding. Thanks for the feedback. I really don't mind how long it is. After all, knowledge is power (and possibly thousands saved in this case).

 

I actually just started making a list of all the things I would need to buy/upgrade to get a Z car in the condition that I want it. Hadn't really considered tools though. I'm not really looking for a daily driver, just a project. I have a perfectly good '91 Celica that's getting me around. She's not the nicest thing, but fantastic on gas and super reliable. I would say she's been good to me, haha.

 

I like the mantra, "buy as much car as you can." My dad pretty much lives by that, and actually, all the costs I've tried calculating are meant to be added to a car with a decent body and working interior. Basically just a rust free, or at least mostly rust free, car. Even if the engine is completely ruined. I plan on doing a swap anyway. And I say working interior because I have a lot of ideas of my own for that....

 

I'm only at a few hundred bucks right now, but I've done a bit of math and if I stop spending on anything other than basic expenses, food, and a little bit of money saved in case of emergency, I can save a little over $300/month for a project. A little over double during the summer since I'll be at a different job, but I'll be at $1500 for spending by the start of the summer for basically a good working body and interior to start on. I think I'm gonna let this one go and grow my buying power as you say.

 

(Also: $7000 for a completely stock and aging 280z?! Way too much....)

 

(Doubly also: I may turn this into a thread on everything I want to do to in a Z project with costs listed and links to guides on different parts of it)

[bimic92]

Now I know this isn't the point of this thread, but now I'm pretty curious as to what you have in mind as a project? engine swap to an l28?

[Zetsaz]

Now I know this isn't the point of this thread, but now I'm pretty curious as to what you have in mind as a project? engine swap to an l28?

 

 

Actually it's slowly becoming that since I don't think I'll be buying this particular car, but I'm glad you asked. I actually just started a thread on that here.

 

But, I'll sum up what I want to do.

 

The car itself would just be a project car, and eventually maybe a daily driver. As time goes by it'll probably end up as a weekend car.

 

Engine-wise, I'm not looking to do anything extremely fancy since I'm mostly just gonna be using it in town. I want to do some sort of a L6 conversion. The L28 isn't a bad option or a rebuilt L28ET, but since my dad is helping with part of the funding and work, I'll more likely be going with a Toyota 1JZ or 2JZ conversion. He's seems much more willing to help me out with that because he's had a good experience with Toyota engines and he likes how reliable they are. That and I've heard good things about those engines here.

 

Interior, I'll probably due some sound deadening and custom audio stuff. (A am going to be a music teacher after all... what good would my car be if I didn't have good sound? ) Not too concerned about seats, but I know there are tons of possible swaps out there.

[bimic92]

Way nice, I'm in pretty much the same situation as you, college student and all. Wish I had my dad helping me out, but yeah. I'm finally at the point where I'm getting parts ordered in.

 

Toyota engines are nice, but the JZ's can get damn expensive from my understanding if you plan on building the engine at all. You'd be surprised at the reliablity/durability/ and simplicity of the Lseries. I swear half the fun is figuring out what you want to do with the car

[Zetsaz]

Oh, definitely. I get excited thinking about what I would do while working on the engine and the interior, and I haven't even found a car that I'm buying for sure. haha

 

Do you happen to know about how much the JZ engine swaps cost? Not for anything extra, just to get the stock turbo engine/transmission/ecu in the car and running.

[bimic92]

an aristo 2jz with an automatic transmission is like 2500 right there, if you want anything coming from a supra, or even a manual transmission, it'll be a lot more.

 

I would expect to drop anywhere between 5-15k for the swap. I know I'm determined to get a 2jz into my 240sx, wont be done for another 5 years though.