Wild7 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 (edited) I currently have a Lexus SC300 5speed with a 1JZGTE swap that I've been having mechanical issues with for a while. I'm not mechanically inclined enough to know how to fix them and I think it's time to give up on it. I placed it on craigslist and got a reply from a guy with a 1974 260Z that I'm pretty much in love with. The body isn't perfect but I wouldn't expect it to be on an unrestored Datsun so that's no big deal. Another up side is that it has a claimed 59,000 miles on it. However at some point someone swapped in a carbed L28 and apparently even though it runs at the moment, it smokes at high RPMs and the owner feels it will need a rebuild soon. I've always adored the Datsun Z since I was a kid watching Transformers and to be honest it's my dream car, I simply lack any perspective when it comes to getting it because I'm skewed by my daydreams. I'm not aware of where to get a new engine or even a decently priced rebuild kit for it so I came to the experts hoping for some advice as to whether this is a good deal or if I'd be an idiot for making the trade. I know due to rarity that my car has some value and the swap was done well by pros, I've just run out of money and am chasing gremlins. Any at all would be appreciated it Edited February 15, 2012 by Wild7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I hope your not doing a straight trade since your probably getting robbed, although I don't know the condition of your SC300. Pics and estimated value of your car would help, but I'm pretty sure you are on the short end of the stick. Well running s30's can be had for the 4-5k range, a little higher on the east coast. Also no way in hell it has 59k miles. it probably rolled over once or twice. Smoking means rings are not sealing, so its burning oil. Ask him to do a compression test. even so it can run like that for a while. I would get a spare block ready though or plan on swapping in another engine( v8, rb, sr, 1j, 2j etc) I find all the big parts ( body panels, diffs, tranny, engine blocks, carbs) on forums like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild7 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Yeah I think you just answered the questions I had lol. The body on my lexus isn't perfect but it's very straight and no rust. just some paint fade and cracked grill but nothing too major. Almost all of the parts on the engine are brand new from chasing the gremlins, honestly the car is in great shape except for the issue that's keeping it from running. I told the guy I felt his car wasn't worth as much as mine and that I would like his car plus 2K to fix any problems it might have and his response was that it wasn't the value of the trade that was important but that I wanted a Z. That kind of made me feel like he knew he was trying to take advantage of me. Anyway, are their any good resources for finding a decent S30? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morbias Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 At the risk of sounding like a smartass, have you tried the classifieds section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild7 Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Yeah I looked around there but I didn't see a whole of them for sale and I don't recall seeing any locally. Is it okay to post an add asking for a trade? That would be my best hope but I don't want to get flamed on there for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStag Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) I would say that you should be very careful about buying a Z (240, 260, 280) without knowing its provenance. If some guy has owned it for the last five or eight years and can show you receipts for obvious improvements, like an engine rebuild, then you might have a car worth several thousand. A car with dubious mileage (Blue is right, that thing is well past the 100k mark)that has serious mechanical issues, AND you are a mechanical newbie, AND you have never wrestled with a Z before, walk swiftly away from it. If this guy is passing this off as a low mileage car that smokes, I'd call him a liar to his face and forget that I ever met him. If you WANT a Z (not to be confused with a ZX), then by all means save your pennies, find all the venues that you can where they are traded, see every ad that gets put up for a minimum of three months, six would be better, read the ad, every word, take notes, learn, learn, learn. Read forums like this on a regular basis. Learn, learn, learn. Or you will excrete a substantial amount of money for a vehicle and could well get junk. There is more junk on the market any given day than there is a car worth you time and money. Oh, and see if there is a club in your area. Just yesterday a new guy showed up at my Triumph breakfast club. He has money and wants to buy a complete and fresh Triumph TR4. That is $15 to $25k right there. Funny thing? One of the members has four and is looking to sell his second best one, a very respectable example. This guy may have found his car in a single day. Oh, and go read all of this site: http://datsunzgarage.com/ Bon chance! Edited February 19, 2012 by BlueStag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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