New- Please answer some of my questions

[Fuzzydicerule]

Dailying these cars can be fun, and if you have a good, well running example on one, then it most likely will be,  But if you have one like my first Z  (bought that pile for 900 bucks) or SDgoods' first Z,  That doesnt like to stay running reliably for more than a week, or likes to laugh at you while the electrical system shits its pants and drains the battery after 2 days of sitting,  youre gonna have a bad time, and one of two things will happen,  A;  You will get frustrated, sell the car, and never want to see a Z again,  or B:  you will get frustrated, and out the car down into a long term project that it may never see the end of.

 

 

Just some food for thought,  we arent by any means trying to dissuade you, rather just letting you know what youre in for, especially if you pick a sub-par candidate for a car.

 

A good prerequisite,  invest in a GOOD set of tools, a jack and jack stands, if you dont already have some,  you will more than likely use them in short order.

[clocker]

Dailying these cars can be fun, and if you have a good, well running example on one, then it most likely will be,  But if you have one like my first Z  (bought that pile for 900 bucks) or SDgoods' first Z,  That doesnt like to stay running reliably for more than a week, or likes to laugh at you while the electrical system shits its pants and drains the battery after 2 days of sitting,  youre gonna have a bad time, and one of two things will happen,  A;  You will get frustrated, sell the car, and never want to see a Z again,  or B:  you will get frustrated, and out the car down into a long term project that it may never see the end of.

 

Sorry, not buying the "either A or B" limitation to the discussion.

 

In the original post the OP stated he had a support network of friends/shops and mechanical work would not be an issue.

The work I mentioned before can all easily be broken down into one or two day chunks (depending a lot on how much clean up/painting you want to do), so the car does not have to become a long term garage queen during the process.

 

I was also specific about brakes and suspension first because they are very straightforward, mechanical systems.

Tab A into Slot B type of stuff, very obvious and no "diagnosing" to worry about.

Obviously, any mechanical work on an older car is fraught with peril but with these two systems it is likely to manifest in simple mechanical issues, like frozen bolts or seized spindles...irritating but not showstoppers.

 

Your most effective tool in this process- both pre and post purchase- is knowledge.

Thing is, you haven't the experience to know what to ask nor an actual car to ask about.

 

I'd go memorize the build thread section.

You'll see every variation of what can be wrong and how it was dealt with.

You'll see how lots of smart, talented people have loved on their cars and you can steal all their ideas.

Then, start looking at cars.

Note the plural, you need to see as many Z's as possible, even if you're just scanning eBay.

Buying a car just because it's the only one within a convenient radius is usually not the best idea.

 

YMMV.

[LLave]

Regarding platform to start with. I think most guys who have been there will agree. DO NOT RUSH. Find a really good car to start with. Every dollar more you spend up front will probably save you 10 later... Easy. Be very honest with yourself about what you can and can not do.