how much would you pay..

[Guest Death69]

for a 240z (sorry i dont have a picture) that is one of the earlier models (has 240z logos behind the windows) that has little rust but NO interior, rats got to it, and MANY golfball sized dents all down the side and a giant beachball sized dent that is about 1/2 inches deep ( not sure but the dent on the roof is very visible and you can only see hte dents down the side if your like 5 feet away). i really want this 240z, seeing as i always wanted a z (but always had to get a 280), but am not sure what to offer. the guy builds cars so i dont wanna lowball him, but he isnt telling me how much he wants. oh yea and it MAYBE still runs (guys not sure)

 

it looks exactly like this Z except it has a HORRIBLE interior, some noticible rust and dents

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-1972-Datsun-240Z_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6187QQihZ007QQitemZ170069183822QQrdZ1

 

i know there is know way to tell without a picture, but my camera broke ( damn disney land! fell out of my pocket on a ride). im going to go see him tommarow and make an offer. i plan to constantly stress the dents and horrible interior, but and ideas would help.

[datsunlover]

Ok.. check it out REALLY WELL for the typical rust issues.. (floors and rails are the worst ussualy.. cause they don't go all the way back on 240s) Any noticable rust tells you there is more that you CAN'T see... be prepared. I'd say bring a can of gas and a battery, and try to get it running. (check carbs first, pistons may be stuck) Have parts been stripped over the years? If rats have been in it, you can bet the wiring is toast and it's gona smell great inside. You say the guy builds cars.. that could be a good or bad thing for you... You have to know what you're looking at, and know what you're willing to spend. Ussually people with old Z's are one of two ways.

 

1. They may know (or THINK they know) what they have, but quite possibly look at it as somthing of a retierment fund and want thousands of $$$ for a pile of crap.

 

2. They may know what they have, but realize they don't have the time/place/money/ect to restore/fix the old Z so they're looking for a bit of $$$ but really just want it to go to someone who will USE it.

 

I've delt with quite a few people like the 1st.. and a few of those cars are STILL sitting on their property rotting away. An original 240z is worth something yes, but if it's not running, rough/stripped and rusty, I'm not paying more than say $750 or so. One lady told me she had 'offers around $3000' but the cars still sits and rots.. Sure, if someone offered you that much for a rusting hulk, you'd refuse them?!?

 

The 2nd type is the better way to go. I got my 280 from a guy like that, who just didn't have the time to fix it. Needed plenty of body work, but it ran and drove. He had the thing for 14 years, put some $$$ into it, but 'life' got in the way. He actually refused to sell it to a 17y old kid just before I bought it, cause the kid didn't know his arse from a hole in the ground and he was afraid he'd wrap it around a hydro pole! I showed up and talked some Z stuff with the guy (having owned 3 in the past, I had a bit of knowlege) and he was happy to sell it to me for $800!!