RaDeuX Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Well I've been reading up on a bunch of people's posts, and the popular grabbing price for S30s are around 3,000 bucks. Although I'm a car enthusiast, I know almost nothing about the mechanics under the hood, and I was planning on taking an auto-tech class next quarter but for some reason the instructor canceled the freaking class. I was recommended to start off with a car that has already been worked with, so I'm basically shooting for a car that's around 7,000 bucks (I live in CA, so apparently cars are more expensive around here). Maybe if I go to a different state near CA it'll be cheaper (just a crazy idea). Well since S30s are really old, the major problem seems to be rust. It seems like it's inevitable, but when I DO get a S30 I want to make sure I know what I should do to fix these issues. Does the rusting consist of both the body AND the chassis? How would one fix these rusting issues? Does one just patch up the holes? And every 240z I see has a lot of dents. Is there a cheap way to fix it up myself? (I could always bring it to a professional if all else fails. Body work is really expensive...) I'm also wondering how much transmission swaps cost. I'd like to have a 6-speed, if not 5-speed manual transmission if I could. Even if I don't find a complete and running 240z that I could do light mods on, what would be ideal for me? (As in, how low can I go without screwing myself over with minimal knowledge of vehicles? I'm always willing to learn a lot more though.) And one more thing. Is there a website with information on how to restore an old car? I really wish I knew more about cars, but the auto-tech class got canceled for next quarter... *sob* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Does the rusting consist of both the body AND the chassis? A 240Z is a unibody/monocoque design and it has no "chassis" per se. The basic body shell is the chassis. There are tons of posts here about where to look for rust on these cars. Buying the most rust free car you can afford is the most important part of your purchase decision. All the mechanicals are easily fixable compared to the labor required to repair rust. And one more thing. Is there a website with information on how to restore an old car? Probably, but there is a great wook written specifically about restoring a 240Z: http://www.amazon.com/How-Restore-Your-Datsun-Z-Car/dp/1931128022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212161518&sr=8-1 That book and the factory service manual for the specific year S30 you purchase are, IMHO, mandatory for any restoration effort. Two additional books are: http://www.amazon.com/Modify-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine/dp/1931128049/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212161643&sr=1-12 http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine/dp/1555611591/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212161719&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palosfv3 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Your starting out on the right track by asking questions but if your in doubt about something in relation to purchasing a Z or any other car ( especially if you may have limited automotive expertise), dont be afraid to pay the correct knowledgeable professional for a pre purchase inspection. This not only gives you a list of things to use in negotiating the price but also gives you a to do list for the car . If the seller wont accept an inspection . Walk away. Buy the best original car you can afford and if it seems a little out of reach wait a little while until you have the funds to buy the right car. Dont make an emotional buy !!!!! We all have done it .We see that car with the shiny paint and the great price and we just have to have it. Only later to find out that we over paid or its got some real problems. Determine your walk away point before hand and live by it. . Learn everything you can about the car you desire. Find out its weak and strong points . What parts are difficult to replace of find. Knowledge is power in a purchase negotiation. Stay away from the bargain basement priced car. They are usually running parts cars and will consume more money and effort than their worth. As far a Zs in general Johnc has posted some good published material and links but when inspecting a Z for rust perforation , there are a couple of things . Rust along the rocker panels and lower front quarters can be decieving as the front and rear part of the rocker is hidden by the fender and quarter. So if the fender is rotted behind the wheel dont be surprised if the front section of the rocker is also perforated . The same holds for the rear of the rocker beneath the quarter . In the rear theres a second issue to be concerned with ,. If the outer rocker is perforated the inner rocker and reinforcements will also be prone to rust through. Check the reinforcing plate on the front frame rails adjacent to the front strut and the rear rail reinforcing plate above the radius rod bracket. If the reinforcing plates at these point is soft , swelled . Walk away. Dont assume tha floor pans are solid because they dont show any visual sign of rusting . Lift carpets and inspect. Being in California you should be ahead in the game of finding a good rust free Z but still look carefully Larry www.wgmauto.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaDeuX Posted May 31, 2008 Author Share Posted May 31, 2008 Wow... That's a wealthy amount of information. Haha I remember making an emotional buy on my Integra. The guy said it's perfect and "blah blah blah", and my acquaintance who is auto-savvy got lazy and told me to just buy it, and my dad didn't give a damn so I went ahead and bought it. A few months later my dad ended up spending over 3000 bucks in repairs, and my car STILL has some problems here and there. Anyway, there aren't a whole lot of 240z's on craigslist, but this one in particular catches my eye every time. It seems like the owner put good enough care to the machine, but I'm cringing a bit from the wires coming out of the deck area. The exterior looks gorgeous, and I know it's hard to judge if it's a good machine or not from just the pictures and descriptions alone, but I have a difficult time understanding half of the description with terms I don't even know. What do you guys think about the machine so far? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/701679666.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertip Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Looks good, but notice how he slipped "this vehicle has a salvage title." at the very end. A Salvage Title is issued on a vehicle damaged to the extent that the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds ~ 75% of its pre-damage value. So be aware that this vehicle most likely has had major body work done to it, and if the car was in a major accident and they just did body work, the subframe could be bent, misaligned, and so on. Inquire about the salvaged title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/701679666.htmlI like how it has FOUR mirrors. However, I wouldn't even think about buying it because of the salvage title. Like supertip said, it's very possible it has major body or frame damage that may or may not have been properly repaired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Just because it has a salvage title doesn't mean that things can't be good still/ I would say that the car is worth your time to look at at the very least. Having it inspected is a great idea and it will catch anything major that would be wrong (ie. subframe damage). An inspection usually only runs about $50-75 and is worth every penny. Maybe try to get the seller to pay for it up front and if everything checks out you agree to buy the car for a set price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4xwellmurd3r Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 yeah, the insurance company would scrap a Z that got suspension damage from being hit. there was someone talking about how the insurance wanted to total his Z because someone hit the tire, which caused it to ruin the suspension and tweak some stuff. just because it has a salvage, doesn't' mean it's junk. it just means you needa do a more thorough inspection before you buy and find out why it's got the salvage in the first place. the four mirrors thing is ridiculous though. what's the deal with that. 4 times the viewing space? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaDeuX Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 LOL I finally realized that it has 4 mirrors wtf?! I'll ask the guy regarding what areas are heavily damaged to see if it's worth looking at. It seems like it'll be a good one-hour drive from where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue72 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 It almost looks to have a wiggle in the metal around the shock tower on one side. Could be evidence of a side collision. I'd look it over very carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrbreez Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Your starting out on the right track by asking questions but if your in doubt about something in relation to purchasing a Z or any other car ( especially if you may have limited automotive expertise), dont be afraid to pay the correct knowledgeable professional for a pre purchase inspection. This not only gives you a list of things to use in negotiating the price but also gives you a to do list for the car . If the seller wont accept an inspection . Walk away. Buy the best original car you can afford and if it seems a little out of reach wait a little while until you have the funds to buy the right car. Dont make an emotional buy !!!!! We all have done it .We see that car with the shiny paint and the great price and we just have to have it. Only later to find out that we over paid or its got some real problems. Determine your walk away point before hand and live by it. . Learn everything you can about the car you desire. Find out its weak and strong points . What parts are difficult to replace of find. Knowledge is power in a purchase negotiation. Stay away from the bargain basement priced car. They are usually running parts cars and will consume more money and effort than their worth. As far a Zs in general Johnc has posted some good published material and links but when inspecting a Z for rust perforation , there are a couple of things . Rust along the rocker panels and lower front quarters can be decieving as the front and rear part of the rocker is hidden by the fender and quarter. So if the fender is rotted behind the wheel dont be surprised if the front section of the rocker is also perforated . The same holds for the rear of the rocker beneath the quarter . In the rear theres a second issue to be concerned with ,. If the outer rocker is perforated the inner rocker and reinforcements will also be prone to rust through. Check the reinforcing plate on the front frame rails adjacent to the front strut and the rear rail reinforcing plate above the radius rod bracket. If the reinforcing plates at these point is soft , swelled . Walk away. Dont assume tha floor pans are solid because they dont show any visual sign of rusting . Lift carpets and inspect. Being in California you should be ahead in the game of finding a good rust free Z but still look carefully Larry www.wgmauto.com Thanks for those pointers! I too am looking for a project vehicle and this will come in handy as I start going out and looking at potential candidates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaDeuX Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 I hope this thread is not too old to bump it up again, but I just want to ask if this certain Z looks like it's in good condition. It's a good half-hour drive to Oakland, but does it seem like it's worth the trip? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/708215120.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth-Z Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 1976 on up will require a smog certificate to register. If it has been sitting for a long time, all the rubber hoses will need to be replaced. Part of the smog check now includes pressurizing the fuel tank. If you do not get that vaccuum sound when removing the gas cap (after it has been running a while) then there may be a leaking hose down in the fuel tank area or somewhere else in the vapor return system. All of this is just a time consuming fix. Check for rust inside the engine bay up near the hinges. 77's & 78's seem to have a problem there. $1,600 for a non running project is a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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