Looking for a 240

[Guest glimpsedogg]

So I've been looking for a Z for a little while now and I'm new to the Z community but I've been lurking around this forum for a bit trying to learn a bit before I take the plunge. I think I would like a street/mild track car that will stay in the garage most of the time. I found a 240 in my area that i might be interested in, but I'm a little confused by the pictures and the sellers description when i talked to him earlier. He said that it was a 72 240 that was his project car so all the basic body prep is done with all rust problems solved. He also said the engine was stock but the picture has a turbo, it's currently not running. Here's a couple pictures, sorry they're small, it's from his craigslist post.

 

So what would you think of this for a first Z project car? And could anyone identify what motor is in it right now?

[speedgato]

Looks like it has a carb and a turbo set up installed....blow through maybe? The intake sure looks different. I would see how much rust is present and make my determination from there. It seems to have some interesting parts installed, whale tail spoiler, louvered hood. It is close enough to you for you to make a visual inspection?

[Guest glimpsedogg]

Looks like it has a carb and a turbo set up installed....blow through maybe? The intake sure looks different. I would see how much rust is present and make my determination from there. It seems to have some interesting parts installed, whale tail spoiler, louvered hood. It is close enough to you for you to make a visual inspection?

 

It is close enough and I'm going to try to take a look at it this week. I don't know much about these cars, I've always been a subaru guy. The engine worries me a bit, I'm not sure if i want to jump in on someone else's botched build. But i suppose if the body is as good as he says it is and the price is right i could just start over with the engine.

[Daeron]

The engine itself, the longblock may well be stock, but that intake and exhaust most assuredly is not. The bumpers look like genuine 240Z, so I can't see any reason to suspect the year given for the car, but that intake is decidedly non factory. Looks to be a drawthrough turbo setup actually; is it a two barrel of four barrel carb?

 

In ANY case those are unusual pieces. They look a little smallish, but that might be misleading. If they are reasonably sized for performance potential, then they would certainly fetch a decent price for resale to an interested party.. or it might be interesting to you. Definitely would make for a different ride. As was mentioned the hood (or at least the vents in the hood) are from a later model 280Z.

 

Check frame rails, pull carpet.. are you an OLD subaru guy?? if so, treat it like an old GL you're thinking about picking up. Battery tray is a particular spot for rust, sometimes the spare tire area.. if the rust is dealt with, most of the rest is a simple process of education, decision, choice, and assembly. Depends on the price, of course, but that seems like a decent candidate car, PLUS it has that drawthrough turbo setup on it, which is really not common at all. It may be a piece of junque, but at the VERY least it is a SUPER cool piece of junque.. and if its decent sized it is most defeinitely NOT junque to the right people.

 

Edit

 

I forgot to mention that the stock cylinder head from that year should have the code E88 cast into it, on the spark plug side, at the bottom of the head.. between #4 and #5 cylinders i *think.* It may be slightly forward of that. The block casting for the 72 240 I cannot recall at the moment; nor can i recall exactly which side its on (thats what happens when you see more separate heads and blocks than assembled motors..) but it stands out, and is a one letter, two digit number (N-42 and P-54 are two later blocks, i think this was a P-30something maybe?) That should help you at least identify if they are original to the vehicle.. but for all anyone knows that motor could have had unspecified work done to it in the past. Ordinarily one would want to lower compression in a turbocharged engine, but this setup may well be low boost and fairly well suited to a mid-high comp application. At the very least, it SHOULD have a non-stock camshaft grind; whether it does or not can only be told through dis assembly and inspection, but I wouldn't let any "mysteries" about the engine make you shy away from this car.

[Guest glimpsedogg]

Thanks for all the info Daeron, I think I will go take a look in person in the next day or two. I'm not an "old" subaru guy but my last couple were older. I just sold my turbo'd RS a couple days ago.

And the grocery getter

[Daeron]

oooo.. those are just old enough, AND just new enough... my DD/beater car is a POS 87 GL-10, and I love it to death.. but i would be equally happy with a 5 spd FWD impy from the mid 90s. AWD would be OK, but i want it for a DD/gas sipper.. really my DREAM soobie would be an XT, probably again just 4 cyl FWD 5 spd for economy. I have a Z for fun, and as awesome as AWD is (my dad had an AWD XT6 brand new in 89) I don't need it, I need a super cheap transporter. a 4 cylinder FWD XT would get some sort of standalone EMS and sequential injection, basically I would go gonzo on a quest for MPG if I could get the car... CD of 0.28 is incredible, and I fell in love with the car at an early age

[Six_Shooter]

Looks like a Turbo Tom kit.

 

Definatly check over the chassis for rust.

 

Check out http://zhome.com/ for a diagram and listing of common areas these cars rust.

 

In short the common areas, are between the front and rear bumper. There are other areas that seem to be more suspectible though and should be checked with a little more than just visual.

 

I was VERY lucky when I bought mine since it's SOLID, I should really be restoring it, instead of cutting it up, but I would rather have the car I want and started solid than to try and find another S30 is almost as good condition to cut up.

[Guest glimpsedogg]

Thanks for the input. I was planning on keeping the car NA for a while then doing a full swap later after I had gotten the suspension and some cosmetic work done. Any more info on the turbo tom kit? I'm a little nervous that the engine could be a big paper weight since it's not running. How much have you seen 240s go for with no engine?

[Daeron]

I cant imagine anyone selling a decently to well prepped 240Z chassis (read: very very VERY little, if any, rust/body work, but no engine) with tolerable interior for anything less than a grand, probably more like $1500.. but I cant see anyone getting away with charging much more than 3-4K unless its got a great paint job and an immaculate interior, and even then it may be pushing it..

 

Sound about right to anyone else?

[Datsun24072]

I picked mine up for a grand it was running and virtually no rust interior wasnt that great though

[Pharaohabq]

Well look for rust, because even if the engine is a paperweight, you'd still be in good shape since you'll be playing with the turbo stuff on it. Especially check the reenforced areas above the frame rails just behind the front tires. This area bolsters braking and bad rust here could be dangerous. 1000 or 1500 is pretty decent. Really just take a good look and figure what you're getting into. Worst case on the engine, you're probably looking at a rebuild. But you could swap in the 83 L28ET and sell the old parts on EPay. either way don't worry about the engine, that's the easy part.

 

Phar

[Daeron]

have you gotten this car yet???

 

I keep thinking you should jump on it, but its easy to play with someone elses money