3sev3n Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 well I paid 2700 for the car, extra motor,2 pair of round top carbs and 2 sets of rims and have been doing all the restoring myself on a budget thats slim to none. So it not far fetched to fix it up an a budget just takes some time and planing (budget). g/l with your project keep us updated in the build threads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dat240zg Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Having just completed a ground up rodstoration on #248, here's my .02. Buy someone elses project and save your self a heck of a lot of bones ($). I didn't cut corners on mine and I have closer to what John has in his. It really is the small things that will get you. I planned for each of the large steps (motor swap, body, suspension, etc), but neglected to factor in alot of the smaller items that were needed - and I found that those smaller things ate my lunch. Now I'm in the position of turning around and having to sell mine. So here comes my second little nugget of advice - plan out your stages of life as well. I undertook a major restoration when my wife and I had no children. Now with my little daughter, my priorities have changed and, honestly, the Z isn't up there any more. I recognize that I diverged from the original cost question, but .... Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdigg Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I bought the 260z for 100$ then the next day I bought the 240z that was next to her for 100$, I would say I put about 2000$ in the project, but a lot of that was vanity( I like comfy seats)... if you are buying a "parts" z.. what is going to kill you is rubber, all kinds of rubber, rubber, rubber, rubber... I swear if I have to replace another piece of rubber I will snap... but on the other hand, I will have to agree with whats been said multiple times in this thread... fix it to street legal, don't bother with anything else... then drive the sweet piss out of it... you won't be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webster280z Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 For me I bought a rust free (well about 95% rust free), running and driving 76 280z in Cali for $1500 off ebay. spent around $1000 having it shipped to Ontario Canada. Since then I have spent about $800 on her (new seat covers and foam, radiator and other things). Now I am only 18 have the only S30 in town, also it is still bone stock and it loves to eat 5.0L mustangs around town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowCarbZ Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I've got $10000 Canadian tied up into mine with purchase/maintainance/mods etc. And i've owned it since July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutman75 Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 ive got about $12000 in mine and i bought it for $175,the wifes we bought it for $500 and about $9500 later but we would not trade it for anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2eighTZ4me Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I'm crossing the $18,000 mark and it still is a ways off from running. Granted, I bought a good number of spares and extra stuff, but it all costs. I've got probably $12K+ in my daily driver, and it still needs paint.....oh the joys.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horishima Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I would just like to say to much.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtl260z Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I was just wondering how much money your cars are costing you. Im talking about upgrades and everything Im 16 and Im suppose to be buying a 240z (probably in not that good of a condition) this upcoming spring and I plan on doing a swap to either an sr20det or rb25det, suspension, and brakes. (would I be done there?) My dad said he'd go halves with me on parts All of the body work/paint I plan on doing on my own. It may just be me but it seems like everyone fixing up a Z has cash and is most likely a mechanic. So would buying this car be a bad idea for someone making minimum wage? 240z's are one of my favorite cars ever btw. After almost 11 years and about $18000.00...I still have about $10000.00 more to go. My car doesn't even have paint yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Rough Guess...since 1989 when I purchased a bone stock, excellent, factory 280Z with 69K miles on it for $3500 I have probably spent another....$15-$20K on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeZ Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Bought my early 260Z in 1980 for $2500 (the sticker $2900) Immediately put $2000 (1980 dollars) in it with 4 bl Holley/manifold), suspension, radio, and assorted. Took it to Turbo Tom a couple of times and spent $10K-12K in '90's dollars and now different turbo, Mega-squirt, etc by slow_old_car and friends for approx. total of $18K-$20K. But, I didn't keep good records. Better that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx28 Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 300$ for running 76 280z $500 for '94 lt1 v-8 400$ into v-8 (converted to carb) $120 for working turbo 350 tranny built my own mounts .....i have a buddy thats a owns a laser cutting buisness and he let me use some scrap steel to build the mounts with. haven t gotten into body and paint yet. so far im about $12 or 1300 into my project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdigg Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 my word thats some moneys... I'm just happy mine starts in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirLaughsALot Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I still have yet to purchase a Z of my own, but I am here mainly to help out a bud with a 75 280z w/ EFI. When I start looking for a car maybe this summer, maybe in a few years, I am planning on spending around 6k +/- 4k for a car in great condition that does NOT need major rust repairs or has had them all done recently. A 69-74 manual 240z will be my goal, simple as that. I don't know if you would all agree on that tactic, but I think paying more up front will save me a LOT more in the long run as long as the car is from a reliable person. Anyone could say that the car has no rust...not until sandblasting (or whatever they do nowadays) does anyone really know. Anyways, until then, ill keep gulping up info, picking my ideal parts/setup, setting up a budget, and helping my friend Brian restore his Z. I so far my plans call out for 20k, so double that, plus repair costs, insurance, etc....oh yeah, not exactly cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
310z Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 SirLaughsALot, You need to go out to Pettersen Motorworks, on Hwy 32 on the north west side of town. Steve's shop is behind his brothers called Pettersen Motor Sports. Steve lives early era Z car's, that is all his shop is about. You may also get a glemps of my Z that I have over $40000 in although it is not yet finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Well, I got my first Z as my first car back when I was 16. Cost me 2250. Over the 2 years I had that Z i got two new tires, new radiator, new carpet, tint, and power locks...so about an easy 1000 on that Z. I had two more cars in between my first 77 and my current 78 which were a 88 supra turbo and a 95 Infiniti J30. Wasted a TON of money on the supra. Like STUPID crazy. 650 exhaust, 400 rack, 250 tint, 250 Infinity speakers, interior parts...yadda yadda. Thought the supra was going to be THE car but it just need to much to keep it going. Beautiful car though. One owner, 153k original miles. Great car. LOVED the engine....hated working on it but LOVED the engine lol. My current Z was bought for 3150 but needed tires straight off the bat. So 3500 and two tanks of gas to drive it home lol. It needed a dash cover so I got a soft cover which was like 40. I have since bought some wheels which were 100 and then 100 to mount and balance them, new rotors up front(can't remember how much that was...maybe 300?), bought some twice pipes which were 350 installed, and then some fusible link covers. Other than that, I haven't touched it I really need to get it claybarred as the roof is starting to get really dull and am saving for wheels, struts, and some springs. Oh, and BUSHINGS! I need those too lol. So, I've got an easy 2k to save up. After THAT who knows...I will eventually go turbo but not till after college when I can get another dd and work on this one for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gritz Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Paid $600 for the car..as some may know im in the process of a 1jz swap...so far i got around $4000 including the price of the car.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirLaughsALot Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 SirLaughsALot, You need to go out to Pettersen Motorworks, on Hwy 32 on the north west side of town. Steve's shop is behind his brothers called Pettersen Motor Sports. Steve lives early era Z car's, that is all his shop is about. You may also get a glemps of my Z that I have over $40000 in although it is not yet finished. I believe it was Tuesday night, I saw two white 240zs. One trailered behind a ford pickup and the other driven. One I could tell was more of a race car (trailered one) while the driven one had an amazing resto job done and sounded beautifully with the stock I-6 (could have been any of the three engines though-not that keen...). Thanks for the info, ill try to check it out this weekend. Happy Halloween everyone, dont forget the rocks + candy for the children now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmjay Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I like reading this thread... I don't even have my car yet, so I can't factor that in. I've been searching for a while, but the early 240/260's are pretty hard to come by in the shape I'm looking for and in the 5-600mile radius I can trailer it back home. They're either all resto'd or heavily modded or they're so far gone and rust-ridden that it'd be a monumental task in simply repairing the rust. I've been building my car on paper for the last month or so. Not counting the cost of the car, plus depending on if I decide to go with a crate motor or attempt my first bare-block build, I'm looking at anywhere between $25,000-35,000. But I'm building a GTO conversion, so that's an extra $5,000 added in just for the body and $4,000-ish for replica 72-spoke GTO wheels from Dayton +tires. I've also factored in a custom Extrudabody EFI setup at probably $3500-4000 (I hope) But, I also plan on another 3-5K extra that's not in the budget for nit-picky stuff and miscalculation of costs. The fact that I'm doing a GTO conversion already puts me up $9,000-10,000 just for the cosmetics...plus genuine Ferrari badges an be pretty pricey too. $2,000+ for vintage NOS...provided they an be found. All total, I'm HOPING to be finished for about $28,000, doing as much work myself that I can do and relying on the kindness of my fiance's racing family. Though, I'm planning on it being around $35,000 as a finished "turn-key" over the next 2-3 years. But, I'm sure that once it's to that point, there will STILL be things I'll want to do to it...isn't there always? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBZINYA Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 I paid $2400.00 a year ago for a really nice one that had been sitting in a barn in east Washington state for years... lucky for me the original owner got some ambition and replaced every part of the brakes- calipers-rotor-drums-wheel cylinders- all hardware and vac booster plus braided lines.. he had replaced 90% of all the rubber on the car with the exception of the window mouldings. The car was bone stock, down to the impact bumper shocks which are also new. Since the day I brought it home I have been doing this and that and keeping track of the cost of "upgrades" and mods.. so far includeing the car im $3984.94 into it with the konig rewinds and tires "proxis4's. I am planning an SR20det swap this spring and am bugeting $3200.00 for the completed swap.. however I am an ASE master tech and am savy in the engine bay. Good luck with yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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