Well you're right there mate, but the way we looked at it, the cost of restoring it could have been btwn $18,000-20,000 and the eventual worth would have been slightly less. The engine is seized and when I put it up on jackstands, I found there was even more rust damage than any of us had seen before.

We've already begun stripping it. I have many interior partZ from it which will help put my 1970 car back on the road. Several Club members have got partZ from it already, and others from as far away as Washington State have ordered items from it. The only happy part of this is that there are so very many usable bits on the car ~ it was never wrecked; the body just rusted to death. I'm charging very little for the parts (some as low as $5, nothing more than $50) and I'm making no profit off the car ~ we're sending $ into the Club account to help fund next season's events,so we'll all benefit from this car and that's a good thing.

The 1970 cars had a number of unique parts. But the 1971 cars very closely resembled them, so many items will fit my car. I want my 1970 car as a safe, reliable driver, not a show car. This 1971 car was a Blessing to me, since I have limited my restoration budget to spending just $100/month for fixing my 1970 car. You really can't do much for that amount, so the parts off this FREE 1971 car have launched my program far ahead of schedule

I do wish HLS30-41421 could have been restored instead of stripped and parted out. But it wasn't meant to be. Seeing the incredible amount of undercarriage rust damage it had, I would have had eternal safety concerns about anybody driving it again, regardless how much work went into it.

Thanks for your input, tho. I don't think any of us likes to see another one of these great old cars die. I suspect that if the original owner had decided to do something with the car even 5 years sooner, the end result might have been different.

Frank

Robin, thanks for the good words.

When I got the car up on stands and slid under it, I found three areas were I could literally wrap my hands over the tops of both frame rails ~ through what should have been steel. There's nothing holding the front swaybar to the car ~ one hard bump and everything would fall off, at both sides.

I suspect the driveline could be salvaged and rebuilt. But the shell has had it.

Mine wasn't this bad and it was a LOT of work. Sad to say the shell is gone. Maybe a donor shell could make it worth doing.

Frank,

I feel your pain. As an original owner of my '71 Z, I know the value of a one owner car. However, she has passed on to another now so the nostalgia value doesn't apply here. Looking at the condition of this Z, I say you may be better off parting her out, especiallly if you want to spend less on her than her eventual restored value. The mechanicals look complete under the hood, so I would assume there are some good parts in there surrounded by that rust cover.

Regards,

John

_________________
John Kish
1971 240Z - original owner

You're right John ~ thanks. We have to play the hand we're dealt, and this car was simply too far gone to save realistically.

(By the way John, who makes the steering wheel on your car? If I wanted one for Christmas, how much would I have to save?)

Frank

Frank are the ash tray and center console spoken for? Thanks

Clive

Clive ~ EMail me (Frank@CTZCC.Com). There might be lots of partZ left you could use.

Frank

Frank, I'm confused, are you acustomed to buying your own Christmas gifts??

It's something I learned as a kid, being raised by wolves.

If you really want something, track it down and take it yrslf.

looks good to me, fix it up.

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-Dave