Hey Java!

That car happens to have one of the best rear spoilers they ever made for the Series-1 240 cars, so that's good. The front chin spoiler is dead ~ ditch it. The aftermarket sunroof is a nice addition if it doesn't leak.

Without seeing the engine and knowing how bad the carburetors are, listening to it run and seeing if it smokes, etc, I could not determine the actual value of this car. However, for a thumbnail guess, I will tell you that any 240 which moves under its own power and is street legal (passing inspection) is PROBABLY worth no less than $2500-3000 dollars. That's for a car which we call CONDITION 4 (all there, runs, able to be repaired, with major wear and some damage). This car looks like it would probably be a condition 4 or maybe condition 5 (worn, damaged, requiring lots of work and money to be roadworthy, maybe better used as a parts car).

If the car is already roadworthy (that R/F fender gives me doubts) but needs the work it looks like it does, I would consider $3-5,000 to be the TOP dollar worth of the vehicle, but that would depend greatly on the condition of the engine and driveline.

That year 240Z had the low-compression head, notorious "flat top" SU carburetors and loads of smog control devices, all of which gave the cars low performance (compared to the early '70-'71 cars) and vapor lock problems. Happily, the carbs can be replaced with "roundtops" and the emission control crap can now be removed for better performance. You can replace the head with a higher compression E88 or (if you're REALLY lucky enough to find one) an E31 head. Total cost of all that should be under $1,000 if you have Z friends in a good Club

All this hypothetical breezing means nothing unless the engine and driveline are sound. A blown L24 engine will cost you several thousand dollars to pull, rebuild and reinstall. The fenders can be replaced cheaply (several guys in this Club have spares) but your chief concern should be rust.

These cars performed well because they were made of lightweight material, but that thin stuff really rusted badly. Look under the car carefully (use a mirror if you can't drive the car to a lift) and see if there are major rust issues under there. These cars had no "frame" (only two framerails alongside the engine block, back to the seats) so any rust holes under the car detract from rigidity and safety.

Ask about the car's history. If it has been parked for a long time, there's probably a safety reason for it, and you might not want to risk the investment.

Hope this helps some ~ there are volumes more info you need to know about the car before buying it, (UNLESS IT'S CHEAP! )

I'm sure you'll hear lots more comments from other members here, too.

Z Ya Later!
Frank T
MbrshpDir
(Frank@CTZCC.Com)

PS~ you can always offer him $300 and see where it goes from there!

Basically, the earlier the car (240Z), the more they can be worth and the easier they are to work on and restore. The 280Z and 300ZX cars got pretty complicated, compared to the basic, early 240s. There were a lot of electronics on the later cars which could eventually go bad. The early cars were lightweight, simple, and quick. More "sports car" than "Grand Touring" car.

If that 240Z runs and moves under its own power, without fogging up the entire neighborhood with smoke, it's probably worth $1200. But expect to put at least another $1200 into it (if you can do your own common mechanical work) before you're happy with the safety, performance and appearance. All Cherried-Out as a driver, that car could be worth about $18,000, max.

There are several parts warehouses which sell replacement parts for the Z cars, including Black Dragon, Victoria British and Motorsport (MSD). And our members are extremely generous with their spare parts and technical advice.

Get as much information about the car's history as possible. Try to talk him down a bit on the price ~ the more you save on the initial sale, the more you can spend on replacement and improvement.

But again, your main concern should be RUST. Rust will make the difference btwn this being a very poor road car which needs constant attention, or a very good parts car.

Frank

Just from the looks of that car, I wouldn't pay more than $500 - $700 for it. What are your plans for the car? Stock or Hot Rod? Dash cracked? These are the type of questions you need to ask and know before you buy a car. If you will hot rod, and there are parts you can sell off than paying a little more for a car isn't bad. Things like....SU carbs, valve cover (2400), intake, E-31 head, metal fan can be sold off for cash. A car like that, depends on how long it has been sitting will need to be gone through...brakes/fluids/tires. A cost to you, so remember that.

You can beat there is hidden rust and be sure to check - spare tire, battery tray, floors, rails, TC rod area, hatch and panel above the tail lights. Be sure to check #'s to match...firewall, door jam, dash and title. Also check the key/keys to make sure it works will all the locks.

Hope this helped......see this link for a car I am buying for $1000.

http://forums.ctzcc.com/viewtopic.php?t=3620

Clive

Dang, Evil, sounds like a deal, I was $2,000 over what I figured. I would only pay $300 for that 73. 73's aren't as popular as the 70-72, and especially the few 69's out there. I would take the ZX over that, but would only pay $4,000 for it. I paid $3,200 for an 83 Turbo with T-tops and 5-speed, with some minor rust and only 80k for miles. If it is really nice, $5 g's top.