1982 280zx starter/key issue and powersteering pump

[whitezeppelin91]

Hi,
this is my first post and I'm not very car saavey, but I'm educated in electronics etc.
So, I found an ad for a 1982 280zx in my town and I wanted to know if it was worth buying($1,100).
All I know is that it has about it is that it has 107k miles, stock everything.
Apparently there is an issue with the starter/key and the power steering pump.
here is a link to the ad(no pic): http://santamaria.craigslist.org/cto/2927698962.html

I'm going to check it out soon, but i wanted to know if these things would be easy to repair. I have about $1,000 that i can afford to put into it for now.
I know it's not that much information, but i want to know what I'm getting myself into.
thanks

[Zed Head]

By "starter" I think that she means ignition switch. And the problems with the door sound like something came loose in the door linkages to window and lock. The power steering pump shouldn't be too hard to fix, but I've not owned a ZX so can't say for sure. Nothing looks too hard to repair, but it's mostly mechanical, not electronical.

If I was looking for ZX, I would go take this one for a test drive. That is low miles for an L6 engine. Offer a discounted price for as-is, she probably doesn't really want to fix anything anyway.

[zbane]

I agree with Zed on the starter-it's the lock cylinder that's mucked up-should be easy enough to replace. As to the window not operating, the scissor mechanism may have seized up, tracks fouled, or the motor has become disconnected from one of the switches/power supply. A slight hassle to deal with, but nothing major.
(text from cl posting, number x'ed out by me)

1982 280zx maroon with t-top, automatic, approx 107,000 original miles runs very well needs a little tlc very dependable n fun 2 drive.
email thru craigslist or contact susie @ xxx-xxxx if no reply 2 email within 48 hrs pls.
will post photo asap. price is negotiable.

The car needs a starter because a key was stuck in it and it was ruined after using other objects to start it. It starts up fine, but by wiring only. The right door and window need to be fixed. Door opens but only with key sometimes. The window does not go down. It may also need a new power steering pump. Other than that, its in very good condition. If you are interested we can negotiate to determine cost and repairs. I may be able to have some things repaired if needed. I am willing to negotiate if you are. The car belonged to my mother who bought it new in 82. She gave it to me 4 yrs ago before she passed away. It had 79,000 mls on it at that time and was in mint condition. I havent been able to afford these repairs, but it has been well maintained otherwise. If you can work with me, let me know.

thanks

[hall.nathan89]

Power steering isn't hard to do at all. Neither is the ignition switch. But in my personal opinion, digging into the door is going to SUCK... :-P As for the ignition switch, you might find it cheaper to pull it out and take it to a locksmith and have them clean and repin it. I was able to do that a few months ago and the guy only charged me $15 since it was already out of the car.

[zbane]

Getting into the door isn't that difficult. All that's needed is a phillps head screwdriver, and a thin flat/wide blade (or strong fingers) to pry/poop the door panel off.
Remove the door pull and the armrest.
Grab hold of the power window switch enclosure by the sides, and pry back and forth on the horizontal plane. It's held on by sprung metal, and will take a bit of work to get loose.
Start at the lower edge, door jamb end of the door-insert your pry tool (putty scraper works well), and pop the panel free of the door. Work your way along the bottom edge, and up the front. Once it's free of those tabs (expect a few to break-it happens) you can pull the panel out from the door a bit and move it upwards off the upper edge.