What have I gotten into?

[Znutz]

Hi all,

I have just purchased the car I've always dreamed of having. Yes, a 240z. 1973 to be exact. It will be a project car for my 18 year old and me. Hopefully he will get it when he gets through Air Force boot camp and stationed in the states.

My question is about the rareness of this car we found. I truly believe the owner has had it for the last 30 years, with a brief hiatus to his son-in-law. From all looks it is true to it's original 39000 miles. It was undercoated and rot free. Amazing for Michigan! It has been unmolested except for spoked rims. To me, all the original parts are there except for a new fuel pump and slave.

I have been reading all I can about these cars and viewed many pictures to validate my position.

If this is true, what is it worth in your opinion?

[Jeff G 78]

Welcome to the forum! Post some pics of your new purchase. Value is hard to judge without a thorough inspection. It's all about condition.

Where in Michigan?

[motorman7]

Pics would help a lot for estimating worth. The price range based on your limited information would be anywhere $5K-$15K. Has it been repainted? Dash and interior condition? motor pics? frame rail pics? 'Unmolested' has a different meaning for each individual. It can mean anything from 'untouched' to 'the air cleaner on my V-8 doesn't stick out of the hood'.
Offhand, sounds like you have a great car.....we just like the pics :-)

Best regards,
Rich

[Znutz]

Hi Jeff,

We're in Holland, MI. I will be looking closer at the frame rails but the parting lines on the underside of the rockers looks excellent. Could be stuff under the paint though.

[Znutz]

[Mike]

Pics look great! Reminds me of when I first found my Z, sitting in a garage and unable to run. Congrats and have a good time restoring or refreshing, whatever it is you will do.

[Carl Beck]

Hi all,

I have just purchased the car I've always dreamed of having. Yes, a 240z. 1973 to be exact. It will be a project car for my 18 year old and me. Hopefully he will get it when he gets through Air Force boot camp and stationed in the states.

Yes - Go Air Force! Good for him...

My question is about the rareness of this car we found. I truly believe the owner has had it for the last 30 years, with a brief hiatus to his son-in-law. From all looks it is true to it's original 39000 miles.

After sitting for for so long - after undergoing a complete repaint, with everything blacked out under the hood - really impossible to tell. Nonetheless - I would expect a 39,000 mile engine to be in far better shape over-all - at least cosmetically.

It was undercoated and rot free.

I certainly hope that you are right. However, many times the undercoating covers up rust that forms under it. You'll have a much better idea once you get the car stripped down. Likewise the Tar Mats on the inside of the floors. - lots of times they too cover rusted metal.

Amazing for Michigan! It has been unmolested except for spoked rims. To me, all the original parts are there except for a new fuel pump and slave.

Well - "unmolested" except for a complete color change, blacked out under the hood etc.

I have been reading all I can about these cars and viewed many pictures to validate my position.

If this is true, what is it worth in your opinion?

Looking at the over-all condition - looking at the condition of the engine compartment - I would guess it has a lot more than 40K miles on it. Very hard to tell what the condition really is under that repaint. You didn't say if you could drive it before you bought it - but if it was in non-running condition - but with a fairly straight body.. $4.5K to $5.5K wouldn't be too bad a price to pay in Mich. A bit more if you were able to start and drive it 25 miles or so..

Nonetheless - it looks like it would be a good start on a Project. Keep us posted on your progress..

FWIW,
Carl B.

[Blue]

These cars clean up nice and are easy to work on.

If you like the style, like most of us here, each one is worth a million dollars

[madkaw]

Probably on worth a couple hundred - but I'm offering 500$ cool father son project

GO USAF- my daughter is an USAF officer!!!!

Welcome to CZCC and the helpful staff here

[bartsscooterservice]

Id go with Carl. But does it really matter... after some work, it will come out nice

[EuroDat]

Whats it worth? What is your hobby worth to you and your son. Thats all that matters in the end.
If your planning on restoring it for eventual resell with profit later, thats just not going to happen.

Looks like the PO has been tinkering with it like Carl said. Colour change and blacked out under the hood and I would be thinking more in the relms of 139k on the clock, but what do you expect for a 40 year old car.
Still a great start to an enjoyable project.

I wont say what I think its worth. My estimate is geographically biased. Zeds are all but an extinct species over here.

Chas

[jfa.series1]

The engine bay pic shows mostly OE hoses and OE hose clamps. The hoses will have to be replaced but hold on to the OE clamps and resist the urge to replace them with modern stuff. Get them thoroughly cleaned up and them replated in yellow zinc to add some flash and maintain authenticity under the hood. FYI - those old clamps are always in demand by Z restorers!

Welcome to the group and good luck with the project. Take your time and throw NOTHING away until you already have its replacement in hand. Bag and tag everything IMMEDIATELY as it comes off the car - don't trust your memory, it will fail you! Don't start a bolt/nut can and expect to remember where each one goes, bag and tag them individually.

We're here for your questions and updates, looking forward to keeping up with your progress.

Jim

[motorman7]

Looks like a great project car. I would really like to second what Jim said here. Be very careful on what you may think about throwing away or replacing. Those clamps are works of art (my opinion as a mech engineer) and very pricey on e-bay. Same with your braided hoses if they are salvageable. You will hear a lot of complaints about those flat tops, but mine worked just fine. A Zed with flat tops is becoming increasingly rare. I restored a '73 several years ago...below is the thread if you are interested

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/o...01-silver.html

Best of luck and enjoy the ride.

Rich

[psdenno]

As others have noted,139,000 is probably more accurate. Although, the original style hoses and clamps are rare on well used Zs.

In addition to the reprint, the hood emblem has been removed and the holes filled. Aftermarket door mirror has been added. The air cleaner housing appears to have been repainted. Have you run a magnet down the body to check for body filler in the usual rust locations?

That said, you'll have a fun project ahead. Enjoy the final product! I bought my Z in 1971 when I was in the Air Force and still find. It to be a great car.
Dennnis

[ajmcforester]

I think you will find that the car is altered more than you think, I could make a list of incorrect parts under the hood, and parts I could not see. Also I saw what looks like rust under the edge of the spoiler these cars for how simple they are sure can hide rust. Also watch that undercoating I'd remove it. Its better to find a small spot to repair then to find out under the undercoating the floor pan is ready to go.

That being stated the car looks good and will be a great car fixed up, and welcome to the Z world. What are your plans for the car?

[Travel'n Man]

Be sure to assume nothing - push out that old brake fluid, change all diff and trans fluids, personally I'd pull the radiator and have it rodded and boiled. Inspect the brakes and give it a good valve adjustment along with a solid tuneup.

Start clean and enjoy the ride!

[Hunter260Z]

I agree with Travel'n Man,but I would try to find a early set of 72 round top carbs. My flat tops were done at 46000 miles. Don't waste your time and money on those old flat top carbs.

[gogriz91]

You're right, for having been in Michigan the car looks great, if you can move it, I would spend $20 on some cleaning materials and a couple of hours detailing the interior, engine bay and just trying to get the dirt and accumulated Michigan off of it. have you gotten underneath the car? I would look in the spare tire bay too as water will collect there. As to what it's worth, it's worth what someone is willing to pay when it is to be sold, I'm thinking the engine may need at least a ring job, valve adjustment maybe and a standard tuneup, how does it run?

I'm active duty USAF for the last 21 years, what's your son going to be doing after basic?

[Znutz]

Thanks for all the great advice! I will be digging into it with my son over the holiday. I' ll keep you guys posted.
Gogriz91: my son wants to start with security forces and build his career toward OSI. He just finished his ASVAB with high 90's. He is currently in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program as a Lt. Col. Hopefully he will pass his Spatz exam to make Col. Less than 2000 since inception. With his currect status he will enter as an E3.

[Stanley]

According to Blue book, '73's (like mine) are valued less than '72's, which are less than 71's, and so on. Maybe because they're a little heavier, have the flat tops and more smog stuff. One the other hand, they have the N-36 intakes, and supposedly a better exhaust manifold.

Mine has round-tops, easier to work on because there's so much information here about tuning them. Had to remove the snake-pit (smog equipment) because the air galley was rusted out and pouring out fumes. It looks way nicer now without it.

You're going to want a FSM factory service manual, you can download it or better yet find a used one. There's also the L24 engine manual, but it only covers the engine.

That hose at the right side of the engine, leading from the water inlet to a tee (one side comes from the heater) looks totally shot. It's 3/4" i.d., if you start the car (and it's as bad as it looks) water's going to spray out if it doesn't run out when you fill the radiator. Might want to drain the gas tank also before starting it.

Those plug wires are way too long. Clean up the engine bay, get some new hoses and some NGK wires, and it will start to look way better and be more fun to work on.

Regarding your title question, some day you'll know in great detail. But for now .... Congratulations!

[gogriz91]

OSI would be a great jump, I'm pretty sure they send you to FLETC which opens a lot of doors in the Federal system. I went Ops but wish I had gone OSI which I was offered because it makes figuring out what you're going to do when you're done in the military a lot easier.