Finally got a 240

[yakhopper]

Since I was a kid in the S.F. Bay Area I have wanted a Z-Car like my aunt had. That was the coolest car in the neighborhood. Now (40 years later) I am proud to say I have my very own "71" 240Z.
This will be my first project car and will more than likley cost a small fortune but I have wanted this for a long time and I can't wait to get started.
Little info:
This beauty is straight as an arrow and only has 2 door dings with minor surface rust. All the trim is intact and the car is running and registered to date. The interior is in decent shape but the carpet and seats need replacing (seat frames are good but foam and covers are worn out). She wares 235/60/14 tread on Shelby Wheels and her under carrige has no scratches from the pavement. The floor pans are like new and the odomiter reads 41023. She has been resting for the last 10+ years in a garage of a older gentleman that claims to be the second owner and purchased her with only 18,000 miles. She runs but has a little tap in the top end (probably valves) and seems to need a good tune of the carbs. Most of her age is shown in the need of bushings (weather cracked) and struts (blown).
Her VIN# is HLS3025618 and the carfax is clean. (how can I get a better refrence on her history and find out if that is indeed her true millage?)
My camera is with my daughter (ski trip) so I will post pics soon.
I will have a lot of questions (especially about the Hitachi SU Carbs)
Thanks in advance for all the info I may recieve,
Eric

[ajmcforester]

New guys need to post pictures to get responces

[bpilati]

Congratulations on the Z, nice choice.

[psdenno]

Can't go too wrong with a '71 Z. Welcome to the group!
Dennis

[Darrel]

pics or you got a chevette.

[cozye]

pics ....

[yakhopper]

Here are the pics of my chevette Hope she was worth the Kayak I traded for her

[ajmcforester]

Not bad that looks well worth the trade, in fact hide the car he might want it back. Make sure you take care of the rust spots in the pictures soon that is bad stuff.

By the way the wheels were probably worth more than the boat. American Racing still makes the cap for these rims, Summit Racing sells them it was the cheapest price. The caps are a little different they snap in instead of a backing plate the screws into the hub like the old ones do.

Nice looking car I wish you luck with her

[yakhopper]

Thanks,
I recieved the new caps from the previous owner but didnt want to install them till I got the wheels cleaned up.
I had thought of selling the wheels to help cap the cost of other repairs as I've heard they might be desireable - any thoughts?
I actually wanted a more modern look with a 16" wheel anyway.

[Gary in NJ]

Now that you've posted photos...

Welcome to the forums. Good looking car you have there.

[yakhopper]

Thanks for the welcome.
I have a couple of questions;
1. I need to get the valves adjusted and the Carbs tuned - is there a reputable person in my neck of the woods (Fresno, Calif.)?
2. I have 2 items in this vehicle that don't mater to me (original 240 mats and the wheels) Are they of enough desire or value to justify selling to offset the cost of these repairs?
Any info on either question would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric

[Gary in NJ]

Eric,

If you pay others to work on your classic car, the costs will eat your lunch. If you have any mechanical ability, take the time to learn to do the simple things like adjusting the carbs, adjusting the valves, setting the points & dwell and the timing.

There really is a lot to that old saying, "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime".

[ajmcforester]

I think some of the more modern wheels look off on the Z. 15" look good but without a total low-profile look, check out my Blue Z to see how they look it had a stock ride height. Wheel changes can cause some minor problems lower profiles and wider wheels may require some rear camper adjustment; well their is not factory adjustment. The best camber kit to fix that problem in the one that replaces several lower bushings for a caber adjustment bushings. Or understand you need to watch the back side of the tire for ware since it will unevenly ware. I would recommend a directional tire they help make it easier to steer.

[yakhopper]

Thanks for the tips,
A little history on myself:
Graduated U.T.I. in "86" and worked as a mechanic for several years before selling tires than eventuallg got into the fishing buisness.
Although I have rebuilt a few Carbs in my day I was under the impression that this was best left to a person very comfortable with this system as they have a reputation of being tricky. If this is not the case than I will try to tackle it on my own.
My intention is to make this a dependable daily driver with a few modern twists = Wheels & Tires, seat and interior upgrades, Electrical improvements in the lighting dept., etc.
I will be reading all the teck info I can find on the carb set-up as well as reviewing the FOM I ordered on line. Any extra info or tricks would be greatly appreciated. I am also going to be replacing the wheels and tires, seats, and floormats / carpet. The carpet is toast but the floor mats and wheels are in good shape. I will be selling these items that are in good shape and giving the rest to anybody who could use them but not sure how to judge the value. Again any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric

[Maples71240Z]

pics or you got a chevette.

Chevette? I think a Vega would be better 8^)

Dave.

[Perfect240Z]

Welcome! I just got mine too! All I can say about owning is my dad used to have one......lol and I am not in the 40's

[tlorber]

Nice car. It looks to be in good shape for an early Z. I agree with the statement above that you should plan on doing most or all of the work yourself. These cars are simple and fun to work on, there is more info than you'll need on this site (get a Haynes manual and download the factory service manual from the xenon site) and there's no guarantee that a mechanic will do the work any better than you can.

I would not be overly concerned with keeping the car absolutely stock. There are many benefits from the 13 or so years of technology that later ZX parts can provide, and most are a direct bolt on. Just don't do any wierd stuff to the car. You'll draw the ire of this crowd and the Z gods will frown upon you.

[Zealous]

Yeah also lots of nice problem fixing upgrades, search here for wiring harness upgrade. As tlorber said there are also benefits to improved ZX parts. This might be a good place to start for you to read the option to keep it close to stock.
http://datsunzgarage.com/

There are a few good Z shops in the SF bay area:

• Datsonville ask for Honza
• Z Car Garage ask for Rob
• Dandos Automotive (haven't dealt with them yet)

If you are ever up this way from Fresno maybe we can organise a meet up.

How much you want for the wheels? Definitely get rid of them who would want those awful things? Ill even take them off your hands for free to help you out

[Gary in NJ]

...I will be reading all the teck info I can find on the carb set-up as well as reviewing the FOM I ordered on line. Any extra info or tricks would be greatly appreciated...

Eric,

You are more then qualified. Contact Z-Therapy and order their SU Carb DVD. It will teach you everything (and more) you need to know about the SU's. These are stone-simple constant velocity carbs. I've worked on multi-carb set-up on motorcycles for years and these are much easier.

Also, while you're ordering stuff from ZT, get:

- two carb bowl gaskets because you will at least want to check your float height.
- A UniSync to sync the carbs

Driving a Z is nice. But once you begin to work on one it really gets into your blood.

[cozye]

wow. Nice find. I'd love to find a clean 240 like that.

[yakhopper]

Thanks for the link Zealous,
I have been reading all the info I can get my hands on and this site has alot of info in plain english.
I am starting with the basics in the engine compartment = new alt., water pump, voltage reg., thermostat, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, filters etc.
After I am sure she is tuned properly than I'll tackle the carbs than hit the suspension and work from their.
I know she is in decent drivable shape but I tend to get anal about things and want them working properly.
I'll try adding pics as I get moving on this project.
Eric

[tlorber]

Eric,

Before you buy an alternator (and voltage regulator) you should look into installing an alternator from a newer ZX with an internal regulator. For $60.00 @ auto zone (lifetime warranty) and around $15.00 for a small plug from Dave Irwin on this site, you can have a stable electrical system that will charge the battery well and not have headlights dim when the rpm's drop. This is the type of upgrade that I was referring to above. Generally , when you can replace a mechanical device with an electronic one, the performance and stability will improve. If you search "alternator upgrade" on this site you'll find more info than you have time to read.

Ditto for the distributor.

[ezzzzzzz]

www.carfiche.com this is a good source for service manuals and parts microfiche. It's free but a small donation would be worthwhile. I have no affiliation. I too have a 71 240Z and a boat load of books and diagrams including the proper US spec wiring diagram. These vehicles are far from complicated. There's also www.zcar.com and www.hybridz.org for loads of infomation. Let us know if we can help.

[yakhopper]

Tlober,
Thanks for the segestion about the Alt. upgrade - I'll will likley be doing this over the weekend but was curious how this will affect the rest of the stock wiring harness? I've heard this vehicle was notorious for bad wiring.
ezzzzzzz,
Thanks for the links - these will be very helpful as I continue to work on this vehicle.
I would also like to thank all those on this great site for the help and seggestions to improve my new project.
Eric

[Carl Beck]

Hi Eric:

The wheels on the car "LOOK" like American Racing "Libre" style. I say they "look" like them - but you will have to pull them off to be sure. Different manufacturers and distributors also sold "copies".

If they are real American Racing - they will have "American Racing Equipment" cast into them on the back side of the wheels. If they are near perfect - with NO curb rash and with perfect lug nut holes - you can expect to get $75.00 to $85.00 each. About half that if they are damaged.

If they are other copies - maybe $45.00 to $55.00 each.

They use to be worth more -but now you can buy new reproductions for about $200.00 each - and now you can get them in 15" or 16" sizes.

The "240Z" rubber floor mats - usually sell for $75.00 to $125.00 depending on the actual condition of the rubber. They can get quite brittle if they haven't been well cared for - so $75.00. If they are still soft and pliable, no cracks or tears - $125.00

You might price them a bit lower for a quick, hassle free sale here or on one of the other Z Car sites mentioned - putting them on E-Bay might yield the highest price, but then you have to put-up with the Public.

FWIW,
Carl B.

[yakhopper]

Thanks,
I'll be pulling the wheels this weekend to check the brakes and make what I find avail. here. I don't have the desire to do a full restoration so if anyone here has a desire for any of the parts mentioned please send me a message and I'll be as fair as I can be on the price as long as the shipping is covered.
Thanks for all the info,
Eric