Things to look out for when getting an old 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX

[sythen]

i've come across a drop-top 280zx over here.. owner decided targa wasnt enough so he cut off the whole roof. its in a really bad state though. engine might still run.. another 280 i found in another workshop is half as bad but still needs a lot of work. mechanic said its been there nearly 2 yrs, owner swapped his (working) L28ET for RB25 but never came to collect.

actually, i did see a 280zx for sale somewhere in Sabah, on Mudah but its gone now. here's another one: http://www.mysandakan.com/?pid=adsvertisement_view_details&sid=558 but idk if its still available. quite a few mods including RB25.. surely there are a few 280zx for sale around KL?

yeah, i did think about that.. they might even have the specs already for all i know.. but it might be possible to find cheaper alternatives eg King springs from australia and KYB absorbers.

more importantly though, my lady needs to be sent in for some rust-proofing and a new rack & pinion. a long way to go.. hope to get some pointers from the forum as i go along

 

[arturo]

i've come across a drop-top 280zx over here.. owner decided targa wasnt enough so he cut off the whole roof. its in a really bad state though. engine might still run.. another 280 i found in another workshop is half as bad but still needs a lot of work. mechanic said its been there nearly 2 yrs, owner swapped his (working) L28ET for RB25 but never came to collect.

actually, i did see a 280zx for sale somewhere in Sabah, on Mudah but its gone now. here's another one: http://www.mysandakan.com/?pid=adsvertisement_view_details&sid=558 but idk if its still available. quite a few mods including RB25.. surely there are a few 280zx for sale around KL?

yeah, i did think about that.. they might even have the specs already for all i know.. but it might be possible to find cheaper alternatives eg King springs from australia and KYB absorbers.

more importantly though, my lady needs to be sent in for some rust-proofing and a new rack & pinion. a long way to go.. hope to get some pointers from the forum as i go along

the chopped roof 280zx...what a waste. the converted engine...also a waste. if it has a running engine, i'd restore the engine back as it had ample power. besides, the old lady is more suited as a cruiser nowadays than a monster. as more ppl can have time to see who's the driver that way heheheh . the last 280zx was from a guy called Brian. it was sold to a member here - dfws. he's also working on his restoration project now. that car has a laurel 2.0 engine and R32 rear tail lights. am waiting for dfws to come back with his progress...

the mudah 280zx was a black 1 rite from Labuan? i had plane tickets booked to go see him a few weeks back on friday n a return flight on saturday and had an agreement with him to see and then deal immediately so he could arrange shipment and name transfer. i wasted rm7++ in plane tickets cos he sold the car on thursday morning. i cursed the barsterd to high heaven for falling back on his deal. he countered by saying he was desperate for the money. the wednesday b4 i made the bookings i called him at least a dozen times n left numerous messages to make sure he confirmed his earlier deal but the farker only replied my messages on thursday morning by saying it was sold n he was so sorry. it was already a done deal that car....i even had a windscreen ordered from a fabrication house in Seremban(cos the guy told me the windscreen had a crack in it) and going up to labuan was just a formality to see and pass the check n settle all the paperwork. oh well....easy come easy go...

id suggest u do up the bodywork first while searching for the shocks. those can go on last as it'd be useless even if u found a set now since u cant mount it. there is another option. u could co-operate with dfws and use his car as a template if u ever decide to build a set of custom shocks. maybe u both can order the same set n even get a discount?anyway...if u do need the windscreen, do let me know. its not in my hands now and i have not paid for it so technically it still belongs to the factory

u haven't seen any 240z over there? if u do, pls let me know asap...the itch is starting to wane n i really dont wanna loose interest in the old z heheheh

 

[sythen]

agreed, chopping the roof is rilly wtf and the engine should be kept original unless there are no other options.

and yeah, thats the car. im sorry to hear he screwed u, thats rilly not right. if it were me i'd curse him to hell and back as well. but come to think of it, that Mudah car, the 2 i saw in the workshops, another one i've seen in a garage and mine are all labuan registered. i'm certain i used to see even more labuan 280s around in KK.

well i dont exactly need a windsheild, but i do need new weatherstrips all around the car so if u have any leads, i'd be thankful. as for the shocks, ur right that i'd be better off sorting out the bodywork first. im still in discussions with a few workshops that might do the rust-proofing and all.

i havent seen a 240 around for a very very long time. a grand uncle of mine used to have one when i was still a kid but it was sold off long ago. another grand uncle still has a 260 which he doesnt drive.. it just sits in the garage... -_- actually, i think the 260 is nice as well. its not a 240 but it still has that shape and stance. i wouldnt mind one but maintaining my 280 is already expensive :P i recently came into contact with another forumer from KK who owns a 260, and though he never mentioned its for sale and i know 260s are not exactly ur preference, if ur interested maybe u can ask him.. and ur interest might wane after a while but im sure it'll reappear the next time u see another old lady on the road hehe. they're great cars ;)

 

[arturo]

Sythen...if the price is right for the 260z...i dun mind kua. i just dun like the rear taillights but i think can make 1 myself(very slowly hehehhee) is yr granduncle willing to sell?

there are quite a number of very interested classics over in labuan but not the old lady...even if i find one, problem is arranging for flight n the transport back...

i'll ask around here if they can special order a set. u want the whole set?i mean for the whole car or just the front windscreen?

mind if u create a new thread n post up yr restoration progress?

 

[sythen]

sorry for late reply but ive been away recently..

about the weatherstrips, im looking for the whole set especially front and sides. so far i havent found any even on online Z shops.

guess what? there was an article in a local paper yesterday, and our local Nissan branch is having some charity drive.. someone had donated an 83 280ZX 2+2 and they put it up for bidding starting at 10k, so i went to check the car out today. its in running condition.. engine is original but will need some fixing, one of the belts sound like it might snap anytime :P it looks to have been recently painted (red) though quite unprofessionally done. didnt notice any major rust but im sure u'll find some once u do a closer inspection. interior is pretty much all there, all original except for the momo steering wheel. dashboard has some cracks, but i noticed there were a few extra electronics compared to mine.

the person in charge of the auction wasnt around so i couldnt find out what the current bid, if any, was. the workers did say though that quite a few ppl came to have a look in the morning, some arriving in their own Zs.

i'll PM u some details on the 280 and the 260.. who knows, the owner might wanna sell after all? :P btw, the 280 is again, a labuan registered car. heh

as for my own restoration, that'll hv to wait coz i'd prefer to get it all done at once which means getting together all the parts

 

[jiusan]

not a pro .. but i watched documentaries on fairlady's

they are proven to rust very well coz the steel body , well its an old car so normal
it really does rot in places like america , due to weather .

parts are super difficult for body , but if you got the cash is no problem , can always custom made ,

the engine is kinda cool and very powerful for its time , 240z carb setup L24 is the best ,
but outdated by emission problems during that time and even now

then to the not as fast as 240 the 260z which is still pretty and then the 280z with fuel injected L28 , i think there are still carb L28 but its not good as the carb on L24

price in malaysia , i have only seen one real 240z in red
a lot of 280z which is around rm20000-30000 ,
some converted to RB25 , some L28 fuel injected , some have bumpers like ferraris < UGLY !!>
sorry for that ,

there are a few special ones like 240ZG , this one have a bolt on flared arch , plastic headlamps and etc ...
and then the S30 which actually not a car but the name of an engine in an S30Z if not mistaken , that is 2000cc six cylinder straight form with triple carb , only 15 made if not wrong .
they are the crazy engine that was used on datsun skyline's that take up all the victories during GT , the famous one that made skyline monster is actually them , not R32 or whatever GTR now , thou they still win a lot < my opinion >

 

[arturo]

sythen...thanks for the info i'll try asking around this raya bout your weather strips.

jiusan...rust is always a problem heheheh. good info u got there!

 

[Kevin Lee]

arturo, lol, ur everywhere, after commenting my honda s600 restoration, never thought ud go for a nissan, after being a honda fanboy, lol

but anyways heres what i found
http://www.mudah.my/Fairlady+z-6978936.htm

and also this
http://www.mudah.my/Nissan+Fairlady+300Z-4355377.htm

else contact tony5050

last i knew he wanted to sell his 240z restored. but yes, haha good luck with ur find, my honda is killing me now. its harder to restore than a Z car

 

[arturo]

hehehehe Kev...i am a honda fanboy alrite...but u gotta admit the pre 300z' look damn good. ala jaguar!

the first Z has been on sale for a very longtime. very nicely maintained but not my taste. the 2nd 280zx is WAY over priced. i almost got 1 just a little worse for wear compared to the red one in mudah for about 10k including shipping.

tony's 240z will be way out of my reach. right now the best choice i have is the 260z that sythen intro-ed. still awaiting a price heheheh

yr s600 is in a different league la. there are so few original s600's around here that i dun think many would know it when they saw it hehehe. pity thangoh's failed purchase...was really hoping to see him begin his restoration project

 

[Kevin Lee]

hahah, a honda fanboy with a datsun flavor, hahah! well, i have pointed thangoh another better project, if only he could grab them from the USA, the last 100 units of the chain driven Honda S800 RHD from the states, going for about 6500 USD. I hope he does it, he would have the most complete S800 in Malaysia if he does, hahah!

 

[arturo]

RHD....a little hard to overtake with hehehehe USD6500 will be at least 20k excluding 100%+25% taxes not to mention the freight and insurance costs......hmmm...its doable. but very costly.we all need to poison thangoh a little bit more hehehehe

 

[Kevin Lee]

umm, right hand drive means the driving position on the right! LOL. not LHD. its mostly an import by the american soldiers while in japan, haha! so hence a RHD that is in usa, haha. i think its way better than spending money on the 16k junk that is nothing but a shell

 

[arturo]

oh man..damn. i knew there was some logic error in my statement...thanks for the correction of error.

yah. 16k was a little to high for something that bad. maybe 8k will be more appealing...tho thats not gonna happen.

 

[Kevin Lee]

u know, back then, my friend grabbed a 240z in almost good condition for 7k, a kampung find! lol

 

[sythen]

@jiusan u got the rust part right thats for sure! a lot of Zs look good on the outside but have rust issues underneath. as for the S30, its 1st generation of Zs starting from the 240z up to the 280z.. which was from '69 to '78.. correct me if im wrong on the years. and then came the 280zx which is S130.

@arturo rilly grateful for that! actually ill be pretty amazed if u can source any hehe

 

[arturo]

Kev...240Z for 7k??? i'd have a permenant smile on my face for the next whole month if i can close a deal that good today....how's his 7k 240z today?

sythen...i'll ask around when i go back during the raya holidays...n try asking my mech here if he can help find...fingers crossed heh

 

[Kevin Lee]

http://retrosyndicate.freeforums.org/sneak-peaks-heheheheh-t4451.html?hilit=240z

heres the thread to ur heartache! lol, maybe u can find one in the kampung too :D

 

[jiusan]

helo again ,
erm there is a S30Z , that is a special edition of a special if not mistaken
with the body of a 240Z , but not normal one's and much more rare than 240ZG

i put the pictures of the S30 engine i was talking about here

it was made to put onto Datsun Skyline's GT car and S30Z , that only a few existed from factories and some used in Japanese police force ,
these are triple Hitachi SU carb 2000cc inline six !!!!!!!!!!

the most craziest Nissan engine to me ever made ,

OH YEA , I ESTABLISHED CLASSIC AND OLDIES CLUB LONG AGO HERE , DO JOIN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED !!!

 

[arturo]

jiusan...yr making me drool

 

[jiusan]

haha did I ?
or you're poisoned by the lady ...?

these engines , I will hantam them like they are in HELL !!!!!!! IF I HAVE ONE !!! haha

sorry ah , thou im very in love with old cars , they are to me always to go fast , not veri fast compared to new car of course ,
NO PUTTING THEM IN GARAGE FOREVER/U BETTER MAKE A GLASS CASE IDIOT !!!!!!!
just my own opinion

coz racing classic is veri crazy to watch