OT: Garage find..., an unmolested Datsun 240Z, 23 years idle in garage Options

[neo914-6]

I'd love to buy it but not sure what it's worth or what to offer. All original paint, optional AC, very little rust that I could see, only one shallow crease in the rear quarter panel, door dings, cracked dash, tears in drivers seat, rusted exhaust, some worn door seals. Everything else is just dirty. It was only outside the garage for the past year.

How do you start cars like this? My guess would be to replace the fluids, filters, plugs, plugs wires, rotor, gas, carb fuel lines, good battery, hand crank it to see if it turns, prime the carbs, and try to start her up...

[ConeDodger]

You can do all of that and it is best but I can tell you from 30 years of Z car ownership that all you really have to do is make sure it has gas, replace the battery and crank until it fires. Very durable cars.

Do you have the VIN? What year? The earliest cars are worth the most. First 500 are gold in any appreciable condition. If it is a '73 and has its original flat top Hitachi SU carbs, take them off and PM me. I have the carbs and intake you need. Those carbs were smogged down and very few survived since they were near impossible to keep tuned. I think there are far more parts available for the Z than the 914. Sorry, another look at your pics reveals this to be a '70 through '72 engine or a '73 with backdated carbs. This car has some desirable options. Bumper overriders, AC though more than likely dealer installed. It has the steel wheels and hubcaps which are very rare. Datsun dealers did the same thing Porsche dealers did. They pulled off the factory wheels and wheel covers and upcharged you for some cheap alloy wheel to increase their margins.

As for value, some of the Z Store Project cars have sold for $50K. A restored original car up to $30K. An unrestored original car in that condition is $1000 - $2000 at most. Unfortunately, a lot of these cars that sit in a garage for 20+ years are kind of a poor man's retirement plan. He or she may think it is worth a lot more than it actually is.

That is a very popular color though I never liked it.

Most of the rust issues are under the battery tray and in snow belt cars, along the driver side rocker panel from plow salt blast. Really bad examples have shock tower rust.

If you are serious about this car go to ClassicZ.Com and you will get all the advice you need.

Here is one of my favorites...