1972 240z survivor. Low miles, original paint. Low reserve.

Description for Datsun Z-Series 1972

Hello Z car enthusiasts!
For your consideration is a 2 owner, riginal paint, ow mile240zin classic 918 orange. I am offering this car at very very low reserve.. Read the entire ad.. study the pics.. ask questions..
While passing through the Seattle area driving another240z, stumbled upon this amazing Z that was desperate to be rescued. It was offered for sale by a 83 year old retired surgeon and his daughter who had been storing the car for years for their 95 year retired anesthesiologist friend who is in Scotland and cannot fly anymore. The 95 year old man, es was the second owner of the car. He bought it from his best friend in 1975.
I came back with a truck and trailer and brought this back to my home in Salt Lake City, tah. The car was last registered in 2000. There are receipts in the glove box from 2000 totaling over $5,000 in work. The car was driven less than 70 miles since all that work was completed. From what was done in 2000, t is my guess the car had sat for a long period of time before that.. The odometer shows 52,***.. The interior is in incredible condition. There are virtually no nicks in the vinyl.. The dash in not cracked, nd there are several things I noticed indicating that the car was well cared for and could possibly be original miles showing on the odometer. I called the daughter back and asked if the old man was able to carry on a conversation.. He said, absolutely", nd gave me his number. I immediately called him in Scotland. He answered the phone and a fantastic conversation was had. He went on and on about the car. He told me his best friend, pharmacist had bought it new and had always treated the car like royalty.. When his friend ran into financial trouble in 75, e insisted that Des buy the car because he knew Des would take good care of it. Des told me it had always been a 3rd or 4th car, as garaged and wasn't driven much, ut was always cared for and prized. Most importantly, e told me the odometer had never rolled over. He had thought the original miles were around 60 or 70K.. But said, e was sure it had never turned over and that the odometer had never been tampered with.
For the past 5-10 years the car had been covered with a car cover and a tarp over the top of that.. This proved to be a very unfortunate situation for such an amazing well cared for classic. Des told me he was aware of how it had been stored and that it made him sick.. Not a good topic for the old man.
The car still wears it's original factory paint and it still has luster. The top side of the hood however, as been resprayed and doesn't match in color well. It was likely re-painted due to rock chips or wear from a nose bra. There is no obvious bondo or signs of work.. The back side of the hood is original and still looks great. The car shows several door dings throughout consistent with original paint and a 43 year old car.. No major damage anywhere. Someone has also "keyed" it at some point. Tough to see in the pics, ut look closely at the drivers side. The exterior of the car did succumb to the moisture of the Pacific Northwest. The interior wasn't free from it either. It appears that water somehow found its way into the car and puddled on the floor, usting some areas. I removed the seats to take a closer look. The worst area is on the passenger side floor.. The area in front of and behind the forward seat riser is rusted through. In one pic you can see a small hole in this area. Know that forward of this (the other side of the seat riser) there is an area approx 4"x8" that is rusted through. It seems that from 6" or so forward of the seat riser all the way to the back of the seat area has been compromised by rust.. You could probably get by with just a patch now, ut will need a new replacement panel in the future or if you plan to restore. Ask for more pics. The bottoms of the doors are also showing corrosion, owever I am not sure how deep the rust is there. Under the hood the battery area is still solid as are the frame rails, nd other important areas. The car is still very solid, ut I would say at some point it will need the floors patched or replaced. The body panels all line up like the factory installed them. Unlike many early Z's, his one has never been hit. There is zero evidence of any previous collision damage. Being a uni-body car, t is easy for me to decipher this.
The interior is quite impressive.. Again, he vinyl covering throughout is just amazing. There is an area of the passenger side transmission tunnel that has rippled.. I think this can be heated, tretched and re-glued. That area is the most significant.. or only area that is not in excellent condition. Hard plastic pieces in back are all great. Again, he dash has zero cracks. There is a mildew like smell in the interior that needs some time and persuasion to pass.. Not too bad, ut noticeable. Does not smell like it has ever been smoked in.
After spending some time on getting it cleaned up.. I started to work on the mechanical's. I first noticed how complete and original the components are on this car. Looks like original exhaust, mog equipment all present and hooked up, tc etc. I removed the plugs, oured a little oil in the cylinders and started turning it by hand.. then put a battery in it and let it turn until things were lubricated again. The gas tank surprisingly was not full of stinky gas. I bought a new radiator for it, hanged the oil, nd the car came to life.. and ran perfect right off the bat. Amazing. These old Z cars never cease to impress me. The brakes needed help. I disassembled the rear wheel cylinders, nstalled new shoes and bled the brakes.. They are holding pressure and working, ut likely should have the front pads replaced and maybe bleed the system again.. The car was now ready for a test drive! I drove it around for a good half hour and it seemed be working great. Transmission shifting solid. Suspension feeling good.. No obvious problems. There are some things I know it needs and things that I would suggest and I will list them below.
Mechanical deficiencies:
Tires look new but are 15 years old.. I'd replace them.
When I installed the new radiator, broke the end of one transmission line that connects to the radiator and the other line did not match up to the new radiator.. I had to remove the bracket that holds it in place to get enough movement to make the connection.. It now leaks.. just a few drops when its sitting there idling... I would address both of these lines, erhaps a shop could make them.. I could not find oem replacements. Not urgent.
Again, he brakes could use a little help.. I'd replace the front pads and re-bleed the system at a minimum.
The gauges all work and show normal operating conditions. All lights work, xcept the headlights.. I have not looked into this.. Shouldn't be a big deal.
The wipers do not work. I found a receipt from a Nissan dealer in 2000 that showed the wiper motor as bad.
Original radio turns on but I have not been able to get to make music.
Factory power antennae goes up, ut needs some help coming down.
The car did not come with any keys. Like most of these cars, nother Z car key will work. I had one the operates all locks, ut is a little sticky in the ignition.
Some suspension bushings will likely need to be replaced from age. Many were replaced in 2000.
Sometimes the car smokes a little bit upon start up and if it sits idling for awhile, hen rev it up.. I'd say it is normal. Not worried about the motor at all. These cars all burn a little oil. It has 10-30w in it now, hich is very thin for these cars.. but, t's cold.. so I didn't put 20-50 like I always use in EVERY Datsun I own. Motor sounds fantastic and will just get better with use.
I would change the transmission fluid and rear diff oil before driving on a daily basis.
In summary, his is an absolutely amazing find. I have been into Z cars for 25 years and have owned too many to count. This one ranks very high on the list of special 240's that I have had the pleasure to own. It has just enough rust present to keep it out of the $20k range, ut not enough to not be completely worthy of a restoration or a driver that is presentable and anyone would be proud to own. It has amazing history and was cherished by very affectionate owner for many years. This car will make someone very happy and will provide many many years of service and enjoyment. Tough to find in this low mile, riginal paint, riginal equipment, riving condition, n the classic orange color.
Serious buyers only please... I put forth time and effort in this description.. Please read the entire ad.. study all the pics.. read the ad again.. Then ask any questions or specific pictures.. Then bid to own this rare car. The only way you will know you are happy with what you are buying is if you come look at it yourself. I am happy to accommodate you anyway I can to accomplish that. If that is not possible, t is up to you to ask questions, sk for specific pics and then make your decision to bid or not.
Thanks for looking.. Now cease the opportunity.
BUYER IS REAPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING AND PAYING FOR SHIPPING. DON'T ASK ME HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO SHIP TO WHEREVER YOU LIVE.. LOOK FOR YOURSELF.. AS YOU WILL BE PAYING FOR THAT YOURSELF. PAYPAL DEPOSIT OF $500 DUE WITHIN 24 HOURS END OF AUCTION. BALANCE DUE WITHIN 3 DAYS VIA BANK WIRE OR CASH. IF YOU CANNOT MEET THESE TERMS, O NOT BID. BIDDERS WITH LESS THAN 10 FEEDBACK CONTACT ME BEFORE BIDDING OR YOUR BID MAY BE CANCELLED. VEHICLE MUST BE REMOVED FROM PROPERTY WITHIN 2 WEEKS END OF AUCTION. THANKS! NOW BID ON!Jason

On Dec-10-15 at 18:07:55 PST, eller added the following information:

This car has a production date of 12/71 and retains the original numbers matching motor.