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Restore the 240z or drop an LS?

3K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  sactojohn 
#1 ·
Hello, so i picked up a 240z yesterday from Saint Petersburg Florida. I previously restored a 280z and loved it so I thought I'd do it again but better.
But I've run into a problem. Whether to restore the 1972 240z or put an LS in it and redo all drive train.

This is why I'm split.
It's a two car owner (not including me)it has been a Florida car all its life and have docs to prove it.
It's has rust and will need restoration so not a perfect car in any means but a ton of potential. The car is all original. All original.

But here's where it gets interesting. I opened the glove box and found a ton of paper work. I'm talking Datsun warranty cards, manual, radio manual from Nissan, the bill of sale from Datsun dealer, valvolean life time oil services bought in 1972, Datsun service records from Datsun. Pics attached

With this kind of following, is it worth keeping it the green color it is and keeling motor and really restoring it? Or put an LS and paint it different color?

Also if I do drop and LS in it and put the money in for drive train would I see that ROI when I sell the car farther down the line? Or would it just be for the pleasure?

Thank you
 

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#3 ·
If you're interested in reselling, definitely keep it original. I believe the rule of thumb is expect to get 60% of the money back you spend on aftermarket upgrades for a car. There is an immaculate turbo LS swapped 280z near me at about 25k. Not only is it going to be hard to sell, but he has put upwards of 40k into it. Just a lot of work, and money.
 
#4 ·
Jay Leno's Garage had a recent episode on unrestored cars. He's claiming the biggest money is leaving them alone if they're original. Don't even touch the paint. Now that said, he's talking about cars with a little more "cache" than our beloved Z cars. I did notice his own untouched car was at least made driveable and safe by going through the motor/drivetrain, suspension and brakes - still keeping them as original as possible though.
 
#9 ·
  1. worth more kept orig
  2. color change cost more, than keeping same.
  3. beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If its leaf green I would like it, some may prefer other colors.If
  4. your car, are you buying for ROI or do you want to keep it and drive it.
If you are ROI, then get it running keep investment low as most changes including color are not going to help in return.


Agree with other poster, lets see some pics.
 
#10 ·
In the current market ive seen plenty of tastefully modified 240Z will sell for more than a stock car. The prices will definitely be going up in the future but these arent and never will be Porsches. When you think about how slowly theyre appreciating, and factor in inflation, opportunity cost etc. I think it makes much more sense to go with a car that youll like the most rather than try and predict what will be most valuable to the next owner.
 
#11 ·
Here are some pictures of the car.

In relation to the appreciation of the Z cars I believe there prices are absolutely increasing by a significant amount (in Florida at least). I bought a 280z about two years ago for 1500. That's unheard of today.
The guy I bought the 240 from had it listed for 3,500 and said he got a total of 100 txt messages concerning the car.

So with all of the input from the site I believe I will keep it stock but it just comes down to the paint and whether it's worth it to keep it green.

Thanks for all feedback to.
 

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#12 ·
Thanks for posting the photos. That green is certainly "interesting" but if it's stock, go with it!

Looks like some rust eating through the left front bumper. Be sure to dig deeper. Overall, a nice project car!
 
#13 ·
This is a very timely post as I am in the exact same situation regarding keeping my 73 Z its same green (113) color. I am the original owner and its been completely stripped, media blasted and now at body shop for repairs and paint up here in New Hampshire.


Family members don't like the green (113), but if I change it does it have a several K$ impact? Comments please.


I am going to do a separate post with pics.
 
#15 ·
I suppose there's no original paint left since the body has been media blasted. If that's the case I think your question about $ impact has to do with resale value. IMHO since all the original paint is gone, painting it with any original color is likely to have the most impact on value. Going with original color MIGHT be a little more but I don't think it would be much. I'd personally go for a more modern paint job that still "respects" one of the original colors but that's just my taste.

Wrapping a car is certainly intrigues me. You can get pretty wild without much risk, i.e. peel it off and do something else if you don't like the first try.
 
#16 ·
I'm glad you decided to keep it original. I love the L6 motor. These cars will only increase in value I believe.
My '73 is also 113 Green but has been repainted a brighter Green at some point. Under the carpet in the hatch it's still original 113. And when I decide to paint it it's going back to original color.
 
#17 ·
That is a steal. In CA you would have paid closer to $13,500. 240z prices skyrocketed out here in the last 5 years. If you are building to sell, try to sell it out west. Get a 280 if you want to do a swap. It is a more refined car to drive and it won't affect the value much since they have yet to take off.
 
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