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1973 240z Barn Find value?

8K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  kakabeta749 
#1 ·
Good evening all, I'm new to the forum but was hoping to get some help. I was recently visiting a property my wife and were thinking of buying which included a barn. The property is being liquided by a woman whose husband recently died. As we were walking around the barn a 240z caught my eye. I'm a car guy and knew enough about 240z to know it's an interesting piece of history.

I asked her about it and she told me she wanted to sell it but didn't have the time or energy to list it. I asked for details and here is what she told me. It was bought by her husband many many years ago. 35 years ago it had 24k original miles. Her husband pulled it into the barn in fine running condition and it hasn't moved since. It's the body looked perfectly good, no rust that I could see but it buried under a 1/4" of dust. I did open the door and look in. The interior looked brand new. Not a blemish I could see (limited light so take it for what it's worth).

She told me she'd selling it if I gave her an offer. I know this is VERY limited info and NO I wasn't thoughtful enough to take pics, I was just so blown away that a car like this existed so close to my home. I can head back over this week and get some pics. I was just wondering if anyone could even give me a ballpark of what this thing could be worth.

I appreciate any guidance.
 
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#2 ·
Wow. If it's truly got 24K original, unmolested miles and no rust and a good interior and the motor isn't seized, it's worth a lot just after you hose the dirt off. Has it been in the barn all this time (and importantly, out of the weather?) Do you see any rust bubbling along the rockers or lower fenders? Any mouse damage to interior or wiring? Are there any major dents? What part of the country are you located in? Depending on that stuff, I'd guess $7-8K in 'original pristine' but non-running condition. If you get it running and really clean it up, new brakes, etc, you might possibly find a buyer at $10K or even more, again depending on condition. Z cars, and particularly 240s, have been going up in price in the last few years. Which is maddening as ****, since I used to be tripping over them at the junkyards 15-20 years ago.
 
#5 ·
Wow, that interior is very nice. A restored or - if you can find one - original, uncracked dash is worth almost $1,000 all by itself these days. Personally, I'd make a pretty modest offer (maybe $1-2K) and see if the seller would go for it. From the few photos and description, looks like you've found a real diamond in the rough! That said, be advised you'll probably have to throw several thousand $$ at it to get it sorted out and running right. Keep us updated!
 
#6 ·
That's the problem with older cars, it's always hard to put a value on them. Their conditions are all over the place and fluctuate in values. I would get some comparisons from the bigger sites like ATclassics, Autolist and cargurus. Private party values never seem to be realistic.

What did you get it for?
 
#7 ·
That's the problem with older cars, it's always hard to put a value on them. Their conditions are all over the place and fluctuate in values. I would get some comparisons from the bigger sites like ATclassics, Autolist and cargurus. Private party values never seem to be realistic.

Hagerty is also a good source of classic vehicle value.
https://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools
 
#8 ·
Wow, looks like it's probably in good shape under that filth! I wouldn't hesitate to make an offer of $1k-$2k before getting it running or figuring out what's wrong with it. Even though it was running when parked, it's been sitting a long time. I'd check over the car really closely for any rust or damage before making a larger offer.


I think your $5,500 limit is more than fair. These cars are going up in value, but to me a project is a project. I would never spend $7k on a car that isn't running for whatever reason. But, it also depends on how badly you want it and how clean it is.
 
#10 ·
Some of the value is in how much work you can do yourself. If you're a good DIY type, then things like dropping the gas tank and cleaning up the carbs become less of a cost factor.

I would also check low on the body for rust - I know from experience that cars sitting above dirt will tend to rust on the lower body panels.

I'd probably offer $2K and work from there.
 
#13 ·
Nice!

Add some big plastic fender flares, hood scoop, ditch the bumpers, slam it to the ground, eliminate the muffler, pop in a kickin' stereo with subwoofer, mirrors on the fenders, tiny low-profile tires, aftermarket steering wheel, and don't forget to add all sorts of stickers and decals. Hey, that's what the kids would do, right?

Major score. Give it a good wash and some new fluids and enjoy a great barn find.
 
#15 ·
Wow, so much really great potential!!

I see a lot of surface rust on the body, and suggest a complete repaint with careful attention given to the rust. I would also give that frame a very careful inspection; hopefully there's only surface rust.

If mice didn't get into it, the wiring and electronics may be OK, which would be nice. The gas tank needs to come out and be cleaned and sealed.

Brake systems will need to be completely gone through, cleaned, and calipers either rebuilt or replaced.

You'll want to keep as much original as possible, but there will be parts to replace and I'd repaint to the original color.
 
#18 ·
So I finally got around to getting the car running ..... gas tank refinishing, new spark plugs, changed out all the fluids, etc. The car runs beautifully. 29k on the odometer. What would you say is the value of the car? Just trying to decide what would be too much to invest in a new paint job.
 
#19 ·
If that car has 24K miles and looks nice, it is valuable. You will absolutely need to fix any rust, and you could easily spend the money for a first class paint job. I doubt that if you hire all of the reconditioning done, that you will spend less than $10,000 on fixing it up. But that will be less than half the resale value.
 
#21 ·
Still a lot of work going to need to be done. All rubber suspension bushings need replaced, all rubber brake lines need replaced. Lots of rubber fuel and vacuum lines on the engine will need replaced. Seals on engine, trans and diff will need replaced. I just went through this with the one owner ‘75 I bought. Assuming rust free body and a quality repaint, this is a $35K car in the current market. I would be shocked if it isn’t rusty underneath and damaged by rodents. If it isn’t, buy a lottery ticket.
 
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