> Well, I love the Zs but since I can't afford
> a 90+ and the 85-89 don't appeal to me, I am
> interested in purchasing an earlier model. I
> am way out of my league on this one so I was
> wondering if any one could just throw some
> years my way, and perhaps what to stay away
> from. I am interested much like everyone
> else in doing some work and upgrading on the
> car so I got to keep that in mind also.
Whatever you cnn find that doesn't have rust problems, body damage etc. Don't worry, you'll accumulate a garage full of Z's, it's not totally critical which one you get first.
My personal preference is for the more sophisticated later models with fuel injection etc.. However, particularly with the 280ZX ( my current main ride, ) the vast majority of home mechanics are totally defeated by the complexity of the various subsystems. Don't buy one of these cars and expect to get it _fully_ operational unless you have a fair amount of instrumentation and are reasonably comfortable with repairing electrical faults. OTOH, if that's okay with you, go for it.
Otherwise, the 280Z is a nice compromise. There's somewhat less to go wrong, and some people prefer the nature of its rear suspension, which is more accessible than on the later cars, less of a challenge.
If you can find a 240Z with no rust, then go for it. Not too many of those around, and what many there are seem to me to be overpriced these days.
Doug Dawson
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