1973 DATSUN Z-Series

Hatchback

6

Manual

HLS30127951

Clear

This is an incredible time capsule. One owner until 2012, this is a 100% original Arizona 240-Z that has only 87K miles. This car was owned by a ASU Professor who took care of this car like it was his only possession. Records like you have never seen before. Every single receipt since 1974 is placed in a binder with exact details about every single service done on this car. He rebuilt the engine about 10 years ago and we recently serviced the car for your pleasure. Too much to describe about this car. I am including the summary he wrote on the car when I purchased the car last year. You just have to see it for yourself. The body has a few door dings since it is 40 year original car. The paint is great - we just buffed her today and you can see the baby shines. Everything works on the car, since we just serviced her. A/C blows cold, and drives straight. If you are a serious collector of these z's than you know you have found a special car. Give me a buzz at 480-223-8171 to set up a viewing. Car is being sold locally as well. Thank you. Over the years, I have sold a few cars on ebay and have a perfect 100% feedback. If you are a serious bidder, please give me a call or email questions. Please feel free to send an inspector at your expense. Good luck. I had several reasons for rebuilding the engine at such low mileage: concern about possible corrosion in the aluminum head, desire to address oil seepage around aging gaskets, and suspicion that boiling the block out would improve cooling effiency. Although the rebuild was interrupted for a long time, it was thorough and productive. The engine interior showed only mild wear, so the replacement rings and bearings were all of standard size. I had the crankshaft and the rod-&-piston assemblies balanced, and I had the valve cover, air cleaner, and exhaust manifold powder-coated by Jet-Hot. The pro shop that reworked the head for me did find and repair one corroding area. New gaskets throughout eliminated oil seepage. And the cooling system now works better than ever. The body paint in the engine compartment is original, except for the area around the battery. (Years ago, fumes from a leaking battery damaged the paint there, so I cleaned the area and repainted it black.) Motor mounts and transmission carrier bushings are new. All the engine belts and hoses are new too, as are the water pump, thermostat, thermostat housing, four-row radiator and cap. The engine has an OEM cooling fan with a nylon blade assembly on a thermstatically controlled central clutch. There is also an auxiliary electric fan whose function is controlled (according to driver selection) by engine coolant temperature and/or AC compressor operation. The air conditioning is a well-configured R-12 system with a modern waffle-style multi-piston compressor secured to the engine with a custom-made mount. The AC and engine cooling systems cope acceptably well with the hot weather in Phoenix, although both can be marginal in stop-and-go summer traffic. The original 1973 carburetors worked satisfactorily for nearly ten years, which is rather remarkable given their faulty design. I replaced both carburetors and the air cleaner assembly in May 1984 with stock 1972 equipment (and disabled coolant flow through the intake manifold), which resolved all the driveability problems I had begun having, while reducing emissions. The original mechanical fuel pump has been removed from the engine, and replaced by an electric pump at the fuel tank. Power to this pump is switched by an engine oil pressure switch that was replaced at 88000 miles. (An electrical relay in this circuit, currently bypassed, should be replaced.) The entire fuel delivery system was cleaned in conjuction with the engine rebuild, and the existing electric fuel pump was replaced by a new one, so fuel delivery is very reliable. But the fuel tank does have a leak if filled more than 3/4 full. The fuel gauge sending unit was replaced very recently. I installed a lock on the gas tank door during the gas crisis of the 1970s, carefully, so that it appears to be original to the car. The engine rebuild showed no grooving in the flywheel, so it was not refaced. Nor was the transmission rebuilt. But the clutch and throw-out bearing were replaced. The clutch master and slave cylinders were recently replaced, at 88000 miles, along with the boot on the clutch fork. A new battery was installed very recently, in October 2011. Suspension and Tires The bushings mounting the rack-&-pinion assembly to the frame were replaced with heavy-duty versions at 55000 miles. (The boots on the steering rack were replaced very recently.) The brake master cylinder was replaced at 48000; the rear brakes were redone at 65000 and the front brakes 84000. The brake system had been flushed at 83000, when the four rubber brake lines at the wheels were replaced with ones wrapped in stainless steel mesh. It was flushed again when the car was returned to service after the engine rebuild. The shock cartridges and all suspension bushings have been replaced since the engine rebuild. Likewise for the large isolation bushings (now with urethane stops) at the tops of the rear strut assemblies. The four mag rims on the car carry new Yokohama Avid S/T P225/60R14 tires, and I have a fifth such rim as a backup. The spare tire is a new Yokohama Touring P185/75R14 on a steel rim. Interior The black interior is entirely original, except for the rear deck carpet, which was replaced in November 2005. The other carpet shows almost no wear, since I've always used good floor mats. The headliner is like new, with no tears or visible wear. The diamond design material on the drive-train tunnel and around the rear shock towers is also original and like new. There are some cracks in the plastic interior pieces. In particular, there are a few cracks in the top of the dashboard, as is typical for these cars. They're covered by a custom dashmat. The console has cracked at its two weakest points, which have since been strengthened. The silver film on the horizontal accents near the top of the door panels was removed some years ago, when it began to peel. Those accent pieces are now painted black. The steering wheel is the original three-spoke wood-grained one, with the large center horn pad. Not surprisingly, the original wood shift knob shows some wear. The radio is the original AM/FM unit, so there are no speaker holes cut into any interior panels. The radio, although not strong by modern standards, does work, as does the electric antenna. With one exception, the gauges work properly. This includes the OEM clock, whose innards have been replaced with a quartz movement. The exception is the trip odometer which, although it records advancing miles correctly, is difficult to reset to zero because the tens and hundreds wheels often slip half a digit while being reset. All the lights work, too, although the rheostat for dimming the instrument lighting should be replaced since it just shuts that lighting off when set for very much dimming and also won't allow that lighting to be very bright. (I've wanted to replace it, but haven't been able to access it with my large hands.) The cigarette lighter works, but the last smoking done in this car was over 20 years ago. The black cardboard defining the interior of the glove compartment has been partially remade, to strengthen it and to allow removal for easier access to parts of the interior fan assembly. The major problem with the interior is that the seats need work. They still have the original naugahyde covers, the rips in which have been repaired with handstitching covered by clear silicone. The current sheepskin seatcovers are worn in spots, and stitching is failing at the top of on the one on the driver's seat. Exterior The exterior of this car is in excellent preserved condition. The paint is the number 918 Burnt Orange alkyd enamel that has become classic for the 240Z, and it is original. It was lightly polished out in 1977 and again in 1992. Other than that, just careful use of car wash and car polish. There are some light stains in the paint from the adhesive of thin aftermarket side mouldings applied in May 1974 and removed (due to deterioration) in July 2005. There are no emblems missing, but the ones on the car have all been attached with small bolts or with aluminum pop rivets, in response to repeated loss to theft. The sport mirrors are those available from Datsun dealers in the early 1970s. I've equipped them with convex mirror surfaces. The window glass is all in very good condition and, in particular, has no cracks. The windshield has some pitting, of course, and one small chip that's been stable for decades. The doors, hood, and hatch fit and operate very well. But the weatherstripping on the doors and hatch is dry and cracked, and should be replaced. (I have replacement weatherstripping. In fact, I have a full set of replacement stripping, bumpers, and cushions.) The doors have the usual set of parking lot dings, especially on the passenger side. Other than that, little is wrong with the body. There are a mild scratch on the hood and a deeper ding on the right rear quarter panel. There's also some damage at the right front turn signal, which was there when I bought the car. It's hard to notice, so I've never felt a need to have it repaired. The car has never been in an accident. Having lived its life in the dry-climate of Phoenix, it has no rust except for a little surface rust on the underside of the rear bumper and on the with my large handifront bumper mounts. All the exterior lighting works as it should. Also Included The car comes with the original jack, tire tools, metal tire chocks, and owner's manual. And with three shop manuals: the OEM 1973 Datsun 240Z Service Manual, the OEM 1972 Service Manual for L20A & L24 Engines, and a Haynes manual for the 240Z, 260Z, & 280Z. I've relied on the OEM manuals almost exclusively, and have carefully annotated them during the years I've owned and worked on this car. And with an extensive maintenance log that I've maintained for this car, complete with receipts for major repairs and parts purchases. Also with assorted items removed from the car during repairs, such as now-incomplete or worn-but-rebuildable parts. In Summary This isn't a show car, but from a car length or so away it looks like one. It wouldn't take much to turn it a show car. I wouldn't do that myself. But the next owner might want to, so I haven't attended to such things as parking lot dents and weatherstripping. If I were to keep this 240Z, I'd preserve it rather than restore it. Preserve it as I have been doing for over 35 years. If I wanted to return it to use as a daily driver, I'd replace that weatherstripping, fix that gas tank leak, and replace the fuel gauge sending unit. If such use were to include an excessive amount of highway driving, I'd consider replacing the 4-speed manual with a 5-speed manual from a 260Z or a 280Z. (My understanding is that it's a straightforward swap.) In doing these things, I'd continue to rely on two main parts sources other than Nissan: the NAPA stores and Motorsports Auto in Orange, CA, a premier third-party source for Z parts. Except as already noted, this 240Z is original and stock, and of course all its numbers match. With the exceptions already noted, everything on it works as it should. It has a clear Arizona title and current standard Arizona licensing. (It's never been licensed under an emissions waiver or as a collector car.)