Today it can be a real challenge to find a nice Datsun 240Z that looks like it is going to sell at a reasonable price, as their values have continued to climb for more than a decade. Barn Finder Patrick S seems to have struck gold by spotting this 1972 model for us, so thank you for that Patrick. This is a clean car that appears to have avoided the majority of rust and trim issues that can plague unloved examples, and bidding on the 240Z is sitting at a pretty affordable level. Located in Largo, Florida, you will find the Datsun listed for sale here on eBay. At the time of writing, bidding is sitting at $15,000. The good news is that with the reserve having been met, this 240Z is about to head to a new home.

The owner states that the Datsun underwent a repaint in its original Kilimanjaro White approximately 15-years-ago, and it seems to have held up well in that time. There is a shot of the floors provided by the owner, and they look clean and solid. Rust prone areas like the rockers, lower quarters, and around the inside of the hatch look to also be nice and clean. The fact that the car has spent its life garage kept has certainly paid dividends today. All of the external trim and chrome is present and looks to be in good condition, although the hubcaps appear to be mismatched. The glass also looks like it is in good condition. One thing that I did notice is that some of the door rubbers are looking pretty dry and cracked. I would be inclined to check them and replace those that need replacing pretty quickly because any moisture inside the car can be a true enemy of the 240Z.

With a relatively low curb weight of 2,300 lbs, the 2,393cc OHC six-cylinder engine was capable of providing the 240Z with quite spirited performance. That engine fed its 151hp to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. Couple this with 4-wheel independent suspension and a 240Z can be a very enjoyable vehicle to drive on a ribbon of twisting bitumen. The car is a full numbers-matching vehicle and is said to run and drive well. Life is made a bit more comfortable with the inclusion of air conditioning.

If you ordered your 240Z new in 1970 or 1971 finished in Kilimanjaro White as this car is, you could choose to have the interior trim finished in either blue or black. By 1972, that choice had been removed. For the 1972 and 1973 model years, there was no choice available, and if you didn’t like the idea of a red interior, you were pretty stuck. The interior of this particular 240Z is largely complete, but it is hardly surprising to find that some aspects of it are looking pretty tired. The carpet, especially in the rear cargo area, is showing its age. The seat covers are also torn and will need to be replaced. The steering wheel is missing its center, but there are some really positive aspects in there. The dash looks like it is crack-free, while that quilted look vinyl on either side of the transmission tunnel also appears to be in good condition.

By the mid-1970s, a lot of the sparkle has worn off the Datsun 240Z, and it was easy to buy pretty reasonable examples at some ridiculously low prices. They started to regain some of their lost ground during the 1990s, but this process was pretty slow. Since the year 2000, values have soared, and this trend doesn’t look like ending any time soon. Finding a clean one like this at an affordable price is becoming more difficult, so it will be interesting to see what it finally sells for.