It’s a rarity these days when a seller is direct and doesn’t beat around the bushes about the state of their vehicle. Oftentimes, we’re subjected to sellers who either still believe in their own ambitions or simply have decided to entice potential buyers to visit the car in person by sugarcoating reality. Whatever the motivation is, the seller of this 1971 Datsun 240Z is the claimed original owner and clearly doesn’t have interest in wasting his time or yours. There’s rust, the brakes are locked up, and it doesn’t run – but it still looks like a highly deserving project. Find it here on craigslist in Lake Tapps, Washington for $5,000.
Being the original owner of a car like this isn’t totally surprising, as driving a 240Z when new in the early 70s was likely quite exhilarating. At the time, there wasn’t much out there outside of the Porsche 911 and the BMW 2002 Tii if you were a gearhead looking for a car that tickled all the senses. The interior alone could get your blood pumping with those racy gauges, the three-spoke steering wheel, and the manual gearbox tucked neatly between two bucket seats. The seller seemingly moved this 240Z to his current home 25 years ago with plans to work out it, but those goals sadly never materialized.
To own a car like this and be able to hold onto it versus trading it in is a special opportunity. Being able to buy a sports car new and then drive it for several years while being able to keep it for a future restoration is a bit of a life goal. When I was growing up, a house my school bus regularly drove by had a green TVR Tuscan parked at the bottom of the driveway near the mailbox, and I suspect the owner of that property always had similar goals of someday fixing it up. The Datsun shown here actually wears a very similar shade of green paint, and it was actually referred to as Racing Green. Under the hood is the familiar 2.4L L24 inline-six making 151 horsepower and 146 lb.-ft. of torque.
The seller notes that the front wheels are free but the rear brakes are locked up; at least you can lift the rear up and steer the nose where you want it to go. The bottoms of the front fenders are rusty, and the seller notes that the floorboards where your feet tend to go have perished as well. Neither is a big deal in terms of old Z car restoration; in fact, I’d wager far worse has been restored. While not a Series 1 car, this is still an early Z and quite desirable, so the asking price seems more than fair to me for what looks like a highly original example. No attempt has been made to start it, but these engines are fairly robust and easy to replace it it’s terminal. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
Beware, if the floors are gone so are the mounts in the core support for the radius rods. I briefly owned a 280 back in ’84 that I purchased as a winter beater for $100.00. Stout drivetrain but after driving it for a week or so, I sold it for what I bought it for due to the previously mentioned unsafe condition.