Datsun 240Z prices have shot upward in the last few years, as restored examples of this ubiquitous but competent sports car began to hit the market. It’s as if the willingness to spend real money to make a pristine 240Z created a tipping point, and suddenly everyone wanted a 240Z. Early cars have a strong fan base, but every 240Z has seen at least some appreciation. Here on eBay is an unrestored 1973 example, bid to $7800, reserve not met, and a buy-it-now of $15,500. You’ll need a trailer to bring it home from Surprise, Arizona. The car comes with a clear title, factory manuals, proof of registration leading back to 1975, and the original jack and tool roll.
The 240Z owes much to Nissan’s racing success. Yutaka Katayama, working at Nissan since the 1940s, had involved the company in endurance racing in 1958, a trend that evolved into rallying for decades afterward. Meanwhile, after its merger with Prince Motoring Company in 1966, Nissan inherited a race program started by Shinichiro Sakurai – father of the Skyline – who had managed to win the Japanese Grand Prix that same year. Katayama, sent to the US for market research, urged Nissan to produce a sporty car from the technological insights gained as a result of its Grand Prix win. This was the Datsun 510, a scamp of a car as comfortable on the track as it was on the road. Katayama’s next effort was a more powerful car that could compete with a Porsche, was simpler than a Jaguar, yet remain appealing to the economically-minded. The result was the 240Z. Early cars were powered by a 2.4 liter, SOHC in-line six-cylinder making about 150 bhp. By 1973, emission controls and a carburetor change shaved horsepower and boosted zero-to-sixty times. This car is equipped with its original four-speed manual. The motor does not run but it does turn. The odometer reads just over 117,000.
The interior – like almost everything else on the car – has never been altered. The seats are worn, but the floors are solid. The cargo area is clean. Just about every corner has a bump or a scrape, but rust is minimal. The seller reports that the windshield has a rock chip high on the passenger’s side. The one item that has been altered on the car? It has later Z wheels, rather than its original Topy steel wheels.
The Brown Metallic paint is faded nearly to the primer in places, and the rubber seals have seen better days. The seller suggests replacing the chrome as well. But. Restoration costs have executed a moonshot, too, just like Z prices. I would be very tempted to treat this one to a mechanical refresh and leave the cosmetics alone – provided I could buy it reasonably. What do you think?
Leave a Reply to Car Nut from Tacoma Washington Cancel reply