The Nissan Fairlady Z was one of the Japanese answers to the British sports cars of the 1960s. When the car made it to the U.S. in 1970, it was marketed as the Datsun 240Z (for its 2.4-liter inline-4 engine). It became quite popular and was superseded by the 260Z in 1973 and the 280Z a little later. The seller’s 1972 240Z looks fairly good, though the seller defines it as a project because its flaws are readily seen closer up. Located in Auburn, Georgia, the little sports car has a lot of new parts and is available here on eBay where the current bid is $6,600 but that’s below the seller’s reserve.
Besides the 2,398cc engine, most 240Zs came with a 4-speed manual transmission though an automatic was optional. A 5-speed could be had in Japan, but not in U.S. models at the time. The engine was known as the L24 yet the seller’s car has an L28, meaning It’s 2.8 liters in displacement from a later 280Z. It has a turbo head and a 5-speed manual which may have been lifted from the same 280. More than 30 years later, the 240Z made Sports Car International’s list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s, coming in the second spot.
We’re told that the body needs some work, either from past repairs or newer needs. The paint isn’t so great either, though the limited photos don’t seem to give it away. This is a running Japanese project that has already benefitted from some new parts. They include an electronic ignition, some clutch apparatus, brake work, and a tune-up. While the machine is a runner, the seller says some fine-tuning is needed before barreling down the highways.
Adding to the improvements is new upholstery for the passengers, but the carpeting may need attention. The seller’s company makes repro parts for these Japanese runabouts and probably has what you may need to help take this Datsun to the next level. But for now, it may be okay before you decide to dig into a full restoration.
Had a 78′ 4 speed manual, loved that car. Sold it in the late 80’s for 500 bucks… Still kicking myself in the butt over it…
The 240Z used an inline 6 cyl, not a 4 cylinder.
Yeah, if its 4in line and 6 sparkplugs its rarest 240 in planet😂😂
Had the 260 ZX auto and it was quite the car emerald green yes that auto was not the best but I found a header pipe that actually used the rest of the exhaust which it sounded amazing ! Little touches by Datsun like engine compartment drop light , a/c it was just a slick little car .
#BA, The 260 came as a Z or 2+2. There was never a ZX until the more luxury minded 280.
Years ago I attended a car show for the Slant Six Club (now defunct I believe, but they used to have many chapters and even a nice news letter) Anyway, someone had put a 225 slant six into one of these and somehow kept the stock 5sp. Well executed and the car drove amazingly well. Owner said the original motor fried and he fixed it with what he had. Pleased with the result. Didn’t wind up as high as the stock motor but made up for that with a lot of low end grunt that made for a great back road car.
Had a ’74 260Z 4sp that I really enjoyed and kept until ’81 when I traded it in on a Mazda RX-7. I looked at an ’81 280ZX turbo (which is likely the engine this car has) but didn’t like the new body style and it didn’t handle like the RX-7 or for that matter my old Z. I’m like a lot of others that really wish I’d held on to my old Z-car.
I had a ’72 this exact color. Actually, it was the wife’s, I had a white ’73. Later, we had a ’74-1/2 copper colored 260Z along with a BRG ’77 280Z.
I had bought a one owner rust free 260Z 2+2 in 1988. The craziest intake of all the Z models. I ended up running a Holley 4 barrel on an Offenhuaser manifold. It worked well enough, but looked like doo doo. I gave the car to my son after the bottom half of the engine quit. He put a brand new 2.8 in it and drove it for about 2 years before an electrical fire put it out of commission. About 3 years later, I decided to do a full restore with some minor modifications. That got out of hand. Stripped it down to bare metal, rebuilt the engine with triple 45 doc Webbers, header, cam, etc. New interior, candy blue paint, wheels, tires Yada, Yada. Kept it 20 years before letting it go to a Kuwait soldier training at a local Army base. $13,000.and a trip to the other side of the world. I miss that car.
Perfect car for an L76 327 Chevy with aluminum heads and a holley sniper fuel injection.
In June of 1972 as a newly minted high school senior, I drove with a friend to Colorado in his almost brand new ’72 Z in canary yellow. How he rated a new car and I was driving a ’50 Packard I had to pay the old man 250 bucks for, was never made clear to me.
Nonetheless we made it in 24 hours driving straight through from the east coast. Oh to be young with T to spare! Anyway, I’ve always thought I would someday have a ’71 or ’72. I’d like an original one myself, It seems to me that in the not too distant past Datsun was remanufacturing oriignal ones from the frame up. Anyone remember that?
My friend became an airline pilot (figures) and I did what a lot of Packard owners did……lots of stuff
Always loved these, ever since they first came out , even more would be the virtually identical but much rarer Z432 or Z432R , then you’re talking big $$