An hour into the drive, doubts start to creep in. That little voice trying to undermine my adventure, challenging me, causing me to hesitate. With the cruise control holding at 78mph, I turn down Albert King’s guitar solo to contemplate.
Its a crisp, clear autumn day and the Maple trees form a tunnel of color as I speed down the highway. I was excited. This was a chance to get out of town and check out a car before winter fully sets in. A treasure hunt, window shopping, call it whatever you want, but it was a mini road trip and adventure in my mind. Only two more hours to go.
“No, I don’t need another old car,” I reminded myself. And there is that problem of not having a place to store it. Michigan winter is creeping in, leaving a hint of frost on the ground each morning. Stored vintage cars are resting like Sleeping Beauties, waiting for their knights in shining sweatshirts to rescue them in the Spring.
On the other hand, fall isn’t a good time to sell a car like this. People don’t usually buy sports cars, boats, and lake houses during Winter. I’ll find out what’s motivating the seller when I meet him. He seemed trustworthy and provided answers and additional photos without hesitation.
The car is unique, and my curiosity overcame any lingering doubts. I crank up the volume and continue on, justifying the time and effort to myself. After all, it’s rare to find an old Datsun in Michigan that isn’t been eaten up by rust. And the owner indicated this one was in very good mechanical shape, too. It was an opportunity to explore and hey, if opportunity knocks, you have to answer the door!
Truthfully, I figured the car would look a lot worse in person. That’s the case with all the old cars I’ve bought or looked at. Unless the car was completely restored or meticulously maintained by a loving long-term owner, vintage cars all need work.
For example, when I bought my ’68 Datsun 2000, the seller claimed it was in “mechanically A-1 condition.” The car had recently been painted, and the chrome, wheels, etc. looked great. WI saw the car running on so I ignored my car inspection checklist and was convinced myself it wouldn’t need a expensive body or mechanical work. Not wanting to travel to to look at it, I bought it online.
Well, after the car was delivered, I took it for a test drive. The brakes went to the floor and the motor gasped and choked through the first 3 gears. After I stopped to check it out, the battery was dead, and I had to pop the clutch to get it running again.
It turned out the motor itself was fine. The misfiring was caused by a bad spark plug wire. However, it needed a water pump, fuel pump, alternator, brake master cylinder, vinyl top, etc. Then, I discovered the clutch was slipping and had to pull the motor to replace it. Parts are very expensive and difficult to source, I discovered $9,000 later.
Two hours later, I exited the freeway and turned off onto a smooth black 2-lane country road surrounded by fall colors. As I neared the meeting point, a big smile crossed my face as the yellow Z rolled up on the opposite side of the road. It stood out like the Oregon Duck’s neon-yellow football jersey on green astroturf. The custom paint job is difficult to describe; bright lemon-yellow paint accented along the sides with a black stripe and purple blobs splattered haphazardly along it. I hoped they were decals that could be removed.
It was almost too much, like seeing a Hot Wheels car enlarged to a life size version. It had the look of a race car but the 260Z isn’t known for being fast, especially an automatic. Due to new emission standards in 1974, the horsepower dropped from 150hp to 135hp. It was also about 300 pounds heavier than a 240Z. That makes the 260Z less desirable from a performance and collectability perspective, even though it has the same body and look.
The car was obviously drivable, and the body and paint looked in good condition for a 30+ year old paint job. There were no decals, only paint. I did a quick walkaround. The original chrome bumpers were gone, and side view mirrors weren’t original. A fiberglass body kit had been installed and a Porsche whale tail mounted on the rear hatch.
The owner, Alex, was young, married, and had recently bought a house. He had other cars, including a Mazda Miata and a 240Z project car. The couple decided to sell this car as he didn’t have time for it. Alex was told the car was modified in the 1990’s and trailered to audio car show competitions. The 45K mileage was original but he had no documentation or proof.
Inside, the interior was intact, although it had after market seats and steering wheel. The center console was modified and didn’t have fan or heater controls. Looking behind the seats, I could see two batteries and two monster capacitors exposed. It was something you knew shouldn’t be touched, especially if you were wearing rings or jewelry.
I pulled out my one-page inspection check and we went through as many items as possible.
Looking under the hood, I was amazed to see a clean motor and engine bay. It was obvious whoever painted the car had removed the motor before painting the engine bay yellow. A stamp on the block verified it was a 260Z motor. Unfortunately, there was no ID plate on the door jam or fire wall to verify whether this motor matched the VIN. I suspect the ID plates and all the chrome were removed when the car was painted, but someone failed to put the plates back on.
Under the hood, triple Weber carburetors replaced the original two SU carbs, and an aftermarket aluminum radiator was installed. Finally, there was an extra alternator installed to charge the two 12V batteries behind the seats.
I couldn’t see any water, transmission, or oil pan leaks. So far, so good. I removed the battery, and the tray was rust free. The gas filler door and inner hatchback were dry and rust free, which are positive signs. Using a small magnet, the body panels appeared to be metal. I couldn’t check the floor pans very well but there weren’t any large, damaged areas or holes evident.
A compression test verified 180 pounds for all six cylinders. Very good sign the motor was strong. The electric windows, lights, turn signals, etc. all worked except for the clock. Oh yeah, the 1200-watt stereo could blow you out of the driver’s seat, too.
We took the car out for a drive. The 3-speed transmission was a bit clunky, and the engine seemed to misfire a bit. It has a loud muffler, not sure if that was intentional or needs replacement. The front end and steering wheel vibrated excessively when going over bumps. The brake fluid in one reservoir was low and possibly leaking from the front passenger caliper. Finally, the gas fumes were coming in through the rear hatch door, which needs new weather stripping.
I was starting to dig this car and saw the potential it had. It needed some front-end work and TLC but could I get it repainted, remove that whale tail, and put the original chrome bumpers back on? Replace the automatic transmission with a 5-speed? Get rid of all that weight from the massive audio system and bring it back to its original glory, so to speak.
No, my quick calculations showed that option to be cost prohibitive. It would take $10K to $20K to convert it back, more expensive than buying a 260Z already in good shape. But, with some relatively minor work, this would be an unusual and unique car to drive to car shows this summer.
I heard that voice again, reminding me how I didn’t need another car. “That paint job is ridicules! An automatic transmission? More work and you already have two other Datsuns that need work. What are you thinking!”
Then I heard Flip Wilson’s devil, “Go ahead! You can easily make this into a fun driver car! An automatic means anyone can drive it! It even has power brakes and a 3-point seatbelt. Much safer than the roadsters! A coupe. No worries about getting caught in the rain!”
The devil made do it! I said I was interested in the car, reminded him of the work it needed, and asked what he would take as a cash offer. He agreed to sell it for $12,500 and store the car until Spring, since I had no place to put it. I felt confident about the purchase, knowing there would be issues, but the fundamentals were solid. It’s a 50-year-old car, after all.
Five months have passed. Yellow daffodils are flowering, trees are budding, and dandelions cover the landscape. Last week I rented a U-Haul trailer and towed the Z car to its new home. It once again brought a smile to my face and a little voice said, “you’re going to really enjoy this car!”
Someone once went to a great effort to restore and modify it. To repaint it would be to cover over a piece of art and erase the history of the car. I don’t know art but like wine, I know what I like, and I like this car. It’s grown on me, like a vine on a tree. I call it The Graffiti Z.
I’ll get this back to A-1 mechanical condition, remove the 300 pounds of batteries, speakers, and enclosures, and drive it like its 1974!