SO!
I have the opportunity to purchase the direct offspring car of the great 240Z: namely, a 1974 Datsun (though not the particular one shown here. Same color, but kinda junky). And I am having a tough time making the decision to make the final cut. Will I buy it? Will I not? Will the answer be clearer after I weigh the pros and cons in this entry?
PROS:
Aesthetically pleasing. Look at that car and tell me that it looks like just another car. The 60's-70's produced new shapes for autos, redefining how outrageous, how fashionable, or how streamline a car could look. The 240 was called the 'poor mans Porsche when it was around in 1969, and it the body style is reminiscent of the old Dinos and 944's. And who's going to argue with those cars?
Pricing. Alright, while older cars absorb money like a sponge composed of black holes, let's look in the immediate future. A) The price offered for the car with a parts car is $2200. That could go down to maybe $2000, but it's not likely to. Meanwhile, a desperate young man on craigslist has a slew of 260 parts. He has been trying to sell them for quite some time now, so perhaps he is getting desperate enough to part with just the ones I'm interested in (carbs, badges, carpeting, mirrors, odd ends, etc.) for $1000 or so. So I think I would be set for all the major parts for approximately $3000.
Insurance: Older car, no Porsche insurance, good driver record. I have not checked, but I figure it would be more or less manageable.
Purpose: This car is not something I will want to drive in the winter. It is not something I want to take to the track. This is something I would like to buy, own, operate, maintain, and enjoy through youthful independence. Yes, it is a selfish, frivolous projection of my doubts concerning my own independence and I feel like it will prove something while I know objectively it is silly and illogical for me to think so. I want it to be unique, and see that without me, it would not be there.
and... Also, I feel like I've reached a limit to what I can teach myself about auto-mechanics without a car to work on. Though I suppose I could say I was looking for older cars to buy because their systems are more basic and I am frightened of the black plastic boxes that are in modern cars, I'd be lying if I denied that I just think modern cars all look cheap.
CONS: (again, above pic is NOT the exact car I'm looking at)
Big Question:
Do I have the ability to fix the car? Is experience key in this kind of a fix-up? Will I need outside expertise from a Z specialist? How much can I learn straight out of a book? What kind of skill level will I find I have/ how complex can I repair this car? Can I clean a carburetor? Can I rewire the ignition? Can I do a full transmission swap?
Transportation: The only workspace I have available right now is on Cape Cod. So the car (and the parts car) would need to be shipped about 70-80 miles. I hear tell that would be $300 or so, probably more. That doesn't sound too great. Plus, how will Cape Cod air (vv salty) effect repairs, and how long do I plan to keep it there?
Future Parts: If I end up needing a part that can't be found in Tewksbury or in the parts car, I'm going to be stuck with online stores. A) foreign car parts and B) vintage car parts are expensive. It's a sellers marker. Alternatively, any parts I don't need from the parts car will be good to sell for money too.
Will it Run? A 35 year old car that doesn't run right now seems like a bad buy. If it does run, how well will it run? How much maintenance will it take to keep running? The owner of the Z asked me while pitching the car to me 'how many of these things you see on the road?' and while the answer is a resounding 'None' is that because they are awesome or they are all hunks of rust unable to pass an inspection?
Tools: A simple auto mechanic's toolbox can have well over $1000 worth of special ratchets and clamps in it. First step here is to figure out what exactly I would need special for the Z. Already I have a Z mechanic's guide in the mail coming to me to answer these questions.
CONCLUSION
Alright, so this helped a little. I notice that all the pros are delcarations (while not always facts) while the cons are commonly inquisitions. Assuming all my con questions are answered 'for worse' I would not buy this car. But if two or three were answered 'for better' I think I would do it. Which ones count? The keeping it running one is high up there, but so are cost of special tools. I think how much can I learn from a book is the #1 question right now. So I'll try and hold off a sale until I get that manual.
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