1970 Datsun 240Z | Buyer’s Guide

Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith explores what makes the 1970 Datsun 240Z such a beloved classic and details what you need to know about buying, owning, and loving this great sports car.

---
Episode chapters:
0:00 Introduction - 1970 Datsun 240Z
0:36 Driving impressions
2:05 Shop talk
3:48 Undercarriage inspection and buying tips
5:03 Hagerty Valuation Tools
7:12 Sam Smith’s final thoughts

---

Follow us on social media:

Like what you see? Watch our other series including:

Contact us:

#240Z #BuyersGuide #NeverStopDriving

[TheSaturnV]

Lot of folks are going to regret doing the cliche LS swaps and hacking out the fenders for flares as these beauties keep rising in value.

[paulwest]

Ah, such memories! I bought a 1971 240z in San Diego in 1985 while serving in the US Navy. She was outfitted with triple (!) side-draft Weber carburetors and painted a metallic grey. Also sported twin sunroof vents (opened at backside only) and aftermarket rims. $2500 from a guy in the northside of the city. The setup was highly illegal in California at the time, but there were ways around that of course. The 3 Webers were difficult to sync but I still loved 'em. Wonderful car. The accelerator seemed bottomless to me. Drove from San Diego to Virginia after my Navy time. I had her until I got short of cash in the late 80's. Now I own a 2013 370z. Nice, but somehow just not the same.

[jonathanwentz]

Buyer's guide: Good luck.
Seriously I can't find one that's not completely rusted out.

[CoachEgg]

I've owned about a dozen of these cars. Epic performance when dialed in.

[EchoSigma]

That exhaust note still sounds good to me after all these years. What a gem of a car it was and still is. Like most desirable early model Japanese cars and trucks, they're no longer cheap if they're in good condition.

[legopieface]

"This is a Nikon SLR. This is a Sony Television. This is a great example of the Japanese BEING the Japanese, and simply applying a logical method to a romantic idea."

This is probably the best line in any car video. Brilliant.

[Rebinyy]

As a 240Z lover i have a note, when i first saw a 240Z i felt like i saw life. The 240Z is like a absolute animal of a car! Wild and alive, made to respect it's owner as much as it could. Made to make the owner of itself as happy as it could, i think that this car is amazing.

[s]

I'm glad I bought mine years ago, prices going up. I won't sell it. We spent three years restoring it in stages.

[Bill_N_ATX]

I had a 260 in college till some idiot hit me and wadded it up. I stayed pissed for years. It was a great, very flingable car. Years later, after college and making a few bucks, I bought its more costly younger cousin, the Infinity G35 for much the same reasons. It was a great handling car, and while it doesn’t have the seven hundred horses that so many do today, it had a good 300hp in a great V6 that ran like a Swiss watch. I lost it too when some meth head stole it and then spun it into a guard rail and then a ditch. Bent it like banana and with aluminum body panels it was totaled. They kept the thief in jail for about a week till his grandma bailed him. Sadly, he died of an OD two days later. I’ve been looking for a good deal on a good driver version of one of these cars for years but they’ve just priced them out of my range.

[danrgoodnight]

an early 70s 240z was a real eye opener for me !

[pmwk]

I had a '73 in this white but with burgundy wine seats. The '73 had a bad vapor lock problem that was solved by replacing the carbs with the earlier '71 carbs. I put bushings in the rack mounts to firm up the steering and remove steering play. I replaced the shocks and struts with Bilstein gas shocks. My wheels were Dan Gurney Eagles that closely resemble the ones pictured on this car. I owned it for 5 years from '73-'78, put many enjoyable trouble free miles on it. It was a great car I wish I still had. It was z-barted when new with undercoat seal but the fenders would still rust around the rockers. So many years ago but it was a modern car ahead of its time that would still feel right today if it existed.

[alinofinity]

My friend's brother had 240z, bone stock. Sat in it few times and fell in love with it

[mattryan]

Loved my '73. Rusted to pieces during the mid to late '80s while I lived in NY. It was the only car I had for several years. I really wanted another one a few years ago, but I had already missed my affordability window and settled for a 987.2 Cayman with a stick. Also a fun car that hasn't lost any value since I purchased it, but I still miss the Z.

[akinoffury]

Great series so far, absolutely loving it

[JaaSon]

Sold mine a bit over a year ago now. Got it for 4k and sold for 9k. Did enjoy it but the fumes get old fast and no AC does too. Ultimately, safety was my concern and I sold it, if you love 240s don't look at what happens when you crash one.

[richardbixler]

The term “you don’t miss it till it’s gone” doesn’t apply more appropriately to anything like cars. When ICE cars become obscure and most sports cars like these are rusted out, crushed, or even worse, hoarded in rich old people’s garages, anything pre 1973 with a manual and naturally aspirated motor will be worth a fortune.

[daniellanderos]

My first Z car was a Avocado green Code 113 with tan interior, it was a 73 with the ugly flat top carbs, i purchased the car from the original owner 5 years ago. i had it sit in storage for 6 months until i got around to working on it, changed the flat top carbs to round top carbs, also changed the old beat up shocks and bushings and i drove the car for 3 years straight it was a blast.. I was fortunate enough to buy 2 more early Z cars, both original paint survivors and both in fantastic condition. My safari gold is a 5/70 and my monte carlos red is 6/70. Both tucked away in storage and rust free. sadly i sold my 73 in december. great cars to own and enjoy. they sure are becoming alot harder to find.

[rwest]

I owned 2 of these, an early 71 with the vents on the rear hatch and a 73. To this day it was one of my favorite cars to drive and either my favorite or 2nd favorite looking car.

[hunterjones]

I'm about to take delivery of a '72 240 owned by the same person for over 48 years, fully restored and ready to rumble. I can't wait!!! My dad had a 240 when I was a little kid and I used to sit in his lap and steer it and a 280ZX Turbo in the 80's that I used to "borrow" when they were out of town so it will be a little nostalgic for me to get back into one.

[Jrob]

3 days before buying my 280 I didn’t even know what it was lol I just recently picked it up and all the attention the old Zs are getting is a good motivator to start putting some work into the old thing