Full red: Two 1972 Datsun 240Z

The 240Z no longer needs much introduction, but cars like these are not interesting simply because they wear the badge. What matters now is the condition in which they survive. Many have already been restored, modified, repainted in brighter colours than they deserve, or rebuilt from weaker foundations. A pair of complete, title-bearing cars still sitting in project form has a different kind of appeal. It shifts the interest away from nostalgia and back toward what is actually there: body shells, trim, drivetrain potential and the possibility of saving two early Z-cars before either is reduced to donor status.

From the photos, the stronger of the two appears to be the brighter red car on the lighter wheels. It looks substantially complete, with a more coherent exterior and a cabin that, while worn, still appears largely intact. The second car is clearly rougher, with heavier paint failure, more visible corrosion around the body, missing or altered details, and a more compromised interior. Even so, both seem to retain their essential identity rather than being stripped shells. The seller’s description is minimal but useful in one respect: they are offered as complete cars with clean titles, and the fact that they are presented together suggests they may have been held as part of a longer-term private collection rather than picked up casually for resale.

That said, these are body-first cars. On early Zs, the difference between a viable restoration and an expensive miscalculation usually lies in the shell rather than in whether the cars are complete. Rust around the lower quarters, doglegs, floors, hatch area and structural sections matters far more than the headline attraction of owning two 240Zs at once. The better car may justify serious attention if its underside and key structural areas support what the photos suggest. The rougher one looks more like a second project or a parts-support car unless inspection proves otherwise. Read in that way, the interest here is real: not because this is a turnkey opportunity, but because complete early Zs with titles still deserve a look before the market finishes sorting the good ones from the lost causes. Find it for sale at USD 13,800 here in Naples, FL, USA.  

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.