Elite Dealer

1972 Datsun 240Z

Michigan

$50,995

Vehicle Details

Make

Datsun

Model

240Z

Year

1972

Mileage

4,800 miles

Exterior Color

Gray

Transmission

Manual

Drivetrain

FWD

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Engine

350 V8

Condition

Excellent

Description

This 1972 Datsun 240Z has been comprehensively reimagined with a 1995 Chevy LT-1 350 cid engine paired to a T56 six-speed manual transmission. The modern powertrain is backed by meticulous documentation of all work performed. The build features a complete fuel system upgrade including a custom aluminum tank with baffles, new Ford F-150 pump and sender, and AN-6 fittings throughout.

The ignition system includes a new Optispark unit, MSD coil, and NGK plugs. A new Griffin radiator with custom fan shroud and electric fan handle cooling, while a ported throttle body and K&N filter support intake flow. Exhaust flows through stainless steel headers and a three-inch Flowmaster muffler.

Suspension is fully adjustable with front and rear coilovers, camber plates, and Wilwood braking throughout featuring two-piece rotors and four-piston calipers. The interior sports a custom aluminum dash and Intellitronix digital six-gauge panel with GPS capability. Finished in dove gray with gloss clear coat, this Z rides on 17-inch wheels with 225/40/17 directional tires and sits on a fully sorted R-180 differential.

A real head-turner with purposeful engineering throughout.

Datsun 240Z Buyer's Guide

Full guide

Emily Chen

JDM Classics

1970–1973

~4 min read

Updated Apr 2026

Definitive buyer's guide for the 1970-1973 Datsun 240Z. Frame rust hotspots, L24 engine identification, original specification verification, and current market pricing for survivors and restorations.

This guide covers

✓ 10-point inspection checklist

✓ Common issues & what to avoid

✓ In-person inspection guide

✓ Market pricing by year & condition

✓ 5 FAQs answered

✓ History & fun facts

Read the Full 240Z Buyer's Guide

Datsun 240Z Market Overview

Based on 10 Datsun 240Z listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

Listed Now

$35,526

Avg. Asking Price

1970–1974

Year Range

Price Position on Our Site — Above Average

This car: $50,995

Low: $22,900 High: $54,995

Transmission Distribution

Automatic 30%

Manual 60% ◄

Condition Distribution

Excellent 10% ◄

Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 10 listings →

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What is this car worth?

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Datsun 240Z Buyer's Guide

The Datsun 240Z is the car that changed how Americans thought about Japanese performance. Launched in 1969 for the 1970 model year at a sticker price of $3,526, it offered Jaguar E-Type styling, BMW 2002 driving dynamics, and Toyota reliability — for half the price of any of them. Today, clean original 240Zs sell for sums that would have shocked enthusiasts ten years ago, and the supply of unrestored survivors continues to shrink.

What to Check Before Buying

✓

Inspect rear strut towers — Critical structural rust area. Open rear hatch, remove spare-tire cover, examine inner wheel wells with flashlight. Rust here = walk away.

✓

Pull carpet, check floor pans — Both driver and passenger sides. Floor pans rot from underneath. Patch panels welded over original rust = future failure.

✓

Squeeze rocker panels firmly — Should be rigid. Flex = rotted out and structural compromise. Major repair if damaged.

✓

Verify VIN matches numbers — Dashboard HLS30 plate, engine bay tag, engine block stamping (behind distributor). All four must match for matching-numbers claim.

✓

Compression test all six cylinders — Should read 145-165 PSI uniformly. Variance >15% between cylinders = head gasket or ring problem.

✓

Listen for timing chain rattle — Cold start rattle is normal (tensioner). Constant rattle through driving = chain stretch, requires replacement.

✓

Check carburetor synchronization — SUs should be balanced and tuned. Check throttle response, idle smoothness, off-idle pickup.

✓

Test all electrical functions — Headlights, tail lights, gauges, turn signals, fuel gauge, wipers, hatch latch. Multiple failures = harness replacement coming.

✓

Examine rear differential — R180 differential. Check for whining noise on deceleration, broken stub axles, leaking pinion seal.

✓

Document with HD photos — Every panel, frame, undercarriage, engine bay, interior, and identifying tag/stamp. Build the case before you wire money.

Common Issues

240Zs rust everywhere. Rear quarters, front fenders, floor pans, frame rails, rocker panels, and especially the rear hatch area where rainwater collects. The infamous "rear strut tower rust" is structural — repair is expensive and a deal-breaker on otherwise rough cars. Mechanically, the L24 inline-six is bulletproof, but the SU carburetors (or Hitachi flat-tops on later cars) commonly need rebuilds. The four-speed manual is robust; the 1971-1972 five-speed (rare, US market) is more desirable. Differentials are weak in stock form — broken R180 axles are a known issue. Electrical issues are universal. Forty-five-year-old wiring harnesses fail in predictable spots: the dashboard cluster ground, the headlight relay system, and the tail light circuit. Plan to replace at least the engine bay harness and fuse box on any car you buy.

What to Look For

Frame and floor first. Floor pans on 240Zs rust through to the underside in coastal and salt-belt climates. Look at the floors with carpet pulled. The rear strut towers are a critical structural area — rust here means the rear suspension can deflect under load. Pop the hatch and inspect the spare-tire well. Unibody integrity is the second concern. Squeeze the rocker panels firmly. They should be rigid. If they flex, the rocker panels are rusted out and supporting essentially nothing. Engine condition. The L24 is a 2.4-liter SOHC inline-six with two valves per cylinder and twin SU carburetors. It should idle smoothly at 700-800 rpm, run cleanly through the rev range to 6,500 rpm, and have no smoke at any RPM. Compression should be 145-165 PSI across all six cylinders. Timing chain rattle on cold start is a tensioner that needs replacement — minor. VIN and HLS30 numbering. Original US-market 240Zs are HLS30-prefixed (the "L" for left-hand-drive, "S" for sports). Check the dashboard plate and the engine bay tag for matching numbers and original color codes.

Price Guide

240Z values have moved aggressively from 2015 forward. A driver-quality 1970-1973 240Z in solid mechanical condition with normal cosmetic wear runs $28,000-$45,000. Concours-grade restorations of well-documented original cars: $65,000-$110,000. The first-year 1970 cars ("Series I") with their distinctive interior trim and chrome bumpers are the most desirable; they command 10-15% premium over equivalent 1971-1973 cars. High-end documented examples are now in the six-figure range. The November 2021 Bonhams sale of a 1972 240Z restored by Datsun Heritage Collection in Tokyo set a record at $310,000 — but that's a outlier. The realistic top-end for a typical numbers-matching, professionally restored, low-mileage 240Z is $110,000-$140,000. Project cars (running but rough) start around $12,000-$22,000. Stripped roller candidates are $5,000-$10,000, but rust restoration is expensive — $15,000-$30,000 in body and floor work alone before paint.

Did You Know?

The 240Z's design was driven by Yutaka Katayama ("Mr. K"), the head of Nissan USA, who recognized that the American sports car market wanted something more refined than a British roadster but more affordable than a Porsche or Jaguar. The car was sold as the Datsun 240Z in the US market and as the Nissan Fairlady Z in Japan. The original sticker price in 1970 was $3,526 — about $28,000 in 2024 dollars. A new Porsche 911T was $6,990 the same year, and a Jaguar E-Type was around $5,500. Only 16,215 cars were sold in the US in calendar 1970. By 1973, US sales had grown to 95,200 units, and the 240Z had transformed Datsun from an obscure import brand into a genuine American sports car contender.

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Elite Dealer

$50,995

1972 Datsun 240Z

Michigan

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