When I was a kid, a neighbor had a 1971 240Z that he was always tinkering with. And, sometimes, he even let me observe what he was doing- with stern instructions to be quiet and not touch anything, of course. But that 240Z was such a departure from my Dad’s Oldsmobile and even my Mom’s VW Bus that I was fascinated. And, it was the car that introduced me to a manual choke. I thought it was just the coolest thing to slide that lever back, twist the key, and listen to that silky smooth 2.4L straight six thunder to life, roaring along at 1800 rpm.
Later on, I somehow convinced my Dad to buy a 280ZX, and later a 300ZX Turbo. But neither of those Z cars spoke to me like that 240Z with its sidedraft carbs, ANSA exhaust, and, yeah, that choke lever!
Turns out it is true that the first hit is free. As such I’ve had a “thing” for 240Zs ever since I was a precocious kid annoying my neighbor because he owned one. And over the years I’ve owned a number of 240Zs as well. They’ve come and gone, much like the tide, and much like any serial car collector will do. You buy one, love it, use it, then see something else you want to buy and love perhaps a little bit more.
So when I was in one of those 240Z droughts a few years ago and my good buddy Michael told me it was time for his dad (Norm) to sell the 240Z he bought new there wasn’t much hesitation. I needed to add it to the collection. Norm, much like my old neighbor, is a sports car and motorcycle addict and a born tinkerer. So, his 240Z was pretty damn awesome, reflective of its life of careful use and Norm’s signature meticulous maintenance. This was Norm’s baby. For example, he even removed and saved the original tires when it was time to replace them.
I often say you buy the seller as much as you buy the car. Well, in this case, that is 100% true. I bought 50 years of Norm’s TLC, and a 40,000 mile, original paint, completely untouched and absolutely magnificent 240Z. With, of course, that manual choke lever and the ANSA exhaust Norm installed when it was new.
Color me, and the 8 year old me, quite thrilled with all of this.
