There are several ways to go about discovering rare cars that have been stashed away, and resident Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter has employed many of them. His latest find came about while looking for a place to store his 1939 Ford Woodie Wagon in New Orleans. It makes sense that the owner of the facility, Brett, would know where a few rare cars are stored, and one of them happens to be his own.
When Tom asked Brett about the most interesting cars on the premises, the first one that came to mind was his 240Z. Assembled in October 1969, Brett’s 1970 Datsun 240Z is the 21st built and features several unique details that set it apart from later models.
The car has been sitting for quite a while, although the few bits of rust seem rather minor, and most of the important parts seem to be intact. Under the hood, the inline-six is missing its original side-drafts and has been fitted with a trio of Weber carbs, so Brett’s on the lookout for a new set. The odometer shows just over 27,000 miles, although it’s likely turned over once. Overall, the car is a fantastic candidate for restoration, and Brett plans to disassemble it and do whatever it takes to get it back to like-new condition. Hopefully, this beautiful example of an early Z will be back on the road soon, and its L24 engine will be purring under its long hood.
While the Z is the main focus of the episode, Tom’s visit to New Orleans includes a few other noteworthy cars, including Brett’s Cheetah replica and a 1965 Mercury Comet Caliente, so there’s a little something for fans of V-8 pushrod power as well.