Mines a dark green, damn near a British Racing Green at that, but I don't think I've seen any other's in green? Either online or on road. Color code under hood is 214, and all the inner trim matches, as well underhood, etc.

Anyone know where I can see what that color code means?

 

There weren't very many green ones. You might find more info on www.zhome.com

 

Wick Humble's book also has a list of the paint codes and int/ext combos. I'm not at home right now (where my book is...), or I'd check for you. I do know his list is missing one, 638, which is black. Other than that, I think it's a complete list.
Dave

 

Dave, that'd be great, I'm pretty sure it's never been painted since purchase, or at least it doesn't appear to have been. Just curious is the paint code = what I'm looking at.

 

will do. i'll try to post it tomorrow
Dave

 

Ok, according to this link Paint codes for 240/260 and early 280's I'm SUPPOSED to be driving a dark brown 280-Z, I think I like the green better, although the brown would match the rust.

Now, for value purposes, does it matter that it's not the original factory color (one day I'll be painting it anyway, might as well see what the best thing to do is)

Dave, if you could verify this against Humble that'd be great, whoever painted it was amazingly thurogh about it, so much so that I wonder if it was painted at all.

 

Okay, actually remembered to have the book at work today, and here's what we've got:
214 Dark Brown from 8/73 to 7/76
All the green codes are: 907, 113, 240, 302, 303
So, I'm guessing yours was repainted.
Color matching only matters if 1) it's a concours show and it comes down to that difference 2) a show/collector type wants to buy your car to show it.
You can order a new paint decal (I think it's Too Intense Restoration that has them, maybe Victoria British?) if you want it to match up nicely with your chosen color. No new paint is going to match original spec anyway, which was an alkyd enamel dried in a gigantic drying oven at the plant in Japan. Top notch show judges can tell the difference, but it's only in concours that it would matter. Every other category allows modification and as a result may actually favor a modern paint system.
hope this helps!
Dave

 

And brown (thank GOD!) it ain't. Going to leave it the BRG since I like the color on it. Side question however, since someone has been messing around with the car at some point in it's life. Did the early '77's have those freaky hoodvents? I have a 4 spd with no A/C which makes sense for that year, the hood vent I'm not so sure. Maybe a replacement hood?

 

Hmm, I guess that means my repainted "black pearl" 78 isn't worth as much because it has been repainted? It's still black pearl, just doesn't have the original paint and decals, etc... I don't care anyway cause I wanna drop an LS-1/LS-2 and 6 speed in it!

 

To my knowledge, the vented hood was a 77-78 thing, and the 70-76 were all the non-vented ones. In my experience, people seem to screw up the Z's nose a lot (not used to the long hood, I guess), so a new hood isn't too unlikely.
Yeah, I agree. It's odd but no modified Z, no matter how nice, will fetch as much at auction as a clean, original, low-miles bone stock low VIN # Z. Collector markets just don't work that way. But, I'm with you, the price some collector is willing to pay is not at all important to me. I guess "worth" is a subjective thing, and just isn't the same as "price" anymore. Anyway, the days of making money off of trading cars or restoring them are pretty well over. The only way it's worth all the money and time and trouble is if you're really into the car. By the time mine's finished, I'm sure I'll have about 12k in it, but I doubt I could sell it for more than 4 or 5k. But I wouldn't sell it even if someone offered me 30k for it, it's worth far more than that to me.
happy wrenching,
Dave

 

I'm with you, not really interested in "market value" or the potential to another owner, just trying to get the poor thing all straightened out, especially with the model year, wich is purely subjective apparently, but with all the evidence I've seen, looks like I have a 1977 with a four speed and no a/c and a different coat of paint. I can live with that, now if I can only get the damn thing running right