1982 Datsun 280ZX

Description

Sports cars don't come much more sporty than the Datsun Z-car, and this 1982 280ZX is absolutely beautifully preserved and hugely affordable. These were iconic back in the day and remain fun cars to drive with a balance and flavor that seems to elude today's 2-seaters. And with only 20,849 original miles, this is a very desirable collector!

This 280ZX gets just about everything right: great colors, a 5-speed, and it's a 2-seat version, not a 2+2 so the proportions are ideal and weight is manageable. Oh, and I should also mention again that it's led a very easy life with only 20,849 original miles (not a misprint) on the clock. Nice, right? The original paint is more than 30 years old, so you know it's not perfect, especially for 1980s paint, but the fact is that few cars this old have ever looked this good. White is pretty durable and easy to maintain, which probably explains the shine, and the fact that it's never been rusty or wrecked means that the sheetmetal remains in first-class condition. It looks great with the Turbo hood and its cool offset NACA duct. Nice black rubber trim hasn't been oxidized by the sun and with red pinstripes on all the most important body lines, it looks sporty without being too extroverted.

The red cloth interior is one of the better places to do the serious business of driving from the early '80s. The bucket seats are still firm and supportive, the upholstery is in excellent condition, and even though it's red, the sun hasn't faded it to some awful orange color. It's loaded with options including A/C (fully functional), power windows and locks, cruise control, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo, the latter of which is splayed out on a silver panel just ahead of the shifter. Clear, legible gauges, including the traditional trio of auxiliary dials in the center of the dash, are all in good condition and as with any sports car, a 5-speed manual gearbox is a welcome sight. The cargo bay is in good shape with only light fading on the carpets (inevitable with that big rear window) and it still has the tie-down straps for the removable glass T-tops.

The 280 part of 280ZX stands for the 2.8 liter inline-six that powers this sports car, and it does a pretty good job of simulating some of the great sports cars of the '60s. Plenty of silky smooth torque means that the Z is a fun car to drive in traffic and it's an effortless cruiser on the highway with very good road manners. The engine bay, while covered in hoses, wires, and pipes, is remarkably clean and well detailed and it runs as well it looks. The slick-shifting 5-speed is a joy to run through the gear, matching revs with each downshift and listening to the burly exhaust note that could only come from a six. The 4-wheel independent suspension is agile without a punishing ride, and the 4-wheel disc brakes are powerful enough to easily scrub off the speed. It's not detailed underneath, but there's no doubt that this is a good original car. Handsome alloy wheels are almost completely unmarked and carry 205/70/14 white-letter radials that fit just right.

With the way Japanese sports cars are appreciating, it's only a matter of time before everyone catches on to what fun machines these are. Buy now and avoid the lines, and capitalize on the appreciation. Call today!