Vehicle Description
It seems a little difficult to believe now, but back in the early
'70s, most car buyers had trouble associating style and performance
with Japanese auto manufacturers. Nissan, the parent company of
Datsun, saw an opportunity to change this, and set their sights on
knocking as many of the existing sports car favorites of the day
off their perches as possible. This 1973 Datsun 240Z is a proud
member of that disruptive class of cars, and this one, having been
brought back to top form both inside and out, is an excellent
example.
Released at a time when most sports cars were sporting cabins that
sat somewhere near their midpoint, with hoods only slightly longer
than their deck lids, this 240Z resembled few other cars of its day
and you can see why it caused such a stir, as its long hood was a
styling feature normally associated with exotic European cars. With
its smooth and even silver paint sitting underneath a very strong
clearcoat to provide a great shine, this '73 is a great
representative for the model. It evokes nostalgia for sure, but
some 45 years after it debuted, still looks agile and capable. A
thorough restoration has left its exterior looking great, with
clean and level chrome bumpers both fore and aft, fresh rubber
surrounding the windshield and well-fitted body panels on all four
sides that show nice, uniform gaps that allow its doors, hood and
rear hatch to open and shut easily.
Take a look inside and you'll see that this black, vinyl interior
wasn't just refurbished, but rather restored from scratch. There
are fresh, supple-looking surfaces everywhere and the pair of
high-backed bucket seats look particularly impressive, showing no
perceptible wear on their smooth surfaces and sitting astride a
center console reflecting the same condition. You'll find the
original steering wheel securely in place, with its woodgrain
finish shining and branded Datsun centerpiece looking as it did
when new. The dash area is head and shoulders over most of its
counterparts of the era as far as design is concerned, and features
an assortment of renewed, clear gauges in its cluster and a new
dash pad on top. Fresh black carpeting lines the entire floor, as
well as that of the very tidy storage area in back, which is also
surprisingly spacious and harbors a factory spare underneath.
A 2.4 liter inline six engine sits in an engine bay that looks to
have recently been steam cleaned, surrounded by fresh looking hoses
and properly routed wiring. The powerplant was overhauled just a
few years back and is at the top of its game, teaming with an
updated 5-speed manual transmission from a 280Z to propel this very
lightweight vehicle - it weighs just 2400 lbs. - with conviction.
The low-slung 240Z was already an able corner carver when it was
first released - its handling was one of the reasons Sports Car
International magazine once ranked it #2 of the Top Sports Cars of
the '70s - and this one, lowered by 1-1/2" via its Eibach springs
for an even lower center of gravity, takes that ability to an even
higher level. Power brakes at all four corners, with discs up
front, provide this pivotal Japanese classic with plenty of
stopping power as it cruises the highways on a set of 14" steel
rims outfitted with BF Goodrich TA radials.
This 1973 Datsun 240Z offers the chance to own one seriously
influential sports car that almost singlehandedly changed the
standing of the Japanese auto industry forever. Call today!